Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo advice- M3Ti or Monitor Audio Bronze 2??

Hello,

I just signed on to this service!

Im looking to put together a nice compact hi-fi 2 channel
system for my bedroom. I recently purchased the Cambridge
Audio C500 integ amp, along with its matching CD player...
and now I NEED speakers!
I have my choice narrowed down to two speakers- the M3Ti or
Monitor Audio Bronze 2. Which one is considered the better
natural sounding speaker? What are the strong and weak areas
of these speakers?
Both of these speakers have received rave reviews by all
the hi-fi magazines and they are both very attractive,
which is important to me.
My musical taste is stuff like Sting, James Taylor, light
rock, comp jazz and comp christian music. I dont listen to
heavy metal or rock.

Thank you so much!
Michael

Hi nodule

I love the M3tis. Dunno about the Monitors, I've heard some good things about them, but the M3s are superb. They have full and accurate bass down as low as they go - no bloat, the mids are really great and the highs are superb. I've used M3s with a 5 wpc tube amp and a Technics SADX 940 (5 channel receiver only used for 2 channel stereo) Sounded terrific with either set up. I'd go so far as to say that the M3s are a joke - they're so good at such a low price. Here's a bit of heresy - I like them better than the M22s - to me the M22s I had sounded a bit cool in the midrange - where the M3s sound richer. I used the M3s with a little Velodyne 8" sub good down to about 32Hz - a magical combination. I found the m3s easy to match with this sub. The M3s have no crossover so they're "free range" speakers. They sound pure, rich and very pleasant.

Give the M3s a shot on the 30 day plan. If you don't love 'em, you can always send them back to Axiom.

I have owned the M3ti's for a couple of years and must concur with 2x6spds...they are great! I have never had a time where first time listeners don't ask about them; they are always impressed. Some who have spent multiples of the price for their systems come away shaking their heads. They can't believe the sound. I have powered them with a 50wpc Denon receiver and my now current Denon DRA685 (100wpc). Both receivers sounded great. My system is located in a very large basement (1600 sq. ft). Even in this large area they still play to fairly loud levels. I have found them to sound good with all types of material too (rock, jazz & classical). Live recordings especially sound good. The M3ti's can also faithfully reproduce harder rock music with force (i.e., Metallica's Black album)...and I'm NOT running a subwoofer. To say I am pleased with them is an understatement. They are, IMHO, one of the best deals in audio.

I have the M3s for the last 2 years and they are the best I have heard to date. Though I haven't heard the Monitor Audio, I have compared the M3s (not side by side) to Jamo, JBL, Yamaha, B&W and Bose (ahem)..The M3s stand tall and clear above all these in terms of sound. My friends and acquaintances just cannot believe the sound put out by them. Anybody who has heard them has had to appreciate the quality of music.

The bass extension (or pseudo extension) is very good. For music, these speakers really sing. They are brutally revealing and have caused me to look after my sources and maintain them better.

I did a side-by-side with the B1 and M2 a few months back when looking for a pair for the living room. The M2 had more detail, offering a clear and crisp sound. The B1 had amazing bass extension in a more laid back presentation. It also cost less at $175/pair.

During the audition, I also listened to the B2. It was clearly a step up, providing a fuller, richer sound. I've never heard the M3 so I couldn't comment there. In the same shop, I also heard another British brand in the same price range, the AE Aegis Evo One. Very smooth as well, but with less bass than the B2. You might like to consider it too.

Good luck.