Hello deach,
I had the opportunity to listen to both - but not side by side. IMO the VR1's are excellent speakers, but not worth the difference in price. Both have great soundstage, imaging, and detail in mids and upper freqs. The VR1's do have slightly more warmth at the bottom end - some similarities to the Monitor Audio sound. Both are great speakers, but the Axioms are a better value. Also you might want to take a listen to the Monitor Audio Gold series bookshelfs if you're interested in going to about $1300. To my ears they sound fantastic, just alot to spend on bookshelf speakers.
