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Question about switching to office system
#144380 07/28/06 08:44 PM
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JServ Offline OP
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My current setup consists of m80 fronts, vp150 center, and qs4 surrounds. I put this system together for watching movies and listening to music at loud volumes at college, but now that I have graduated, I am looking to put together a nice 2 channel office stereo system. I want a very well balanced, very clean setup to play classical piano, assorted other classical music, and some general rock. Another thing I'm looking for is a very good soundstage with engulfing sound, although this is a challenge since I will be seated at a desk placed up against a wall.

I plan to sell my current setup on audiogon, and roll the money into this office system. Originally, I was thinking about getting a pair of B&W 805's (I'm absolutely in love with the looks of these) and powering them with a high end stereo receiver (NAD, Rotel, etc) or maybe even going with seperates.

Today I called up Axiom to ask about a replacement midrange driver for one of my m80's, and I asked the guy what he thought of the architectural line. He said he loves the W22's, which I used to own before upgrading (loved them). This really got me thinking of just getting a pair of the W22's (matches with a musical sub), which would save me alot over the B&W (not to mentioned I wouldn't need stands).

Here are my questions:

1) Because I will be seated at my desk, would it be possible to angle the W22's towards me? I am not familiar with the mounting mechanism on the new line. I have some of the Axiom branded QS4 brackets, but it didn't look like they were compatible.

2) If mounting them angled towards me is possible, it would mean the speakers would be about 4 feet away. Is this too close to achieve a decent soundstage? I should also add that I'm not looking to install these in a wall, but rather I would mount them somehow on the wall itself...not sure if this is possible.

3) How do the W22's (or M22's) sound for classical music? When I owned the M22's I rarely listened to classcal music, so I can't remember what they sounded like. The person I talked with on the phone said he would definitely go with the W22 as opposed to the W3 or W2 for listening to classical.

4) I'm very intrigued by the new option for wood finishes. Has anyone tried this yet? My main complaint about Axiom's were the limited finishes, so this sounds great!

5) I used to own a HSU VTF-2, but for this setup I want a physically smaller sub that is very accurate (definitely not boomly in the slightest). Can anyone recommend a few subs to take a look at?

I really appreciate everyone's input...which is part of the reason I am so willing to buy from Axiom again.

Last edited by JServ; 07/28/06 08:48 PM.
Re: Question about switching to office system
JServ #144381 07/28/06 11:13 PM
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Hey Jeff,

I don't think the W22's will work for your scenario. They are specifically designed to be mounted IN the wall. I don't think you would be happy with either the aesthetics or performance of them if you feel strongly about not mounting them flush.

I'd get some M22's and Axiom Full Metal Brackets. I think the soundstaging could be wonderful in a near-field setting like this, but would obviously depend a lot on the mounting and the room interactions.

You must have a very understanding work team if you are considering separates at the office. I'm pretty sure I would not be able to ever use enough capacity of a separate amp to the point where I could discern an audible difference compared to a decent receiver. I mean, really, if you're going to be pushing 1-2 watts ALL the time, what's the point of paying for all that headroom? Bling? If I was going to get audio jewelery for the office, I'd either get tubes or a nice vintage integrated amp (an old Yamaha, Kenwood, Sansui, etc.).

There are lots of people who really like the new Vassallo series finishes. I'm sure Axiom would send you a sample for a small, refundable fee.

As far as small subs go, I'm intrigued by this Carver. People also seem to really like the offerings from AV123 and the smaller Outlaw sub.

Tell me again why you can't just roll the M80's into your office?


bibere usque ad hilaritatem
Re: Question about switching to office system
tomtuttle #144382 07/28/06 11:21 PM
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>>Tell me again why you can't just roll the M80's into your office?

Ian runs M80s for the Axiom office system. They sound nice.


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Re: Question about switching to office system
JServ #144383 07/29/06 02:19 AM
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Jeff, as Tom pointed out, the W22s are installed partially into the wall(see instructions on the site)pointing straight forward and apparently wouldn't meet your requirements. My listening with my M22s is almost entirely classical and they're truly excellent for revealing the wonderful music that so many classical CDs contain. Either the M22s or M2s mounted on brackets and swiveled toward you should meet your needs when fortified with a small sub such as the Outlaw LFM-2.


-----------------------------------

Enjoy the music, not the equipment.


Re: Question about switching to office system
JohnK #144384 07/29/06 06:25 PM
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I have a pair of M22s with a Velodyne CHT 8 sub and listen to a lot of classical music. They are outstanding. When I am up in the loft above the living room (where the M22s are set up)it sometimes strikes me that a string quartet has set up downstairs...

Re: Question about switching to office system
Foghorn #144385 07/29/06 06:43 PM
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I had some free time yesterday, so I went out to a few of the local audio shops in my area. Among the speakers I demoed were B&W 704, Paradigm Studio 20, Paradigm Studio 100, Paradigm Signature 8, Paradigm Monitor 5, Paradigm Atom, and a few others I can not recall.

The store carrying the B&W 704s was closing shortly after I arrived, so I did not have very much time to listen to them. I liked the accuracy of the speakers, but the high end seemed a bit piercing.

The second shop carried all the other speakers I mentioned above. Of these, I found that the Studio 20s were much more refined and accurate. I have been curious about these speakers for a long time, so when the sales rep said I could try them out in my home for a week, I took him up on his offer.

Right now I have the Studio 20s setup to the sides of my desk about 4 feet away from me on 28" stands. My first impressions was that the soundstage produced by the studio 20s were better than my m80s at such close distances. I found the vocals of live music more to my liking on the studio 20s as well. Furthermore, they blended well with my subwoofer, so I didn't really notice they were merely bookshelves.

Unfortunately, I am finding myself getting a headache after listening to them for any extended period of time, which I never experienced with the m80's. There is no way I could ever keep these!

I think my next step is to go back and listen to the B&W 704's a bit more, perhaps 703s. Ugh, I need to go plug my m80's back in!


-- my setup -- Axiom: m80ti(2), vp150, vp100, qs4(2), hsu vtf-2 Harman Kardon: avr-630, dvd22
Re: Question about switching to office system
JServ #144386 07/29/06 06:47 PM
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Try a nice set of headphones for the office, no fuss at all.


Rick


"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." Sigmund Freud


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