I've had the Axiom M80V2's for a couple of years now & every time I play an excellently recorded CD I never cease to be amazed at the sheer clarity & nuetrality of the sound, without any particular instrutment, dominating.
However, bad cd recordings are ruthlessly revealed. Garbage in, garbage out!
For any new owner of these speakers, it is imperative that the Axioms have to be broken in, as it were, for an appropriate number of hours. Ideally linked up to a source that can play all day, for several days, at a set volume.
The very few negative or lukewarm user reviews I have read, so far, I fear, is possibly due to the listener, expecting first class performance right out of the box! That will not happen. These speakers must have a substantial amount of playing time,especially to get rid of the treble harshness prevalent, as you begin to use the speakers.
I use a Cambridge 650 CD player via a Morrison pre-amp and powered by two M2200 Outlaw Monoblock Amplifiers. Needless to say the quality of sound is astounding.
All of my audiophile & audio-enthusiast friends are drawn time & time again to my humble home to listen to the sweet sound of my system.

I gave these a try for about 3 weeks. They do sound decent for the money, the bass is great. If you like loud thou, these seem to distort on the top end. That is my only complaint.

I bought Klipsch RF7.. dramatic difference at both low and high volume. At high volume the Klipsch just ask for more

First of all I am in no way an Audiophile. I love my stereo system, I currently own (2) Acurus A250 amps with upgraded power supplies – I like my music loud, a Marantz preamp, Outlaw ICBM bass management, MHZS 33 cd player with upgraded output tubes, and Cerwinvega DX9’s.

This is not your typical review with all of the technical words describing their sound as I would be fake in attempting to use them. So here goes, I listen to my system almost every day and the family does not care to listen with me, and typically asks me to turn it down. I purchased the M80’s based off of all the great reviews. After replacing the Cerwinvegas (these speakers do have their place 101db sensitivity 400watt 15” woofers)
I realized what I have been missing out of music my entire life. The M80’s are magical! Every time I turn on the system my 1yr old comes into the room and starts dancing with a big grin on his face. (He never did this before) My wife loves them, the family now has impromptu dance nights 2 to 3 times a week, I never would have believed that a set of speakers could make this much difference in my families reactions. I never have to be asked to turn down the music any more. My wife actually gets chills when we listen to good cds - I think that’s funny. When listening to my cds it is as if I am hearing them for the first time, my wife and I will look at each other and say “I did not realize that this was That song” these speakers bring out sounds that I have never heard before. When they talk about speakers being fatiguing I guess the vegsa’s were, these speakers make you want to fall asleep no matter what the volume – I now use them to help put the kids to sleep. When they talk about speakers having Depth I assume that it is the three dimensional sound that I hear from the M80’s – every other system I have ever herd was two dimensional with very little stereo separation. The M80’s sound like surround sound – like actually being there. I am actually addicted to the sounds that I know hear – I never knew a stereo system could sound this good – I am in love with these speakers. The WAF is great! Some people claim the Highs are harsh, they are at first and then tame down after about 40hrs use, just turn them on and go to work. Bass – Well nothing beats a set of 15” vega’s with that said, I am in no way missing any bass, these do a great job of producing fast, solid, punchy bass. These speakers will play very load, and will take all that the modified Acurus A250 will pump out (measured 20-20K 385 watts continuous 4ohm) As you can tell I have never written a review before, but I feel so strongly about how these speakers have transformed my listening experience, my family time, and best of all – The time with my wife, they have truly helped our relationship, with three children we never get a chance to go out, now we sit on the couch and listen to music – can a set of speakers actually improve a marriage – YES these have.

A lot of speaker for the money: good looks, incrediable performance. A wide range of finishes is now available, from wood veneers to black piano gloss. While they have deep bass extension, they remain clean and sophisticated, with extremely articulate mid-range, sweet and civilized highs, a truly great holographic soundstage. All that for less than 2k !

Some minor quality control issues (the edges of the grilles are uneven, but who needs the grille?!?)

I finally received my new Axiom M80 v2 speakers after a long wait (I lost my job following my employer's bankruptcy, and had to postpone any major upgrades to my system) The good news is that Axiom speakers are now available in a wide variety of natural wood veneers. The 4-choices-only vinyl finishes which were one of the major criticisms I heard no longer applies. One needs to pay a premium though, but overall, they remain quite a bargain in my opinion.

I heard and read many horror stories about the boxes being damaged by DHL or UPS, so I was a little nervous when Purolator finally devered not 2 but 3 boxes to my doorstep. They were all in perfect shape, nobody seemed to have performed drop-tests with them, nor were they used for target practice. Unpacking was easy, instructions are clearly printed on the box so you have no excuses. The speakers are wrapped in a reusable fabric bag which is a nice touch. The third box contains the spikes, rubber feet and a cleaning cloth. There also was a leatherette folder containing the owner's manual and product brochure. Now that's class!

