Hello,
I have been shopping for a monitor for a few months now. I am looking to replace my PSB Century 800i speakers. I am in a smallish apartment in a room that is approx 12 feet X 16 feet. I have the speakers along the long wall.
I first bought the PSBs about 2 years ago. I was consumed with wanting the cheapest speaker I could get that would still do good bass. Ironically, listening to a pair of PSB Alpha A/Vs that I bought for my mother made me want to get new speakers because I realized that my PSB Centurys have too much bass and need to be in a bigger room where I can sit farther away. In my room, the little Alphas sounded BETTER, even if they did not have the weight and presence of their bigger brothers. Moreover, I think having so much bass can muddy up the midrange.
My musical tastes are classical (especially chamber music), small group jazz, bluegrass, and some rock/pop.
Anyway, I'm trying to decide between the M3 and the M22. I live in the USA so I can't do a home demo. My system is a Anthem Pre 1 preamp and an Anthem Amp 1 40 wpc push-pull tube amp. I mostly listen to records on a Rega TT, and I have a Sony CD player.
Although the SoundStage review favored the M22, I've often thought that a smaller monitor that does less bass can sound better than a slightly larger monitor. Example, I've heard the Spendor S3/S5 at a dealer and I actually l liked it better than the more expensive Spendors. I think a smaller monitor can "disappear" better. Unfortunately I can't really afford Spendors right now.
Anyway, do you think the M22 is a better choice than the M3? I can handle the extra $125.
Also, I will be visiting my in-laws in Ottawa over Xmas. Are there any stores in Ottawa that have Axiom? Maybe I could listen to a pair. Would it be cheaper to buy them in Ottawa, compared to having them shipped to the USA?
Thanks,
Darryl
PS I hope it's snowing by Xmas. I was hoping to do some X-Country skiiing at Gatineau. Down here in Washington DC there is no snow! :(
PPS Sorry for being so going on so long.
