Well, I have had these for just over a month now and figured it was time to write a review to add to the archives here. Let me first say that my previous speakers were JBL ND310 which are dual 10" 3 way floorstanders. And my equipment is as follows (if it matters)
NAD C-370 integrated amplifier
Cambridge Audio D300 cdp
Sansui TU-517 Tuner
Clarity Labs "Foxfire" interconnect from CDP and "Emberglow" from tuner.
AudioQuest Type 4 speaker cables
And now, the review!
I had been long searching for a new pair of speakers to replace my old JBL's which i felt just sounded soo lifeless and dull every time i would pop in a cd i would find myself walking out of the room immediatly from disgust and dissapointement it got to the point where i wouldnt even listen to over an hour a week. So i had been researching onlibe for months and the Axiom M80's caught my eye... read as much stuff about them i could find and talked to numerous people and i was sold. Although i had my heart set on PSB 6T earlier. i felt that these were much better speakers. So i finally got enough money and ordered them in Boston cherry finish from the factory outlet for $935 bucks with the regular FREE Fed Ex 2nd day air shipping TO HAWAII! which really surprised me, i thought i would email them and get the awnser i had heard soo many times. Continental US only. Nope. Amie at axiom assured me the shipping was free. I got them 3 buisness days later very well packaged arrived in perfect condition. Unpacked them and looked the over. Wow. they are Nice. i got the factory blems and there were a couple VERY small places with a scratch or ding or whatever you wanna call it. The finish is absolutely beautifull. The best vinyl veneer i had ever seen. I put in the carpet spikes and hooked them up.
First cd was Pink Floyd Echoes disc two track three "the fletcher memorial home" WOW! ! ! it took me about 3 seconds into the song to know that my money was well spent. The sound was soo crisp. the bass was now deep and full. The instruments had weight and sooo much detail. The soundstage is seamless. on most all songs i cant even tell that the sound is coming from the speakers, it extends well beyond the speakers as well. the highs and mids were soo forward sounding compared to the cheap JBL's i love it. Every part of the music has its own place in the soundstage and the sound is soo airy and smooth. The balance of the sound was very good. On Pink Floyd "wish you were here" i remeber that well, i was reading the manual when the acoustic guitar at the beginning started. I immediatly looked up with a smile. Oh my god!
I had never heard it sound soo good before, it was soo crisp and detailed it seemed like it was going to break the speakers. ( i cant explain it ) In the past month i have listened to more music and ENJOYED it than i had in the last 7 months i had with the JBL's This is what a good speaker can do, i say to myself every evening when i sit down for some good foot tapping relaxation.
The build on these speakers is superb, cabinets are finished very nicely as i have mentioned, the cabinets are solid also. Drivers are top notch and the sound can account for that. The binding posts are solid and secure. What can i say. i really love My Axiom M80ti's was probbly the best 1000 bucks i ever spent! They look great with or without the grills, One of the first speakers i have seen which actually looks good to me with the grills on.
To sum it all up. The speakers are probbly the best thing out there in this price range and beyond. Axiom is definetly the best company i have ever delt with, customer service and satisfaction is a top priority for them and it shows. Emails are usually awnsered in a couple hours or less and they have people there which can awnser your email with real knowledge of the product. And one of the best things about them is their FREE shipping and 30 day money back guarantee. Me living in hawaii and having to ship heavy floorstanders Fed Ex 2nd day air would have cost me $250-300 bucks, so knowing im paying the same buying direct from the company and getting free shipping, or if i went to canada and bought from a dealer makes me even happier i chose axiom!
If you have any questions about these speakers, email me and maybe i can help or go to Axiom's forums and the folks there should be able to help. The below pic is of my system. but note the tiles which are under the speakers in the pic have been removed.
