Some might remember me from the "Having Second Thoughts" thread. If you recall, I was waffling between the M60s and the M22s. So, I decided to get both and see which one I liked better and whether the extra $ was worth it.
Well, they are both finally here. I have had the M22s for a couple weeks now, but have waited until the M60s arrived before I posted impressions.
First of all, I will preface by saying that my analysis is by no means scientific.....so I don't have to worry about 2X6 hunting me down like Galileo. OK...down to the good stuff:
1. My order - M22s, M60s, QS4s, VP150 (not arrived)- Factory Outlet
2. Transaction experience - The customer service was very helpful, responsive, and nice. This really came into play yesterday when I opened up my M60s, since one was black as requested and one was cherry. I gave them a call and they were very responsive....not without a bit of good humored joking about why my wife wouldn't want to have that modern look. The gentleman said that they would have another M60 shipped out on Monday, along w/ a return shipping tag for the cherry M60. He did however suggest that I take the cherry speaker out and listen to it until I get the new one....which I happily obliged.
3. Appearance - First of all, the M60's are Huge!!! I saw the dimensions, but they don't prepare you for how big they are in your environment.
Blemishes on M22s were negligible, as I expected. However, the blemishes on the one black M60 were a bit more than I had expected. There is a small mark on the front veneer, which is fine. But there is also a LARGE blemish running corner to corner on the top of the speaker. It almost looks like someone got the top wet, but didn't wipe it up for some time. But, in the end, I had to expect some kind of imperfections....I just wasn't expecting such a large one. On a positive note, the veneer is generally pleasing in appearance.
Listening
1. Source Material - Chuck Mangione, Ali Farke, Mickey Hart, Steely Dan, James Taylor, George Winston, Various Classical, Titanic Soundtrack (will explain), and more....
2. Clarity/Detail - Both speakers shine in terms of clarity/detail. When I first fired up the M22s, I was awestruck by this aspect. As many have described, I was hearing sounds that I have never before heard in different tracks. You almost visualize the vibrations of the string or what I would describe as mis-picks on a guitar. I could go on and on with the things I was now hearing. But, with this is the downside, which is hearing how poorly some audio tracks sound due to their original recording quality. You quickly find yourself migrating away from the Rock/POP to more classic rock/classical/easy listening, etc. In fact, if I were someone younger that listens to primarily hard rock or POP, I might think twice about Axioms because of this issue.
As far as comparisons go, I might have to give a nod to the M22s in terms of clarity. However, I have to believe that this is because of the lack of bass....ie, you peel away all that bass and some midrange power (smaller woofers) and you are left with that awesome clarity. In other words, I would think that they have the same level of clarity, but the M60s have much more bass and midrange accompanying those detailed highs. So, it's not as easy to focus in on that clarity w/ the M60s. I hope that makes sense.
3. Transparency - These speakers have helped me to understand this concept. With both speakers, I close my eyes and lose the speaker location. I only visualize the distinctly placed vocals and instruments, mostly centered in front of me. Those that were not are precisely located somewhere in the soundstage, even outside of the speaker stage.
4. Midrange - The M22 has stellar midrange performance. All it took was the Children of Sanchez lead track to nail this down for me. The horns are almost mind-bending. The M60's just take that same quality to the next level....same tight midrange, just louder and richer.
5. Bass - The M22s actually have a respectable bass performance. However, there is a huge gap there that requires the use of a subwoofer that does a lot to fill that low-end gap. The M60s are a whole different animal. I have read many posts where people have stated that a sub is still necessary w/ the M60s. I have to definitely disagree with that assessment. There is plenty of bass in these big boys. This was emphasized when the wife had the cd-selection helm and happened to put in the Titanic soundtrack. There is an incredible bass example on one of those tracks that literally shook the room. I had to check to make sure that the mains weren't set to small. The bass performance was excellent and tight. When I kicked the mains onto Large, my JBL PB10 sounded floppy and loose with the same track section. So, in the end, the M22s have respectable bass, but the M60's plenty under the hood to handle all music types.
Final Assessment:
Prior to having the M60's, I had found my new speakers. The clarity/detail/midrange/image of the M22s is amazing. If I were to have a better sub, this was the combination for me (completely blew my old Yamaha's out of the water). But, then the M60s showed up. It only takes a few minutes to realize that the M60's are a quantum leap in listening experience. They are the M22's with a much fuller/richer midrange and bass. I hate to burst the bubble of those on the fence, but this was even true when I switched the M22s to small and brought in the subwoofer. The M60s have just a more complete sound without the gaps that still exist there between the M22 mids and the sub. My only beef with the M60's was the fact that the highs & mids seem to have a bit of a "hall" sound to them....that's the best way I can describe what I heard. My wife picked it up as well when we put in George Winston (slow piano). It's not a deal-breaker, though.....it's partly why I gave the nod to the M22s on clarity.
In summary (longest post?), both of these speakers are outstanding (wicked pissa as twodan would say)....so much that we are considering keeping both, one for the basement home theater and one for the living room. You can't go wrong with either of them. If you have the money and the space, go for the M60s. If not, the M22s are definitely amazing.....Like I said, I was sold based upon their performance alone (before the M60's arrived).
If you've made it this far, then I hope you have gleaned something of value from my observations.
