Prior to all critical listening sessions I prefer to do a substantial amount of recreational listening. While in recreational mode, I listened at different times to the x-ls placed on the floor, in a bookshelf and on stands that placed the tweeter at a height just above 1m. For all the critical listening sessions the x-ls were on the stands.

To determine the best location for speakers within the listening space I use a technique whereby an accomplice walks through the room and I, seated in the listening position, listen for all the telltale cues indicating the various room effects on my perception of said accomplice's voice. Using this technique it usually doesn't take too long to figure out the most neutral-sounding positions to locate the speakers in. Of course, there's no "perfect" locale; there's always the element of compromise involved. But, with a little time and effort it's not difficult to reach a judicious compromise where it comes to placement. Further fine tuning of the speaker's location happens fairly quickly, in a final position where the speakers remain for the rest of the listening sessions.

For maximum musical satisfaction, I think it essential to pair a two-way system like the x-ls (with its 6.5" LF driver) with a subwoofer. For all listening sessions I wanted to include a sub that wouldn't change the essential character of the x-ls' sound, but instead supplement the listening experience.

I auditioned a small collection of subs, eventually settling on an unusually musical-sounding unit with a 10" driver, the Mirage Omni S10. The S10 and the x-ls proved to be both an exciting & satisfying combination.

Long before the critical listening began it was obvious the x-ls had some outstanding strengths that put them in a class way above what you'd expect in the $200/pair stratus of the consumer loudspeaker market. As I got to know them, I was surprised to discover strength after strength and had to constantly remind myself these were only $200! Later, the microphone would confirm what the ear already knew.

In the pro sound biz you often bump into ex-musicians-turned-techie. Harry Manx is the singular example I know who's a techie ( Rush, el Mocambo, etc) turned musician. And every time Harry blows through this part of the world I make a point to catch his act at a place called Reader's . Reader's is an amazing gem of a venue where eye-popping talent is booked on a regular basis. Housed in a structure that formerly was the home of a hardware store that had operated in that locale since the early decades of the 20th century, the ambience of the place is best described as 1940's road house meets MTV-unplugged.

Harry's music is a mix of East Indian raga and American blues, played across a variety of instruments, western and otherwise. The Harry Manx Live CD is a favorite of mine as, sonically speaking; it's one of the most authentic capturings of a live show I've heard to date.

The quality of the recording, the production values and the x-ls made for one of those exceptional listening experiences that remind an individual of the true potential 2-channel payback has for reproducing music in an authentic way.

The foremost strength of the x-ls is its ability to let you listen through to the music. When the music happens, the x-ls removes itself from the picture. (I've encountered this ability twice before: once with a pair of 2-way speakers retailing in the several $k range). Acoustic instruments recorded against a quiet background are by their very nature revealing as there's little for any system weaknesses to hide behind. In listening to the Harry Manx CD, I was so amazed by the x-ls performance, that the others listening and myself voted unanimously to temporarily shelve the listening schedule and listen through the entire CD. I wondered if and when they'd, sonically speaking, would fall down. It never happened. I and the others listening to the x-ls in the semi-darkness of my home theatre often shook our heads in disbelief that we had before us a $200 pair of speakers.

Another immediately obvious strength of the x-ls is how clean they played. Combined with a respectable stable soundstage (and the right playback material) they have the ability to move the listener to the space where the recording was made. Later linear & non-linear distortion measurements would validate the subjective assessment.

Changing musical gears I next gave the Benoit/Freeman Project 2 a crack at the x-ls. If you 're not familiar with the disc, light jazz is a good description. It was a fun listen, but as the material was compressed to the degree it was, it didn't challenge (dynamically speaking) the x-ls in the way that the Harry Manx Live CD did. Still, the impressively clean nature of the x-ls gave the Benoit/Freeman disc a chance to show off the rich harmonic tapestry typical of their keyboard/guitar work in an authentic, satisfying way.

Though only $199/pair, the x-ls were as capable of revealing the quality of a recording as some speakers costing two or three times as much. This means, of course, the good stuff is going to shine and the junk will, well, sound like junk. And compressed is going to sound compressed.

Michael Roberts Paradiso is another favorite of mine for putting audio gear through its paces. Michael Roberts, a guitarist, plays a style of flamenco with South American influences and a dash of pop melodic sensibilities thrown in for good measure. Paradiso is one of those CDs that is easy to listen to from start to finish, with no filler in between. Here the x-ls ability to resolve detail came to the fore. For example, the well articulated, though usually subtle, snap of the guitar string as it's released - authentically rendered - is always a tough test. The x-ls did so and did it very cleanly, without any of the harshness common in speakers in this price range.

If you're in the market for a 2-way system and planning on including a subwoofer in your purchase plans, the Onix x-ls is definitely worthy of serious consideration. Given the remarkable-for-its-class collection of strengths and the budget-respecting price tag, AV123 has crafted a formidable product that's musically satisfying and sure to provide years of listening enjoyment.