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M60 vs M50 + M2 decision
#99570 06/20/05 10:18 PM
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wgriel Offline OP
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Hello,

I've been in the hunt for new speakers for a while now, and I've been doing some auditioning and lots of reading. I had pretty much made up my mind that M60s would be the perfect speaker for me, but a couple of things have given me pause: nothing about the audio suitability of the speakers, but some concerns about the room that my speakers are destined for.

Basically this is our living room, and its main function is entertaining and so on, so the WAF weighs pretty heavily (ie acoustic treatments are limited to the leather furniture!)

My first concern regarding the 60's is how picky they are regarding placement: the way the room is designed, I can't pull speakers too far away from the wall. The speakers I'm upgrading from are Paradigm Phantoms, and they are front ported and seem to do just fine fairly close the the wall.

They aren't right up against the wall, but it's difficult for me to get them more than say, 8 inches away. I'd have a hard time getting much more space, especially with bigger speakers.

I'm also a bit concerned about the size of the 60s - the wife really wants speakers that won't "stand out" or dominate visually. Actually, she'd prefer no speakers but that's another topic for another day

As it is, she's OK with the Phantoms, and really liked the looks of the B&W 603s that I recently listened to. Now I liked the 603s, but that was at a dealer in a well treated room listening to some well recorded material (though, the bass did sound rough to me on one track, but maybe that was due to room interaction?)

Anyway, the 603's cost more that the 60s (more than M80s for that matter) and from what I've read I have a hard time believing that would be better sounding. That said, I could easily live with them - they seemed to be an upgrade from my Phantoms, though it's awfully hard to judge that listening to them in a different room.

The living room is a pretty big space largely because it opens up to the dining room which opens up the kitchen - that's the main reason I thought that 60s would be the way to go.

What's more, I'm the cook in the household and I love to have music on while I'm working in the kitchen. It's also nice to have for dining and so on.

But it just occurred to me that maybe the ideal solution would be to put 50s in the living room. I think that they'd have better WAF and I think the mansfield finish would match the decor nicely (it is possible to get samples of the finish to check?)

But what to do about filling the whole space with music? Well, why not add a pair of M2s to the kitchen - it seems like a brilliant solution to me, and the price of 50s + M2s is very close to a pair of 60s.

So, I guess what falls out of all my rambling are a few questions:

Does this sound like a good idea - purchasing 50s +M2s for this space?

How picky are the 50s regarding placement? I know that they have rear ports, too. Would they be OK 8 inches from the wall? I could possibly squeeze a bit more room, but probably not a lot.

Can M2s be wall mounted? If I'm putting them in the kitchen I'd have to - speaker stands in the kitchen or dining room would be impossible.

Or, would I just be happier buying the fuller output of the 60s and maybe adding bookshelves later if I feel the need? And of course, paying the hefty price of dealing with the wife's wrath if she finds them too big or dominating? (yeah, I know, you can't answer that for me!)

Anyway, thanks for any thoughts

Bill

Re: M60 vs M50 + M2 decision
#99571 06/20/05 10:34 PM
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I purchased 60's about 5 weeks ago. I also had the same worries about them sticking out into the room. Mine are about 8 inches out from the wall and sound great. I had them going late into saturday night, and wow they sounded good. My wife, who thought they were too epxensive, also agreed that they really sound good.

Shane D

Re: M60 vs M50 + M2 decision
#99572 06/20/05 11:07 PM
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The M60's have been compared to 703's on this forum. I for one believe that the in home trial is the best idea. If you don't like them or there is no WAF, send them back.

Re: M60 vs M50 + M2 decision
#99573 06/20/05 11:44 PM
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axiomite
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The biggest issue with the 50/60/80 isn't so much that they have to be placed an ungodly distance from the wall, it's just that they are deeper than most people expect. The 60s are a couple of inches deeper than the 50s and probably need to be an inch or two further away from the wall for the same sound, so figure the fronts of the 50s could be 3" further away from your wife, all other things being equal

If you don't have a lot of cushy wall and floor treatments (do you have carpet / rug ?) then you might find the 50s are a better match for the room acoustics. The 60s are a little more "forward" than the 50s.

Wall mounting would be no problem for the M2s.

Are the living room, dining room and kitchen "all one room" or do they just have passageways between them ?

EDIT -- btw, anyone who has compared 603s with M60s seems to have ended up preferring the M60s. With the 703s some prefer M60, some prefer 703s but the sound is supposed to be pretty similar.

What kind of music will you be listening to the most ?

Last edited by bridgman; 06/20/05 11:46 PM.

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Re: M60 vs M50 + M2 decision
#99574 06/21/05 12:19 AM
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Just FYI, my M50s are about 2 feet from the wall. I think they were ok a bit further back, but I like having them out. The visual impact is not all that large, but you know the room has speakers in it. My wife vetoed the M60s on the basis of size as well 2 inches bigger in depth and height. Now the 80s, those are huge.


I am the Doctor, and THIS... is my SPOON!
Re: M60 vs M50 + M2 decision
#99575 06/21/05 12:27 AM
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In reply to:

Now the 80s, those are huge




Yeah man


Rick


"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." Sigmund Freud

Re: M60 vs M50 + M2 decision
#99576 06/21/05 12:58 AM
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I ended up placing a couple big house plants next to my 80’s and going with the state grey covers. They blend in better now than before. But I know what you wife is getting at. Big speakers out in the living area look out of place.

I’d suggest getting them in a color that will blend in as best you can, but don’t try to match it exactly. That would be worse. I’m also wishing that I would have gone with one of the custom solid colors as I have real wood throughout my house. The vinyl, although nicely finished, looks odd surrounded by real wood.

You’re a nut Rick .


Re: M60 vs M50 + M2 decision
#99577 06/21/05 01:02 AM
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I tried to match the customs to the wood in my room... that was also a mistake! If you're going to do that, make sure you compare in all lights... my speakers don't match the entertainment center at all!


I am the Doctor, and THIS... is my SPOON!
Re: M60 vs M50 + M2 decision
#99578 06/21/05 02:00 AM
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wgriel Offline OP
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In reply to:

I purchased 60's about 5 weeks ago. I also had the same worries about them sticking out into the room. Mine are about 8 inches out from the wall and sound great. I had them going late into saturday night, and wow they sounded good. My wife, who thought they were too epxensive, also agreed that they really sound good.




Hey thanks for the info - that's good news about the placement of the speakers.

It's funny how your wife considers them too expensive - my wife is of the same mind, and yet these speakers have to be one of the most amazing bargains out there! Fortunately, I keep a "hobby" account that I feed a small amount each payday to avoid much friction over these kinds of things.

And I'm *always* supportive of anything she wants to purchase. Even so, it takes me quite a while to build the account. If I were going to get some B&W 700 series speakers, for example, I'd be waiting a looooong time, but I have enough money to purchase some Axioms.

Bill

Re: M60 vs M50 + M2 decision
#99579 06/21/05 02:02 AM
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wgriel Offline OP
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In reply to:

I for one believe that the in home trial is the best idea.




Oh, do I ever agree with that. I mean the 603s that I heard in the audio shop really did sound good, but I realize that doesn't tell me much about how they're going to perform in my living room...

Bill

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