The Cherry finish is very nice, maybe not to the same standards as some high-end British speakers, but considering the price paid, I was more than satisfied. I could appreciate an effect of moiré when the sun fell on the wooden surface. The peakers looks stunning with their array of 2 woofers, 2 mids and 2 tweeters.

Since I was already using a bi-wire setup, I immediately removed the generic sheet-metal jumpers from the double binding posts and hooked my ZU Wax speaker cables. Compared to my ageing Linn Indexes, I could immediately hear a tremendous improvement, especially in the dynamics and bass extension. Treble was a bit harsh and unnatural. After a little over 50 hours of burn-in, they really started to shine. Gone was all the harshness, and the spacial image kept improving day after day. After 200 hours, I disbeleiving myself could hear bass from the fm tuner as I never hear from CD.

Overall, I am extremely satisfied with my purchase, the magnitude of improvement they brought to my systems easily compares to what speakers worth 2-3 times the price would have achieved. (I tried ProAc Studio 130, Spendors S6e, Linn Ninka).

Associated equipment:
- Arcam DiVA A85
- Rotel RCD975 used as transport
- Benchmark Media DAC-1
- Revox B160 FM tuner
- RSA Midnight Silver Edition interconnects
- SilverFi Phrigian interconnects
- Zu-Cable Wax speaker cables (bi-wire)
- Actinote and BPT power cables

Similar Products Used:

- Linn Index II
- Spendor S6e
- ProAc Studio

Sound quality. They really do sound amazing, just make sure you power them with an appropriate source.

Value. Amazing sound quality for the dollar. Comparable to speakers costing hundreds, if not thousands, more.

Solid build quality. Yes the 'base' M80's are vinyl covered, but it looks good. binding posts are of excellent quality.

The M80's are 4-ohm speakers. Make sure your equipment can handle it (email Axiom if you don't know). I had to purchase a dedicated amplifier.

They need good, clean power, and space to breathe to really shine.

My only complaint is that their shipper, DHL, really mangled one of the boxes. One of the grill binding posts was broken, but otherwise no damage. It looked like the box had been thrown into a large blender. Free shipping is wonderful, but Axiom needs to re-evaluate their shipper.

This is in regards to the M80V2 model.

I've had Axiom's M22 bookshelves and their VP150 center for almost 3 years and have been quite happy with them. While the M22's are awesome for bookshelves, they lack the clean and bold sound and presence of full-range floor standing speakers. I finally decided that it was time to upgrade to larger speakers. I didn't want to be an Axiom fanboy, so I began researching other speakers. My wife and I spent many months and traveled hundreds of miles to listen to various other speakers, including Vienna Acoustics, B&W, Paradigm, Martin Logan, Definitive Technology, Energy, JBL, and Klipsch.

Not being able to demo the M80's before purchasing them made it somewhat difficult to decide, but in the end since I already owned the center and soon-to-be rear surround M22's, I thought I'd go ahead and order the M80's to see what they would do.

I was not dissapointed.

There's not much I can say about the M80's that hasn't already been said. They are amazingly clear, precise, and controlled. The only speakers we listened to that gave us the same 'wow' factor would be either the B&W 703's, which cost about 3 times as much, or the Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grands which are about twice as much. Both of those have a similarly controlled, refined, and crystal clear sound as the M80's. Other speakers that we listened to in the $1,000-$1,500 range all seeemed to have faults; too bassy, or too much midrange, or piercing highs, or just overall 'blah-ness' to the sound.

If you've tasted the sweet nectar of Axiom speakers before, you might as well go all out and buy the M80's. They're simply charming speakers.

Customer Service

I've emailed Axiom a half dozen times over the years with questions and comments about their products, and have always received prompt, courteous, and real answers to my questions. One of the speaker grills had a broken binding post on arrival. I emailed Axiom and within three days had a replacement grill. Axiom seems to pride themselves on excellent customer service.

Email them yourself and find out how good their customer service really is!

Similar Products Used:

B&W 6xx, 7xx, 8xx series, Paradigm Reference, Klipsch, Vienna Acoustics, Definitive Technologies, Martin Logan, Energy Veritas & Take series.

Clear and precise imaging. Great sound ! Good bass. Excellent value for the money. Good fit and finish.

Had to drive to Avery Audio to listen to them as they are the only dealer around.(Oh well, nice trip out of the city)

These M80VR are amazing! I have yet to find a better pair of speakers for the money. The $1479.00 Canadian I paid for these was well worth the trip north. Frequency response is stunning. Crisp, clear highs, perfect midrange and tight bass response. The only dealer I could find was Avery Audio in Dorset, Ontario, but it was worth the trip. Their soundroom was spectacular for a small town. Demonstrations from rock to classical to vocals were impressive and the staff dealt with me in a friendly and professional manner. So if you don't care much for status of owning very well named speaker but want quality build and sound, give the Axiom M80VR a listen.

