In reply to:
For the extra 20 bucks i dunno why you dont just get the M3's
When using the speakers in conjunction with a sub, the M2i's will be better, as they are much flatter and provide a better overall response curve than the M3ti's after about 80 Hz.
Review of M2i's which has a M3ti comparison
In reply to:
Sound
I was stunned the first time I played Bruce Springsteen’s The Ghost of Tom Joad [Columbia 67484] over the M2is. These speakers are clean and precise without chestiness or boxy colorations. Bass is obviously lacking, something I’ll expand on later, but the image hovered in space solidly, and the level of detail was inspiring. Audiophiles pay big bucks for this type of sound, and this speaker was delivering it at a fraction of the price. What’s more, except for the bass, the M2i sounds even better than the M3Ti SE to my ears.
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Family feud
The M3Ti SE, with its 6 1/2" woofer, goes deeper, and as a result is a little weightier-sounding than the M2i. Because of that, it’s actually closer to being the perfect all-around, low-priced bookshelf-sized speaker because it stands alone easier. Its caveat is that it’s not as neutral as the M2i. The mids of the M3Ti SE are a bit more relaxed, and that means that voices don’t jump out at you quite as much. The overall presentation from the M3Ti SEs tends to be a little on the warmer side, while the M2i is a little leaner. That’s precisely why Axiom says that the M2i has more in common with the $400 M22Ti SE than with the M3Ti SE.
Both the M2i and M3Ti SE play to about the same volume level, but when the M3Ti SE starts getting taxed, the woofer loses control and some port chuffing can be heard. It tries to do more down low, and its failure is more obvious. The way the M2i handles deep bass is by simply not doing it. Still, it gets stressed when played too loud, which manifests itself as some hardness and congestion in the upper bass and lower mids. In the end, each speaker can only play so loud, which is reasonably loud in even moderate-sized rooms, but the effects of the speakers hitting their limits are a little different.
Which speaker you should choose will depend on various factors. As I mentioned, the M3Ti SE and M22Ti SE are rather full-sounding speakers. If you are not a bass freak, you can easily get away with no subwoofer with either of these speakers. The M2i, though, is light down low and falls into the just acceptable range of bass performance. That makes for the next biggest difference.
When I played the robust-sounding The Ghost of Tom Joad I was surprised at just how rich and vibrant the M2is sounded. However, when I played something a little less forward and full, they sounded a bit thin. A good example of this is Ani DiFranco's Like I Said (Songs 1990-91), due to its inherently lightweight sound and excessive high frequencies.
All the Axiom bookshelf speakers can benefit from subwoofer reinforcement; it’s the M2i that begs to be mated with one -- and not just because it has the least extension. The way it rolls off in the bass seems to make it the easiest to match to a sub, and this highlights its prime advantage over the other two Axiom speakers if you choose to go that route.
Conclusion
Axiom has scored big-time with the M2i. It's every bit the winner the M3Ti SE is, but in a different way. The M3Ti SE set something of a standard for producing stellar overall sound at a reasonable price, and that fact still remains. The M2i doesn’t have the bass to be an all-around high performer, but within its limits, it achieves a remarkable level of neutrality for an insanely low price. This is an amazing little speaker that makes its mark by doing what it can do well and then leaving the rest (deep bass) to something else.
I suspect that the M3Ti SE will still be favored by those wanting a great standalone speaker and not wanting to be bothered with a sub. The M2i, though, will be the company’s shining star for someone who wants more of a monitor-type speaker -- one that's extremely revealing and neutral -- and who can forgo any real bass or, preferably, will match the M2i with a subwoofer. The latter option makes the M2i part of an upgradeable system that may well result in extraordinary full-range sound at a very affordable price.
