Gread airy treble. Uber-balanced. Detailed, yet nonfatiguing. Accurate reproduction of snare and cymbols. Acoustic guitar strumming sounds awesome and very "you-are-there." The closest treble to the headphone experience I have found for $500 or under bookshelfs.

Good mids.

Tight bass with a little hump around 100hz+ or so give or take. sounds full for what bass it does make, which is most of the bass you would need except if you are ultra-discriminating in this area - and judging by the high ratings on this board I would say the vast majority of people aren't bothered by this at all.

Appearance: I think these things look sweet. nice angles, they look awesome without the grill on, vaneer looks practically like real wood.

The vocal range of the mids used by male and female voices is "good" but I would personally not call it "awesome" after directly comparing with some other speakers out there which admitedly ALSO HAVE THEIR OWN DRAWBACKS [to me those paradigms had that less than ideal hot tweeter].

Basiscally, I was left with the impression that I want something I haven't heard yet, but I'm hoping if I spend up to $500 I can find it either in the Axiom M22's or the Ascend 170 or 340's. We'll see!

Let's get out one fact for anyone who is contemplating buying these speakers to test them out: you MUST break these in to give them a fair evaluation. We're talking like 20-40 hours break in time, minimum. Straight out of the box, the upper mids - specifically, anything with female vocals - sounded recessed. My first impression was "this is not going to work" but I kept the M3ti's on during the daytime for several days while I was out of the house to work. After several days of this, the part of the midrange focused on femal vocals was unquestionably improved. And by that i mean louder and more in balance with everything else, like it should be.

I compared these with the Paradigm Focus v.4, the paradigm Titan v.5, Monitor v.5 and atom v.5. I directly compared the M3ti side by side with the Focus v.4. My goal in finding a speaker was to find one that would most closely resemble the audio fidelity, balanace, not-fatiguing-nature, and excitement of listening to headphones. I've got some great headphones so I know what audio sounds like on a great source - and I was looking for all those qualities in a bookshelf speaker as best as I could find them.

In comarison to the Focus v.4 or paradigm v.5 line I give the Focus a 4.3, the M3ti a 4.0, and the atom or minimonitor a 4.0.

Treble:
The m3ti had the best high treble. Cymbols and acoustic guitar sounded basically awesome - easy on the ears but ultra detailed - maybe even too bright for some but I'd call the treble neutral. the paradigm v.5 series was noticibly "hot" - the treble on cymbols and snare drums was not quite cringe-inducing but noticibly out of balance - and when you spend up to $500 on a pair of speakers, I'd think we can avoid this quality.

Mids - in the range of male and female vocals
The Focus v.4 had the most natural sounding upper mids. The v.5 also had natural sounding mids. The M3ti just seemed a bit recessed. Here's how I'd characterize it: In direct comparison to the Focus v.4 I think to myself "the Focus is just better. it's more pleasing. it's more accurate. with the M3ti I almost feel like I'm missing a tiny bit of something." Furthermore, the paradigm series sounded more natural with heavily distorted electric guitars. the m3ti just sounded a tiny bit off (4/5 stars) with regard to heavily distorted guitars.

The other part of the midrange band
besides having to do with vocals, there was indeed something special about the M3ti midrange. I would say it was very "non-boxy." The speakers did have a sort of transperancy which was pretty cool - perhaps that phenomenon is also a result of the awesome tweeter these things have.

Bass
The M3ti definitely has solid tight bass in regard to what bass this speaker CAN produce. When you listen to it without comparing to anything else, or with a sub, you will think this speaker is not only sufficient, but a good tight performer in the bass region. In direct comparison to a paradigm, you start to feel like you are missing some things on the M3ti. Like with a deep drum hit. instead of going "boooom" and the drum hit being full, the M3ti might just reproduce the "booo" part and just sort of peter out on reproducing the deepest part of the drum hit. Like I said, the M3ti DOES sound good and tight in its bass. Alone I was very satisfied and even excited by the bass of this speaker. In direct comparison I might have wanted a tiny bit more bass in the lower registers.

