Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater May Be Returning

Sutter, is your HT still in the same room as before? Many people have found their discontent with the VP150 was related to boundary effects.

I remember somebody saying that the Paradigm CC370 was a good tonal match.

I am personally very satisfied with my VP100.

Yeah, you know... maybe the VP100 is actually the better speaker. I never hear VP100 owners (me included) complaining about their speaker.

You know, Peter, you may be on to something here...

Plus, consider the probability that you, me and Ken are all "wrong" simultaneously.

Inconceivable!

Well, in my opinion, Peter very well might be on to something. I have owned both. I have had the VP100, and I have had the VP150. Going off memory, and it has been a while now, but if I recall, I did find the VP100 to be a little better then the 150. However I found them both to be lacking in the things I previously mentioned.

Don't get me wrong guys, I mean my gawd, please, I don't find either of these to be BAD center channels at all. As I have clearly pointed out, they are indeed much better then a lot of the center channels that I've had experience with. They just so happen to be not as good as a lot of other ones I've also had experience with. Truth of the matter is, you can say that with any darn speaker.

Be that as it may, it's irrelevant. It's irrelevant in the since that they're not anything that's going to stop me from making my return, and stay, to/with Axiom. I'll either make the best out of one of these cc's, or I'll simply go with one of their other speakers in the line for my cc.

I think, as a H/K owner, I might get more out of the VP100 than owners of recievers with all around crossovers. I have my VP100 set relatively high (100 Hz) and my QS4s set to very high (120 Hz) and my 50s set to 80 or 60, so I may get more of that oompfh. Or maybe I just haven't heard that many center channels...

All right. . . there is something that I am not getting here. I have the VP150 and I don't see its downfalls. Since when is a center channel the speaker that you look for to provide "punch". I listen to DVD audio discs and SACD as much as movies and I have never heard my 150 wimper in the least. I even have it crossed over at 60hz. (I know I must be an idiot according to specs, but I have listened to so many discs at absurdly loud levels and still have not had any troubles, noticable faults or weaknesses with my center channel). Are you guys putting it back on a shelf or something?

After all a center channels main purpose is to provide clear, accurate and audible dialoge from movies. Does it not do this extremely well. I have not had to set my center hot like most people seem to do just to be able to hear the dialoge. So what is the deal here.

I felt that my M22's had a deficiency in umph and thus upgraded to M60's which solved my problem. But I never said to myself, "man, I sure wish that I had more umph out of my center channel". But again all things are relative and perhaps that is just me. Happy and content. Thanks again Axiom.

Well if you don't see the downfalls then I say great, you have nothing to worry about then.

I've made my living as a musician for the past 15 years, I've also sold home theater equipment for a period of time. I've been in and out of studio's, and off and on stages. I've got very critical ears, and I've had a lot of experience with all sorts of brands and gear. I believe I'm more then qualified to note the stong points and down falls of a speaker.

Going off of your post, you seem to be coming across as if I'm bashing these speakers. I have not. I have stated what I don't like about them, I have also praised them. I have stated more then once they are great speakers that are better then a lot of center channels, but I also stated that they're worse then some center channels as well. But ya know, so what. That can be said about any darn speaker. Also, if I felt the 150 was THAT bad, I would have never made the decision to repurchase it. It's not that bad, in fact it isn't bad at all. There's just a few things I don't like about it. However those things can be easily corrected, for the most part.

I never knew this thread was going to take on such a turn. This thread wasn't suppose to be the VP100/150 thread. I created this thread to let my friends know that I was coming back, and simply stated my reasons why I left. I didn't expect this to turn into what it has. Some asked questions, I explained my reasons, and stated my opinions in responce to their questions. I'm truly sorry if I ruffled feathers, that was never my intention.

Well, to my friends, and those who know me, thank you all for the welcome, I greatly appreciate it. I'll be placing my order within the next day or two. I'm trying to decide on which finish at the moment. Once that's done, the order will be placed.


Sutter

I'm surprised I haven't seen more folks suggesting the "phantom center" solution. When we rearranged our living area we didn't have a good way to put the VP150 back up right away, so I set the system up "temporarily" in phantom center mode.

I have got to say that we've been very happy that way. In fact, "temporary" has become permanent, at least for now. We don't do any 5 channel music, so that may be a consideration. But for (stereo) music and movies we've been very happy using the M22s without a center. And this is actually a pretty large room.

Regards,
Rich

Suttercane,

Totally did not interpret your posts as any kind of bash on Axiom or their center channel speakers. You were simply posting your thoughts on the quaility of their product so believe me absolutely no offense taken and hopefully none given. I am certainly not questioning your critical listening capability either.

I am simply interested in this whole center channel topic as to what should be expected of this speaker. Nothing more.

Regards and welcome back

Ya know Guys, thinkin'about it for a minute....center channels are like hamburgers.

We all know what a good burger is, but I'll bet there are no two of us who take them with the same fixins.

(heck, most of us probably don't take them the same way twice in a row)

Personally, I like them with cheese.

(they're better with Swiss. No, BEST with Swiss)



Now then, as to what "I" expect(ok, would like)from a center channel: It's something that goes a bit lower than, say, 70hz accurately. The reason being, and here is where "Brainwashing" has come into play, is due to a few acticles I had read back when Home Theater was first coming into popularity.

1st. Commandment: "Center Channel Shall Be Full-Range due to the Lions Share of the Material Recorded Being Sent Through the Middle"

Naw,...I don't really know what that means, but I can take a good guess

2nd Commandent: "All front speakers should be as close to the same as possible"

If my mains comfortably play to 60hz, then, dang it, I'd like my center to at least do the same. I've seen shots of movie mixing labs, and they usually have the same three speakers across the front. Makes sense

"I" also like to have "All" of the voices in the center and not sneaking a bit into the sub. Used to was, when I had my system crossed at 80hz, some(few)voice components would sneak into the sub now and again. (very annoying)

So, what I want, is a center that contains all of the voices with excellent intelligability, that produces enough bass so that if an explosion happens in the center channel only, that it is firmly anchored with the other full-range material recorded, right in the center of the screen. I also want the center to sound "Exactly" like the mains. Not just a "Good Match"(yeah,...like the room is gonna always allow That)

Also, if I sit a few degrees off "on-axis" I don't want the center to sound like a different speaker than what I usually listen to.

(Actually, My M3 mates very well with my M50s and pretty well satisfies all "my" requirements)

So...

I'll have my burger with swiss cheese please, and a little wasabe/ranch dressing.

Aw,...add all the fixins'
Rich.