@@Damian123Holy I was curious about those m100's as well, but the double dual drivers would be hard to implement. I don't think they would be able to overcome the lobbing and comb filtering issues with that design.
Appreciate your honesty, break them in and try other amps. I've owned the M5HP's for just over a month. My second pair is Maggie LRS, matched with Schiit Freya+ and Bryston 3B. I bought the Axiom for the times I want to play the music loud. Will keep both, love having two pairs both made in North America. I will admit that I haven't connected the LRS's back up since the M5HP's. I will some day, but the M5HP's are doing a great job so far. Good honest review, might need to update your review after break in and trying other amps. Thanks.
I too have a pair of the M5HP and found that they are a very revealing speaker. If paired up with a lower powered amplifier then they will not perform nearly as well as with a much higher grade unit. When I connected mine to an older Pioneer I bought at futureshop years back they sounded awful. Like in the review, it felt like the sound coming out was hollow and without any presence. The bass was thin and it sound stage left you feeling like it was only one dimensional. But I later hooked it up to a much more powerful and better built Arcam AV receiver that was giving it a more true 150watts of power and the sound was phenomenal. The bass really dug down into the range where a sub woofer wasn't really required any more. The mids and tweeters really blended and all the harshness tinny sound was gone. The sound stage just blew my mind. it was very immersive and with spectacular detail like you could feel the musician was standing right in front of you. You really do need to do yourself a favour and use a decent setup to get the most out of these speakers. Axiom are actually the manufacturer now for most of the much coveted Bryston products. They make their speakers for them, and I believe they are doing much of the manufacturing of their amplifiers. I know they handle all the repairs and refurbishment for Bryston. Axiom is a company on the move and providing quite the top end line of products.
I own a pair of the older Axiom M22SE. My pair sound amazing... They are a neutral speakers and sound as they were designed to be. Your not going to get excited treble, mids, or bass...What you are going to get is exactly what is recorded... Your not going to get rumble out of a 6.5 inch speaker even being ported and like I said they aren't designed to do that. If you play audiophile music through them, well recorded and mastered, they are an absolute pleasure to listen to. Home theater sounds amazing. I run a SVS sealed sub so I cross mine at 80Hz and they do awesome with what they are designed to do... My theater room is fully treated, floor to ceiling bass traps, heavy curtains on the one window in the room, acoustic ceiling, and 8 pound pad under heavy commercial carpeting... In the right room these speakers are truly amazing for the price I paid for the pair years ago. I've owned PSB towers, Martin Logan towers, sound tested a pair of Revels in the same room, and also had KEFs in this same room. The only pair remaining are the Axiom because price to performance your not going to beat them. Can you spend thousands more for a better performance...You sure can but I'm not paying that price for a slight upgrade in performance. Axiom speakers tuned in an anechoic chamber and deliver exactly what is recorded when positioned and set up correctly...By the way the rear port looks weird because it's design to disperse the air flow to quiet the port down...
I'm happy to hear you like your Axiom speakers. Unfortunately, in my case they fell flat. I don't mean flat in frequency response, which they are, and I did state in the video. I mean they are flat in their sound, as if they are sort of veiled and not transparent. FYI, in case you missed it in the video, when I was discussing bass, I was comparing it to other bookshelf speakers ;). Of course I don't expect a bookshelf to shake a room or provide tower speaker type bass. I think you may have missed some important points made in the video. I also covered that the shape of the port is there to help reduce port noise. I do disagree with your point on the price vs performance, but that is my opinion and I recognize that audio is subjective and that you may feel differently. Because audio is subjective, that means that neither of us are wrong in our opinions of the speaker. If these speakers have made a happy customer out of you, I am glad to hear that. After all, this hobby is about enjoying the music/movies with the gear we have...cheers.
@@petedetraglia4776 No worries at all my friend. It's all in the interest of discussion. At $300 they would be a steal, no doubt! They are now at almost $1600 CAD for a pair, which puts them into some steep competition. I appreciate you watching and commenting!
I have my M5HPs hooked up to a Rega Brio 2017, an AT540ML cart and a z Denon DP1200TT…all I can say is this is a wonderful combination, matches the room too. I bought the B stock during Boxing Day sale. I only paid $720,CAD so at that price I did pretty damned good.
I have a set of m5hp, plus about 15~20 other pair of speakers. They follow Dr Toole's speaker building principals and are almost light giant monitors. Very revealing of the master recording and less forgiving of poorly produced music, because they are very accurate at reproducing fidelity. This is both their strength and flaw. So it depends on the type of music you listen to. Hence they can sound bright and harsh at times. In addition, what's holding these speakers back is that they aren't that cheap new (used prices are reasonable)... But the real thing holding them back is you need a quality amp that has a lot of power to help these run to their potential. Amps on the area of 2~3k to really get these to play well. I feel most newbies don't have that type of dime to drop into this hobby when they are starting out... So they say this speaker doesn't sound as good as the LS50 or elac dbr-62. In some ways they are right because you can get away with 700 amps running the 2 latter speakers. Most people won't be able to set up these to their potential... Herein lies the main issue. North Americas don't like German beer because it doesn't taste as good, but Germans know that German beer is the most pure, healthiest and less perverted form of beer. The popular sounds (beer) isn't always the most accurate.... But most would describe whats popular as musical. We live in an odd world. Thank you doing this review.
I do have a few different amps to try that are fantastic amps, but if you NEED a 3k amp for these to sound good, I don't think that is a good thing. I agree, their prices have gone up so much that these speakers seem overpriced for their performance. I will see how they sound with my Tonewinner AD1PA amp, but so far they seem pretty unoriginal and lacklustre. I hope they win me over in some way after more time with them.
I agree with you about speaker accuracy exposing the quality of a recording but rated at 91db efficiency and 8 ohms should not require a powerful or high current amplification.
Axiom was very popular in like 2008/9, but then they raised their prices a bunch without improving the product and lost the hobbyist crowd. In fact, looks like they are still building a lot of the same stuff from over a decade ago.
Aesthetically they haven't changed at all. Otherwise everything has been redesigned after they hired Andrew Welker. Having owned a few generations of them, I can say they've improved significantly, and it's not like I hated them to begin with. I have 4 M5HPs as my surrounds, so I've never stress tested them as mains, but they've more than satisfied in their roles.
