I hear you newf.
the biggest reason I went with the M80's was for the music content I do watch. I just prefer the Sat/Sub for movies. I just feel its a waste of speaker if I am crossing over at 80 and setting the M80's to small anyways.
I had the MK700MKII and the Axiom M22. I really, really like the MK's Clarity and detail is awesome.
I am two/three years away from building the movie room and am really going to look at going back to sat/sub. Except this time 4 subs. I am thinking my room is not going to be as big as I thought, now that I used it for my daughters bedroom. It is going to be around 1600sq/ft.
I may keep the M80's upstairs and go with sat/subs for movies with the room that size.
The other thing is yes, I found that too in the pricing of Axiom. I know they need to compete and make the best $$ they can, but a few years ago they were atleast %25 cheaper if not more than any decent speakers. example was Paradigm Studio's 60/100's. The 60's are $1995 here and $3000. the M80's were $1300.
Axiom cakewalks over the Studio 60's anyday plus they were $700 cheaper. Now they Studio 100's is a different story, I don't quite think my M80v3 were as good sounding, but at $1700 cheaper hell yeh. Now, to compete with the 100's I believe you have to goto the M80HP if not the M100.
The M100 in standard finish ( not near as good as the Studio's ) are the same price. If you match the finish, they cost more. If you go the M80HP they are $500 cheaper, but if you match the finish they cost the same.
I have not heard the M800HP so cannot tell how close they are, but, it now gives me the option to open the door to even look at the others.
The only thing I see is the M22's are still a bargain. If I go the MK950 route that's $2100 tx incl. if I go the M22 and a VP160 I save $800 , but again it maybe that the extra $800 is worth the sound quality.
