Hi guys,

I've been shopping around for speakers and I've listened to the M3's and the M60s. I've comparison shopped with several speaker brands and thought other people might be interested in what my opinions would be. I have a Yamaha RX-V730 receiver and have used it whenever possible for listening. I used the follow music for reference for each speaker:

Massive Attack - Mezzanine - Angel
Sarah McLachlan - Live - Home
Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing - Angel
The Blue Nile - Peace at Last - Peace at Last
Dave Seaman - Renaissance - What is That Sound / Way Out West

My ideal speaker is one that is very neutral and revealing. Detail and transparency are very important to me. I wanted a set of speakers where I really could tell if a recording was well mastered or really sucked. :-)

The speakers I've tested were:

Axiom M3 and M60s
B&W 601, 604, CM2, CM6
PSB 2B, 4T
Infinity IL10
Polk RT25
Klipsch Heresy

The speakers that were out of the running immediately were the Polk and Infinity. The Polks were way to muddy and the Infinity were way too bright.

The Klipsch has a very punchy sound that sounded very good but started to degrade after longer listening. There is distinict emphasis in the upper bass around 250hz with a de-emphasis of treble. The Klipsch's were the bassiest speakers I heard but they lacked finesse and detail.

The PSB's were the most laid back speaker I heard. If you think Axioms are harsh, you will probably like the PSB's although I believe you will lose a lot of detail. The PSB's had weaker bass than the Axioms and not as dynamic. Nor were they as clear in the upper mid-bass, they sounded muddy there.

I really liked the B&W sound but I was not crazy about the price! If I could spend whatever for speakers, the 801's would be high up on my list :-) Nevertheless, I was surprised how well the Axioms held up compared to the B&W's. Firstly, I have to say across the board, the B&W's had a slight bass emphasis in the upper-mid-bass. I think this makes these speakers sound warmer and more balanced than the Axioms which do have a slightly forward sound (the M3s more so than the M60s). I also found that the CM series were distinctly more open and better sounding than the 600 series. The 600s had a congestion that really distracted from their otherwise pleasing sound. The CM series speakers were the next most revealing speaker after the M60s and they did that have the Axiom's characteristic forwardness. However, they also were significantly more expensive - CM2 are $800/pr and CM6 are $1,800! Also, despite neutral sound, the CM's just were not as revealing as the M60s.

The more I listen to speakers and compare them to the Axioms I've heard, the more I am impressed with the Axioms, especially the M60s. It is the Axiom M60's clarity and detail that is its biggest selling point. The M60s were the only speakers where I could hear the lead singer of The Blue Nile tap his feet and whisper instructions to the other band members. There is a swirling effect near the beginning of Massive Attack's Angel that only the M60 got right and reproduced and imaged beautifully adding to the chill-down-your-spine effect of this song. It is the only speaker that I felt really reproduced Sarah McLachlan's voice extremely accurately. I've had the privilege of hearing her at dozens of concerts, and once I was 20 feet away from her at a concert I attended in Vancouver, and I also got to hear her talk at a private press interview. I know very well what her voice sounds like :-) I believe that if Axiom could tone down some of the slight forwardness of the M60s and extend their bass capabilities, they would have the perfect speakers! These are my only criticisms. The M3s were also clear and detailed, but they were very forward compared to the B&Ws and M60s. They also became congested at higher listening volumes. This is something that concerned me since I do enjoy loud electronic music especially electronic dance music.

In order of preference, I would rate the speakers as follows:

1 Axiom M60
2 BMW CM6
3 BMW 604
4 BMW CM2
5 PSB 4T
6 Axiom M3
7 PSB 2B
8 BMW 601

As soon as I get the money, I think I will invest in a pair of M60s. Take care and special thanks to Lando and Jazzdrummer for letting me hear their speakers.

One final thing, I would recommend the purchase of a subwoofer to augment the Axiom speakers. Although I appreciate the M60s neutral and accurate bass, I was yearning for more low frequency kick.

Have I heard speakers better than the M60s? Yes. The B&W 801s are the most revealing speakers I've ever heard. Period. The Quad electrostatics sound as if the artist is there in your living room. The Legacy Focus has a driving sound that I think make them the perfect rock speaker. But these speakers cost at least $5,000!!! I only wish I had that kind of money. :-0

Take care!