Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo Help With Speaker Selection

Absolutely agree guys: in that size room, a pair of M50s would do a fine job even without a small sub!

Also agree that a room full of floorstanders would make for great surround music, and a darn good HT as well! And would free up a pair of my surround M3s for my diningroom system to replace the Brand "X" speakers currently residing there!

Talk about a "Win-Win" situation!!

Good morning everyone, and thanks for all the input.

When I first started looking I was sold on the M3's. I then started reading the forums and decided I wanted a sub also. It's not that I feel I'm settling for the M3's, but that I am settling for the 125 or the M50's.

Noe lets look at a second set of systems. If I could squeeze a little more money for speakers, a set of M60's or the M3's with EP350. M60's at $900 (can't wait 12 weeks for FO, $90 just not worth the wait) or the M3's with the EP350 ($855).

Ok now! That's a good set of choices!!

That IS a hard decision! In that size room either the M60s or M3s with a 350 would work great if you could wring a few more bucks from your wallet!!

The real question then, is what type of sound do you prefer?

The M3s AND the M60s are both extreemly musical speakers, but they do sound a bit different!!

Tough decision!!
Rich.

I just want to add two points. You mentioned music only.
I bought a pair of 60's for music only. I had them set up in a similar sized room as yours. The speakers sounded absolutely great. Plenty of bass unless you are an absolute bass nut. I was worried because I have a very nice set up in my car; with a high end sub woofer and I thought I might miss the extra thump. I don't really miss it as much as I thought. Actually, I'm not sure I miss it all. The verdict is still out. I might add one later but I do not feel any urgency to do so.

The next point I would want to make is again related to your comment of music only. If that is your goal it is important to go for the best sub you can get. A lot of subs will just thump and add sloppy, slow inaccurate lf's. You have to spend some dollars for tight, accurate, musical bass.

So if it were me, I personally would go for the 60's (I prefer the accuracy) and then if you need more bass add a goood sql sub later. If I was going for HT I would certainly consider some of the options posted above. Keep in mind I have a pair of M3's in my office and I love the sound in there as well. I went with the 3's in there because I had no desire to add a sub in the computer room and I felt that the 50's were out because I wanted to use bookshelf design.
I have been very happy with the results. In both systems
All this, of course, is just IMHO
oz

I forgot to welcome you to the group and I also should mention that I ordered my 3's from the factory outlet and I didn't wait any where near the posted time. Of course, I may have been lucky and your mileage may vary.
oz

LOL, first it was M3s and a little sub, then M60s, then M3s and a EP350. By the end of the thread it will be M80s and an EP600.

I think the EP350, or any similar big sub is likely unnecessary in that smallish room for music only. It will also eat a huge chunk of your budget. I'd go for the best floorstanders I could afford.

bigwill2 brings up a good point.

The EP350 is a great sub; a little pricy perhaps, and certainly overkill in the size room in question.(certainly a lot of fun if there are no close neighbors, however)

There was a review of the M3s with the EP175 a few years back that was quite positive. Although there are a number of other subs available at similar prices that may fit the bill too, and help keep the buget under control.

Going with the M60s is a sure way of getting a great start on a future system as well!

Ain't nothin' simple?!!
Rich.

I was looking at the 175 with the M3's as well, however, I'm don't know if I want to take up the extra space with a sub. The m3's on a stand will use about the same space as the m50 / M60 so I'm now thinking that is the way to go.

Is there anyone who bought the 50's and didn't like them or wished they had bought the 60's? These will be in my living room and as I said earlier, music only. And, don't throw rocks, but I'm upgrading from a set of Bose AM5's that are about 16 years old and the cones/surrounds are shot.

There was a "one line review" on the Axiom site from someone who "liked their M50s so much they are buying M60s" (don't know any details) but other than that I believe all of the M50 owners on the board are (a) very happy with them, (b) irritatingly smug that they may have purchased the most "balanced" speakers Axiom makes, and (c) feeling just the tiniest bit sensitive and inadequate relative to M60 and M80 owners, which IMO (having owned M3s, M40s and M60s) they should not.

I have only listened to M50s briefly (up at the Axiom factory) but the difference between M50 and M60 was very small, much like the difference between M2 and M3 or even (other than the bass) M3 and M60.

From subsequent posts, the M50 seems to sound even more like the M60 than the M3 did, so the difference is going to be pretty small.

I did tons of studying prior to purchasing a set of M50s!

The final choice between them and the M60s was traumatic to say the least!!

The reason I bought the M50s was due to a strong and ongoing love affair with the M3s that I had bought about four years ago. My understanding was that the 50s and 3s sounded near identical through the mids and highs, but that the bass was, of course, much stronger through the M50s!!

Correct assumption!!

They blend in my system as though they were designed that way!! Not a one of them is capable of uttering an unpleasant sound unless it was Planned that way in the recording!!

The numbers are in!! Almost half of all college students AND graduates today believe in ghosts and vampires and astrology and a whole litany of spooks and goblins!!

Incredible!!

Why is this, and who cares?!!

Brainwashing, Dudes and Dudettes!! There is so much media representation of this stuff floating around that folks almost CAN'T help but pick up on it and start to believe in it!!

And IF an M50 owner isn't eternally vigilant, the vast preponderance of M60 M80 discussion going on around here can become very compelling indeed!

I have tried to be sensitive to the Axiom thrust in the marketplace where I perceve the aim is toward the more accurate and foreward side of neutral, and try not to muck up the works with a lot of talk about the "other side" where my system resides.

A lonely 10%



The M3s were the darling of the Axiom set when I "discovered" Axiom in the year double ought, and I went right along with it, as I was looking for a very neutral speaker that was neither too warm, nor, more importantly, to me, too cool.

Going back to about 63, when I first started paying attention, I always gravitated to the warmer of the two speakers that I came down to in the final choice.

But,....that's just ME, the average Axiom buyer and fan appears to slide the other way just a bit. Those are the folks that Axiom are catering to and that's just great and how it should be!!

The M3 still has a good reputation as a stand alone bookshelf that is very musical and highly valued even by the tube set! I suspect that it may have a relatively secure future!!

Axiom history

Until reciently, the M3 had two "Bigger brothers" The M40 and the M50. The M40 was discontinued due to a lack of sales and was given a warm and loving funeral with lots of folks giving glowing eulogies.

The poor M50 hasen't as many fans, but it seems to be soldiering on as the sole M3 close relative.

Personally, I believe it's a better speaker than what it is felt to be by most, but it isn't the super accurate take-no-prisoners tell-it-like-it-is warrior that the M60/M80s are either!

The M3 and M50 are slightly more relaxed in their presentation; they just don't pick up on the tape splice in the recording master, and draw it to your attention!! A badly mastered CD will still sound bad on the M50s, just not as unlistenable as it is through the M60 and M80s

Is the M50 "as good as" the M3?

I dunno!

We moved into a larger home and needed to buy floorstanders to compensate.

The M3s didn't really do the job in this larger room and I didn't find them "as good" here as in the old house. So I can't say for sure how the M50s actually compare. But the M50s blend perfectly with the M3s in my current set-up of M3s for center and surrounds, and the M50s for mains.

I also run my system EQed to the warmer side for personel preferences. And have all my speakers crossed at 60hz; so I don't fit the Axiom mold in the least!!

Sometimes I think I should have gotten M60s; but then I realize that I would have probably had to EQ them even more than I do now to make them sound more like what I currently have

Am I a good spokesperson for Axiom?

Uh,...no,..I guess not

Am I happy with the system I've put together with Axiom speakers?

You Bet!!
Rich.