Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Possible buying Axiom speakers, but need room help

I'm upgrading my equipment and think I will go with the Axiom speakers. My room is 24Lx15wx14H, and its a very open floor plan with the dining room basically attached as well as the kitchen. Currently, I'm running Infinity Studio mains, center, and bookshelves. Sub is the HSU VTF-2, the old one. Still works good but has been popping as of late. Receiver is a Onkyo DS777, but will be upgraded to the 804, both with 105 w/ch, so no change there.

For this size room would the M50 be okay, or should I at least get the M60 mains. The center and bookshelves will probably have to be the M2 series in each. I don't listen to music real loud but like good sound and love watching movies.

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Bill3508

Either main would be fine for your application, I think. You should consider going with the QS4s or the QS8s for your surrounds, however. If you're watching movies, those are absolutely the way to go. This may influence your choice of mains due to budget issues...

Hi and Welcome,
(Have I been around long enough to say that now?)

I wouldn't worry too much about the older sub. My HT is in the basement but I have a pair of M60s in my living room. It's not as long as yours at 16x15 but the ceilings are much higher, going right to the roof of my two story. I also have an open dining room on one side leading to the kitchen. I can see my speakers from over the dividing bar between.

Anyway, what I wanted to say was that the M60s sounded surprisingly deep in that bigger space and seem to overcome the echo-like sound my old HK bookshelves made before I got them set up. When I got my EP500 for the HT room, I moved my old beater Sony HTIB sub up from the basement to join them. It did round out the bass a bit in that big air space and everyone comments on how well they sound.

Too shorten my alwyas too long post... The M60s hardly needed any help at all to fill the open space. You will be very happy with them just with the HSU until you get the urge to upgrade.

buttttt, if you can afford a new sub, my other m60s in the basement with the EP500 and other goodies really blow things away for bass.

Here is my room setup. My drawing stinks but you get the idea. You mentioned the QS8's but will they be too close to the listening position. I don't know if they have different traits than standard bookshelves. Of course the mains and center is angled to the center listening position. Also, sub placement is where the sound is best as I tried a bunch of locations in the room before I settled on that placement. Missed the G in Samsung also. LOL


Thanks for the help.

Bill3508

Bill, welcome. The QSs have considerably wider dispersion than direct radiating speakers, and for this reason are even more suitable if they have to be positioned relatively close(nevertheless, try to separate them as widely as possible).

I'd suggest M60s with an M2 center for your use. Your offset center is unconventional, of course, but if the center image is satisfactory to you, so be it.

I would recommend a few things. Try if possible to spread out your surrounds wider in the room, they are to close to the couch. I also would say to get qs8's or Qs4's for surrounds. They are designed to be for the surround effect purpose and easily out perform bookshelf speakers.

I would also consider your center placement. I know your limited, but you don't want it off center. For best experience it needs to be dead center and equal distance from the left/right speakers. Can you mount it on the wall, or set it on a shelf in front of the tv?

If you order from Axiom's factory outlet, you will save 10%, just an fyi.

I know the offset center is not good. My last TV had a thick enough top to set it on, but this one does not. We are in the process of trying to get a large entertainment center to put it in, which would solve that problem. Also, on the surounds being so close, the wall in the picture is not as wide as noted. The left surround is actually at the end of the wall as it separates the kitchen, so I can't really move them much. Anything moved to the right would make the room off center with the furniture and such.

Bill3508

There are center channel supports that provide a shelf to place the center on on top of the TV.

I know we're spending your money rather freely around here... but if you're willing to pay $145 for an M2 center... what about $250 the VP100? It would, in my opinion, look better, and (though, again, spending more of your $) you could buy either the shelf that allows you to place it on the TV, or a center channel stand to place it in front of the TV. The VP models aren't too deep... so I don't think it would be that intrusive if it were on a stand in front of the TV. (There are plenty of cheaper, better looking stand options than the axiom model, in my opinion.)

My suggestion is similar to that of many people around here... wait a little while, save a little more, and don't buy a setup you'll probably want to upgrade almost immediately. My suggestion would be M60s, VP100, QS4s, and use your old sub. You aren't going "crazy" for the VP150/QS8s... but still get the VP and QS series speakers, which are intended to be the setup for HT.