Axiom M60 or Monitor Audio RX6

[godsdevil]

@square_wave

I was considering Aperions too but amongst all the ID brands that i researched (as I can't audition them here), Axiom and Salk stood out.

As for Monitors, they did sound a bit bright to me but then they weren't 'burned in' when I auditioned them so I was giving them a little leeway there. And in this price range, I guess MAs are the safest choice of all brands available in Delhi. :-/

I did audition a few other brands and will be doing some more hopefully today and tomorrow as well

 

[godsdevil]

My comparison was with Axiom with MA and Polk. Had that opportunity at a friends place as he had bought all 3 and was deciding which to retain (that only happens in US!). He stuck to Axioms.

However, I did hear Salks at a clients place paired with Audire amp. It was heavenly when we listened to classical music but I did not make me dance when I heard contemporary music. Again this perspective. But I think they are definitively better than Axiom (however, I did not compare them side by side) but aren't they priced way higher than Axiom?



I have the M3s and really love them. In fact, we had a choice of B&W 686 and Axiom M3s and after 2-3 days of listening to it, we felt Axiom is excellent. We have had extended music session from vinyl to CD to cassettes, from Beethoven to LS to Nakka Mukka songs and never found it bright. But it can do a bit more with bass and mid range.

I felt M3 was pure VFM at its price and had to spent min 2-3 times to get anything significantly better! Till I get my B&W Matrix, they will stay with me

@madbullram

I do agree with you on the pricing band but you do have to take in account that if you customize your Axioms with wood veneer instead of the standard vinyl, they end up costing more than what Salks do (standard finish wood veneer).

I am still undecided about what to buy as any ID buy is for sure going to be a hassel w.r.t customs and shipping. :sad:

Salk, Ascend and Aperions do look like a good choice though and if I do bite the import bullet, I might get one of them

 

[anm]

hey - what price are you getting them for?

 

[godsdevil]

Which ones???

 

[anm]

all of them ..

 

[godsdevil]

Well...the RX6 in Delhi for 80,000/pair and the ID brands (Axiom, Salk, Aperion, Ascend) on their face value as mentioned on their respective sites.

 

[sarge_in]

Ah...now that is a real loudspeaker ! This speaker is in a completely different league than the ones in the discussion.

Ha ha...you are perhaps the only other person on this forum who I have seen recommend Salks. Have you heard one? If yes, would be interested on your impressions!

 

[sarge_in]

I have the M3s and really love them. In fact, we had a choice of B&W 686 and Axiom M3s and after 2-3 days of listening to it, we felt Axiom is excellent. We have had extended music session from vinyl to CD to cassettes, from Beethoven to LS to Nakka Mukka songs and never found it bright. But it can do a bit more with bass and mid range.

I felt M3 was pure VFM at its price and had to spent min 2-3 times to get anything significantly better! Till I get my B&W Matrix, they will stay with me

Good to know you are enjoying yours. Goes to show different people enjoy different things, so personal audition with personal listening environment and personal electronics is the best way. Too bad, it is more often than not impossible.

 

[sarge_in]

@square_wave

I was considering Aperions too but amongst all the ID brands that i researched (as I can't audition them here), Axiom and Salk stood out.

As for Monitors, they did sound a bit bright to me but then they weren't 'burned in' when I auditioned them so I was giving them a little leeway there. And in this price range, I guess MAs are the safest choice of all brands available in Delhi. :-/

I did audition a few other brands and will be doing some more hopefully today and tomorrow as well

I think he meant the Salks, but he can correct me if I am wrong!

 

[square_wave]

@Sarge in,

I know somebody whose ears I trust who is currently using a HT3 from salk. He upgraded from a very hi-end electrostatic speaker from Cadence. He is extremely happy with them.

Then I have a few other friends in the US who have been using some models from Salk like the HT1, Song towers etc... These are folks who have moved from mainstream brands into them and are extremely happy.

Now there are some other facts:

-Mid bass drivers from Seas (ER15 in song towers), Tweeters are Hiquphon OW2 / OW4 or RAAL ribbons. I mean we are talking about hi-end drivers here which are never found in speakers in this price point.

-Crossover design from Dennis Murphy You dont need an introduction to this gentleman I guess !

-Superb QWT transmission cabinetry and design by Jim Salk.

