Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Why did u order Axiom's

I am directing this question at those that ordered Axiom speakers on faith alone, as I did. I was curious why someone else might order a speaker they haven't heard when they could have driven cross town and purchased another brand that they could audition?

As for me, I did it out of frustration and a belief that there had to be something else out there that was as good or better than what I was hearing in the stores. Luckily, I was right and Spiff, Chesseroo, Sushi, JohnK, Alan, and the rest of the gang here led me in the right direction. Thanks, guys! I spent the last hour listening to the best of Abba, believe it or not. And it sounded darn good.

Axiom's are truly amazing if they can make even Abba sound good. Wow...

I didn't buy my first pair of Axiom's on blind faith though. I first bought a pair of Energy C-3's, and then also ordered a pair of Axiom M22ti's. I listened to the two side-by-side at home for a few days. I've been a loyal Axiomite ever since.

I bought the M22s because my wife didn't want me to wait for the Hsu Ventriloquist system. (I had heard it at CES 2003 and was impressed, but it was still under development.)

I am very very glad she was impatient. The real reason she pushed me to buy was so that she could finally be rid of the giant Paradigm Monitor 9s.

Of course, I had done lots and lots of research before deciding on the M22s. They were actually my first choice. The funny thing is, I didn't discover this forum until AFTER I had bought them.

-I think a large part of my willingness to 'chance it' was that I had not read a single truly negative review of the speakers that seemed credible. There were a few I saw, but they seemed less like (even subjective) reviews and more like either anti-axiom rants or “I’m too cool/rich to not spend $20000.00 on a pair of speakers you poor smucks”. All other reviews were either positive or "nice, but not my cup o' tea". And those reviews (mostly for the M22s I was eyeing) that did not care for them always said the same thing “forward” and “lacking in base”, but have “great mids”. Even when criticized Axiom speakers were consistent! This is across all the forums (reviews and comparisons) I read: audioreview.com, hometheaterforum.com, avsforum.com, and The Spot.
-In addition, I could not find any complaints about customer service. Not that I could find a lot of raves (which I found and contributed to), but I could not find anyone complaining. That says a LOT more than any number of raves about service to me. It means that even those that are bitter and feel entitled to godhood can't find fault!
-This forum and a post from Peter (thanks man!) about a comparison of the M22s and CSW speakers I had. The people of the Axiom forum are open and honest (perhaps roughly so) about their opinions and experiences with the speakers and the company and Axiom let’s us do this all on their dime and on their site! No one is told to post elsewhere if they say they prefer a different speaker. Just don’t mention cables/isolation pads/tubes/warm sounding solid-state receivers… .
-30 Day money back guarantee that forum posters has noted using w/o negative effects.
Overall I got a feeling that if I did not like the speakers I could return them with very little fuss and little out of pocket expense. And WOW oh WOW am I glad I did.

jr

A lot of folks on here did a lot of shopping and ended up perfectly happy with the Axioms. My job prevents me from doing a lot of shopping, so I figured that I would trust the judgement of the people posting their experiences with Axiom on here.

Most of the speakers I hear at other people's houses always sound fine in the low and mid ranges to me, but none of them seem to do a really good job with the higher stuff. That is one complaint that I've never heard about Axiom speakers. I just assumed that they would suit my taste.

They did.

i was ready to attempt to design and build my own speakers and i was going to use multiple smaller drivers and two or even three tweeters and i stumbled across this site,liked what i saw,read the reviews,and said what the hell,all i had to lose was shipping,the dual tweeters was definetly the kicker that made me order,so glad i did....when axiom comes out with a bigger,badder version,im ready...ron

forgot to mention-i was also ready to drop about 6000 us dollars on a pair of speakers i really liked--whew--glad i found this place--so is my wife

I auditioned alot of speakers over a couple of months and had zeroed in on the B&W 703s, but the center & surrounds didn't knock my socks off. Did the requisite research in the forums and these Axiom things kept popping up. Found several places that compared them favorably to the B&W 703s, but raved about the VP centers and especially the QS8s.

