Help me choose my components? - Axiom Message Boards

Hello everyone, new to the forums. I've read through about the past year of posts, and I've made appointments to audition various speakers; hopefully I've done enough homework to frame my questions. Care to help a budding audiophile fill in some details?

Due to a nice fat bonus from work in the form of gift certificates to Amazon, I'm taking the plunge on some Axioms. I'm looking for some advice on my setup. I've done a lot of research, so hopefully this gives enough info to work from:

My audio setup is geared for music. I'll play the occasional DVD but 95% of the time it's music streamed from my PowerMac via optical. I may expand it into a full HT setup later, so if the speakers I get are flexible enough for that, all the better.
I listen mostly to electronica and jazz. Most of the electronica is really dymanic/atmospheric soundscape - Sasha, Shpongle, Hallucinogen and Autechre. My jazz is mostly technically complex Davis/Coltrane/Ellington. So, I want crystal-clear highs, and at the same time clear, deep bass. I don't need the opening scene of 'Saving Private Ryan' to rattle windows.
It's a small apartment, so as much as I want them, m60's are out of the question. This is coastal California, so odds are when I get into a condo/house I probably won't need them then, either. I need big sound in a small package.
The space is 'bright' and problematic. It has hardwood floors, 8' plastered ceiling and only a few 'soft' things - a futon couch and a fairly plush area rug - to break it up. It has a lot of windows. It's also a 20'x15' 'L-shape'. The only thing dividing the space is a metal bookshelf, one of those industrial jobs on casters, so it's not really divided at all.

The current set-up:

What I want to do:

Replace my crusty old speakers in the living room with m22's or m50's
Replace my Klipsh computer speakers with m2's or m3's
If I need it, add a EP-125 or EP-175 subwoofer on the floor below the shelves to cover the whole area

Option 1: Two floorstanding, two bookself:

Option 2: Four bookshelf, one sub:

So, I guess my questions are really...
1) For my space, and the music I like, is there a clear-cut better choice between the m22's and m50's in the living room?
2) Which will give me a fuller, more accurate sound... a set of m50's and m3's, or a set of m22's, m2's, and a sub? Or, something else?
3) Will that placement of the sub work? If not, where should it go? Ideally, I want it there, in an unobtrusive place that keeps my arrangement as open as possible.
4) Which sub is more appropriate for this set-up, an EP-125 or EP-175? I want the components to be in balance with each other. I'm a bit concerned with over-buying on one component.

Thanks for any help, and I hope you appreciate my illustrations.

In reply to:
I hope you appreciate my illustrations

I'm on my way out the door, so I don't really have a moment to answer your equipment questions, but I wanted to ask if you could maybe post some better graphics instead of the "handwritten on a bar napkin" stuff you posted!

Great first post! Wow!

If I were you, I'd go with a pair of M3s and a sub first. If they tickle your fancy in the main listening room - problem solved. If not they are cheap to send back, or you can move them to the desk and get 50s or 60s.
My guess is that M3s with a good sub will be the ticket.

Interesting. Which sub would you pair the M3's with?

Just another thought. Why do you want "main" speakers and a seperate set of computer speakers? I have a room that's similar in size to yours (about 23' x 13') and my m60's are more than enough to fill the entire space with great sound. If space is at a premium, I'd consider either m50's or m60's without a sub, or m22's with a sub (maybe something like a ep175). Just food for thought. Nice drawings btw. What software package did you use to create them?

Well, I'm no expert on subs, but I do like my EP350. I assume the EP175 would be good for your space and probably integrate well with M3s sonically and visually.
The big subs that are commonly recommended for HT would probably all be overkill for your needs. Rather than worry too much about which sub you buy, you should just try to set-up the sub you do buy properly.
If I were you, I'd get M3s and an EP175 in a high-gloss fancy finish. Or the HSU VTF2 in a similarly fancy finish.
Happy shopping.

In reply to:
Why do you want "main" speakers and a seperate set of computer speakers?

Right now, my regular stereo is off to my right as I work, and that's where all the music comes from... it doesn't really feel like 'stereo'. I'd like the option to have the music right in front of me, optimized in the two places I spend all my time, i.e. on the computer or chilling on the couch.

I doubt I'll play them both at once... mostly just use the A/B speakers, and play one at a time. I might enable both if I have a gathering or otherwise want to set a mood.

I'm still thinking it over, and you raise a good point... I'll probably start with the two speakers and a sub, and expand later if they don't solve the problem. I have a feeling a lot of the problem is my old current speakers... 15 y.o. Pioneers. They have a pretty narrow dispersion and don't sound that good from the computer desk. Maybe the awesome new speakers will solve that problem.

In reply to:
Nice drawings btw. What software package did you use to create them?

Thanks! It's Illustrator CS3. I thought I'd kick some rust off the old high school drafting skills and do this right.

I think I would go along with the idea also of two M3s and an EP175 sub.

