Some of you may have posted this answer in my other thread.

What finish did you get and how is the vinyl finish holding up?

I realized that the vinyl finish is probably popular and a big reason why they are so much cheaper than the competitors. Are the speakers that these are always compared to also vinyl finishes or are they real wood?

Many of the Auditions I have done, had the people commenting on how I had real wood, I don't, I have the Light Maple vinyl and it has/is holding up very well, even with me lugging them to other folks houses for auditions and comparisons. Even more amazing is it is withstanding my 2 kids in the rec room, where we play ball and have had the odd Wii remote launched into them thanks to loose wrist straps on little arms.

I think what Axiom is doing is a good idea...basically they let YOU decide whether you want to upgrade the cabinetry or not. It's nice to have the real veneer but it's not always a priority for a lot of people, of the speakers I have been looking at, it's a pretty even split vinyl/veneer. Pricewise,if it's an issue, Axioms with a custom finish, still are hundreds less from what I have seen when comparing to similar loudspeakers.

I've had my M80s since 6/03 and the vinyl finish is as good as it was when they were new. I haven't had one person look at these speakers and not think they were wood. Most if not all were pretty darn surprised to learn the finish was indeed vinyl.

It's definitely a very good-looking vinyl...at least my Mansfield Beech is!

Many speaker manufacturers use vinyl wrap. With that said Axiom uses the best quality I've ever come across. They also make custom vinyl colors, as well as wood finishes now for a extra cost.

All the Axiom vinyls have the same quality, the one you select would depend on what you like for your room, we can't tell you that.

Even comparing finishes like high gloss cherry or burled wallnut directly to the real thing its hard to tell the difference.

ooooooooo, High Gloss Cherry <wipes off keyboard>

Got to love the HG Cherry, how can you say no to this Bob?

With Outriggers


Before Outriggers

<wipes off key board again>

Hay, did you build those yourself? You should go into business, you would have lots of customers.

what do you guys use to clean your vinyl speakers? Just a damp cloth or some type of chemical? I want to make sure my HG cherry speakers look new forever.

I clean the dust off my speakers and all my electronics frequently (atleast 2 times a week). All I use is a dry cloth that came with my LCD t.v. I just run the cloth over the surface with very little pressure to pick up the dust. The only time I use a damp cloth is when I clean my television screen, then going over it again with a dry cloth.

I believe the recommended practice for the HG is microfiber cloths.

I just wipe my Light Maple down when doing the general cleaning with what ever I have been using at the time, damp cloth, dry cloth, whatever.

Clean??

Hey Randy, not a chance as I don't have the tools. I was going to go with a local fabricator but the ones I spoke to all said it would cost me more using them then buying from the internet when I showed them the plans and prices.

Of course, Mark made his own out of wood and they look fantastic.

Here's the thread with more info Outriggers

Tom, ditto the microfiber cloth(dry).

Why microfibre? I always thought that cotton was the best material for scratch prone surfaces.

I use a swiffer duster for my speakers.

How do you hook up the wires? Do they sound good?

Funny you ask... I recently used Nu Finish Polish to buff up my High Gloss Cherry speakers. My speakers had gotten incredibly smudged and dusty and as I was about to clean them it dawned on me that I had this "magic polish" in the garage and I thought I'd give it a run.

I tested it first on the back of a speaker and let it sit for a few days to be sure there were no adverse effects. As it turned out, the only side effect is an incredible (and hopefully long-lasting) shine.

I know it sounds ridiculous to apply polish to your speakers, but once you've spent this much money on them you want them to look their best. Of course, if you're not quite that nuts a microfiber cloth and a little elbow grease have always worked fine too.

Jason

Nothing crazy about it. It is just furniture that makes sound. No reason not to keep it looking spiffy. Buff away!

Wax on....Wax off.....Wax on....Wax off.....

Not a bad idea with the wax. What about the white around the cones? Do those get dirty after a number of years? Is there a way to clean those?

The white is the cone. It's aluminum. Any non-abrasive cloth can be used to clean the cones.

Details, details.

I bought my first axioms about five years ago...they look like new. Had they offered real wood finishes then, I would have gotten it, as I really like real wood, but I've never regretted my purchase for a second. (I wish I could say that about a lot of other things I've bought!)

Not really, Fred; the microfiber picks up the dust more easily without applying pressure, and if anything, is even less likely to cause a scratch or other blemish(e.g., also on car finishes).

Thanks again! I would of course prefer a real wood finish. And I would go the extra bucks if any of you would have suggested that the vinyl doesn't hold up well.

I am WAY over budget on this project. (Yeah, I know. I haven't even bought anything yet!) I realized the HTIB at these stores wouldn't make me happy after some time at home. That what caused me to do a little research. I still thought I could get away with $1000. Then I ran across the Orb speaker on the internet. I remember seeing them in an Audio mag some time ago. I almost went for their $1100 package (which was without a receiver) which upped my budget. I'll probably end up with the Epic 80-350 (even if it's in piece-meal through the factory outlet) which will land me over $3300 with my receiver. OUCH!

Anyway, I'm glad the vinyl finish holds up well. (I was never talking about color)

Just remember... speakers are the investment in your system that will hold their value the longest, so if you're going to go overbudget, speakers is the place to do it.

Jason

I hear you on the budget thing Bob. I spent more than I originally thought I would as well. But, I got the sound quality I was after and that is why I bought these things. No regrets or buyers remorse here. I just made sure I had the $ before I committed.

I visit a PA forum. (I mentioned I have a pretty good PA system) They have a saying over there. Buy once / Cry once!

Yes I'm another one who once thaught I would be fine with a $1000 budget. Then i googled.

Man are they nice