Can anyone tell me please with an unbiased approach, I have heard the axioms M60's which is what I am considering are similar to the Paradigm studio series. I really liked the sound of the monitor series I had but feel I want a bit more so was considering the studio line but they are so damn expensive. Any thoughts?? Thanks in advance

Welcome snodog,

I have not heard the studio line but others on the forum say the Axioms are very similar sounding. I know my friend has some monitor ??? and I liked my old m60's and current m80's better overall.

Not sure if you've ever heard B&W, but I ended up with m60's over their 703's $$$$$

Thank you for the welcome,

I have not heard B&W but they have quite a stout reputation. I am just thinking for the price I could get both fronts and the center for the cost of the much smaller studio 40's plus in maple!

Another welcome. You say you have heard the M60s?

I have listened to both and they do sound very similar.

Punctuation modified for better parsing. Grammar bot says you're welcome.

No I have not heard the M60s or any Axioms as far as that goes. Anxious too though now, is it true they ship for free??

Yes the price includes shipping. If you like the Studio line then it's a fair assumption you will like the Axioms.

That's awesome I think I just may give em' a shot

You will not be disappointed. Axiom is a very good company to buy from and their customer service is second to none.

snodog, another option would be to check the audition thread in the hearing things section to see if anyone is in your neck of the woods. that way you can hear the axioms.

The paradigm monitor and studio series have different sounds. Everybody is going to use adjectives to describe how they perceive the sound, but everybody hears the sound differently. The studio series are often described as "detailed" or "bright". I like "precise" but some would say they are "harsh". The monitor series are often considered to me "warm", but I find them "muddy". Ultimately, the best thing to do is listen to as many different models as you can to find out what you like.

Most people, myself included, find Axiom to sound very similar to the Studio series. If you can find studios and you like them, you'll probably like Axiom. If you don't like the studio sound, you probably won't like Axiom.

Side by side, money no object I would probably go with the studios; however, money is not no object and for more than twice the price it wasn't that much of an improvement for me

Well if money was no object I would probably honestly be getting the signature S8's. That is interesting though because I don't like too warm of a sound as it seems to me like it is sacrificing detail but owning the Monitor 7's I personally thought they were thought of as bright which is actually why I chose those over the 11's which to me did seem muddier or more of a hard rock speaker.
I think the only thing I would gain with the studios is a better look but that is just my opinion, I am not keen on the angled edges of the grills of the M60's but then again I can just leave them off too!

The Monitor 11s have much larger drivers than the 7s (7 1/2" vs 5 1/2") as well as a much larger cabinet which would likely explain why the 11s seemed more bassy and the 7s "brighter" to you. I auditioned both of these and preferred the range of the 11s over the 7s but both were nice.

If money was no object, what speakers would I buy? Sounds like a great thread topic.

We've done it.

I'm of the opinion that's kind of rude to our hosts. But that's just me.

What if our answer was that we'd sit down with Ian and have him custom design a money-no-object speaker for us, and then have Alan do all the listening tests to ensure it's up to snuff?

That's a good answer.

Up the ante and test the prototype m100s with the EP1000?

Well sorry guys I didnt mean to offend. That may have come out wrong. I have been googleyed at the Signature series for a long time now and that is only one of those personal things I 'dream' of owning like some people with cars and such. Certainly not a stab, hell it sounds like this is a great company and I love finding good customer service married to excellently built products. Sorry guys, I wouldnt be here if I had negative thoughts.

Oh, no offense taken. You asked a valid question, and you had a valid comment! No, I just didn't want to start up the "Well, I wish I could get these speakers because they're X amount better than the Axioms" bit on Axiom's own forums. Not at all directed at you.

Don't worry about it Daniel you didn't say anything wrong. I've recommended other brands on this forum before. It's no disrespect to Axiom it's just trying to get the right system for the person.

I would love to own some Maggies at some point. That doesn't mean I think my M80s are bad, they're not by a long shot. I just like the Maggies also.

I actually just sent my magnepans back. They were crystal clear for voices but something I just didnt like about them, although mainly for theater. I still think they are very nice speakers and wouldn't steer anyone away from them, we all have different ears!

snodog, were the Maggies MMG's that you sent back?

I think it would be fair to say also, that the reason why some other speaker brands are brought up on this forum is so that people who may not be able to hear the Axioms can get a better idea of what kind of sound to expect from them. That is why brands like Paradigm(esp), B&W, Mon. Audio ect are sometimes brought up on the forums as they are sonically similar. The guys here are open to discussion on other brands, and Axiom has been very gracious to allow that.

HMM, interesting. I was looking at the 1.6s.

