[AdamP88]

Well, they lack compared to the Paradigms, but that's not really a fair comparison as the Paradigms are floorstanders with dual 8" drivers and the Axioms are dual 5 1/4" drivers. On their own the Axioms go down to about 50hz, so for most electric bass and acoustic bass, you'll get a decent (but not great) representation of low bass. You won't get chest thumping bass and you'll definitely miss out on some low frequency info, but on the plus side you don't get any bass bloat that many bookshelves are guilty of. The M22s play what bass they can accurately, and then roll off smoothly but quickly.

Because the rolloff is so smooth and they don't try and overcompensate for bass, the M22s mate extremely well with a good sub. We've got them mated to an SVS PS1-ISD, and they match seamlessly. They sound much bigger than they are, with a real sense of authority, and have much better bass extension (22hz) than most floorstanders.

Anyway, if you're only looking to buy a pair for standalone playback, then I could understand if you felt the M22's were a little bass-shy. Don't get me wrong, for their size and the size of the drivers the bass is good, but I went from listening to a floorstander to listening to this much smaller bookshelf. But with the outstanding overall qualities of the M22, and the money you're saving over models of similar sonic quality, you owe it to yourself to get a decent sub to go along.

You could spend <$1K on the M22 and a good sub and have a system that beats the pants off $2K or even $3K floorstanders.

 

[D-EJ915]

well, the monitor 9's had dual 8" woofers with a tweeter, the monitor 7's would probably have better imaging because of the smaller woofers used, the Monitor 9's aren't very good, they're not the best speakers from that range.

 

[rally617]

Jack- Though I have not heard the Axioms I have heard the Klipsches. I own a pair of the SF-1's wich are the next up from theSB-3's.They use the same drivers but a larger enclosure(floorstanding). I bought them for a 35 watt Harmon Kardon reciever because of their efficency and they fit into my budget at the time. They also sounded alot better in the showroom than in my home. When I brought them home and set them up, I was highly disapointed in what I heard. I took them to my brothers and placed them side by side with his Boston Acoustics HD-10's and they paled in almost every area ie..detail, sounstage(width and depth) highs were muffled and grainy. The bass was exagerated and not very detailed.They just seemed to lack a liveliness and musicality that the Bostons had. I did not mean to bring the Bostons into the mix but they were the reference I compared them to.(I've since bought a pair of HD-9's.)So due to what the owners of the Axioms have said and from my experience, I would definately go with the Axioms and not the Klipsches. In fact, from my experience I don't think it would be hard to find a better speaker at HALF the price! Just my $.02

 

[Daemoth]

Well, I can't comment on the SB-3s, but I can comment on other Klipsch speakers. I own the RB-35 (which I got for a little over $500 for the pair but I think can be found on the net for around $400-450 now.) Out of all the speakers I auditioned this spring (PSB, Paradigm, Definitive, B&W, JM Lab, and Klipsch), I found the Klipsch sound to be what I really liked. It has something extra special about them that I really loved. On rock music it seemed to me like I was sitting in front of the guitar amplifier. The sound had more energy and impact. It drew me into the music and had me tapping my toe without even thinking about it. I really like the up front and detailed mid-range. Now, saying that I mainly listen to some folk/pop (ani difranco), some jazz (charlie hunter), rock, metal, techno/IDM (boards of canada), and experimental rock (Godspeed you black emperor). Now, the klipsch sound is different from other sounds so I'd definitely make sure you like it before you buy anything. Some people hate how Klipsch speakers sound. Some love it. Now, the RB-35 that I own is from the reference series of klipsch speakers so there might be a big difference between it and the synergy line (I know there is a price difference).

 

[jack963]

Thanks a lot for all the opinions. Sorry I did not reply in a few days. I started school Monday, and I've been swamped with work already. Well, right now, it looks like, for the money, the Axioms are my best choice. Now I just need to decide if I want to spend the extra $175 for the 22's. This'll be a tough one, but I think I'll be happy either way. Besides, I am not planning on getting these for a few months. I just got the new system, and they probably wouldn;t want me spending more money on some new speakers than I did for the entire system. Thanks a lot for all the help, and please, anyone else with any input, tell me what you think. Thanks.

