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I have skin in game from Stereoguy99's comparison because, deep down, I'm a researcher. I research things obsessively, find that many of the ideas floating around are BS, and make it a mission to debunk them and find a better solution. My book on social class was such a project. It didn't make me rich, but gave me glorious purpose for 12 years. And it effectively inoculated me from luxury marketing for life.

I like to think I've figured out finding value in audio, and it's not too far off from "it's the loudspeaker, stupid". Amps, DAC's, interconnects, power conditioners and expensive = better are red herrings to the ultimate goal of good sound.

Everything I've gleaned tells me that Axiom will consistently win over the Paradigm over a large sample size of tracks...but even i want to know if that's true or not. We only have measurements from Axiom, and those measurements could have been cooked for all we know. Empirical evidence, even if it's N=1, is the final judge.

The measurements aren't cooked. The curves sure are!

In the 80s & 90s I learned how to evaluate audio equipment (I'm speaking by listening rather than measurement). Always trying to evaluate and compare by sonic memory (which IMO is doable only on the grossest level). If it sounded close to my sonic memory of what ever my reference was (mid 90’s that was the B&W 802 “matrix”) for a fraction of the price then it was time to pull the trigger.

My thinking was that I was not going to be comparing these things side by side … so if it put the equivalent smile on my face at a fraction of the cost … that was the speaker for me!

The display of the curves are … heavily smoothed and zoomed out so you can not see any detail… like most manufacturers who display curves.

I was not referring to smoothing. The curves, particularly the sound power, is cooked based on a recipe Axiom invented.

Need more Details

Sung to the tune of "We three kings from orient are"

We six curves of Axiom are

We six curves of Axiom are
30 years old we've come so far
every one eighteenth pi rad, an anechoic curve we add
of spinorama data not scalar.

Refrain:

O curves of tone and SPL
curves with similar shape and flare
gentle slope, low Q nope
perfect sound these curves foretell.

Direct sound real flat without any gain
"Axial Response" that is my name
simple content, most important
over all curves I reign.

Repeat refrain

A "Listening Window" nine curves mean am I
0 to +/-30 degrees across, 10 degrees down, 10 degrees high
within a dB, these curves must be
for listeneners to joyously sigh.

Repeat refrain

Image width, stability, timbre to tame
+/-40, 60, 80 across and 50 down and high's the game
most that we hear, bounce from quite near
"Early Reflections" is my aim.

Repeat refrain

A speaker's signature doth we take now
weighted mean of 70 curves is how
downward tilting, no broad wilting
"Sound Power" curve art thou.

Repeat refrain

The "DI" curve is the cash cow
the "Listening Window" from "Sound Power" take away now
closer to zero, it's a hero
listeners will procalaim a big "Wow!"

Repeat refrain

One last curve is for finesse
"Early Reflections" from "Sound Power" we minus
lateral prophylaxis, from far-off axis
"Early Reflections DI" shows polar bias.

Repeat refrain

Low DI with curves smooth and similar
disperse the sound as not to be insular
audio pornography, via sonic holography
sharp images spaced out renders them singular.

Repeat refrain

Axiom's direct radiators sound great when they're played
sound power declining 3dB per decade
if that DI, is a bit high
zero DI ALFRs can be yours via trade.

For those waiting with bated breath here is a early tease set up speakers side by side...no Room correction used or will be used for the first few days....as I thought speakers are neck & neck early on very hard to tell which stay they both sound more balanced(highs & bass response) then the Revels did.....one factor having nothing to due with sound is the height of the VP-160 is a factor with my new TV stand as the VP-160 is level to my wall mounted 65" OLED(in other words sitting at my MLP & else where in the room the lower bezel of TV is at same level as VP-160). For now focusing only on sound quality but could swing the choice can not move TV at all due to room layout.So there is a quick update more to come soon....say Mon/Tue!!!!

Floyd Toole skewers the B&W Matrix 802N as a deeply flawed loudspeaker in his book. I remember being extremely impressed with the Thiel CS 3.6 back in the mid-90's, and Sean Olive mentioning that loudspeaker as normcore average. My favorite demo was a KEF Model 4 with its bottomless bass, something I routinely achieve with a sub from the same era.

It almost feels like a downer that my current and secondary 2022 setups are more neutral and likely outperform my 90's heroes.

The talk about the 802N reminded me of this post which includes loads of input from Olive & Toole:

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/b-...-respond-floyd-toole-sean-olive.2914582/