Actually there has been quite a bit of new developments in their line. Gone from the old TI line, to V2, V3 and now V4. The crossovers have changed totally. The tweeter is a new design. The woofers have a new housing to allow far more power and efficiency. But also a big change is they make just about everything in Canada at their Dwight facility. The price has gone up but so has what you get. They dropped the vinyl wrap and have gone to a real wood veneer. I looked at Paradigm speakers before choosing Axiom. they come out with a new model every 2 years but the sound of them never really seamed to improve year over year. it was like they just changed the look to make it seem like they were doing something different and plugged in the marketing talk to sound good. I would rather have a speaker that is actually double bind tested to verify improvements in design before releasing, than a company who will just stick something new out knowing it will sell just for being a new model.
Try reversing polarity on one of the speakers? I've had cheap speakers reverse wired from the factory lol... The bass improved instantly! I would hope for over $1000 it's not though haha
Thanks for your candidness and honesty , good review , I had some small Axiom bookshelves years ago , can’t even remember the model . If you can find them used for a deal it’s worth it , but new at $1500 no thanks .. . would love to collaborate with u one day in the future . Alberta tech heads unite
Hey sorry, not yet. I have had so much equipment rolling in, and with my work/home schedule I haven't had the chance. I can't wait for life to slow down so I can do some more testing and comparison. Thanks for checking in!
I am glad you have been satisfied with them. I think their prices have gone up significantly over the years with very little change to their speakers. I feel these are overpriced for their performance unfortunately.
So, here we are a year later. How do you like it overall? It's an unusual speaker layout. Wharfedale has their Evo 4.2 and Aura 2 3 way design and they have been very popular. Of course the closest thing is probably the Bryston Mini T which is VERY similar to this speaker. Did you end up keeping these. I was thinking of adding them to my collection, but only if they are decent.
I ended up returning the speakers. These speakers are a very flat measuring and very flat sounding speaker. Veiled comes to mind. They just didn't impress me in any way. If you are looking for a flat sounding speaker, these could be for you?
Hey there. Thank you for the reply. When I hear people talking about flat measuring speakers, they are usually very neutral, uncolored studio monitors where you don't want anything but the recording. I myself like a little bit of personality in speakers, hence the "Harmon curve" and why people like Klipsch speakers so much. I think I'll pass on these. Thank you again for the reply. Take care.@@SpecOfTech
Hmm... So much for that "Canadian bias" I mentioned in a previous comment. 🤷♂ I've used the Axiom VP150 center and QS8 surrounds for many years now and find them both to be pretty decent for the price. My VP150 now serves as a backup. I'm actually using it now while I [still] wait for my Legacy Marquis XD and the QS8's have been in my system for probably 10 years straight now. They [obviously] can't keep up with the Focus SE's but that was expected. I've never used any of their floor standers or bookshelves, so I appreciate your feedback. One thing about Axiom though, is their support, which is first class.
Axiom used to present a good value with their reasonable prices. Over $1500 CAD for a generic sounding speaker isn't a good value IMO. Their customer service has been great, and I do love all the options for the speaker finish. I just feel they are charging too much for the performance. That being said, I have only experienced these M5HP's and have never heard their towers. You will love the Marquis XD. That is the best center speaker I have ever heard. Dialogue is so crystal clear, you can listen at low volumes and hear every word clearly.
Hey! I really enjoy your videos! I noticed it seems like you might have the speakers towed in…. Have you tried having the center of the speaker going just do your shoulders or just passed your shoulders? Or straight out into the room? I’ve heard reviewers State the speaker had to be pulled out into the room in order to get the bass Where it sounded the best.., Just wanted to run it by you, and if it improved the sound quality.
Admittedly I haven't done a whole lot as of yet. This was just first impressions based on my initial listening tests. I do have them toed in, which is typically where most speakers work best in my room. I will definitely be playing with them some more before the review, thanks for the suggestions.
Well gee wiz, kind of a let down eh man. I SUPER appreciate the honesty. I imagine it's not a great feeling to give negative feedback but honesty is always the best policy. Really appreciate you giving these a shot and helping the audio community gain some insight. Very interested to see what different amps might bring to the table. I've read more then a few reviews where guys have tried different amps and it totally brought the speaker to life (not the m5hp specifically). That being said these were guys who review gear for a living and have multiple amps on hand to play with. Anyways, curious to hear and watch how it all pans out, somebody has to come last haha Great job amigo 👏
Yeah, it really was too bad, I did want to like these. I love how Axiom offers such a wide variety of finishes and colors, I was hoping the sound would make these an easy recommendation. When I get back to town I will have to play with them some more and see if I can't get them to be more impressive. Maybe with some placement changes, toe in adjustment and different amp, they might win me over...who knows.
Definitely been curious on the Axioms and have yet to hear them but I see that a few of the guys from Axiom's forum has decided to counter your review and even have a thread dedicated to your video with "review" in quotations. Seems all of a sudden positive Axiom comments are popping up. Its been difficult to make a decision on a new setup and those Axioms do look pretty badass.
They are more than welcome to their own opinions, as I am to mine. I would be interested in reading that forum if you have a link? I would say this, and maybe it will be of help to you, they aren't worth their current price. Back when these were sub $1000 they would offer better performance to cost ratio, but at $1500 CAD for the pair...they are overpriced for their performance. I love the fact they offer customized finishes, but at this price there are SO MANY other options.
Hi ! WIll you be doing a blind test beween all the bookshelf speaker models ? That is the only way to get an objective evaluation and I'am quite sure that the result will surprise you. Thanks and have a great day !
I do intend to do some blind A/B testing, assuming I can make that work in a reasonable amount of time. I am out of town a lot, so I have limited time to create videos when I am home.
