I've only heard the M60 and Veritas 2.2 side-by-side in my own home. Having heard them I bought the M60's. The M60's had a larger soundstage, and the detail and clarity were better. The Veritas had a very nice midrange, that did not lack clarity, but had a bit warmer sound to it. Female vocals were richer.
As far as the B&W's go, if memory serves, they have excellent separation and clarity. Without being able to A/B the B&W's it's really hard for me to make a fair comparison to the Veritas or M60's.
Ultimately though, If you go with the Veritas or B&W's, the VAST majority of you extra money is going to marketing, and cabinetry. They're both put together very, very nicely. Axioms certainly aren't ugly by any means, but they don't have the style, and build of the Veritas and B&W's. In the end though, as you pointed out, it's the sound that matters. All three had pros and cons. To my ears (and wallet) the Axioms were the right choice.
Good luck!