With regard to a comparison with Paradigm:
I've basically said that the M3ti comes out ahead in some categories and falls behind in others. The one area the paradigm focus v.4 and v.5 series annoyed me was with that hot treble. Despite the v.4's strengths, I didn't think I could handle long listening sessions with it. The treble was just too hot. and with the V.5 [especially the mini-monitor($379) and titan v.5($500) the treble with cymbols or snares was actually almost verging on irritating. Especially compared to that awesomely balanced treble of the M3ti. Yet, what the paradigms taught me is that I want more from the M3ti - I want more natural balanced mids, especailly in the upper mids w/ vocals. I also wouldn't MIND more bass, but I could live without it as long as everything else is in balance.

Conclusions:
Due to my 4/5 impression of this speaker and quest for great sound I am probably going to order the M22 AS WELL AS the ascend 170 or 340.
Axiom told me the M22 has stronger mids [READ: more balanced?] which is EXACTLY what I was looking for after listening to the M3ti. We'll see if that does it.
The Ascends have gotten good reviews. Some have said that "everyone they know has preferred the ascend 170's to the axiom's [don't know which axiom they were comparing to though]."

Can't wait to get some awesome sound pumping through whichever of those I eventually end up with. I'm pairing them with a HSU Stf-1 sub for a little extra low end weight.

Cheers

Customer Service

Excellent. We communicated via email and they were informative and pleasant to deal with.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Focus v.4, Paradigm v.5 series: atom (250) mini-monitor (379) titan v.5 (500)
headphones and other various lower-quality speakers.

Price to performance ratio.
Build quality.
Overall "smoothness" is unmatched at this price range.
All metal dirvers.

Base output and that's it.

It's been approx six months since I secured these awesome bookshelves from Axiom...initial part of my upgrade of 2-channel stereo and HT. Primary reason for this review is to help those who are considering Axiom and to confirm with those who own or have experienced Axiom that this is one speaker company I need to invest with. They replaced an aged pair of Bose 301's (mains) that I had for about 10 years. These are powered by a Denon AVR 1906 and run with a BIC America V1220 Sub. Initial listening tests were not that impressive, however after 20-30 hours break in they opened up beautifully and became airly, clean, percise, forward and soothing (which is to say slighty warm and NOT recessed). If you like "laid back" the M3ti's are not for you. Actually, I now prefer speakers that are upfront and forward. If you like vocals, your jaw will drop when you listen to these Divas. Their presentation delivers the artist up close and personal. The M3t's performance in this area is simply unheard of for the price. Listening to the midrange and highs is like a trip to the premium ice cream store...rich and smooth and oh so satisfying. Fact: Price to performance ratio is just unbelievable. Fact: Build quality for the price is umatched. Fact: You'll need to break them in, be patient...if you are you'll be rewarded, trust me. Fact: You'll need a sub to fill in the low 25-30 Hz. Fact: Imaging and sound stage is very good. Fact: Bad recordings will sound bad, great recordings will put a tear in your eye, they are that good. Fact: Customer service from Axiom is terrific. Fact: They are not intended for a large room, and have their dynamic limits, but within their range be prepared to be amazed. Fact: The M3t's are a downright steal for the money. Fact: Their 1" titanium tweeter is pure sweetness and the 6 1/2" woofer delivers accurate and tight base.

Similar Products Used:

Celestion F30
Bose 301

Great mids and highs!

A bit bright.

For the money you can't beat these speakers. Sure they are not the best speakers in the world, but you can't go wrong with the price and how well they handle everything. They are a little bright, but the mids and highs are airy, clear, and accurate. I have listened to a ton of speakers and these little guys are a gem. The only reservation I have is the lack of bass, but hey what do you expect with 6 1/2 inch woofers. If you want a great pair of speakers at a great price then your search is over. Heck the value rating should be a "10". Don't take my words for it, try it for yourself. In the worst case scenario you'll loose $30 on shipping.

