OK, 10 is the rating for an aggressive sounding speaker- in comic terms, Adam Sandler. 1 is real laid back- Steven Wright. What number would you give to Axioms? (I'm looking at the M2i, with sub.)

chip,

An M2i with sub combo would make for some wonderful music in a small to medium-sized listening room. I have a pair of M2ti's with Onkyo sub connected to a Cambridge Audio A300 integrated in my bedroom. Talk about good sound on the cheap!

Treble is clear and detailed, but not bright. Stage is a little forward of speaker plane. Sound is lively, with good dynamics, but not aggressive.

In preamplifier terms, Axioms are a "0", that is, best when played flat / direct / tone defeat. Cannot say that about all speakers.

-alan

Assuming 5 is completely neutral, I'd say the Axioms are about a 6.5, maybe a tiny bit bright, but not harsh. But it's going to depend not only on which speaker you choose from the Axiom lineup, but also on your listening environment, which can have a huge impact on the perceived brightness of a speaker. My experience is with the M60's in a pretty lively room, and I've found that on certain source material I prefer to bump the treble control on my pre/pro down just a hair. But overall I would say the M60's are pretty neutral/revealing with a slightly forward soundstage.

I can't comment on the M2i's specifically since I haven't heard them, but it's my understanding that the new M2i's now use the same tweeter as the bigger Axiom speakers.