What I hadn't realized previously is how much the version (tweeter & crossover I presume?) plays a part in the comparison. I was freely comparing M2, M3, M22, and M5; but I have different versions of each and it wasn't until I got the M22 that I realized how much that plays into things (because for the first time I have two versions of the same speaker.)
I definitely like the tweeter/crossover combination better on the V4 M22. What I'm still on the fence about is the woofer/low performance. At first blush it seems like the V4 M22 is missing something, I'll call it "harmonic nuance"; for instance, when I listened to Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto #2 & #4 (two of my favorites) they felt less "complex" than previously. It's not all one-way though, with the V2's I would listen to 'In Memory of Elizabeth Reed' and be thinking there's something missing from Duane's high chord sliding, now that sounds about perfect.
Of course, I only have a about 4 hours listening on the new speakers, and for the first hour I had forgotten to recalibrate with the new speakers. Another issue is I'm running a V2 VP 100 and I'm not convinced mixing on the front is a good thing. (I listen to music in 5 channel stereo on a Yamaha V681.) In fact, it sometime sounded better when I went to straight 2-channel stereo (I forget what tracks drove that conclusion).
I was thinking of investing in an A/B switch and setting both the V2 and V4's up at the same time, but they probably both require their own calibration so that wouldn't be a fair comparison.
Here's another thought I had, maybe Axiom was mucking around in their secret laboratory (queue evil laugh) and when came up with the V4 they said, "the highs are great, but we lost some of the the low end. I know, let's swap in a six and a half inch for one of those five and a quarters." And viola - the M5! It would certainly explain a lot, including the phasing out of the M22. But I watch a lot of cynical TV, so don't mind me.
In any case, the M22s are a better fit for my music room so I'm definitely staying with these; and I have a lot of tweaking left to go before I declare a personal winner.
