Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Addressing the Reviews Question

Taking a page out of Nick's book, I thought I should post a little about the reviews question that catbrat and gtsuper brought up in another thread.

First, some good news: we actually sent product out to three different reviewers last week, so more reviews are on the horizon!

Second, there have been reviews since 2007 certainly, and if our site doesn't do a very good job of showing that then we will definitely work on that, and I thank you for the criticism. I have noticed that new reviews are the most-clicked-on items in our newsletters . . . well, other than new product mentions, naturally!

Third, although we put over a year into developing v3, it was difficult to convince reviewers that the product was different and worthy of reviewing. That's a reality in an industry with hundreds of brands, unfortunately, and although some reviewers recognized that there were significant differences, it is easier for them to point out 'shiny new finishes' or 'snazzy new configurations' to their audience than it is to show improvements in nuance and soundstage and tonal response. For those of us in the Axiom family, the differences certainly weren't subtle, and a lot of you who upgraded noted as much in your comments to us.

Fourth, and here's where it gets exciting - with the launch of new products hinted at in our October newsletter, it should be no problem at all to get some new reviews generated, so please be patient!

I have long struggled with how to make our customer reviews easier to post, because I think a lot of us are as interested in how other customers just like us find certain products as how professionals do . . . I'm starting to favour allowing comments to be posted with a Facebook login. I'd love to hear your feedback on that.

Oh, and I am not sure if I have missed any, but here are some of the reviews from the last 18 months, to show that I'm not making this up!


July 2010 - EP800 - http://www.soundstage.com/equipment/axiom_ep800_v3.htm http://www.soundstage.com/equipment/axiom_ep800_v3.htm

October 2010 - Epic 80 800 - http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/home-thea...tem-review.html http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/home-thea...tem-review.html

October 2010 - Epic Grand Master - http://www.digitaltrends.com/speaker-and-subwoofer-reviews/axiom-epic-grand-master-500-review/ http://www.digitaltrends.com/speaker-and-subwoofer-reviews/axiom-epic-grand-master-500-review/

November 2010 - M3 On-Wall - http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/s...l#ixzz14u83tsWY http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/s...l#ixzz14u83tsWY

January 2011 - M60s - http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article/test-report-axiom-audio-m60-v3-tower-speakers http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article/test-report-axiom-audio-m60-v3-tower-speakers

March 2011 - M3s - http://reviews.audioreview.com/axiom-m3v3-bookshelf-speaker-review http://reviews.audioreview.com/axiom-m3v3-bookshelf-speaker-review

April 2011 - Epic 80 800 http://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=182 http://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=182

May 2011 - Epic Midi - http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/36506 http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/36506

September 2011 - M2s - http://www.guru3d.com/article/axiom-m2-v3-bookshelf-speaker-review/1 http://www.guru3d.com/article/axiom-m2-v3-bookshelf-speaker-review/1

That looks like it ought to very well nip it in the bud Amie, Thanks for sharing!

Nice reviews BTW.

Thanks for taking the time to inform us Amie...

Best, Randy

I hope I haven't 'shut the conversation' down though - you guys have no idea how much we value and appreciate your comments, criticisms and suggestions. We're so lucky to have a great group like all of you that help us to improve. Keep'em coming, including on this topic!

Feeling is mutual

Where any of the reviewers allowed to conduct and publish various measurements? Like the EP800. Or is it more of a sales job wrap in a review? I have a hard time believing that a $2440 subwoofer can be considered with no 3rd party measurements. My friend says his Mirage S10.3 is the best sounding sub he heard for HT, but that doesn't make him right.

I don't know why Axiom shys away from reviews that will really hammer a product. Hopefully someone will get ahold of the EP 800 and do a no holds bar review on it full torture test like the PB13 has gone through.

Here is Ian's explanation of the Audioholics sub shootout.

Actually, Dale Rasco did extensive measuring of the sub in a large auditorium I seem to recall. SoundStage often publishes graphs with their reviews but I don't believe they do when they review just a subwoofer.

