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Re: A friend came over to audition the Axiom
alan #326621 10/26/10 04:20 PM
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Originally Posted By: alan
Hi Adrian and all,

Yep, the B&W 805 was a Nautilus model, the high-end line from B&W, which at the time it was introduced was $2000/pair. B&W now has a "diamond" 805, priced at an absurd $5000 a pair, which looks much like the Nautilus 805.

The B&W 600 series are the lower-priced line from B&W and, like Polk models, I've found them to be quite inconsistent in sound quality from one model to the next, or from one line to the next line. This inconsistency is not uncommon in brands that offer various lines of loudspeakers.

The other factor that you have to allow for is the tendency of owners of specific speaker models who come to accommodate the "sound" of their speakers as their reference, warts and all, and come to hear anything that's more neutral and accurate as a kind of shockingly new and different sound that they won't like unless they participate in a blind test and don't know what they are listening to.

Over the years I've spoken to some audiophiles who have been using what I view as mediocre old speakers for decades and who simply don't want change or are unwilling to acknowledge that just maybe their old speakers aren't very good. It's an all-too-human tendency.

Regards,
Alan



Whether or not someone thinks that a speaker company of B&Ws history and stature is important and how they conduct their business, it is interesting to note that not too many months ago, in a "Audioholics" review of one of their most recently introduced product lines, that other than the "top-of-the-line" Diamond 800 series, B&W is now manufacturing ALL their other models in China. Despite that, I haven't seen the price drop too much on their speakers.

Re: A friend came over to audition the Axiom
casey01 #326623 10/26/10 04:59 PM
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Endorsing Worfzara's comment, I also found the B&W's (in the blind listening test) to be a little bright, a little leaner sounding. The M3's were fuller and more balanced, IMO.


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Re: A friend came over to audition the Axiom
BlueJays1 #326626 10/26/10 06:26 PM
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Hi Dr. House,

Yes, I've heard the Revel Ultima in a demo at the Consumer Electronics Show, but never in the same room as the M80. When I heard the Revel, it was very neutral, wide-range and natural, much like the Axiom M80, and I'd wager that in a double-blind comparison, the two would receive almost identical scores and the "similarly good" ranking.

The Revel loudspeakers are generally very fine, and given Kevin Voecks's years spent in Canada (designing for Mirage)and his familiarity with the NRC program and the "family of curves" anechoic measurements, that's no surprise. The speakers he designed for Snell were among the best-sounding US speakers at the time.

As to the B&W at Abbey Road, that's expected, as B&W is a British speaker company and perhaps the most prestigious, highly marketed and expensive. I knew the late John Bowers (the "B" of B&W) and certainly the top-of-the line 801 and its various iterations were very good speakers and did fairly well in double-blind comparisons when I was a magazine editor, but not as well as several Canadian brands including Axiom, Energy Veritas, Paradigm and PSB.

I don't know what to make of the speaker configuration you describe seeing in the video.

Cheers,
Alan


Alan Lofft,
Axiom Resident Expert (Retired)
Re: A friend came over to audition the Axiom
alan #326631 10/26/10 06:50 PM
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Thanks for your thoughts Alan. I'd have to look at the Blu-ray disk again more closely but it looks very similar to this configuration. From reading the description on the website, I take it they are used as the surround monitors?

http://www.abbeyroad.com/studios/studio1/control-room/

Click on the control room.


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Re: A friend came over to audition the Axiom
BlueJays1 #326635 10/26/10 06:58 PM
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Looks like they're center channel speakers used for surrounds. Probably aesthetic reasons.


I am the Doctor, and THIS... is my SPOON!
Re: A friend came over to audition the Axiom
Ken.C #326642 10/26/10 08:09 PM
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Yes, I agree, and it almost seeems like they may flip up or go into the ceiling out of the way when they're not used.

Alan


Alan Lofft,
Axiom Resident Expert (Retired)
Re: A friend came over to audition the Axiom
alan #326645 10/26/10 08:35 PM
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The funny thing about that special feature on the disk is we find out Tom Morello from the band Rage Against The Machine/Audioslave has problems with the 7/8th time signature and odd time signatures in general. He had a tough time recording one guitar part in particular. I was kind of surprised about that.


I’m armed and I’m drinking. You don’t want to listen to advice from me, amigo.

-Max Payne
Re: A friend came over to audition the Axiom
BlueJays1 #326646 10/26/10 08:38 PM
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Almost like finding out Einstein couldn't tie his own shoes.

Re: A friend came over to audition the Axiom
pmbuko #326663 10/26/10 10:26 PM
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If it was someone like Vai instead than it would hurt.


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-Max Payne
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