Hello All,

i've been reading this forum since i discovered Axiom (quite a few years ago! ) and now, since i'm about actively looking on replacing my unadequate front speakers ( and soon to be full HT), i have a few questions that i hope you guys can answer.

my amp is a pioneer VSX-1018 that, according to the documentation, supports speakers with 6ohm impedance. my amp is also able to "bi-amp" a speaker with the front and surround back output. i already read that if you "unbridge" the M80(by removing the little gold connectors) that it doesn't change the impedance that much.

do you think that my amp can handle the load at moderate to low-high volumes??

also, maybe i can go with higher impedance M60's, i'm really not sure but the HT wizards on the axiom website tells me that for a room like mine (~3,500cubic feet) i should go with the m80's.

thank you!

I wouldn't try to bi-amp the M80s, but I think it's probably worth a shot. I think I've heard that the 1018s work with M80s. Still, with a room that large, you may end up needing an external amp anyway.

Mathieu, welcome. Good that you decided to join the group. You correctly put "bi-amp" in quotes, since this is simply an advertising ploy of some manufacturers that isn't actually bi-amping and has no real benefit. The same amount of power from the one main power supply section of the receiver is simply funnelled into the speaker through two sets of output transistors(one previously unused for back surrounds)rather than one. No increase in available maximum power can result from this.

Your listening distance is a more significant factor as to power requirements than is room size. The room doesn't have to be "filled" throughout with the sound level you need at your listening position. The 1018 should certainly have no problem driving the M80s at the moderate level you mention unless your listening distance is unusually long.

...and if the 1018 does have trouble (I doubt it too), Pioneer was still nice enough to include pre-outs on that model (they're gone from the 1019). So you can easily make use of external amps.

To be clear, I think using the receiver is worth a shot.

Just reread my post and realized it didn't make much sense.

You mean, of course, that the receiver is worth a shot, the bi-amping is not.

Yes, now that I've been unclear in 2 posts. Chris has it right.

thanks for all your input,

my "real" question really was "can my 1018 handle the 4ohm load at moderate levels"

i will eventually change the pioneer for something more appropriate ( as i will not need 7.1 in my living room). it's not that my living room is 3,500cubic feet, but my living area (living room/dining room/kitchen) is all open area with high ceilings, i wish i could send you guys some pictures but the house is still under construction

also, my listening position will mainly be about 10feet from the speakers.

sometimes i will want to only get ambiant music while cooking/having guest for dinner, or "loud" music with an expensive bottle of wine and some friends.

last, do you guys have some recommendations regarding amps/receivers that pair well with the m80's? under the 2k$ (CAD) mark would be nice. (i know that is a very personnal topic and we all have different earing, i just want some suggestions :), i mainly listen to Jazz/Rock/Classical/Pop, in that very specific order )

again, sorry for the long post, and thanks for your very valuable input.

Denon's full range of avr's work very well with M80s, I have run my M80s with an older 1804 and my newish 3808 with no problems at all. Most seperate amps work with 4 ohms, ie. Rotel, Denon, Outlaw audio, Anthem etc., but there are always few exceptions, Emotiva is hit and miss.

I see this statement often and think it's true in some cases but not in others, so will put down my thoughts here for comment. Let's take a 5-channel amp rated at 100 watts per channel with all channels loaded. The PS would be capable of 500 watts, and each of the 5 amps capable of 100 watts. If the mains were bi-amped so two amps were connected to each front speaker, then each front would get 200 watts and the fifth channel would still get 100 watts. The total output, and PS load, would still be 500 watts, but now each of the two front channels would get 200 watts vs 100 watts each before bi-amping. I realize that the picture is different if the amp isn't rated with all channels loaded, but it seems to me that you do get more or less doubled power per channel in many cases.