That is a head scratcher. In a comparable room position, physics tells us that the more extended bass response speaker will need more bass attenuation, unless the speaker with less extension has a large bump at a certain frequency range in the bass.
Looking at the sound power curves, the M100 has a visible bass bump while the LFR1100 does not... wonder if that's a factor ?
I had decided to bow out of the conversation. When a person starts with telling me I am presuming a lot of things when all I am trying to do is get honest information, it is time for the conversation to end. But, let's try to answer your question.
There is no "bass bump" in the Sound Power Curve - the bass region has pretty much the same curve in the SPC and Listening window chart. What the SPC shows is an expected roll off in the SPC with a front firing set of speakers. It's an easy thing to hear when comparing an LFR-1100, passive or active, to an M100. Go behind the M100, and it's a muffled sound. Go behind an 1100, and it's crystal clear.
The Omni speakers do a far better job at creating the live performance - again - you can try this easily. Stand behind a singer, and he/she sounds very much the same as when facing you. The Omni speakers, by design, are better than than front firing for this purpose.
Then there is the issue that an M2 also needs attenuation. Look at the response, and it is down 40 dB at 50 Hz. That's pretty much inaudible.
It's hard to imagine a room which would elevate the bass of the M2 to the point that it needs attenuation, while the LFR-1100 active does not.
This does not mean the listener didn't have a PREFERENCE for the sound quality of the LFR-1100 active. It may well be that, since the bass amps in the active speakers are not producing any mids/highs (as they are in the passives) that the higher level of bass isn't objectionable - in fact - it may sound GREAT, because all the mids and highs are still being created with such clarity.
Hope this helps. With 40 years in this hobby, 100's of blind listening tests and thousands of measurements to try to measure what we heard, I have learned there are few "facts" in the world of audio, and lots of preferences.
One of those preferences is just how many people don't like bass below 40 Hz. When you are in a GREAT movie theater - state of the art sound - with rare exceptions, all the bass spectaculars are 40 Hz and above. Most pro audio subs are flat to 40 Hz.
It's a very long discussion, one better over a drink or 2.
