Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Axiom vs Paradigm Signature

Very cool. The standard Axiom finishes are in vinyl. Do you plan on upgrading to a veneer finish? The great thing here is that Axiom has plenty of options in that regards. The sound quality of the M80's should be pretty similar to the S8 with a perceived "brighter" top end.

From the comments Chuck made on the M80s vs the Sig8s, I think you would be very happy with the M80s. They seem to do everything the Sigs do, just not quite as well.

Thanks for the info. Like I told you, I don't care too much about the finish, so vinyl would be fine. What I am concerned is the weight!! The M80 weights 56.8 lbs each, while the S8 weights 100 lb each...

It's likely that the S8 has a more weight in it's cabinet, in part because it's nearly 10 inches taller than the M80, but also a couple of inches deeper as well. It may also have more bracing to go with the cabinet as well. Also the S8 has 5 x 7" drivers vs 2 x 6.5" and 2 x 5.25" on the M80, so there could be some added weight there on the magnets...the M80s are hefty, but certainly not nearly as much as the S8s. Sometimes, and I'm not saying it's the case here necessarily, extra bracing is just...extra bracing.

Hi Nickba,

While I'd be delighted if you gave Axiom's M80s a 30-day trial, I suspect that if you put both pairs behind an acoustically transparent curtain, and switched back and forth between the M80s and the Paradigm S8s, you'd find their respective sound signatures "similarly good". Not exactly alike, but very close, and your preference for one over the other may vary with each selection of music.

I say that having done hundreds of double-blind comparisons of many brands of speakers originally developed at the National Research Council in Ottawa (plus lots of others). I've heard the Paradigm Signature models and they are very good, if a little upper bass-heavy, which is a Paradigm characteristic I've noted from their earliest models. I heard the large Signature center channel, and while it's excellent, it's no better than Axiom's new VP180 center and it's a lot more costly.

Regards,
Alan

The S8 will be more robust when it comes to build quality. Larger cabinet, more internal bracing used in the cabinet, heavier drivers etc.

Hi,

Again, thank you very much for all the informations!! So seems that the weight will not be the problem...

Alan, it is great to have your opinion since you actually heard both!! My problem is that I am not in USA or Canada, so a trial would be impossible as customs taxes over here are ridiculous. I talked to my favorite dealer in the country I am living now(Brazil) and he told me he contacted Axiom to try to prepare a ShowRoom only to show me the speakers. My dealer told me if I don't like the speakers, it will not be a problem, but he is waiting a reply from Axiom.

If I like the speakers I will build a new room on my second house with a 7.1 setup.

I hope he gets a reply from Axiom soon!

And again thank you for all the information!!

Axiom normally does not deal through a dealer network, but you never know... Hope you become one of us soon.

sirquack, I hope to be part of the Axiom happy owners soon. I saw in the website that Axiom normally sells directly to customers, but I think it works most to USA and Canada. For me I would have to pay almost twice the price of the speakers due to taxes and shipping. So if I had the chance to test them over here, it would be great.

I don't know if Brazil has something like the right of first sale doctrine, like in the US. But there's no reason a dealer couldn't place an order from Axiom and then re-sell them to you. Then if you don't like them, they could sell to someone else. The only restriction which may apply is the warranty is only for the original purchaser (in this case the dealer), and won't transfer to subsequent owners.