Over the last 6 months I have purchased paradigm studio v5 speakers which I love. I've heard alot about axiom speakers and that they sound close to the studios. I called axiom tonight and asked some questions as I've been thinking about running a secondary system. Anyway I placed an order for the m3's to see if I like them. If so I might order some m80"s if that were the case. I hope I like them, It should be interesting. I just thought I would say Hi and see if anyone had any thoughts. I am looking forward to hearing them. Thanks

Hello and welcome. I think that you will find the Axiom to Paradigm Studios to be a close match. Of course, be sure that you are comparing apples to apples. Obviously different driver sizes and numbers will impact the sound.

As far as Axioms are concerned, just look at the current Wall'O'Fame pictures. I mean if someone is going to pay for PINK Axioms for their wife, then they must be good right? LOL.

John(can always use another one)welcome. The one suggestion that I'd have is to consider ordering the M22s instead. If you're considering the M80s eventually, the response of the M22s is more nearly identical(except in the low bass, of course).

I agree with JohnK, the M22s or even M2s will be more representative of the "Axiom sound" than the M3s and closer to the M80s. Don't get me wrong, I am sure the M3s are great speakers (I never heard them) but their frequency response is not as flat as others like M80s/60s/22s/2s and their mid driver is the 6.5' instead of the 5.25'.

John1400, welcome. Congrats on your Paradigm purchase. Axiom has the same kind of design philosophy as Paradigm...transparency, accuracy, flat ect. I auditioned the Studio 100V4s and found them to be similar in those aspects vs the M80V2s I ended up with. The M3s are a wonderful speaker in their own right, but I agree with JohnK, the M22s would be a better representation of what you might expect to hear from a pair of M80s sans lower bass.

One more to say change that order from M3's to M2 or M22 to get an idea of what the m80's will sound like sans bass.

I do not recall ever hearing anything from Paradigm that sounds like the M3, B&W on the other hand has a bookshelf set that is very similar according to those that did the blind listening test last fall, the Diamond 805's was it?.

Yup.

Me too. Try the M22s if you want to know the type of sound the M80s will have (sans the same level of bass of course).

Thank you for the advise, but too late, the M3's will be here tomorrow. I was assuming that they would be similar to the studio 20's. I am going to try the M3's on a stereo receiver and I read that without a subwoofer that they would be my best choice for a bookshelf. I must say Brent was very helpful on the phone. He gave me honest answers which I liked. I am looking forward to my weekend and listening to my new speakers. As far as Pink speakers, there is no way I would order those.....unless the wife said otherwise...haha!
Maybe M3's will lead to M22's and M80's...who knows.
Anyway, thanks again for the welcome.

FWIW, there was a guy about two years back that had a paradigm Signature series system that picked up the M80s for a secondary system. He was very impressed by the M80s compared to his Sigs.

I believe Axiom posted pics in Gallery and he made a couple of posts there.

I think the M3 "different from Axiom" bit is a tad overdone... especially by people who haven't heard the M3s. Don't stress on it. In our M80/M50/M3 comparison (yes yes the M50 test was flawed, everyone, UNTIL WE FIXED IT), the M3s were actually more similar to the M80s than the M50s were or than they were to the M50s. The M3s and M50s are supposed to be similar.

Enjoy the M3's, they are wonderful bookshelfs. I heard the M3s for the first(only) time when I took part in the M3 vs B&W test.

Then it was off to Ian's dock for double stacked M80s hanging from chains off his boat sheds rafters..... The live band sounded every bit as good or better as any commercial system at that short range.

Add in the barbecued dinosaur. Epic!!

In this instance it is not overdone, the OP is looking to the M3 to be a representative of the M80 sound, as he states he might buy M80s if he likes the M3's. I wouldn't want him to buy the M80s and then realize they are not as laid back as the M3. That recessed midrange playback the M3 has does not happen on the M80. This is not to say the M3 is a not a good speaker but it isn't as close in tonal SQ to the M80 as the M22 or M2.