Not sure that dopogue or dfwatt are still reading this thread due to the big time gap, but I did have some questions/comments on some of the dialog above:
1. For both of you, in the tests that you performed (Doug with resonance damping material and Dave with Mapleshade base), you were both switching between R & L speakers (I think). How do you account for the physical locations of the two speakers potentially biasing your listening tests? In other words, especially WRT bass response, which you were both focusing on, isn't it very likely that if you A/B-ed an identical right/left pair, that you would notice a significant difference in bass performance between the two locations?
2. Dave - in your Radio Shack SPL meter testing in which you stated the speakers on Mapleshade bases were remarkably flat to 20 Hz, can you elaborate on your test method? Did you take the speaker outdoors to eliminate room boundary interaction? Did you average your results over several mic positions? I don't mean to sound skeptical, but I have owned 3.0's since they initially came out and have always found their bass below 50-60 Hz to anemic. My frame of reference is a pair of Carver Amazings that have a much more robust bass response, despite being open baffle.
To all, I'm also very interested in hearing the 3.5's. I understand from one of the 6moons articles that Gallo will offer to upfit the 3.0/1 speakers of existing customers to the 3.5 configuration for the delta in cost between the two. Any thoughts on going that route instead of buying the 3.5's off the shelf?