Found this website (and it's twisted denizens ) and liked the tone, honesty and information. A couple of phone calls to the Axiom mother ship and some fantastic discussions and I ordered on blind faith. While I wasn't really interested in the hassle of doing a return, it was a nice security blanket. I traded their audio for my money, and I got the better end of the deal! It took, I don't know 3 minutes, to love the things. No buyer's remorse and I stop by the B&W speaker store once in a while and stick my tongue out at the 3X price difference I saved.

Of course, I'm buying CDs and DVDs at a rate that will match the B&W savings shortly because of the sheer enjoyment of the listening experience.

I don't remember exactly where I heard the Axiom name... a forum somewhere... I was checking out Paradigms (my old speaker of choice) and gave this Axiom place a look.

I was sold by Ian and Alan's no-nonsense approach to audio reading through the site... they make no wild claims - everything is backed up scientifically or at least with common sense and since I already know what I like in a speaker... I, uh, experimented in high school I gave them a shot.

Bren R.

I remember when i was buying my speakers i was originally sold on the PSB 6t's but i was turned onto axiom from someone i was talking to on AIM because he liked the amount of drivers in the M80's...

I checked them out and they certainly looked impressive but i didnt think id be able to afford the m80, so i thought id be getting the M60's. After reading all the online reviews etc i just decided to order, they had good specs, good reviews etc. Well i ordered from the outlet and was able to afford the M80 after all, mainly because of the free shipping which i had to factor into my allowance for other speakers (like the 6t) Now that i have them i couldnt be happier, its been almost a year and 5 months and i still like them as much as the day i got them. My previous speakers which i ordered online w/o hearing (no dealers here) i got tired of after about a year... to the point of not even listening to the stereo anymore because i disliked them soo much.

James has hit alot of points that did it for me too.
However i did find the forum before we purchased and i very much liked the opinions being expressed. They were far more realistic and down to earth than many other forums. That alone was a huge incentive, along with the 30d warranty and relatively good reviews from some mag sites and audioreview.com.
The price was too good to be true which sent us over the edge.

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I, uh, experimented in high school

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Now that's just funny.
Is it spring or what? Something in the air?

I looked at every store within a 25 mile radius (and then some) and listened to a ton of speakers. I had heard that the M22 was like the Paradigm reference 20, which I liked so I went with the M22.

Well what i did was looking at Forums an kinda wanted to go the B&W route an kept seeing Axiom Vs Ascend starting thinking what the heck might jus have to order the Ascend cause for the money hard to Beat then started looking into the Axioms an kept seeing people really like them an thought heck they look way better than the Ascend's jus might give them a shot an after i seen free shipping kinda did me in but i Read an Read at the Spot an AVS Forum an a lotta people really liked em so i thought heck for $400 i will give them a shot figured if they was pretty good i found a diamond in the Rough , little did i know they were better than a Diamond in the Rough these things were great from the get go with Good Looks to boot. What really sold me was all the people that had Axiom's loved them no if's and's or But's

A little over two years ago I was looking for speakers for another setup and ran into a name, Axiom, on the web that I was completely unfamiliar with. I checked out the site, including the forum, and of course read many enthusiastic comments of owners. But the biggest single factor was the NRC measurements of the M22 published along with the ultra-favorable review on SoundStage. A speaker that measures that flat and with such good dispersal of highs can't sound less than very good, so I called Joe and got a pair at $320 from factory outlet.

What I wound up with wasn't merely very good, but as good overall as any speaker of similar size that I'd ever heard, regardless of price(shortly after I got them, I made a lengthy comparison with highly-praised similar-sized speakers a colleague had paid about six times as much for).

Greetings,
A recommendation from Paul over at the Home Theater Spot turned me on to Axioms...his advice was certainly well founded.
b.

