AXIOM Loudspeakers

These Axiom speakers are the result of the merger of Bryston/Axiom. They are made in Canada with stringent quality control and a five year warranty.

Axiom speakers are tough- but don’t have Bryston’s uber high power capability or 20 year warranty. Bryston speakers have higher powered drivers, crossovers and more heavily braced cabinetry. As with Brystons, the Axiom models have a very friendly impedance swing. They’re easy to drive by affordable amplifiers.

This isn’t a given. If you read test results in Stereophile or Hi-Fi News, you’ll see ridiculously challenging impedance fingerprints on many inexpensive speakers. These test results show the 8 ohm rating in their spec sheet is sheer fabrication from the advertising department.

Axiom’s new models have a smooth top end as well as deeper, more tuneful bass than the Chinese imports. Virtually all the imports are designed with a “smile curve” response to grab your attention when you first hear them. Those are the characteristics that wear you out in short order- especially the tinny high end. Axiom speakers share Bryston’s Steinway Smooth timbrel balance.

I want to make a major point here. The top 3 models in the family have a lot more to give you if you run them with cut above amplifiers like Atoll- vs basic Chinese mass merchandise. When you have an amp with a big transformer, big filter caps and matched output transistors, these Axioms can really step away from the tinny sounding Chinese speakers they compete with. With your rank and file Asian imports, the bass is thin and the top end is grainy. They don’t sound much better with superior electronics because the sonic signature is baked in. The Axioms are chameleons and have SO much more to offer if you run them with Atoll instead of garden variety Chinese amps.

We have now replaced ALL the Chinese imports at $2k per pair on down with Axiom from Canada! Axioms are less colored and have significantly deeper bass.

Axiom speakers are available in Black Ash, Boston Cherry (red), Walnut or White.

Models

M-60 Tower, $1900 Per Pair

{37.5h, 9.25w, 15d, 48 lbs, 92 dB SPL, 8 ohms, 10-250 w/ch}

Two 6.5” Aluminum Woofers, One 5.25” Aluminum Midrange, One Titanium Tweeter

M-60 is effectively a scaled down Bryston A3. M-60 benefits from the merger of Bryston/Axiom more than any other model.

M-60 has much deeper and cleaner bass than any $2k import. Its bass is only down 3dB at 36Hz. That’s not an advertising claim. That’s a true measurement. To compare, B&W’s 703, $6000 pr, is made in China and measures (Brit Hi-Fi News) down 3dB at 46Hz.

Of greater importance, M-60’s impedance swing barely touches 5 ohms at 30 Hz. The rest of its impedance measures an amp friendly 7 ohms and up. The B&W measures 2.9 ohms at 111 Hz, proving it is a BEAR to drive and you need a far more expensive amp to control it, vs Axiom.

Bryston parsed the DNA of its highly successful A3. Their goal was to scale back as little as possible but still manage to reduce the price by a grand. By reducing size/weight/power of cabinetry and drive elements, M-60 is still quite formidable and representative of Bryston’s sound.

M-60 has a spacious image with surprisingly solid bass. The top end is mellow so you’ll enjoy the character of female singers and acoustic instruments in particular.

If you can go north a grand, of course you should buy Bryston’s full bore, higher powered model A3. It has higher power handling, dynamic range, and even deeper bass with more precise imaging- along with a 20 year warranty. Bryston’s heavyweight cabinetry with superior bracing and stronger drive elements take you there.

M-50 Tower, $1400 Per Pair

{35.5h, 9.25w, 13d, 94 dB SPL, 8 ohms, 10-200 w/ch)

Two 6.5” Pure Aluminum woofs, One Titanium Tweeter

M-50 is Axiom’s brand new, highly efficient 2-way tower. It uses two 6.5” Pure Aluminum woofers and a 1” Titanium tweeter.

M-50 shares the same family sound of smooth top end. What is surprising about M-50 is the amount of strong bass it can produce.

When A-B’d with bigger brother M-60, you can tell M-50 isn’t as deep and strong. Yet if you hear M-50 on its own, sitting next to M-60, you could easily be convinced you’re hearing the bigger brother.

While M-60 is worth the extra money, the beauty of M-50 is that it outperforms all the Chinese built speakers anywhere near $1400. The Chinese make skinny towers with lean bass and a more harsh high end. M-50 has muscle and refinement you won’t get from China.

M-5 Stand Mount, $1000 Per Pair

{19h, 9.3w, 10.5d, 91 dB SPL, 8 ohms, 10-200 w/ch}

One 6.5” Pure Aluminum woofer, One 5.25” Pure Aluminum midrange, One Titanium Tweeter

M-5 is a good sized, muscular bookshelf speaker. It isn’t a mini and doesn’t sound like one. Featuring a 6.5” Pure Aluminum woofer, 5.25” Pure Aluminum midrange and 1” Titanium tweeter, M-5 gives you a lot of hardware for its modest price. M-5 weighs 26 pounds and can hit hard. It is the Axiom version of Bryston’s classic Mini T ($5k per pair). Mini T uses an 8” woofer in a larger, heavier cabinet.

The strength of M-5 is that it doesn’t have that LIGHT, BRIGHT, Chinese bookshelf speaker sound, despite being priced like they are. It has prodigious bass and the same smooth top end timbre of the rest of the family. I like it best on a stand where the furniture won’t impose any boxy color on its sound. Its performance is miles ahead of M-2 and M-3 which are much smaller. M-5 is meant to be a rich, heavy hitter in a convenient stand mount size.

M-3 Stand Mount, $750 Per Pair

{13.5h, 8.5w, 8.25d, 90 dB SPL, 8 ohms, 10-200 w/ch}

One 6.5” Aluminum Woofer, One Titanium Tweeter

M-3 is a solid sounding, moderately priced bookshelf speaker. As with M-60 above, it shares much of Bryston’s DNA and is scaled back from its more powerful brother, Bryston’s Tiny A.

Up until now, the class leader at this price point has been the Klipsch RP600v2. To hit the price point, K builds its speakers in China. The sonic fingerprint is brighter and fatter than Axiom. The Klipsch has a smile curve. With M-3 we have a more mellow sounding, higher powered monitor, made in Canada! Bryston’s Tiny A is more precise and handles greater power levels yet, so if you can swing $1k, buy the Tiny A.

M-3’s impedance swing is at 8 ohms and above, which makes it very easy to drive. The Klipsch runs down to 5.3 ohms which isn’t heinous by any means, but it’s tougher on a garden variety amp than M-3.

M-2 Stand Mount, $650 Per Pair

{11.5h, 7.5w, 8.5d, 89 dB SPL, 8 ohms, 10-150 w/ch}

One 5.25” Aluminum Woofer, One Titanium Tweeter

M-2 is a small-ish bookshelf speaker with a smooth top end. Its bass isn’t as rich as M-3 above, so if you have room for M-3, buy it. Yet many customers need a petite, accurate mini that doesn’t sound harsh, for a smaller room. M-2 makes sense in that application. By the way, it’s also made in Canada, not China, with a 5 year warranty.