Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners QS2 versus QS4 and M2i versus M3Ti

I’m putting together an Axiom speaker system that will consist of the M3Ti for L/R and the VP150 for the center channel. My dilemma is with the L/R surrounds. I’ve been able to locate some brand-new QS2s and I was wondering if anyone has done an A/B of the versus the QS4? Reading the specs, it appears that the QS2 and QS4 are very similar – with the QS4’s frequency response just a little lower (100Hz versus 110Hz). They both use the same 1” hybrid tweeter and aluminum mid/woofer with the QS4’s mid/woofers being slightly larger. I prefer the smaller footprint of the QS2 (WAF) but do not want to sacrifice sound quality. Any thoughts/comments would be appreciated.

Also, in regards to the M3Ti, it has been suggested to me that the M2i would be a better tonal match to the VP150. Can anyone comment on that? It appears that the M3ti would be fine but I don't know what the crossovers are set at on any of these speakers.

Thanks in advance!

Choose the QS2 if you have a smaller room and go for the QS4 if you have a larger listening area.
Don't be too concerned about the tonal match b/w the M3 and VP150. Although the M2 could be listed as being a better timbre match, the difference will not be so great that you would hate the sound, at least i doubt it.
Many people have mixed brand systems and in this case, you are just mixing models which are still very similar in design.

I wouldn't buy QS2's. I have heard them, they're weak sounding speakers up against QS4's or 8's. 8's are best. I'd go with them. 4's are OK if you have a small room.

Sorry to bring up such an old thread, but my question is similar - QS4s or QS2s. Are the 4s $250 better? (QS2s come up for sale on audiogon occasionally).

Fairly small room - 7 feet wide and 20 some feet long. The QS2s or 4s would be on the wall about 12 feet from the front speakers. I want something I won't bang my head on but it still sounds good.

Ravi_singh had the only direct response I could find on the list.

I have never heard QS2s but AFAIK the difference is just the woofer size. If the mains are going to be on the short wall and the surrounds on the long wall close to the listening position I imagine the 2s would be fine.

If you are going to have a fair distance from surrounds to listening position then I imagine the 2s would be like most other small satellite speakers -- mighty fine at low volumes but kinda weak at high volumes.

The 2s have a different tweeter, as well. They have the old hybrid tweeter, like the 4s did before a couple years ago (last year??).

Yes, thanks - I was just about to bring that up. In sleuthing around the web I found that fact out - meaning that the qs4s tweeter matches the M22s I believe and the M2s. But, the QS2s match is not as close?

The other bit of info I found is that "Axiom probably discontinued them for a reason." Probably so.

Yes, all currently shipping Axioms use the standard 1" titanium tweeter. The old M0s, M1s, M2s, and M3s, M40s, M50s (I think on those last three), VP0s, VP50s, and QS4s used the hybrid tweeter.

I wonder how different the old hybrid tweeter sounds from the new one.

Maybe rather than get QS2s I should stay with my Athen RS-1 surrounds (in other words - neither will match the M22s).

Ian talks a bit about old vs. new tweeters at the following link. The context here is upgrading the M2ti to become the M2i, using the 1" instead of the hybrid tweeter. The main differences seem to be (a) power handling, and (b) ability to go down to lower frequencies. He does mention a couple of times that the hybrid tweeter was fine with the smaller woofers but didn't cut it with the 5-1/4 and larger woofers for a couple of reasons...

http://www.axiomaudio.com/archives/m2i.html