Hello to all, I currently have POLK speakers for my HT. I would like to replace my mains with the M80TI or M60TI. My wife like to listen to low volume level. But when she is at work and me left alone in the house, I always want to listen to almost reference level... Well, I can hear distortion coming from the RTI-55 and I almost immediately (disappointed) have to turn the music down.
My listening room (living Room) is approximately 22' X 15' and it's open to the kitchen. From the front of my RPTV to the couch, I have approximately 8' not a very big listening room. Will the M80TI be too much of a speaker for this size room. Do you guys think the M60TI would be sufficient enough for my listening purposes. Does the M80 and the M60 have the same mid range qualities.
Will I see a night and day difference between my POLK RTI-55 and the AXIOM M80 or M60? This question is for the WAF. So it will be easier to explain when she signs for the speakers from the FedEx or UPS. LOL.. Thanks for all the info. I'm sorry if my questions are too novice. I really don't know what to ask... Again thanks in advance for all the info.
Hey BigJohn! Here's a fellow Texan!
I am not technically oriented, so don't take my statements to the bank. But, I tend to think of the amplifier as the more likely source of distortion than the speakers, though I can't imagine you'd be pushing the 755 to it's limits. I bring this up just to remind you to be sure of the source of the distortion. I'd hate to have you replace your speakers and still hear distortion.
Here's the poop on the M80s and M60s. They both sound very similar (same midrange qualities). But, the 80s have a slightly lower frequency response (34Hz) than the 60s (37Hz), and will play louder. The 80s are 4 ohm speakers and the M60s are 8 ohm speakers which should be a little easier load for your amplifier (though I doubt the 755 would have trouble driving the 80s). Some have had trouble achieving proper placement with the 80s, describing them as "finicky"; some have NOT had this problem (OK,wid?).
I do not think the 80s would be overkill in a room that size. But, at a distance of only 8' from your TV, the 60s would be able to comb you hair, and would, I think, be "sufficient enough for your listening purposes." However, if you listen to music at reference level for any length of time, I'd look up the number of a good audiologist.
I've never heard the RTI-55s, so I'm unable to compare them to the Axioms. But, the Axioms can be positively described as "accurate," and "detailed." It's possible you'll hear things in your favorite CDs and DVDs that you've never heard before. They WILL expose a badly mixed or mastered CD. They are NOT referred to as "laid back."
Others will, I'm sure, comment and correct any misinformation I've stated.
Good luck, and keep us posted on your decision.
Jack...I resemble that remark!
rambilt,
I have M60's in a 13 X 18 foot room which opens onto a kitchen and they more than fill the room (including both rooms to either side of the walls).
Being 8 feet back, M80's would (in my opinion) be too much.
BTW, where are you in Texas?
My .02,
WhatFurrer
Ajax, thanks a lot for your response... I couldn't really tell if it's my speaKers or the amplifier creating the distortion that I was hearing. I just replaced my speaker cables with the Cobalt "Ultimate speaker cables" and I'm not sure if the cable helped at all. I can still hear the highs as if it was distorted.
Hey WhatFurrer, have you any thoughts of "you've wished you bought the 80s instead? I just don't want to be in that situation.
BTW, I'm from Temple, TX. and thanks for your response.
Sorry "What" (may I call you "What"?
) I had forgotten you were another Texan. You may have to carry the flag awhile since John is a new papa, and is busy carrying diapers.
Rambilt, I have the M60s in a 12x18 room, that opens into a 10x10 dining area and a 4x6 foyer, and my distance from TV and speakers is about 8'. I have NEVER had the "what if," or "if only I had....." bug bite me.
BTW, John is in San Angelo, and "What" is in Austin, I believe.
Jack...
"What" is fine...or to go JohnK's route, Steve will also serve as it is my first name.
rambilt,
No "What If's..." for me as of yet (if / when we move into a bigger place, maybe...BIG maybe)...my room size is similar to Ajax and I have more than plenty, even with the wimpy old Sony DB940 A/V receiver I have.
If you would be willing to make the drive down, I'd be more than happy to let you hear my meager setup...
Live from Austin, Texas...
WhatFurrer
Steve it is!
. I did check your profile, but your name isn't listed there. I much prefer using real names. It just seems more friendly and courteous.
If you are going to sit only 8 feet away from the speakers, I would have to say the M60's would be a better choice than the 80's.If there is a way to sit 12 feet back or more then the 80's could fit the bill.I have the 80's and I sit about 13 feet away.They also need to be away from the back and side walls to sound there best.Your room is about the same as mine and the 80's sound great, these speakers will play LOUD,and clean.Your Outlaw amp should have no problem with the 4 ohm load either.Just remember they do need some room.
