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So Many Different Make Speakers
#237127 12/29/08 12:23 AM
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I have been doing some research on speakers to get for my home. I can not believe all the makes that I never heard of that are out there and being highly reviewed and recommended. Of course the best thing to do is listen to speakers but how can you possibly narrow down the list to audition?

Re: So Many Different Make Speakers
BoB/335 #237129 12/29/08 12:32 AM
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Narrow it down by eliminating the ones you think are ugly, made by companies with bad websites, stupidly named, out of your budget, stuff like that.

Re: So Many Different Make Speakers
CV #237130 12/29/08 12:36 AM
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Bob, try to plan a trip to a local hifi store and just spend some time listening to different speakers. Take some CDs you are familiar with and run them through all sorts of speakers and try to pick out what sound appeals to you most.


***********
"Nothin' up my sleeve. . ." --Bullwinkle J. Moose
Re: So Many Different Make Speakers
CV #237131 12/29/08 12:47 AM
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Looks are certainly important to some and it is something to consider.

A fellow by the name of Toole did some reasearch a while back that showed that most people prefer speakers that conform to like:

Flat frequency response with a slight roll off on the top end, off axis frequency response that is as close as possible to the on axis (up to 12Khz I think??), low distortion... Many Canadian manufacturers including PSB, Paradigm, and my favourite, Axiom, used this research to design their speakers and all make a fine product.

You can start with this site that gives 3rd party speaker measurements as a way to help narrow down the search a little. Their list is not all inclusive, but its a start. The measurements can also help you eliminate some manufacturers that get a lot of buzz, but where the speakers just do not measure well.

Or... you could just buy Axioms, be happy, don't worry...


Fred

-------
Blujays1: Spending Fred's money one bottle at a time, no two... Oh crap!
Re: So Many Different Make Speakers
St_PatGuy #237132 12/29/08 01:21 AM
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Bob, I too am looking at speakers, and trying to investigate and audition various brands....I know it can get a little overwhelming with so many out there. The way I am doing it is 1)setting myself a "rough" budget, I will emphasize "rough" because I am more of a value type shopper - if 'A' is 10 % more expensive than 'B' but offers much more value or if 'A' is comparable to 'C' which is twice the price....2) what kind of "sound" do you like, every speaker has it's own sound 3) mostly movies or music? 4) company reputation 5) both professional and consumer reviews 6) estetics 7) power ect

For the record I have been looking at Paradigm, Monitor Audio, PSB, Mirage,Energy and of course Axiom. Axiom definately fits into my idea of quality/value as I'm sure you've heard, they are often compared to much more expensive speakers.

Finally, one thing I think that is very important to add, is customer service/relations. I'm actually very new to home theatre, and as such have many questions, like yourself. Alan and everyone at Axiom are very customer oriented....as an eg. My brother and I were in the Muskoka (cottage capital of Canada)area of Ontario in the fall, and we were close to Dwight so we dropped by the Axiom plant. Even though we had made no arrangements prior, we were given a tour of the facilty by Debbie and met a few of the people there including Tom. The family atmosphere you see here amongst "Axiomites" is easy to understand when you meet the people behind the company. I hope I'm not sounding like a salesman here!! but I know alot of people on this forum will atest to their product and customer relations over the years.

Anyway, once you know your budget, you can eliminate a number of co's right away. A combination of value and excellent reviews brought me to Axiom.


Half of communication is listening. You can't listen with your mouth.
Re: So Many Different Make Speakers
BoB/335 #237134 12/29/08 02:55 AM
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 Originally Posted By: BoB/335

Of course the best thing to do is listen to speakers but how can you possibly narrow down the list to audition?

As mentioned above one way to narrow things down is to go listen to many different types of speakers, even if they are out of your price range. If you find you like a particular brand but they’re to expensive then search the internet or post in forums looking for recommendations for similar sounding but less expensive speakers.


3M80 2M22 6QS8 2M2 1EP500 Sony BDP-S590 Panny-7000 Onkyo-3007 Carada-134 Xbox Buttkicker AS-EQ1
Re: So Many Different Make Speakers
grunt #237135 12/29/08 03:54 AM
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Agreed, Grunt, it's a good idea to hear some comparatively more expensive speakers to get a better idea where the less expensive ones fit in. For eg. I read a rather in depth blind test between the Energy Veritas (think they were the 2.4i's) and the M80's...it's on the 'net somewhere, saw it a few days ago. Anyway, the two apparently sounded quite similar and the tester ended up preferring the Axiom, albeit by a small margin. However, both of these speakers have very different price points, with the Veritas around 2X $$.


Half of communication is listening. You can't listen with your mouth.
Re: So Many Different Make Speakers
Adrian #237137 12/29/08 04:55 AM
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Adrian,

I too am a value vs dollars consumer. I don't mind paying a little extra for better quality to a point. The M80's are probably at my high end dollar wise and seems to be the best band for that buck. (Actually I started with that dollar amount for an entire surround system)

I am a little concerned from some forums and/or reviews that seem to think the M80's are a bit bright.

Re: So Many Different Make Speakers
BoB/335 #237143 12/29/08 05:23 AM
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Only way to know for sure if the axiom's are for you is try to find someone nearby that can give an audition of M22, M60 or the M80s as they all have a very similar sound for the upper frequencies as this is where the concept of 'bright' comes into play. If you can listen to some Paradigm Studio 100s then you will have good idea of what the M80s sound like, for much less money.


Jason
M80 v2
VP160 v3
QS8 v2
PB13 Ultra
Denon 3808
Samsung 85" Q70
Re: So Many Different Make Speakers
BoB/335 #237144 12/29/08 05:29 AM
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 Originally Posted By: BoB/335

I am a little concerned from some forums and/or reviews that seem to think the M80's are a bit bright.


I shared your concern a couple years ago when I was looking to get speakers. But the more I read comments in internet forums from those who called the M80s “bright” they generally fell into three categories. First were the “fanboys” of other brands. Second, people who just preferred “laid back” speakers. And third those who were just repeating what the previous two groups said without ever hearing the M80s. Be especially weary of the forum posters who use hyperbole like “they made my ears bleed.”

I put much more credence in professional reviews like this.

http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/axiom_m80_v2_followup.htm

 Originally Posted By: Doug Schneider

The M80 v2 is a floorstanding speaker that can reproduce nearly the entire audible range, has outstanding clarity, is commendably neutral-sounding, can fill a large space with a vast soundfield, and can play to astonishingly high SPLs and never turn edgy, grainy, or distorted.


There are some professional reviewers who conceder them “detailed” or “bright” which puts them in the same category as many B&W or JBL/Focal speakers, both of which I preferred to the Axioms but not at 2 to 3 times the price. If you’re not sure if you like detailed speakers then see if you can find some of the above or other “detailed/bright” brands locally and have a listen. Try to compare them to something more “laid back” in the same place and see which you prefer.

One thing make sure you have quality source material. Play a crappy CD on accurate speakers and big surprise you hear crappy sound, which is one reason I think some people prefer “laid back” speakers, they cover for poor recordings.


3M80 2M22 6QS8 2M2 1EP500 Sony BDP-S590 Panny-7000 Onkyo-3007 Carada-134 Xbox Buttkicker AS-EQ1
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