Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Apartment dweller needs speaker advice

Kevin, subs generally(including Axiom's) aren't shielded since they're not supposed to be close to the TV. A corner location is generally best or if some other spot, at least 3-4 feet away from the set.

>>Low frequency is in itself inherently non-directional

That depends on how low you are talking about. I am not sure which level human hearing drops off, but that would pretty much be where you begin to "feel" bass and it becomes non-directional. If you were to add a sub for under say, 100Hz, there is still plenty audible bass going on.
If I were using more for movies or straight-up rock I would have kept the M3/sub combo, but for my situation it was not ideal as 2 subs would be going outside my budget.
I do plan on adding a sub (or two) as well as a full surround, etc... over time, but next comes a new receiver.

>>Big room, small room, loud or soft music, it's all in the set up.. And that can be broken down into each cd you play, and sometimes the individual tracks within.. Each requiring a bit different degree of highs mids and lows.

Absolutely - I couldn't agree more. All good food for thought Kevin to base (no pun intended) his decision.

-JD

At least some of the M&K subs are shielded so you don't have to worry about it at all. They tend not to port their subs either, and price them quite high... (But I know someone that is really happy with his V-1250THX)

Michael


Michael

Hi again everyone. I've pretty much decided on everything except the sub, and I need some more advice. I've decided that I can't resist the M22ti's, so I'm going quite a bit over my original budget. I'm justifiying it by telling myself that this will be my main system for at least ten years, so by dividing the cost diffence by ten it's only $30 per year to get what I really want. What a bargain! I'm going to match them with the VP150 and the QS4 for side surrounds.

But I'm still undecided about the sub. Both Audioshop and Axiom's outlet has the EP350 at a reduced price that brings it near the price of the EP175 and the Adire Rava. Given our apartment space and need to not disturb neighbors too much (but we will want to get loud sometimes), is the 12" EP350 or Rava going to be too overwhelming for our space? With cost no longer a factor, would I still be better off with the EP175? The EP350 goes deeper and louder than the EP175. Are there any disadvantages to getting the EP350, or can I simply lower the sub's volume and gain the benifits of the EP350 without losing anything except volume?

I also want to ask about speaker stands for the M22ti's. Through this board I've found the Studiotech and Sanus stands, which I'm considering. Are there any other recommendations for me to check out? I'll be getting the Boston Cherry, and my wife has decided she no longer likes anything that looks modern (it's a phase she's going through)

Also, I really like the VP150's design, but it's a bear! It's the exact same width as my television. I'm trying to slowly break the news to my wife that we're going to have this big block sitting on top of our TV. Has anybody ever seen a stand to accommodate the VP150 that could sit behind the TV and slightly above it? Elsewhere on this site, Axiom recommends that the center speaker be a bit further back than the mains.

Thanks again for the insight you have provided throughout this board. A big reason why I'm going with Axiom is this web site and the wealth of honest information provided by both Axiom and the people in this forum.

Kevin

My quick 2 cents. In a small space you will probably not notice very much difference between quality subs. Having said that, there would be no disadvantage to getting the larger sub with the exception of cost. You can tune it so that it won't overwhelm you or your neighbours.

The fact that the VP150 is exactly the width of the TV is to your advantage. Assuming that the tv is black, you won't find that it stands out. My wife is addicted to those home improvement shows where the first thing they do is hide the sound system. She doesn't even notice it.

I have M3 fronts, VP150, and QS4s. I went with the M3s alone for about 6 months before I added a sub. In my experience there was no music I threw at them that they could not handle on their own. My listening space is about 12 by 12, although it is completely open behind the sofa. They filled that room with wonderful sounds. The sub is there purely for movies and to scare the cats.

Kevin,first if you're ready to order at least part of your system, note that the Axiom extra $50 off on each order over $500 announced in the November newsletter expires either 12/18 or 12/20.

The EP350 is a good buy at $496 delivered. No, I can't see any disadvantage other than it does take up more room, of course, than a smaller sub. Despite what is sometimes said, other factors being equal a smaller sub driver isn't "faster" or "tighter"; bass is inherently "slow". If it begins to shake the neighbors apart you can, as you say, lower the sub level.

On the center, if you've read some of my other responses you know that I prefer a vertical M2. It wouldn't be especially good to have the VP150 partially firing down into the TV; if anything it should be slightly forward of the TV edge, but do whatever is necessary for aesthetics.