(Hey jack I did see that
)
Only time I ever think I should have gotten the M80s instead of the M60s is when I'm cranking it up real, real, real loud. Also when snooty friends come over the extra drivers would certainly have an impressive look.
Hello rambilt, welcome. They are probably going to drum me out of the forum for this, but I have to wonder whether changing to the Axiom line is *necessarily* going to be an upgrade for you.
I've owned Polk speakers and like them quite a bit. I have an older sub/sat system like
this one; I bought Axioms because I had an itch for "different", and wanted floorstanding speakers. I am VERY happy with the M60's.
But my take on the
RT55i, based on Polk marketing and my personal experience with a very dissimilar model, suggests that it is a very capable speaker. Unlike my situation, you're NOT going to be spending a lot more money on your new speakers than you did on your existing ones.
I don't see you mention a sub. If you are trying to get reference-level volume from bookshelf speakers without a sub, you will likely always be disappointed; it is a physics problem. Likewise, while the Axiom tower speakers would probably give you a much "bigger" sonic image in every respect than the Polks, even a big-box speaker is not going to thump you in the chest like a dedicated subwoofer and those extra few hundred watts.
So, more info please!
But to answer your question directly, I have M60's in a 13x28 room with cathedral ceilings that adjoins a 12x14x18 foyer. I drive them with a very modest Denon 1804. I do not lust for either the M80 or for more watts. I think the M60 would be fine in your room, and you might very much like the *sound* of the Axioms better than the Polks. The M60 and M80 have similar sonic signatures.
But I really think that a sub is your answer if you don't already have one.
I've got to echo TT here. The M60s should be the answer and a sub must be added. The bigger the better.
I too will agree with Tom.Even having the M80's I sill run dual Hsu subs.Nothing will give you that feeling with you music like a good sub or TWO.
Hey WhatFurer, thanks a lot for the offer. I might take you on your offer one of these days. I just have to figure out which speakers are best for me.
I just got my M80's last weekend. I'm driving them with an also new, HK 7200 (100 W X 7). I have them in my great room which is 32' X 26'. Ain't no way in hell I can be in this room with them cranked all the way. I don't even know how loud that is to tell you the truth, because I start to get embarrassed that my neighbors will start bitching. I'm still moving them and my furniture around, but right now I'm sitting about 10' feet away and they are 8' apart. They sound simply amazing, providing I play a good CD. I have a ten year old Zeppelin CD that I can here the audible hisssssss whenever a track plays, but if I ignore it, stairway to heaven sounds soooo much different now, and I'm not a big Zeppelin fan. Dark Side of the Moon sounds way cool cranked. The sounds envelope me, and again, I'm not a Floyd fan either. I just got the enhanced CD to see how these speakers reproduce sound. But all that aside, if your only sitting 8' away, I think the 80's will cause you to incur a serious threshold shift in short order because they sound so terrific at high volumes. When they're at low volume, they sound just fine, but I just can't stand it.......I have to crank them.
You wouldn't here their sound, but if you call me, I could crank them up and you could here the background volume through the phone, possibly?? It might give you an idea of how loud they really are. I don't think folks really understand this until they actually sit in front of them.
I understand completely.When I said they will play LOUD and clean I REALLY mean LOUD.I use a Rotel RB1080 thats rated at 300 watts into 4 ohm so there's enough juice there to really get them humming
.Besides how loud they can get how do you like their sound?
Hey tomtuttle, I thank you very much for your input. It's very knid of you. I do have a subwoofer. It's a SVS PCI 20-39. It surely did give the RTI-55 the bottom end its missing, especially in movies. but still don't like the way it sounds especially when I crank the volume up. The high is so ear piercing and the bass is kind of muddy. This upgradeitis is killing me.
In reply to:
This upgradeitis is killing me.
And, the bad news is: IT'S AN INCURABLE DISEASE.
rambilt, thank you. And (to blatantly emulate the genteel manner in which TonyM addresses correspondents), I hope you are well.
Obviously, you have the sub situation more than covered
Since you have high quality components and a great subwoofer, it looks to me like the only other possible sources of your discontent are the source material and the speakers.
I really enjoy my Axioms, and you might find that a similar setup would really float your boat. However, they do tend to (as those old CD disclaimers used to profess) reveal the limitations of the source material. That is, bad recordings will be accurately and painfully reproduced as bad, just as good recordings will be sublimely rendered. The only real way to find out is to try, in your room, with your music and your ears.
My personal experience is that I very much favor the full, rich soundstage that I perceive as being more easily attained by floorstanding speakers. Perhaps a different form factor and a different tweeter (like the Axioms) might enhance your listening pleasure, too.
At any rate, given the dimensions of your room and other experiences logged on these forums, I doubt that you would be appreciably more satsified with the M80 than with the M60. However, I strongly encourage you to call Axiom and speak directly with them about your particular situation.
