Mincone, you'll almost certainly be pleased with your choice. By the sonic transitive property (which doesn't exist) I can tell you the following:

My Polk RTi8s sound very much (in terms of musical detail, timbre, etc.) like my Axiom M22s - except bigger with deeper bass extension which to be expected because they are not bookshelf speakers like the M22s.

The M22s are the same family of speakers as the M60 - only the M60s reportedly sound sound bigger with deeper bass extension...

When the Circuit City near me changed from the RTis to the Monitor series I listened to them and agreed with the sales guy (a quality reliable guy - a real rarity) that the Monitor series does not sound as good as the RTi series...

Therefore the M60 is approximately equal to the RTi8, both of which are better than the Monitor 70.

The truth is that both Polk and Axiom are both headed by quality people who care about sound and make good products at fair prices. I suspect you get a little more for your money from Axiom because they sell direct...

I would love to hear from someone who has done a direct comparison of the RTis to the Axiom M60s (I'd put my money on Axiom)

Ditto for the Polk CSi5 center and the Axiom centers (I'd put my money on Polk).

Hi Foghorn,

You have both Polk and Axiom speakers? could you do a direct line out the speakers? (bypass all tones)If so could you tell me who has the better low end and second could you compare both speakers (norm) with the sub off if you have one in your system, and then again who has the better lows?

I'm not used to listening to towers, I think the old floor box speaker has a better low end sound without a sub.

Thanks,

John

Post deleted by bridgman

How does the Axiom m60ti sound without a sub in a system?

For music, I find the M60s just about right, ie I prefer listening to M60s on their own without a sub and I wouldn't want the bass pumped up any more. For movies, it's no contest... the M60s won't go deep enough (nor will any other conventional tower speaker) to replace a good subwoofer.

Are there any other brands that have a good balance of highs and lows in a tower?

This is where all the arguments start. In general, it seems like the higher end models from all the major mfgs are better balanced, while the lower priced models tend to have bumped up bass and treble because that is what sells.

Paradigm Reference (eg. Studio 20/40/60/100), Energy Veritas and B&W 700s are all more neutral sounding (better balanced) than the next level down from each (Paradigm Monitors, Energy Connoisseurs, B&W 600s) although from what I remember the Connoisseurs (eg. C3, C5, C7 etc..) were pretty neutral as well.

Mincone, I could (and should at some point) compare them directly but it would not be a fair comparison and would not answer the question you are really asking. The RTi8 is rated (+/- 3 dB) down to 40 Hz (just like the Monitor 70) as it is a floorstander while the M22 is a bookshelf rated only to 60 Hz so the RTi8 will have a better low end than the M22 just like the M60 (37 Hz) will have a better low end than the M22. Many people here find their M60s very enjoyable for music without a sub and I suspect you would, too. Although I haven't personally heard it, based on my experience with the M22 I feel confident saying that the M60 is an excellent speaker. I wish I could compare it to the RTi8 to answer your question, but alas...

If the low end sound coming from the main speaker means that much to you, look at the M80 (34 Hz).

Even though my m60's have plenty of low bass, I still use a crossover setting of 60 or 80hz and let the sub play the low freq. effects. That wouls be the case with most floorstanding speakers. There is a lot of music with very low bass, without a sub you don't get the same experience or blend, that is just my opinion.

I have a question for all, I am thinking of getting the m60ti speakers and the 150 center and thinking of getting the sub and surrounds at a later time. With new models coming out would I be able to purchase them at a latter time?