Hello,

So I got a set of x-ls's in the mail a few days ago, and I have them set up now without a sub. They sound good, alright, but they don't wow me the way my brother's B&W DM601's do. The highs seem a little dull to me. I was wondering if this was inherent in the soft- dome tweeter setup. I'm going to keep them for a week, anyway, while I decide what to do, or if their sound grows on me. I was thinking perhaps a hard tweeter, like the Axiom M3 would have the crisper highs that I think I'm looking for. Or maybe I should just go to a B&W dealer and audition some of the new 600 series? Which would be a pain, becuase I'd have to take a 45 min subway ride to get there -_-.
Any opinions on what I should do?

BTW, the source for this is verified bit-perfect over an optical cable, with lossless FLAC's being played to my denon avr-1907.

Not sure where to start, but just off the top I wouldn't expect the $219 X-LS to be as good as a $360 pair of B&W's. That being said I think the X-LS sound good (to me) and are a great value. Sorry I can't provide anything factual as I haven't listened to both sets in the same enivronment.

If you have the money, go ahead and order the Axiom M3s before you have to return the x-ls. Once you hear them side-by-side, you'll know.

Jim

I thought I heard the X line was going to get a tweeter upgrade option , one with a more detailed tweeter . Might be what you are looking for . You should check their forums.

You are probably hearing the x-ls right. The highs are a a bit dull and the the vocals are recessed to me. I was less than happy when I first got them but really have come to enjoy listening to music thru them. I run the x-ls with a bright receiver, the panny 57 which helps push the highs. Got both speakers and receiver new at the same time and there seemed to have been a break-in period with one or both. After a month of usage, the sound significantly improved for me and I am very happy with how the speakers are performing. Many friends come over and while hanging out socializing with music on, give unsolicited comments usually in the middle of some song about how good it sounds.

Having said that, I believe that when you go up in price by 50% or more for any speaker, you should be able to find "better" performers. The xls is still tough but not impossible to beat under $400 so if you got the funds, there are alternatives that may better fit your setup and taste.

I think you would very much like Dana 630s.

You also might want to try the Boston CR67's which are cheap at cc right now--they should sound a bit cleaner than the X-LS. You can do easy comparisons and then return it if you don't like it.