They're Here - New Axiom Owner post - 04/19/17 02:24 PM
I wasn't expecting them until May 1st and luckily I was home yesterday getting ready to head out on vacation. FedEx dropped off 2xM22OW, 1xVP150OW, 2xQS4, and a EP175 all in Boston Cherry. So what led me here?
Couple of things. I was looking to get something nice for my birthday and my 2002 Yamaha HTiB (RX-V540 and 6.1 speakers) wasn't keeping up with the times. I had run out of HDMI inputs in my 65" TV forcing me to run my X-Box 360 on component video as a consequence. Anyways, solved the AVR problem with an ONKYO NR-TX656 on sale at BB and started thinking the dinky Yamaha speakers with 6.25" sub could use upgrading themselves.
Unfortunately, due to an odd room configuration, I am limited in speaker choices. Though my room is about 14' wide and 26' deep, the front of my room has two doors forming a corner on the left side and an angled fireplace on the right side. The back was has 2 windows. The TV is centered perfectly leaving me with 9" on either side. This left me with only on-wall speakers as a viable solution.
Originally I was looking at either PSB W1's or Paradigm Millenia 20's. Other options included the Magnepan MMGW's and Martin Logan Motion Series. However, the Magnepans were too wide and I was concerned the ML's 100Hz bottom limit and total dependence on a sub would be too bright. I had the chance to "audition" the PSB's and Paradigm's, both of which also had 100Hz low ends and the result was as I feared, hard on the ears when played alone.
The Paradigm dealer also carried Totem $peaker$ and the Tribe 3's were exactly what I wanted. I have a pair of Totem Hawks in my 2ch system that I absolutely love but, unfortunately, the Tribe 3 price tag meant I could only really afford 1.5 speakers, let alone 5 of them and a sub based on my set budget! However, I realized the reason the Totem's sounded much better on their own was their low end capabilities due to their ported design.
After some google research, I found a review of Axiom's on-wall M0 which lead me to Axiom's website. I had visited the website years before (10!) but had forgotten about them. Here I discovered that for $2500, I could have my cake and eat it too! The M22OW were bottom ported with a low end rating of 60Hz giving me hope. Unfortunately, the internet is rife with negative reviews making me gun shy at first. Then Axiom posts a notice that April 5 would see a price increase! All of a sudden my $2500 budget was at risk. 30 days free trail? Pulled the trigger and ordered at the deadline!
Now back to yesterday. 6 boxes left on my front steps in what I thought were wood crates. On closer inspection, I realized they were cardboard boxes with wood pattern. Nice touch. I hefted all the boxes downstairs and carefully unpacked them all. I don't want to be sexist here but when I took the lid off the first M22 box and found the speaker inside it's own black cotton drawstring bag, I immediately thought of my wife's higher end purses that have similar dust bags! Again, nice touch Axiom! All speakers were in perfect condition. (wondering if I'm supposed to put them back in the bags when not in use *joke*)
Installing the on-wall speakers wasn't too difficult but I'm glad I won't have to do it again. The T-brackets make positioning the speakers extremely easy but what a pain it was to get the little Allen wrench into those tiny screws while trying to keep the speaker wire from falling out! By the 4th one though I had it down pat and the 5th one was easy!
I haven't had a chance to thoroughly test the new speakers yet and my plane leaves in 6 hours but from what little testing I did, I know I won't be returning them. We had just watched Rogue One on my Yamaha speakers so testing them on the Axiom's was a priority. What a difference! The EP175 is so much more capable that when the AT-AT's stomped down, the room shook instead of the sub rattling. The QS-4's did a great job of somehow positioning the fighters above my head and debris from explosions were scattering on the ground. Just awesome.
Of course, the biggest difference were the vocals handled by the VP150. Normally the music soundtrack overpowers the voices but not with the VP150. Dialogue was crisp even at low volumes. Instant wife approval.
Next up, the proverbial Matrix lobby scene. Bullets flying everywhere, metal casings hitting the ground, just awesome.
As for Music... Bach's No 5. for organ on SACD... tough test for the M22's on their own... Though not earth shattering bass and not as detailed as my Hawks, the M22's did very well! Turn on the EP175 for support and I'm in organ bliss. Quickly ran through some jazz and run of the mill pop over a SONOS connection and all is good. Leaving for vacation knowing I didn't make a mistake!
