I was looking to upgrade from mini-monitors to the reference
series or the monitor 7 or 9 speakers. Of the lot I heard using
A/B tests using low-end and high-end receivers, the Studio/40s
did most justice to the recordings. By far the best imaging (left
to right and front to back) and by far the most controlled bass.
I don't like speakers with bloated or boomy bass, too much
emphasis on mid-range as well as shrill/sharp highs. The Studio/40s
have a pretty flat and neutral response across their range and
fits my taste well.

I also heard some mirages and the paradigm monitor 7 and 9. All
of them were either poor at imaging or overemphasized the mid-bass.




Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 750