Pencilsmasher

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
2.00 of 5, 5.00 votes

Price Paid:  $500.00 from factory direct

Summary:

I really wanted to love these speakers. After reading all the rave reviews, I was expecting greatness. Sadly, they have gone back in the box and are on their way back to the factory.

Immediately upon opening the box, they felt way to light. They are reasonably well built, but I worried they would be knocked over easily with their height (19 inches). Another thing that bugged me was that the tweeter would be much higher than ear level on my standard stands.

Anyways, I plugged them in and gave a listen. Two things were evident:

1. The imaging was incredible with tracks that had a lot of highs.

2. The midrange was there, but barely. I called Axiom and they told me it should be huge. It was all set up right, but the mids were just boring.

I left them running day after day to break them in, but they sounded exactly the same. I had some friends over and they all agreed.

In case you are wondering, I had them hooked up with a Denon amp and a good 10" sub, trying the crossover at 60, 80 and 100.

They claim they sound as good as any $1000 speaker, so I tried them vs a pair of NHT Classic 3s. Whammo, amazing sound, fantastic mids, great looking, solid build. So I bought the NHTs. Very happy.

Strengths:

Tremendous highs
Customer service
Free Shipping
No questions asked returns

Weaknesses:

Mids are boring.
Bass nonexistent
Normal stands raise the tweeter too high
So so construction

Similar Products Used:

B&W 602
NHT Classic 3

djolord

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.50 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $500.00 from axiomaudio.com

Summary:
I have previously submitted a review on these speakers and it appears I was a little hasty. 1 year on and I'm actually thinking of purchasing a complete 7.1 axiom loudspeaker system. These speakers definately need breaking in. I also think it might take a little time to adjust to the unusual degree of transparency of these speakers. My previous adjectives of 'harsh' and 'over bright' are not true after a bit of time is allowed for them to break in.

If you are thinking of purchasing these speakers I would definately recommend them, after all you have a 30-day money back guarantee to give you a no risk opportunity to try them out on your own system and in your own listening room. Which is more appealing than buying from a hi-fi store, where you are seldom offered this chance.

You will need a sub though! I don't think thats a bad thing. I like to think that it means more effort has gone into producing better quality top-end. I'm still amazed to this day by the amount of new detail I can pick out of my favourtie tunes!

Strengths:
Clairty, very neutral, imaging, enveloping. Looks and build quality. Their ability to produce extremly natural sounding dialogue (would work well as a centre speaker).

Weaknesses:
None

Price Paid:  $400.00 from axiom

Summary:
I too fell for the hype on these speakers figuring I could get more bang for the buck via internet direct. Bougt the whole setup 60`s, vp150, qs8 and m22`s. Not impressed at all!!! The vp150 was decent and the qs8`s were very nice surrounds. The axiom m22 and 60`s were not good. I had a speaker shootout with a fellow axiom owner. They fell to last place vs Klipsch klf-20`s and Jbl stio 312`s. They were very lifeless and my friend was very upset. Needless to say they are no longer in my system or his. They r great speakers appearance wise and definately the nicest looking I`ve had. Just a real dissapointment if u A/B vs other speakers out there.

Strengths:
Appearance

Weaknesses:
Very lifeless and not sure if they live up to their specs.

Similar Products Used:
Streem,JBL,Klipsch,Paradigm

wencao

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
1.58 of 5, 24.00 votes

Price Paid:  $250.00 from internet

Summary:
I don;t know how everyone here give it 5 starts. Purely hype, I bought the "hype" but luckly I did not buy new. I got used one for $250.
The speaker likes nice. That is the only thing I like it. It sounds dull and dry. The high is not extended, the mid is dry. You must listen and compare it to others before you buy into this speaker.


If you are look at bookself speakers for $400-$500 range, there are used Tannoy system 800, B&W 603&604s, and little higher you pay you can get Sonus Fabor concetino for $600-$700, like to them before you buy this speaker.

Strengths:
looks

Weaknesses:
dry and dull sound

Similar Products Used:
Tannoy system 600 &800, B&W 603&604s, Spendor 3/5, and l Sonus Fabor concetino, once you listen to all these , you know Axiom is not worth the money.

Zen

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
3.92 of 5, 13.00 votes

Price Paid:  $400.00 from axiomaudio.com

Summary:
I did six months worth of research for a bookshelf speaker before purchasing the Axiom M22ti speakers. I was looking for a product that will sound great and not break my wallet. At first, I was going to purchase something from Paradigm Monitor Series but since we currently don’t have a dealer here in Hawaii, it made it difficult for me to do so. I auditioned a lot of speakers in my area and was not really impressed by what I heard within my budget. Sure, there were “others” that were great but they were way beyond my budget. I then hit the Internet and started reading reviews. One particular brand, Axiom, stood out, namely the Axiom M22Ti bookshelf speakers. Since I already have a sub (HSU VTF2 MK2), bookshelf speakers are all I needed. So, I went to the Axiom site and seeing that they have a 30-day money back guarantee, I had nothing to lose should I decide to return them. I then took the plunge and ordered the Axiom M22Ti bookshelf in black. I also ordered the 24” stands that go with the speakers. It took 2 days to arrive at my door via Fed-Ex. Upon unboxing them I was amazed at the build quality and attention to detail Axiom has given to their products. I’m usually skeptical of speakers that come in wood veneers but this one took me by surprise. It looked great! But since I didn’t purchase speakers to look at them but hear them, I proceeded to hook them up to my Yamaha HTR 5890 receiver. First Impression: I threw in some jazz, orchestra and classical CD’s in my Denon and to be honest, I was not at all impressed at first. The sound coming from the speakers sounded “strained” and tinny. I tell myself “they’re new, they need to be broken in”. I played with them for at least a week and then viola! It’s as if I was listening to a different pair of speakers! The sound coming from them now was clean, clear and neutral, not too bright. The midrange was so clean that the piano from Tom Grant’s cd sounded like a piano, very natural. I then threw in Diana Krall’s Live in Paris cd and was just blown away. The soundstage and imaging was just outstanding that I felt like she was right there in my living room. What really stood out was the clarity in the treble department. It was crisp, clear and smooth and not harsh at all. I couldn’t believe this was the sound coming from a pair of $400USD speakers. The bass, whatever is there, is clean and tight but keep in mind that these are bookshelf speakers and like many bookshelf speakers, you won’t “feel” deep bass. If you’re into the “wall rattling, I can feel the bass” kind of person, I suggest you pair these up with a good sub. The Axiom M22ti mated beautifully with my HSU VTF2 MK2 sub crossed over at 80hz on my receiver, speakers set to “small”. The sub made the Axioms come alive with clarity and filled out the bottom end of the octaves. All in all, I was so impressed with the Axiom M22Ti that I went ahead and ordered a pair of their M3ti bookshelf and VP150 center for a complete HT setup. Their customer service is nothing short of outstanding, thank you Axiom! Bottom Line: If you are looking for a pair of awesome sounding bookshelf speaker, I suggest you give the M22ti a try. With a 30 day money back guarantee, you can’t lose. At this price, it is extremely hard, if not impossible to beat the quality of these speakers and it can definitely run with the more expensive ones and not break a sweat!

Strengths:
Smooth, clean treble Very clear midrange Great soundstage and imaging Exceptionally neutral and natural sounding Bass is clean and tight down to 60 hz.

Weaknesses:
Bass, but these are bookshelf speakers so it's to be expected. Other than that, absolutely NONE at this price point.

Similar Products Used:
JBL N. Series, PSB, Sony, Bose