Hey tomtuttle, I find your response to be very enlighthening. I will give the Axiom people a call and ask for their professional recommendations. Again thank you.
OK, i can put my 2 cents in now.
BTW- i am in san angelo, but my best friend here in town is from belton. his parents still live on the east side of lake belton across from fort hood.
i have the M60's in a 26x28 room, pushed with the 100 watt per channel onkyo receiver. these speakers have plenty of crank to them.. in fact, i have yet to push my receiver to its limits cause it gets too dang loud.
i would do what some have suggested. your existing speakers should be able to handle your current receiver. you might wanna verify that your prob is not with the speakers.. go hook em up somewhere else and see if they distort. i would hate for you to buy some new axioms, and still have the same prob.
feel free to come audition my system too.. whatfurrer is closer to you, but i am prettier..
bigjohn
Thanks mdrew for a kind gesture LOL. I do believe the M80 can crank very loud and clear. It's amazing how many good people in this here Forum are so willing to help. I was so overwhelmed with all the responses I don't know how to respond to all of them.
BTW, I've called Axiom and was able to talked to a guy name Joe. He recommended M80 for my setup and size of room. I mentioned to him that in the Forum most of the recommendations are leaning towards the M60. He said that the M60 and M80 is very similar in sound but the M80 overall having a tad more extension.
Hey mdrew, you did say that at low volume the sound is not as good as high volume. Did you mean the sound is not as clear and the bass is muddy? Can you elaborate more on this. I'll surely appreciate it. The reason is my wife like to listen at low volume all the time. She wants to be able to enjoy the music and have a good conversation without shouting at each other at the same time. Thanks in advance....
bigjohn, I fish Belton Lake almost every weekend. I launched my boat at Ft. Hood side. I'm not very good at catching fish though. I think they knew when I'm coming then they hide.
Anyway, I appreciate the offer and thank you for a good advice. I will definitely check my speakers and my amp for the distortion problem that I'm hearing before I pull the trigger.
Rambilt,
The M80's sound just as good at low volume as they do at higher volumes.I believe Ajax had just addressed this issue in another post.Hopfully he can post the same answer here as he did earlier.Back to your question,The highs are just as good and the bass is not muddy, even at lower levels.When the wife and I are both listening to music together she doesn't like the volume very high either,but the 80's still sound great.So its my opinion either way you like to listen,soft or loud,you would be pleased with the M80's.
Did you tell Joe that you listening position was only 8 feet?
Did you make it clear to Joe that you would be sitting only 8 ft., or so, from the speakers? Based on size of room alone, I can understand him recommending the M80s. If he understood how close you'd be sitting, I can't.
I tried to sit about 8ft. from my speakers(80's),I just can't say this is a prime distance from the speakers,of course I didn't move them at all either.If it were me I would e-mail Alan for a second opinion.I'm not saying they wouldn't work but it seems to me that is sitting to close.
wid, this is exactly what I want to hear, someone with personal experience. thank you.
I just told Joe the size of my listening area, not the distance of the speaker to my listening chair (couch).. Maybe I should call him again. They are very nice and very helpful.
By all means, give him another call and mention your listening distance. EVERYBODY at Axiom is very nice, and any of them will be glad to provide you with further recommendations.
Rambilt,
My 2 cents.
I recently went through the m80 or m60 debate.
I’m using a Yamaha RX-V2400 my room size is 15’ x 13’ and my listening position is 12’ from the speakers.
So I asked myself these questions.
1) Will my receiver handle the m80’s? After a few posts and some answers the answer was yes.
2) Do I listen to a lot of stereo (2 speakers only)? Yes
3) Will I be listening in a 15’ x 13’ room @ 12’ for the rest of my life? No
So I purchased the M80’s, VP150 and the QS8’s. The system is fantastic. I have no issues with the m80’s. So, knowing what I know now, I would have purchased the m80’s even if I sat 8’ from the speakers. In fact, at night, when my wife goes to bed and I stay up I pull the speakers up to about 3-4’ away so that I can turn down the volume and it sill sound loud (I hate headphones ever since the m80’s arrived). Sounds great to me even at 4’.
So that’s just my opinion.
Good luck, you will enjoy any Axiom product you decide on.
lr7bubbleboy, thanks for sharing your experience. This is exactly what I want to hear. First hand experience.
I was at AV123 Forum they have a Trade-in program. What do you guys think of that?
Did you guys read the the a/b comparison of 550 and the ascend speakers by "craigsub".
What do you guys think of the RS750? Seems to me that everybody that owns it say it takes time to get used to the sound. Does the M80 takes a lot of getting use to before you start liking it.
It took me about 1 minute to know the 80's were the speakers for me.I don't believe I have to get used to a speaker, either I like them right out of the box or I don't.When people talk about speaker break in or say just give them time to open up,I stay away from such products.
