Adrian - To date, the "amplifier horse race" is too close to call. On some material, one amp is better by a nose, on other material, the second amp sounds better. The only constant I've seen is that amplifiers that don't like low-impedance loads don't do as well with the Axioms. My Crown PS-400, while a GREAT amplifier on higher-impedance speakers (such as my previous Definitive Technology SM-65s, rated at 6 ohms) failed to have sufficient dynamics with the M80s.

The "pro" Crown amplifiers are half the price (or less) of an equivalent home audio amp with similar power. Their performance, even with the Class-D modules, is equivalent to the the Class-A or Class-AB contenders. Therefore, I consider them a true bargain & recommend them highly. The all Class-A Nakamichi Stasis 5 sounded more open & airy on top, but the Crowns are no slouches. Of the Crown line, the amp that I have liked the best is the XLS-1500. They're powerful, cheap, and every time I play them, I'm surprised by their fine sound. Don't run them bridged - they sound better in stereo.

Oakvillematt - I'm not at all surprised that we have different experiences. You seem to be searching for a system that will make all your recordings sound good. I would rather have the unvarnished truth (even if it reveals some of my recordings as poor-sounding). When I want some "glamour" for the less-than-great recordings, I switch my tube buffer into the system. It conceals a multitude of recording sins.

exlabdriver - The newer tube products are engineered to sound neutral (as are the newer SS products). Therefore, I'm not surprised that they sound similar. Older tube products, however, (think Dynaco, et al) sound significantly more distinct.

I'll post more comments as time goes by. I'm particularly interested in what the Yamaha RX-A1040 will do with these speakers. AV receivers, traditionally, have profoundly sucked with low-impedance speakers. We'll see...

My opinion is worth exactly what you're paying for it!