I've posted before that I like Polk speakers. I think they are among the best mass produced speakers you can pick up at Circuit City or other mass retail outlets. I like them better than the speakers from Infinity, Sony, and certainly, better than Bose.
I've enjoyed a pair of Polk Rt25i bookshelf speakers. I have not had the pleasure of auditioning the LSi series Polks, so I cannot compare them to the M22s. I can comment on the review, however, especially the reviewer's observation that the M22's soundstage does not extend beyond the speaker location.
I've argued with folks on this board as to the relative contributions of source, amplifier, and speakers to soundstage and imaging. My experience has led me to the conclusion that source and amplification play a very large part in the size of the soundstage, imaging and sound quality.
I currently use a pair of Axiom M22 like speakers - the Michaura M55s - they use the same 5.25" aluminum drivers as the M22s, but use the 3/4" titanium tweeter used in the previous generation M2Tis. The M55s use a hex shaped cabinet which like the Axiom trapezoid shaped cabinets avoid standing waves.
I have also had a pair of M22s which were comparable in sound quality, soundstage, imaging, etc., to the M55s. I use these speakers in a 2 channel stereo system with a modest tube amp and a tube output Ah! Njoe Tjoeb CDP.
The M55s cast an enormous soundstage - far wider than the speaker positions - the speakers disappear in a wall of sound - a wall of music, high, wide and fairly deep, and beautiful. I've also used a pair of Michaura M66s, much larger bookshelf speakers than the M22s, which use a pair of 6.5" aluminum drivers - same as the drivers used in the M3s, M40, M50, M60 and M80s. These cast an even higher and deeper soundstage than the M22s or M55s.
BigWill is coming by next week and can verify this. Why would your M22s cast a narrow soundstage with fairly indistinct imaging when mine cast a truly enormous soundstage with exceptional imaging?
Analysis of a few factors may provide an explanation. One factor may be the rest of your equipment - the Axioms are revealing speakers, and if your source and amplification are subpar, perhaps more forgiving, less accurate speakers would work better for you. A second possible reason is that the Polks are simply better than the Axioms. A third possible reason is that you may have an axe to grind.
Normally, we avoid discussing the 'intentional falacy,' however, your review suggests that you may not be a neutral, detached and objective observer. You note the M22's superior midrange but discount that virtue by pointing to the M22s lack of bass, a deficiency. So, you opine that it may only be in relation to the deficient bass that the Axiom's mids sound so good.
The true fact is that the M22s are pretty flat down to about 80Hz, they are honest speakers without bloat - they are not tuned to a lower frequency than they can accurately produce.
If a speaker cannot get the mids right, then you may as well toss them - sound quality is anchored in the midrange.
Does anyone here feel that their Axioms are deficient in the higher frequencies? We all know better. Well, if the M22s get the highs and mids right, then they do everything we can expect from a book shelf speaker.
Stereophile's founder, J. Gordon Holt, has stated that it's in the midrange where music's magic lies: if a speaker doesn't get the midrange right, it doesn't matter what else it does get right. Yet, this reviewer acknowledges that the M22s midrange is superior, but still he damns the M22 with faint praise when comparing it to the Polks.
The M22s lack of bass output is not a defect. We do not expect that a bookshelf speaker will be a full range speaker. We use subs to fill in what we need below 80 Hz.
So, the bottom line is, this fella's review is flawed. It may well be because of the low audio quality of the rest of his equipment, equipment incapable of casting a large soundstage - or it may be that he prefers the lower quality midrange output of the Polks, or it may be that he has an agenda.
Just some thoughts.
Last edited by 2x6spds; 07/05/04 06:45 AM.
