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Axiom M60 vs Klipsch F-3
#92055 04/24/05 04:33 AM
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nautec Offline OP
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I so wish I could have the M60 to compare but I was at Best Buy listening to the Klipsch F-3s. Sounded a little bright as the treble was kinda overpowering. The F-2 sounded warm but had a feeling of lacking power. Probably the best sounding speakers in the whole store. Has anyone been able to hear both the M60 and the F-3 and have any comments? Basically the same price range.



Re: Axiom M60 vs Klipsch F-3
#92056 04/24/05 01:46 PM
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shareholder in the making
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When I was looking for new speakers I auditioned Klipsch RF3-II's, B&W 703's, NHT ???, and Paradigm ???. A friend of mine is a Klipsch fan, but I felt the Axiom was more accurate/detailed sounding when it came to the higher frequencies. The horn technology in Klipsch gives you a bit harsher sound. Many people that are into heavy rock like Klipsch, not to say that Axioms can't play rock, they can and darn well. I'v very happy with my 60's.

Randy


m60's vp150 ep350 4-Qs8's
denon 2805
sanyo z2 projector
toshiba dvd
samsung hd receiver
jvc tape deck
sony 5-disc cd player
and a bunch of old stuff.....


M80s VP180 4xM22ow 4xM3ic EP600 2xEP350
AnthemAVM60 Outlaw7700 EmoA500 Epson5040UB FluanceRT85


Re: Axiom M60 vs Klipsch F-3
#92057 04/25/05 05:16 PM
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 226
local
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The first time I ever got the opportunity to really enjoy good audio was when I moved in with a guy who had a pair of Klipsch (Heresy II) speakers. A few years later when I bought my own stereo I wanted to get Klipsch but couldn't afford them so I went with some Mirage speakers. Basically, I have been a Klipsch fan for a long time and have always wanted to own Klipsch speakers. However, when I went shopping for my current system I found that I liked Polk speakers better - even though I was finally in a position to afford Klipsch and I listened to many of their speakers including their "good stuff" (I don't remember the model numbers, but they were clearly better than what was available at Best Buy). And when I needed a couple of bookshelves I decided to go with the Axiom M22s and I have been very pleased. I still, in general, like the Klipsch sound (some people REALLY don't), but I like the Polk and Axiom sound better. I get a "the speakers mark the front of the stage" feel/soundstage from my current speakers whereas the Klipsch give a "you're in the middle of the band and the trumpet/sax/horn player is playing in your face" feel (it is clearly exaggerated to make a point, but hopefully you get the idea). I also think that my Polks/Axioms reveal parts of the music that I can't hear with the Klipsch because the horns are in my face. So, if you really love the Klipsch sound, get them. They are great speakers, but I (and clearly most people here for obvious reasons) prefer the Axiom sound at this point - maybe it just means I'm getting old...

Re: Axiom M60 vs Klipsch F-3
#92058 04/25/05 06:48 PM
Joined: Feb 2004
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nautec,

Get out and listen to a set of B&W 703s. They are very close to the M60s.

Re: Axiom M60 vs Klipsch F-3
#92059 04/26/05 01:23 AM
Joined: Apr 2005
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I listened to the the Klipsch F-3 and the rest of that series. The F-3 was BY FAR the best of the bunch. Also listened to the upmarket Klipsch bookshelf RB-75($600 each)...horn and one 8 inch copper colored woofer with port. While the F-3 was good, the RB-75 was really fine. BUT, The sound is very "in your face & in the middle of the band". This was great for hard rock (Creed) but for the other music I tried (Vivaldi & Barb Streisand) it was too strong but still sounded good. I purchased Athena AS-F2 towers which have a very pleasant brightish airy high end with good solid midrange and bass. Very transparent. They can rock hard but can go easy and grand too. Now, I have not heard the M60ti or any other Axiom speaker but if you like HARD ROCK, Klipsch is your speaker. I have to say that I am skeptical that the 5" midrange of the M60ti can push out serious sound in hard rock mode (60% of my music). Therefore, I'm leaning toward the M50ti for a den setup.
(Study the message boards.)
OH!!! GET A WARM AMP FOR THOSE KLIPSCH SPEAKERS!!!