Yes that speaks volumes about the company as well as is healthy for a company so they can also take criticism if any and put it to good use for knowledge of future development.
Yes merchman they were the MMG's and the MMGC.

Wid, you may just love them, some people were telling me to go with the 1.6's but I just couldnt swing it financially. I know they are all 4 ohm and require some major power to make them sound great. I also hated the giant solar looking panels in my living room cosmetically. It only cost me $45 to send them back so not a huge loss.

Did you see the 1.6s on Audiogon currently listed for $900 (listed 2/17/09)? They have the dark cherry side panels and look great. Get out that checkbook.

That is a good price but I would rather put that kind of money towards a new smoker.

Right now, I'm thinking "Michael Phelps" style....

That doesn't sound to bad either

I wish I could remember how!

Get some munchies, sit in your recliner for a couple hours and do nothing, it just might all come back to you

Your chair reclines?

When he's doin' wheelies, it does!

It does when I'm doing wheelies, but yes, my chair does totally recline. Unfortunately they put the wheelie wheels closer to the ground on my new chair, so I can't pull as big a wheelies, but it's still a sweet ride.

I used to be able to pull wheelies for quite a distance, and when I was in the rehab hospital a friend of mine had someone remove the tilt limiter (which would cause the wheelchair to be inoperable if in recline too far, and it does tilt quite far), so he could recline a long way and drive continuously in a wheelie. It was pretty funny

I'll have to make a video for you guys on Saturday!

My friend bought Studios at about the same time I bought Axiom M60s. One of the first things we did was compare them at his house. It was very unscientific but both of us agreed they were almost indistinguishable with our untrained ears. He felt a little more confident that he could hear the difference in the two but he is an experienced musician so he may have a better ear for these things.

All I can say is that he remains extremely happy with his purchase but will admit he wished he knew he could get Axiom for less cost at the time. I remain extremely happy for both sound and financial reasons.

Murph, do you remember which of the Studios they were? 60s, 100s?

I do not, but I can find out tonight. He is out of town and I need to do a favor for his wife and no, it's not what you are thinking. heh heh.

Well then...really... you could have worded it differently because now it's impossible to think it's anything OTHER than what I first thought.....

Is a pizza delivery involved? 'Cuz then I KNOW......

I have to say, this 'favour' comes at a convenient time When you see her, ask her if you can look at the woofers....err, 3 means it's a Studio 100.

Hey if you saw her you'd know I'm probably thinking that too. Alas, I'm painfully loyal to my wife and my friends.
Stupid morals! Think their so smart!

I don't know what mountain range you are living in, but if she has 3 "woofers" grab a camera and run to You Tube, your friend will understand.

Mmmnnehh!! three tweeters would be far more unusual.

I really like Studios and have listened to 20s, 40s and 100s over the years. Never had a chance to do a direct A/B between Studios and Axioms, however. The Axioms seem to be consistently preferred over Monitors, but it's not so clear between Axioms and Studios so I guess you might call them "comparable"

I currently run M60s in my main system and M40s in my downstairs music system, and am really happy with both. If I had money in my toy budget I would be tempted to pick up a pair of Studio 20s for the music system, but the M60s are there to stay. I'm not sure the Studios would sound better than the M40s but I love the way they look

EDIT - I just looked at pics of the Studio v4's and don't like them anywhere as near as much as the older ones

I completely agree with you on the knew look of the Studio line. The octagonal frames looks a bit garish. They're now definitely a "grilles on" speaker.

The new Studio V5 cabinets are gorgeous though, with the rounded shape and wood veneer. The frames are quite busy looking, I agree.

Three wooofers......on the speakers..... so they are 100s. I forgot how much more fancy they looked. But then again, he paid just over $3000 Canadian for the pair of them after taxes.

Sometimes, I like to translate the difference in price we both paid into the number of beers that it works out to. Every know and then they announce a liquor price increase (liquor sales are provincially regulated here) and I'll fire him off an email congratulating him that his speakers are a better deal now as there are less beers in the difference.

There would have been a few less beers difference if you bought them in Ontario, Paradigms seem a little cheaper here compared with most other provinces from what I've heard others paying for them. Bottom lineline is, as long as your friend's enjoying them, that's all that matters. Good to hear that you felt the sound was very close to the Axioms BTW.

Yep the V5 studios are awesome looking, they actually are very similar to the much more signature line now.

Either you love the sound of electroplanar speakers or you hate it.
Personally the ones i've heard i've quite liked. I'm thinking about auditioning some Maggies this weekend at a local shop. Potential for Tannoy replacements.

I understand what you mean, but I wouldnt say I neither loved nor hated them, I think for some types of music they are unmatched but for multi purpose such as HT I didnt care for them. Try it out but make sure you bring a dvd with some great cinema sound and let me know what you think.