Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Axiom vs. B&W

I have long been a fan of B&W speakers! I have recently discovered Axiom, and I'm wondering how they compare. This past weekend I listened to the B&W 800D, incredibly amazing!! At $20,000 a pair they are by far a dream speaker! I listened to the 703's and was very impressed as well. They happen to be $3,000 a pair, a little more realistic. So, with that said, how do the M80 v2 compare? Has anyone heard the difference? The B&W's were driven by Krell componants and connected with Purist Audio Design cables. By far the best sounding system I have ever heard! Hudson's Audio in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Thanks for the input!

Mike

Several of us have agreed (based on auditioning) that the M60s and B&W 703s sound pretty much identical - at 1/3 the price. The M80s have more headroom than the M60s, but they sound the same. Buy the M80s and be happy.

I listened to the B&W Nautilus http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.models/label/Model%20Nautilus the other day.

Amazing is all I can say.

But at 40 some thousand dollars, the performance difference was not even close to the price difference.

Is the Nautilus a better speaker then the axiom, sure. Are they worth so much more? Not in a million years..

My M60's compare pretty damn nicely. I dont know how Axiom does it for the price they sell them at.

Wow! Thanks for the input! Please keep the comments coming! Axiom seems the way to go!

I noticed the M80 (7.4) system! Why would you need four of those subs? What kind of application would they be used in?

Demolition, I would think.

Thats what I'm thinking!! Curious, has anyone in here heard just one EP600 V2? How is it?

I spent a long time demoing B&W, NHT, and a few others about a year ago. Like you, I like the 703's but when I saw the price tag, thinking that was for a pair, I was sadly notified that was per speaker. Then I found Axiom, based on all the reviews/advertising I found on other websites. Took the plunge and never looked back. I would say the m60s' are very similar to the 703's, maybe even a little better. You might want to check the Audition Thread in the "Hearing Things" forum to see if anybody is in your area willing to let you listen. The v2's won't sound largely different than the previous m60's, however, they did make some minor changes to the crossover points.

Dude, save your money and go with the Axioms. I have a pair of 703's that I got a few years back. They now sit in a box in storage because one of them is on it's 2nd mid range. After the first one cost me several hundred bucks to replace, and B&W swearing it must be my amp / listening style etc...I decided to try something different. BTW, I love B&W's. Incredible sound. And some day I will own a pair of 800 D's...but in the mean time reality says my M80v2's are 95-97% of what those 800's are. And every bit as good as the 703's. Maybe better. And there's the specs too. The 703's are only rated for 200 watts. (Maybe that's why I've blown two midranges? Don't think so.) I've been running a pair of M&K' S150's off that same amp, at the same volume for years with no problems. I still think it's a B&W driver problem.

As for the EP600. Great sub. I'm comparing it to an M&K MX-350, also a great sub that I still use it in a different room. If anything the M&K sub is a bit more "in your face" , "tighter" and "quicker". But that being said there's not a hell of a lot of difference. Both go WAY down and rattle the house. You find all kinds of loose things in a newly constructed house playing with either one of these subs. And the EP600 seems to blend perfectly with the M80's.

Try the Axioms, yes the B&W's are great too but more money doesn't always mean better. Besides, will B&W let you try them in you house for 30 days?