I have not heard the M3s, but they have an outstanding reputation around here, and, as was said, if together with the sub they don't fill your need in the living room, they would be a great desktop monitor. You could then have a point of comparison for another pair in the living room.

There's only one fly in this ointment: If you bought your four bookshelves together with the sub, you would qualify for the 5-piece discount.

Ah, what the heck: Order a pair of M3s, a pair of M22s, and the 175 sub and you should be in good shape!

I have both M3s and M50s, and am extreemly happy with both

A true story that happened night before last:

My Wife; who is still trying to decorate our new home, called my attention to a TV show she was watching. "Check out this plate" she sugested.

She backed up the the PVR to the point where a table came into view with a plate near the edge of the table. Before I could focus on the plate in question, it fell to the floor.

I appologized that I had not actually seen the plate.

"NO", she said; "Not the look of the plate, but the sound it made when it hit the floor!"

If you're looking to have two sets of speakers that "sound" the same when switching back and forth; then the M3s and M50s are a perfect match.

Strange. From all the reading in the Forums, I'd assumed the m22's had the better rep than the M3's, and the M60' had a better rep than the M50's. In most of them, I saw recommendations that m22's and a sub were the 'equal' of m60's, hence better.

IIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiiinteresting.

Thanks for all the replies! Keep 'em coming.

Yup!......Guess it's all about Ears

If you look at the per-centages of "who owns what" in the Axiom line-up, you'll find something like a ten to one ratio of M60 to M50! The vast majority of Axiom purchasers prefer the more accurate sound of the M22s and M60s(plus M2 and M80 of course) The M3 ratio is somewhat better. But still, far more folks are buying the more accurate breed.

And that's cool

I guess the point I was trying to make was more along the line of what speaker went well with the M3 "if" the M3 were the speaker of choice in your situation for the smaller set-up.

"If" on the other hand the M22s with a sub "were" the choice; then the M60s would be the obvious match since they match-up better with the M22s

I haven't heard the M3s, but I have heard the M22s, M60s, and M80s, and I own the M50s. The M80s were my favorite of the bunch, but a leetle out of my price range and room size... I really really like the M22s-they have an excellent soundstage, and make you go "Wow!" which is my main qualifier in a speaker. Actually, all of the Axiom line does that for me. The M50s are a bit more laid back than the 22s and 60s; when I compared the 22s and 50s back to back, the 22s were better on some stuff, and the 50s were better on other stuff. The 60s were enjoyable, but I spent most of my time with them trying to get DenonLINK to work with SACDs, so I wasn't exactly listening critically.

Basically, you can't go wrong. Get both the 3s and the 22s.

I spent about 20 minutes on the phone with an Axiom expert. So, after talking it over, I've made up my mind... two m50's and an ep175.

My place is very, very harsh - wood floors, very little carpet, no drapes, small couch, etc. - so the 'laid back' m50's will suit me a lot better than m22's - they'll likely be too bright for what I have. I plan on wood floors wherever I go, so I think the more laid back sound will be a better balance.

Thanks for the advice. I'm skipping the second set of speakers for now until I see how they fill the room.

"Laid back" isn't exactly the term I would use. Whereas the M22 is standing at attention, nose pressed to the glass, ready for action -- the M50 is right there with it, only just the tippy-tip of its nose is touching the glass.

The difference is subtle, but there.

You made a good choice, nonetheless.

"Relatively" laid back

Agree, that's a good choice. Enjoy !

Great decision, Schnee! Be sure and let us know how it turns out.

Good chioce I think(I like my M50s)

They fill my 16x27 room with no problem at all!!

Time for some thread necromancy. Rise, RISE from the DEAD!

So... I got the m50ti's a week or so ago. They're gorgeous, and look a heck of a lot more streamlined and modern than my 20-year old Pioneers (big surprise there). I set them up, pulled off the grills (gotta show off those sweet metal drivers) and hooked them up to my new Yamaha (RX-V457). I hooked up the digital coax from my Mac (via an M-Audio Firewire Solo) and fired up some Shpongle.

Wow. I mean.... wow.

I'm hearing layers and subtleties that I never knew existed. It's like hearing totally new songs sometimes. I'll stop now, before I start spouting silly audiophile adjectives, but let's just say I'm very happy. (The funny thing is my HSU subwoofer hasn't even arrived yet, so I can't wait to see what that'll sound like.

) So... one more satisfied customer here.

Thanks for the help everyone.

It's always fun to read something by someone who made the type of change that you did. Enjoy!

Great you liked them!!! Enjoy!!!
Did you buy M50s in a stereo setup only, or did you get something else as well?

Glad to hear you're enjoying your M50s

I know I sure am happy with mine

In reply to:
Did you buy M50s in a stereo setup only, or did you get something else as well?

Just stereo for now. I'm open to getting 5.1 or better in the future (the Yamaha can sure handle it) but I wanted to have great stereo regardless.