Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners M2 vs M3 computer speakers

Isnt the crossover in a three way speaker designed with a minimum distance for proper summing and baffle/boundary compensation? I'm not sure m5hps are the answer for a desktop. I think most 3 ways are designed for 2m plus listening distance. I'm not sure.

I would suggest to fosterco to EQ the bass down on the M3s instead of putting a bump into the midrange. Just a couple db. Chances are reducing th bass and consequently any room overhang will improve perceived midrange clarity. Play around and let us know what you find out.

I would put the M2s upside-down on top of the M3's, wire them in parallel, and call it a day

Maybe a new larger monitor is the answer?
You could push them all back and spread the speakers to keep the ideal triangle...

HA, I already have a giant 32" monitor. I'll try moving the speakers back, but right now I have almost no space as the M2s and M3s are both on the desk.

I tried lowering the bass on the M3s. Its hard to tell if it really gets the mids of the M2s, because I have to level the EQ before I switch over to the M2s. I think its one of those things that I'll stop noticing when I stop switching between the M2s and M3s 20 times per song.

I have two questions, both about speaker distance. First off, I am very interested in knowing the required distance of the M5HPs. I was thinking of using a 30 or 40 watt/channel amp with them. If this is a viable setup, that's what I'm going to do.

The second is about the proper M2/M3 speaker distance. They are about 3.75 feet apart, toed in, and about 3 feet from my ears. I don't crank the speakers, but I want to make sure this isn't so close that I'm damaging my hearing.

Funny thing...we've had our towers cranked and you couldn't really tell it was stupid loud until you tried to talk to the person beside you or you left the room and came back after a short time. It has to be a decent recording though, crappy recordings, well enough said...
Try an app on your cell phone. It'll confirm a) the actual volume. b) your actual listening preference for the volume and c) which speaker you like best at THAT volume.
I wouldn't worry about distance to your ear causing damage with either of those but the volume will ruin your hearing over time (if it is in fact too loud).
I would expect distance to matter much more with the M5 because of the extra driver. I'd assume a minimum of 6' distance to sound their best.

Hi FosterCO,

Have you thought about using the M2s with a subwoofer? We have the EP100 http://www.axiomaudio.com/ep100-computer-subwoofer which should give you the combo you are looking for.

Ian, thanks for the reply. I really do not like subwoofers. Granted I have not tried Axioms, but in experience, I get far more "sub" frequencies than I want. I don't use one in my home theater either (as the M60s give me exactly what I want). But I will keep it in mind.

Debbie is going to kill me if I don't send back one of the pairs of speakers soon, so this is my last observation. Using an EQ, I am basically able to get the tone I want from both the M2s and M3s. The real difference is in soundstaging. The M3s have a very flat soundstage. For lack of a better description, the music sounds like its coming from the speakers. Whereas the M2s have a much more pronounced soundstage. The music sounds like its coming from about 3 inches in front of the speakers. There is a "3D" effect to the sound almost.

Due to that, I cant decide. I think the overall sound is better from the M3s, but I love the "pop" of the M2s and how it seems almost 3D. Are there EQ settings that would produce this effect in the M3s?

Dirac has a 2 channel trial that you should look at . Graphic EQ is a bandaid at best , you need something that creates a filter and an ability to use peq, a parametric eq would be a better bandaide.

Does the soundstage get better when you move further back from the M3s?

Mojo - there is a slight change, but still nothing like the M2s.