Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Having Possible Second Thoughts

OK.....After lurking around here and posting a few things, I have recently purchased the following set: M22i, VP150, QS4. I bought them from the factory outlet, so I have a couple of months to go until they arrive.

The one problem w/ long shipping times is that it gives you time to think. To add to that, the other day, I took a lunchtime jaunt to Best Buy to exchange my scanner. While I was there, I did my usual run over to the speaker rooms to putz around. Actually, I was focused on hearing the Athena line out of curiosity (AVS Posts). I didn't bother with the floor-standers. I kicked on the bigger of the two bookshelf models (AS-B2 I think) with that jazz track they have on there. I was surprised by how good they sounded. I was even more surprised when I realized that they sub that was previously on had kicked off when I made the switch. These things were punching out a lot of bass for a bookshelf. One of the BB guys walked up and told me that they have a pretty big bass sweet spot if positioned correctly in reference to the wall.

OK....so, I go back to work, but the back of the brain is running pretty hard now. I just purchased a set of speakers w/out ever hearing them. Are they going to sound "that much" better than what I just heard? I could have picked the Athena setup for about 2/3 the price of the Axiom setup.

So, to shut the voice up, I figured I'd get some opinions from those probably most able to contribute. Has anyone ever heard a side-by-side w/ the M22s and these Athenas...or any Axiom/Athena comparison? If so, please provide your opinions. Is the extra 50% in cost worth it?

As with any big purchase, the waiting period is the worst when it comes to buyers remorse and second-guessing. Thanks in advance for your input.

I've also been to BB, and I looked at the salesman and bluntly asked him what the best speaker in the store is? He replied that the Athenas were by far the best. So, I listened to them and I listened to the Yamaha NS line up, along with the JBL n38s. To my ears the Yamaha NS-555 sounded better. I wasn't that impressed with the Athenas. I ended up returning the Yamahas a couple weeks later, the old ear fatigue issue. So, I ordered the m22s. It is my belief that the Athenas cannot touch these. This isn't even a competition. Once I heard my m22s I came to the decision that bass is overrated.

Give that voice some medication.

I listened to the big floorstanding Athenas and thought they were pretty good for the money. BUT after hearing the transparency and detail of the Axiom M60, there is no comparison. I did NOT do a side-by-side; those are just my impressions.

It is a physics problem. The Athenas are quite a bit bigger form factor than the Axiom counterparts. Big enough to generate a increased sense of bass, but still insufficient to produce the "real" bass that you get from a subwoofer. You simply cannot get enough bass for satisfying HT without a sub, regardless of speaker placement or box size.

Littleb's comment is telling also; I think BB is trying to sell this line pretty hard, and I think their motives are not necessarily pure (gasp!).

M22 plus a good sub is a formula that many, many people are absolutely delighted with for both HT and music. The other thing to keep in mind is that having a matched set of speakers makes good sense, and the Athena surrounds are simply not up the design standards of the Axiom QS series.

I'd keep the Axiom order. After they arrive, you could always audition the Athenas next to them to make sure. But I would bet you'll keep the Axioms.

In reply to:

---

You simply cannot get enough bass for satisfying HT without a sub, regardless of speaker placement or box size.

---

Good point on the sub. It really is a must for HT.

I find most speakers generally sound pretty decent until you get to compare them side by side. I listen to my old system and think it still sounds pretty good for bookshelf speakers. Then I listen to my M22's and this just reminds me how much better the axioms are. I haven't heard the Athenas but I would bet they are not as good the M22's. I have heard a set of NHT bookshelves which sounded pretty clear and detailed. Then we tried the Axiom's, just that much cleaner. Well worth the money.

Well for 1 thing i notice that u aren't using a Sub? well the Mi 22's need a Sub an then u will have ur Bass an all the Detail also i have a Shanny ole Radio Shack Sub an it sounds pretty dang good paired with the Mi 22's i can only imagine how they would sound with an Hsu or an SVS but don't give up on them , i have taken them over to a budd's place with Higher End equip an he goes how much u pay for these lol i jus smile he is thinking about ordering the M80's get ya a Sub an u will b Fine an Dandy

I do have a sub, but I often forget to include it since it is not a new purchase. It's a JBL PB10, which does the trick for now and should compliment the M22s fairly well. I suspect that a new sub will be in the not too distant future, since the PB10 is great at the theater booms, but probably will not cut it on the music listening....We shall see.

I think that I'll stay the path for now and trust in my purchase. Perhaps I will do as Tom suggested and pick up a pair of the Athena's later for kicks and see how they stack up. Thanks to everyone....I think that I've shut that pesky voice up....for now. Let's hope I can keep it that way when I begin to wonder if I should have taken my original path w/ the M60s.

Set your mind at ease. The M22's are that good. Save some more pennies, and get a Hsu STF-2 to pair with them, and the next time you're at Best Buy, and walk past the Athenas, you'll be laughing at them.

I have never been to a Best Buy and not thought the sound of all of thier speakers was not atrocious, they just have the worst set up of any store in the world. No speaker has a chance in that store. So if you thought the Athenas sounded good in their store, the Axioms will be a revelation in your home (As long as you set them up right yourself.) I would say spend the extra $40 on the M22's to get them now, and then relieve your worries.

Also, the wait times can be a lot less, they just give you the most amount of time it will take.

I also usually don't find the BB speakers to sound that good, except perhaps the expensive special-order JBL floor-standers that they had out, which sounded pretty good. I usually don't even bother w/ the bookshelves because they sound like crap, but I was curious about the Athenas, since I had seen mention of them numerous times on the AVS forums. I was just surprised mostly by the base output. The highs and mids weren't extremely detailed, but the amount of bass was again surprising.

Regardless of my passed transgretions, I have put my mind at ease.

BTW, this is the best sentance I have heard in a little while: (Thank You)

"Also, the wait times can be a lot less, they just give you the most amount of time it will take."

Sorry I meant tell you, not give. I had a long week in Las Vegas.