Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Somebody doesn't like our Axioms!

This was posted on Ecoustics.com I guess he's entited to his opinion (even if he is wrong)Ordered my back set of QS8's yesterday!

"I've been reading, listening, researching. My head was swimming with buzzwords like soundstage, imaginng, etc.

First I tried the Monitor Audio bronze series floorstanders. Very flat sounding. I read so much about Axiom that I simply couldn't resist. Compared side by side with the Montiors there was no question about it, the Axioms won.

However, the more I listened to the Axioms (M60's) the more I realized the sound wasn't all that great. Very boomy in the bass side, mid's and high's were okay, but just not great. For $800 I thought they were fine, but I wasn't looking for fine and I'll tell you this right now... Axiom does a great job of internet marketing and while this is only my opinion there is no way they are better than B&W, Paradigm, KEF, etc. like I heard so many people say. They also aren't in the same league as speakers costing twice, three times that. Don't believe everything you hear over the internet. People are crazy. The Axiom's are fine for the money, but as I write this my pair is on their way back to Canada.

Then I listened very seriously to the Paradigm studio 20's and 40's v.3. I liked them a lot. Was ready to go ahead and make the purchase but then I went to a store that let me compare them side by side with a pair of Linn (monitors). The Linn's were way better and it made me realize that while the Paradigms were nice, they're also very muddled. That is to say, they kind of blur everything together.

I was ready to get the Linn's but then I went to another store and was turned onto DynAudio 52's. It really was no contest. It's amazing how much punch those little speakers pack into their tiny box. Not only that but the mid's and highs were sweeter, crisper than any speaker I'd listened to in my price range (mostly monitors, I gave up trying to find a decent floorstander in my price range).

Also, I should say that the Dynaudio's really did blow away the paradigm. I think that if I never heard them I would have been completely happy with the Paradigms, but now I couldn't, wouldn't possibly be able to do that.

I'm currently breaking in the Dyn's (with an older receiver). I can't wait to get a new receiver to really get a sense of what these speakers can do. However, if you're considering any of the brands similar to what I've looked at you should really take a look at the Dynaudio.

To sum up, you can do all the research in the world, listen to all the experts. Everybody has their preferences, the speakers they like and you simply can't take anybodies word for it. The best you can hope when trolling the boards for information is just to get a sense of the kind of speakers in your price range. Ultimately you have to go out and listen and choose based on what you like, what sounds best to your ear.

However, I did get one great piece of advice from all of this. I started my search looking for a floorstander for under a thousand bucks. A couple people mentioned that for my budget I would be much better served with a pair of bookshelves, higher quality mids and highs because better drivers. Plus, more flexibility down the road when adding to the system and makes for a better system overall. I heeded that advice and never looked back.

Now all I have to do is save up for a sub, center, surround (or new fronts) amp, pre-amp, new cd player.

This is a terribly fun hobby, but wow, pricey.

Thanks for reading."


Any feedback on this?

"Boomy on the bass side"? Now THERE's a first. So far the Axioms are too bright AND boomy on the bass side. I give up. Now if we can just get someone to complain they're too strong in the mid range, we can use these criticisms to prove they are perfectly balanced across the frequency spectrum. Too much high end, too much mid range, and boomy bass = perfect accuracy .

That is an odd post to say the least. The Dyna's are an awesome speaker so I would tend to agree on his thoughts on those. I have always thought they are a underated speaker........but the M60's are boomy? I have never heard the M60's but I have owned the M80's and boomy is not a word I would use. I would also disagree that the Linns are better then the Paradigms but I digress.............Axiom's are boomy? I don't think I can get my head around that one.

Well no doubt he ended up with some nice speakers but to me his review doesn't demonstrate much knowledge about listening to speakers. Everything was apparently listened to under different circumstances and not a word about setting up the speakers or exploring placement and room dynamics. Then he felt the need to put down most everything else to assert the superiority of what he now owns.

Last night I watched a dvd that came in the mail promoting Dynaudio speakers. Very impressive. I kept wondering about the prices though.

