Thanks for the quick feedback. I have to admit, of all the boards I frequent, you folks have to be the nicest group going. This was a MAJOR factor in me deciding in favor of Axiom.
Yes, I do plan on purchasing the QS8s soon after this purchase, but I have limited economic bandwidth (translation = Wife approved budget) right now. Besides, it is always fun to get the Fed-Ex knock at the door, so splitting the order extends the “anticipation high” of a system upgrade.
Right now, I have Klipsch reference 3 series all around. And to tell you the truth, I have been a fan of Klipsch for a long time. My father always had a nice set of Klipsch speakers in his listening room, and I have assumed I would carry on the “family tradition” of Klipsch loyalty during my ongoing quest for sonic bliss.
However, as hard as I have tried, I simply cannot get past the fatiguing nature of the RF3s. Any music listening at moderate volumes for an average time strains my ears. As you probably know, this fatigue is hard to explain. I have tweaked everything and still not been able to get past it. When I first hit play, I think, “Dang. This sounds good.” Ten minutes later I am clamoring for the remote to turn it down. And I am not talking about LOUD listening. I am talking about the “wife is at the gym and I have a cold one in my hand” volume setting. Is this just my fastidious ears reacting to the horn?
The rest of my current set-up includes:
Denon 3802
Denon 2200
Mits 55413
HSU VTF-2
Blue Jeans interconnects
Does anyone see any reason to upgrade another component before I move to Axiom? Axiom is certainly in my future, so buying something else first won’t prevent me from getting the Axiom’s later. Is the now long-forgotten 3802 sufficient? My other thought was moving to separates now and getting speakers later. I listen primarily to classic rock, ranging from the Stones to CCR. Of course, as a fan of DVD-A and SACD, I also listen to almost anything on those formats. Curious for your thoughts.--Andy
