curtis,
My thoughts run similar to Jack's. Let me just do a bit of rambling here and let you add it up in whatever order you like.
I shared my change over because my overriding concern was to assure that I was upfront. I didn't want to appear as hypocritical or have my integrity questioned if it was "discovered" that I had Rockets while everyone thought I had Axioms. On the thread I started eaqrlier today, you saw some confusion along those lines in snippy's post. Honesty and integrity form a powerful elixir and avoid the perception of hypocrisy.
The difficult piece, and Jack and I have discussed this, is what Jack articulated. It would absolutely be a mistake to assume that the switch from one set to another represented a definitive statement or value judgment that one speaker was better than the other. Jack said it as well as it can be stated - it's a shading of preferences - no more, no less.
I think both speakers are excellent. You will not, in fact, see me post a detailed diatribe about which speaker does what better or worse. In this particular scenario, that would be a disservice to both companies/speakers and neither deserve that. There are at least two Axiom board members who have two setups in their homes - 1 Axiom and 1 Onix. In fact, when I settle into the now house, I will need bookshelves for the great room and I may end up with M3s.
Unfortunately, I agree with your conclusion - some will read the information and find a negative embedded where none exists. As a result of the posts Jack and I have made, they may draw a conclusion that one set is "better" or "worse" than the other. I am hopeful that there are limited instances of that, because I find no downside in either product that is worth mentioning that would constitute a knockout in choosing it.
The entire hobby is all about subjectivity. I might end up with a set of Paradgims to replace the Rockets and a set of B&Ws to replace the Paradigms. The type of person who will spend the $$ involved here will most often do the research and trust the final tie-breaker - their own ears.
The really key message is that the denizens of both the Axiom and AV123 boards are spepcial and I have some good friends on both. My intent is to foster those relationships because I treasure them. Curtis, you should resonate to that since you listen to Ascends.
I guess my final thought is this. This stuff is not important in the real world. It's a hobby, a passion, a pastime that we all enjoy and have come together to share. I still marvel at some of the online arguments I see and can't understand how over-reactive some folks get and the speed with which testosterone can fill the air in some of the discussions. That's when I need to pop in a DVD or CD and just enjoy my choices with the lights a little dim and an adult beverage to round off the corners for me.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
