Posted on Home Theater Shack website:
I've lived with the Axiom M100s for 5 months, long enough to post my impressions.
Bottome line: The M100s are fabulous speakers. Mine are real cherry, the finish on each is excellent, the speakers are well finished, the cabinets are extremely solid. I recommend the optional outriggers, as the M100s are tall and relatively narrow - I think outriggers are a must if you live in California earth quake country.
I have 3, 2 channel systems. Previously my favorite speakers were my Thiel CS 3.6s. The M100s match the Thiels in most respects and better them in Sound Stage and imaging.
The highs are wonderful. Cymbals sizzle, decay is excellent, bells ... well they sound like bells. The mids are on the rich side but accurate. Dynamics are excellent. Drums are reproduced very accurately. The attack is sudden, kick drums can make you jump, and the French Horns in Musorgsky's A Night on Bare Mountain and Pictures at an Exhibition were breathtaking. Piano music sounds like there is a piano in your room. These speakers put out a lot of bass energy. Once I moved the M100s about 3 feet from the wall, the bass became cleaner with much less bloat.
They handle symphonic music without congestion. Vocal reproduction is extremely realistic. Live venue recordings sound convincingly like live music. I don't play much rock, but as for jazz, classical, new age, crooners, big band, blues, these speakers love 'em all.
The M100s soundstage is wide, high and deep. The imaging? Spectacular.
I like crooners. Dean Martin's Dream with Dean LP just sounds rich and so pleasant, so "you are there." Bill Evans? I've listened all day to Bill on these speakers. Loreena McKennett's Elemental soars.
The long and short of it is Axiom's M100s are superb for 2 channel stereo. I retired my EPIK subwoofer, as I don't think you need a sub with these towers for music.
I expect these Axioms would be incredible home theater front L/R speakers as well.
So, to the folks at Axiom, Thank you! Your speakers do justice to the music.
The system:
Odyssey Khartago 2 channel solid state amplifier with Stratos upgrades
Odyssey Candela tube preamp
Yaqin MS 23b phono stage with Mullard 12ax7s
MMF 7.1 turntable with Ortofon mojo cartridge
Marantz NA 7004 Network player
Sony CX90ES 200 CD player
FiiO external DAC for the Sony
Read more:
http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/t...l#ixzz3woQur1ZF