I owned axiom for years. Would absolutely love a review of their flagship subwoofer! Your a basshead so it would finally put the record straight Traded in my axioms for PSA speakers. Very different designs and sound signatures. Good review 👍
@@SpecOfTech wrote a big reply that i lost somehow right near the end :/ Yeah there were some big bass heads on avs who traded in pb13s for the ep800. But then an even larger amount who were skeptical of specs and trashed the brand(most without ever hearing them). But i would love ur take to put all my curiosity to bed. :) I ended up going dual PSA TV2112. And after that, decided to upgrade all my speakers. I much prefer the PSA speakers. I enjoyed my axioms(i had m80's), but they require a lot of power to reach their potential. And at louder volumes I found them a tad bright. The PSA reach reference effortlessly and with no shrill. Yet, sound more detailed. And everything just sounds more lively and accurate. Axiom was a deadly brand when their value was outmatched and you could get a pair of flagship towers for like 1400 cad. Then, before covid crap, their prices more than doubled...yet there components and designs remained relatively the same. So for that reason, I don't really recommend them as much as I once did. But their quadpolar surround has a place in many people's setups. It is a very great surround speaker I found 👍 Hope to see an EP800 on ur channel one day 😉
@@sporegazms a Emotiva XPA-5 G2 enough power for M80’s? Bi-Amped will be 300wRMS x 4 and VP180 to the last free channel on the XPA-5. I’m going to get the QS10’s for Surrounds. I also have an older SVS PB12NSD. Mine is downfiring though not like the newer PB12-NSD. My M80’s and VP180 center have the HP (High Power/High Output) woofers in them, they don't seem to have the option for that on them anymore.
I hope this brand takes some feedback to heart ... and really steps up. ... Now you know why you never really hear anything about them. Narrow fan base. I love to be able to support Canadian brands too .. ( well,.. some of them anyways) PSB is on my short list right now .. IF they replace the Imagine series with an update. I hope to hear the T800 towers soon. I'll send you some info if I hear anything =) =P .. Don't you dare get those XR subs.. ! I'll be very disapointed. =P
Wonder what the last two bookshelf speakers are since you have Founders, M5HP, Focal Aria (it looks like), and the Reserves. My guess is some PSB speakers because they're a Canadian brand.
I’ve been looking hard at the m5’s series for my entire bed layer. I feel like this would EQ well with Dirac. Have you been listening to yours at all since this video?
I did do a ton of listening over the holidays. I have to be honest, I do not like these speakers. I tried different placement and toe in, they just don’t sound good versus the competition. I would choose the $749 Polk R200’s in a heartbeat over these Axioms. The Axioms are just a flat veiled sound. I really did want to like these speakers, and I had no bias before going into it, the speakers just don’t deliver. I am debating even doing a full review, because it will be mostly negative. I will have some conversations with Axiom to see if for some reason they sent me 2 faulty speakers, but the chance of that is slim. I personally feel it is time for Axiom to overall their drivers and crossover design. For the price they are asking for these, they just don’t stack up. Sorry to be such a downer, but I always promise honesty, and that is what I delivering.
@@SpecOfTech hey B thanks for the reply. That’s not what I wanted you to say but it is good to hear your honest thoughts. The main reason I wanted these is because they offer on-wall versions too, my side surrounds stick out into the walking area and I’ve already knocked them off the wall when traversing past. Block walls prevent me from doing in-walls. Currently I’m running 11 Fluance bookshelves. I plan on waiting until the end of this year before I upgrade speakers, so I have plenty of time to research. Wish Polk offered the r200 in on-wall versions too. I’ll stay tuned to your channel to see what type of reviews you have going on this year. I like the thought of 11 new polk, they’re just in my budget. It’s just the lack of on-walls that is holding me back right now. Thanks for your efforts!! Cheers!
If your room is treated these have a pretty flat frequency response curve. They might not sound that musical to many vs what's out there. I view them as more of a monitor. The supporting equipment is expensive. Need high performance amp and probably an expensive tube preamp (a real one, not those fake ones). This really limits this speaker in the market place, unless you have thr equipment and get these at a good price
So glad you made this video as I have been seriously considering the tower version/s of these. I really like the pine wood clear finish option as far as how it looks but haven't been able to find enough in the way of reviews to pull the trigger. I live in Maryland and do not want to deal with sending them back or the way I see that they packed your speakers being that they would have to be shipped such a long distance to me and the chances of them getting beat up would be very high. I never really experience much in the way of world shattering changes in sound after break in so I will look elsewhere. Thank you!
I have several of their speakers and know the packaging quite well. the tower speakers do come in a similar box except as they are longer there is also additional foam padding along the length of the speaker so that the middle cannot get damaged during transit.
After more listening, your ears or your brain will get used to the sound and you will like it more. Not necessarily that the speaker will sound better after more use. So I’m sure your final review of this speaker will be better. But I think the initial impression is more important.
That’s too bad. I feel like Axiom has been around forever and the game is changing. My favourite Canadian brand is Totem. Would like to hear your thoughts on these, they get no press on RUclips.
@@SpecOfTech If you can get a pair of Totem Forest Signatures in the cherry finish I would love to see a review, they sound great from any position and have a very clear and soulful sound to them. I almost bought a pair myself
Out dated aesthetics and ok sound. You don't hear about them because the world has surpassed them. They are no longer the value player. In today's world there are speakers that look better and sound better for cheaper.
It's not that they sound terrible, IMO there just isn't enough performance there to justify their price. I do love the fact that they are customizable though.
I do not consider myself an audiophile, but I know more about audio engineering and hifi than many people I know who do call themselves audiophiles, so take that for what it's worth. I bought a full 5.1 set of Axiom gear back in 2011, and I'm still using it in my living room to this day. And - honestly? It hurts me to say, but - I've never really been happy it. It's just uninteresting. Underwhelming. Yes, it's neutral and uncolored, but it also sounds like there are things just missing. No engagement. I have two of the big towers with double 6-1/2" woofers for mains, a center with 5 drivers in it, the funky OS8 surrounds with the woofers in the top and bottom (which I actually think are great), and a 12-inch sub (that I have never been pleased with). Matched the passives to a "big boy" Emotiva XPA-5 amp (that weighs like 100 lbs) and an Emotiva Pre/Pro. Mid-bass and sub-bass are incredibly underwhelming, and that's with the 12" sub; even the big towers are just anemic on the low end w/o the sub. They're built likes tanks, look first-rate. Heavy as hell. Axiom has *great* customer service. Look, feel and read for all the world like they ought to punch all your audio love buttons, but they just don't. Kind of sounds like they aren't even trying very hard. Tried moving things around, EQ, even turned the whole living room 90° hoping room acoustics was the problem. Love everything about them except the entire experience where the rubber meets the road. I have wondered many times why Axiom does not offer the multitude of hifi review channels to review their speakers. I don't want to say out loud the conclusion I've come to. :(
Sorry to hear that you have been pleased with them. You're right though, they do have excellent build quality. It's a shame that their sound is so underwhelming and uneventful. They seem to be too flat, no their frequency response, but more so in their lack of dynamics and liveliness.
