I've only played Emeralds, so I can't compare with Rainsongs or MacPhersons, or others. But the X20 and new X7 that I've owned both sounded very wood-like to me. I know some other folks have played them and don't agree, so there's no substitute for playing them yourself and forming your own opinion. I had a Martin 000-15M when I bought an X20 and I thought the X20 sounded closer to an old D28 I'd had for years than it did to the 000. The new X7 sounds like a smaller version of the X20, but very similar tone to my ear. Comparisons aside, I knew within moments of playing the X20 that it sounded like an acoustic guitar should sound, was more than up to my standards (which anyone is free to question - this is basically subjective after all). And I sold the 000-15M and haven't looked back.
If I won the lottery and could have a room full of great wooden acoustics and pay someone to take care of them, keep them well humidified, etc, I probably would. Not because they really SOUND better to me than the Emeralds I've played, but because I do love the aesthetic of wood guitars and there's a part of me that sort of misses that. But, on balance, as long as I'm solely responsible for taking care of my gear, I'm staying with carbon fiber. I love keeping my X7 on the wall and reaching for it whenever I want and not having to think about the humidity in the room or using humidipaks in the case.
-Ray
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