I know Im late on this but some thoughts....Ian Paisley in the Widescreen review of the Om 5s indicated that he would have preferred to place the bass drivers on the OM 5s on the sides as per the OM 6 but for ease of consumer placement reasons put them on the front..the om1s ($25000 maybe never to be released flagships) went back to his prefered side placement for vibration lessening virtues.The Om 6 was a widely and highly reviewed musical speaker (stereophile class B like the 3si per TJ Norton)(there was not one less than enthusiastic review on them other than from casual consumer reviews)...the 6s were also frequently set up poorly by dealers keen to market it on the home theater front with lots of "slam" and hence many criticisms of their bass heavy balance.They have the line input flexibility which at the flick of a switch make them "explosion" experts but I, like Norton, have found them extraordinarily musical when placed and setup properly....I think the 3si are great and when I bought these they were still current and I did a lot of side by side at the dealers(they were the same price) and we all agreed that the om 6s were every bit as satisfying musically while not requiring anything like the amp grunt (and cost accordingly) of the 3s...cant comment on the 1si as have never heard them properly .. (obviously the 3si are vastly better than the om 9s as they should be)...with all due respect
