Neuro,

Chesseroo makes a good point about audioreview.com. Positive comments on that site aren't useful, but negative comments can tell you a lot. For example, the only negative comments I've read about Axiom came from an idiot who hadn't even heard the speakers, and was trying to declare a love affair with Bose. On the other hand, I was seriously considering Definitive Technology bipolar towers (based on their unearthly reviews) until I read posts by several owners about fuses blowing and lousy customer service. Take the time to browse that website.

I've personally heard the Mission M71 vs. a model by Energy (though I have no recollection which). I preferred the Mission, if only because it was a more musical speaker for jazz and opera, though it didn't really blow my skirt up with rock. Mission is definitely more "dinner and evening entertaining" than "college party" brand of speaker.

When I first picked up a pair of M3s, Energy was one of the companies I auditioned against (sorry, can't remember the model). The M3 did sound quite comparable, but a LOT cheaper, which made it the winner in my eyes. The PSB Image 2B was too flat for my tastes.

Audioshop in Ottawa sells Energy, Axiom and the resurgent Dahlquist. Marc Hallam is one of the most helpful guys on the net, and I'm sure he can help give you a recommendation by e-mail. hometheaterforum.com is another great site, and the posters seem quite broad in musical interests and listening experiences. I'd stay clear of the Sound and Vision forum, which is home of worshippers of B&W, Klipsch, Paradigm, and not much else.

From a personal standpoint, Axioms cannot be matched in terms of price for performance. I'm backing this up having actually been able to audition them vs. other popular brands. With the right electronics, they sound fantastic with both music and HT, and won't hit you hard in the bank at all.