Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Newbie needs advice; M2, M3, or ELT (sorry so long

First, I want to say I am very impressed with Axiom's products and great customer service. Noreen has been very good to work with. Thanks to Joe for answering some of my questions already.

My dilemma is this; I bought the M22s, VP100, QS4s and pr of FMBs earlier this month, no sub yet. I've already returned the M22s b/c they were too tall for my wife!!! She didn't care they were AWESOME sounding speakers!! She cares only for aesthetics!!! Can you believe this?

So, I've had to start my decision making process all over again. Our living room is 12' x 19' and preference will be 50/50, music and movies. The speakers will have to be wall mounted in the corners of the 19' wall, TV in the middle. Receiver is Onkyo 601.

I currently have the following for in-house demo; M2s, M3s, and Rocket ELT-LRS. Each sounds great doing different things. Obviously, the M3s sound great w/out a sub. Great as stand alone speakers for music, lack some detail for movies, comparitively speaking. They have a full sound that is very nice.

The M2s are more clear in the highs, although not as good as M22s, and lack in the bottom end. They sound good for music and movies. With a sub I'm sure they will sound better. If I had to decide between M3 or M2, I'd choose the M2s. (If same tweeter, why does M2 sound more clear?)

The ELTs add a different dimension. I think they are more bright, with added clarity, than the M2s. However, they lack bass even more than the M2s; still no sub. (With sub will it matter?) I watched Seabiscuit with each pair along with the VP100. (Which is a very good center.) I noticed details with the ELTs that I missed with the others. For music, they do a decent job, with the bass turned up. Also, they have nice cherry stained birch wood veneers. They look really great.

When I received my M2s, the finish was not as good as the M22s, i.e. small place where vinyl is loose on corner. I called Axiom and talked to Joe and said they'd be willing to replace them. I wanted to wait to make sure I will keep them. This incident led me to thinking about what happens if the vinyl veneer gets damaged, how is it fixed? How durable is the finish? Will it withstand years, 10-15, of service? When I mount the speakers with FMBs, with the finished rub off at all?

I am stuck at a crossroad between the M2 and ELT. The M2 is the best compromise, I think. The ELT's finish is better, along with being a bit brighter and clearer. Will I get tired to listening to music through the ELTs? (I realize this is Axiom's message board, thanks for letting me post.)

BTW, if I stick with the M2s, I will upgrade to QS8s and probably VP150. If I go with ELT, will get whole package minus sub.

I am still deciding on the sub. More than likely will be HSU. Not sure between STF-2 or VTF-2 MKI/MKII. I don't want to have to go through the growing pains of a first production run. Plus, I missed the 10% off coupon at CompUSA. VTF-2 is probably the way to go, tried and true. Will this be the last USA made box sub HSU offers? Heard VTF-2 MKII will be made in China like the STFs. No big deal except when production issues emerge. ELTs are PRC made too.

Thanks for reading this post, look forward to comments.

As for bookshelves, it's a tough take. do a blind test and pick the one that SOUNDS best to you.

buy the HSU - you can't go wrong. %10 off is always welcome.

don't wrack your brain over this. just listen and pick best.

Aggie, I don't have personal info on the ELTs. Possibly the only member here who's compared them is Curtis .

Actually, I have auditioned the ELT and was impressed with the entire setup...the sub they offer with it (front firing) WILL move some air but I would suggest using it in a smaller room (such as yours) as the room I heard it in was a huge workspace...TOO much room for it to fill but in a more constrained space it would work well...especially if you are concerned about size and finish...Have not seen or heard the HSU...DO own a SVS 20-39 PC+...

The entire ELT package is made for HT...however I was impressed with its ability for music. From spending time at the Rocket site earlier in my research, it was said the ELT will mellow out over time (either your ears getting used to the sound or the other stance).

They DO look nice and if the wife is concerned on size as well as finish, they may be the easiest road for great sound with good looks...not trying to take money out of Axiom's pocket mind you...I just ordered the M60's, the VP150 and a set of M22's...

Just my .02 from personal experience...

WhatFurrer

IMHO you should always purchase the speaker that sounds best on music without a sub.

Birdman

PS - Meaning you can add the sub as an enhancement, but if you want/need to listen to music without a sub, which is the most demanding application for most speakers, you'll have the right equipment. I'm talking about all other factors being more or less equal, such as size, price, and aesthetics. I think this philosophy -- getting the speaker that does the best on music w/o a sub -- will stand anyone in good stead for HT and for long-term investing in speakers, which after all don't grow on trees, alas.

Being able to match with a line of speakers is also important, so if you think you want to go with the ELT line/family, there's your decision. But if the M2 sounds best to you on music (or the M3 for that matter), you have to imagine the Axiom line will also sound better. The sub is a possible exception, with Axiom and any speaker brand, subs being the speaker least subject to timbre-matching issues, since the sounds are (or should be!) so low in the spectrum.

Yeah...I purchased a set of ELT's to compare with my Ascend CBM-170's. I posted my thoughts here:
http://www.ascendforum.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=58&whichpage=1

In summary, I thought the ELT's highs were a bit harsh in the highs, and it lacked some midrange. It is a nice package, the weakest piece being the subwoofer. The price has now gone up $100.

Thanks for all the replies!

Curtis, I read your review and I have to say I agree with you on every point. I've read not so good reviews of the ELT sub too. I think an upgrade would be in order. Great value for someone wanting 100% HT. Great build overall too.

Austinbirdman, you make a good point as well, one I have pondered myself. If a speaker sounds great by itself, it should sound that much better with the whole package for both music and movies. But as I listened to the ELTs with Seabiscuit, I couldn't help but really enjoy the clarity of the highs. For all around use, I don't think they are the speaker for me. Honestly, my wife prefers the look of the M2/M3 better. The rest of our furniture is dark wood.

That said, still have concerns about the vinyl veneers. I need to decide this week as my 30days are coming up quickly.

From all that I've heard about the veneers, they are not a problem. Also, I disagree with Austinbirdman. No bookshelf (under a gazillion dollars) is going to sound perfect without a sub, and you will be getting more accurate reproduction from the M2 than the M3, which I'm given to understand sounds better without a sub.

curtis,

when we conducted the budget speaker comparison at my place using my 2 ch gear awhile back, i thought the M22s were brighter and harsher than the CBM-170s...then when you returned the 2nd time bringing your 340s and listened to the ELTs in my 2 ch system, i thought the ELTs were just as "harsh" as the 340s...based on measurements taken in my room driven by my gear, the midrange is not lacking...it is the UPPER BASS region as the ELTs were intended to be used w/ a sub...

here's the link w/ the measurements...

http://forum.av123.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1364

happy listening!