[Mudslide]

There are some good suggestions here.  Axiom might not be among them as they measure  pretty poorly in some parts.

FYI, I organized a $2k monitor speaker comparo a few years ago.  You might find it interesting.  Read about it here ...
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/2010-great-northwest-gtg.67150/
Format, protocols, measurements, and results start around page 5.

Anything from Salk gets my vote, folks.

[FireGuy]

There are some good suggestions here.  Axiom might not be among them as they measure  pretty poorly in some parts.

FYI, I organized a $2k monitor speaker comparo a few years ago.  You might find it interesting.  Read about it here ...
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/2010-great-northwest-gtg.67150/
Format, protocols, measurements, and results start around page 5.

Anything from Salk gets my vote, folks.

Can you please tell us what you mean by "measure" poorly in some parts?  Axiom's manufacturing philosophy is all about the family of curves.  Neutrality and   linearity are paramount.  They also have an in-house anechoic chamber to further these measurements which is impressive because many "higher" end vendors do not have one.  I'm not saying they can complete head to head with the likes of Magico, PMC or Amphion for example but for what they are and the market they capture... yes, they belong here.  BTW I attended a double blind listening exercise where Axiom's M3V3 went against B&W's diamond series stand mount (5 times the price of the M3).   Audience was split 50/50 as to their preference.  Quite extraordinary and very interesting.   And this was not even Axiom's best bookshelf.

[tvyankee]

Hey,

These are a very nice small monitor,  http://www.evolutionacoustics.com/loudspeakers/microone/

Kevin the designer use to work for Albert (VSA) and i think well he was there he even designed/helped a few Speakers back in the day.

This speaker looks great and sounds better and i believe the cost is not that bad for what you get.

[milford3]

Can you please tell us what you mean by "measure" poorly in some parts?  Axiom's manufacturing philosophy is all about the family of curves.  Neutrality and   linearity are paramount.  They also have an in-house anechoic chamber to further these measurements which is impressive because many "higher" end vendors do not have one.  I'm not saying they can complete head to head with the likes of Magico, PMC or Amphion for example but for what they are and the market they capture... yes, they belong here.  BTW I attended a double blind listening exercise where Axiom's M3V3 went against B&W's diamond series stand mount (5 times the price of the M3).   Audience was split 50/50 as to their preference.  Quite extraordinary and very interesting.   And this was not even Axiom's best bookshelf.

Take a breath FireGuy.  There are non believers among us.

[EdRo]

What does "family of curves" mean? I just hopped on their site; boxes and rectangles seem to be the family tree. I really like curvey speakers. 

[FireGuy]

What does "family of curves" mean? I just hopped on their site; boxes and rectangles seem to be the family tree. I really like curvey speakers. 

Found it easy enough....

http://www.axiomaudio.com/blog/the-family-of-curves/

[Mudslide]

Can you please tell us what you mean by "measure" poorly in some parts?  Axiom's manufacturing philosophy is all about the family of curves.  Neutrality and   linearity are paramount.  They also have an in-house anechoic chamber to further these measurements which is impressive because many "higher" end vendors do not have one.  I'm not saying they can complete head to head with the likes of Magico, PMC or Amphion for example but for what they are and the market they capture... yes, they belong here.  BTW I attended a double blind listening exercise where Axiom's M3V3 went against B&W's diamond series stand mount (5 times the price of the M3).   Audience was split 50/50 as to their preference.  Quite extraordinary and very interesting.   And this was not even Axiom's best bookshelf.

I quite like this so-called DBT by Alan Lofft.  He credited the M3V3 as a winner over the B&W in his review.  http://www.ecoustics.com/articles/axiom-m3-bw-nautilus-805/  A committee of one doesn't do it for me...especially when he was AN EMPLOYEE of Axiom.  The Axioms have been reported as to being quite listenable.  And they seem like a really good value.  But as "The Best Small Speaker"... sorry, no.  A couple of years ago, Audioholics panned the Axiom measurements, running their own.  The measurements are okay results...but certainly not up to par with the "best" speakers.

[Kenneth Patchen]

What does "family of curves" mean?

I think it's the sound you hear when Beyonce walks into a room ... Or maybe it's this:
http://www.axiomaudio.com/blog/the-family-of-curves/

Getting back to speakers, I'd mention the $2600 Focus Audio Signature FS-688, and I'd also second the recommendation for the no longer avaiable except on the used market Von Schweikert Audio VR-1. I still own the VR1s, very, very nice indeed.

[Mudslide]

Can you please tell us what you mean by "measure" poorly in some parts?  Axiom's manufacturing philosophy is all about the family of curves.  Neutrality and   linearity are paramount.  They also have an in-house anechoic chamber to further these measurements which is impressive because many "higher" end vendors do not have one.  I'm not saying they can complete head to head with the likes of Magico, PMC or Amphion for example but for what they are and the market they capture... yes, they belong here.  BTW I attended a double blind listening exercise where Axiom's M3V3 went against B&W's diamond series stand mount (5 times the price of the M3).   Audience was split 50/50 as to their preference.  Quite extraordinary and very interesting.   And this was not even Axiom's best bookshelf.

I also find it interesting that the audience was filled with (per Lofft) Axiom's most enthusiastic customers.  (And only a 50% preference?   )  Hmmm.....

[*Scotty*]

The best small speaker I've heard so far is the Raidho D-1, I heard them at Command Performance A/V in Falls Church Va..
They sound much bigger than they look and they seem to completely disappear into the re-created sound-stage. The speakers also pull off the magic trick of not sounding short in bass extension, reproducing an amazing amount of bass for their size even though the laws of physics have not actually been repealed.
Scotty

[FireGuy]

I also find it interesting that the audience was filled with (per Lofft) Axiom's most enthusiastic customers.  (And only a 50% preference?   )  Hmmm.....

I's say that's rather significant considering (50%) preferred $350 Axiom over $2800 B&W.  But I'm sure B&W thanks you.   The test was performed double blind so "Axiom's most enthusiastic customers" not withstanding.    The true way speakers evals should be.

[Russell Dawkins]

The best small speaker I've heard so far is the Raidho D-1, I heard them at Command Performance A/V in Falls Church Va..
They sound much bigger than they look and they seem to completely disappear into the re-created sound-stage. The speakers also pull off the magic trick of not sounding short in bass extension, reproducing an amazing amount of bass for their size even though the laws of physics have not actually been repealed.
Scotty

A beautiful looking speaker and stand, too. If I were in the money I would be very curious about these. I would very much like to hear these side by side with the Janszen zA1.1s. On the surface of it, they would seem to have similar strengths (with the Janszens being 1/4 the price, though - although the stands for the Raidho looke to be worth $5k alone!!).

[*Scotty*]

One would hope that you could get equal performance from a well engineered stand at a fraction of the price. The stand has a good start on being an expensive addition to the rooms decor, a la sculpture, as well as being a device to support a loudspeaker.
Scotty

[Doublej]

ATC?

[cremar]

Selah Anniversario

[hdspeakerman]

http://www.diysoundgroup.com/alpha-kits/continuum.html

[Mudslide]

It's not the prettiest duckling, but it's the best I've heard (while I'm sure there are better out there...)  The Salk Ellis 1801.

http://www.salksound.com/ellis%201801b%20-%20home.htm

[skite30]

I think that AJ's Soundfield SAM 1's deserve mention here.

[titaniumheads]

I had some Dynaudio C1s that sounded great except at really loud volume the woofers would bottom out.