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My Ears & Axioms Will They or Won't They Play NIce?
#138019 05/10/06 03:02 PM
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Let's try this again, shall we? first you should visit the head(can, potty) whatever u call it lol and grab a refreshment.

what I have and what I've known. Rather reluctantly I must say, but here goes nothing.

Presently, I have a yamaha YSP-1 (single speaker do it all ... thing)
and a yamaha YSP-515 (sub)
all processing is built in, so no receiver to speak of.

Past system, I've been to embarrassed to bring it up till now, but figured what the hell , after things that have happened here in the past. so laugh to yourself cause I DO NOT want to hear it! OK? ok

hope this in't TOO boring

Bose 701's got me going, here is why. being military, units have xmas parties and give some spendy door prizes, someone won the 701's , great right? they party on for some time. Take the two boxes out to load in the car trunk. they didn't fit. uh, oh. one drunk says to the other drunk , "lets just take them out of boxes and put them in that way, we only have to go to the barracks". that's where things fell apart, literally! ONE of the 701's were dropped and the cabinet was really messed up ( it was decapitated) the whole head was broken off and the lower cabinet rather messed up as well. It so happens that the exchange was MAJOR COOL , and gave the guy a replacement set. Instead of just returning as junk to bose or where ever they tried to sell them. I think they were like 700$ each selling price NEW. so they were asking 500$.

This is where I come into the picture. I know my way around a woodshop. I'll leave it at that. I'm thinking one flawless, one broken. I checked it out and to the manager "good luck selling those" each week the price got lowered. it hit 250$ for the PAIR . I jumped on it like stink on sh!t! sorry I'm a bit long winded aren't I? hehe the short of it, I worked some major magic in the woodshop and Pieced frankenstein back together. I'm still proud of that feat *pats self on back* lol

I need to step back a FEW steps a few months Prior I bought a very marked down Harmon Kardon AV rec. the model eludes me now. so I had mains and harmor kardon. Ever the bargin hunter I had eyes at a different bases exchange/bx/px a set of um... 501's? i think they were. floor models that had the tweeters poked in, so got them at a great discount and ..... now here's a TIP for those that don't know you can do it.
I took some semi tacky masking tape fashioned it into a sticky side out small circle, stuck it on the pushed in tweeter and popped those suckers out. no worse for the wear. Then I found a JBL center speaker , ,and bose 301's,, again CHEAP lol

So I had a 5.0 setup, happy happy. I never found I need a base, as i ran both 501's and 701's at the same time. VERY 3D sound. large soundstage. mind you I am NOT an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination. I would say they were forward , great lows and highs and lacking somewhat in the middle. in short I LOVED them. the series of the 701's was changed the next year as many complained about the power it needed for full deep bass. I too found it not as low as I would like.

I happened across a super HEAVY old phase linear power amp, I THINK it had 700watts per, dont' quote me on that, it could have been 350 to each. it had been modded by someone in "the know" and has an extra 4o r5 inches of heat plate secured to the stock heat sink and 3 120mm fans on the rear. NOW with that sucker hooked up I was REAL happy with the bose 701 low end, fan noise at low levels sucked (from the phase linear) but thats another story.

The short of it is with either set up then or now I get NO "ear thing" going on. mind you if I maxed the trebble on the HK and cranked the bose speakers it would give me ear problems.

So there you have it , that is all I have to offer of what I've heard that I can say I liked. OH stop... ONe friend had a cerwin vega setup that i VERY much liked . hadn't thought of that in some time. it was KICK @SS , the woofs in this thing were HUGE , I think it had horn tweets, but don't hold meto that. I found the bose sound actually more enjoyable to my ears as I do the yammy I have now. but not sure that is a fair comparison in the least. that s that about what I've had and liked.

what I didn't like and bothered my ear the most of anything ( i know this it totally NOT home hifi) but friends that had those tweeters , beer can size and smaller on their dash or mounted anywhere in front or above. the indoors were tolerated much better. those dash kind would rattle my ear even at moderate volumes.

This thread is here to share my thoughts, comments and Questions , as to IF Axioms and my ear can play well together. the word BRITE WILL be used . PLEASE take no offense to ANY question or comments I may have that you may find a 'slap' to your beloved brand. OK? Civil and polite in ALL instance of discussion please. I'm here to learn, and we learn from questions. Again no BS in here PERIOD.

