Axiom M80 VS Vienna Acoustic Beethoven on CJ 11A


Hi,

I currently have a pair of Axiom M80 driven by a Conrad Johnson 11A power amp. I listen mostly to classical, percussion, and vocal. Very few jazz and no rock at all. Stereo only and no surround.

I'm looking for speakers upgrade and I listened to some Vienna Acoustic speakers (used to have a pair of Bach and auditioned Beethoven) and I got very good impression on them. In particular, I love their smoothness. The model I'm looking for is Beethoven, not the newest Beethoven grand however.

Unfortunately in home audition is not available so I'm looking for some opinions here.

Did anyone ever compare Axiom to VA? How do they compare?

Also, did anyone try CJ and VA combination and how do they match? I think both of them are warm but I'm not looking for some "too warm" sound.

Thanks for any thoughts and input. Any idea is appreciated.

Andy
hklai
Thats cool. For under $2500 you got a real good deal. Like I said earlier, I think they are a big step up over the Mozart and Bach.

I've read the same thing Ultraviolet posted from several VA speaker owners. That they really need a fair amount of power to sound their best. Hybrid amps like the Unison Unico seem to be popular with VA's.

BW Maxx
I have a pair of Beethovens that I drive with a VTL ST 150 with very satisfying results. I tried some lower powered tube amps and felt that the bass was not controlled enough for my taste. I tried VTL ST 85, CJ MV 60, and Rogue 88 before getting to try the ST 150.
I suggest that if you get the Beethovens you should at least consider changing your amp as well. I think the Beethovens are good enough to justify the additional expense of a new amp.

Jim
It seems like many people here got a lot of affection to VA Beethoven. =)

My Beeothvens finally arrived my doorway yesterday! The Rosewood finish really looks fantastic! There is a small scratch in the bottom of one speaker but considering the money I paid, I cannot complain. =}

VA Beethovens in fact sound very good on my CJ 11a. Compared to Axiom, they got so much more details, more transparent treble and midrange, not as bright and less annoying sibilant sound. Soundstage is substantially wider and deeper.

I do not find any dynamic problem with VA Beethoven at all. I think their dynamic is way better than VA Bach and I'm very satisfied with them.

Bass is good in general but the lower bass is not as punchy and low as Axiom. I think it's less controlled as well. This is probably due to limitation of my 75w amp, but I'm going to do more experiment on different placement and cables.
Hi Maxx,

I replaced Axiom M80... Similar size and spec in fact, quite different sound however.