Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater EP 500 vs EP600

Hey Guys,

What would be better in my 17X12X8 room, 2 EP500 or 1 EP 600? Is there that much difference in performance between the 2 subs ? enough to warrant an extra $600CA ? The other thing that worries me about the EP 600 is it's size.. it's huge !! taller than an M80 !. I guess I'm kind of use to "low to the ground" subs like the EP500.

Thanks,
Steph

Someone had some chart that stated 2 EP500's are better than one EP600. It had like 15 combinations ranked in order.

Hey Steph,

The EP600 can be purchased in a horizontal or vertical model. That way you can lay it down under your center or whatever works for your room.

For that size room, you may only need one sub. I have an EP500 in a much larger room than yours and it is just fine. Two subs placed strategically, can help balance out room peaks/nulls. However, I would almost start with just one sub and you may find you'll be fine, once you get it positioned in the best location. The 500 and 600 are monsters and will lift your house off its foundation. Two might lift your neighbors house.

In your size room an EP500 should be more than enough. I had one temporarily in my room roughly 20x10x7.5 and it pressurized the room.

Just to let you know though, when I was at Axiom and we were listening to their set up (80's & 50's & QS8's) we had both the EP500 and EP600 on a switch box. To me and my buddy there was a very noticeable difference with the EP600. The thing is a beast.

Is it worth an extra $600? If you are already buying 80's, VP150, QS8's and at a minimum an EP500 then YES. However, I would also suggest like above on getting the EP500 first and trying that out. You can always have it sent back to Axiom to trade up to the EP600.

Hi Steph. Is there a difference in performance between the 500 and 600? Yes, the 600 will reach several Hz lower in the frequency spectrum, and play a bit louder.

That being said, I have an EP500 in a room just a few cubic feet larger than yours (18x11.5x8), which is open to an 800 cubic foot dining area. The EP500 does just fine in that space, and I don't feel I'm missing a thing .

i have a slightly bigger room and have the 600.......it simply rocks (pun is intended).....you have to be careful with placement.......there are lot of people here who have helped me with placement issues......if your budget allows go for the 600.....and avoid "upgraditis"....a very serious condition around here !!!!

I have a 600 in a room smaller than yours (12 X 16). It’s not TOO much. It’s just right. But if I were to do it again, I’d have two 500’s. The only reason for two 500’s over the single 600 is realestate. Sub placement is crucial and trying to find a spot in a small room for a sub that’s as big as the 600 is a downright pain in the ass. Placing twin 500’s is much simpler, and if you have two, much more forgiving. I would not go with one 500 though. The improvement in SQ that the 600 has over a 500 is significant (that’s coming from owning both, and not just an opinion based off charts). I’d say buy one 500 and see how it goes. You may not want two, probably not seeing how you won’t know what you’re missing.

When I get asked the difference between the 500 and 600, I usually respond the 600 extends 3hz deeper and plays about 3db higher. Both have the same footprint and excellent Axiom sound quality. Assuming your room is closed it measures 1632cf so like Jack said the 500 will be more than enough subwoofer. I would get one 500 now and add a second one for flatter FR in room later.

I have the EP 500 in a 25x15x7 room and keep the gain down low. If I increase the loudness, the pressure is too great for my ears.

Thank you everyone for the great comments. As an additional note, my room is not closed in, in fact it is a bit more than half of my basement where I have my listening area. The overall room is still 17feet wide but it's 18 feet in depth as opposed to 12 if you count in the 8 feet extra. This does not add significant cubic area so the advice offered still stands I just wanted to point it out. Although my first instinct is of course "get the bigger one" because then I cannot possibly have ANY reasons to upgrade my sub after that
I to was a bit concerned about placement of a sub that size. I would probably be just as happy with one 500 or two for flexibility and balance. After all, I have been running my system with my existing 10" 110W Energy sub for over 10 years now and it has served me well but I feel I am being shortchanged somewhat in that department. It performs well, but it works to hard in my opinion. With the EP500 or 600, it should not have to work very hard to fill my insatiable need for BASS .

Thanks again everyone !
Steph