Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo Another M3 vs M22 question

Hello,

I have been shopping for a monitor for a few months now. I am looking to replace my PSB Century 800i speakers. I am in a smallish apartment in a room that is approx 12 feet X 16 feet. I have the speakers along the long wall.

I first bought the PSBs about 2 years ago. I was consumed with wanting the cheapest speaker I could get that would still do good bass. Ironically, listening to a pair of PSB Alpha A/Vs that I bought for my mother made me want to get new speakers because I realized that my PSB Centurys have too much bass and need to be in a bigger room where I can sit farther away. In my room, the little Alphas sounded BETTER, even if they did not have the weight and presence of their bigger brothers. Moreover, I think having so much bass can muddy up the midrange.

My musical tastes are classical (especially chamber music), small group jazz, bluegrass, and some rock/pop.

Anyway, I'm trying to decide between the M3 and the M22. I live in the USA so I can't do a home demo. My system is a Anthem Pre 1 preamp and an Anthem Amp 1 40 wpc push-pull tube amp. I mostly listen to records on a Rega TT, and I have a Sony CD player.

Although the SoundStage review favored the M22, I've often thought that a smaller monitor that does less bass can sound better than a slightly larger monitor. Example, I've heard the Spendor S3/S5 at a dealer and I actually l liked it better than the more expensive Spendors. I think a smaller monitor can "disappear" better. Unfortunately I can't really afford Spendors right now.

Anyway, do you think the M22 is a better choice than the M3? I can handle the extra $125.

Also, I will be visiting my in-laws in Ottawa over Xmas. Are there any stores in Ottawa that have Axiom? Maybe I could listen to a pair. Would it be cheaper to buy them in Ottawa, compared to having them shipped to the USA?

Thanks,
Darryl

PS I hope it's snowing by Xmas. I was hoping to do some X-Country skiiing at Gatineau. Down here in Washington DC there is no snow! :(

PPS Sorry for being so going on so long.

I get what it is that you would like. I would suggest the M22 for your room and sonic goals. The M22 does not have appreciably much more bass than the M3. The advantages are higher output capabilities and better imaging. An EP125 would also be a nice addition to your M22s in your room. There are 3 stores in Ottawa that have Axiom, 2 Audiotronics stores and the Audio Shop. Pricing would work out to be about the same purchasing them in Ottawa or having the shipped directly to your home. As for the weather here we have no snow either and this is very unusual. Normally we are getting snow every day by this time of year. Hopefully it will start before you get here for your vacation.

Ian Colquhoun
President & Chief Engineer