I am one of the trolls
in the AVS and other forums who has posted about the VP150 not being able to keep up with the M80s. I don’t see this as much as a complaint about the VP150 as a compliment to the M80s.
My issue with the VP150 is what Randy alludes to in his comment:
Now, the best center is a matching speaker to your left/right mains, however, most people don't want a single m80 standing in front of the screen.
No dedicated center speaker (enclosed horizontal design) is ever going to keep up with the M80s. Anyone who says that thier favorite brand dedicated horizontal center speaker (AV123, B&W etc…) sounds as good as there full range mains is just saying that there mains just don‘t sound full range. So maybe it’s not fair for me to say that the VP150 is weak compared to the M80s when the fans of other brands won’t admit as much about there speakers but I think people who want information deserve honest opinions. And yes this is just my opinion.
Most people probably won’t have any issues with the VP150. I’ve noticed on many movies the about 50% of the center channel information blended into the left and right mains so even close up the VP150 blends well with the M80s. It’s mostly in the movies where there is no blending of the center into the mains I can really hear the difference in which case I usually run a phantom center which simulates having an M80s center by playing the center channel through the mains.
I think my biggest problem is that I’m in a small room and sit close 6.5 feet from the front speakers. This tends to exaggerate the sonic differences inherent between the M80s and VP150 and the sonic differences resulting from there dissimilar placement. I think sitting further away and having the speakers further apart will eliminate much of this by allowing them to blend more. This is why on several occasions in other forums when people have questions about what Axioms to buy for a small room I would recommend getting three M22s or M3s across the front with a good subwoofer. The exception would be if they want to do lots of stereo listening or are trying to future proof for when they move into a larger room. Also I would still recommend a M22 or M3 center for anyone who can fit it only because they go deeper and will therefore likely blend better with the M80s. They're also a little less expensive.
I really want to use the VP150 (it will fit my console perfect BTW ), I just wanted to make sure the off axis stuff was no big deal.
For those who report hearing comb filtering due to the VP150 design this is an interesting read.
Harman testing has shown that sonic anomalies which are audible while the listener is moving around become much less obvious once the listening position is essentially fixed (the listener sat down!). Toole spoke of comb filtering, and has deduced that it is an artifact of measurement, not an audible prob lem in normal listening.
I hope this helps and I haven’t inflamed anyone’s passions.
Dean
