I am planning on upgrading my current speaker and HT setup and have recently found the glowing Axiom reviews. I am not sure if I want floor-standing speakers or bookshelves (have always had bookshelves), but I want a strong front pair for music (all kinds - classical, acoustic, rock), as well as a good HT system.
My room is 13.5x24, with the TV along the 13.5' wall. I have about 8' between my speakers, so they have to be within 2' of the side walls. Would the M60s be too large for this room?
If not, what would the ideal surround setup for this room? Is the VP100 adequate or is the VP150 better? Likewise for the EP175 vs. 350 and QS8 vs. QS4.
Price is an object, but I'd like to know what to shoot for. I currently have a JVC receiver (80Wx5), but am also planning to upgrade this, as it lacks 5.1 decoding.
Thanks.
You have a good sized room and will be able to run the towers very successfully in it. The QS8s should be used for your surrounds. The front center combination of M60 and VP100 or M80 and VP150 would be good up front. With the power you currently have the EP175 will work very well. If, when you upgrade the receiver, you are looking at going to 120 watts or more; I would suggest the EP350.
Ian Colquhoun
President & Chief Engineer
Let me jump in with a question. I plan on ordering a HT system next month and I've been looking at both the Epic 50 and the Epic 60 systems. My room size and other requirements are similar to Chris R so my question is about the receiver. I'm looking at the Outlaw Audio 1050 that's rated at 3 x 65 watts (20 Hz - 20 KHz, <0.05% distortion) all 6 channels driven. So is this enough power to drive the Epic 60 system? Or should I go with the Epic 50 if I'm not going with more power?
Brad
Both the Epic 50 and Epic 60 systems are the same ease to drive and not a problem for the Outlaw receiver. Given the room size the Epic 60 would work best between these two options. You could also drive the Epic 80 system and this would give you more overall output.
Ian Colquhoun
President & Chief Engineer
Ian,
The review of the 80's, http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/axiom_millenniam80ti.htm , seems to contradict your thoughts on placement of the towers only 2' from the wall (very placement sensative). Any thoughts?
Placement of any speakers in a given room will have varying effects on the performance, it is actually more room related than speaker related. It is a bit too simplistic to say that since placement 2' from the wall worked best in a particular room that this placement would be best in all rooms. I have the M80s within 6" of both my back and side walls and this works great in my room. It is always important to experiment with various placement possibilities in your room to get the best performance from the speakers in your environment.
Ian Colquhoun
President & Chief Engineer
Hey, Thanks Ian, for your rapid response. I guess I'm leaning toward the M60 given the M80 review, but I do really like the idea of the M80! Out of curiosity, 2 questions. Any recommendations for receiver reviews? And second, my entertainment center is whitewash oak, which looks similar to the shade of the "maple" finish on your speakers. Would you say that the online pictures accurately reflect the color, or is it more like the reddish brown of some of my other "maple" speakers. I'm wondering if they'll match.
Thanks again.
Our maple is like a whitewash oak, no reddish brown tinge. As for receiver reviews there are a lot of good choices. I have noticed quite a few good comments about the Outlaw 1050; you may want to check out some of their reviews.
Ian Colquhoun
President & Chief Engineer