Hola Rik. You have the right to like or dislike the new models, but for my old ears, the extra highs are a blessing. I have the Prodegies and the CLS IIzs, these are my toys and I'm getting a super great fun with them, but when you listen the Vantages or the Summits with the right cables and system, they outperform mines with high performance. I do listen many kinds of music, but most is classical and jazz. With the adjustments for the bass at the Summits, these controls are the dream for any audiophlile for most difficult rooms, and you can set them for the proper balance and right size of the instruments easelly. The setting at the stage where the musicians are, the size of the instruments, the right timbre, air between instruments, the feeling of the musician, the transparency and the micro and macro dynamics are truly better. The lack of many resonances that the older models have, makes them to use a total different settings than what you normally used. They are truly cables dependant and room acoustics also is a must with the new models. Also because of the extension of the highs , you have more forward sound, and a little bit less 3 dimensional sound, if you don't match them with the right cables. Right cables does not means expensive, but you have to do a lot of research with them...some might work better, to get the sound that you like. the warm sound of the strings and the body of the chest of a baritone, the size of a spanish guitar next to a grand piano, the feeling and the way that a particular musician plays certain song, the new tech. is better...it is my liking, and most of us, these is what we had found with the new micro perf stators. It is true when you said they perform better with HT sound, because older technology does not match the dynamics and the program material. But it is true that the DTS in classical and Jazz is breath taking to see and listen your favorits m usicians. New way to make the recordings and the Industrial Standars are changing for good. Each day I have the pleasure to listen better live recordings that I choose for better in my HT than in 2 channels, with all respect. Listening Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, Oscar Petterson, Amad Jahmal, Lee Ritenour, Dave Grussing and his brother Don, Andre Rieu, is like to be in heaven...I do know that you like yours better than the new generation, but perhaps you didn't use the new recording material to test them, this also is a must. At the old recordings, sometimes you have the musical instruments at certain notes coming from the rear speakers, on the new recordings what you have is the people clapping and whistling, allowing to be more real the live event than in two channels. if you adjust your system for 5 channels, they sound is more life like than 2. This is my liking, and now I am enjoying the eyes too. The video is another tool that makes us to enjoy the performance...I spent many time saying no to 5 channels and now I said yes, and I am super happy with it...
Happy listening,
Roberto.
