Hi Paul, welcome.
Excellent points, and honestly stated.
Axiom's Alan Lofft has mentioned that the timbre of the M60 is very similar to the M80, but that the M80 is more capable in larger rooms. Board regular Spiffnme has M60's in LA; he may be willing to help you. His system would be representative, if not exact.
Just because nobody has volunteered an M80 system for listening in LA does not mean they don't exist; I'm certain that the board represents a mere fraction of the Axiom customer base, and of that, not everyone is comfortable being a spokesperson.
The Paradigm and Monitor Audio brands are often compared to Axiom. I'm sure a forum search would reveal some relevant threads.
Your system should be fantastic. Best wishes, and enjoy the journey.
