I'm considering buying either the Axiom M60ti floorstanding speakers or the Polk Rti8 floorstanding speakers. Can anyone make any comments on comparing the two?

Hi there mrm11793! I personally have never owned the RTi8's, but a friend of mine does. They are very nice looking and sounding speakers. I've owned my Axioms now for about 6+ months, but prior to making the decision I auditioned my friends RTi8's, my brother in-laws B&W 703's, and some NHT's and Paradigm's. I selected Axiom, not only for the amazing sound they produce, but also for the value and customer service Axiom provides. Axiom makes great speakers. I you decide on the M60's you will be a very happy camper. Not sure where you live, but you might want to check out the "Audition in your area" thread in the Questions and Comments forum. You may be able to find someone that will let you listen to Axiom's in their home..

good luck, Randy

m60's vp150 ep350 4-qs8's
Denon 2805
Sanyo Z2 projector
Toshiba DVD
Samsung HD Receiver

I have to be a thorn in Polk's side and say that the Axioms are clearly a step above Polk Audio. I have heard those towers recently and they're just not at the level of M60's / M80's. The Axioms have a fuller sound, they breathe better. It's obvious on live recordings. I haven't heard the Polk's enough to compare with other types of recordings.

I own RTi8s and Axiom M22s (supposedly the bookshelf version of the M60). They are both great speakers. They sound very similar in terms of detail. Both speakers are great at what they are designed to do. I like the RTi8s sound better just because they are towers and deliver more volume with a full sound - I suspect the M60s would sound very similar. Both companies were founded by men who care a great deal about quality sound and it shows. Overall, I suspect you get slightly more bang for your buck with Axiom simply because they sell direct so there is less mark-up. That way, when you pay $900 for M60s you know you are getting as close to $900 worth of speaker as possible. Ideally, I (and probably a few others here) would like for you to get some M60s and go to your nearby store that has the Polks and do a direct comparison. In the abscence of that, I will tell you that you can't go wrong with either choice. My guess is that the M60 may be slightly better so if you can afford the $900 then get them and see how you like them. I have heard of people getting a pair of RTi8s for around $400 on close-out and I think it would be pretty much impossible to find a better deal than that.

Thanks so much for all of your comments. Today I bought the following speakers from Axiom:

M60ti Floor Standing
QS8 Surround
VP150 Center

I've also just bought an SVS 20-39PCi subwoofer.

Congrats on your new speakers.Once you get them set up let us know what ya think.