Axiom M-50, $1400 Per Pair

{35.5h, 9.25w, 13d, 39 lbs, 94 dB SPL, 8 ohms, 10-200 w/ch}

Two 6.5” Aluminum Woofers, One Titanium Tweeter

Bryston contracted Axiom to build its speakers a decade ago. The project was a tremendous success and the companies merged. The resulting company is simply called Bryston. Bryston is using the Axiom banner to bring speakers to market that are outstanding- yet under the price and power levels reserved for the Bryston brand. Axiom speakers are built in Canada with a 5 year warranty.

M-50 Is Axiom’s Most Affordable Tower

We booted ALL the Chinese speakers out of our store in early 2024. We wanted better sound, construction and yup, we don’t want our money going to China. Knowing the biz as I do, it was driving me crazy that one job house was punching out dozens of brands. People were being duped into thinking each was unique, and that iconic branded companies were back. Nope. The names were just slapped on speakers like logos on baseball hats. And there are thousands of job houses.

After that shake up our most affordable tower has been Axiom’s M60 at $2k. M60 is a heavy 3-way with a big punch. We love it! But we have plenty of visitors who have just over a grand to spend so we were delighted to hear M50 was coming our way.

We heartily welcome M50 as a sturdily built, 2-way, affordable tower. You’re no longer stuck with a Chinese bucket of bolts in this price range. We’re thrilled to be able to offer Canadian muscle and smoothness that you can drive with virtually any range of amplifier or receiver due to M50’s high efficiency.

Two-Way

M50 is a formidable little brother to M60, which is a 3-way. M50 features a pair of 6.5” woofs and Titanium tweeter.

Axiom has created this highly efficient tower, competitive with horn loaded designs, at this attainable price point. It’s great to start out with a speaker that doesn’t need a big amp to wake it up. However, you’ll see below, there are some surprises if you run a more serious amp. M50 maintains Axiom’s smooth upper end performance and yet has solid bass as well.

M50 Surprises

For me, the biggest surprise of M50 is how much muscle it has when you drive it with a gutsy, class AB amp like Atoll. The improvement with that level of amp is SUBSTANTIAL compared to running a thin sounding Chinese amp with switching power supply.

Secondly, because we had a pair of Wharfedale Lintons in for check up, I could compare with them. We respect the Linton quite a bit. Yet Linton exhibited a noticeably more boxy, cupped hands character in the midrange than the new M50, which runs less money and is made in Canada instead of China.

It isn’t likely you’ll buy a Bryston amp to drive $1400 speakers. It is VERY likely you can afford a lovely Atoll integrated to get far more out of M50s than a garden variety Chinese amp. Atoll is what we’ve done our listening on thus far.

We HIT M50 with three of the lower level Atoll integrateds. IN50, IN80 and IN100. These three integrateds are SOLID and get progressively more muscular as you go up in the family. IN50 and IN80 run single transformers with big filter caps. They’re a wonderful match for M50.

If you can spoil yourself, consider Atoll’s IN100, which is the first amp in the line to run DUAL large transformers. IN100 hits like a center linebacker. This allows M50 (or M60) to muscle up to an echelon you wouldn’t have expected. M50 doesn’t look big. But with Atoll integrateds, M50 sounds very BIG.

We’ve compared M50 through the Atolls and a 85×2 Yamaha. Through the Chinese Yamaha the speaker plays plenty loud, but sounds thinner and more grainy. Through the Atolls, the bass is much heavier and more convincing of the live event. The middle and top are more clear and smooth. If you hear Atoll and then try the Chinese, you can’t believe it’s the same speaker.

When evaluating the M50 I was remembering when our towers in this price range came from Wharfedale and B&W, both made it China. M50 is significantly more efficient AND swings a heavier hammer. Well recorded albums by Jennifer Warnes, for ex, really show off the weight that M50 carries that the skinny boy towers from China can’t touch.

The point I’m slowly making is, M50 has much potential. Even if you have to start with your Sony, Pioneer or whatever, I promise there’s much more compelling music on the other side when you wade into the Atoll family.