Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Thinking of buying M3 v2

Hi,
My first post.

I find myself in need of a pair of bookshelf speakers and with very little money. I was initially looking at spending $1000-$1500, which in Australia can buy you a pair of Dynaudio Audience 52's (I love those speakers), or Elac bookshelves.

However, most of the money got "used up", and my budget is now around $500 (and even then I'll have to wait of couple of months for all of it).

A number of people at the Slim Devices forum (I own a Squeezebox network player) suggested said Axiom were good value, and the M3 v2's are A$482 including delivery (even cheaper from the factory outlet).

So, the obvious question is - what do they sound like? I listen to everything from chamber music to Al Stewart, although not a lot of heavy stuff. The room is rectangular, about 18 by 12 feet, with a nine foot ceiling. However, instead of a wall next to the left speaker, there is a six foot opening leading to the dining room, which complicates things a bit

For me, a speaker needs to have reasonable bass quality and extension, and a clean top end, but the most important thing is the midrange. It needs to be smooth and natural, especially vocals.

So, if you own a pair of M2's, do you think they would work for me? How do they compare to other bookshelf speakers you have listened to?

I have a NAD C320BEE stereo amp, which has a solid, slightly forward sound, and, as I said, a Slim Devices Squeezebox. I do plan to order the M3's when I get the money, and take advantage of the 30 day trial.

Thanks

Shane

Welcome, Shane!

The M3s are fantastic little speakers. They have a slight bass hump, which gives the impression of a little fuller bottom end, but it is not very distracting. The midrange is where the M3s shine, offering a smooth and pleasing tone. As for the top end, the M22s are probably the winner (although I've never heard them), but the M3s are slightly more recessed on the top. Yes, you still get detail, but it's not as prevalent as on other speakers. It just so happens that that is the sound I prefer.

For the money, you can't go wrong.

Shane, welcome. You're certainly correct as to the importance of the mid-range and it's crucial to get that right. The Axioms have in fact got it right and since the M3s fit your budget you should be very pleased with the results. If you haven't seen it, you might study the NRC measurements and SoundStage review which is still relevant since there've been only a couple of cosmetic changes.

Shane, I'm gonna shamelessly pimp my own review I did of the M3s and other speakers. Maybe this will help.

yeah, I remember that post. Great review!

StPat. I hadn't seen that review so thanks for linking to it. I enjoyed reading through your comments.

Jason

Thanks guys!

See, sometimes I actually have helpful posts.

Indeed! What is 1 divided by 3,916 as a percentage?





(totally kidding by the way)

Jason

I'll post, just to throw your numbers off!

So there.

Thanks guys, they "sound" impressive.

St_PatGuy, the bass hump shouldn't bother me either, as I like a slightly forward sound. I graphed your frequency response measurements in Excel, and they jive very nicely with the NRC graph - nice going.

I won't be getting your nice walnut finish though