These boards are great! Kudos to Axiom for providing such a valuable resource and for allowing free discussion. Especially discussion that sometimes recommends other companies products (HSU,SVS). Of course, I would have have been much less likely to choose the Axioms without all of the information and reviews that I've read here.

Here's what I'm about to order: 2xM22, VP100, 2xQS4, and an (ahem) HSU STF-2. I've got a Harman Kardon AVR-230 sitting here waiting for the speakers. BTW, jandr.com is selling the H/K for $380 shipped, and my local dealer (I'm in Portland, Oregon) matched the price.

I'm staying with the smaller speakers because of the all important SAF (spousal approval factor). In fact, the reason that I'm upgrading is that my wife hates my current huge speakers: dual-ported towers each with 12" woofer and 12" passive woofer. I'm anticipating a significant improvement in sound over my 10-year-old Technics rack system. :-)

I think I'll order black; I really like the cherry finish, but again the SAF comes into play--and my wife says she prefers black. I think it's probably the right choice; the paint is a (tasteful) shade of yellow. For those of you that have black speakers, do they look "cheaper" than the cherry finish, or do they look just as nice?

Any final words of advice before I fire off this order?

thanks,
Robert

Robert, other than my frequent suggestion to consider a vertical M2 center, I'd only question whether you and your wife have considered Mansfield Beech, if it would blend better with the paint.

I actually ordered the m22ti's in cherry first, and I loved the way they looked, but my fiancee made me exchange them for the black because she decided the cherry wouldn't match what she intends for the living room (sigh...). At first, I thought the cherry looked a little classier, but she was right--they would've clashed with our darker wood accents, TV stand, etc. And now that I've seen the black with all our other decor, they do look nice. They just don't stand out at all (which, I guess, was her point).

All I can say is, don't worry dude, at least you're still getting Axioms. You'll still be swimming in heavenly sound no matter what color they are.

Robert, the system you described will sound great, and due to the sub will have similar impact to large speakers. Both you and your wife will be happy.

Re color, I've had cherry and currently have black. In my HT, cherry matched the dark maroon walls a little better, but I had several other black components, so the overall effect of black speakers was more harmonious.

With yellowish walls, I'd at least consider Mansfield Beech. OTOH your sub will be black. However it's often positioned in a corner, or can be hidden behind a sofa, or large potted plant, etc. Main and surround speakers will be in the open.

Also check on the grill cloth color. It's black for cherry and black speakers; don't remember about beech.

Contact Axiom -- they can probably send you representative color chips to better visualize it.

You'll likely be happy either way, but I'd suggest taking a little more time, contact Axiom, and be sure about the color. You'll be looking at them a long time.

I have black 22s, VP150, soon QS8s, and (ahem) HSU STF-2. In fact with only one exception, all my equipment is black. The finish is very nice, I think. I certainly don't think they look "cheap." To me, the black just kinda disappears, which is what I want. I don't really notice it. And, of course, in a darkened room, they really DO disappear.

Now if I could only get rid of all the d*** lights on everything. I sit there in the nearly dark, watching a good movie, and there are 22 lights staring me in the face. And when I turn everything off there's STILL 22 lights staring me in the face. What the heck happened?

When I was a lad (OH NO! Not THAT again), a light meant somebody left something on, and you'd rush to turn it off. Now I got as many lights with things off, as I do when they're on, and I can't tell which is which.

Rjones,

I really like the cherry finished over black. Black look generic. I currently have an all black axiom setup that if I had a chance want to change to Cherry.

-Jerry

We struggled with the color but decided on the cherry. We love it. It's not as red as we thought and there is a lot of brown in the color. I did not want to spend more $$$ on a custom finish, and actually the cherry looks nice with our oak furniture.