M22's with Velodyne VX-10 Subwoofer or M3's Alone.
Which would sound better? I have the M3's and love them. Would the M22's with the sub be an upgrade. Some of the negative reviews of the M22's (Bright, no low end) have me concerned. I listen to mostly good quality rock, some classical and a little jazz.
To me, non of the Axiom speakers are bright, unless that is what you call detailed and true to the original source. The m3's are better in the bass category, and the m22's have a bit more detail which is why some add a sub to fill in the low end.
I know some of the other guys have compared them both, so hopefully they will chime in soon.
John, it appears that the question is based on a misconception that the M22s somehow would need a sub to match the M3s in the low bass area. This simply isn't true; the NRC measurements show that the M22s have at least as much bass extension and in fact the low point of the impedance curve in the bass is a few dB lower in the M22s, indicating that the enclosure tuning is in reality slightly lower. The impression of more "fullness" in the bass of the M3s is due to an elevated response in the upper bass around 100-150Hz, followed by a small lower midrange depression. The M22s have more "real" bass. The VX-10 is of course a relatively inexpensive sub, but it would extend both the M3s and the M22s a bit more into the lower bass area. If only the M22s were paired with the VX-10, it would of course increase the small edge which they already have in the low bass area.
The M22 reviews which you mentioned bear no relation to reality; the M22s are extremely accurate reproducers and my use of them, often without a sub, resulted in adequate bass for most music(even most classical music which I listen to has almost nothing below about 40Hz, and in my room the M22s alone have usable, but much reduced output at 40Hz). For over a year now I've been enjoying the EP500 with my M22s, which has benefited pipe organ and other classical music which does have significant content in the very low bass and of course is also helpful with the occasional LFE content that appears in movies.
I was basing what I said on what owners of both models have expressed in the past. The general consensus I recall is that the larger woofer in the m3's gives you a better overall bass performance over the smaller m22 woofers.
Hey Pounce,
I use a VX-10 sub with my M60s. The sub is a good budget one - got mine used for $110. I felt the M60s were good on bass, but that they needed a little punch. The VX-10 is exactly what I wanted. I use it under 80 Hz, but the manual recommends using it around 120 Hz for smaller speakers. I'd recommend getting the sub and trying it out with your M3s. It really made a difference for me. that might be enough for you too.
Enjoy!
Zoë
PS...I don't believe in over-bassing. I have the VX-10 set really low on most stereo recordings. It's really just there to allow the M60s to concentrate on doing well on the mids and highs. It's very nice on the lows at low volume. I haven't tried it very low, so I don't know if that is how you like your bass. I don't, but am really happy with the extra dimension it brings out in the music with the M60s.
Thank you. I have a lot of respect for your opinions. I am going to try the M22's with the budget sub. I'll let you know how it sounds.
I think your going to like what you hear with the M22s and sub.
I had my M22s with an old cheap sub Costco sold 13 years ago and they sounded great. I think you will love the pairing.
I've never heard the M3s. However, I'm convinced that when I bought M22s and a $149 Velodyne CHT-8 a few years ago I got the best speaker combo that I could find - considering a $600 budget and limited shelf space. You'll love how it sounds.