Tom "exlabdriver" mailed us his collection of vintage Axiom brochures, perfectly preserved and in pristine condition. They were a real treat to get, with an interesting look back at the original line up, awards from our own Alan Lofft in his pre-Axiom days, and (it must be said) Ian with a Tom Selleck moustache, cunningly grown to make him look older than his 20-something real age at the time of the photograph.

Take a look at the bottom of the vintage section if you're interested, and thanks again Tom!

Vintage Brochures

Too fun! I hate to say it though, but I like the "fake" woodgrain vinyl wrap than the original book speakers. They looked a little "home-made" by today's standards, but hey. Who cares how some of them looked, as long as they performed, and I am sure that they did.

Every time I see some of the other older product, I am glad that the trapezoidal shape has changed and isn't quite so "triangular"...

Very cool.

But I think both links are going to the same document (#2).

Time to revive the AX Sub concept!

Very interesting. Especially the wood grain look of the early speakers.

Arnie:

The 2 links are to the same brochure. The Awards & Test Reviews do not show in #2.

I just checked my brochure (I had two). The wood grain looks much better in the actual brochure. The pics in the pdf rendition seem to be suffering from some compression artifacts making them look rough, which they are not in real life.

My AX2 black vinyl wrap still looks pristine & quite realistic. It has held up flawlessly over the years despite several moves with me across this country.

Tom
Comox, BC

Oooops! Sorry everyone - the first link is fixed now. My apologies!

Very Cool! Thanks for sharing Tom and Amie!

Wow, it very nice to see them again, ha!!

They look really good.....

Tom
Comox, BC

I must say that IS one cool mustache he's got there!
Selleck could easily have gone all the way to the nipstache too. No so sure it would work for Ian.

http://www.geekologie.com/2008/12/24/nipstache.jpg

That's just...I can't....wish I hadn't....CLOSE TAB FAST

Nice pictures and a good read!

Very interesting, Amie. The test by Andrew Marshall of the AX1/AXSub system was especially interesting in that it used a W T/M W configuration for a combined subwoofer/center speaker.

Nice pictures and a good read!

Thanks again to Tom.

Does Tom keeps others old brochures ?
I'm looking for Studebaker brochures & flyers

John, that reminds me of a funny story Joe Vassallo used to tell. He had talked Ian into hiring him to do 'anything' around the plant (his wife talked him into moving up here and retired life wasn't suiting him.), so Ian started him on the line. Joe came in and did a great job every day, and then finally on Friday he turned to the guy next to him on the line and said "What on earth is it we're building?" It was very very early in the days of home theater, and he had never seen anything like it. He was instantly hooked, of course, and it became a real passion with him. Ian used to pull Joe off the line rush all over Ontario to hunt down early pieces like laser disc players as they became available in Canada.

"What on earth is it we're building?"

I love it....!

i enjoyed very much having a look at those vintage photos, but i would like it even more if you could post the tests that were done in audio magazines.
i suspect you would not have any copyright problems. ;-)

never mind, just found it. :-)

just finished reading the speaker reviews; very interesting to see and read the results of improving the products through time and effort.

Chevy:

No Sudebaker brochures but I have a 1970 1/2 Pontiac Trans AM brochure around here somewhere. I owned mine for 10 years & sold it to my brother in Penticton where he drives it only in the summer on Sundays. I should have kept it as it's worth a lot of money now as only 3196 were built. There are not many left out there.

I have several Sony brochures & test reports from 1985 to 1993 that cover its XBR series TVs from that period. Furthermore, a 1990 Sony Hi-Fi Components brochure contains the specs for the famous STR-D2020 Receiver that I still own (but it is now retired). It was highly regarded, well ahead of its time & still has quite a following on the net.

A rather rare one from 1985 is for a pair of large Sansui PM-C200 Speakers that I bought in Japan. They are pristine & still in use in my in my computer room Interesting specs: 30" high, 18" wide; 53 lbs; W - 15" polypropylene/mica/carbon cone (hence PM-C); M - 4 3/4" PM-C cone; T - 1 15/16" planar honeycomb flat diaphragm; Super T - 5/8" polyester film planar; XOvers 1000Hz, 5000Hz & 10000Hz; power handling 320 watts; 93db/W; & FR 25 to 38000 Hz. This form factor was quite common for the day but some quite exotic materials were used here. Cost was $316/pr back then in Japan & if I remember correctly $600/pr in Canada.

See them here:
http://www.vintage-audio.com.ua/en/cat/270/2536.html?begin=11

I think that I'm a pack rat!!

Tom
Comox, BC