I'm have prelim hearing test 17th. and WHO KNOWS when the REAL test will be. any in mil. or prior mil. will certainly know what I mean.

can't remember off the top of my head who (sorry) it was but someone mentioned having ear prob's themselves and tinitus? the ringing thing? I am thinking I have the same thing, and have had for quite some time. its moreso in my left ear (the same one that gives me the trouble with tweeters) If i how do I say this? hehe If I put my finger in my ear and shake it. it seems to disappear fro a few seconds then comes back. Its MUCH more noticeable in quiet places, its sorta constant faint zzzzzzz , very seldom it does get um.... more intense and hurts inside.

well there is my novel for the day. i look forwar to hearing everyones thoughts on this, and who knows maybe others that have "ear things" will see it and we can share and learn from one another. Thanks for your time and consideration, it IS VERY MUCH appreciated. Take my word on that. thanks

Stone__Man

who put a spel on the cheker? lol (NO offense intended, please )



Re: My Ears & Axioms Will They or Won't They Play NIce?
#138020 05/10/06 04:15 PM
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Stone__Man, I think it may be difficult for any of us to determine if Axioms will be good for your situation.
The Axiom line in my opinion are detailed and precise, that may or may not work with your ears. I know others on the board that have similar ear problems, that have no problems with the Axiom line.
I also own another pair of speakers from Tyler Acoustics Link They are excellent speakers , but a bit more expensive, the reason I mentioned these is because they have a phase switch on the back of the speaker for louder (more laid back) listening, or for a normal listening mode, these you could adjust for you hearing preference.




A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.
Re: My Ears & Axioms Will They or Won't They Play
#138021 05/10/06 04:52 PM
Joined: Jul 2005
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You sound like a candidate for the M50s.

Re: My Ears & Axioms Will They or Won't They Play NIce?
#138022 05/10/06 05:00 PM
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Here is the logical thing for you to do:

Go to hear speakers in a store...(the usual suspects, Tweeters, Cicuit City, Best Buy, etc.).

Then, after listening to a variety of "comps" to the Axiom type, and price range...(take your own GOOD cds of course)..see how many, or if any of the speakers demo'd bother your "ear thing".

If not, or only a couple do...then ok, the odds are good...... buy some speakers.

If most do....then sorry, ANY brand of loudspeakers may not be right for you.


LIFE: "Choices, balance, and timing"

(Larryism)
Re: My Ears & Axioms Will They or Won't They Play
#138023 05/10/06 05:10 PM
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took a gander there , beautiful ! "a bit more expensive" is a BIT of an understatment though lol YIKES.

which do you have btw?

I'm going to check out all that is there in more detail , if they sound as good as they look , then WOW! I do appreciate another maker being brought up. Thanks for sharing HomeDad

Why, I started this.
Some asked me to give my speaker experience and I tried to do that and tried to say what I liked and didn't.

I'd very much like to hear from ANY who have any sorta ear problems. If they don't want to share hear , PM works for me. Similarities and differences , what bothers your ears , what helps eleviate those problems, if anything. Thats the MAIN reason I put EARS in the topic title. As I'm sure there is more than one other that has some umm. damage to their hearing, that might like to discuss it here.

lastly I'd LOVE more detail on a 'resistor' as a helper, and PM is fine by me for that as well. Thanks
Stone__Man

Re: My Ears & Axioms Will They or Won't They Play
#138024 05/10/06 07:39 PM
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I have the Taylo Reference Monitors that I use as surrounds and am very pleased with them (large soundstage, precise imaging) Ty also has a selection of used/new speakers at a big discount, that from what I have seen are flawless.


A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.
Re: My Ears & Axioms Will They or Won't They Play
#138025 05/11/06 12:44 AM
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Wid already replied to you in the hijack post in regards to hearing/ear issues and how Axioms work for his problem. Your mileage may vary, and you need to decide for yourself, we can't tell you. I would recommend auditioning Axioms if someone is in your area, check the audition thread. Or, make use of the 30 day in home trial and judge for yourself. Most likely you won't send them back, I didn't.