Don,
Its nice to hear someone else say they have had no issues with the M80's.Do you think they were fairly easy to place?I tell ya Axiom did a great job at offering this quaulity of speaker at such a modest cost.
I think they sound just dandy at low volumes too, but you just can’t pick up on some of the recording at lower levels, which I’m pretty sure is common place with all sound systems. The point I’m trying to make, is that it’s very difficult to resist the temptation to crank these babies up. To put things into perspective, I am a busy boy. Between my work, family, hobbies, outdoor activities and working on my house, I just don’t have time to sit and do nothing. Haven’t for as long as I can remember. I am constantly on the move. Since firing these things up last Saturday, I’ve logged about six hours of sitting and listening to music. That just aint like me. I pour a glass of wine or pop open a beer, grab the remote, and sit and listen – totally not my MO. Last night I put in the new Vertical Horizon’s CD and could actually here fingers squeaking on guitar strings as if I was sitting in front of the musician. Keep in mind that this in not one of those CD’s that this type of sound is commonly audible. They’re an alternative rock band. But also keep in mind that this is not usually audible at lower volumes. You have to crank them to pick it out because the squeak is so light, you can’t here it unless the volume is up, I don’t care what speakers you may be listening to.
I should also add that I am running them through my Zone II on the HK. There are no bass or treble controls that I can manipulate when playing through the second zone. I can’t even use any of the nifty base managent options or simulated surrounds that the HK has. All I can manipulate is the source input to this zone and the volume. I’m going to experiment over the next couple of days and hook these speakers up to the main front L/R receiver outputs so I can here what they’ll sound like using the receivers bass/treble controls and other surround options. My guess is that if they sound this good now, a little knob twisting will only make them sound better.
mdrew,
I take it you are pleased with your new M80's
.
Wid/mdrew, thanks! I apreciate all your inputs. It helps a lot in the decision making process. Now if you guys can also convince the wife that would be very much appreciated. LOL!!
Rambilt,
Maybe take her on some auditions looking at speakers in the $2500 to $3000 range,then show her the price of the 80's and tell her you would be willing to settle on the less expensive ones(the 80's).
I bought my speakers but sadly it wasn't Axiom. AV123 was offering one hell of a deal on their B-stock and it made it more affordable for me to upgrade. I took the plunge and I got me an RS750 B-stock.
AV123 and Axiom is probably one of the best place to buy a speaker anyway. Both company give their customers an excellent customer support and the Forum members are all very professional and very proud and happy with their equipment. Again thank you all for all the help.
In reply to:
"I took the plunge and I got me an RS750 B-stock"
Well I sincerely hope you got more than one!
Congratulations. They ARE offering great deals right now. When you get your speakers all set up, please come back and give us your impressions.
Hey Ajax, I would surely try to to give you guys my first impressions. thanks!
Congrats on your new speakers,by all means let us know what you think.
hey wid, I received my RS750s yesterday and these are my first impressions.
The fit and finish are simply beautiful. It's a jaw dropping experience to be exact and no exaggerations. It took me longer admiring these puppies than getting them out of the box then hooking and setting it up to my system.
Anyway, after recovering my jaw, I started playing some music. I started with Dave Koz " the Dance" CD... Then I played the Beatles "One".. After that I just let my Mega changer do its thing. Five hours later, I'm still listening and couldn't stop myself from listening some more...
You guys were right, when you are listening to a good speaker you hear things you haven't heard before. I want to keep on but I think, you guys know exactly what it feels like listening to a good pair of speakers.
Thank you all for the opportunity....
In reply to:
It took me longer admiring these puppies than getting them out of the box then hooking and setting it up to my system.
LOL!
I KNEW there was a disadvantage to rear wood veneer speakers.
We're very happy for you, Rick. Welcome to the wonderful world of quality audio/video. Thanks for reporting back to us, and watch out for the dreaded "upgraditis." Once you get started in this hobby, you're doomed! Doomed! Doomed, I say!
Hey Rick,(good name by the way)
I'm really glad you are enjoying your RS750's
.I felt the same way once I got my M80's.I still get a smile on my face every time I fire these puppies up.Being a music lover there is no better way to enjoy your music than on a quality set of speaker's,as you now have experienced.Like Jack said there's no turning back now.
Do us a favor and don't be a stranger here on the fourum.It has been a pleasure talking to you,and I hope it can continue.
Ajax, upgraditis is incurable, highly contagious and is extremely dangerous without WAF:)!!!!
Hey Rick (it sure is a good name:) ), thank you very much, I will surely be around that's for sure. I always want to be around people who enjoy good music and you certaintly do. ABBA is it? Just kidding
.... I'll see you around..
Rick,
Good one
.