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M3v2 warm, full?
#143779 07/19/06 04:47 PM
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I just made a mistake in speaker purchasing, I think. I bought JBL E50s. I've only had them a couple days, so maybe it's a question of breaking them in, but they just seem really flat to me. Vocalists sound like they're whispering as if only the higher frequency harmonics are coming through. Hell, TV show characters are hard to understand. I don't get it. It's a big (for a bookshelf, anyway) heavy (too big and heavy for my purposes, actually) 3-way speaker, shouldn't it sound warmer and fuller? High hat and other percussion just sounds tinny, also. I've tried turning down treble on the amp, but while it helps a little, the speaker still sounds pretty bad to my ear. (The sad thing is it still sounds better to me than Bose 301-Vs.)

So, the question I have is whether the Axiom M3v2 speakers will give me a warmer, fuller sound. I know I can't get quite the same performance as my benchmark for good sound, my uncle's Monitor Audio towers, but do you think the M3v2 is a good choice for warm, full audio (w/o having to turn it way up)?

Re: M3v2 warm, full?
newb #143780 07/19/06 05:13 PM
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Quote:

so maybe it's a question of breaking them in



No, it is not. You may take a couple of days of listening to the speakers and come to like them as your ears adjust to a new reference sound. Whatever you heard before consistently would be your reference point. If it happened to be a better system, say like your uncle's Monitor Audios, then yes, the JBLs may not sound all that great. I wasn't sure what to think about my Axioms when i first received them, but after a few days, several key characteristics really showed how well they were designed and the quality of the sound. That being said, i cannot say much about your JBLs. I have not heard them but the last JBLs i did hear, i was very unimpressed.

As for your uncle's Monitor Audio speakers, i recently compared Axiom M60s with some MA Gold Reference series. The review is here. I also compared a slew of other speakers in the past that may help in describing some of the Axiom sound. Again, none of these speakers reviewed were the M3s, but you can find several good accounts of the M3 sound on these forums if you do a search.


"Those who preach the myths of audio are ignorant of truth."
Re: M3v2 warm, full?
chesseroo #143781 07/19/06 05:45 PM
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Thanks for your reply, Chesseroo. Actually, I've heard the cambridge soundworks stuff my mom has more than my uncle's Monitor gear (and they sounded better than the JBLs, also).

That's quite a detailed review you have there! Do you think the issues you had with the tweeter are something endemic to Axiom speakers or just that particular model?

Re: M3v2 warm, full?
newb #143782 07/19/06 10:12 PM
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Quote:

So, the question I have is whether the Axiom M3v2 speakers will give me a warmer, fuller sound. I know I can't get quite the same performance as my benchmark for good sound, my uncle's Monitor Audio towers, but do you think the M3v2 is a good choice for warm, full audio (w/o having to turn it way up)?




Yes.

Re: M3v2 warm, full?
newb #143783 07/20/06 12:47 AM
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Quote:

Actually, I've heard the cambridge soundworks stuff my mom has more than my uncle's Monitor gear (and they sounded better than the JBLs, also)



Then Axioms will be a major step upwards i would say.

Quote:

Do you think the issues you had with the tweeter are something endemic to Axiom speakers or just that particular model?



Given that all the Axiom speakers use the same driver, but utilize different cabinet sizes and midrange configurations, what i'm hearing may be specific to the M60 and i should strongly note, it is NOT a consistent sound across all my music collection. What i've heard is an infrequent character which was not present in other speakers i've auditioned and it is a sound that i label as 'bright'. Because of this, i've found some other speakers present certain material in a better way, however there are other redeeming sound qualities that i much prefer in my M60s. As my reviews have noted, one thing i very much like about Axiom speakers is their bass presentation.

In any event, the Axioms will be very comparable to your uncle's Monitor Audio speakers in overall sound quality. If you get a chance to hear those again, think of Axiom floorstanding M60s as having less heavy bass (tighter) and a more filled out midrange (less airy).
You can decide on how the tweeter sections sound for yourself if you decide to venture a purchase. Axiom speakers are of excellent quality for a very good price. I believe the general consensus is that you will likely find the M3s to be an articulate, relatively 'warm' speaker but not bass silly.


"Those who preach the myths of audio are ignorant of truth."
Re: M3v2 warm, full?
newb #143784 07/20/06 12:50 AM
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Hello Newb

I haven't heard the M3V2s but I used to own a few pair of M3Tis and think they were the best speakers Axiom makes. (I've owned M2s, M3s, M22s, and M50s, and have listened to the M60s, have not heard the M40s or M80s.

Warm and full with crystaline highs is how I'd characterize the M3s' sound.


Enjoy the Music. Trust your ears. Laugh at Folks Who Claim to Know it All.
Re: M3v2 warm, full?
bugbitten #143785 07/20/06 12:53 AM
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Quote:

Quote:

So, the question I have is whether the Axiom M3v2 speakers will give me a warmer, fuller sound. I know I can't get quite the same performance as my benchmark for good sound, my uncle's Monitor Audio towers, but do you think the M3v2 is a good choice for warm, full audio (w/o having to turn it way up)?




Yes.




Yes; it is.

Re: M3v2 warm, full?
F107plus5 #143786 07/20/06 03:11 PM
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I'm not sure how warm the M3's sound, as they still have a nice top end that doesn't seem to hide much. I haven't compared them to any other speakers in Axiom's line-up though so I don't know what I'm missing. They do sound quite full, they sound great alone and even better with a nice musical sub to fill the bottom end in. I didn't feel that they were lacking before I got the sub, but having one definately helps if you listen to a lot of Electronic synthetic bass like I do. For Classical they sound amazing with or without a sub.
I live in an apartment so I don't get many opportunities to play at concert levels, but I'm 100% happy with my purchase and would recommend the M3v2's in a heartbeat at any volume level.

Last edited by BassTek; 07/20/06 03:19 PM.

M3's(LCR), Onix X-Sub, Marantz SR5200
Re: M3v2 warm, full?
newb #143787 07/20/06 06:00 PM
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The highs on the M3Tis are pretty transparent. Not pushing themselves on you or laying back too much. They will make bad recordings sounds like bad recordings, as they won't mask deficiencies. The woofer is really a great little speaker. Nice and round and full. I wouldn't say warm, though. That's not really what you want in a speaker. It is just an honest little speaker that that goes lower and fuller than you would expect.


"That's some catch, that Catch-22." "It's the best there is." M22ti VP150 EP350 QS8 M3Ti

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