Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo Tell me what you think of this system:

For the extra 20 bucks i dunno why you dont just get the M3's

SACD (not SVCD) stands for super audio compact disc. Basically just a better quality format. DVD-A Is just music on a DVD because DVD's can hold much more info than cd's they are able to use a higher quality format. dont worry about these because i highly doubt it will matter to you.


To be completely honest, i want to steer you away from the recievers and twards an affordable integrated amp because i know it will give you better sound. And i know for me anyway, id be much happier knowing that i wouldnt want to upgrade in a little while and knowing that i simply got a better peice of equipment. I dont know if remote control is really important to you or not but there are alot better products out there then those recievers that can be had for the same prices. But you will most likely have to sacrafice remote control.

New, you can get the Cambridge Audio A300 like i suggested in the other thread. Its $200 A300 Integrated amp

Used you have many choices. Vintage stuff is usually pretty cheap and built well. As well as good deal on used stuff. generally audiophiles take great care of their gear (me anyway) so dont be afraid of buying something used. Look around Audiogon and see what you can find. There are alot of great deals to be had.

If you have a costco in your area, drop by there. Sometimes they have halfway decent gear and they have the best prices around.

For a cd player, cheap, maybe check out the Toshiba SD-k710. this is my dvd player and it plays cds pretty well. sound quality isint bad. DOwnside is that it beeps everytime you do something. but... anyhow, its a good peice of gear for cheap. we paid around 140 i think at costco.. i found it online cheap here: Toshiba DVDp

Basically, i think that if you shop around and buy used or maybe sacrifice a remote or something you can get alot better sound and quality.

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For the extra 20 bucks i dunno why you dont just get the M3's

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When using the speakers in conjunction with a sub, the M2i's will be better, as they are much flatter and provide a better overall response curve than the M3ti's after about 80 Hz.

Review of M2i's which has a M3ti comparison

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Sound

I was stunned the first time I played Bruce Springsteen’s The Ghost of Tom Joad [Columbia 67484] over the M2is. These speakers are clean and precise without chestiness or boxy colorations. Bass is obviously lacking, something I’ll expand on later, but the image hovered in space solidly, and the level of detail was inspiring. Audiophiles pay big bucks for this type of sound, and this speaker was delivering it at a fraction of the price. What’s more, except for the bass, the M2i sounds even better than the M3Ti SE to my ears.

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Family feud

The M3Ti SE, with its 6 1/2" woofer, goes deeper, and as a result is a little weightier-sounding than the M2i. Because of that, it’s actually closer to being the perfect all-around, low-priced bookshelf-sized speaker because it stands alone easier. Its caveat is that it’s not as neutral as the M2i. The mids of the M3Ti SE are a bit more relaxed, and that means that voices don’t jump out at you quite as much. The overall presentation from the M3Ti SEs tends to be a little on the warmer side, while the M2i is a little leaner. That’s precisely why Axiom says that the M2i has more in common with the $400 M22Ti SE than with the M3Ti SE.

Both the M2i and M3Ti SE play to about the same volume level, but when the M3Ti SE starts getting taxed, the woofer loses control and some port chuffing can be heard. It tries to do more down low, and its failure is more obvious. The way the M2i handles deep bass is by simply not doing it. Still, it gets stressed when played too loud, which manifests itself as some hardness and congestion in the upper bass and lower mids. In the end, each speaker can only play so loud, which is reasonably loud in even moderate-sized rooms, but the effects of the speakers hitting their limits are a little different.

Which speaker you should choose will depend on various factors. As I mentioned, the M3Ti SE and M22Ti SE are rather full-sounding speakers. If you are not a bass freak, you can easily get away with no subwoofer with either of these speakers. The M2i, though, is light down low and falls into the just acceptable range of bass performance. That makes for the next biggest difference.

When I played the robust-sounding The Ghost of Tom Joad I was surprised at just how rich and vibrant the M2is sounded. However, when I played something a little less forward and full, they sounded a bit thin. A good example of this is Ani DiFranco's Like I Said (Songs 1990-91), due to its inherently lightweight sound and excessive high frequencies.

All the Axiom bookshelf speakers can benefit from subwoofer reinforcement; it’s the M2i that begs to be mated with one -- and not just because it has the least extension. The way it rolls off in the bass seems to make it the easiest to match to a sub, and this highlights its prime advantage over the other two Axiom speakers if you choose to go that route.

Conclusion

Axiom has scored big-time with the M2i. It's every bit the winner the M3Ti SE is, but in a different way. The M3Ti SE set something of a standard for producing stellar overall sound at a reasonable price, and that fact still remains. The M2i doesn’t have the bass to be an all-around high performer, but within its limits, it achieves a remarkable level of neutrality for an insanely low price. This is an amazing little speaker that makes its mark by doing what it can do well and then leaving the rest (deep bass) to something else.

I suspect that the M3Ti SE will still be favored by those wanting a great standalone speaker and not wanting to be bothered with a sub. The M2i, though, will be the company’s shining star for someone who wants more of a monitor-type speaker -- one that's extremely revealing and neutral -- and who can forgo any real bass or, preferably, will match the M2i with a subwoofer. The latter option makes the M2i part of an upgradeable system that may well result in extraordinary full-range sound at a very affordable price.

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M3ti's Frequency response graph in the "Listening Window" (15 degrees off axis both vertical and horizontal and on axis averaged.)

Axiom M2i in "Listening Window."

Axiom M22ti in "Listening Window" for comparison.

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SACD (not SVCD) stands for super audio compact disc.

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Heh yea, as I said in my earlier post - I was on crack or too tired to make such a mistake .

Josh, everybody, including me, might have little quibbles with your picks, but there's nothing you should change. The F85 player in particular is a terrific bargain(don't worry about SACD). On the receiver choice I'd lean slightly to the 5550. Enjoy.

well, i spent like half an hour putting that post together, i wouldnt have mentioned it if i knew you already did while i was making the reply.

The cd player you chose im sure is just fine, but really, if you are set on buying a reciever get the yamaha instead of the panasonic.

Even though id ditch em both all together and get the cambridge.. but thats just me.

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(don't worry about SACD)

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That is another way of looking at things because most all SACD's have a standard density Redbook CD layer on the inside ("Hybrid Disks"). DVD-A and SACD are pretty hard to find at the moment, but I'd wager that in a few years, they will be fairly popular.

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well, i spent like half an hour putting that post together, i wouldnt have mentioned it if i knew you already did while i was making the reply.

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Yea - heh - It was a nice, informative post you did.

Thanks for all the replies.

If I went to that Cambridge AMP, asside from loosing radio, would anything else be affected? I'm mainly worried because in the future I may want to add a center and two rears to go to a full 5.1 setup.

Thanks
Josh

well you wouldnt have a radio or remote, or the ablility to have a home theater setup later on down the road if you wanted.

But in return you will get a better quality better sounding product.