"Well what i did was looking at Forums an kinda wanted to go the B&W route an kept seeing Axiom Vs Ascend starting thinking what the heck might jus have to order the Ascend cause for the money hard to Beat then started looking into the Axioms an kept seeing people really like them an thought heck they look way better than the Ascend's jus might give them a shot an after i seen free shipping kinda did me in but i Read an Read at the Spot an AVS Forum an a lotta people really liked em so i thought heck for $400 i will give them a shot figured if they was pretty good i found a diamond in the Rough , little did i know they were better than a Diamond in the Rough these things were great from the get go with Good Looks to boot."

Longest sentence ever on Axiom forum????

Every time I read your posts (I enjoy them very much!), TweedleyD, I picture you on your front porch with some thin crust pizza and a bottle of Tabasco.

I rolled the dice on some Axiom M60s because:
-I was about to spend twice as much on some Klipsch RF7s.
-I read a bunch of positive reviews here and elsewhere on the internet.
-I was sitting on a pile of cash.
-Joe talked me out of the M80s and into the M60s.
-W/ all the glowing reviews they had to be good enough to go somewhere in the house.
-I was curious.

I'm pretty damn happy with them even if it does seem like I'm in row 25, LOL!

Why thank u very Much lol Working on the Front Porch thing . The Pizza well that could b True lol lol but the Tabasco oh man can't go that Far lol lol . And as for the Longest sentence ever LMAO that is prob True so in this one BigWill i put a few periods in JUST for you lmao......................

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I'm pretty damn happy with them even if it does seem like I'm in row 25, LOL!

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hehe... I've been trying to figure out what the doc had going on in his room to cause that impression. I guess maybe the 60s just didn't like his room.

Oh well. I'm glad mine sound like I'm sitting in the (insert Bob Euker (sp?) voice here) front rowwwww.

value

Where I live I have limited access to high end music stores and did a lot of research prior to actually buying Axioms. The only quality speakers that I could listen to were, as I indicated in previous posts, a pair of Paradigm Reference 11s. I spent almost a year researching different Brands of speakers, checking Audioreview.com and other forums, and eventually focussed on Paradigm as my speaker of choice. I started negotiating with a couple of stereo stores which, while friendly, wasn't getting me anywhere. Then Paradigm raised their prices by 15% across the board. While on Audioreview.com, I noticed a company I had not heard of before (guess which). When I looked at their reviews they were consistently high with a high level of customer satisfaction and the reviews were the same on all points. I then checked out the website and started auditing the Axiom Forum. I liked what I read - opinions were evenly balanced, discussions were open and frank not only about the good points but also the "areas for opportunity". The overall reviews were so good that I thought to myself "either these people are full of it or these are really great speakers". Read the 30 return policy and decided to dip my toes in the water. I ordered the M60's first and was impressed with the sound and build quality of the units, three weeks later ordered the VP100 and QS8's, and finally the EP350 about six months later. I have not beem disappointed in my systems and the reviews on Audioreview and Axiom Forum that really made up my mind for me.

Customer service has been second to none - even though I ordered the EP350 months after the rest of the system, I still got the EPIC60 discount. When I called Axiom about a small crease in the dust cover on one of my M60 tweeters to see if it would impact the sound quality, they said "No" and then promptly sent me a new tweeter. Unbelieveable!!