Similar Products Used:

B&W, Wilson's, Revel, Meridian, Von SCHWEIKERT, Mirage, and Tannoy

clean clear sound, good base for a 6 1/2 driver. good looks great price

None discovered as yet

I bought the M3s as replacement for my old rear speakers in a dolby pro-logic set up. The 8 inch 2 way speakers were 14 years old and in decay. I considered "surround" speakers but decided to stick to the bookshelf style for the surrounds. Did a lot of looking in stores and on the net before I stumbled on Axiom site and I was impressed by ratings and reviews for the M3. When I got them I hooked them up as a stereo pair just to see if all the raves were true. It has been over a year now and all I can say is that the Axiom M3 is truly remarkable for size and price. The sound still leaves me with an amazed smile. I moved the M3s to the bedroom and have since bought some "surround" speakers for the living room.

Similar Products Used:

AR

good frequency responce, tight accurate bass, decent imaging, beautiful design

get sloppy at higher volumes, not great for demanding musical sources (classical, opera, jazz) maybe slightly overpriced compared to competitors (ie: Paradigm

I picked these up to run them as a zone 2 set off my Yamaha RXV 1400 in the living room upstairs. A friend of mine works at Audioshop and got me a good deal on a set. They do the job quite nicely, and definitely need some break in time to open up. However, I have a 4 year old set of Paradigm Titans in my bedroom that can be bought new for much cheaper that simply outclass these speakers in every area. The Paradigm Mini-Monitors,(which are very close in price) I have as rears in my HT setup, blow these out of the water. I can't say that these Axiom's are bad. They are actually a very accurate, responsive speaker at low volumes, and only lose a bit of bass and mid-range at higher volumes. They look beautiful, and don't feel cheap at all. I listen to Blues, Jazz, and Classical music mostly, and that seems to be where these fall apart, particularly at the higher frequencies. Imaging is above average for a bookshelf, but the high end frequencies really suffer. I don't have a sub in the living room, since it's mostly my wife's and she wouldn't let me, but there's enough bass to please most people. All in all, these speakers are good, and I would highly recommend anyone sampling bookshelf speakers, to give these a listen. But I was a little disappointed at the value these things give you compared to my older Paradigm Titans and new Mini Monitors. Not sure if Axiom is coming up short, or if Paradigm is over-achieving. If they weren't so pretty and my friend's paycheque wasn't affected I'd probably return them.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Titans & Mini-Monitors, PSB, Bose 301's

I listened for a month. The speaker does most things well. The bass is rich for a small speaker. The treble is smooth. Percussion is punchy but not aggressive. It’s easy to drive. Unfortunately, the speaker continually disappointed when I listened to singing. Male voices in particular were tilted towards the nasal, exhibiting a colder tone I have heard on familiar albums. I compared the Axiom to the Spender 3/5 (a more expensive speaker admittedly) and the Sound Dynamics 300-ti. Both speakers provided the warmth I was missing in vocal offerings with the Axiom. I tried the Axiom with a CJ amp then a VTL amp and finally a Counterpoint amp. Nothing improved the voice problem. Voices were simply unpleasant. I finally returned the speakers for a refund. If you listen to much singing (jazz and/or classical) – this speaker may not be your best choice – despite its other strengths and bargain price.

Drivers create precise natural sounds that are clear, crisp and thight.

There are no flaws!

