I have heard the JM Lab Utopia's and thought they were an excellent speaker. Are the Axioms better?...that may be pushing it. They are however overpriced (JM) in my book but an excellent speaker none the less.

Your buddy is more choked over the dollars spent then the sound! Do a side by side one day but make sure you keep it apples to apples as in floorstander to floorstander and bookshelf to bookshelf etc. If he doesn't like what he hears, Axiom gains another customer!