I have been researching home theatre speakers for about a month and just discovered Axiom. I will be listening to both movies and music (about 50-50), though from my perspective on what I have heard so far, music is a much better judge of the overall sound. I have had the opportunity to listen in a showroom to various brands (Definitive, MK, etc.), but I am attracted to the value prop of the online distributors. I have listened to both the Rocket 850 and the Aperion 633 in a side by side comparison. To my taste, the 633 was superior (and at a much lower cost). I have two requests: 1) I would like to hear from folks who have had the chance to listen to both the axiom m60/m80 and the aperion 633 on their impressions of both. 2) I would love the opportunity to get a demo of the Axiom speakers if there is someone in the Portland OR area willing to show off there system.
Thanks in advance for any feedback.

If you check the "Audition Thread" in the "Hearing Things" forum, there is a list and map that shows some people willing to audition. Keep in mind, this list does not have everyone entered, so you might want to post the question on that forum.

What did you like about the aperion speaker vs the rocket speaker?

I'm suprised you labeled it as "superior". I'm just curious.

You can go to this thread to find places where you can audition some axioms. It looks like there are a couple people in the Portland, OR area.

Imho, I would go with the m60's or m80's depending on your room size, I've never heard the 633's but I own the aperion 532's, while I have to give the nod to aperions finishes at this point, I much prefer the Axioms. If I had had to do it over I would go with an all Axiom setup. The aperions are good but not great, look at the reviews as well as the aperion boards and I think that will help with your decision.

With respect to the request to identify why I thought the Aperion's "superior" to the Rockets (these are my opinions):
The Rockets sound dull/tired across the entire frequency range, as if they were within a tunnel. Though the sound was clean, they seemed to lack any kind of presence. The low end was a bit muffled, the mids were lacking (the dulled part), and the highs, although the best part of the speaker, were very subtle. You had to listen hard for the high end, as if the speaker was not well balanced.
There was an immediate and obvious difference when I listened to the 633s. They were clean and crisp with quite a bit more definition. The low end had a nice punch, the mids were clear, and the highs were definitive and balanced with the rest of the speaker. The one thing that stood out on the 633s was the upper midrange which seemed to add a slight amount of color. This could be due to the upper mids being more pronounced in the 633s. In comparison the 633s were a joy to listen to while the rockets soon became tiring. I tested across a variety of music (blues, jazz, rock, big band, alternative) and the 633s shined in every case. I also watched a few scenes from Toy Story, LOTR, and Spiderman 2. Though the comparison was much closer than with music, the 633s made the dialogue pop out and provided more punch in the action scenes.

Welcome,

Nice of you to give your opinions of the 850 and 633.

Being in Portland, you must have the opportunity to go to Aperion's showroom and factory. I would love to be close to any audio manufacturer.

You should order the 633s and Axiom M60 or M80 and give us your opinions. I looked at the Aperion site, but the 600 series was not available at that time. I do like the wood finish.

But I am well pleased with my M80s and the rest of my Axiom set-up.

Sounds like you prefer a detailed speaker. You will get exactly that with Axiom. Incredibly detail actually. They are consistent winners with other detailed speakers in blind tests with much higher price tags.

From what I'd previously heard about the 850s, and the Aperions 2-way design, I'm surprised that the Aperions would be preferred. It just goes to show how subjective speaker preferences are.

BTW, those things way 70lbs each! You would think that they would try to cut the weight some in order to decrease shipping costs from China.

would you please drop the china thing, already?

Overreact much, dude?

At 70 lbs each those speakers are HEAVY.

Feel free to resume your duties as self-appointed moderator, comrade.

Does EVERY post have to be political with you????

And Peter wasn't over reacting.

SWEET....Little Dickie Dawson. They keep trying to have someone take his place, ands it hasn't worked yet!!!

omg that's the funniest thing i've seen in a while LOL

yeah, I particularly like the "devil hand!"

bug you are actually very close to Tyler Acoustics. Ty is in Owensboro, KY and trust me his speakers are very high-end. In fact, the Linbrook Signature Monitors are the absolute best sounding speakers I have heard to date. The Tylo Reference Monitors are amazing as well. Maybe you should go up there and take a listen for yourself. Ty is a very nice guy and his cabinetry skills are second to none. Also, Thiel speakers are located in Lexington--a bit further of a drive BUT well worth it in my honest opinion. BTW, I sent you a private message requesting a demo. Be sure to let me know if you can offer me that. Have a great day.