Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Need real advice based on 1200 budget. Axiom/Polk

Hello all, and thanks in advance for any guidance.

If I'm looking to sink $1200 to upgrade some speakers, I need some advice.

I have a Yamaha Rx v2400 w/the following speakers:

Center: Polk CSi5
Rear: Polk Fxi5
Sub: Polk PSW505
Fronts (this is the real problem): Eosone RSF600

While I don't "mind" the eosones, they do not perform all that well w/Yamaha's Direct Stero mode (no sub).

My debate is-- Do I spend $1200 and complete the Polk setup w/their flagship RTi12's OR Do I spend $1200 on the Axiom M60's, and the VP 150 (To match 3 front speakers)? Since the money is the same, are the RTi 12's going to give me more bang/buck then the M60's?

Thanks in advance!!

I have the M60ti and VP150, and I listened to a ton of Polk speakers before buying them. Without a doubt I'd recommend the M60's.

Though having said that, you need to hear them both for yourself. Where are you at? Can you get a demo of the M60's from someone in your area?

Spiffnme- I am in Austin, Tx. I "want" the Axiom's pretty bad, and I feel good that they are superior to polk's but I feel like I'm comparing the "upper high end" tower of Axiom to the "flagship" of Polk. Meaning I "know the M80's are better than the RTi12, but I don't have a 4ohm receiver. Have you heard the Rti12's? Also, thanks for your help.

Whatfurrer (Steve) is in Austin and he has M60s, I believe. He should pop in here sometime before Christmas, or you could send him a PM.

In reply to:

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Meaning I "know the M80's are better than the RTi12, but I don't have a 4ohm receiver.

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It is a generally accepted fact that the M60s and the M80s have an almost identical sonic signature. Alan said something to this effect, and it can even be seen in the M60 product description on the Axiom webiste. The only advantages that the M80s offer over the M60s is their ability to play extremely loud in very large listening rooms, to handle insane ammounts of power, and to have a few Hz deeper bass extension. I'd think that if your room is under 4000 ft^3, the M60s would be more than enough for you. In addition, if you feel you really do want the M80s, they present a VERY easy load that is comperable to many 6-ohm speakers. The reasoning behind this is that their minimum impedance is 4 ohms, as opposed to most 4-ohm speakers which dip significantly below 4 ohms.



I believe that the M80s will work beautifully with the 2400 even in 8-ohm mode.

If necessary, however, your receiver DOES have a current limiting 4-ohm mode that would fix any over-heating problems associated with running the M80s on the 8-ohm mode.

If you go with Axioms, M60's will be just fine, unless your trying to fill an auditorium

So it sounds like at this point, I'd like to compare the M60 directly to the RTi12? Anyone think the Polk Rti12's are better than the M60's?

You should expect what kind of answer you'll get when you post the question. Afterall, most of us here own Axiom speakers and most are objectively subjective in our preference.

You may get a more complete response if you post this to other audio/video forums.

I can without reservation recommend the M60's, they are fantastic. As for the VP150 you will have to audition it to see if it suits your needs...

If the Polk 12s are the ones I heard with built in subs - they're plenty good. If they match your current speakers sonically, and are not too expensive, that seems the most sensible way to go.
If you want to switch brands, the Axioms are great - much more lively than the Polks, better for HT IMO, will definitely get you a sense of "I'm in the room with the performers", and they're available in almost any finish imaginable... but don't expect them to sonically match your current Polk surrounds.
G'luck.

Darth,

If you can find somewhere here in Austin to audition the Polk's, you are more than welcome to set up a time to come hear my M60's. Maybe you can work it where you listen to one set and then very soon afterwards, hear the other set. Remember, our auditory memory is very short...

Shoot me a PM if you are interested and we can see what we can set up.

Live from Austin, Texas.

WhatFurrer

FWIW, the Polks I remember hearing were some LSi floorstanders ~$2K. They were plenty good. The Rti9s are the slick looking towers at Circuit City with 4 or 5 drivers, right? They're not quite as good.

BigWill, there are no RTi9s. There 8s, 10s, 12s. I have seen the 8s and 10s at Circuit City. I have RTi8s, CSi5 center, and FXi3 surrounds. I also own some Axiom M22s. Darth, you can't go wrong with either manufacturer. Both companies were founded and are run by people that really care about sound and the quality of products they produce. My M22s are very good $400 bookshelf speakers. My RTi8s are very good $800 floor speakers. I think the CSi5 is the best speaker I own. So, I would not advise you to replace it. If you are going to replace any part of your current system, replace your sub. I was unimpressed with Polk subs - even the 404 - so I got a Velodyne that does a great job. Most here would argue that SVS and Hsu are both better than Velodyne - so they likely are. If I were you, I would try to listen to some Axioms - and get some if you love them - or just order some to try them out. But I would also argue out of the other side of my mouth that the safe answer is to stick with the Polks to match your current speakers - you will definitely not be disappointed. I was recently at my boss's house and heard his Outlaw/Hale/MK system - and went straight home from there to listen to my system and tried to develop a case of upgradeitis because I liked his toys - but I couldn't say that I found my system deficient in any way - recognizing that his system is more appropriate for his larger room, but I didn't think that I could put his stuff into my room and get an improvement. But that's just me and my ear may be as sophisticated as many others here...