Customer Service

Knowlegeable staff at Avery Audio know how to demonstrate Axiom's product.

Similar Products Used:

Cerwin Vega, Klipsh, Paradigm, B&W, Bose901, JBL.

bass, midrange,and treble also soundstage
price

none so far

This review is for the m 80's v2, These speakers are really amazing they are very neutral and accurate, they seem to lack nothing, these speakers really don't need a subwoofer, how do I know? bebause I have one and it's not a bad one , in my previous two home theater systems it made a big difference but not now really, Ive hooed them up to my technics da 10 bi-wire capabitity and they sound awesome both for music and movies, In Finding Nemo the scene when Darla taps the fish tank had my pecture frames shaking, really impressing since my sub was off. I've learned you don't have to pay alot. I auditioned paradigm studio 100;s v3 and left the audition lacking sonething in the line of bass , Paradigm is great speaker company and they wheir my first coice, but I am so glad I gave Axiom a try. and they are all that ! by the way I also heard the s8 by Paradigm and wasnt overly impressed, So if you are like me and don't care much for status of owning very well named speaker but care all about quality build and sound without the killer price give these axioms a listen.

You'd have to pay a lot more for only modest increases in sound quality, but you'd get a finely finished wood veneer cabinet for your money. Great for parties, high volume for extended fun without distortion. Vinyl finish is seamless, but hey, it's still vinyl.

I'd like to see some Special Editon or expanded finish offerings for this line. Would really like a pair with a rosewood veneer finish and a high tech urethane overcoat, maybe leather trim. Are you listening Axiom?

Like most of you, I'm busy with a family and running a growing business so I'm going to spare you the rhetoric. The only thing that's not audiophile grade about these speakers is the price. The only reason I'm taking the time to write about this product is because the performance of the M80Ti far exceeds the price. Better yet, customer service and product support is on par with the very best companies I've ever encountered. Not only does Axiom back their products, but the staff is always courteous, honest, and highly responsive to the concerns of their clientele. Whether through e-mails or phone inquiries, they've always dealt with me in a friendly, intelligent, and professional manner. Be sensible, shop around, listen to other speakers, compare prices, service, etc. Then, give these a try. The only status conferred upon an individual who overpays is "idiot" or perhaps "sucker". I've bought most of my gear for 30-50 cents less on the dollar through online auctions. So much for the resale value of high-end gear. Some investment huh?

Similar Products Used:

Detail and presentation is on par with some electrostatic designs I've heard with bass you can feel.

Amazing 3-Dimensional Sound Handle Lots of Power without Distortion Elegant Design, Realistic Finish Wide Range of Finishes and Grille Options Outstanding Customer Service

Not a weakness, I just prefer using a sub.

These have it all. Compared them to a $9000 pair of speakers backed up with about another $20K of tube amps $6K CD player, $4K pre at an audiophile boutique and that set up sounded like babbling brook. Some people like that warm buttery sound, it's really easy on the ears, it lulls you, but it's no where near what a real performance sounds like. The boutique set up like too many other megabuck set ups is like looking at the world of sound with rose colored glasses. If that's what you like, fine with me! I attend about a dozen or so performances every year. To me, nothing beats being at a live performance. Having a audio system that makes you feel like you're right in front of the performers is the next best thing. The truth is, I am just dumbstruck by the huge sound these speakers deliver with my humble office system components. The vocals are as close to a real performance as any loundspeaker system I've ever auditioned. The high end just shimmers, brilliant and eloquent with a tight and punchy bottom. These speakers bring the performers to me. Awesome! Anyhow, do yourself and your wallet a favor...try these out before you buy anything else. Customer service is outstanding. As for delivery, I had mine in about 3 days after placing the order. Thanks to everybody who took the time to write reviews on these speakers. I'm extremely pleased with them. Put it this way, the axioms give you that "You are there" feeling.

Neutral, transparent, excellent imaging, very linear presentation

My wife says that the kids and I always have them cranked up -- but how can we resist - they are just awesome!

I've had my M80's for 3 years now and all I can say is WOW. The detail and imaging on these speakers is phenomenal. All the reviews I read were right - it's hard to believe you can find a speaker this good for this price. It blows away speakers I've heard costing 3 times the price, and I've heard a lot of speakers! Crisp, clean soundstage, and the sort of midrange that had me re-discovering my entire CD collection. "Master and Commander"'s cello solos sent chills up my spine . . . It was better-than-live. What could be better - the best performing loudspeaker I could have ever imagined at a fraction of the price of others I listened to.