In reply to:
For ther record I am very happy with the sound of the m22s powered by the t-amp, but it looks like i am spending same money and could get a better speaker, but I want to stay with axiom as the speakers - like them way better then b&w and paradigms that my friends have.
I think something should be clarified here. The M22s are no slouches. In going up to an M60 for example, you get more bass and louder. For the most part, it is
the same drivers in sequentially larger enclosures. I know that the crossovers vary accordingly but I am sure that Axiom does not have inferior crossovers in the "lower end" speakers. Depending on how you qualify "better", IMO you are not necessarily getting better quality sound (provided you match the M22s with a
nice sub).
A sub-sat setup gives you more flexibility when switching between stereo listening and home theater listening. If you do more stereo listening and you do not want to have the bulk of a subwoofer (a floor standing speaker typically does not take up much more room than a bookshelf on a stand) then a set of M60s would be ideal (or M50s if you like a more "laid back" sound).
I'll give you an example of one speaker setup. A lot of well constructed floor standing speakers have separate chambers for their woofers. IF such a speaker was bi-amped then you have the same speaker setup philosphy as a sub-sat system except that the woofer stays right under the midrange and tweeters (effectively the satellite portion of the speaker).
The floor standing speaker give you a nice neat package for all the drivers with less cabling versus an equivalent sub-sat setup.
The one factor that is never ruled out is the "coolness" factor. Big speakers look impressive but the reality is that most people do not need them. There are some people who have large space that
do need speakers such as the M80s. Sometimes it is a matter of future-proofing your setup. If you are thinking of moving and you know your next listening room will have vaulted ceilings and open to other spaces, a larger speaker would likely be the best to go right off the bat (especially for those of us with WAFs to consider).
If you listen at moderate levels, the M22s will be perfect. I don't want to say that getting larger speakers would be a waste of money because there are certain intangibles for some people that simply can not be ruled out. As an extreme example, if only the act of sex were important then no man would care about what the woman looked like. In some cases the man simply turns out the lights. If you buy the M22s and just listen to the music but you care about hw the system looks, be happy with the sound turn out the lights and imagine huge br**sts, er, I mean speakers from the soundstage.
It's a guy thing.