I almost imported a pair of HT2 or HT-1-Transmission line design with the RAAL tweeter from Salk before I came across the Blumenhofer Fun 17 which I currently own.

 

[sarge_in]

Yep, well aware of the facts . Just a slight mod there - the QWT design was done by Paul Kittinger.

Have wanted to hear the HT3 (or now the SoundScapes) for some time now. But as I have learnt in the recent past, listening to speakers outside your budget, especially Salks, can be a VERY expensive experience . Even the SongTowers, I haven't yet heard anything in its price range or even $4000 that I would take over the Salks - Focal (closest but still distant 2nd), Paradigm, B&W, Monitor Audio etc.

What made you go for the Blumenhofer? The name is new to me, I confess. How do you like these horns? I have always been wary of horns due to general impression I have from reading that they may be brighter / have more distortion than 'regular' designs (e.g. Klipsch) though they have a high efficiency of course.

 

[godsdevil]

Guys anyone ever auditioned Swan Divas?

Heard really good things about them as well. They too seem a good choice in that price range and are available in India too.

@sarge_in and sqaure_wave any comments on Swans

 

[sarge_in]

I remember looking at them briefly, and can't remember why I dropped them from my list. So can't say either ways definitively.

 

[square_wave]

I have always been wary of horns due to general impression I have from reading that they may be brighter / have more distortion than 'regular' designs (e.g. Klipsch) though they have a high efficiency of course.

There are good as well as bad horn designs. The word horn is also one of the most misused words in hi-end audio. There are umpteen methods of implementation of horns. It will require a lengthy treatise to apprise all of them.

To cut it short, the blumenhofer is one of the best implementations I have seen. It is a custom designed wave guide firing a 1 Compression Driver with Mylar membrane developed inhouse.

To me it sounds better than any tweeter I have heard till now. The others I have liked/used are some top end dome models from scanspeak , seas, dynaudio etc

The horns from blumenhofer scores high due to its superior dispersion characteristics and complete lack of harshness while presenting all the details clearly.

 

[sarge_in]

There are good as well as bad horn designs. The word horn is also one of the most misused words in hi-end audio. There are umpteen methods of implementation of horns. It will require a lengthy treatise to apprise all of them.

To cut it short, the blumenhofer is one of the best implementations I have seen. It is a custom designed wave guide firing a 1 Compression Driver with Mylar membrane developed inhouse.

To me it sounds better than any tweeter I have heard till now. The others I have liked/used are some top end dome models from scanspeak , seas, dynaudio etc

The horns from blumenhofer scores high due to its superior dispersion characteristics and complete lack of harshness while presenting all the details clearly.

Cool! Sounds like an excellent choice - enjoy!!

@godsdevil - this reminds me, Dynaudio is another VERY well regarded brand, but quite a bit expensive too!

 

[godsdevil]

this reminds me, Dynaudio is another VERY well regarded brand, but quite a bit expensive too!

you are right....I did look into Dynaudio but their entry level products (read: within my budget) are not all that great. :indifferent14:

I really liked how the Focals sounded. Have a few more auditions lined up for this weekend.

 

[olly42]

Focals are good which series are you looking out for?

 

[sarge_in]

you are right....I did look into Dynaudio but their entry level products (read: within my budget) are not all that great. :indifferent14:

I really liked how the Focals sounded. Have a few more auditions lined up for this weekend.

Yeah I know what you mean about Dynaudio..

I like Focals too. If there were no ID brands, I would almost surely get Focals. Just not a fan of their chevron styling, esp of the lower models. I have Focals in my car, and I really like them! Which ones did you listen to?

Look forward to ur impressions on whatever other brands and models you listen to!

 

[sarge_in]

Just came across this link of tour of Focal's manufacturing facilities:

http://www.youtube.com/v/ZMTAceNVsfw&rel=0&hl=en_US

 

[godsdevil]

Focals are good which series are you looking out for?

Am looking at the Chorus 800series...826V to be specific

Yeah I know what you mean about Dynaudio..

I like Focals too. If there were no ID brands, I would almost surely get Focals. Just not a fan of their chevron styling, esp of the lower models. I have Focals in my car, and I really like them! Which ones did you listen to?

Look forward to ur impressions on whatever other brands and models you listen to!

Sarge_in

I wasn't able to go anywhere this weekend for the auditions :sad:
Now I actually am considering Focals as they will cost less than any of these ID imports(considering the shipping and customs)