Very interesting! Great you are reviewing " non big box store" gear! Its obvious they don't measure up, especially for the price. The Paradigm Founder 40b's are $1499 cad... need I say more? 🤔
So the M5HP are half the price of the Paradigms. Seems like decent value for great sounding classic Canadian made speakers with a real wood finish. They aren't for everyone, but they definitely are for me! (And look at the B-Stock page for hundreds less!)
I was going to purchase them and my local audio store thae sells bryston was talking them down . Fast forward a couple years bryston purchased the companys and re badge them . Not a word said
Their site says $1947. USD, not $1214. as you stated. Really cool customization, but there are many options out there that have been widely reviewed and loved for nearly two grand.
Really? They charge more for Americans? I was just doing the math on the exchange rate, that is how I came up with the price. No matter how hard I try it always takes me to the Canadian site with Canadian prices lol. So I had to assume it would come down to the exchange rate. Thanks for letting me know the real USD price.
I was in the market for Axiom years ago . Went to my local audio store he carries Bryston .He spoke so bad about the Axiom .Fast forward Bryston Axiom buys Bryston . Bryston speakers are re badge Axiom Audio.
Bottom line at that price Axiom Audio is not unique . Dated design and overpriced . Trust me you arent finding something special .You have other options such as Paradigm ,Revel and Monitor Audio .
You should wait and give it more time before offering a review. No reason to rush. And it's been 3 months since this review and there's been no follow-up.
I AM waiting before offering my review, this video is labeled an Unboxing and First Impression video...not as a review. The review will be coming in the future, I work at my own pace, but it will be released in due time...cheers!
@@SpecOfTech what I'm saying is the immediate review is so negative that it may turn people off from not just the speaker but Axiom in general. It might be better just to discuss physical characteristics than venture into the listening experience until you feel confident about how the speaker will perform in a person's home after the break-invperiod. This video will stand until you release the follow-up video and some may never see that.
@@lsaideOK Well I am sorry if you feel that way, but I have to be 100% honest with my first impressions, including the sound. I am not JUST here to promote companies, I am here to give an honest description of my experience to my viewers, whether good or bad.
@@SpecOfTech I look forward to your follow-up video. Will be interesting to see you if there are any changes. You also did an unboxing of a sonus faber Sonetto speaker a while ago and I'm also looking forward to that follow-up review. Coincidentally enough, I'm deciding between speakers from the two companies for my next purchase.
I was surprised as well, I was hoping they would be a mainstay in my bookshelf collection. It isn't looking promising, but I will reserve final judgment after I have more time with them and experiment some more.
Never been a fan of this speaker brand. The name alone for me screams cheap and the look of those drivers have that I'm built in China vibe and not in a good way. I vould name 5 lower cost bookshelves much less expensive that would crush these in every way. I could be wrong but that's how I see these even their towers with 15 drivers just looks awful. Respect for spending this kinda coin just to see how they perform but yeah hope you can make up the cost somewhere else.
Honestly, I never ending up paying for them. I had originally ordered them, but after well over a month of delays, I canceled my order. They ended up sending them to me for review anyway. If I liked them I said I would buy them, but it's looking like these are going back. I have a buddy with a full Arendal setup that I will be listening to at the end of the month. If they blow me away, maybe I will make more of an effort to get Arendal in my space.
Yeah, but this guy thinks Polk speakers sound good ... that's all you need to know really ... ruclips.net/video/3EE_dTxvNRk/видео.html Polk's speakers are good .... good grief!
![OhGeesy x Lefty Gunplay - What It Iz [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/L0yzW9t2ixk/mqdefault.jpg)
A few months ago i bought me some quad pole speakers from them. One of the best rear speakers I had own.
I’ve been waiting for an honest review. Thanks man. Hope they break in good.
I hope so too!
I was considering the M100 towers. I’ll just wait for your next break In review.
@@Damian123Holy I was curious about those m100's as well, but the double dual drivers would be hard to implement. I don't think they would be able to overcome the lobbing and comb filtering issues with that design.
Appreciate your honesty, break them in and try other amps. I've owned the M5HP's for just over a month. My second pair is Maggie LRS, matched with Schiit Freya+ and Bryston 3B. I bought the Axiom for the times I want to play the music loud. Will keep both, love having two pairs both made in North America. I will admit that I haven't connected the LRS's back up since the M5HP's. I will some day, but the M5HP's are doing a great job so far. Good honest review, might need to update your review after break in and trying other amps. Thanks.
I too have a pair of the M5HP and found that they are a very revealing speaker. If paired up with a lower powered amplifier then they will not perform nearly as well as with a much higher grade unit. When I connected mine to an older Pioneer I bought at futureshop years back they sounded awful. Like in the review, it felt like the sound coming out was hollow and without any presence. The bass was thin and it sound stage left you feeling like it was only one dimensional.
But I later hooked it up to a much more powerful and better built Arcam AV receiver that was giving it a more true 150watts of power and the sound was phenomenal. The bass really dug down into the range where a sub woofer wasn't really required any more. The mids and tweeters really blended and all the harshness tinny sound was gone. The sound stage just blew my mind. it was very immersive and with spectacular detail like you could feel the musician was standing right in front of you.
You really do need to do yourself a favour and use a decent setup to get the most out of these speakers. Axiom are actually the manufacturer now for most of the much coveted Bryston products. They make their speakers for them, and I believe they are doing much of the manufacturing of their amplifiers. I know they handle all the repairs and refurbishment for Bryston. Axiom is a company on the move and providing quite the top end line of products.
