Axiom M100 Speakers, $3000 Per Pair

(47.5h, 9.25w, 17d, 81 lbs, 92dB, 4 ohms, Walnut, Black, Boston Cherry)

Axiom’s M100 speaker is my SLAM DUNK fave when you need a tower to sound big and rock your world! M100 is now essentially a Bryston A1, for 40% less money. How? Why?

The main difference between Bryston and Axiom speakers over the years has been that Bryston uses cast drivers (vs stamped), more refined crossover networks and superior bracing in speaker enclosures. Bryston provides a 20 year warranty with its extra octane, vs Axiom’s five.

In 2024 Axiom improved its speakers to their “44 Series.” Axiom developed a new stamped driver technology that performs within spitting distance of the venerable cast designs they’ve offered in the Bryston line. All the 44s are an excellent value. I think M60 and M80 are unsurpassed for the money. What you’ll see from literally everyone else at those price points are Chinese boxes that run for cover when you ask them to MUSCLE UP. That’s not the case for M60 and M80. Both are full fledged 3-ways with outstanding bass performance.

M100 is a different animal. With M100 Bryston wanted to make a tremendous statement. So Bryston made the Axiom M100 with full bore cast drivers along with the same refined crossover network and cabinetry employed in Bryston’s A1. Yup, the new M100 is actually now a Bryston A1 at 40% less money, sporting a 5 year warranty vs 20.

THIS makes M100 my favorite tower value in our biz! The size of the image is stupendous. The power capabilities are limited only to the quality of amp and source material you use. It’s quite amazing that you can get a fully Canadian built, big boy tower with such heft and sophistication at this price point. Bryston decided to go all out on the M100 to throw down with the competition!

You have to almost triple your money to get Bryston’s Middle T, to slightly beat it. M100 is the a perfect definition of hitting the law of diminishing returns!

Bryston contracted Axiom to build its design brief of the Model T speaker in 2009. The success of that project built a fruitful relationship between the two companies and they merged. The resulting company is simply called Bryston.

Bryston decided to honor Axiom’s contribution to the success by keeping the name Axiom alive. Think Acura-Honda or Lexus-Toyota. Bryston is the banner of their high end speakers with 20 year warranty. Axiom is used for the models below which have a 5 year warranty. The full family of speakers is made in house in Canada, not jobbed out to China.

Please take a minute to read my yellow tab, Bryston speakers. What you read about Bryston holds fully true for Axiom’s M100.

M100 Runs Doubles & a Triple!

Axiom’s M100 runs doubles of midrange and tweeter drivers, and triples of woofers to deliver higher power capability, deeper bass, fuller dynamics and a more massive soundstage.

Yet the biggest advantage is that the drivers run with less excursion when used in doubled configuration. Less excursion means you have less distortion- which garners better transparency and superior power handling.

M100 runs three cast 6.5” woofs in a taller enclosure than M80. M80 runs a pair of Axiom’s new stamped technology drivers.

M100 Performance

Virtually all other $3k towers on the market are built in Chinese job houses. B&W, Definitive, Dynaudio China, Elac, GE, Klipsch China, JBL, Kef, Martin Logan, Monitor Audio, Polk, PSB, Q Acoustics, SVS, Wharfedale, Yamaha… are all built there. Many are very much alike because they’re built in the same production facilities. You can’t miss the family resemblance.

M100 is a totally different animal. Like all Bryston & Axiom speakers, it is built in its own house in Canada. The drivers are not generic in build or consistency. Every Bryston/Axiom driver has to pass a battery of 8 tests before it can be pronounced fit for use. The Chinese just pump out drivers and screw them into boxes as they come off the line. It is literally piece work for the Chinese.

M100 has the smoothness of Euro speakers with the power of a locomotive.

We highly recommend M60 and M80 when those hit your price ceiling. Axiom spoils us with its hat trick of great towers, all at affordable money. Yet if you are parsing the fine details, M100 is the model that should inspire you step up another stair.

I think so well of M100 that I’m not going to beat you up to buy a bigger speaker. You can get the vast majority of what you need with M100 vs spending $10k or more for something else. I highly recommend you get M100 and make sure you feed it some beef cake with the most muscular Atoll

integrated amp, or power amp, that you can. You will get more out of M100 with an Atoll IN300 or IN400, vs getting a more expensive speaker and driving it with a lesser amplifier. This is especially true when you consider the relatively flimsy sound produced by Chinese amps who mostly run class D designs. They play loudly, but can’t swing a sledgehammer.

Since Axiom’s M100 CAN punch like George Foreman, it would be a shame to use a sissy amp to drive it. I highly recommend an Atoll IN200 or higher to run with the M100s. You’ll luv the combo!