Hi wschwartz,
I may have been a bit dismissive in my response; my apologies. Actually, the M22ti and M80ti are perhaps the most linear Axiom models--smooth and flat--in anechoic chamber measurements, through the upper bass, midrange, and upper octaves. As such, the reflective/absorptive character of a given room will "shape" their tonal character more than some other Axiom models.
It's a tough call as to what to recommend. My instinct is to always suggest the speaker with the smoothest and most linear frequency response, leaving the customer to make adjustments to his or her room. Equalization or even simple bass and treble controls are not a sonic cure-all for overly bright rooms. As a compromise, you might consider the M50ti's which have more midrange detail than the M40s, but they are not as linear as the 60s, 80s, or M22's.
Some years ago there were attempts by a consortium of several Canadian speaker companies (it was called the Athena Project) along with the NRC, to make the ultimate so-called "smart speaker"; active speakers with elaborate automatic digital EQ measurement and adjustment circuitry. The results were less than ideal, in part because the resulting equalization only worked for one precise listening location. As soon as you shifted position, the digital EQ no longer applied. (this is an oversimplification). You had to go through the whole procedure again. It was not commercially feasible, plus there has always been an historical reluctance on the part of consumers to buy active loudspeakers (except for subs), so these projects were abandoned, perhaps prematurely.
But, in your situation, the M50ti may be a reasonable compromise. I just finished a day of comparative A/B listening tests at the Axiom plant, using the M22ti, M60ti and M80ti as anchors for all the comparisons. During the M50 comparisons, I recall thinking, "the M50 would be ideal for someone worried about an overly bright room, but who still wants some midrange clarity. . ."
Regards,
