I'm graduating in two months, hopefully with a nice grad school fellowship in hand. Assuming such graduation takes place, I hope to order a really nice home theater system for my new digs, as, at least partly, a graduation present.
I've heard really good things about Axiom speakers, so I'm probably going to at least try them out as the main components.
THINGS I DO:
1) Watch lots of TV. Mostly light-hearted dramas (Veronica Mars, Joan of Arcadia, et cetera) with simple soundtracks
2) Listen to music - pop, indy rock, classical, musicals.
3) Watch movies - mostly dramas/comedies, much like my TV taste.
THINGS I DON'T DO:
1) Listen to things loudly
2) Listen to much rap / r&b
3) Watch many action movies
Based on these considerations, and the fact that I'm going to live in a very small space (NYC studio, most likely), I'm considering the following setup:
Fronts: M2is
Center: M2i as well
Surrounds: QS4s
Sub: Dayton 10"
Receiver: Pioneer VSX-1014
TV: Some 27" widescreen HDTV
The biggest questions on this setup are the center and the sub, as I don't really need the volume of M22s or QS8s. Thus, two questions:
What is the reason to get a VP100 instead of an M2i as the center speaker? I understand that centers should probably be louder than mains, usually, and that the VP100 is probably a bit louder than the M2is by nature, but I doubt I'll EVER be running the mains at anything approaching their maximum volume. I also understand that the VP100 is shielded, but I'm not sure that that alone is worth the extra $100. Anybody tried both as a center? Is the upgrade worth the money? Why?
Second: I originally planned for a $430 SVS sub, as they seem to be universally loved, but realized that I don't need bass nearly enough to justify that price - with so little R&B music and Action movies in my collection, it's just not necessary. The Dayton 10"/100W (from partsexpress) is also very highly regarded, and much cheaper. Has anybody used that sub with Axiom speakers? Specifically, with M2is? If the Dayton is not as good at higher frequencies, I could consider switching to the M3is for mains and setting crossover at 60 Hz instead of 80 Hz, but the idea of that "slightly softer midrange" bothers me, as the bright detail of the Axioms is what I'm attracted to in the first place.
I don't intend to actually BUY any of these until I move out to NY and actually see the space, of course, so it will be a few months. I'm just excited, so I have to post about it.
