No, not
that M80,
this M80. Now that I've got your attention...
Introduction
I just got back from my audition of the Newton M80s at the local Cambridge Soundworks store in Berkeley. My first impression of the M80 was "Damn, that's a big bookshelf speaker!" I was expecting something a bit smaller. It's slightly shorter, but is significantly wider and deeper than the M22. Due to the Axiom's wedge shape, I'd estimate that the Newton M80 has at least twice the internal volume of the M22. After getting over the initial shock of the speaker's size, I noted its very attractive finish. Real wood veneer does a lot to make an otherwise plain box speaker look attractive.
Getting my bearings...
I then took in my surroundings. The audition space was set up similar to my living room (with the exception of the number of speakers!). A soft couch was positioned directly in front of a TV. On either side of the TV were the speakers. In between the couch and TV sat a coffee table. I also noted that the M80s were about the same distance from my seat as my M22s are at home. On to the music! (Obligatory disclaimer: all comparisons to the M22 are done on a strictly from memory basis. I did go immediately home after the audition and played several of the same tracks on my M22s so I could make better comparisons.)
Audition notes
The first track I played was from Dave Matthews / Tim Reynolds, Live at Luther College. What struck me right away was the pleasantly forward sound of the guitars. The highs were definitely not lacking in detail. All the harmonics that accompany guitar plucking and strumming were coming through well. When Dave started singing, however, I noted a slight bloat in the midrange. Nothing too unpleasant, but it added a coloration to his voice that wasn't to my liking. I couldn't help but think what his voice would sound like if only speakers were wedge shaped.
The last thing I noted on this track was the great soundstage. When the crowd cheered, the ambiance of the hall came through very well.
As that CD doesn't contain much bass, we moved on to The Waifs, Up all Night, track 6. Again, the highs came through very crisp and detailed. The female vocals on this song were also pleasantly rendered. The acoustic bass, however, was noticeably boomy. It could be that the speakers weren't ideally positioned, but the boominess definitely detracted from the music. The M80s do go deeper than M22s -- with their greater internal volume and 8" woofers they'd better -- but they don't go there as neutrally.
The last CD I played was The Randy Newman Songbook. I picked a familiar track and listened carefully. The piano intro came through pretty well with the sound coming from a distinctly centered image. When he started singing, however, I noted a distinct edginess to his voice. Now Randy Newman doesn't have the smoothest of voices, but I thought the speakers accentuated that in a negative way.
Back at home with my M22s
You know the saying about taking guns from cold, dead hands? That's exactly how I feel about my M22s after listening to these 3 tracks again at home. I can't compare anything more than general impressions at this point (because little Steven didn't want me to right the review this evening...), but all I can say is that the M22 is noticeably more neutral and uncolored in the midrange and bass region than the Newton M80s. The music just comes together in a very convincing way. You hear the music more than you hear the speaker.
Closing thoughts
I think
The Axiom Wedge is a really great innovation that gives their speakers an unfair advantage over conventional speakers. Right off the bat, they remove the possibility of box bloat (caused by internal standing waves) that plagues so many other speakers. With the M80s, this bloat was most evident in male vocals (the speakers do much better with female vocals) and bass.
It's getting late now (and the baby might wake up at any minute), so I think I'll close there. I hope it's clear which speaker I prefer.
If anyone wants clarification on any aspect, I'll do my best to follow up.