I am happy with my choice, I bought Axioms because of other customer's satisfaction which in my mind is the ultimate product reference.

positive reviews, buyer satisfaction, customer service, value, and performance.

i was gonna buy paradigms, and found out about axioms thru other forums and a few reviews. have never heard them.. my first time will be when i set them up in my living room. i am nervous, but confident.

when you just keep hearing sooooo many positive things about a product, you cant help but believe it after a while.

bigjohn

I read alot of positive things about Axiom on AVS, HTforum and Audioreview. That lead me to check out the Axiom website and after lurking in the forum, I stuck around (mostly because of the friendly manner with which everyone here interacts - for the most part). After doing lots of listening and asking lots of questions, I took the leap and ordered a pair of M60tis from a B&M store in Saskatchewan and haven't looked back. I have been nothing but completely satisfied with my purchase and have since added a VP150 from the Axiom F.O.

bigjohn, you must be referring to the brainwashing theory.
dan

Some time back, my wife and I went into the local HifiBuys for some reason. We poked around in the lower end listening room and listened to some tower variations. Then, for kicks, we went into the higher end room to give a listen. It's there that it all started. I heard for the first time the clarity and imaging that I really wanted. It completely ruined by old Yamahas.....got home and realized how truly bad they actually sound compared to what's out there.

So, I went on the hunt...I wanted that clarity/detail/imaging, but I wanted it for an affordable price. I had already been a veteran AVS pilot from dealing with front projectors and HTPCs, so I started lurking around the speaker forums looking for recommendations in the non-audiophile price-range. From there, I began to pick up the different names, which I would then check out via their websites or merchant websites. With me seeking floor-standers, some of the speakers eliminated themselves.

As many have pointed out so far, what became readily apparent in all the comments and reviews was the fact that no one really had anything negative to say about these speakers. When you consider that with the plentitude of positive reviews, the reputation for clarity/detail, and the generally affordable price, my interest was definitely sparked.

That is where I found these forums and began lurking for a few months. The wealth of knowledge, the consistent level of satisfaction, the abundance of comparison information, the discussion about customer service, etc, etc, all played into my decsion to make the leap of faith. Now, I have a pair of M22s up on top of my old Yamahas and I couldn't be happier......at least until the M60s arrive for comparison.

It is so unlike me to buy ANYTHING without seeing it, hearing it, smelling it, etc. I auditioned several speakers (in NJ and PA) and it became obvious to me that to get what I wanted for a large room was very expensive. I therefore tried to see if I could get some of the speakers I auditioned and liked (Paradigm, B&W) cheaper over the internet. That didn't pan out because of the shipping and the overall uncertainty of doing it that way.

I literally stumbled upon the Axiom site and read the messages for about one month. All the positive reviews I read there and by independent reviewers convinced me to go for it. Three months later.....I love these speakers. The problem is I am spending more money now on new CDs and DVDs.

John

I've been searching for new speakers ever since, well... since I bought my speakers now. I just never really found stuff affordable enough and also sounding good enough. Well, currently, My order is being processed/shipped with Axiom, and I am upgrading from Polk Audio Speakers all around. Needless to say, they don't give "Bang for the buck"
Also, if I upgraded I had to do the whole 7 speakers because my wife can't stand when things don't properly match. If I had two different looking speaker types, she would flip. So not having a big budget, and having a very particular wife, and not really being completely satisfied with speakers that I audition in my price range, I have to say that Axiom has my bet.

While the Polk are good for entry level home theaters, I just have a hard time because they lack the clarity that I long for. So that's why I am here now.

Reading all these posts about how transparent, and clear the Axiom line is, I just couldn't refuse the order. Now the eager waiting begins. I ordered last night at 11:30 or so... and fortunately enough, shipping is very quick compared to other online manufacturers.

But after weeks of reading and reading on this forum, two-three days just seems like forever!!!!

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"But after weeks of reading and reading on this forum, two-three days just seems like forever!!!!"

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Jonathon,

Hang in there, they'll arrive. Though, I would caution you not to set yourself up for disappointment.

If you have not already done so, be sure to read this thread. It points out a potential pitfall to the entire online speaker buying experience.

On the other hand, enjoy your anticipation, and be ready for the fun of opening all the boxes.

