In reply to:
the fact that the axiom m22 always sounded boxed in relative to the all speakers (excluding the RTi) suggest one of two things:
1. The m22 are deficient in soundstage width.
2. My axiom m22 are defective.
Don't forget:
3. The M22s were not positioned well in the room.
When it comes to soundstage -- like they say in real estate -- it's location, location, location that matters. You can make the best speakers in the world sound boxed in by not positioning them well.
During your tests, did you take the time to tweak the positions of the speakers? Just because one speaker souinds great in a certain location doesn't mean another one will.
Room interaction is extremely important to keep in mind when auditioning speakers. It's impossible to rule it out unless you're doing the audition in an anechoic chamber.
