Opinions of Near loudspeakers

I had some 50Me II's and was pleased with them. Relatively speaking they are dynamic and transparent. I used Marigo dots on the cones and dynamic bands on the basket arms, which elevated their performance, more weight and articulation. I don't know if they are inherently bright, but it is an issue I had from time to time. I think they are definitely an excellent speaker to build a system around. I have since moved to a high efficiency horn system that retails for 4 times the price of the N.E.A.R.'s, whick I love dearly, hence the relative aspect regarding my comments. I feel there is a lot to like with the N.E.A.R.'s. The bass is exceptional, especially with the Marigo bands. I agree with the reviewer that states they are nicely balanced.

Still have my 10 yr old 50ML's. With only a $1 external modification, have tamed the dry, less than refined sound they are sometimes criticized for. (Simply surround the mid/tweeter with thin felt).
Still competitive with the best out there today, IMHO, after some easy mods. (Technasonic vibration panels, sand/lead weights on top)

From my experiences, the Near's HAVE TO BE the worst line of speakers ever conceived by mankind!!!! Even with soft mellow tube gear and components(including wires), they still sounded bright, zippy, cold, and A-MUSICAL!!!! If anyone has other experiences with the Near speaker line, I appologize....a little anyway(ha!)

I can see where the upper frequencies could be a problem for some systems/rooms, but I have a bright room and was able to tame them with tweaks and tuning. This, however, might be more trouble than some are willing to put up with. I had mine sounding very nice, before upgrading to some excellent horns.