Let me start by saying that I am by no means an expert. I have been listening to many different speakers and have recently listened to the Definitive Power Monitor bookshelf speakers ($1,100). I was very impressed and love the 8" sub in each speaker. The other alternative is to go for less expensive monitor 450 ($630) with a 10' pressure driven sub in each bookshelf. If I was going to go with this system I would need a sub to compliment. The center also has a sub that makes for incredible sound. I know I am comparing apples and oranges but if you have any advice I would appreciate it. Has anyone listened to the Definitive speaker series? If I were going to go with Axiom I was going to get the M22ti, VP150, and the QS8 surrounds. Any comparisons? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

In general, I would say that keeping the low frequencies separate from small bookshelf speakers is the best way to go. An 8" or 10" inch speaker in a small box will not compete with a dedicated sub. I would get "cheaper speakers" that do the upper bass, midrange and highs well and spend the savings on a good sub. For good bass, the bigger the enclosure is better. That's why SVS builds water heaters and the EP600 is so tall. Just my $0.02.

I fundamentally agree with Pete here. I think, performance wise, there is no getting around the notion that really deep bass requires either a really big box or an obscenely powered amp; none of the powered main speakers I've seen satisfies those tenets to my satisfaction.

I'll offer a couple of other observations.

First, while having powered subs integrated into the speaker (main or center) seems like an elegant solution, it could be challenging to implement; each one of those powered subs needs not only a signal from your receiver, but also AC power from the wall. I don't know about you, but I already have enough trouble with my cords and number of outlets.

Second, integrating the subs robs you of placement flexibility that might be critical. It is extremely unlikely that the optimal placement of the main speaker(s) will also be the optimal placement for the subwoofer. Having spent a fair amount of time repositioning both my speakers and my sub, I can report that room boundaries and speaker placement made a profound difference to me. Being able to place the sub independent of the mains was pretty important in my room.

As for the Def Techs - many people love them. They are, by most accounts, a really well engineered line of speakers. Personally, I always hated the big-black-sock design.

Modern A/V receivers have pretty good bass management, and my opinion is that allowing a dedicated sub to handle the LFE provides the most flexibility and highest performance in both the short and long term.

Enjoy your journey. Let us know how everything works out.

I agree with what's been said so far. I'd like to add that for the price of the Definitive Power Monitors, you can get a pair of Axiom bookshelf speakers and a very nice sub from either Axiom, SVS, or Hsu.

My wife and I listened to Definitive Technology's towers (don't remember the models) about a year ago when we were shopping for our HT. I did not listen to any bookshelves. We stood in a room and compared them to a Klipsch set-up in a comparable price range (about $1800 for 5.1). She has a much better ear than I (very gifted musician) and she preferred the Def Tech's and I preferred the Klipsch for a variety of movies and music. At the next store we both loved the sound of a Polk system so that is what we bought. I have since bought some M22s for stereo.

With all that being said - here are my thoughts:

I assume you are shopping for bookshelves for a reason, but especially for home theater, if you have a very big room at all, I think floor speakers are a significant advantage in general.

With the limited space in a bookshelf, trying to cram a sub into it seems like a real challenge. That doesn't mean it can't be done - I haven't heard the speakers in question - but I am skeptical.

The M22s are very good $440 bookshelf speakers and you'll have a hard time finding better speakers than Axiom in a given price range.

Def Tech makes very good speakers (like Axiom they have won awards recently) and, in general, they give you your money's worth when you buy their speakers (although they don't sell direct so there is some mark-up).

So, the bottom line is you can't go wrong with either choice - but this is coming from a guy who had a long history of liking Klipsch (company with a long tradition of making great speakers with great customer service), who's wife like Def Tech (an award-winning speaker manufacturer), who discovered Axiom (another award-winning speaker manufacturer) and called and talked to Alan for a while about options for our room - but eventually bought Polk just because we just plain old liked the way they sound - and we couldn't be happier. You've narrowed your options to 2 very good options. I would encourage you to try Axioms, but basically, there are no wrong choices at this point - as long as you like the way your system sounds in your home you have made the right choice.