Ajax,

Thanks for the heads up. Regardless of what they sound like, I will like them anyway. Even if it's just a SLIGHT improvement over what I have now, it will be an appreciable difference. Going from Polk which, I found, to be kind of a hit and miss company, to Axiom should show improvements. Mind you, I have lower end Polk speakers (CSi30, R40's, FXi30s).

In the long run, what I was looking for, when purchasing the axioms were, sexy-looking speakers (which by a lot of pictures posted in several different forums, I have been reaffirmed just that) and an improvement in sound quality, slight if not hoping for a big improvement. Plus, I also just heard there were nice, subtle, and sometimes even great improvements with the quadpole surround design! So, it's not just the sound quality that I am excited about.

The axioms will look a lot better than my Polk speakers right now (I already know that). The axioms will be more transparent and have a flatter response than my polks. Will I notice a difference, most likely. I am sure there will be time needed for listening adjustment.

So my eagerness and anticipation don't rely soley on me being blown away. It is more that I am excited to be rid of my Polks and have higher regarded speakers!

It's kind of funny, if I anticipate something, I pretty much fool myself into liking it as much as I anticpated it, so I, pretty much, can't go wrong here!

I've had the m22s for awhile now. I was initially blown away by them. After a couple of months I began to have second thoughts. But, I hung in there and I can now say that I cannot envision myself parting with them. If you are used to an inefficient, laid back speaker it may take awhile to acclamate to them. But, it is indeed worth it. One thing I've always said about these is that I can't believe how all that sound can be coming from those 2 little wedge shaped boxes.

I read reviews of the Axiom speakers, liked what I heard, and kept the idea in the back of my mind. I already had an Infinity speaker system - Composition Overture 3 mains, CC3 center and RS4 side surrounds. I was happy and dumb. Then, on a lark, I ordered a Merak MC6H center channel speaker from ubid.com, for my secretary's system, because I couldn't pass up the $29 price. It absolutely blew away my pretty darn expensive Infinity CC3 center speaker. So, I took a chance and ordered a pair of M3Tis. I loved the way they looked, and couldn't believe how good they sounded. These just over $200 a pair bookshelf speakers were heads and shoulders better than the Overture 3s (MSRP $3000). I sold all my Infinity speakers, and have been buying Axiom and Axiom made speakers ever since. Love 'em!

I'm looking forward to comparing the $200+ M3Tis with a pair of $2,500 Reference 3a de Capo mm bookshelf speakers. I expect the de Capos to do better, but if the M3Tis can hang in there, that would really be something.

I'd also like to see Axiom build a pair of $500 bookshelf speakers which perform on par with the de Capo mms or outperform them. Now THAT would really be something!

Nice signature there, =12.

I was looking for a pair of speakers to replace my old EPIs as one of the woofers had gone funky on them. I went and auditioned a whole wack of speakers, B&W, Klipsch, Energy, Infinity, Paradigm Reference, Athena, Polk ect. Of the ones I heard I liked some Infinity and Paradigm Reference bookshelfs best, but they were both more that I wanted to spend. So I looked around on the net and discovered the highly rated, yet cheap, Paradigm Titan. The store I heard the Paradigm References at didnt carry that line but they could order them. So I ordered a pair and was throughly dissapointed when I got them home. They sounded incredibly dull, like they had a blanket over them, and they had a boomy low end. I went to a few more stores and discovered the Angstrom Omega 5. I loved their sound, but they were really ugly. Plus I couldnt find much of any info about them. I eventually posted a topic on a non-audio related internet fourm about my search for speakers, and someone pointed me to the Axiom M3Tis. I saw Axiom had a 30 day return policy so I went and ordered a pair of M2is, which needless to say I was quite happy with.

I listened to the typical store stuff, Polk, Paradigm, Definitive Technology, Sapphires, and B&W. After a while I got fed up with running all over town listening to speakers set-up in Listening Rooms. I wanted at home to try them out. I read great reviews about Axioms and just bit the bullet. I knew if I didn't like them I could send them back. I still have them.