Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo Which bookshelf has the thicker midrange?

M22 vs M3 (another thread!)

A subwoofer isn't an issue at all, I have an old Yamaha dual 8" subwoofer and a SVS PB12-NSD sub, I'll probably end up using the SVS :p. But what I care about is which set of speakers have more of a roaring midrange for the electric guitar and overbearing male vocals.

For the time being this will be used near field with a 6-wpc tube amp. In the not too distant future (fall of this year) the speakers will be paired with a 38-wpc tube amp not too much further than near field (eg ~6' away or so).

This setup will be used almost exclusively for 2-channel music. I would order the M22's and be done with it, but I don't know why I have the feeling that the M3's would be the better choice.

Hi redo,

If by "thicker" you mean "fuller", i.e. male vocals will sound a bit more resonant, even a bit "fat" at times, then the M3 is the speaker to choose. It has a built-in slight bass hump around 100 Hz so when it's compared to the M22, which is more linear in the bass, then the M3 does sound fuller.

If you want a more detailed midrange, then the M22 is the one to choose. The M3's mids are a little recessed by comparison to the M22's, although these differences are really only immediately noticeable when you do instantaneous switching between the two speakers.

Regards,

The best way for me to describe the M3 presentation is "silky smooth", lush, no bloat. Slightly polite yet forward. Very well designed IMO.

Ahh so hard to choose. I'm very tempted to order both and have a nice A/B session until one comes out the victor.

And my question between the two is really about which pair of speakers is better at bringing the electric guitar to life. I know it would all be personal taste, but sometimes the electric guitar can get sterile sounding with a completely flat response. The frequency response chart of the M3's have some interesting peaks in the upper midrange/treble that look like they may be fun along with the added bass.

Welcome to the Axiom forums Redo.

If you can afford to put both on your credit card for the trial period (30 days) that would be the way to go. Then there would be no "what if" to think about.

If you plan to do this I would also suggest you talk to their customer service representatives in advance so you can explain to them what you plan on doing (comparing M3 and M22) and ask them about the possibility of free return shipping (which is somewhere between $10-$20 on the bookshelf speakers) along with the full refund of course on the speaker you plan on returning within the trial period.

Enjoy the sound!

I'm going to go for the M22's, I don't think I will be disappointed. With my subwoofer options I'd rather go for the more accurate speaker. Plus they would convert better into a HT setup if I ever go down that road.

I think you made a good choice. BTW, are you from Start?

Cant say I am, considering I don't know where/what Start is :-p

I think he is from Finish Ken, lol.

Ah, well, it was a pretty obscure joke.