I like md55's observation about the complete lack of side-by-side comparison and even passing interest in controlling other factors. It's too bad, because that could have been a pretty valuable review. But there were three things that diminished the credibility to me:

1. The assertion about M60's being boomy. Now, I'm not naive enough to think that they are everybody's cup of tea, but that opinion is not one I have EVER heard before, and certainly does not match my experience in any way.
2. The comment about "break in"
3. The broad assertion that the drivers in monitor speakers are of higher quality than those in floorstanding speakers. Huh?

I thought it was an interesting journey, but was a little perplexed by the overt hatchet job on Axiom compared to the other brands mentioned.

To each his own.

Jack - the M3s must be perfectly accurate then - anyone that's seen the National Research Council's graphs and the dreaded M3 "hump" at 1K suddenly thinks the mid-range is too "present" or "forward" or "wombat".

Every time I read a review that mentions Axiom being marketing swindlers, it kind of hits home - the company is pretty darn modest, it's us in the forum they're taking a swipe at.

Bren R.

Many do not realize that those NRC graphs are also a bit older. If i recall correctly, Alan mentioned some of the speakers may have been tweaked from those first released.

True. That's what bothered me the most.If you don't like the speaker that's ok, but there has never been a hard sell with this company, in fact they encouraged me to go with the 60 vs the 80 for my setup and they sound well... BOOMY in the BASS-NOT LOL

Fun read, izub, thanks.
That guy is obviously a moron. But not because he doesn't like Axioms - not everybody does. Boomy? LOL

Firstly, I have not listened to all the speakers mentioned, If there is some credibility it's the choice in the Dynaudio speakers. It also seems that each time he listened to a speaker, it trumped the previous, It kinda seems like the ear (his ear) may have been in a quandry. I somewhat did the same thing, because all the enviorments are so different, that includes store atmosphere, acostics, salespeople, and pre-conceived thoughts. It's the age-old thing, are we talking best, or best value. He did not mention what he paid for the Dynaudio's, but I looked at them very seriously, and that's why he is looking for surrounds, sub, and center "in the future" I don't think Axiom would match/surpass the Dynaudio's, but it a whole different price point. Just the other day I went to a customers home in Palm Beach, the music was on, and he had a sub that was to die for, I LOVE my eartquake supernova subs, but this sub was fantastic. We talked abit, the sub was a rel studio 2 sub he paid 7900.00 (U.S) yeah, it had the edge over my sub, but I am not running out to get it-----YET LOL. I'll take the Axiom sound per dollar aganist anything I have heard. Jon

Good observation. Whatever he listened to next, he seemed to like better. I'm still stuck on "Boomy" I just don't get it. I threw out the term bright with my M80's. Not the best term and a few around here use the term forward which is one I like better. Now when people ask me what I didn't like about the M80's, I try and remember to say to forward versus to bright. In the end it all comes down to what you like. I have been in some folks houses and walked out shaking my head at how bad I thought it sounded but if the person who owns it, likes it, more power to them!

Well I can take a stab at boomy. I set up my M22s on a window sill. Behind them is a 36 square foot pane of glass. Hit the loudness button on the Denon receiver and the M22s are "boomy". At moderate volume it can be like a gentle punch in the chest every few heart beats. I never get this kind of boominess from the M50's in the living room. What was missing in that review was any demonstration of awareness of the second most important element in the system, environment.

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I somewhat did the same thing, because all the enviorments are so different, that includes store atmosphere, acostics, salespeople, and pre-conceived thoughts.

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Acostics? I get that all the time at Future Shop... the second I walk in the door I'm accosted by a half dozen "sales reps" (really glorified stock pullers).

Bren R.

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Acostics? I get that all the time at Future Shop... the second I walk in the door I'm accosted by a half dozen "sales reps" (really glorified stock pullers).

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Maybe they think your cute.

To each their own!

The rules to good speakers for this guy must be no bass = good bass. Sheesh, if he thinks Axioms are boomy, he needs to go visit Best Buy or Circuit City, then he can complain about boomy bass.

I'll trade him my computer speakers for his Axioms