I was wondering which line of B&W's the Axioms compare with best(M80ti, QS8, VP150)? Since listening to axioms locally is difficult, and having heard the B&W line yesterday, I'm trying to draw a comparison.

P.S. - I think people have referenced these earlier, but a search on this board came up a liitle thin with really old posts.

Hey David,

Nice to talk to you, I live down by Des Moines, IA as does another owner Nickbuol on this forum.... I know if you check the Audtion forum in the "Hearing Things" area, there is one guy that lives over on the western MN border as well. Your right, there has been a lot of talk before on comaring B&W to Axioms. About a year ago, I spent a lot of time listening and various brands of speakers as I was in the market for an upgrade.

I don't like listening at retail stores as their environment is not setup like a true room in your home. There is a high end family owned audio store down here that I visited a few times. I had the chance to listen to both the 600 and 700 series B&W's in a special HT type room, setup just like a home environment. I also auditioned NHT brand at the same place.

My brother in-law is a big B&W fan, so he referred me to this place. I think the 703 mains were the ones I liked the most, however the price scarred the heck out of me. Just one 703 was more than my 2 m60ti's I own currently.

Anyway, for me I think my M60ti's sound and perform better than the 700 series, and a lot better than the 600 series. Others on this board have also stated these same findings. In reality it is best if you can audition, as everyone hears differently. For the money, Axiom is a great deal.

I really didn't spend a lot of time comparing the B&W centers or surrounds. I doubt they have anything that can compare to the Qs8's from Axiom. In my mind, nobody makes a surround that can compare, the Q series is one of Axiom's biggest sellers.

Good luck David, hope you become an Axiomite soon. You could always try their 30 day in home guarantee. Also, there is the Factory Outlet on the "Store" page which will save you another 10%.

Randy

Just to second that opinion...

I think the Axioms far and away out perform the B&W 600 series. I enjoyed the sound of the 700 series, with the 703 sounding very similar to my cherished M60ti's.

I auditioned the 600 series (not sure of exact model, but they were the low end floor standers) before I bought my M60ti's and to be honest, I was not impressed. The seemed to image well and female vocals were good, but in general, I thought they sounded lifeless. The Axioms seem to provide that "in the room" realistic sound. I don't know what qualities you like in a speaker, but I'm pretty sure that you will be happy with Axioms, especially if you liked the sound of B&W's.

I auditioned the 604, 703, 704, 803. Great speakers. I found the 703s comparable to Axioms M60Ti.

I listened to the B&W 603, 703, and 804's. The first one sounded thin, but with good highs. The second improved the mids and highs, but still thin in the lows. Lastly, the 804 sound very well rounded, but still to me, a little weak in the low section.

Does the M80ti compare to the 804 or 803, or is it in the 703 range?

IMHO the M80tis were more like the 804s. The 803's had a little more bass. Beautiful speakers, those B&Ws.