Axiom M3 Speakers, $770 Per Pair
{13.5h, 8.5w, 8.25d, 90dB SPL, 8 ohms, 10-200w/ch}
One 6.5” Pure Aluminum Bass/Mid, One 1” Titanium Tweeter
Made In Canada: Five Year Warranty
Let me start by bragging up that Axiom’s M3 is built in Canada with a five year warranty. Virtually every other speaker you’ll see in this price strata is built by some job house in China- regardless of the brand name on the box.
I think… we should go out of our way to support N American and Euro companies who make products with TLC, instead of buying Chinese gear that is simply piece work.
Bryston and Axiom merged some years ago. The company is called Bryston. Bryston has chosen to retain the Axiom brand name for its less expensive speakers that sound great, but just don’t have Bryston level power handling capabilities.
M3 starts with a precision 1” Titanium tweeter. This tweeter is mated to a Pure, contiguous Aluminum, 6.5” bass/mid driver. The Pure Aluminum driver is more rigid than a driver made of woven fabric or a sandwich of this glued to that.
Bryston drivers are more linear and sound more clear than bonded drive elements. I can’t believe how many crazy expensive speakers on the market use drivers built in sandwiched layers- invariably made by Scanspeak. You see the same drivers used by a myriad of wildly expensive brand names. I’m not saying they’re no good. I am saying I prefer Bryston’s MO of running contiguous aluminum for higher resolution. Further, with Pure Aluminum there’s no bonding process to potentially botch along the way.
Bryston’s TLC is just as in play with its Axiom lineup. Every driver they make is tested for about 8 parameters of performance. If the driver doesn’t perform within a very tight window of its reference standard, it doesn’t pass muster and won’t be used in a finished speaker. By insuring that every driver performs within a scant variance of its reference model, you can be assured to get the best clarity and precision imaging.
I was reading British hi-fi news (10/24) where a Monitor Audio Gold 300 for $9500 per pair had tweeter disparity of just under 3dB. The means, that the behavior of the two speakers they measured was NOTICEABLY different. The 3dB spec means one was clearly DIFFERENT in output from its mate. There’s no way you can attain precise imaging or tonal balance with such a discrepancy. If becoming aware of such things is new to you, I can tell you this has been the status quo forever in mass merchandising- especially from piece punch companies in China. They’re so busy pumping out drivers that they don’t have the time or CARE to make sure each and every driver performs precisely as it should.
Bryston DOES take the time and effort to make sure every driver performs as it should. But that’s just the start. After the drivers pass their tests, they’re installed in a finished speaker. The speaker is graphed for performance as a whole. At this point they must survive the Bryston torture chamber. Bryston teases that “we try to break them.” After undergoing a high powered assault of mountains and valleys for 24 hours, only then will Bryston pronounce the speakers fit for sale.
M3 produces a very hearty sound. When customers hear it in one of our studios, they always ask, “Is that really just those little speakers?!” The bass M3 produces exceeds that of comparably priced Chinese imports because of the materials and TLC Bryston employs.
M3 isn’t bright! This… is my favorite part of the speaker’s behavior. As a piano fan first and foremost, the zingy Chinese imports drive me nuts. They sound like a TV cranked to vivid in color. Steinway has earned a reputation among great pianists as being particularly smooth and beautiful, as opposed to sharp or glassy. The M3 can reveal this tonal balance accurately, whether you’re listening to human voices or acoustic instruments.
M3 has surprised our customers with its attractive finish options. Black ash has long been the favorite finish. Bryston has introduced a new Boston Cherry finish that you and I would call Rosewood. This new lovely flavor has become equally popular, so if you’d like a dash of color in your room…
