To everyone who responded about my receiver issue, much thanks. Still watching prices, if things work out, I could wind up going with the Onkyo 806 still a toss up. Curious what everyone thinks about the Athena LS 300. $200 a pair. http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ATLS300

You get what you pay for in my opinion. Athena, like Energy and Mirage, builds a good speaker that represents good value for those on a budget. However, when comparing their floorstanding speakers for example, they are not in the same class as say a M60 or M80. This would hold true when comparing their cheaper bookshelfs to the Axiom lineup. You would have to go to the Energy "Veritas" series of floorstanding towers to get neutrality comparable to the M60, and the Veritas are 3 to 4 times the cost of the M60.

Athenas would be much like the regular line of Energy speakers.

If your looking to set up a system on a budget have you thought of Insignia speakers from Best Buy. They get real good reviews and look pretty good too. I think I'm going to buy some for my daughter for Christmas. Granted I would love to get her some M3s but that's not going to happen.

I could second insignia. my son has a set of computer speakers that I absolutely love the sound of.

I was close to getting myself some for the bedroom but they were a tad to big for where I wanted to put them. They are something else for the price.

I don't think I could bring myself to own a floorstander with only two small speakers in it. I figure if you're going to sacrifice that much space, you might as well use its full height to move all the air you can. (otherwise, i'd just get some book shelves instead)

Athena speakers are the entry level product of the company Audio Products International (API), manufacturers of Energy and Mirage, but up until the Klipsch Group acquired API, these speakers where and probably still are, in my opinion, some of the finest loudspeakers available. Back in their day Energy’s Connoisseur series and Pro Series would compete with Axiom products head on. I don't believe Energy loudspeakers are considered “budget” products anymore than I would consider Axiom products budget.

And we are all on a budget to some degree.

Is this to say that the athenas for the price would be okay, even though not the best. By the way I bought the Onkyo 606, amazon had it for $325. I also picked up some cheap bookshelves. Polk audio T-15. They sound a lot better than the sonys did. Don't know how big of a deal it is, only because I have not seen any specs on the axiom speakers, nevertheless I see or at least I think I see How much sensitivity and freq response have a lot to do with the way a speaker sounds....... But if you take two different speakers with the same specs, and each have different designs, outside and inside, how much does this affect the sound quality

Every aspect of the speakers design would have an affect on how it sounds.

With this in mind then how does one choose what works best?

Hello audiodreamer (cool)

No two loudspeaker systems ever sound exactly alike, even if all else is equal, all I can suggest to you is that I am familiar with Athena loudspeakers and for the price you really can’t go wrong. Athena is a respected name.
As with any speaker, the room their used in will have a profound effect on the sound you hear.
One more thing, I’m not suggesting that Athena loudspeakers are the best sound you can buy, I'm not sure there is a "Best loudspeaker out there" but some of the finest loudspeakers made are simple two way designs. More is not always better!!!

Enjoy

Are you asking what works best in your situation? If that's the case only you can decide that based on price, size, sound. It's all a personal choice that only you can make. Audition speakers that you would like to have within your budget. If you like the sound and price that's what works for you. Others on the forum might have other ideas and I hope they might answer your question better than I have.
Mel N.

It comes down to each speaker designer looking to have a particular sound for that speaker. There really is no best. This is why you have to listen to each speaker you are considering to purchase and decide which YOU like the best. I try to listen to many different speakers when I get a chance in a store and for the most part I would buy any one of them until I start to compare their indivicual sonic signatures, then you can start to hear subtilties, more detail from speaker A, better midrange from speaker B etc., they all sound good just different. As I bought Axioms I like the clear, clean, uncolored approach and I find many speakers out there sound slightly muffled in comparison.

My first post so please take it easy....For the money the older models of Athena speakers are not that bad. While I save to complete my Axiom set up I am running a set of AS-B2's and an AS-C1 center. They get pretty good bass response and fill in for movie night.
I wouldn't touch the new LS series of speakers. Every time I have heard them I walk away thinking. How did they screw up a good thing?
If you are considering Athena look for the older models.

I have to ask chef, since you are located in their area, have you been to Axiom's factory for a tour?

Although you didn't ask me, let me respond anyway.

I have a cottage in Huntsville (about 1/2 hour west of Dwight) and the girlfriend and I arranged to have a tour last July. It was a great experience.

Everyone I met, and we talked to them all, from the warehouse people to the designers to the office staff (don't recall any names - sorry), were friendly and enthusiastic - a strange trait for people at work on a beatiful summer day. The factory is bigger that it looks from the road but much smaller than I expected, they were finishing more space inside when we were there.

The two of us were given a guided tour including everything from the cutting room for the cabinets, the soundproof acoustic chamber they use to test the speakers, an area where they blow things up to see how much abuse they can handle, the assembly line and warehouse. Best of all at the end of the tour they left us alone in their audition room - looked like a meeting room with a couch and someone's desk in the corner, an assortment of speakers, TV and some random things that appeared to be stored in there; not like some of the acousticly treated, sterile listening rooms you see in stereo stores but a room a lot like you would find in an ordinary house.

At our request they had set up the Epic 80-600 H/T speakers (the most expensive system) with a Shewood receiver - don't know which one. We brought a variety of our own music and had the room to ourselves for an hour or so. Impressive to say the least. We put the speakers through their paces in both 2 channel and surround modes; and had a great time doing it.

At home we have a Polk subwoofer and a pair of B&W 703's with a Bryston 4b in the stereo room and a pair of Thiel 3.6's with 2x Bryston 3b's in the living room. The experience didn't make me go home and sell them all off to buy Axiom's but when the kids are gone and the basement made into a home theater I don't think I'll consider anything else.

If any of you get a chance you should definitely go through the factory and see where the speakers are put together. The people were great, the tour interesting and you can get additional discounts if you pick up your purchases.

Thanks for sharing, always good to hear from those that are not Axiom owners and just wanted the experience. From the equipment you listed I can see why you are in no hurry, nor really need to change.

Hey Blowfish - great post. Thanks for taking the time to write it up.

And Aaron, no worries, we'll take it easy on you. Contrary to most internet boards, we actually allow people to make positive remarks about other speakers here too. Thanks for sharing your first-hand experience.

Jason