Axiom Audio M3v3 Bookshelf Speakers

Axiom Audio is a privately held Canadian company, offering a wide range of speakers for more than thirty years. They have remained somewhat 'under the radar', although they enjoy a very good reputation with budget and value-minded audiophiles.

The M3v3 is their mid-line bookshelf model, a two-way speaker with a 6.5" aluminum cone woofer and a 1" titanium dome tweeter mounted in a rear-ported bass reflex cabinet. The sides of the enclosures are slightly tapered from front to rear in order to suppress internal cabinet reflections and sound resonances. The speaker is equipped for wall mounting with a bracket available from Axiom.

The M3v3 is available in two finishes: Boston Cherry and Black Oak, both with black grilles. The magnetically attached grilles are simple to remove and replace. My Boston Cherry review samples were well built with very good fit and finish, especially the multi-faceted cabinet joints.

Axiom Audio speakers are sold factory direct. They offer free shipping and a 30-day in-home trial, so if you don't like them they can be returned. Listening to speakers in your home and with your system is the only way to know if you like the way they sound.

The rear-ported design of the M3v3 increases the bass output of the speaker, especially if the speaker is located close to a rear wall. The bass level can be tuned by moving the speakers towards or away from the wall. More information about speaker placement is available here. Although they can be placed on a shelf, bookshelf speakers perform best when placed on speaker stands, preferably placed at ear level when seated.

The Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed guitar duet in Sneakin' Around (CD, Sony Records) revealed full, solid bass and very good transient capabilities. I experimented with speaker placement until I found the right bass balance with the rest of the system. This recording is a good test for bass as well as mid/high transient response and the Axiom M3v3 bookshelf speakers responded quickly to the sound of fingers on the guitar strings, especially in 'Gibson Girl'. They have good dynamic range for small speakers and will easily fill a small to medium sized listening room.

While they belted out a good country tune, they also behaved with finesse in Ana Caram's performance of 'Meditation' from Chesky Records 'Rio After Dark' disc. The piano, her delicate voice and other instruments sounded very detailed and clean with good center imaging.

When combined with a receiver or amp with 50 watts per channel or more, they can be part of a moderately priced, high-performance stereo system. They can also be used as surround sound speakers and mounted to the wall with Axiom brackets.

Axiom can also customize a wood or vinyl finish to match your room decor. Check out other Axiom Audio bookshelf speakers. Kick back, log online and get yourself a pair.

• Two-way Bass Reflex Enclosure
• Maximum amp power: 175 watts
• Minimum amp power: 10 watts
• Frequency response: 60 Hz- 20 kHz (+/-3dB)
• Impedance: 8 Ohms
• SPL in Room 1 watt/1 meter: 96 dB
• Crossover frequency: 2.2 kHz
• Tweeter: 1" titanium dome
• Woofer: 6.5" aluminum
• Dimensions W x H x D (inches): 8.5" x 13.5" x 8.25"
• Weight: 12.7 lbs. each
• Price: $348.00 per pair
• Contact: axiomaudio.com