imposter's and gem's posts reminded me of the olden days in which most hi-fi speakers had a built-in volume control(s) for the tweeter (and mid-range if three-way). I also remember that those thick-wired volume control pods tend to often deteriorate over time. Does any manufacturer still do this today in passive loudspeakers?
At any rate, this issue is the matter of speaker designer's philosophy. Unfortunately, no loudspeaker can be perfect for everybody, given the huge variations in room acoustic, personal preference, recording, and other factors. While many mid-fi (and indeed quite a few "hi-fi") speakers are designed to tame, or re-equalize, those "hot" pops records that are meant to be listened through an FM radio and far more common in the market than "acoustically flat" recordings, Axiom obviously considers that it is not a speaker designer's responsibility to tame such recordings. They think that what loudspeakers should do is just to get out what is fed in. The other day I had a chance to hear the Rockets a bit, which are highly raved in certain forums. Boy, are they laid-back!
Cheers!
