I think I'm gonna go with the Ascends.I've read too many things about the M3 being too bright.
Bright....is the last word I would use to describe M3's. I personally own M22's which I see as clear and detailed, compared to Klipsch that I auditioned that are definately bright, bordering on shrill.
We did a bit of comparison her in Calgary with M3's, M22's, M60's and M80's, oh yeah and some old Bose 601's. The M3's were the most "laid back" of all of them. I almost didnt like them because of them being so forgiving compared to my M22's, but as a stand alone bookshelf, the extra bass is great.
I have some M3's in gloss cherry on order and have not heard the Ascends, but have heard good reviews. Let your ears be the judge and if so, then buy the Ascends, but the last thing M3's are is bright, so don't take any of those reviews seriously.
