Okay, so first off, let's get the good stuff out of the way. I own a set of M60's which never fail to amaze me. I've got them hooked up to an Acurus Act 3 Preamp and a 150w Acurus power amp. An older Adcom amp is running my center channel (bridged at 150 watts) and the two rear speakers (70 watts/side, I believe; speakers are an original pair of Advent Legacys from my first system, and they still sound good enough for me not to change them out yet). My former center channel was a $200 NHT which I got from The Good Guys. It seemed to do the job, considering that I tend to listen to CDs in two-channel stereo, anyway. I live in an apartment, so I don't really feel I need a sub, especially since the preamp is set to have the bass going to the front left and right speakers. Lack of bass hasn't been a problem when I got the Acurus power amp. I'll eventually get one when I have the money, but for now, I'm happy with my setup, sans-subwoofer.
My father was in town for a family visit, along with my brother and nephew. One of the things we had on tap to show my nephew were the LOTR extended version DVDs. I have the speaker levels set for what seems to be the right reading on the sound meter for the room. But in my typical fashion, I had to have the remote in hand and be ready to turn the volume up and down at the right time depending on what was happening on the screen at the moment- up for quieter dialogue; down for the battle scenes. I was pretty used to this happening, especially in movies with such incredible audio effects such as the LOTR movies, and I never really gave it another thought. I live off a busy alley, and I'm also the first apartment next to a fire-station, so I'm fine knowing that there are going to be constant noises that will force me to adjust the volume up or down.
My dad and I share a similar passion for audio. He's got an Axiom 6.1 setup back at home in FL (4-M22's, 2 VP100's). In the course of my audio discussion with my dad, he asked if I'd like a new center channel. I told him I was happy with what I had, and that I'd upgrade to the VP150 someday when I had the money. He went on to say that he and my mom wanted to get me an early x-mas present, and that they'd like to get me the speaker. I felt that it was overkill since I've already got a center. I thought if anything, I'd just put the generous offer towards a sub, instead. But of course I want the EP 500, so I'd still have to save some more money. My dad insisted I take him up on it. I have a suspicion that he probably just wanted to hear it in my setup before he left, but don't tell him that! Got on the phone with Axiom last Friday; ordered one VP 150 in maple with black grills; speaker arrived on Wednesday morning, exactly as stated by Brent at Axiom! You go guys! Unfortunately for my dad, the speaker was waiting for me on my doorstep when I returned from dropping him off at LAX, but at least now he'll have another reason to come for another visit.
I hooked it up. And then I waited. And then I waited some more. Bad timing. We were in the middle of yet another power outage here in LA. I tried to find something else to occupy my time until the power was turned back on and I could start listening to the newest addition. I read the manual. Twice. I tell ya, I'm a patient person, but with respect to anyone who's either been in prison or had to sit through any PT Anderson extended version DVD, no time is slower than waiting for the power to return when you've got a new Axiom in your hands. When it finally did come back on, but I was still reluctant to turn my system on in the event that it went back out again like it usually does a few times here in LA. I walked the dog, and then decided it was time to give the speaker a go when I returned.
Um... WOW. What a difference one speaker made! I put on the LOTR disc, exactly where we left off, and I sat back and waited to have to turn the volume down at the loud parts. Which I never had to do! The dialogue was crisp and clear, and it stayed the SAME LEVEL at all times! I no longer had to worry about turning it up when I couldn't hear the actors talk, and then having my heart skip a beat when some other loud effect happened. I still can't believe how much of a difference it made over the former center channel. The biggest improvement was that it seemed to make all the speakers disappear entirely in the room. It was tough to tell which speakers the sounds were coming from. I was in audio bliss. I felt as if my small apartment was now a mini-movie theater, and I loved it. I couldn't be happier now, and it was funny to think that I told my dad no to his offer. Boy would I have been a fool to have passed that up! If anyone reading this is contemplating picking up a VP150, I highly recommend it. The same way I'd recommend all of Axiom's speakers.
SO... on to the question. Since the VP150 is 6 ohms, can someone please explain to me if it will make the amp running it push out more watts, or will they stay the same (150 watts @ 8 ohms)? I know that the power usually doubles at 4 ohms, though I don't really understand why, so it only makes sense to me that there'd be some increase in power if the speaker is 6 ohms. But since I don't know if that's correct, why not ask you guys here for an answer. I'm sure someone knows.
Thanks, and happy listening- Kevin