I'm honestly perplexed by all the animosity we continuously receive around the subwoofers and the constant desire to 'hammer' them, but I don't want to get into it here. Tight, elegant, fast, musical, deep bass is what the Axiom subwoofers strive for, and there are plenty of other subs out there if that is not what you are looking for. All computer reviews don't involve overclocking and running the speakers at full tilt until you blow one: some of them actually focus on what it is like to use one. . . and all BMW reviews don't involve how the car performs at 300kph on the Autobahn to the exclusion of what it is actually like to drive one with a car full of kids and a traffic jam ahead . . . I understand what you are looking for and I think there are lots of brands catering to that, and some of them do an excellent job of it.

I think the Axiom subwoofer animosity has been done to death and the negativity around it overwhelms me; I'm sorry. I understand that a lot of people enjoy the shootouts etc. It's just not where we are focusing our energy at the moment. That isn't to say that our new subwoofers aren't excellent; they are. It's just that the amount of effort required to change people's mind (many of whom have never heard or seen our products) is not where we need to be acting right now. Keeping a business alive in this industry in this country in this economy - that's where our energy is at right now. Creating exciting new products (and there are a few on the very close horizon) is where our energy is at right now. And not catering to people who simply want to see us fail is where our energy is at right now (and I by no means put gtpsuper in this category. Not at all.)

I hope you'll understand, and I will certainly understand if you don't - but I am not interested in further debate on the subwoofer shootout issue.

Nice work, Amie.

"This is no mere subwoofer - it's The Hand of Zeus."

But yet can't really find out though right? When I said hammer I wasn't talking about trying to destroy the woofers. I want to see what this subwoofer can do playing War of the Worlds or Cloverfield in a larger room at reference levels when you hit those peak spls. I want to know that if I hand over $2K+ on a subwoofer that I can really use it and not have to baby the damn thing. SVS PB13 Ultra has been beat to death over and over in many reviews and holds up just fine, Axiom doesn't have the confidence in their product for that. I really want to know how it compares to the competition, truely. Thats why shootouts and proper measurements are done. I don't know why your perplexed about the dislike toward Axiom subwoofers? They offer no incentive to purchase them over the other brands.


Yes when a computer review is done it isn't overclocked till it blows but its nice to see what the computer is capable of, and not just idle along, playing solitare or surfing the net. Push the graphic card and CPU to the limit play Crisis game or Call of Duty ect...

Thank you, Amie.

Amie, a lot of other companies are now allowing reviews to be posted on their websites with a Facebook login. The reasons for the Facbook login should be obvious to everyone..


I think it is a good idea

Transformers 3 completely blew me away the other night. The hair on my legs stood up and I was not at an Imax. For me it is about real experience, not some biased review. Buy one and enjoy it, or don't and yap it up.

Any way to cut the costs on the axiom center channel speaker stand?

I'd like to see a Google+ Axiom Page.. screw this FB action.

Alrighty Ben . . . I've set up the first post . . . baby steps!

Axiom's Google + Page

Nicely done on the page layout Amie, is 'Google+' similar to Facebook?

Yes, exactly, with the goal of being a more intimate conversation with your acquaintances . . . for example, if you're logged into your Google + account and you use Google as a search engine, if any of your 'circle' (meaning people you have connected with on Google +) have "+-1'd" a page, your Google search results page will show that. It's a way of personalizing the internet experience.

Thanks for the explanation Amie, you know us folks that are one step away from Medicare and assisted living facilities are not always up to snuff with what's happening around us.

That's why we need nice people like you around Amie.

It has definitely been too long since we met if you're suddenly a step away from assisted living! LOL! Anyway, some of the young whippersnappers on the boards may be able to give a better explanation, but that's what I know.

Them kids with their earphone music players and their rock and roll music with that screamin' and cursin' and their pants fallin' down, and....

oh wait....

I agree about the pants.

Google+ is basically Google's answer to Facebook, but most techies believe it's much better than FB (like me).



Thanks Amie!

Whippersnappers? Kinda like that. Don't think I've seen that word in print before.