Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners western new york

I've demo'd enough speakers, and the Paradigm Studio 60s are the best I've found yet. But I haven't demo'd any Axioms yet. Any members in WNY have an Axiom setup? Or does anyone know of dealers close in Ontario that carry both Paradigm Reference and Axiom? I can't find any.
Thanks!

Hi Duffin,

Axiom has one dealer in NY state:
Signature Sound
8409B Shallowcreek Road, Liverpool, NY 13090 (suburb of Syracuse, NY) 1 hour from Rochester, 2 hours from Albany. 4.5 hours from New York City.
Phone: (315) 622-4137 Fax: (315) 622-2993

Call ahead to make sure he has the Axiom models you want to audition. And if you go to "FAQs" on the home page and click on "I live in Canada", you'll find a list of Ontario dealers, including one in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Regards,

Thanks Ian.
I had already noted that Niagara Falls dealer, and went to check them out. It was a decidedly lo-fi experience. They had a portable CD player jacked into a run-of-the-mill Sony receiver, with your standard 16g speaker cable. Nonetheless, the M60s I tried really sang. I was very impressed considering the setup. Unfortunately, I still can't find anyone that does both Axiom and Paradigm (Studio series) for some serious head to head competition. I think I will end up going with the Axiom setup based on that demo and the comparative cost.

Speaking of cost, the dealer had the M60s for $800 Canadian. It will cost me $800 US to buy direct from Axiom. Is this a common "street value" in Canada? I wonder if I can save money (after GST refunds and whatever I get charged for bringing them back to the US) if I just bought from a dealer north of the border.
I probably won't do that, but does anyone have experience with that?

i think sometime last year axiom had most dealers alter their prices to reflect the USD prices on the axiom site. i had bought mine through a canadian dealer before this and saved a lot. i think the new m22's i bought were about the same price the factory outlet ones were on the axiom site.
it's pretty amazing how much you can save on certain items if purchased through canada. my brother-in-law just found a dealer selling the rega planar 3 turntable for $525 USD, in the US people pay $750 USD!

Street prices can be substantially lower, but I would suspect you were looking at stock the dealer had from before Axiom raised prices a year ago. I had a similar experience buying a pair of M40s for WAY less than the web site prices. That isn't to say you'll notice any difference in performance, nor will you have any problem having your warranty honoured (Axiom's service is pretty much unsurpassed in the industry). I'd take the speakers you found in Niagara Falls as a total steal, and use the money you saved to upgrade electronics or buy a ton of software.

I'm a little confused as to the last 2 posts regarding price. Is $800 Canadian for a pair of M60s a standard dealer price? Shall I assume that the other speakers (QS8, VP150 specifically) would follow suit price-wise if that's the case?

And if that is the case, I'm definitely buying them in Canada.

I saw the Canadian dealer listing on the site, so of all those along the northern edge of Lake Erie from Buffalo to Toronto, which ones are the best places to go? Biggest, best stores? Cheapest prices? Any recommendations?

PS I meant "Thanks Alan" last post.

Duffin,

800 Canadian is a steal for a pair of M60s. Though it might have been a typical price a year ago, Axiom has raised their prices to dealers within the last year. The dealers have followed suit, but many still carry inventory that pre-dated the price hike, and are not interested in gouging customers. This is likely why you're seeing a pair of M60s for $800, when the cheapest I've seen recently is over $1000 Canadian.

You may find a low-priced VP150 or QS8s, but don't be surprised if it's the older-model VP150 with a WTWTW array rather than the current TWWWT driver arrangement. There is a theoretical performance difference between the two (due to lateral dispersion of high frequencies), but I auditioned them head to head and couldn't hear any difference whatsoever.

As far as stores, I shopped at Replay Electronics in the west end of Toronto and they were fantastic to deal with. The Dumoulin/Audiotronic chain of stores no longer deals with Axiom, but some stores carry Axioms at clear-out prices. I'd take a trip back to that first store you found...a price difference from 800 isn't likely going to be worth the gas and hassle of taking a trip into T.O.