Well I took the plunge. Four months ago I bought a home theatre system consisting of Bose 601, 201 and a center channel. The theatre rocks!? But after reading more reviews I started to have some doubts so when I was back in the states I decided to take the plunge for Axioms speakers in order to compare my Bose, what the heck if there not worth it I’d send them back to Canada before I headed back to Europe. What a shame that I can’t get them mailed to Europe through the Fleet Postal Office (FPO). I tell you the Axioms sounded terrific! The bookshelves alone make me mad at paying so much for the Bose 201. I wish there was some way of getting my money back. As a home theatre system goes the 201 don’t have a critical role to play, they just provide the background. For this purpose alone I feel that I have paid too much. I have done a lot of research because I wanted to get my home theatre system right the first time, and now that I have had my system up and running for nearly four months I will say that it is not an easy task finding the right components to create the Ideal system. And I wasn’t aware of what I was missing until I bought the Axiom millenniums, which are highly, rated for their build and their fidelity. I will say this, “the 201’s cabinets are made of cheap plastic and the binding post are not of gold. Oh they’ re okay sounding for rear speakers, but trust me they are not worth the money I paid. For fifty dollars I could have had the Axioms 3ti’s, which have a substantially better build, offer three color choices, gold post, and a removal grill so I could see what it is that I was paying for. The 3ti are not meant to be run as front speakers alone. I know this because I swapped them with my 601 and they sound fine but by no means a concert hall. I tried them alone with a mini component and they really sound fabulous. It must be true about the break in period because they get better with time. I hand carried these babies back to Italy. If I could have the M60’s delivered I would order them, but for now the 601 will do. No matter your choice of bookshelves you still need a power sub like my 10’’ Yamaha subwoofer (YAM-YSTSW320) to get your walls to rock when listening to Bach’s great organ pieces, and trust me nothing less than 10” of down firing power will due. A dual scanning Sony CD player utilizing an optical cable that runs into my Denon 2803 receiver now plays my CD’s and DVD’s. This arrangement gives me the best of both worlds. I get true symphonic reproductions, and a top-notch home theatre system that rumbles my walls, and has me leaping for cover when explosions go off, Holy Moly!

Similar Products Used:

Bose, Infinity, and Boston Acoustics.

Very neutral sounding. No over hyped bass. Excellent imaging and soundstaging. Price is hard to beat.

Hey! If you are on a tight budget and/or have a small listening room, these are a no brainer. I can't count the number of speakers I've owned over the years, but these are keepers. I'm running them with an Energy Encore 8 sub, which seems to work well. I decided to sell my other pair of "expensive" speakers after making some careful comparisons.

Similar Products Used:

Tannoy, Kef, Signet, Jamo, Mission...

EVERYTHING! Awesome value, great bass, outstanding detail

None

WOW! I can say that anyone who spends more than 275 dollars on a bookshelf speaker is just wasting their money. I'm a college kid with a higher-than-average interest in audio and i'm running these off my Denon AVR683. They sound phenomenal. The bass performance on axis blows me away, there's like one sweet spot that just sounds sooooo bassy, but everything else sounds great too. I've only been running them for about a day now, I can't wait for them to break in!

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha, Paradigm Atom and Titan, Infinity towers

Clarity! That's the most important thing. There is no distortion of any kind. I am also able to play these loud and they don't hesitate at all!

None. Was surprised with the banana plugs at the time I received the product, but it was nothing a trip to Radio Shack couldn't fix.

I chose these speakers after reading almost every single review of it at this website. I knew that at first, it would not sound great because the speakers needed to be burned in. Not to say that it wasn't bad, it just didn't blow me away. I have had it for more than 3 months now, and let me just say that the sound that comes out of these speakers is unbelievable. The highs are never grainy, scratchy or distorted, the midrange is excellent and the lowrange is there but a suwboofer is needed to fill in that part. I listen to an eclectic set of music, from downtempo to house, to techno to trance. Genres like these have it all when it comes to frequencies, and these speakers surely deliver. Not only are the speakers top notch but also the company itself. They sell them for $275 at their website but they have another section of their website where you can buy marked down speakers due to anomalies on the exterior of the speaker. I paid $247 for my pair because of an exterior defect -- but upon inspection I could not find any kind of defect. I won't argue with that! They also guarantee your purchase by allowing you to return it within 30 days if you are not happy.

Similar Products Used:

Used with a Technics SA-EX140 receiver and Sony WM-40 12" active sub.