Conclusion
So when the music stops and all is almost said and done, where do the Axiom’s land? Let me say this, I for some reason thought these were $600 speakers. When I checked the price again I was blown away to find out they were $348, especially when considering their performance. The M3v3 do most of what a great speaker should. They present a large and open image, linear reproduction of sound, offer a good amount of detail, and be as transparent as the speaker can be. They are certainly worth auditioning. Especially if you are looking for speakers that will bring spring time to your winter.
For my personal taste I enjoyed the pairing of the M3v3 with the warmer Van Alstine OmegaStar250EX solid state amplifier. I found it provide slightly more body to the low end while rolling off some of the air in the high end. But really the point is that for $348 you can get a speaker that is transparent enough to let you tweak the sound till your ears are satisfied. And that is a real achievement.
For your time and money I’d say the Axiom M3v3 speakers are very much worth auditioning, and certainly worth purchasing if they do it for you.
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Specifications
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I was looking at this model today and then stumbled upon this review (posted today as well!). It was very helpful, thanks!
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I find it a bit laughable that you think speaker break in is real and the effects of switching out speakers cables is audible.
Axiom doesn’t buy into that nonsense and neither does anyone that can measure audio gear.
That being said your opinion on the sonic attributes of this speaker seem to reflect my own. They are a solid performing bookshelf but they lack the depth in soundstage and vocal clarity that I’ve heard on much pricier products.
Hi Jeff -
I’m glad we’ve come to a bit of the same conclusion. I can’t help you with the other issue though. I guess it is something you either hear or you don’t. Thankfully measurements aren’t the end all of speakers. Otherwise a lot of speakers would essentially sound the same. And we know that isn’t the case.
I haven’t heard the v3 models, but I did own a pair of M3 v2′s and they were outstanding. I’m not sure about soundstage and vocal clarity, but I thought having heard most of the other internet brands and some other traditional ones, they seemed to be designed for music. Most speakers at this price point either are designed with home theater in mind; these seem to reproduce the clarity and complexity of music without being focused on good vocals (not that the vocals were bad).
Axiom says itself, and views it as a design goal, to make a neutral sound. So while saying they sounded flat is probably accurate, thats how they’re designed. The only thing I can think to add is that most people seem to think Axiom speakers are forward, not a “few rows back from the stage” speakers, and they can sound very bright if room acoustics are poor but become unfatiguing when placed well.
I have the Axiom Algonquins which are the outdoor version of the M3 v3 on my covered porch. I love the fact that they employ a simple tweeter crossover filter rather than a complex sound sucking crossover. This allows the driver to be very efficient and run full range. Because of their efficiency they sound great with SETs and Tripath amps.