Looking at the on-axis response, I’d put the difference at 1.5-2 dB, not 3-4 dB:
View attachment 25070
I too suspect it’s a deliberate voicing decision, since of all measurement methods, true anechoic is least likely to exaggerate the bass response, ie if the designers used ground plane or near field measurements in the design process you’d expect any measurement error to push them the other way.
Interesting.
I agree. In as sophisticated DSP speakers as the 8C's it would obviously be easy to make them totally flat. This aligns with my subjective impression of them btw. On the continuum between "meaty/organic" and "airy/detailed" they lean more towards the meaty/organic side of things, for my ears. This kind of eq/voicing can explain that, as increased treble often creates perceived air and detail, and increased upper bass and low-mids creates an increased perception of weight or "meatiness".