Update:
I have been out on several tours on these boots now and they are pretty nice overall.
The liners are pretty comfy and the toe bang or tight toe box I was concerned about is really not an issue.
The liners are way softer than what I'm used to so when I am hiking me feet feel like the liner is a soft stuffed animal. I tend to over tighten the boot when I go to ski because of the froofy relationship my foot has with this liner. It's hard to explain the feeling that the liner is so cushy that some of the energy used to turn the ski is adsorbed by the liner so that is why I may be over-tightening the boot.
The boot is very stiff and reacts quickly in my overtightened boot. It skis great in hardpack and in powder. I just need to fine tune the boot's adjustment for the downhill where it's not too tight for me.
I would say that the shell is a winner and the liner is a work in progress. But great if you like the super cushy feel. I only adjust the two middle buckles one notch from walk mode to ski mode. The forward lean for skiing is about as close to a downhill boot as it gets.
The walk mode is about as good as it gets for a boot in it's size class.
I fear that if I change the liner to a wraparound that I may loose a bit of the walk mode's ROM.
I forgot that getting in the toepiece can be a bit of a fiddle in the powder, but they are very secure when they are in, there is no play in the pincers like the Scarpa TX-pro's have just a very little in certain cases.
