Bird said:
Has anyone had experiences with the online dealers like Axiom or Aperion? Axiom gets very good reviews for the most part, but I'm a little sceptical when I run my mouse over the Axiom link on most audiophile web site manufacturing lists, Axiom's is an affiliate program link and not a direct link to the manufacturer (i.e.
www.miragespeakers.com) although it will take you directly to
www.axiomaudio.com after it logs your click through. This means they are getting paid for leads. This in itself doesn't mean they are bad products, it just bothers me. Maybe I'm over skeptical because I am in the Marketing trade.
Are you looking "online" to supplement the choices offered by local vendors?
Then by all means check out the Axiom's. Yes, the get good reviews, even from the printed audio rags (stereophile et al). It is the printed reviews that get my attention, more than somebody spouting off on a forum.
I recommended the Axiom's to a friend on a poor man's budget that was seeking a clean/bright speaker that was an alternative to the horn found in the Klipsch. The metal tweeter in the Axiom is going to give you a bright/forward sound, unlike the silk tweeter in my Polk LSi's which I would describe as sweet/mellow. The drawback to the silk tweeters IMHO is that some flutes and high pitched piano and violins can become a bit husky, where as the metal tweeters can be a bit shrill on those same instruments. But in an accoustically dead room, the metal tweeter is often a better speaker than the silk tweeter.
In other words, what do your ears like?
The one argument that is made in favor of purely online companies is that they eliminate the middleman, thus "saving the buyer some $". But, the middleman is important in that he often does most of the advertising for the manufacturer and can increase the products exposure, thus increasing sales and in turn increasing profits through greater sales and manufacturing effeciencies.
Personally, I would always try to buy locally. But there are times (and personal tastes) that can dictate otherwise.
If buying online, first rule, is ignore somebody's good experience. Check the vendor out yourself. Really check them out. Does the manufacturer (vendor) have a physical place of business that they would allow you to visit? Companies that claim they only sell online and are not setup for over the counter sales (or allow visitors to their plant) are often working out of a bedroom of their house and are just a broker handling the sale for another firm.
I buy from several large industrial companies. Their website has pretty pictures of their buildings etc. Yes, they claim they do not conduct OTC sales, and their product mix dictates that few customers would ever want to buy their products in person. But at the same time, the website shows pictures of the local Cub Scouts being given a tour of the warehouse. In otherwords, legitimate companies like to show off what they have, brokers working from their bedroom will not.
PS: The affiliate program is one cost that Axiom and other "online only" firms incur. You can do a google search and bypass the affiliate and go directly to the website
www.axiom.com