Hello all and thanks for this forum!

I am buying my first "hifi" system in the next month. I have done a tremedous amount of research and basically have narrowed down my choices. My budget is roughly $800 for a pair of speakers and an integrated amp. For the amp, I am choosing between the NAD C350 ($350) and a similarly priced Rotel amp (972 model). My speaker choices are NHT 1.5s ($300 now), Axiom M22s, Axiom M3s, and PAradigm mini monitor v3 (~300). I know I am posting on an Axiom board, but can anyone honestly tell me of listening comparisons between these speakers? I have only listened to the NHTs extensively; while I am impressed with their nuetrality, accuracy, and soundstage, I am not impressed with their bass or efficiency (sound muddled at high levels). I am a college student and I listen to everythign from classical (really want a nice soundstage for this- good imaging is a must) to jazz, techno, and classic rock. As I am in college, I do put on parties and I want something that will be able to hit high volumes with little to no degradation in sound quality. Lastly, Can anyone seggust good, quality and inexpensive interconnects and speaker wire? Thanks!!

P.S. At this point, I am leaning towards the M22s, Thanks Axiom for making such fine products at affordable prices.

I have compared the M22's to the Paradigm Monitor series and my M22's are hands down better. Forget about the mini monitor, it was even much better than the monitor 5's and 7's.
I don't know about the NHT's. The M22's are also very efficient ( I run them on a Denon 70 wpc and they get extremely loud and do not sound muffled).

inexpensive interconnects and speaker wire? There's always pheonix gold and acoustic research.... This board is always on the hot topic of whether speaker wire makes a difference and if it does, which one is better. You might want to look up some of those posts..

I will say 1 thing YOU GOT TO HEAR THE Energy Take 5.2. The whole system costs $900.00 Canadian a can compete with most $2000.00 speaker systems. And the reviews are always awsome plus I've heard them

yes, that is a pretty good system for the price. However, if you have the budget, it doesn't compare to speakers like the M22's or VP150. The major differences, to me, are the openess of the sound. Soundstage and imaging as far better on the Axioms I mentioned. They just disperse sound amazingly, it never sounds harsh even at high volumes, and with a really solid amp, they can play real loud

Thanks for responding so quickly.

I am really interested in two channel audio, so the Energy Take 5.2 aren't for me. Just a quick followup: How accurate are the M22s in terms of reproduction of the recording? Are they neutral? Further, will a NAD C350 amp be enough to make them sing?

The M22Ti's are the best thing you can buy for the price. Neutral, clear, detailed, open airy tweeter, smooth midrange, don't even questioning buying it.

The NAD will be enough to power it as long as you don't want it EXTREMELY loud. You could also look at the Cambridge 500 amp at, i think, 60 watts per channel.

good luck!

I was in your position about a year ago. I listened to the NHT 1.5's extensively (they were hooked up to a NAD C340 integrated). Right now, my setup consists of the Axiom M3Ti paired with the NAD C350.

I found the 1.5s to be almost *too revealing* for my taste. The speaker wowed me at first with its detail and crispness, but the more I listened, the more the top end started to grate a little on my ears. That being said, it imaged and soundstaged quite well.

The M3Ti, in my system, sounds more balanced. After break-in, the treble and midrange is smooth, though I've read that some can hear a mid-bass 'hump'. But, in my opinion, it doesn't image as well or quite have the soundstage as the 1.5's. I'll take that trade-off as they allow me to listen to music for hours on end without fatigue.

Unfortunately, both choices are not 'party' speakers, i.e. they won't rock the house with thunderous bass and will sound congested at high levels - after all, they're monitors. If you want high output, save up for some floorstanders (but you'll be hard-pressed to find the qualities you're looking for in the $300 price range).

I use Kimber PBJ interconnects and AudioQuest Type 4 speaker wire in my system - the usual suspects for good quality affordable cable. Other alternatives are BetterCables (www.bettercables.com) or Homegrown Audio (www.homegrownaudio.com).

Hope this helped...

Yage,

Personally, I would have auditioned the M22's against the M3's. They are clearly a better speaker..

Right now Dumoulin in Montreal has a pair of M40's on discount. 400$ Canadian I believe, if you are looking for speakers with more bass than the M3's.