M80v2 specs - Axiom Message Boards

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The write-up for the M80's states 2 tweeters, 2-mids, and 2 woofers. The specs state two woofers and two sub-woofers. Does anyone know the crossover freqs for this for all sets of drivers? Do I need a separate powered sub if I get the m80's versus the M60s ?? I love the looks of these speakers and I'm having trouble deciding between these and Aperion's...

Hi agentfox1942,

If you scan down the specs list on the left-hand side of the M80 v2 page, the crossover frequencies are listed there:

Millennia M80 Specifications
Enclosure: Triple Vortex / Reflex
Max Amp Power: 400 Watts
Min Amp Power: 10 Watts
Freq Resp +/-3dB (Hz): 34 - 22kHz Graph
Freq Resp +3dB- 9dB (Hz): 25 - 22kHz
Impedance (Ohms): 4 Ohms
SPL in Room1w/1m(dB): 95 dB
SPL Anechoic 1w/1m(dB): 91 dB
X-Over 160Hz & 2.3kHz
Tweeter: Dual 1"
Woofer: Dual 5.25"
Sub Woofer: Dual 6.5"
Dimens. H W D (inches): 39.5" x 9.25" x 17"
Dimens. H W D (mm): 1003 x 235 x 432
Weight (lbs) each 56.8 lbs
Weight (kg) each 25.764 kgs

The dual 6.5-inch woofers cross over to the dual 5.25-inch upper bass/midrange drivers at 160 Hz. The two midrange drivers cross to the dual tweeters at 2.3 kHz.

It's really a matter of nomenclature. The 6.5-inch woofers are not true subwoofers; however, they do cover bass frequencies that are typical of many subwoofers-- from 200 Hz down to about 25 Hz (-9 dB).

The 5.25-inch upper bass/midranges cover from 200 Hz to 2.3 kHz, so in one sense they are really woofer/midranges.

Personally I describe them as midrange drivers and the 6.5-inch drivers as "woofers" but there is a slight difference of opinion within Axiom's engineering department

.

They are called dual "subwoofers" because the bass extension is unusually deep for a full-range speaker; that said, the M80s will not go as low in frequency as a dedicated sub like the EP500 or EP600. Nor do they produce the same bass output SPLs as the EP500 or 600.

Put another way, the M80 towers have excellent bass by themselves, but nothing like the impact and extension and output gained by using an EP500 or EP600 subwoofer.

Regards,

The M80's have great bass for 'only' having 6.5 inch drivers, but there is no substitute for a true subwoofer. Make no mistake, they sound excellent on their own, and I will switch back and forth between solo M80's and M80 + Sub on my setup, depending on what I'm listening to.

I would say that a lot depends on what kind of music you listen to. Classical and Jazz sound lovely when produced by the M80's on their own. On a good classical recording, the M80's just sing and put the orchestra in your living room. Pop & rock stuff sound better with the sub to kick out the bass lines. Things with heavy bass (think celtic drums, techno bass lines, etc) definitely benefit from a dedicated sub.

All told, I usually run my setup with both the M80's and my sub, with a 50 hz crossover.

Believe it or not, back when I had m60's I had done a few auditions in my home. The listener wanted me to turn off the sub to just hear the 60's in action. He kept asking me to turn off the sub over and over during music. That is how good the 60's and 80's are in the bass category.

Now if your talking about LFE in movies that is different. Most music does not go that low.

Quote:

Do I need a separate powered sub if I get the m80's versus the M60s ??

YES, for either. Get an EP600, you won't be disappointed.

Thanks for all the great advice and info. I love forums like this - no finger pointing or egos. I hope I can contribute back the same way. One more question - why 4-ohms? I don't find a lot of amps/receivers supporting them. Can't it over drive the power section? Like a kazoo compared to a trumpet - no back pressure. That's the analogy I like to use - you can't blow as long because you run out of air too quick. I'm not an expert by anymeans so please, if you can shed some knowledge, please do.
Thanks again.

Hi again agentfox,

The 4-ohm specification is simply a result of running six drivers in parallel. With all those six voice coils in parallel in a multi-driver speaker, it's electrically impossible to get the impedance any higher than 4 ohms without imposing power-wasting resistors in the crossover circuits or making other design compromises.

And if you examine the impedance curve of the M80, it only touches 4 ohms over a fairly limited range in the bass. Nevertheless, it's still a nominally "4-ohm" speaker, and as such it presents challenges to amplifiers or receivers that can't deliver substantial amounts of current from their power supplies when called upon, which is why Axiom only recommends a few brands of AV receivers that will drive the M80s without shutting down or current limiting.

Regards,