Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Hearing Things M80s vs. M50s vs. M3s vs. Incompetent wiring

Ken,

Thanks for the pictures, always makes the thread more fun. Glad you four (the cat included) enjoyed yourselves.

I noticed your Barracuda shirt. We use their 400 model spam firewall. Great products.

Never used 'em. My old employer was a reseller for a very short period of time.

I think these results are only mildly surprising. The fact that the M80's were judged "the best" - well, I certainly hope so! They are Axiom's top of the line, and I don't think any of us doubt that Ian and the rest of the fine Axiom folk would have it be any different.

For the M3's to sound punchier than the M50's, this also seems a bit logical if you compare the frequency response graphs. The M3's have a distinct hump around 90-100Hz, where the M50's measure as a flatter curve.

Crossover in both the M3's and M50's is stated as 2.2kHz, with a very similar frequency response above this point. Sounds like you guys found the tweeters to sound the same (especially since they were driven by the same receiver).

Question: do the M3's and M50's both have the "mechanical" crossover on the woofers (i.e., none?). I remember reading this somewhere, but can't recall it precisely.

Fantastic feedback from you fellas - thanks for doing all that tough work for us!

I think the only downside is the impression that the M50's are a "lesser" speaker than the M3's. They're different speakers, and fill different roles. On of the great policies of Axiom is that if you pick one, and happen to not like them, you can always trade 'em back for something else.

PS - Ken, congrats on your new 80's!

Speaking about the differences in the freq curves between the M3 and the M50s strikes a chord here in my room.

When we had a nice non-sucky smaller room in the old house, the M3s did a great job. In this larger house they just begged for replacement with M50s. In this larger sucky room the M50s bested the M3s in every area but total enjoyment. "Something" was missing. I could hear it specifically during pans from the M50s to the M3 center. To rid ourselves of the problem I did the unspeakable: I looked at the curves and added a couple db around 80 and the problem went away!!(ok...and a couple more down at 50.....I cross at 60) Now the M50s are a closer match to my beloved M3s!

....yeah....closer, but not exactly the same.

How much is the room, and how much is the speakers??

dunno.

.......I do know that after listening to the M50s with the Christmas decorations up, I have been very slow this year to take them down!! I just gotta make some permanent decorating changes!!
Rich.

I don't know about you, Rich, but after reading Ken's review, I have a severe upgrading urge. Man, I thought I had gotten this under control.

I know just what you mean, Bruce.

I was pretty well settled on the 50s since I couldn't even sneak M60s into the space available in the cabinets the Wife insisted that I leave the speakers inside of. But now She's in some kind of "....if we got rid of the big cabinets and put the speakers on the floor?" mindset.....I, uh think She was just watching another of her HGTV shows and it's just a temporary thing.

Let's see......for this size room.....M80s and a new receiver and/or amps, and a new center and new surrounds and.....uh. Uh...in REAL WOOD!!

Woah! Kinda sounds like starting over!

Maybe, just maybe, I can hide from the upgraditus bug just a little bit longer!
Rich.

All I can say now is "I get it." I understand why the M80 owners were so gung ho. Direct comparison to the M50s was eye opening. So was sitting in the room when my wife was watching a nature show on hawks in New York. They had some wonderful classical music that I really should be able to identify playing, and it sounded marvelous. This, off of a TiVo recording (probably on High quality) of analog cable!

However, I'm still wondering about the highs. Alan, do you have any ideas about this one? We all heard it, and I have a hard time believing it's a positioning issue. We played with the toe on the 80s a bit (and ended up pulling them out farther than I will have them in the future). It's not like I notice a difference in normal listening. It just pains me to think that it might be a source difference; I can't afford and can't rationalize changing out the H/K for something different!

uh...hm...I have not even recieved my order of M22s yet, and I am...uh...really wanting to upgrade to M80s..

lol!!!!!!!!!!!!

Damn you people and your air-born Upgraditus!

I sorry...

<taps fingertips together, looks shifty>

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All I can say now is "I get it." I understand why the M80 owners were so gung ho.

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