The problem is that aural memory sucks, which is why we often have to back and fourth multiple times to figure out all the issues. I don't know if you are correct, or if it was already having issues, but they were sufficiently pronounced to mask it. I used to do modifications to electronics. Better parts in a bad circuit unmasks circuit issues. The same is true of speakers. Obviously I don't know exactly why you noted it afterwards, but if I had to guess, crsppy caps, coils and resistors were no longer hiding the issue. I found 3 caps in series on a tweeter once. I bypassed them and the tweeter sounded like dung. I tossed in a Hiquphon and it sounded much better,though there was a dip due to the range of the Twitter, but I just wanted to know if it was the circuit or the tweeter that sounded so bad. It would have been nice to have had his software. Anyway, I used to know 2 crossover geniuses, but we have drifted apart. Regardless, high dollar speakers doesn't guarantee good parts. One other point, Sonicraft, his favorite caps pretty much suck IMO. Myflex is a far better sounding capacitor as is the ODAM line.