Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Most "lively" Axioms?

I'm in a condo and need speakers that sound lively and resolve as much detail as possible *at low volumes.* A buddy loaned me his M3ti's and I thought they sounded *great* when turned up a bit, but a little laid back at lower volumes. Extended bass is actually a liability for me, so I'm not even thinking of a sub at this point. I've got a NAD C320BEE amp, an Arcam CD72 player and I listen to a wide range of music: rock, classical and jazz all included in the mix. Would the M2's or the M22i's be more "forward" sounding than the M3s at lower volumes? Which would you recommend?

M22ti is definitely your beast. They resolve extremely well even at near "background-music" levels. Of course, they sound better louder. They extend down to around 50Hz and roll off nicely from there. You will get nice tight bass within their operating range, but it's not the kind of bass that will make your neighbors hate you.

Hi
l have the NAD C370 which l am using to power my M60's and it also powered a pair of Paradigm Monitor 7's for a while. l think it's more the characteristics of the NAD amps, they seem to perform better at higher volumes.

Rob, I agree completely with Peter Buko's analysis; the M22 should be exactly what you're looking for. I use them without a sub and the bass is adequate for nearly all music. The M2 without a sub might not have enough bass to satisfy you.

True enough. My 320 seems to be a pinch warm, which I think makes it sound a little laid back, and low-level detail isn't great with classical. On the plus side, it's kicking serious booty with everything else, and that inherent warmth is why I'm not really afraid of pairing it with a neutral to bright speaker. My current speakers, older B&W DM600s, have what seems like a slightly recessed midrange that accentuates the NAD's laid-back qualities. I'm looking to bring the mids and highs up a little more in the mix without adding any extra bass to annoy my neighbors.

Rob,

you wanna go with the M22's and a sub, or M60's and a sub, depending on your budget.

If you're buying an Axiom sub, get the EP175 or better, the EP350. The EP125 is too weak, in my opinion, to match with those speakers.