Yeah, a really well recorded jazz CD is always a good reinforcement for "why we do this." 8-)

Cheers,

Well I guess I'm coming down to the wire with this Axiom decision. They are definitely starting to win me over. I've been listening almost exclusively to 2 channel music of all different genres: rock, folk, jazz, big band and classical. They handle everything very well. They really shine with horns and acoustic guitar and as much as I was concerned with what seemed to me as "suppressed" vocals they are doing a fine job with them now as well. Going from the 7125 to the 7500 made a huge difference in that regard. Very clear now. As I type this I'm listening to Clapton Unplugged and it sounds great. Again, well engineered stuff comes shining through with this set-up.

As I've been comparing them to the Magnepan MMG's over the last two days the one place the Maggies seem to "eeek" out an advantage (maybe) is with classical pieces that have full orchestration. Probably because of the "dipolar" design. The Maggies by design have a very spacious sound. And remember that the MMG's are less than half the cost of the M80v2's; a lot of bang for the buck. However, my wife who never weighs in on anything when it comes to this stuff, informed me that she thinks there is no comparison, that the M80v2's have it all over the MMG's. And for her not to go for the cheaper speakers when she doesn't understand spending any money on this stuff, well that's saying something.

I also went back to the store yesterday with a couple of my CD's (Jackson Browne - Live and the newly remastered Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms) to give another listen to the Paradigm Studio 60's. I still like the way they sound but they weren't up to snuff, I don't believe anyway, with the M80v2's.

It's starting to look more and more like the Axioms have found a home. I guess the only time I'll know for sure is when the deadline to return them passes and they're still here.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could lease this stuff and change things every couple of years? Maybe we should start a new business: Home Audio/Theater Equipment Leasing.

Regards.

WAF is very important in this house and she does love the sound of our Axiom system. She is still getting used to the difference in size to the BOSE cubes that went away.

Axiom speakers get 65-70% of retail on ebay. Leasing would cost way too much!

For what it's worth, I received a pair of Axiom M22s ($460) a few days back. The audio stores around here suck, but I did listen to the bookshelf B&W DM602 S3 ($600 MRSP) and the floor standing 2 and 1/2 way DM603 S3 ($1000 MRSP) played through a Rotel RX-1052 amp.

The DM602s were pretty harsh, and sounded downright nasty and muddled on highs such as the Dixie Chicks beating out "Wide Open Spaces". The 2 and 1/2 way DM603s were warmer, and much less forward -- female vocals didn't overwhelm the instruments so much. Both sounded identical with Teleman's trumpet concerto in D. And both sounded awful with an old Queen recording. I might have been tempted by the DM603s.

I have also casually listened to Polks driven by Denon receivers at Tweeter in their acoustic rooms - sounds dead to my ears.

I decided to try the Axiom M22, played at home with my old two-channel NAD 701 receiver. It looked tome that the M22s were 2 and 1/2 way, and since I prefered the sound of the 2 and 1/2 way DM603s I went with the M22s. To me, the Axioms sound much better than the DM601 in that the midrange/highs are not harsh and offensive at high volume. Snare drums sound much better defined with the Axioms than with either B&W speaker. I think they are comaparble to the DM603, although the Axioms still a still slightly more forward wth a bright female vocal at high volume.

I think I will stick with the M22 - to my ear, the DM603s are not worth twice the price of the M22, I'll be less upset if my two little children do something untoward with the less expensive Axioms, and the WAF is higher for bookshelf M22 than the free standing DM603. Of course, the B&Ws might sound better with my 10-year old NAD amp in my living room compared to a modern rotel amp in a store, but I doubt it somehow.

Now all I need is an amp (I know, I know, try an Outlaw...).

Well, Axioms it is. I've got the rest of the system set up now: M80v2's as front right and left, Vp 150 center channel and Qs8's as side surrounds. I'm going to use my old NHT Super Ones for the rear surrounds for the time being.

Everything sounds real nice, but what sold me on Axiom in addition to the product I think is what sold me on Outlaw: customer service. It's so nice to talk to people who are genuinely interested in your questions and concerns, and seem to be in this for more than the money. They seem to like this stuff as much as we do. Breath of fresh air.

This weekend I listened to Paradigm speakers in a audio store - the Monitor 7 ($799 floorstanding) and the Mini Monitor ($429 bookshelf).

I brought the Mini Monitor home on loan for a side-by-side comparision with the M22 (still on the 30 day trial).

The Mini Monitors sound much much better - they are not bright compared to the M22s, and easily best the Axioms when listening to highs at high volume by not being too shrill or harsh. The Mini Monitors also have bass, which now I hear that the M22s lack. And drums sound much better on the Paradigms - the Axioms sound like trucated pops in comparision.

I can't A/B the speakers - I have to rewire - so the sound differences are not subtle. So I'm going to keep the Paradigms and send the Axioms back. (sorry korkster!).

The Mini Monitors are a tad cheaper ($429 vs $460) but that's going to be a wash if you pay full price with tax and by the time you pay for a full system it is a wash. The matching Paradigm center (CC-370) is $400 list, same as the VP150 but more expensive than the VP100. For surrounds, I'll probably try the Paradigm Titan ($250).

Compared to the B&W 602 speakers, the Axiom M22s are a no brainer and good value. But not when compared to the Paradigm Monitor series. I know that comparing the M22 and Mini Monitor speakers won't reflect necessarily on the Axiom 80s compared to say the Monitor 11 ($1199 list) but If you have a local Paradigm dealer, I would check them out.

Anyway, that's just my opinion after listening to three brands of bookshelf and floorstanding speakers. Speakers are all a matter of personal taste and you need to pick the ones that you like.

Funny, I auditioned the Paradigm Sudio Series speakers which are (I believe) a step up from the Monitor Series, and although I liked them, I thought the Axioms (M80v2's) were more dynamic, which is what I liked.

Just goes to show you, when it comes to speakers you have to go by what you hear, not what someone else says. It's a personal decision. That's why there are so many speaker manufacturers out there making money. Kind of like Ford vs. Chevy.

Good luck with your Paradigms. They are great sounding speakers.

Regards.

I agree- you need to listen and make your own mind up. Have fun with your Axioms.

Modern speakers will relentlessly reveal badly-done recordings. If you haven't had your Axioms (or any speaker) for very long, it's a good idea to "break them in". Easiest way to do it is to put a cd in the player, press "repeat", press "play", and let it run non-stop for 48 hours at fairly moderate volume. Use a recording with a lot of energy as opposed to classical music with frequent quiet passages. After 48 hours, then start more serious listening. It should make a difference.

I just bought a pair of M22's and a VP100 center channel. So far i am happy with them but i still need to play with calibration settings. I sent Axiom a picture of my setup and they posted it on their site. Pretty cool of them to do so. Picture is here if anyone is interested...
http://www.axiomaudio.com/images/wof/chrish.jpg