Detail, warmth, they disappear and let the music stand out

Break in period

I found out about Monitor Audio through this web site and feel that I owe something back. I have been looking to upgrade a rather old system consisting of Onkyo Integra and NAD parts with Energy speakers. My first move was to add upfront speakers. My Energy SM-3's would be moved to the rear. I originally was looking at the 5i's, but a sale put the 8i's within my spending reach.

After breaking in the speakers @ 2 weeks I started to hear things that my faithful energies had missed. I am pushing the Monitors with a 100 watt Onkyo amp and the midrange is awesome. Highs, while not bright are, detailed and clear. Bass is great. You need to be careful how close to a wall you place these speakers (they are rear ported.) The imaging is far better than the Energies, which are very good themselves. The staging is wide and deep. Any live music is conveyed as if you were in fornt row center. When I move to separates I expect the bass to tighten up a bit (although it is well defined already.)

I listened to B&W, Energy, and Dynaudio, and for the $, the Monitors simply cannot be beat. B&W were too bright, almost tinny. The Energy and Dynaudio sounded great, but no better, and $ was an important factor. Ultimately the 8I's sounded best to me. They look awesome and sound the same. Make sure the Demos you listen to are broken in. These speakers just sound better as time goes by. I would recommend these speakers to anyone!

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