I have my iMac in my room and figured that I would take advantage of the promo for the new computer speakers here.

I don't have any plans to buy the sub for the speaker system and ruled out the M1 speakers, but I am trying to figure out if there is a noticeable sound improvement going from the M2 to M3? I have never heard the small bookshelf speakers from Axiom so I have zero referance point to work from. I have hear the M80's and thought they were great and now have the LFR's. Not anything I need for a bedroom..just too big. But I would like to get a reasonable type of sound from them. I can see fromt he SPL vs Freq graphs that the M2 is an ultra flat around 90db but dives at 100hz to nothing around the 70hz point. Where the M3 seems to have a bit more variance (90-95db) with a bit of a bump at 150hz but a more gradual fall off down to an achievable 50hz at the low end.

Right now I have a cheep set of Logitech plastic wonders that cost a whopping $50, and I know that the new speakers are going to blow them away. But will that extra 20hz of lower bass sound make me smile? and will I be able to actually hear it at reasonable low volumes? I know that reason has me saying it's only about $40 difference so why am I asking, but I do want to know.

Totally depends on listening material and placement. You can also EQ the speaker to do as you like on the computer end.

On a desk near a wall will give a bass boost for sure. In a tri corner will give the biggest boost. You can probably squeeze satisfactory bass out of either the M2 or M3, but the M3 should have an audibly clear advantage in the bass department.

Matt, the graph and Axiom specs on the M2 are somewhat better than you've described. Rather than "nothing" around 70Hz, the graph shows good response there and the spec cites 70Hz as the +/- 3dB point. Be that as it may, if used without a sub the M3, although less linear in response, does have at least 10Hz lower bass response.

I have M2's (M2i or ti) and have borrowed M3's at various times -- IMO they sound completely different in the low end. The M2's really want a subwoofer IMO, while the M3's are entirely satisfactory without one.

True, the M3 relies on a bit of a bass bump for some of the LF extension but I don't find the bump noticeable, ie it doesn't seem to colour the sound the way the bass bump on a Paradigm Atom does.

I use both models & recommend:

M2s used with a sub;

M3s - sub really not required, especially for a bedroom/computer use.

I would favour the M3s...

TAM

Yes you are correct. it's at 60hz The computer M2's are a good -10db down. The thing that you need to remember is that 3db equates to double the power. So when you get into a 10db loss, it equal to 1/10 the sound. So when these speakers are at 55hz and you are at -20db (1/100 sound) and to hit 50hz it's at -30db (1/1000 sound) or basically inaudible.

The comparison is to the M3 that does have the hump between 80hz to 150hz, but the same three db points are at 55hz, 45hz and 35hz when you get to the inaudible level.

I think looking at it more, I have convinced myself that the M3 definitely is the better choice for me and as others who have tried it have pointed out, the M2 will require a sub of some form to give the sound feeling that I am looking for. I know that adding a sub in the bedroom will just tick off the rest of the family as it will likely be more powerful a combination than just going with an M3.

Thanks for the help everyone.. it is settled.

Do you listen to a lot of bass heavy content in the bedroom?
I think the new wireless unit will end up in my room, the drivers are yet to be announced but personally I hope the design is more towards the neutral side.

it is not that I want a bass heavy sound, so that is why I would prefer to stay away from getting or needing a sub for that room. I kind of have a chuckle as the speakers that are hooked up right now have a set of 2" drivers for the speakers and a 6" driver in the mini sub.