M80s VP180 4xM22ow 4xM3ic EP600 2xEP350
AnthemAVM60 Outlaw7700 EmoA500 Epson5040UB FluanceRT85


Re: My Ears & Axioms Will They or Won't They Play
#138026 05/11/06 02:30 AM
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OK here goes. I have tinitus in both ears. It is worse in the left ear. I also have about 70% hearing loss in my left ear. It is in the higher frequencies. Not sure off hand but I'll try to find the hearing test and get back to you. I generally get around the hearing inequities by a slight move in the balance knob on the reciever. 70% sounds significant. So why just a slight move on the balance knob? I'm not sure but I guess it has to do with the freguencies at which the loss occurs. I very occasionally have a little pain. It can be either ear. One thing I can say for sure is that the amount of caffein definitely effects how bad the tinitus is.
I know this because a few years ago due to an illness I had to give up caffein for about 18 months. The tinitus situation definitely improved. It did not disappear completely but it was greatly diminished. Unfortunately, right after successful treatment of my illness and cessation of the drug treatment I went right back to using caffein. I could kick my self for starting in again. I mean I proved I could do without it but I guess I never stopped missing it.
Decaf doesn't do it for me. Anyway enough of this. I just thought if you are using caffein you might want to cut it for a while and see if you have the same results.

I have heard many many brands of speakers. I have to say I don't think many of them actually set anything off as far as my hearing goes. Some of the cheaper ones had very shrill sounding tweeters. They did not cause any pain in my case. At least not physically. They were just awful to listen to and in that sense they were painful.

I tested many before making my purchase. I first bought a pair of 60's. I posted a detailed review of them in the hearing things thread after my audition at another owners house. I then purchased m3's to put in my office. They a hooked up to my computer and a vintage tube amp. I bought these based purely on the reviews and of course my satisfaction with the 60's. I just recently lucked into a pair of m22's. I have them currently in the bedroom. In case it matters to anyone the 3's and 22's are v2 and the 60's are not. This does not matter to me in the least. I know from when I purchased the 60 that they are v2 they just don't say it.

I listen to music all the time. All of the speakers are in 2 channel set ups in different rooms. I am currently saving my change for a pair of qs8's. Once I do that I will switch out the Bose 901's with the 22's, as fronts in my HT and the 901's will be moved to the bedroom. The center channel will be next and then I'll worry about upgrading the sub (Polk Audio 10in.) But that is down the road a piece unless I have a windfall of some kind.

Lastly and most importantly I am very pleased with all my speakers. I didn't go out and buy a whole HT set up a great expense and now feel compelled to justify my investment. I had the 60's just about a year before buying the 3's. So I had a lot of time and many hours of listening to decide. Are there better speakers out there? Of course there are. But at what cost? I like the speakers because they sound good at both high and low volumes. They are extremely detailed. I never suffer from listener fatigue even at high DB's. This was something I had experienced with other brands.

I would be remiss if I didn't include one other thing that greatly influenced my decision on making subsequent purchases from Axiom. A company is only as good as the people it's comprised of. In my dealings with Axiom I have had personal contact with Alan, Amie, Brent and Noreen. I think that's everybody. Each and every one of them has provided outstanding customer service making sure that I was satisfied or that my questions were answered. This is a company that cares about their image, their products quality and value, their employees and perhaps most of all their customers. I don't think they need to resort to gimmicks to goose the numbers of sales by a few units.

Sorry I can't speak directly to your hearing problems. I can't address The "B" word because my deficit is in the high frequencies. This is common in old geezers. I absolutely don't find them "B" as a matter of fact that is one of the things that I love about the speakers most. I will say this. I have an "audiophile" (whatever that is) friend who says he is "extremely" sensitive to high frequencies. He came on the audition with me to hear the 60's. It was a Friday night. On Monday at work he said to me did you order your speakers yet. I said no. He said "What are you waiting for?" I said you mean you liked them. He said he thought they were awesome. Nuff said!
Sorry this was so long everyone. Especially those of you that have heard some of this before.
oz




"Life is what happens while your busy making other plans" John Lennon
Re: My Ears & Axioms Will They or Won't They Play
#138027 05/11/06 03:14 AM
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I meant to add in my essay above that I agree with Bruce. I think you might be a prime candidate for m50's and m3 family of speakers. This is based on your fondness for Cerwin Vega's signature sound. I hope the 50's posse will not take umbrage with this comment. I don't mean to imply that the 50's bass is as slow and bloated as the CV's.just that he might get a little closer to that sound with the more "laid back" Axioms.
oz


