My memory of the old shoot-out comparing the M22s and the Ascend cbm 170s was that it was very very close. Curtis Chang, the guy who runs the Ascend forum, was part of it, if I remember correctly. (I was not there - but I read the comparisons with interest since I own both speakers).
Some people thought the M22s had more detail and some people thought the M22s were slightly too bright. All seemed to agree they were very close.
I think everyone agrees that the M22s are "brighter" or more detailed than the M3s. So, calling the M3s brighter than the Ascends seems way off.
The Ascend 170 charts show it has a very flat frequency response for the money, slightly better than the Axiom M22s. The newer version 170s have more bass than the old ones did, I hear. But the M22s and the M3s have also been tweaked over the years to sound better.
I think the result was it was a matter of personal taste which speaker someone would prefer. I can't say I like the M22s or the 170s better.
As to the "ugly" charge - Ascends now can be gotten with custom finish, but that adds to the price. I think it is still neck and neck for great $400-500-600 speakers.
Last edited by donaldekelly; 02/19/08 11:16 PM.
