IMO no one bookshelf speaker in your price range from any good manufacturer is going to bomb or totally outclass the competition. It’s the fine details that will distinguish them and no one but you can decide what those are. Also your room itself will play a big roll I how you perceive these speakers performance.
Your real decision IMO is whether you want a neutral speaker like the M2 or CBM-170SE or something with a mid bass hump like the M3 and many others.
If you will be switching your music listening between these speakers and another system that extends lower I think a speaker with the mid bass hump it the way to go otherwise you will really notice the missing bass. If however, this is the only system you plan on listening to music on or your other system(s) don’t extend lower then I think you would not notice the missing bass as much and the more neutral speakers will sound better overall. Additionally, if you are very familiar with the music you plan on listening to you will also notice the missing bass more.
I really think your best bet is to pick one of each style and compare them directly. Check out any local shops to see if they have speakers in both styles (with and without a mid bass hump) and see which you prefer.
