Blind testing was not used...major problem number one (good question spiffnme).
The speaker setup area put several ppl off axis by the sounds of it and there was no mention as to how long each speaker set was listened to before switching.
The words 'speaker break-in' continue to fly around.
This Norah Jones cd kept popping up as the one which ppl covered their ears for when using Axioms (source material and components?) yet not during some classical music with high note violin pieces.
The knuckle test for build quality is downright silly.
One post mentions "flatter speakers tend to shine at higher volumes, where their flatness becomes a huge bonus... " yet excludes Axiom from this category. I don't think they have seen the frequency
response graphs for the M22s which are pretty flat at the upper end and certainly do not roll off as sharp as the
Ascends especially on the off axis.
The SSBL person seems to have been a bit more objective although still mentions the {sigh} speaker break in "phenomena" and cable-component mismatching.
Do these ppl ever think of the recordings themselves?
I was a bit shocked at the overly negative impression of the Axiom vinyl finishes as well. You can't really compare it to real wood veneers but damn, for vinyl the Axiom material is pretty darn good.
At least these reviewer are aware of Axiom's new speaker finishes.
At least the reviewers tried to stress that the opinions expressed were only their opinions but i am still going to say that their choice of words was rather unflattering ( 'metallic and tinny' instead of 'bright' or ' high clarity') compared to how they referred to faults in other speakers. I never saw anyone call the Rockets lifeless, muffled and dull although the closest description was "they were holding back" which certainly is not as harsh compared to 'metallic and tinny'.
I had some old cheap computer speakers that were thin little things. Now THEY sounded metallic and tinny.
I would love to see some more home auditions like this done but with a bit better control. The idea is great and certainly a socially fun one.