I own a pair of the older Axiom M22SE. My pair sound amazing... They are a neutral speakers and sound as they were designed to be. Your not going to get excited treble, mids, or bass...What you are going to get is exactly what is recorded... Your not going to get rumble out of a 6.5 inch speaker even being ported and like I said they aren't designed to do that. If you play audiophile music through them, well recorded and mastered, they are an absolute pleasure to listen to. Home theater sounds amazing. I run a SVS sealed sub so I cross mine at 80Hz and they do awesome with what they are designed to do... My theater room is fully treated, floor to ceiling bass traps, heavy curtains on the one window in the room, acoustic ceiling, and 8 pound pad under heavy commercial carpeting... In the right room these speakers are truly amazing for the price I paid for the pair years ago. I've owned PSB towers, Martin Logan towers, sound tested a pair of Revels in the same room, and also had KEFs in this same room. The only pair remaining are the Axiom because price to performance your not going to beat them. Can you spend thousands more for a better performance...You sure can but I'm not paying that price for a slight upgrade in performance. Axiom speakers tuned in an anechoic chamber and deliver exactly what is recorded when positioned and set up correctly...By the way the rear port looks weird because it's design to disperse the air flow to quiet the port down...
I'm happy to hear you like your Axiom speakers. Unfortunately, in my case they fell flat. I don't mean flat in frequency response, which they are, and I did state in the video. I mean they are flat in their sound, as if they are sort of veiled and not transparent. FYI, in case you missed it in the video, when I was discussing bass, I was comparing it to other bookshelf speakers ;). Of course I don't expect a bookshelf to shake a room or provide tower speaker type bass.
I think you may have missed some important points made in the video. I also covered that the shape of the port is there to help reduce port noise. I do disagree with your point on the price vs performance, but that is my opinion and I recognize that audio is subjective and that you may feel differently. Because audio is subjective, that means that neither of us are wrong in our opinions of the speaker.
If these speakers have made a happy customer out of you, I am glad to hear that. After all, this hobby is about enjoying the music/movies with the gear we have...cheers.
@@petedetraglia4776 No worries at all my friend. It's all in the interest of discussion. At $300 they would be a steal, no doubt! They are now at almost $1600 CAD for a pair, which puts them into some steep competition. I appreciate you watching and commenting!
I have my M5HPs hooked up to a Rega Brio 2017, an AT540ML cart and a z Denon DP1200TT…all I can say is this is a wonderful combination, matches the room too. I bought the B stock during Boxing Day sale. I only paid $720,CAD so at that price I did pretty damned good.
I helped a buddy install a full Axiom Audio 5.1 setup and he loved it. Great sounding setup.
I am glad to hear he loved them. What did you install for front speakers?
@@SpecOfTech I don't remember. This was probably 15 years ago, LOL.
I have a set of m5hp, plus about 15~20 other pair of speakers. They follow Dr Toole's speaker building principals and are almost light giant monitors. Very revealing of the master recording and less forgiving of poorly produced music, because they are very accurate at reproducing fidelity. This is both their strength and flaw.
So it depends on the type of music you listen to.
Hence they can sound bright and harsh at times.
In addition, what's holding these speakers back is that they aren't that cheap new (used prices are reasonable)... But the real thing holding them back is you need a quality amp that has a lot of power to help these run to their potential. Amps on the area of 2~3k to really get these to play well.
I feel most newbies don't have that type of dime to drop into this hobby when they are starting out... So they say this speaker doesn't sound as good as the LS50 or elac dbr-62. In some ways they are right because you can get away with 700 amps running the 2 latter speakers. Most people won't be able to set up these to their potential... Herein lies the main issue.
North Americas don't like German beer because it doesn't taste as good, but Germans know that German beer is the most pure, healthiest and less perverted form of beer.
The popular sounds (beer) isn't always the most accurate.... But most would describe whats popular as musical.
We live in an odd world.
Thank you doing this review.
I do have a few different amps to try that are fantastic amps, but if you NEED a 3k amp for these to sound good, I don't think that is a good thing. I agree, their prices have gone up so much that these speakers seem overpriced for their performance. I will see how they sound with my Tonewinner AD1PA amp, but so far they seem pretty unoriginal and lacklustre. I hope they win me over in some way after more time with them.
@@SpecOfTechhow are the m5hp after some time and after running them with different amps? Just curious... Thanks in advance
I agree with you about speaker accuracy exposing the quality of a recording but rated at 91db efficiency and 8 ohms should not require a powerful or high current amplification.
Axiom was very popular in like 2008/9, but then they raised their prices a bunch without improving the product and lost the hobbyist crowd. In fact, looks like they are still building a lot of the same stuff from over a decade ago.
Aesthetically they haven't changed at all. Otherwise everything has been redesigned after they hired Andrew Welker. Having owned a few generations of them, I can say they've improved significantly, and it's not like I hated them to begin with. I have 4 M5HPs as my surrounds, so I've never stress tested them as mains, but they've more than satisfied in their roles.
Actually there has been quite a bit of new developments in their line. Gone from the old TI line, to V2, V3 and now V4. The crossovers have changed totally. The tweeter is a new design. The woofers have a new housing to allow far more power and efficiency. But also a big change is they make just about everything in Canada at their Dwight facility. The price has gone up but so has what you get. They dropped the vinyl wrap and have gone to a real wood veneer.
I looked at Paradigm speakers before choosing Axiom. they come out with a new model every 2 years but the sound of them never really seamed to improve year over year. it was like they just changed the look to make it seem like they were doing something different and plugged in the marketing talk to sound good. I would rather have a speaker that is actually double bind tested to verify improvements in design before releasing, than a company who will just stick something new out knowing it will sell just for being a new model.
Try reversing polarity on one of the speakers? I've had cheap speakers reverse wired from the factory lol... The bass improved instantly! I would hope for over $1000 it's not though haha
A lot of people knows Axiom , being banned from Forums didn't helped them . Check out "Axiom speakers buyers beware" from 2009 .
i hope you are afforded the opportunity to try out axiom's omnipolar speaker; preferably the 100 series.
Love your videos and channel Barrett. Hope y’all are making some progress in your new home.
Thanks for your candidness and honesty , good review , I had some small Axiom bookshelves years ago , can’t even remember the model . If you can find them used for a deal it’s worth it , but new at $1500 no thanks .. . would love to collaborate with u one day in the future . Alberta tech heads unite
Hi Barrett, any update for a possible blind test comparing bookshelf models and polarity check on the Axiom? Thanks !
Hey sorry, not yet. I have had so much equipment rolling in, and with my work/home schedule I haven't had the chance. I can't wait for life to slow down so I can do some more testing and comparison. Thanks for checking in!
