I think these results are only mildly surprising. The fact that the M80's were judged "the best" - well, I certainly hope so! They are Axiom's top of the line, and I don't think any of us doubt that Ian and the rest of the fine Axiom folk would have it be any different.
For the M3's to sound punchier than the M50's, this also seems a bit logical if you compare the frequency response graphs. The M3's have a distinct hump around 90-100Hz, where the M50's measure as a flatter curve.
Crossover in both the M3's and M50's is stated as 2.2kHz, with a very similar frequency response above this point. Sounds like you guys found the tweeters to sound the same (especially since they were driven by the same receiver).
Question: do the M3's and M50's both have the "mechanical" crossover on the woofers (i.e., none?). I remember reading this somewhere, but can't recall it precisely.
Fantastic feedback from you fellas - thanks for doing all that tough work for us!
I think the only downside is the impression that the M50's are a "lesser" speaker than the M3's. They're different speakers, and fill different roles. On of the great policies of Axiom is that if you pick one, and happen to not like them, you can always trade 'em back for something else.
PS - Ken, congrats on your new 80's!
