ChrisR:
I don't know where you live, but if you are looking at Axiom, I assume you are buying via etailer. I never thought I'd buy speakers without hearing them first, but took a chance on the Axioms (and SVS subs, for that matter) and am quite pleased with my choices. (M60Ti, VP100, M3Ti).
You should consider purchase of a receiver from an authorized internet dealer. A few that come to mind are:
Onecall.com
J&R.com
oade.com
You can get the Onkyo 898 for ~US$1000 this way.. which is in your budget, and I believe meets your requirements.
http://www.audioreview.com/PRD_125784_2718crx.aspx
I bought my Onkyo 989 from Onecall, and was pleased with the service and price.
Just another point of view...
--speedy