Couple of things. I was looking to get something nice for my birthday and my 2002 Yamaha HTiB (RX-V540 and 6.1 speakers) wasn't keeping up with the times. I had run out of HDMI inputs in my 65" TV forcing me to run my X-Box 360 on component video as a consequence. Anyways, solved the AVR problem with an ONKYO NR-TX656 on sale at BB and started thinking the dinky Yamaha speakers with 6.25" sub could use upgrading themselves.
Unfortunately, due to an odd room configuration, I am limited in speaker choices. Though my room is about 14' wide and 26' deep, the front of my room has two doors forming a corner on the left side and an angled fireplace on the right side. The back was has 2 windows. The TV is centered perfectly leaving me with 9" on either side. This left me with only on-wall speakers as a viable solution.
Originally I was looking at either PSB W1's or Paradigm Millenia 20's. Other options included the Magnepan MMGW's and Martin Logan Motion Series. However, the Magnepans were too wide and I was concerned the ML's 100Hz bottom limit and total dependence on a sub would be too bright. I had the chance to "audition" the PSB's and Paradigm's, both of which also had 100Hz low ends and the result was as I feared, hard on the ears when played alone.
The Paradigm dealer also carried Totem $peaker$ and the Tribe 3's were exactly what I wanted. I have a pair of Totem Hawks in my 2ch system that I absolutely love but, unfortunately, the Tribe 3 price tag meant I could only really afford 1.5 speakers, let alone 5 of them and a sub based on my set budget! However, I realized the reason the Totem's sounded much better on their own was their low end capabilities due to their ported design.
After some google research, I found a review of Axiom's on-wall M0 which lead me to Axiom's website. I had visited the website years before (10!) but had forgotten about them. Here I discovered that for $2500, I could have my cake and eat it too! The M22OW were bottom ported with a low end rating of 60Hz giving me hope. Unfortunately, the internet is rife with negative reviews making me gun shy at first. Then Axiom posts a notice that April 5 would see a price increase! All of a sudden my $2500 budget was at risk. 30 days free trail? Pulled the trigger and ordered at the deadline!
Now back to yesterday. 6 boxes left on my front steps in what I thought were wood crates. On closer inspection, I realized they were cardboard boxes with wood pattern. Nice touch. I hefted all the boxes downstairs and carefully unpacked them all. I don't want to be sexist here but when I took the lid off the first M22 box and found the speaker inside it's own black cotton drawstring bag, I immediately thought of my wife's higher end purses that have similar dust bags! Again, nice touch Axiom! All speakers were in perfect condition. (wondering if I'm supposed to put them back in the bags when not in use *joke*)
Installing the on-wall speakers wasn't too difficult but I'm glad I won't have to do it again. The T-brackets make positioning the speakers extremely easy but what a pain it was to get the little Allen wrench into those tiny screws while trying to keep the speaker wire from falling out! By the 4th one though I had it down pat and the 5th one was easy!
I haven't had a chance to thoroughly test the new speakers yet and my plane leaves in 6 hours but from what little testing I did, I know I won't be returning them. We had just watched Rogue One on my Yamaha speakers so testing them on the Axiom's was a priority. What a difference! The EP175 is so much more capable that when the AT-AT's stomped down, the room shook instead of the sub rattling. The QS-4's did a great job of somehow positioning the fighters above my head and debris from explosions were scattering on the ground. Just awesome.
Of course, the biggest difference were the vocals handled by the VP150. Normally the music soundtrack overpowers the voices but not with the VP150. Dialogue was crisp even at low volumes. Instant wife approval.
Next up, the proverbial Matrix lobby scene. Bullets flying everywhere, metal casings hitting the ground, just awesome.
As for Music... Bach's No 5. for organ on SACD... tough test for the M22's on their own... Though not earth shattering bass and not as detailed as my Hawks, the M22's did very well! Turn on the EP175 for support and I'm in organ bliss. Quickly ran through some jazz and run of the mill pop over a SONOS connection and all is good. Leaving for vacation knowing I didn't make a mistake!
