Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Large or Small setting

You can find the +/- 3dB frequency in the specifications listed on the Axiom web page which is appropriate to the speaker in question.

For example, on the M60 web page, it says:

"Freq Resp +/-3dB (Hz): 37 - 22kHz Graph"

Yes, it can be a matter of choice as whether to set the mains to "large" or "small," but here is what Axiom's Alan Lloft had to say in How to Get Boss Bass.

"Basically, any main, center-channel, or surround speaker using woofers smaller than 8 inches should be set to "Small." Now that's easy to remember!" (Or is that Alan simply quoting from the Sound & Vision disc?)

On the other hand, in Receiver and Subwoofer Crossover Setup, Alan says:

"With Axiom bookshelf or center-channel speakers, or any other bookshelf or moderate-size two-way tower (e.g., the M40ti), set them to "Small". While you are at it, set the surround speakers to "Small" as well. In this mode, the receiver will route all deep bass frequencies below 80 Hz to the subwoofer via the receiver’s rear-panel "Subwoofer Out" jack.

For Axiom’s larger tower speakers--the M80ti’s, M60ti’s, and M50ti’s--depending on the particulars of room size, start by selecting the "Large" setting on your receiver for the left and right main speakers, and "Small" for the center and surround channels. With these settings, and the subwoofer set to "On," most receivers will route full-range sound, including deep bass, to the main left and right speakers, and bass below 80 Hz to the "Sub Out" jack on the rear panel of the receiver. (Some rooms may benefit from smoother bass by getting deep bass from three room locations--the sub plus the main left and right speakers--rather than a single subwoofer.) If running your left and right fronts on "Large" produces too much bass output, change the settings for the mains to "Small." You can also experiment with crossover frequencies, raising the center-channel crossover frequency to 120 Hz if you find that results in smoother dialog sound with less coloration. But 80 Hz is a generally desirable crossover frequency in most applications."

So, there are varying opinions on which way to go. I found that, by setting my mains to "large," I had too much bass. YMMV