"A sideways step"? Did you even bother to read what Syntax wrote? I'll go a step further. Yes, the Lamm is vastly superior and not just in the bass regions. Really good listeners--like Syntax--pick up on subtle things like the Pass's like of microdynamic nuance which is exactly what makes it sound as if it lacks emotion. Smooth? Sure. Lifeless? I think so, yes. The Lamm M1.2s are in an altogether different--and superior--league.