I have 2 axiom systems that are pretty old, always been satisfying, never blown away, waiting for kids to be about older before I upgrade
I am glad you have been satisfied with them. I think their prices have gone up significantly over the years with very little change to their speakers. I feel these are overpriced for their performance unfortunately.
Hi again Barrett, have you tried to inverse the polarity on one of the speaker as per Mike's comment a few days ago ?
I am currently out of town working, so I have not been able to try that yet.
@@SpecOfTech Hi, thanks for the follow-up ! I'm looking forward to see the result. Be careful and have a great weekend !
Axiom makes the Bryston speakers, which I have really liked. Hopefully you can review the Bryston Mini T.
Great video as always mate… appreciate your honesty.
Thanks brother!
So, here we are a year later. How do you like it overall? It's an unusual speaker layout. Wharfedale has their Evo 4.2 and Aura 2 3 way design and they have been very popular. Of course the closest thing is probably the Bryston Mini T which is VERY similar to this speaker. Did you end up keeping these. I was thinking of adding them to my collection, but only if they are decent.
I ended up returning the speakers. These speakers are a very flat measuring and very flat sounding speaker. Veiled comes to mind. They just didn't impress me in any way. If you are looking for a flat sounding speaker, these could be for you?
Hey there. Thank you for the reply. When I hear people talking about flat measuring speakers, they are usually very neutral, uncolored studio monitors where you don't want anything but the recording. I myself like a little bit of personality in speakers, hence the "Harmon curve" and why people like Klipsch speakers so much. I think I'll pass on these. Thank you again for the reply. Take care.@@SpecOfTech
Hmm... So much for that "Canadian bias" I mentioned in a previous comment. 🤷♂ I've used the Axiom VP150 center and QS8 surrounds for many years now and find them both to be pretty decent for the price. My VP150 now serves as a backup. I'm actually using it now while I [still] wait for my Legacy Marquis XD and the QS8's have been in my system for probably 10 years straight now. They [obviously] can't keep up with the Focus SE's but that was expected. I've never used any of their floor standers or bookshelves, so I appreciate your feedback. One thing about Axiom though, is their support, which is first class.
Axiom used to present a good value with their reasonable prices. Over $1500 CAD for a generic sounding speaker isn't a good value IMO. Their customer service has been great, and I do love all the options for the speaker finish. I just feel they are charging too much for the performance. That being said, I have only experienced these M5HP's and have never heard their towers.
You will love the Marquis XD. That is the best center speaker I have ever heard. Dialogue is so crystal clear, you can listen at low volumes and hear every word clearly.
What an honest review. Thank you!
Hey! I really enjoy your videos!
I noticed it seems like you might have the speakers towed in…. Have you tried having the center of the speaker going just do your shoulders or just passed your shoulders? Or straight out into the room?
I’ve heard reviewers State the speaker had to be pulled out into the room in order to get the bass Where it sounded the best..,
Just wanted to run it by you, and if it improved the sound quality.
Admittedly I haven't done a whole lot as of yet. This was just first impressions based on my initial listening tests. I do have them toed in, which is typically where most speakers work best in my room. I will definitely be playing with them some more before the review, thanks for the suggestions.
I'm trying to get a new woofer for my shelf two drive speaker that I bought way back in the earlier days
Which one you recommend m5hp or m22 v4 with sub?
Well gee wiz, kind of a let down eh man. I SUPER appreciate the honesty. I imagine it's not a great feeling to give negative feedback but honesty is always the best policy. Really appreciate you giving these a shot and helping the audio community gain some insight. Very interested to see what different amps might bring to the table. I've read more then a few reviews where guys have tried different amps and it totally brought the speaker to life (not the m5hp specifically). That being said these were guys who review gear for a living and have multiple amps on hand to play with. Anyways, curious to hear and watch how it all pans out, somebody has to come last haha Great job amigo 👏
Yeah, it really was too bad, I did want to like these. I love how Axiom offers such a wide variety of finishes and colors, I was hoping the sound would make these an easy recommendation. When I get back to town I will have to play with them some more and see if I can't get them to be more impressive. Maybe with some placement changes, toe in adjustment and different amp, they might win me over...who knows.
@@SpecOfTech ya just never know, 🤞
Definitely been curious on the Axioms and have yet to hear them but I see that a few of the guys from Axiom's forum has decided to counter your review and even have a thread dedicated to your video with "review" in quotations. Seems all of a sudden positive Axiom comments are popping up. Its been difficult to make a decision on a new setup and those Axioms do look pretty badass.
They are more than welcome to their own opinions, as I am to mine. I would be interested in reading that forum if you have a link? I would say this, and maybe it will be of help to you, they aren't worth their current price. Back when these were sub $1000 they would offer better performance to cost ratio, but at $1500 CAD for the pair...they are overpriced for their performance. I love the fact they offer customized finishes, but at this price there are SO MANY other options.
Big WAF approval with all those finish options.
That is a huge selling point. I love the fact that you can get exactly what you want in regards to looks.
Hi ! WIll you be doing a blind test beween all the bookshelf speaker models ? That is the only way to get an objective evaluation and I'am quite sure that the result will surprise you. Thanks and have a great day !
I do intend to do some blind A/B testing, assuming I can make that work in a reasonable amount of time. I am out of town a lot, so I have limited time to create videos when I am home.
I owned axiom for years. Would absolutely love a review of their flagship subwoofer! Your a basshead so it would finally put the record straight
Traded in my axioms for PSA speakers.
Very different designs and sound signatures.
Good review 👍
Yeah their double 12" subwoofer is interesting for sure. How would you compare the PSA to the Axiom's you had? Which do you prefer?
@@SpecOfTech wrote a big reply that i lost somehow right near the end :/
Yeah there were some big bass heads on avs who traded in pb13s for the ep800. But then an even larger amount who were skeptical of specs and trashed the brand(most without ever hearing them). But i would love ur take to put all my curiosity to bed. :)
I ended up going dual PSA TV2112. And after that, decided to upgrade all my speakers.
I much prefer the PSA speakers. I enjoyed my axioms(i had m80's), but they require a lot of power to reach their potential. And at louder volumes I found them a tad bright.
The PSA reach reference effortlessly and with no shrill. Yet, sound more detailed. And everything just sounds more lively and accurate.
Axiom was a deadly brand when their value was outmatched and you could get a pair of flagship towers for like 1400 cad. Then, before covid crap, their prices more than doubled...yet there components and designs remained relatively the same. So for that reason, I don't really recommend them as much as I once did.
