a/d/s/ M12

[sofaman]

I own the a/d/s/ M12, so this is not a "should I buy" thread, it's an attempt to set the record straight on a speaker that has a huge amount of negative info across the web. . . and a fair amount of positive from those who have owned and lived with the speaker.

I am no audio expert by any stretch of the imagination. I started following Classic Speaker Pages when I got back into this hobby with a simple Onkyo integrated, and a restored pair of AR 2ax. After a little time with a couple of Luxman amps, I upgraded to Hafler XL-280 and 915 separates, and a pair of M12s.

Huge upgrade. If I wasn't a typical audio curiosity sufferer, I could probably stop right here. However, like some of the critics say, the M12 isn't the last word in bass. It's a little soft and sorry down there. But oh my. . . the rest of the speaker has a natural sweetness that is just right to my ears.

I recently auditioned a pair of KEF 105.2s thinking this was my next step, but I was shocked by how much I didn't care for the sound. It's very possible this was due to the KEFs being powered by a QSC amp, but for now, I decided to pass. This only confirmed I should make a better effort to make my M12s work better.

Now, being both a cheapskate, and maybe, someone who likes to take the alternative view, I decided not to go the "just put a big Threshold, Classe, McCormack, Aragon amp on it.", although having said that, I'd love to know if others had luck with that approach. No, I came across great deals on vintage Sony TA-3200f / TA-2000 pairing that I've always been curious about.

Now here's where I get to my question: has anyone modded a M12 for bi-amping? My (crazy?) idea is to find a second TA-3200 and bi-amp the M12s with an active crossover. My thinking is 1. Plenty of power 2. Go around the possibly troublesome speaker crossovers.

In general: have a/d/s/ owners found a way of getting the most out of the M12. . . or is "get a pair of L-1290s the best solution?