Originally Posted by
EarmarkMarine
This is pretty much universal knowledge and unrelated to any particular brand.
Any 6.5" HLCD gravitates toward bright. The horn is dominant over the midbass driver and reaches out for distance but the midbass/midrange output seriously lags. And, a smaller HLCD is definitely too bright for near field sound quality listening. Few have been satisfied with a single pair of any 6.5" tower speaker whether conventonal or HLCD. Many, however, may be satisfied when using multiples.
So if using a single pair of tower speakers, definitely go with the larger 8" driver in a larger pod of the XM9. It's more powerful, more balanced and has better midbass than the 6.5" XM7.
Starting with a pair of the larger XM9s significantly decreases the need to upgrade later. All around it's a better call and a no-brainer.
David
Earmark Marine