Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo newbie looking for advice...

Newbie to the board. Great info in here, btw. I'm a big music fan, and enjoy good sound, but new to the audiophile world. I'm replacing my generic, oversized old floor speakers with something slimmer and higher end. Through internet research, I've settled on Axiom, probably M50's. This is for 2 channel music in a small room. At some point in the future they may move to a bigger room as part of a total audio/visual surround system, when I go from apartment to house. I was initially going with M3's due to high praise and lower price, and they would probably be all I need right now, but given that I don't want to get a seperate woofer, and with the cost added of wall mount hardware, the M50 factories outlets aren't much more expensive, I thought the m50 would make more sense for the future. It seems that m60's gets more praise in the forums, but I gather that the m50 still sounds great, but maybe just less high volume performance, which is fine by me.

Anyways, my question is, I have a fairly low end consumer spec receiver right now, and though I will replace some day, I am already over budget if I go with M50's and don't want (can't afford) to replace my receiver too. But on the other hand, I don't know if it is a waste getting higher end speakers with lower end receiver. It is a Yamaha RX 385, with specs as follows; 45W per channel at 8 ohm, .04% THD, 20-20000Hz. Will this adequately drive the M50 and and make use of it's capabilities? Or perhaps I should go with the more inexpensive M3's and replace my receiver? Any suggestions/comments appreciated. Thanks.

Welcome Jesterx!
I really don't think there is a wrong answer here. The Yamaha is more than enough in your current room, and you probably wouldn't hear a difference changing it. That leaves money to buy the highest speakers you can afford now. To me, this would be the way to go. Or, if you did opt for the M3's now, they can always be used for surrounds later.

While there are probably more M3, M22, M60, M80 owners on the board, there are several here who own, love, and speak highly of the M50s. I think you'll enjoy them very much.

Hi; jesterx! And welcome to the World Of Axiom from one of those happy M50 owners!!

And just as happy M3 owner!!

Welcome aboard!

I think the best advise that can be given is buy the speakers that you can afford, if you have one area where you can improve. Your system will be no better than your speakers.

As stated, no mistakes can happen with your choice. Welcome and enjoy.

Welcome Jester

Keep in mind if you order from the Factory Outlet you'll save an additional 10%.

J, another welcome. Unquestionably, go with a better speaker rather than another receiver. You may eventually want to replace the 385, but if the power output is adequate for your listening volume presently, it'll also likely be adequate when you're using M50s unless your present speakers are significantly more sensitive than the M50s. There's no good reason to simply add unused power capacity.

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the best advise that can be given is buy the speakers that you can afford

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Speakers are the key. Axioms give you the best bang for the buck.

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This is for 2 channel music in a small room.

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Definitely can go with M3s.

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they may move to a bigger room as part of a total audio/visual surround system

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Again, M3s will do fine unless you have a tendency to really crank it up (and not really knowing how big that future room will be) the M50s will be an investment that will last. I believe that the M50s will give you as much performance as the M60s, just a different type of sound; classified usually as "laid back".

While upgrading your receiver will make a difference, it will be minor compared to the difference in upgrading the speakers. I had a Yamaha RX-V2090 that I bought after selling my Adcom GFA-535II. The sound was "flat", almost lifeless in comparison to the Adcom. The speakers were the biggest upgrade I had made at the time. I now have a Harmon Kardon receiver. It is another temporary unit until I can go to separates (my end goal).

At some point you will have to upgrade your receiver but don't make the mistake of making sacrifices to do it all at once. You really have to think about your end application and focus on that as your goal.

Good points about the M3s and M50!!

As a happy owner of both the M3s and the M50s I gotta agree with every point you made!!

...uh, ceptin' one.(sorta)

My M3s worked fine til we moved into a larger room and had to "really crank it up."

Then we went to M50s. Luv 'em!

But yup, I didn't need to upgrade receivers til we got in a much larger room. Even then we just went from 55WPC to 85WPC.

The surprising thing is in the "Laid-back" moniker. The M3s seemed to me in the old(and new)room, to give a presentation almost exactly at the plane of the speakers. The M50s on the other hand plop their presentation just foreward of that produced by the M3s!!

Perhaps the M3s and M50s are only "Laid-back" in relation to the M22s and M60s!! And in fact may be considered neutral to just slightly foreward!

Now this is in my house only; a statistical analysis with a population of just "one". But it is what I am finding, at any rate!

I'm always surprised at how well my M3's do even at loud levels in my ~20x30 room.

I don't have a particularly large room so I never turn them up very much but I hear they can be pretty rockin if cranked up.

Thanks for the feedback. I just ordered a pair of M50's from the outlet. Now the waiting and anticipation. I've kind of realized I havn't been listening to much music at home the last few years, it's been mainly in the car. I suspect that that will change now...I'm looking forward to getting back into appreciating great sounding music at home. I also suspect it's going to set off a new case of 'gear lust' for upgrading and adding to my setup! Cheers...

Congrats on your order, I'm sure you will love them.

Congrats!

Anticipation and nose smears on the front door! Happens to the best of us.

Wise choice. Funny thing you mention listening more in the car. I have the same problem. In my case I am in the middle of finishing my basement with a media room. Lots of work and seems to go on forever. I have not been listening to much music at home. On the flip side, while I do listen in my car, it is only a 10-15 minute drive to work. Not much time for music. I know I will do a lot more listening once the media room is done .