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The day after
In use, the relatively blunt spikes offer sufficient length to level the speakers perfectly and without fuss. Even alignment of the floor protectors is child's play since their diameter is identical to that of the top screws. No more putting nose to grind stone before a pointy spike finds its dimple receiver. The full cleverness of Massimo's overall form factor can only be appreciated in the raw as it were. The whole affair leans back; slims from top to bottom but at a rate asymmetrical betwixt front, back and sides to also produce a different rake between baffle and spine; curves around the back like a boat hull; and sports a top whose slant differs radically from that of the bottom. In short, nothing parallels anything. It's pure unadulterated terror from a manufacturability perspective, sheer organic flow to the appreciative eye. Visual litheness is further underscored by floating the body above the plinth on a stem thinner than a slim wrist.

Studying photographs of this model, one must invoke the mid/woofer's small 5-inch diameter to arrive at a proper idea of overall size. This is a very narrow speaker. Its concomitant height will reach a 6-foot tall man's shirt sleeve rolled up twice. In the scheme of floorstanding speakers with full-range ambitions for mere mortals -- not 20Hz geeks -- that's molto piccolo indeed.

Preconceived notions
A pervasive one to live down also in Casa Chardonne would be 'ceramic etch'. Many speakers dressed by Accuton focus on the leading edge to the detriment of body and render timbres with a peculiar whitish tone. Those who automatically correlate hard diaphragms with hard sound find that predictable and unavoidable. Aware that different implementations can produce differing results, others might reserve judgment. They'll know how stubborn designers with clear goals and know-how can bend most anything in audio to their needs and break rules. Naturally, if one has already heard three different ceramic speaker brands demonstrate the same qualities, this subject will be a foregone conclusion.


Even more obvious to live down would be lackluster bass extension and impact from small cubic volume and limited cone surface. Having come this far, you've already read of the Helmholine concept to anticipate somewhat more. How much more remains to be answered. Ditto bass quality. After all, added extension is here purchased from Helmholtz resonators. Would this ring like ported alignments? High-efficiency speaker users might add cranky (must be cranked to come alive) due to the middling 86dB rating. Silk-dome lovers might express concern over treble pellucidness, head bangers blacklist any chances at true satisfaction.

Bridge building
In short, audiophiles in particular will construe the connecting of high decor with bona fide hifi aspirations as a lost cause by design. And there have been many earlier attempts to lend credence to such pessimism. But must we really accept that everything meaningful on the subject has already been exhausted and etched in stone?