I received my Factory Outlet M40's a few days ago. They arrived in very good condition, as I believe most everyone else has experienced. I could only find a very small mark on one of them, so the fit and finish is very nice for B stock units and are actually a bit smaller than I visualized, which is a good thing.
With all of the discussion about Axiom speakers, I assumed, maybe mistakenly, that they were all fairly detailed in their sound. I know the M40's are reputed to be a bit laid back, but I didn't equate laid back to mean lack of detail. They only have a few hours on them, so I don't know if after 50-100 hours this will change, assuming break-in is a valid concept - vs. your hearing adapting to the new sound.
For lack of a better word, they sound restrained and somewhat muted. They sound nice, but I have some inexpensive Awia book shelf speakers from an old 5.1 package that bring out quite a bit more detail. The overall sound is not as rich sounding as the M40, but I can hear a lot more of the little things in the background on these than I can with the M40's. It was a frustrating first impression. I am hoping this improves over time. Any comments would be appreciated. I should add that I am using a Yamaha HTR-5560 to drive them and I am using 14 gauge speaker wire.