"Life is what happens while your busy making other plans" John Lennon
Re: My Ears & Axioms Will They or Won't They Play
#138028 05/11/06 01:11 PM
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I have taken the liberty of copying Wid's points made with regards to hearing problems and his experiences. As I think some others may appreciate it as much as I. I hope you don't mind Wid, if you do mind please tell me and I shall remove it.
In reply to:

I will try to address the hearing (or ear) problems you talk about.

I too have had trouble with my ears for a numbers of years. I have had far to many inner ear infections to even count. At one point haveing to have drain tubes inserted into my ears for right about six months or so.

I also have had some pretty serious bouts with sinus problems affecting my hearing. As of right now I have a ringing in both my ears (tinnitus) I cannot or will not ever get rid of. There is times when this gets to the point that I have pretty sharp pains that shoot through my left ear and causes me a tremendous amount of pain. To rid myself of this I have to go on a series of different medications.

When I went to the ENT for my last hearing test it was noted that I had some hearing loss in the higher frequencies starting at 4 KHz. It was not substantial but it was indeed there.

Now on to the Axioms and their affects on my ear problems. I can with out reservations tell you that my M80s has no ill affects on my ability to enjoy my music. As a matter of fact it is a blessing that I found a speaker that I can clearly hear a cymbal when brushed or hit. Other instruments are (to me) reproduced as if they were right in the room with me. A guitar sounds like what it does in person, same goes for the piano, brass instruments and every other forms of reproduced music I have had the pleasure of hearing.

I hope this gives you some comfort in knowing that even though my hearing is far from perfect I can still sit down with my favorite tunes and the Axiom M80s bring a big sh!t eating grin to my face every time.

BTW is there a speaker, either past or present, that you have listened to that could give us some sort of referance as to what you like?

Rick




Now, thanks all for sharing ear related points, and the others as well.

The M50, seems to be the umm . . . ugly duckling , of sorts as I have seldomly seen talk about it on here. Seems most skip from the M22 right to the M60 in their considerations. thanks for pointing it out to me again. I shall look more closely at it.

If any that own/owned the M50 would like to share their thoughts that would be way cool. and if any can touch on their take, of the differences in the sound sig's of the M50 v the M60-80.

I know diddly about understanding 'graphs' but I hope to learn more. As I think it may be lead to a technical understanding as to what speakers may or may not be for me. where the bumps and dips occur across the spectrum, in relation to what makes my ear vibrate.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
For those that do not know. a few points.

I'm military and overseas.

auditioning and mailing back could be quite expensive.

local auditioning , I'd have to drive 8 1/2 to 10 1/2 hours ONE way to a city that would have hifi shops, paying tolls one way approx. 300 USD. that coupled with the language barrier its just not gonna happen.

I had a firecracker mishap , and lost some hearing in higher freq's in my left ear, coupled with a very annoying .... (can't nail the right discriptor) distortion, in what I here at higher volumes and when speakers are . . . lets say 'distinct' and maybe 'metallic' in the tweet's ( again struggle for safe wording) .

Actually, the best that I can offer for understanding is:

Imagine your ears are speakers and your left tweeter if blown/hosed/shot/cracked. follow? cool now what is going to affect your blown tweeter the most and make it audibly TELL you that it is blown?

I hope that paints a clear enough picture for others to understand , as that is the best I can come up with.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

oz350z, VERY MUCH appreciate your sharing, as I say there is a comfort when others have a commonality with you, we all seek it, we are human. I'm no doctor but I think I have tinnitus as well. and YES , MUCH caffine. have to see what they tell me after testing. thanks again.

I guess my experience is so limited with HOME hifi cause most of my frineds were single and car audio was what was "cool" . ( mind you this was BEFORE hiphop) lol . I did like the cerwin vega's very much, it was several years ago so I can hardly say its what I like now but it and the bose I used and the yammy now is all i really have to go by for home hifi, and what I THINK I like.

I KNOW I can be long winded, sorry ,
Stone__Man

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