Has any compared to the air to the apple homepod? I have the homepod and it sounds pretty good but it's cable dependent and does not go loud. Can you turn up an air?

The Homepod is a total pussy sound pressure-wise compared to the Force or Freedom.

I have yet to hear any other wireless speaker that comes close to the Axiom Air in quality or SPL output. It's size is a bit daunting for some though. You are packing essentially two M3s into a box. It is not what some people consider to be 'portable' or small enough in stature to place around the home.
When the kids take it to the rink, it is carried in a backpack!

Rebulx can buy the Force for Dawn. She'll haul that thing around like it's nothing. As for Rebulx, he can prevent back pain with the Freedom.

Volume is one of the airs strengths. I’m pretty sure that there have been changes between my unit and the current version. My unit was a bit bass heavy especially indoors. Lately I haven’t noticed it as much. I assume because I’m using it outdoors more but maybe something changed software wise or I’m just not tuned in as much. Since COVID we’ve been having a lot of outdoor get togethers and dinner parties on the deck or at the fire pit ... most of the time the air is being used as background music. Occasionally we turn it up for a little dancing.

https://www.axiomaudio.com/boards/ubbthreads.php/topics/436950/re-force-or-freedom#Post436950

Thanks Mojo, don’t remember reading that. Yeah, that agrees with my take.
Might upgrade at some point but right now this one seems to be doing fine for how I’m using it.
Actually, now that I have a deck it’s working out great. Remember the sound core head phones I thought were so-so? They turned out to be perfect for the shop. Since they are noise canceling I use them as muffs and get some decent tunes in.

Might as well wait for The Fury.

Don’t need bigger ... actually I’d really like a model where you could separate the left and right speakers. I’d even be willing to carry a speaker cable with it.

It is true that even a beefy hunk like me finds the Force to be a good substitute for single arm, behind-the-neck presses. In the same form factor, an 8" woofer with twin 4" mid-ranges and tweeters could work but it would be heavier for sure.

I have a plastic Sony tape deck/CD/radio boom box with detachable speakers that weighs almost nothing. I have to say when I separate the speakers around 8 feet and sit 12 feet away, the imaging is acceptable. No battery though and the sound quality is nothing like the Air. My $20 Logitech laptop soundbar with USB interface that I got at London Drugs 13 years ago sounds better than the Sony. That soundbar was an absolutely fantastic purchase BTW. I highly recommend it.

I've been considering getting a Freedom for work. I've been using someone else's Bluetooth speaker that they leave there, but the sound quality really isn't anything, especially since it's a warehouse, so not just sitting at a desk to enjoy the tunes. I haven't been able to commit just yet, since I'm also trying to save up for a pre-pro. In the meantime, listening to music at work makes me a little sad.

Whether or not you can derive value from the Air at work depends on how loud you can play it, how you place it and whether you have access to wifi. The Freedom is quite easy to lug around. I've been using a free app called Vradio to listen to internet radio. The Vradio app is excellent and has built-in DLNA/uPnp support so I don't have to use Bluetooth.

I don't think I'll have trouble deriving value from it. No matter what, it will play cleanly louder than the existing Bluetooth speaker. For my personal use, I'd hook my phone up via the analog connection and play music that's stored on the phone with MediaMonkey. I'm on night shift now, alone for 6-7 hours of it, so I won't be bothering anyone else with my music. The only thing that gives me pause is I'd want to be a good guy and let other people use it during the day when I'm not there. If the wireless connectivity is flaky, I'll probably just put it in my locker when I'm not there.

Wireless via WiFi and Bluetooth works great! It's the Spotify Connect that is problematic.

Based on what you told me, your MediaMonkey use case would be no problem at all. And if you can place it anywhere you want, and turn it up, then I'd say you are good to go!

As for others, if they connect via analog input, Bluetooth or via an app that natively supports DLNA/UpNP, they are good to go as well.

Thanks, Mojo. I may get it sooner rather than later now.

Cherry chestnut top. That's the way to go!

I should trust you since you've been getting every possible variation. My first inclination was toward the walnut natural.

The answer is probably easily found right where I'm not looking, but does the optional battery have to be added up front, or is it something I can add later if I feel I need it?

I have the natural walnut on LFRs and subs. I love it. It is lighter than the cherry chestnut though. The Freedom looks more "grounded" with the darker cherry chestnut. The Freedom and the cherry chestnut go together like Blake Lively and a wavy mane of golden blonde hair.

The Freedom has only one battery. You can add it later. I ran it for 19 hours at a decent 40% volume on wifi.

Okay, I ordered the Freedom with the cherry chestnut top. I didn't select that I can wait 21 days this time, so here's hoping it ships quickly! I'm looking forward to having better sound at work. Oh, and I went ahead and got the optional battery instead of waiting. Happy Mother's Day to me.

Congrats and Happy Mother's Day, Charlotte. May you enjoy it as much as I enjoy Blake Lively.

Expecting some pics when it arrives.

This reminds me, at some point i should update from firmware 2.08 at some point. I swear if it do it will bork its present usefulness though.
If it ain't broke...

Pic.

https://www.axiomaudio.com/boards/ubbthreads.php/topics/436875/re-force-or-freedom#Post436875

Will do. JC emailed today to ask what color of body I wanted for the AxiomAir, as my order didn't show a choice for that. I said black and felt like a rich person in Get Out. I hope this means they're gearing up to ship my order soon.

Sorry, Charles. I forgot to tell you that black is the way to go.

Still no emails about it being shipped. Getting antsy. I'm guessing it would have shipped much quicker if I'd gone with a black top instead of cherry chestnut.

Hang in there, Charles. I doubt very much the delay has to do with the top. Rather, it's some 1 cent part from Taiwan. Besides, you really don't want to live with a plastic top.

Black body?
Might be worthwhile. I just noticed yesterday that our Air is yellowing on the bottomside and it doesn't look pretty.

Trade it in.

Whew, finally shipped today. Hopefully next week I'll be able to rock out.

Good deal. Now FedEx can play soccer with it.

How about that Cherry Chestnut? Pretty sweet, huh?

I don't know if mine turned out differently than normal, but there's a dull pinkness to it that looks off to me.

Care to upload a pic?
I know that Mojo has uploaded a number.
I rather thought in some of those pics that the cherry also looked a bit pinkish but just thought it was his picture quality (resolution is a bit off/low, Apple phone?).

Not an Apple fan. Sammy phone.

Under certain light, it can look reddish but I've never considered it pinkish.

I will try to remember to take a couple of pics tonight. My current LG phone doesn't take the greatest pics, so I'm taking in my old Pixel. Hopefully the color comes across how I'm seeing it.

Yeah, the pinkness I'm talking about doesn't really seem to be coming through in the pics. It's more apparent at certain angles, but I couldn't seem to get that angle in the pics that I took. Here's one, anyway.

I don't think your photo does yours justice.

I maintain the quality of the veneer varies with the price of the item. The cherry chestnut veneer on my 125s is a higher quality than on my Freedom. Ditto with the walnut on QS10 and 160 vs my active LFRs and 500s. I still really like the lower quality though and so do others.

P.S. The perimeter on yours isn't finished as well as on mine BTW.