But their quadpolar surround has a place in many people's setups. It is a very great surround speaker I found 👍
Hope to see an EP800 on ur channel one day 😉
@@sporegazms a Emotiva XPA-5 G2 enough power for M80’s? Bi-Amped will be 300wRMS x 4 and VP180 to the last free channel on the XPA-5. I’m going to get the QS10’s for Surrounds. I also have an older SVS PB12NSD. Mine is downfiring though not like the newer PB12-NSD. My M80’s and VP180 center have the HP (High Power/High Output) woofers in them, they don't seem to have the option for that on them anymore.
@Len_M. They do..they still offer the hp version in 2024..I have the M80hp
I hope this brand takes some feedback to heart ... and really steps up.
... Now you know why you never really hear anything about them. Narrow fan base.
I love to be able to support Canadian brands too .. ( well,.. some of them anyways)
PSB is on my short list right now .. IF they replace the Imagine series with an update.
I hope to hear the T800 towers soon. I'll send you some info if I hear anything =)
=P .. Don't you dare get those XR subs.. ! I'll be very disapointed. =P
Wonder what the last two bookshelf speakers are since you have Founders, M5HP, Focal Aria (it looks like), and the Reserves. My guess is some PSB speakers because they're a Canadian brand.
I have Sonus Faber Sonetto II's coming as well, also a couple more bookshelf pairs.
I’ve been looking hard at the m5’s series for my entire bed layer.
I feel like this would EQ well with Dirac. Have you been listening to yours at all since this video?
I did do a ton of listening over the holidays. I have to be honest, I do not like these speakers. I tried different placement and toe in, they just don’t sound good versus the competition. I would choose the $749 Polk R200’s in a heartbeat over these Axioms. The Axioms are just a flat veiled sound. I really did want to like these speakers, and I had no bias before going into it, the speakers just don’t deliver. I am debating even doing a full review, because it will be mostly negative. I will have some conversations with Axiom to see if for some reason they sent me 2 faulty speakers, but the chance of that is slim.
I personally feel it is time for Axiom to overall their drivers and crossover design. For the price they are asking for these, they just don’t stack up. Sorry to be such a downer, but I always promise honesty, and that is what I delivering.
@@SpecOfTech hey B thanks for the reply. That’s not what I wanted you to say but it is good to hear your honest thoughts. The main reason I wanted these is because they offer on-wall versions too, my side surrounds stick out into the walking area and I’ve already knocked them off the wall when traversing past. Block walls prevent me from doing in-walls. Currently I’m running 11 Fluance bookshelves. I plan on waiting until the end of this year before I upgrade speakers, so I have plenty of time to research. Wish Polk offered the r200 in on-wall versions too.
I’ll stay tuned to your channel to see what type of reviews you have going on this year. I like the thought of 11 new polk, they’re just in my budget. It’s just the lack of on-walls that is holding me back right now.
Thanks for your efforts!!
Cheers!
If your room is treated these have a pretty flat frequency response curve.
They might not sound that musical to many vs what's out there. I view them as more of a monitor.
The supporting equipment is expensive. Need high performance amp and probably an expensive tube preamp (a real one, not those fake ones).
This really limits this speaker in the market place, unless you have thr equipment and get these at a good price
@@a88888888a I don’t have a tube amp. I have a tonewinner amp that will push 180w or so the the speaker
So glad you made this video as I have been seriously considering the tower version/s of these. I really like the pine wood clear finish option as far as how it looks but haven't been able to find enough in the way of reviews to pull the trigger. I live in Maryland and do not want to deal with sending them back or the way I see that they packed your speakers being that they would have to be shipped such a long distance to me and the chances of them getting beat up would be very high. I never really experience much in the way of world shattering changes in sound after break in so I will look elsewhere. Thank you!
I have several of their speakers and know the packaging quite well. the tower speakers do come in a similar box except as they are longer there is also additional foam padding along the length of the speaker so that the middle cannot get damaged during transit.
Do you have an update? Did they get better with time?
No I must admit, I am just not a fan of them. They are veiled and flat IMO.
After more listening, your ears or your brain will get used to the sound and you will like it more. Not necessarily that the speaker will sound better after more use. So I’m sure your final review of this speaker will be better. But I think the initial impression is more important.
I will have other bookshelf speakers nearby to keep comparing to make sure I don't adjust to their sound.
That’s too bad. I feel like Axiom has been around forever and the game is changing. My favourite Canadian brand is Totem. Would like to hear your thoughts on these, they get no press on RUclips.
I will have to try and get some Totem speakers.
@@SpecOfTech If you can get a pair of Totem Forest Signatures in the cherry finish I would love to see a review, they sound great from any position and have a very clear and soulful sound to them. I almost bought a pair myself
Out dated aesthetics and ok sound. You don't hear about them because the world has surpassed them. They are no longer the value player. In today's world there are speakers that look better and sound better for cheaper.
That seems to be true in this case unfortunately.
We were waiting for you to hype it up 😅
lol not this time.
I have ordered b stocks of these , I guess I will see how I like them.
It's not that they sound terrible, IMO there just isn't enough performance there to justify their price. I do love the fact that they are customizable though.
I do not consider myself an audiophile, but I know more about audio engineering and hifi than many people I know who do call themselves audiophiles, so take that for what it's worth. I bought a full 5.1 set of Axiom gear back in 2011, and I'm still using it in my living room to this day. And - honestly? It hurts me to say, but - I've never really been happy it. It's just uninteresting. Underwhelming. Yes, it's neutral and uncolored, but it also sounds like there are things just missing. No engagement. I have two of the big towers with double 6-1/2" woofers for mains, a center with 5 drivers in it, the funky OS8 surrounds with the woofers in the top and bottom (which I actually think are great), and a 12-inch sub (that I have never been pleased with). Matched the passives to a "big boy" Emotiva XPA-5 amp (that weighs like 100 lbs) and an Emotiva Pre/Pro. Mid-bass and sub-bass are incredibly underwhelming, and that's with the 12" sub; even the big towers are just anemic on the low end w/o the sub. They're built likes tanks, look first-rate. Heavy as hell. Axiom has *great* customer service. Look, feel and read for all the world like they ought to punch all your audio love buttons, but they just don't. Kind of sounds like they aren't even trying very hard. Tried moving things around, EQ, even turned the whole living room 90° hoping room acoustics was the problem. Love everything about them except the entire experience where the rubber meets the road. I have wondered many times why Axiom does not offer the multitude of hifi review channels to review their speakers. I don't want to say out loud the conclusion I've come to. :(
Sorry to hear that you have been pleased with them. You're right though, they do have excellent build quality. It's a shame that their sound is so underwhelming and uneventful. They seem to be too flat, no their frequency response, but more so in their lack of dynamics and liveliness.
