Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Any guesses as to what the wood veneers will cost?

I want to order an Epic 80/500 system NOW in black, but am concerned about the quality of the vinyl finish.

Any rumors on the cost of the veneers? Take the $1200 EP500, what do you think it will cost in a veneer?

Probably wouldn't hurt to call or PM Axiom directly for pricing. There were a few rumours discussed but I don't think we really know.

For what it's worth, other than "knowing it's vinyl" (which always hurts ) the quality of the finish is extremely high and it's not hard to convince someone that it is real wood veneer if they don't actually run their nails along the surface or look REALLY closely.

If you look from a couple of inches away it's clear that the grain is too regular for wood, and that there are none of the tiny defects you see in a real veneer finish, but otherwise the vinyl is better than you might expect.

talked to JC, he said nothing definitive. I've got an itchy trigger finger here. If they are like 25% more I wouldn't get em.

I'm not so much concerned with looks as I am with longevity.

In reply to:

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talked to JC

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Wow! I had no idea Axiom employed Jesus Christ! No wonder they're such a great company.

Considering the Gloss (piano finish) black/white options come with a 42% premium, you may be a little low with your 25% limit.

If it’s any consolation to you, the vinyl is very well done. Does it look like real wood?? Hell no it doesn’t! It’s vinyl for Christ’s sake!! If someone can’t tell the difference between a picture of wood, and real wood, they need to get out of the city more.

I have the black oak. Doesn't look bad. I hope to one day have a dedicated HT room which I want the speakers to virtually disappear when the lights go down. That is why I went for the black personally.

Don't be silly, Peter; Chris meant that he asked during Mass.

Hi evilchris,

The $1200 EP500? In real wood veneer? it will be ABOUT $1400, a 17% increase. Note the "about". We are still finalizing prices. This is NOT the final word; just a hint. Other models will be more, and the premium on average will be about 30%.

By the way, you can order free samples of the vinyl finish, with grille cloth attached. Just call the toll-free number. See for yourself how good it looks.

Regards,

>>If someone can’t tell the difference between a picture of wood, and real wood, they need to get out of the city more.

Agreed. I should qualify my statement to include "you can convince city folk that it is real wood unless..."

Sorry……….didn‘t mean to come across as a dick.

I can tell it’s fake clear across the room. But I’m also a woodworker, so it’s hard to fool me. Vinyl and laminates are nothing more than a big friggin picture cut into little pieces and laid over the product to make sheets. So, you get the same pattern over and over again.

I will clarify that Axiom does a very good job with their vinyl though. But one shouldn’t get their hopes up. It’s not real.

I’d go with one of the custom colors myself if I were to do it over again and didn’t want to pop for the custom wood veneer. Some of the custom colors look pretty cool.