I certainly think you would be able to hear the character brightness of the Axioms over another type of more laid back speaker in your newly refurnished room ('audiophile' or not) and i definitely believe that the room you are portraying may not be very flattering for the Axiom speaker.
A friend of mine recently brought by a pair of Kefs which we put up against the M60s for comparison. I liked the Kefs (for sound, not looks) and the upper frequencies were definitely not as bright as the M60s. However i know that my present basement is not the permanent location for our system and that a larger, more filled out, better sonically designed room will eventually be the final resting place once we move.
Now i do consider my M60s bright and the room in which i have my system is not nearly as reflective as your own (judging by your description).
We have a thin carpet with concrete underneath (no subfloor). The walls are studded, drywall again with concrete behind. There are no curtains, but there is a drop ceiling making the ceiling height about 7 foot) and is covered by the insulated paneling.
In comparison with your room, i would say you will have alot more reflections.
Maybe this weekend, i will bring my system upstairs for trials in our living room. Only one couch, hardwood laminate flooring, no curtains, more wide open room, taller ceiling, regular stucco. Then perhaps i can try to estimate just how much different a room with more reflections would affect how i hear sound from the M60s. I'm curious to see if i find the Axiom speaker more bright than before or if its sonic character reflecting off the walls in that room would have made me choose a different speaker for our system had our tv been upstairs instead of the basement.
Hmm, now you've started me down another path of furniture moving and equipment lugging. My wife will be thrilled.
Alan did mention in
a post not too long ago that the reference living room setup they use at Axiom seems to make the speaker sound smooth and balanced (or to me i interpret that as ' less bright than most people have reported'). This of course only goes to show, as you pointed out, how the mere furnishings, or any interior aspect of a room can actually make or break your decision on a speaker brand. Hopefully Alan will toss in some more comments or perhaps Amie can post a picture of this room so we can all take a look.
