Sorry, but I'll stick to my guns.
I've had plenty of people out here to listen and they all agree with me.
If you love your Finals that's great, but I would postulate that you didn't have the Summits set up or used them with good enough gear to reveal what they can do.
I had the Finals for six months now, and I spend 8-12 hours a day in my studio listening to music. I've used the Finals with about a dozen different good amplifiers and they just don't really float my boat. I wrote a pretty good review on them because I do think that sound does appeal to someone.
I have friends that still think the original Quads are the best sounding speakers made.
While I did my Final review, I had the Summits and Vantages here, as well as a pair of original Quads, some Magnepans (1.6 and 3.6) and my old pair of Apogee Calipers that still sound pretty good considering.
So I think I did my homework.
But the bottom line is what you like best. If the Finals do the job for you that's all that's important. I have no idea what you are using for components, what kind of music you listen to or for that matter how well you can hear. I just got my ears checked last week and I can still hear up to 18k.
It's all subjective, but I don't understand why you are out here trying to argue with the summit owners about how your finals are "better"
I don't need to fly to North Carolina to hear a pair of Final speakers when
I have two sets here.
Yup, to each his own. I had Quest Zs...and regularly listened to summits, and demoed Vistas and Vantages a number of times...and always came away thinking "wow, that sounds great on well recorded music" ... and started buying music based on how well recorded it was, cause I just couldn't stand listening to a lot of other music that I had enjoyed up till that point. (Others have disagreed with me on this point already) So...I started listening to basically just vocals and jazz...
Also...I kept looking for the next thing to add to my system. Kept looking to fill in deficiencies I felt existed in the sound. I never really just sat down and enjoyed the Quest Zs, or even the Summits. I got the 400is (which I chose, because I had my DIY midbass arrays already constructed) and I haven't thought about touching my system in months. (though I am assembling the 2nd servo sub tonight...for sake of symmetry more than a perceived need) All the music I used to love listening to doesn't sound thin...so my taste in music is being shaped by my taste in music now, not by my speakers. Having heard Jason's 1000is with his current setup (which is light years beyond mine) I FAR prefer the finals to summits he used to have. But everyone is going to have a different preference. Just as everyone doesn't like the sound of stats...some people might not like the sound of the finals as much as the MLs.
One thing that I believe strongly, is that Final does themselves a gross disservice with the subs that they sell. When jason was demoing one with the 1000is, it just made the whole system sound flabby and incoherent, and lifeless. It was far better without a sub at all....though even the 1000is shoudln't be run full range, imo. He got a decent servo sub instead, and the difference is night and day. It's amazing what a bad subwoofer can do to your system.
It's definitely interesting to read tonepub's impressions, since my are the polar opposite, and therein lies the limited benefit of speaker reviews (whether in a magazine or on a board like this) ... you get the impression of the reviewer, based on their tastes...not your impressions based on your tastes.
Definitely try to demo both...with the music you like...and see what you think. Depending on where you are, finals might be hard to find...but you're welcome to listen to mine, or jasons I'm sure (which I'd recommend), if you're ever in the charlotte area.
