In reply to:
My media room looks like some kind of snobby audio store. I have cables, amps and speakers all crowded into every cranny they can fit. Now if i just hang some sales signs but w/o the prices, it would be a beautiful showroom.
I'll second that.
First off, a special thanks to Chesseroo's wife for putting up with this whole parade as most wives roll their eyes at this sort of thing. (Chess has got himself a keeper!)
Lots of speakers and finally had a chance to audition the Epic 60 surround system with "Ice Age". A seamless soundstage and DVD-A with Seal was very detailed.
I wish I had more time to listen but as with everyone's schedules and the day chosen, the audition/comparison was about two hours.
For home theater I would have no problem recommending or even ordering a set of Axioms. In discussing the different audio settings with Chess, it was clear that the type of mixing/eq'ing done by different surround settings as well as how differently each recording is mixed is made very apparent with these speakers (Axiom and Monitor Audio).
For the brief M60 and GR60 comparison, it was rather interesting. The speaker switching setup was vey well done by Chess. It was unfortunate not to have a stereo switching setup but it worked well nonetheless.
I now understand how and why people describe the Axiom sound as being "forward". To me the speaker seems to have more midrange presence. In comparing the sound I felt with the GR60 as if you were listening to a live perfromance and the Axiom sounded as if you were listening to a live performance in the studio. Both were great sounding but different. I would NOT describe the Axioms as "harsh" or "bright". Bright is a term I use for over-emphasized highs with bad tweeter design.
The Monitor Audio tweeter is defintiely in a different class than the Axiom but you would have to expect this for a speaker pair costing $3,000-$4,000 more (price variance depending on where you purchase the MAs). It should be noted that the Silver and Bronze series offerings from Monitor Audio use a different tweeter. I would say that the Axiom compares somewhere between the Bronze and Silver series but perhaps closer to the Silver (still more expensive than Axiom). There was less siblance from the GR60. Not a huge difference but noticeable. The GR60 tweeter is smoother.
The bass in the GR60 extends deeper. I would say, perhaps, it may be better to compare the bass to the M80s but again this difference is subtle. The M60s defiinitely hold their own. If using a quality subwoofer, dialed in correctly for music, I'd say the point is mute. The real differences lie in the mids and tweeters.
I'd say there is something to the phase plug midrange that Monitor Audio uses. Again I found the mids on the GR60 to be slightly smoother and a little more "laid back". It is difficult to describe but the mids on the M60 were a tiny bit more "squawky" (the extreme example to define squawky would be like a megaphone which is mostly midrange and this is just my impression
in comparison to the GR60s with a half hour side by side comparison - hardly fair). Don't get me wrong, this is simply different to what most people are used to listening to. In the past most speakers subdued the midrange; people were used to setting their eq's with a smiley face. This is what a lot of people wanted in sound and for the mass market, this is how manufacturers made their speakers. Heck, even Paradigm, an excellent manufacturer had designed a bass hump in their spekers becasue people typically like "pronounced" bass during their playback. I digress. The bottom line is that I found the midrange on the Axiom to be smooth but slightly more than what I was used to hearing from my former Mirage M3si and the Monitor Audio GR60s. It may not be for everyone but it is still a great sound.
Had I found the Axioms prior to the Monitor Audio, would I have been happy with the sound? I would say yes. The side-by-side comparison was a clear example of the law of dimishing returns.
To my ears (and the wife thinks I'm half deaf since I only answer half the time when she calls) the Monitor Audios had smoother mids and highs, but $4000 better?! Not for your average listener. If you have money to burn, you can buy the MA's Gold Reference offerings (Consider also that in this price range it opens the doors to many other speakers. The original owner of the MAs replaced them with Jamo speakers).
For the average joe who wants great sounding speakers or the budget audiophile who wants value for money I really like the Axioms. I think my wife preferred the Axioms to the Monitor Audio. She likes the "forward" sound but then again, I don't take her opinion too seriously since she finds listening to a transistor radio good enough
{ducking as a cusion comes flying at my head}. My preference is towards the MAs. This was the first time I had a chance to really listen to the GR60s and fed with quality components. I had not hooked them up since I obtained them (how's that for patience!).
In meeting Chess I have every confidence that he has a good head on his shoulders when it comes to audio and what to listen for in comparing speakers. I'm sure he can also give some impressions from his friends that have a chance to audition them side by side.
His review may be more credible considering he will have a lot more time to compare them. I think I will leave them with him for a week to formulate the best impression possible. Plus, I never had a chance to listen to the Tannoys so he will have to fill us in on the overall comparison. Bren, you still have time to stop by for a listen...no opinions necessary.
