I too was drawn to Axiom by the M3 reviews, and also took the opportunity to read a number of the cable reviews as well. I found them more than just a little interesting, but due to the wires costing more than the speakers....!!
The one thing that I did take home about the "Better" speaker cables was their transparency and lack of coloration. They couldn't make the sound from the finals any better, just didn't make it any worse!
That quality materials and workmanship were a plus.
That some of them are really stunning audio gewlery!
I don't know for sure what criteria was used by the reviewers in their final determinations, if advertizing were a consideration or how they were able to actually hear the differences, but it was fascinating reading! And perhaps by having an impecible system in an audio-heaven room, the differences May be obvious!!
My take on it in my situation is simple: My speakers, though very good, are not super-stereophile great! And my room....well.
Could I get better sound by putting superior cables betwixt my M3s and Onkyo? I dunno, if I could afford to try, I might just for fun. I think I understand what's goin' on here, so I wouldn't expect to hear much of an improvement commensurate to the cost. I mean, what's the absolute best an inexpensive Onkyo plus M3s CAN sound anyway??!!
It might be like putting Webers on my Austin Healey; I may push the zero to sixty times down from 13 to 12 seconds, but hey, I still couldn't outrun a stock Civic
