The M5i, basically a two-way bookshelf version of the 21½-way M16i, has the same tweeter, woofer, and footprint as the larger model, less its larger cabinet and second mid/woofer, and incorporates all of the i-series updates included in the M16i. The speakers look very similar; like the M16i, the M5i is available in gorgeous cherry veneer or basic black. The price ($899/pair) is $249/pair higher than the original M5. I placed the M5is on Eposs dedicated stands. Sonics The M5is detailed, uncolored, voluptuous midrange made it a perfect match for well-recorded voices on vinyl, from the silky sheen of Doris Day on Makin Whoopie, from her Cuttin Capers(LP, Columbia CL-1232), to Elvis Presleys rich dynamic phrasings on Love Me, from Elvis Golden Records (LP, RCA LPM-1707)—a track that, to my ears, demonstrates Presleys multi-octave range better than any other. The M5is detailed, extended, pristine high frequencies impressed me even with well-recorded electronic rock music, such as the silky sound of the electrotrance chestnut Echoes, from Pink Floyds Meddle (LP, Harvest SMAS 892). Of course, acoustic instruments with extensive HF articulation, such as Charlie Shoemakes vibraphone on The Happy Madness, from his Sunstroke (LP, Muse MR 5193), were shimmering and airy, with not the slightest trace of hardness. The M5is flawless reproduction of detailed, lightning-fast transients made me want to mine my collection of percussion recordings. In On a Bach Prelude: Phorion, from Lukas Fosss Baroque Variations (LP, Nonesuch H 71202), the battery of percussion instruments on the deep, wide soundstage popped out of thin air to smack me in the face, when appropriate. The solo by percussionist Dom Um Romao that begins T.H., from Weather Reports I Sing the Body Electric(CD, Columbia PC 31352), gave me a feeling that the percussionist was in the room with me—I could almost visualize his hand movements. No drum solo is hairier than Chester Thompsons in Duprees Paradise, from Frank Zappas You Cant Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol.2: The Helsinki Concert (LP, Barking Pumpkin BP D1-74218). The Epos picked up every nuance of even the most demanding passages with crystal clarity. I loved the sense of the M5is rhythmic pacing as it revealed how Ella Fitzgeralds phrasing loosely tracks the rhythm section in A Night in Tunisia, on Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie!(LP, Verve V-V043), as well as the stunning interplay between alto saxophonist Wayne Shorter and drummer Steve Gadd in the explosive instrumental interlude on the title track of Steely Dans Aja (LP, ABC AA-1006). And explosive was also the word for how the M5 effortlessly tracked the bass and electronic percussion blasts in Rockit, from Herbie Hancocks Future Shock (LP, Columbia FC 38814), which set my room a-shakin with no smear or compression, even at 95dB. This tracks bass extension and dynamic slam were about as good as Ive heard from a bookshelf speaker. Track Page Views WithAuctivas Counter