Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners M22's for center channel

I was thinking of runnig a pair of M22's for a center channel. Any imput would be great. Thanks Steve

I’d say in most cases using one would be enough but there are a few times using two could be beneficial. I’ve tried both one above and two (one above one below) and both worked great however for the 56” DLP I was using at the time one above was more than enough.

The two cases I find doubling them up useful is on a larger screen if you can clearly hear that the center is either above or below the screen. Having one above and below centers the sound I the middle of the screen. The other case is when even on a smaller screen you can’t get the tweeter of a single M22 near the same horizontal plane as the tweeters on the mains. Again centering the image with one above and below can keep the center from sounding like it’s higher or lower than the mains.

Also Fred is presently using 2 M2s one above the other below his screen with M80 mains so that might also be and option.

What speakers are you getting for mains?

Steve, why are you considering two, why not just one? Three m22's across the front would be ideal. If you have a large screen, maybe running 2 VP100's or VP150's would be nice, as grunt describes, however, I have a 10ft wide screen and one VP150 is plenty in my huge room. I think m22's above and below in their vertical position might look a little strange, in my opinion.

Also, keep in mind if you run them in parrallel, your ohm rating will be cut in half for that channel.

Steve, in general the M22 placed vertically makes an excellent center speaker. You haven't mentioned specifically how you plan to position them, but you can experiment with your M22s from the bedroom to get the best results.

I was thinking about 3-80's across the front, then I thought of 2-M22's about 4' apart. I love music and my monitor 11v4 just don't do it for music. I have looked at B&W 804S, RBH 1266 SE/R and Monitor Audio GS60. When I go back home and hear my Axiom's in the bedroom, I can't think of any reason not to buy some 80's. I have read that the VP150 has a hard time keeping up with the 80's thats why I was thinking of the 2-M22's as a center. If the VP150 keeps up with the 80's then I will just go with it, any more imput would be great. My room is 24x12x9 and I have rotel seperates.

If you can fit 3 M80s and don’t mind the cost then do it. That’s what I have and can’t imagine going back to either the M22 or VP150 center and my room is only 13 x 21 x 8-11 (vaulted) with my seating about 10‘-11‘ from the center and mains. The M80s and M22s sound very similar IMO.

IMO a single M80 sounds much better than adjacent M22s. However, I only tried that on either side of a HDTV and not under my screen. It’s likely having adjacent M22 enters will sound good for movies creating a little more wall-of-sound effect however, for music it will spread out the center channel making vocalists and instruments sound wider thus likely messing up the front soundstage.

Like John suggested above you might want to try the M22s out in that room to get a feel for how they will sound especially the highs.

Steve, I assume that "4' apart" means that they would be that far horizontally from each other(although standing vertically). If so, that arrangement doesn't take full advantage of anchoring dialog to the center of the screen, as placing them above and below the screen does. The center image would still move a little to the side with the listener, although no farther out than the M22 on that side. Mike Drew has used a similar setup with M22s to his satisfaction, however.

If you actually can position an M80 center, it would seem that one of them would be even better, but again, since you already have M22s, you could bring them out of the bedroom to see how one or two sound as a center. If you get M80s and the M22(s) as center work(s) well, you'd save money compared to adding a third M80.

Hi Steve. As Dean mentioned, I am very happy with my dual M2 centers above and below the display. They really anchor the dialog on screen. I expect that dual M22s would also work very well.

Personally, I wouldn't believe everything you read, and try a VP150. You can always return it within 30 days, so there's really nothing to lose.

If your set on M22s, then "what everyone else already said!"

I use two M22’s as my center. My mains are M80’s. The reason I went this route was real estate driven. I couldn’t fit a third M80 under my screen, or I would have gone that route. I, like you, had read some negative feedback on the VP series. Much more than any other Axiom speaker, which led me to believe that the VP series were not on par with the rest. (I tend to look at trends and do some risk analysis)

I played around with the M22 placement and ended up keeping them about 30” apart, facing directly into the room without any toe in/out. If I moved them closer together, they sort of cancelled each other out. If I moved them farther apart, then center channel dialog would not anchor correctly.

I have often wondered how a VP 150 would sound in my room, as I did not try one. I am even more curious how one above and one below my screen would sound. I’ll probably give that a whirl some day, but for now, my dual 22’s sound just fine to me.

I've got M22's for my L/C/R and love them, my speakers are directly behind an AT screen though. 3 M80's would be really cool... that can be in the next iteration of my theatre when I go from 92" to 120"

Have I mentioned you suck I have to get my wife to let me run 3 M80s or at least an M60 center in the new house........:::runs away pouting:::

If not I’ve certainly noticed you giving me the evil eye.

I always forget who it is but doesn’t someone here also have them as surrounds? Or at least have 4 of them?

Here’s how you swing the M80/M60 center. Order one now and keep it hidden somewhere. When you move set it up just like normal and when she asks were it came from just tell her that you’ve always had it but just never had room to set it up before.

I wish I could get a 5th M80 and fit it under my tv. Isn't going to happen

As you should have noticed Mel(onn) is the one with M80s as surrounds. I am not sure which is better 4 M80s and Vp150 for the center or 3 M80s up front, I think the 3 M80s up front is slightly better.

Hey Mel, here is your homework, take one of the M80s out from the rear and try it as a center, I guess I should send you my QS8s to try out as surrounds for this configuration, especially since I am not using them for another month or so.

If I'm not mistaking I believe Dennis (Tharkun, a poster from long ago) had 5 M80's and a couple of EP600's for his system ... he *may* have been one of the very first to take delivery of the EP600(s) whenever it came out.

Yes, Dennis had 5 M80s but he went to the dark side and ended up with quite possibly the best garage sound system ever.

5 M80s?? dare one ask what he was driving them with?

Several Parasound amps, I forget how many.

Adrian here's a shot of the 80s/Halos across the front that Dennis had at one time with Peter and Ken pictured...

http://www.numenor.org/albums/More-Halo/Halo_Continued_2.jpg

and in the back...

http://www.numenor.org/albums/Axiom-Audio-Conintued/Axiom_Audio_13.jpg

Yup, 5 M80s, 2 QS8s, 2 EP600s. I never heard the pair of 600s; at the time I was there, he only had one.

4 Parasound Halos.

It was very impressive. And very, very loud.

Ceramic floors, glass ceiling? how did it sound aside from being LOUD!

Wow, I love the picture of the back of the room, but it would be an HT nightmare for me.

Has been a few years since I talked to Dennis. I think he now owns Rockets, but might still have an Axiom garage setup...

I believe he does still have the Axiom garage setup...

http://www.numenor.org/albums/Garage-Theater/Garage_Theater_3.jpg

http://www.numenor.org/albums/Garage-Theater/Garage_Theater_5.jpg

My neighbors would kill me if I used that setup in our garage ... at least the speakers would be camouflaged well enough in our garage nobody would ever find them if they wanted to steal 'em.

I can see it now Rick, SRV cranked while your out waxing the boat.

Sounded great. And LOUD.

And what happens if I prefer the M80 as a centre speaker? Do I tempt fate?

Well, if you keep it as your center, you at least make me jealous.

If I keep it as a centre I would have to get rid of the tv. Kind of tough to watch a movie with a speaker in front.:D But I will take measurements to see how much higher I will need to raise the tv to make it work. I've got a miss-mash of a system right now anyway.