I have not heard any Axioms other than the M22s, but for what it's worth, the only area in which the M22s have failed to live up to my expectations is the treble--cymbals and highhats just aren't as vivid as I had hoped. (I've had them for over a month now, so they should be fully "burned in.") It helped when I turned the treble on my amp up 2 dB. But I'm curious about this, too.