I tried a pair of 645s last spring and found them to be a good value, but not what I was looking for. I did not have planers or electrostatics although I have owned both. I found the speaker to be approximately 87 db sensitivity with the ribbon shelved down in level. The quality of the high frequencies was wonderful and they were certainly easy to listen to. The biggest problem I had was with the woofers. They are great drivers, but in an ordinary enclosure. There is simply too much coloration. I ended up buying B&W 802s and there is no comparison in the quality of reproduction of music. I understand what people like about the 645s but if you are an experienced audiophile looking for accurate timbre and low coloration you will have to do some work on the bass cabinet at least. John is a great guy to do business with though and did everything he could think of to help me (different caps, wire etc.). He thought there was something wrong, but never did let me know after I returned them. I particularly don't understand the sensitivity--both speakers were the same. They seemed to be good speakers for $2500, but not competitive with more expensive except in the treble. I know, what did I expect? But I did tell John what I was willing to spend. I ended up spending $150 which is what it cost me to ship them back. If it seems to good to be true it probably is.
Opinions on Newform Research speakers
I currently own M.L. ReQuests but am getting too much "room interaction" (room too small). I have read great comments on the R645, and because the ribbon IS NOT dipolar, was thinking these might interact less in my room? Anyone currently own the Newforms that were prior Logan or Maggie owners? Do they (Newforms) really sound as great as review (AudioReview.com) suggest? Do they match the magical midrange of the ReQuest? Thanks for any advice/comments!