Every purchase has a story and a reason, so bear with me. After having my father’s old Scott integrated refurbished with the addition of a matching tuner, I developed a taste for FM classical music. I think we have all pulled on similar threads at some point, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that I wound up with a MD208 receiver. In the Stereophile review they paired it with Joseph Audio RM7s. It got a good review. I wanted a floorstander, though. The RM22XL had roughly the same drivers, so I bought a pair. They work very well with the amp section. The amp’s specs are identical to a Simaudio I-3, so there is enough power for a 86db speaker. They have clarity and detail in bass, treble and midrange. The sound is clear and neutral, slightly dry, but in a good way. I started with them 6 feet apart, 2-3 feet from the front wall, zero toe-in. The image was small and bass was lacking at low volumes. My girlfriend got sick of them being in the way, so I moved them closer to the wall(12 inches at the base), and farther apart(7 feet). I took advantage of the temporary momentum, filled their ballast chamber with sand and added longer floor spikes up front to tilt them back a bit. The image became nice and wide(duh), and the bass is there at low volumes. The sound is the same, just bigger, taller, and deeper, without the edges. I run them with the volume at 24 (unity gain according to Stereophile) in a room 12x19 with a carpeted floor and thick curtains over the windows. If you enjoy well-produced classical and jazz, these are a great set of speakers.

They might be bright in non-carpeted rooms with big windows. If they are, that is your fault. Cover the windows. Buy a rug. They have a slightly dry tone Iike my Human 81, but with more clarity and detail. They should. They cost, nearly fifteen years old and used, nearly three times the amount my 81s did brand new.Thank you to the people who make and purchase this equipment new and pass it along in good shape to the rest of us. However, the gentleman who sold me these speakers described them as being in excellent shape, emptied the sand out of them, boxed them up, and shipped them to me. When they arrived, I found the finish had been damaged by residual sand. Had they been wrapped in a couple t-shirts or a pillowcase, this damaged could have been avoided. Additionally, some of the pegs for the grills were broken off, again ,a mistake made in haste. I said nothing, because the damage was done, but will never purchase an item that needs to be shipped from a private seller again. It’s a good thing they sound so damn good. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Every purchase has a story and a reason, so bear with me. After having my father’s old Scott integrated refurbished with the addition of a matching tuner, I developed a taste for FM classical music. I think we have all pulled on similar threads at some point, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that I wound up with a MD208 receiver. In the Stereophile review they paired it with Joseph Audio RM7s. It got a good review. I wanted a floorstander, though. The RM22XL had roughly the same drivers, so I bought a pair. They work very well with the amp section. The amp’s specs are identical to a Simaudio I-3, so there is enough power for an 86db speaker. They have clarity and detail in bass, treble and midrange. The sound is clear and neutral, slightly dry, but in a good way. I started with them 6 feet apart, 2-3 feet from the front wall, zero toe-in. The image was small and bass was lacking at low volumes. My girlfriend got sick of them being in the way, so I moved them closer to the wall(12 inches at the base), and farther apart(7 feet). I took advantage of the temporary momentum, filled their ballast chamber with sand and added longer floor spikes up front to tilt them back a bit. The image became nice and wide(duh), and the bass is there at low volumes. The sound is the same, just bigger, taller, and deeper, without the edges. I run them with the volume at 24 (unity gain according to Stereophile) in a room 12x19 with a carpeted floor and thick curtains over the windows. If you enjoy well-produced classical and jazz, these are a great set of speakers.

They might be bright in non-carpeted rooms with big windows. If they are, that is your fault. Get curtains. Buy a rug.They have a slightly dry tone Iike my Human 81, but with more clarity and detail. They should.They cost, almost fifteen years old and used, nearly 3 times the price the 81s were brand new. Worth it.Thank you to the people who make and buy this gear brand new and pass it along in good shape to the rest of us. However, please take care when you box your equipment. The gentleman who sold me these described them as flawless, emptied the sand out of them, boxed them and shipped them. When they arrived I found the finish damaged by residual sand. Had they been wrapped in a couple t-shirts or pillowcases the damage might not have happened. Also, the pegs on the grilles were broken off, again a mistake made in haste. I said nothing, but will never buy used gear to be shipped by a private owner again. I am glad they sound so damn good. I hope this helps. Good luck!