Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo Just demo-ed m60s: OK but need sub! What now?

I also agonized over the M60 vs M22's. Decided to go with the M22's and the ss16 stands. 480.00 USD for the setup. I found I did need a sub to get the bass I wanted. I found a deal on a Velodyne cht10 sub ( 350.00 USD w tax). Not an HSU or SVS, but for the money sounds great. It has turned out to be a very musical system. (Dark side of the Moon sounds awesome!!!)
I have had no buyers remorse or what if's with my decision's.
My vote: go with the M22's and a better sub.
Just my .02 worth.

Okay, I have heard from quite a few posts (I am considering all my options here) including audio experts and editorials from various websites that in order to take full advantage of a sub and bookshelves (m22s) set up is to make sure the integration/crossover of the two is properly set-up. The impression I am getting is that this is not always well executed for some reason or the other.
My question is, to my understanding one needs to just make sure the mains are set to small, and the subwoofer crossover hz set to about 80-90hz and placement of sub is in the best position, is there something else I am missing out that is mandatory in making sure that the sub-satellite setup is not compromised towards the achievement of tower sound? Why does it seem like its such a complex tweaking procedure?

I don't know that it's all that complex. Setting the speakers to small keeps your reciever from sending the low end to them. This takes strain off the reciever because it doesn't have to amplify that portion of the signal. Setting the crossover has a similar effect in that it sets the upper threshold of what will go to the sub. Choosing the proper placement of the sub for your room is done because bass is very finicky and travels much better through dense material than air. Thus you can get very different levels of bass without changing your setting just by moving the sub around.

Man, I know exactly what you're going through. I spent over a month trying to sap every bit of info from the net I could find on buying speakers. Also went to every audio store in the city over and over again auditioning gear. You get nuts!!! Next you'll be obsessing over gimmicks like overpriced cables and stands. But let me tell you, once you get the 22's and the sub all hooked up with some standard Monster Cable, you'll be in heaven. I know I got the best bang for my buck. Also, don't worry so much about all that calibration stuff. Set your crossover for 80hz and that's that. The 22's will handle everything above that just fine, and your sub will rock your world on everything below that. Do mess around a little with the placement of the sub though. That does make a big difference. Usually the best place is in a corner, but it can vary a lot.

P.S. One other thing to remember is that if you do decide several years down the line that you want the 60's, Axiom has a trade-in policy where they'll put 70% of the price of your 22's ($280, if they're still in good cond) to the cost of the 60's, making them $520 instead of $800.

to jtmccoy,
I'm in the same shoe right now. I'm still working on my room (painting, wiring for light...and so on) and almost 80% done and I'm now ready for the hunt of speakers.

I spend most of the time for music about 75%...question for you. How do you feel about music with M22ti + sub compared to M60ti alone? I like M60ti but considering on the room size (12.5x14.5), i don't know if it'll work out or not . I can afford M60ti by the way...but I can live without a sub for a while since i listen to music often .

thanks in advance.

Ro, you're not missing anything. You stick the sub in the tighter corner behind the M22s and set the crossover to 80Hz. That's it. The level of the sub is then calibrated so that it's not so loud as to draw attention to itself as a separate source. No "complex tweaking" is necessary except for those who find that more enjoyable than listening.

How did you decide on the M22s? I remembered reading your posts when you were deciding what to do and you went through the exact thing.

And our rooms are pretty much the same size, 12 x 15 x 9.

Well, basically it came down to the fact that I didn't have an extra $400 to buy the 60's. Sometimes all these audiofiles on here don't seem to understand that $400 is actually a LOT of money to some of us. So anyway, I read all these rave reviews about the 22's, and I thought, well, I'll give them a whirl thinking I could return them if they didn't compare to what I had listened to at all the audio stores I had been frequenting. Well, the 22's blew away anything I heard in the stores that sold for less than $1,000.

One other thing, I only sit about 6' away from my speakers, and I've read that that's too close for the 60's to really sound good. You need at least 10'. Even with my 22's they sound a little better from about 8' away--a little fuller and more clear, though only VERY slightly (these babies still rock no matter where you're sitting). Fortunately, I'm getting married in June and my fiancee's house allows us to sit a little further away.

Oh yeah, one other thing I should warn you about Axiom speakers, and especially the 22's is that if a recording is not mixed well, you'll know it! Because the 22's are so incredibly detailed, they reveal EVERYTHING in a mix. On the other hand, when a recording is mixed well, you'll want to make love to these babies. For example, U2's Joshua Tree is rather underwhelming. So is some Led Zeppelin (they would sometimes record in their stairwell for crying out loud!). But all Dave Matthews' recordings are beautiful. So is Norah Jones--you hear every little smack of her lips and breath that she takes. I also like some techno, like Underworld, which rocks, especially with the STF-2 thumping away. Finally, jazz, especially John Coltrane, will take you to another world! Anyway, all that's to say is that when you first audition the 22's, make sure you use a good recording.

Hope that helps. If you have any other questions about my experience with Axiom, just keep asking. -J

Hey everybody,

Its been only a week since I returned the speakers I was auditioning. A month to go before I can afford the axioms. Frankly speaking, I am going nuts without music right now!!

In reply to:

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Another guy said you can place the 60's so that the angle to the walls reinforces the bass...yeah, kinda, but nothing near the clarity and depth of bass you'll get with a good sub.

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That would have been me, and I in no way meant to imply that doing so would be the same as having a sub. All I meant was that when the speakers are pushed closer to the wall, you can feel the bass in the floor a little more.