Re: Axiom M60 vs Klipsch F-3
#92060 04/26/05 11:23 AM
Joined: Aug 2004
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dmw Offline
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"I have to say that I am skeptical that the 5" midrange of the M60ti can push out serious sound in hard rock mode (60% of my music). Therefore, I'm leaning toward the M50ti for a den setup."

If only you knew the truth.

Re: Axiom M60 vs Klipsch F-3
#92061 04/26/05 12:54 PM
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 61
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I really wish I could hear the 50s and 60s side by side but don't like the idea of ordering them both and sending one pair back.


Re: Axiom M60 vs Klipsch F-3
#92062 04/26/05 05:21 PM
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,270
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Hi nautec,

". .the treble was kinda overpowering. ." Like burn your ears off bright!
Horn speakers will play extremely loud, but the horn introduces all sorts of nasty coloration (tonal imbalances) that will be fatiguing with longer-term listening. Horn speakers tend not to be nearly as smooth and "linear" as well-designed non-horn-loaded speakers like the Axiom M60ti's.

In my view, the only proper place for a horn-loaded speaker is outside, for concert sound reinforcement, where they have to be used for efficiency reasons. If you are a rocker on tour, you may get used to the sound of a horn speaker as your "reference," but they are, in my judgment, not accurate, which is why a lot of concert sound is fairly harsh and unpleasant.

Horns are great for filling huge spaces with very loud sound using comparatively modest amplifiers. But accuracy? Forget it.

Regards,


Alan Lofft,
Axiom Resident Expert (Retired)
Re: Axiom M60 vs Klipsch F-3
#92063 04/26/05 06:50 PM
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 340
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I'm no expert, the Klipsch I have heard weren't in the best environment, and this site may be completely off base: but they didn't seem that harsh - although the cheaper models(SF1) sounded tinny as a TV. The older RB3 and RB5 were measured here. The measurements even suggest a bit of rolloff.

Re: Axiom M60 vs Klipsch F-3
#92064 04/27/05 03:51 AM
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axiomite
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For a number of years I used a pair of Klipsch KLF 20s, which were overkill for my room, but loads of fun for music and HT. This was before I knew much about audio stuff and the difference between horns and soft-dome tweeters, etc. I liked listening to music, and the Klipsch's made the music enjoyable. I noticed when I listened for more than an hour or so my ears hurt a little, like a mild discomfort. Not too bad, but enough to make me stop listening. During HT I would always keep the remote handy to turn the volume down to reduce the cringe factor for the loud parts.
Years later, and a lot of info soaked up on the Internet, I learn about listening fatigue being prevalent with horn speakers. It is difficult to experience when speaker shopping because it's hard to spend much time in showrooms. Yes, my Klipsch's were loud and bright, and I didn't care much for the sound after about 40 minutes, but they were also a lot of fun. I have an odd affinity for my Klipsch's. I can't quite bring myself to sell them. My brother-in-law is using them in his living room. Sure, the horns are loud and obnoxious, but sometimes music needs to be just that. These things are built to be played loud and have a blast with.
There are so many differing opinions on Klipsch, and it is easy to bash them because they are readily available at any B&M store (there is a certain snob factor in audio circles), but you definitely need to spend time with them to judge for yourself. For me, I can't use them for long term listening. For a quick fix, though, some blow-my-hair-back kind of moments, I like the horns.
I'm kind of interested in getting the speakers back and putting them in a large room and unleashing some power into them. Maybe after all this time I may find out a don't like them at all, who knows.


***********
"Nothin' up my sleeve. . ." --Bullwinkle J. Moose
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