Great job bro but still waiting on the subwoofer review. Lol
lol I am working on that one this weekend. I hope to release it in the next week or 2.
@@SpecOfTech ok cool thanks and what’s your email I need help on setting on a sub from powersoundaudio if not it’s cool I understand bro! 😎👍
@@HPMIKE55 My email is listed in my YT channel profile but it's specoftech@gmail.com
Should try to review some wharfdale speakers
I want to hear the Evo 4.2's. One day I will.
@@SpecOfTech the Evo line is great Wharfdale and Mission are my favorite speakers amazing sound
Very interesting! Great you are reviewing " non big box store" gear! Its obvious they don't measure up, especially for the price. The Paradigm Founder 40b's are $1499 cad... need I say more? 🤔
Yeah unfortunately I don't feel these will be worth the price even after break in. The Paradigm 40B's are $1499 each though, not for the pair 😬.
So the M5HP are half the price of the Paradigms. Seems like decent value for great sounding classic Canadian made speakers with a real wood finish. They aren't for everyone, but they definitely are for me! (And look at the B-Stock page for hundreds less!)
I was going to purchase them and my local audio store thae sells bryston was talking them down . Fast forward a couple years bryston purchased the companys and re badge them . Not a word said
I do feel there are much better options out there.
@@SpecOfTech I think they are dated. Bryston purchased a Chevy and dressed it up to be a Caddy
Their site says $1947. USD, not $1214. as you stated. Really cool customization, but there are many options out there that have been widely reviewed and loved for nearly two grand.
Really? They charge more for Americans? I was just doing the math on the exchange rate, that is how I came up with the price. No matter how hard I try it always takes me to the Canadian site with Canadian prices lol. So I had to assume it would come down to the exchange rate. Thanks for letting me know the real USD price.
$1298 if it's USD shipping to United States. If you got $1947, you must be having them shipped somewhere more exotic.
There a drop-down on the home page that lets you choose your preferred currency so that it is easier for you to tell the price
$1207 to US for me if you choose the I can wait 25 days option
Nice! I’d probably rather have a pair of mp5’s though😅
lmao, me too!
I was in the market for Axiom years ago . Went to my local audio store he carries Bryston .He spoke so bad about the Axiom .Fast forward Bryston Axiom buys Bryston . Bryston speakers are re badge Axiom Audio.
There isn't a single Axiom speaker model that matches a Bryston speaker model. Are the Brystons made by Axiom? Yes. Are they re-badged? No.
Bottom line at that price Axiom Audio is not unique . Dated design and overpriced . Trust me you arent finding something special .You have other options such as Paradigm ,Revel and Monitor Audio .
@@mrman7453 Ok? But anyway, the Brysons still aren't re-badged Axioms.
You should wait and give it more time before offering a review. No reason to rush. And it's been 3 months since this review and there's been no follow-up.
I AM waiting before offering my review, this video is labeled an Unboxing and First Impression video...not as a review. The review will be coming in the future, I work at my own pace, but it will be released in due time...cheers!
@@SpecOfTech what I'm saying is the immediate review is so negative that it may turn people off from not just the speaker but Axiom in general. It might be better just to discuss physical characteristics than venture into the listening experience until you feel confident about how the speaker will perform in a person's home after the break-invperiod. This video will stand until you release the follow-up video and some may never see that.
@@lsaideOK Well I am sorry if you feel that way, but I have to be 100% honest with my first impressions, including the sound. I am not JUST here to promote companies, I am here to give an honest description of my experience to my viewers, whether good or bad.
@@SpecOfTech I look forward to your follow-up video. Will be interesting to see you if there are any changes. You also did an unboxing of a sonus faber Sonetto speaker a while ago and I'm also looking forward to that follow-up review. Coincidentally enough, I'm deciding between speakers from the two companies for my next purchase.
I'm a heavy indoor smoker so the white drivers are an instant no for me 😬
This is the company that makes Bryston speakers. I was hoping for a little better. Too bad
I was surprised as well, I was hoping they would be a mainstay in my bookshelf collection. It isn't looking promising, but I will reserve final judgment after I have more time with them and experiment some more.
"I didn't give this speaker any time to break-in" then proceeds to trash it. lol
It says First Impression, right in the title. I also didn't trash anything, I gave the facts on my first impressions.
Never been a fan of this speaker brand. The name alone for me screams cheap and the look of those drivers have that I'm built in China vibe and not in a good way. I vould name 5 lower cost bookshelves much less expensive that would crush these in every way. I could be wrong but that's how I see these even their towers with 15 drivers just looks awful. Respect for spending this kinda coin just to see how they perform but yeah hope you can make up the cost somewhere else.
For the price you could have got the Arendal 1723 monitors and put the debate away for less cash.
Honestly, I never ending up paying for them. I had originally ordered them, but after well over a month of delays, I canceled my order. They ended up sending them to me for review anyway. If I liked them I said I would buy them, but it's looking like these are going back. I have a buddy with a full Arendal setup that I will be listening to at the end of the month. If they blow me away, maybe I will make more of an effort to get Arendal in my space.
@@SpecOfTech cool in the end it all works out happy for you
@@taxi615 Thanks brother, I hope you are doing well!
@@SpecOfTech yep doing great
That port😅🤣😭. That is just strange looking.
I believe it’s called the “mountain lion butthole” design.
@@robognu5000 🤣😅😭
lmao, that about sums it up.
@@SpecOfTech Yep.... BUTTHOLE! LMAO!
Yeah, but this guy thinks Polk speakers sound good ... that's all you need to know really ...
ruclips.net/video/3EE_dTxvNRk/видео.html
Polk's speakers are good .... good grief!
What exactly are you trying to say here? Have you personally heard both of them?