I just took a quick look at these scenes :

- Morpheus vs. Neo is dramatic but is mostly visual; I wouldn't expect the Axioms to sound much different from your Encores on this scene

- Helicopter scene is something that will really show off the Axioms but only if you are not shy with the volume control. Turn it up 10-20dB from what the level you are used to with the Encores... seriously. It should be like zooming in on the sounds... the louder it goes the more you will hear.

I don't think anyone has said the following so bluntly... so let me spell it out. The Encores are a nice little HT speaker system... if you are playing the same content at the same volume you will get a bit more presence from the surrounds, and a bunch more deep bass from the EP600 (if calibrated right) but you are not going to hear much more.

What your new system can do is play clearly and accurately at volumes where the Encores would have been hopelessly overloaded... and give you a completely different listening experience as a result. We might have to have someone come over and show you how to use the volume control

I tried playing the helicopter crash at -20, -10 and 0dB on my HK630. My system is roughly comparable to an EPIC 60/500 except the sub is an SVS picked before the EP500 and 600 came out.

At -20 dB you don't hear much... obviously some glass shattering and a bit of rumble but mostly the "whoop whoop" from the rotor blades.

At -10 dB there is a lot more detail in the breaking glass. As the windows ripple you can hear the sound of the glass change with the ripples, and you hear more of the bass.

At 0 dB the sound from the glass rebounding out hits you in the stomach and makes you feel a bit queasy... every visual on the screen has accompanying action in the soundtrack...

Anyways, you get the idea. Your new speakers will accurately handle volume levels (and more volume => hearing more detail) that the Encores couldn't touch... but you have to take advantage of that to really get the most from them. If you aren't going to be able to use the headroom of the 80/600 system then you might actually have more speaker than you need... maybe a Grand Master/350 or /500 might be all you need...

Just a thought...


M60ti, VP180, QS8, M2ti, EP500, PC-Plus 20-39
M5HP, M40ti, Sierra-1
LFR1100 active, ADA1500-4 and -8