Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo The M40s vs. M60s

I thought i would start up the thread now and add to it later (with pics).

First thoughts, the new package that comes with Axiom speakers FAR surpasses the printings and wrappings that came with my M60s several years ago.
Excellent work on updating the speaker manuals and accessories to some really nice looking bits! The instruction manual almost looks like a brochure for the Axiom lineup. High gloss paper, superb cover art no doubt a piece of Joe Vassallo's, and the new spikes are gorgeous.

I'm curious as to which you prefer and why. I bet that not everyone who hears both will prefer the M60's sound. I have a pair of 60s and swear by them, but I'm sure some people would prefer the more forgiving sound of the 40s. I only wish I had heard about the inventory liquidation sooner so that I could have loaded up on a pair as well. Oh well...

I don't know if i'm going to pronounce a preference between the two. Perhaps.
This round of listening was more out of curiosity as to how different the M40/M50s sound compared to the M60. I will likely focus my listening tests on the tweeter and high end, but of course, i will hear a wide range of selections from music to movies and see how it stacks up.
So far i'm impressed. I thought they would be smaller, but then again, i was a bit surprised the day i received the M60s and just how big they were.

The speakers have arrived.
The switch box is here.
I have 2 more pairs of speakers to pair together in the weekend audition AND {gasp} i even have a tube amp in my possession!!

I'm just waiting for saturday. (more pics to follow).

The 40s really look nice paired up alongside the 60s.

Umm . . . you're not going to scratch those M40s before August are you Chess?

You just shush you.
We're testing them, not repainting.
That's another thread.

Here are some pics of the A/B switch box and the Electrohome tube amp.
Many thanks to 'tracerec' for his loaned equipment.

"No scratches before August"....?

But....

Confidentiality forms in September.....

And the 25th is?.....

The M40 is gone....room for pre-production prototypes....?

Fascinating.
Rich.

Sorry F107.
Amie swore me to secrecy two years ago. I'm not really sure why anymore and when exactly it will end .
Let me just say keeping a lid on the prototype EP500/600 subs was a challenge.

Actually the rest is a personal secret i have to keep personal in case any certain people read these forums.
All this shadowy secrecy. Maybe for a 25th anniversary they could rename the M60 to Mi6 for kicks.

Ok Chess, darn it anyway, just tryin' to find some good "future news" from you Axiom insiders.

Like for instance, is there any truth to the rumor that for the 25th there will be at least two new speaker designs using a redesigned 6.5" in the QS10 and new VP160. Plus the ability to replace existing drivers in M3s M40s and M50s with user replaceable driver and minimum X-over to match the said new models?(unless there's a delta Vb) Rumor also has it that the M50 will be a new 2 1/2 way speaker design!

(Ok, ok, so I started the rumors, but if yer gonna dream....)

There's tons of promising possibilites here.
Outdoor speakers.
Wood veneered special editions.
And instead of in-walls, completely invisible cabinets!

Oooooo.....Invisible cabinets!!! (We called it Reduced observables technologies before we called it "Stealth") So, we(maybe)gave the technology to Canadair, and they gave it to NRC, and they....Cool!

Uh, unless, uh.....we aren't talking micro-mini-jewel-cubes, are we, for "Invisible"???

Guess I'll just have to wait and see, like everyone else!
Yeah, this is fun, too.

Well, we haven't got around to the tubie stuff yet, just some preliminary reports, but we do have a general consensus on the M40 vs M60 sound (3 auditioners).
Simply put, the M40 are a characteristic Axiom speaker, finely detailed, nice finish and builld, BUT in comparison to the M60, they fall short in our opinion.
Here is the pic of the A/B comparison:



Keeping things simple:
Soundstage: equal, nicely dispersed, room size dependant, sitting distance dependant
Low end: M60s take the cake, much more presence
Midrange: M60s much more detailed, the extra drivers make a big difference here
High end: much more similar but the more detailed M60 midrange make the high end feel liike it is more subdued on the M40s. Both are still nicely detailed but the M60s are a bit more forward. It is a shame Axiom has axed this model.

You CAN tell there is a difference in the speaker efficiency as the volume controls for the M60s had to be turned down about 2dB to equal the volume of the M40s for honest comparison. However, the M40s were cranked quite high on our Onkyo 797. Exact SPL were around 97dB but if anyone is interested in more exact measures, send me a PM and i will do more precise measurements.