 

[AdamP88]

I think you'll be happy with the extra money spent on the M22s. Though I haven't heard the M3s, every review I've read mentions that the M22s are more refined, neutral and transparent than the M3s, especially in the midrange.

 

[jack963]

Cool, thanks. Any word on which has better bass (in extension and impact)? Because that's what I am really dissatisfied with right now.

 

[AdamP88]

They are both about equal in bass extension, although the M3Ti has a bit of a midbass hump between 80-100hz. My guess is that the M22 has cleaner and more detailed bass, though.

Here's a great review of the M22 that states some differences between it and the M3.

http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/a...niam22tise.htm

Here's an excerpt that might help you:

Quote:

As good as the M3Ti SE is, the M22Ti SE is a more successful speaker design, and it has more musical potential than the M3Ti SE too. While both speakers share an exceptionally smooth and balanced character and treble quality that would seem to have no place in a speaker of their price class, what sets the M22Ti SE apart from the M3Ti SE and elevates it even higher from the pack is the midrange performance. First of all, the upper bass is more natural-sounding than the M3Ti SE's. The reason that the M3Ti SE sounds more solid in the bass is because it is tipped up, ever so slightly, in the upper bass. This makes the M3Ti SE sound bigger and more satisfying as a standalone monitor. This results in a situation where the M3Ti SE can sound just a touch congested in absolute terms, particularly on male vocals, where the M22Ti SE does not; it remains utterly clean and natural. Moving up into and through the midrange, the M22Ti SE continues to ascend to a level of liquidity that the M3Ti SE can’t quite match. I have to be careful not to step on the toes of the M3Ti SE; it’s a wonderful speaker in this regard. But the M22Ti SE has a more smoothly flowing nature about it in the midrange. By comparison, and only direct comparison, the M3Ti SE can sound a tiny bit grainy. The M22Ti SE does not, as should be the case for 40% more money. I also believe that the M22Ti SE's midrange performs a more successful segue into the treble, resulting in a slightly more seamless and coherent presentation.

 

[jack963]

Cool, thanks a lot. Would you guys recommend stands for the 22's? They seem almost tall enough to just stand on their own like towers.

 

[Haoleb]

axiom also makes stands. and i believe they have a pair specifically for the 22's No. i do not believe they are tall enough for floor standers. unless you listen on the floor.

 

[AdamP88]

We've got them sitting on our entertainment center (it's about 2 feet tall), and it works well, although the tweeters could probably stand to be slightly lower for ideal listening.

Axiom does make some stands, but if you want to go for another maker, go for shorter stands, Preferably under 2 feet so the tweeter isn't too high above ear level (the stands Axiom makes for the M22s are 16 inches, though I think that's a little low). The M22s are pretty tall by bookshelf standards (~20 inches), but not quite big enough to justify sitting them on the floor.

 

[jack963]

Ok, cool. But Adam, you kind of confused me. First, you said go with stands that are under 2 ft. Then you said the Axiom 16 in. stands were too low. Did you just type it wrong or do you mean the stands (in your opinion) should be more than 16 in. but less than 24? Thanks.

EDIT: You guys think the 22's would still perform pretty well with just 25W per channel?

 

[AdamP88]

Yeah..I think 16" is a little low, but the stands should preferably be under 2 feet. 20 - 22 inches would probably be ideal.

The M22s should run fine off 25wpc. They aren't very demanding in terms of amplification, though as usual it doesn't hurt to give em a little extra

. I've got 60wpc running through them (Onkyo TS575 receiver), and they sound great, without any hint of strain at higher volume levels.

What I really want to do is get a decent standalone amp and use my Gilmore as a preamp...just to see/hear what difference it might make (the speakers are my brother's system - we live in the same place), so I can decide whether I want to go the HT receiver way or separates. Anyway, I digress...

 

[jack963]

Cool, thanks a lot for the info. Good luck with that.