If you were to order Axiom speakers , without a sub, would there be a noticable difference in bass performance between the 60's or 80's. The reason I ask is we have 2 year old twins and once we get them to bed the last thing I need is for the cribs to start rocking when the EP 350 or 500 kicks in. The bedrooms are on the second story and the system will be in our basement with quite a bit of insulation in the ceiling and walls, but it certainly won't be an isolated room, and from what I've read on the boards the Axiom subwoofers make their presence felt. Will I be terribly dissapointed without the sub right now?

For music you won't miss the sub at all unless you are into some real bass heavy stuff. I have not heard 80s against 60s but AFAIK the difference in bass extension is slight but noticeable if you have content down at those frequencies.

For movies it's a different story. I would rather turn the sub down and still have extension to the low frequencies than give up the sub. Unless you need 80s for other reasons (big room, like to play really loud) I would think about 60s and still plan to add a sub even if you turn it down at night.

There are times I can't believe the bass I'm hearing from my 60's, sometimes I have to get down by my sub to see if that is where it was coming from. The 80's are rated to go a little lower, according to the specs, but I think you would be happy with either... I love my 60's, even though Wid thinks I need 80's...

It would be hard for anyone to tell you what works best for you without knowing a bit more. First how big is the room, how loud do you plan on playing them? What are you going to use to drive the speakers?

The room is approximately 15" x 29" and will be a combination media and playroom. I had thought about the same thing Bridgman had mentioned about turning down the sub but I have a feeling that could be something i would easily forget to do and would have to suffer the consequences of my wife's "Evil Eye" (look in the dictionary under frightening...I'm sure they must have used her look to define the word). I listen to both music and movies at "comfortable" levels so I wouldn't say the volume would be overly high.

That is a pretty good size room. I would go with the M60s with a sub over just the M80s alone but if you are not getting a sub then the M80s would be my choice. You could also use the night mode that most receivers have. That would keep the bass down to a more acceptable level.

>>but I have a feeling that could be something i would easily forget to do and would have to suffer the consequences of my wife's "Evil Eye"

So I assume the old "headphones plus a big-ass subwoofer" listening mode wouldn't go over well either ?

The sub is always good to have, if it is a good one and you are able to set it up properly. Besides, it may serve well your upgrades in the future, such as going for a Home Theater. I had my M60s for around a year, before I purchased my REL sub for a 2 channel system. I still have a lot to do to set it up the right way. However, I am not sorry I purchased it, I can feel its presence in several of my CDs, and it is a nice one.

one other option is just get a small 8" sub, dont spend a lot of money on it, but that way you will get somthing to fill in the low's on movies, and it wont be to terribly loud, or you could turn the gains down, i have an ep600 and i live in a 100 square foot room(military), with a roomate right next door, i turned the gains down on my sub, i can still hear the low frequency's but sense they are not real loud they do not bother my roomate, so we both get the best of both worlds..

I have the M60's and the EP350, For myself, in watching movies it's the perfect combination, the sub really brings the movies to life, My kids are two and four and they love the effects. I've only gotten the evil eye once when the kids were down, but that was for cranking up War of the Worlds in DTS,(Yikes} As my wife love to tell me " You know alot about a little and a little about alot"

I find the 80's are great for base, but my teenagers like the sub with their style of music. I only use the sub for movies. I heard the 60's as well with and without the sub. I thought they sounded great as well. It is all each to his own preference. If I really want to enjoy the base of my sub with a great movie, I have to do it without the wife in the house. She makes me turn it right down even when she is up in the bedroom over the garage. I say she is a little sensitive. I'd say with your young family the 60's would be more then enough even with the fairly large room. I really only use the full range of the 80's on rare occasions. I didn't do a side by side with the 60's and 80's but they pretty much sound the same.
I also purchased from the factory, very satisfied with that choice.

Your wife might not get used to it, but the children learn to sleep through anything if you teach them to do so.

Besides, my 500 only shakes the beds.

If you don't get a sub, Get the 80s. I've had both.

I have my 80s in a stand alone two channel system. I also use an Outlaw sub with this system. I do enjoy the sub, but if it disappeared, I wouldn’t cry over it. The theft might make me cry and want to kick some ass, but loosing the low frequencies wouldn’t. For example, Audioslave sounds incredible with just the 80’s, but with the 80’s and the sub, holly friggin crap! The sub is simply too much. But I don’t listen to hip-hop and rap, so I suspect if you do, you’d like the sub and wouldn’t want to live without it.

Now that’s just stereo listening. Just for shits and grins and I put the War of the Worlds DVD in this system just to “hear” what the sub would do. Long story short on that regard, I ordered the EP 500 the next day to go upstairs for the TV system.

In summery, for movies, get the sub regardless of ANY speaker you buy. You’ll be glad you did. For just rocking with two channel tunes, the 80’s carry their own weight and really do not need a sub. I can’t comment on the 60’s, but our good buddy Rick has both and says the 80’s have more bass.

My room is 28 X 32 with vaulted 23’ ceilings. The 80’s hit you in the chest with bass and get your toes tapping 20’ away.

The nicest thing about the 80s is that they sound wonderful at low volume as well as high. IMHO, the extra drivers give it a fuller sound. When you are ready to party the 80s will take you there.