Overall, the M60s are noticeably more detailed and have more bass, but the M40s are an excellent buy and a superb starter speaker for the beginner system. For the truly discerning listener, the M60s are worth the extra cash.
Fit, build and finish on each was dead equal.
If anyone was looking for a good starter speaker on a very limited budget, the recent sale on the M40s was the chance to get a fantastic deal.

Very interesting report. Thanks Chess.

Great post. I though the 60s were very detailed and punched out great bass. They had a great pure direct sound on my 3805.

Hi Chess,

Excellent comparisons. Your judgments of tonal balances exactly parallel those I made when I auditioned the entire Axiom line when I first joined Axiom way back in '01.

And that Electrohome is a real Canadian antique!
It looks a lot like an old Sherwood integrated amp (a company originally based in Chicago) from the late '50s or early '60s.

Regards,

Chess,

I can't vouch for the sonic attributes of the M40s except for the short audition I had of them when they arrived. At the moment Junior is punishing them, as I can attest while hearing them through a closed door. I can say that I can hear and feal the thunder, which I would call impressive for a speaker with a single 6.5 inch woofer.

The bass is great for its size littleb.
Unfortunately my reference speaker for comparison is the M60. I did plunk down some other speakers there today in another challenge. They were some older Angstrom Radix 200s. Not the best looking units and not well cared for by a previous owner, but quite sizeable.
I liked the M40s for their more detailed tweeter but both put out pretty equivalent bass. Considering the Angstroms are bookshelves, although large, that says alot.
A friend was using them for a computer office speaker. Not a bad choice.
Tomorrow i'm going to put the M40s up against the Tannoy Revolutions i have in my office, and then throw the Angstroms into the mix as well.

So far none of my speaker comparisons in A/B have matched the detail of my M60s. HOWEVER, i have yet to pair my big Tannoy Definitions against them. Perhaps this weekend...(more pics coming).

Hey Chess,

It would be worthwhile and of interest to include basic room information (dimensions, floor and wall covering, furniture) and maybe a quick blurb on your speaker placement.

I should have time in the next month to wire a remote for the A/B box and include level matching controls.

Maybe it's time to have the M60's over for a listen?? Since I'm in the process of moving, my audio area is now conducive to accomodating enough speakers to make a fun day of listening.

Cheers,

Blurb on my basement is rehashing old information. I had pictures posted long ago but for a refresher i will list some detail.
16'x18' room with 8' drop ceiling, thin carpet over cement floor, finished wood stud walls, single layer drywall over fiberglass insulation and vapour barrier. Furnishings include the big screen tv, two large plush chaise loungers, book stacks to one side in wood boxes and open to the stairs and a hallway to the right.

Speaker placement was as shown (bookshelf models were placed on top of the M40 and M60 according to their height differences) but there are two listening positions, 12' back, so the left right shift shouldn't do much as the soundstage was excellent with both speakers in the set positions. These auditions were done semi-blind (closing ones eyes) and the speakers were so different that telling them apart was easy. Moving the volume dial fast enough was more of a challenge so the line leveling switcher would be a bonus. I'm keeping my eye out for a used Russound unit.

I think it best that you come over for an audition of the Tannoys. I'm not hauling 180 lbs of speaker to your new house dammit. I'm going to take the M60s upstairs for a comparison later this week. Once and for all i should know how the detail compares between the Tannoys and the M60s.

90 lbs isn't that much to carry to a van with moving pads ready to pamper your M60's to my current residence. Haven't I hauled a few speakers for you to audition at your place?? Not to mention a few amps!

The new AB box is already on the go. I'll give you the details in a PM.

Pics of the A/B test setup.

Your posts are giving me a massive case of déjà vu.

I'm just trying to get the right pic links in the right threads dammit.
Dammit Peter, why don't you just understand that??!! You insensitive cod.

My cod is quite sensitive, thank you very much.

Well, it does smell pretty bad... oh, wait, that's your herring. Blech.

I wonder if we should quit with the fish and smell jokes while we're ahead.

Well, to his credit, he didn't eat the herring while I was in the house, for the most part.