Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo So how are the m40's?

I just don't think many of us have heard the M40s. I've got the M50s, which are not exactly what I would call laid back; they're accurate, they've got plenty of bass, and they sound good. I imagine that the M40s have a little less bass (1 less woofer'll do that to you, plus smaller cabinet) and they may have a more rolled off treble, but I really don't know.

Some times you guy's make me feel old when you talk about the music you listen to:)

I usrd to cut thorns off a tree in the back yard by the barn to get needles to be able to listen to my 78s. (true) one of my favorite cds' is "Caruso sings Verdi" (also true)

Feel younger now?
Rich.

HEY RAY! Sounds like we got another "old" guy to join us in the "gray" posse. I still have some 78s. Course I got nothin' to play them on, but I STILL GOT 'EM.

Yup, I'm in the same boat, got the 78s but nothing to play them on either!

One batch is in an original "Record Album" A booklike case with seperate folders for each 78 record and a listing page that itemized each entry in an Album Form. I wonder how many of these kids on this forum remember those?

Of course, used to play them using a TUBE AMP, but then again, didn't everybody? (that's all we had, after all)

Maybe that's why I prefer a warm speaker, reminds me of the good ol tube days. lol

I guess the term "laid back" means different things to different people. I used to own a set of Sony 3-way towers. To me, they were very heavy in the mid-range...very unnatural. The highs were also not very clear...they seemed to strain to reproduce the sound. They were "intense" sounding...to me. They tried too hard, and came up short.

So when I say my M40's are "laid back", I mean that they reproduce the sound effortlessly. Clean, clear and concise. They don't seem to boost the sound spectrum at any point.

That said, they are a 2-way design, which leads me to believe that the mid-range is not as apparent as the other 3-way Axioms. In that way, I believe they are "laid back"...less "in-your-face". Again, that is just my opinion.

I'll have to be honest, the M40's were a BIG surprise. The bass is extremely smooth, although not super-deep. But certainly deep enough for most rock music. (You'll want a nice sub for movies)

I've also heard Paradigms and PSB (only heard Energy's in stores). Both really good speakers. It was a toss-up between the 3 brands. All 3 had similar stats, all had good reviews. But I choose Axiom, and am not disappointed in the least.

Hmmmm..... 78s.

You know Jack, I believe my grandmother told me stories about those.

To me, "laid-back" has a very simplistic connotation, I look at it as "where" does the major component of the material seem to be coming from. Is the lead singer between me and the plane of the speakers? That's foreward. If I feel I'm on stage with the singer, that's foreward. If, like with my M3s, I find the singer is at the plane of my speakers, I think of that as neutral. If the speakers give me the impression that I'm in the back row of a theater or concert, that's laid-back.

That's my interpretation, anyway.
Rich.

Hey, Alou.

Did you notice that the "Headlines" on the new Axiom "Home Page" is a quote from the M40 review?

Cool, huh?
Rich.

Yeah, very cool. I always laughed at that quote. I mean...c'mon..."shockingly"?...they're good, maybe even great, but "shockingly"? 120 volts? Yes. Electric eels? Yes. Tazers? Definitely. M40's? Dude, they're only speakers. (maybe he had his tongue on the binding posts?)

And I can also understand your definition of "laid back". Maybe that's part of what I "feel" when listening to music. But certainly the lack of a dedicated mid-range would contribute to both of our definitions.