Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Newbie has questions

I am about to buy an Axiom system. I live in a 1BR, and my couch is only about 6-7 ft from my television. I could place the front speakers up to 8 or 9 ft apart and surrounds would go about 7-8 ft behind the front speakers. Overall room is about 10 X 13 or so. The real factor, is that I have 20' cathedral ceilings. (So in other words, its a really small room, but has high ceilings)

I was going to get M60's, but will the sound be too distorted at that distance? Will the sound be too harsh? I often like to hear at a distance of 5-8 ft. I'm thinking of getting M22's instead.

One other question, right now I am a little budget constrained. I was thinking about spending $1500 to get the entire M22 system w/ an SVS sub. But how much does a center, surround and sub get used if you mainly listen to music and if home theater is secondary? Thanks a million.

Oh and about how much would you budget for cables for an entire new 5-channel system with reciever, dvd/cd player and television? Would it run $100-$200, or would I need to spend more?

newbie

The listening distance is not going to impact the level of distortion or harshness you hear from M60's (or any other speaker). But they may not be able to image quite as well if you are seated that close.

That is a LOT of cubic feet and you may well benefit from having a "large" speaker like the M60. I love mine. However, it is quite possible that the M22 plus a sub will give you a fuller experience with a more detailed soundstage.

yes, i mean imaging, not distortion. I get the impression that you need to listen to M60's at a minimum distance of 10 ft. My TV and sofa are only 6 ft apart, will the sound quality at that distance be compromised.

and which do you think is better an M-22 with sub or an M60 (without sub). Thanks

That is a great question, and one that has been considered many times around these parts, albeit not definitively answered.

I have not heard M22's. So take my responses for what they are worth.

I find that the M60's have wonderful, rich, tight bass. More than adequate for music. Unless you are listening to pipe organ or other genres that generate high output below about 40Hz, the M60's will be very satisfying for music. They absolutely BEG to be turned up, because they are so clear in all octives.

However, if your musical preferences, home theatre leanings or listening habits demand that you have chest-thumping bass to feel "satisfied", there is no substitute for a powered sub. Particularly for home theatre, you will not realize your system's true potential without a quality subwoofer.

I prefer floorstanders to speakers on stands. And I value long term quality over the quick fix. So, I bought the M60's and am enjoying them immensely right now, while saving for a sub to add later.

While there is no conclusion about the M22/sub v. M60 question, I don't think anybody would argue that the M60/sub combo is hard to beat.

My listening position is only about 9 feet from my speakers, but I'm totally ingroovinated. Plus, you might move to a bigger room someday. Speaker placement and room interactions will have a lot to do with your results.

The M22's are really nice speakers and should work well in a small room at the distance you're talking about. Since in the long run you will probably want a sub anyway, they are probably a better choice in a constrained space. They are also a lot easier to move when you get a bigger place. Long term, even if you upgrade to floor standers you would probably be very happy keeping the 22's for a bedroom or office system. I have both M50's and M22's. I was surprised at the small difference in sound relative to the difference in physical size. I have always been impressed with the amount of bass the 22's put out for music. I don't have a sub for either system.

I'd go with a pair of M22's and a great sub if I were you. Sitting 6' away from a pair of M60's would really kill the imaging.

MANY people here have the M22's and a Hsu subwoofer. In a room that size you could probably get away with the Hsu VTF-2, but the VTF-3 would go even lower. If you're not in a huge rush, their new STF subs are due out next month. (If the date doesn't get pushed back again)

Yes, the biggest concern for me is that at 6 feet, it seems to kill imaging for large floorstanders. I went to Tweeter to test some speakers, and large speakers need space.

Spiffnme, I saw comments of yours on the bang for the buck post. If I get the m22 and wait to get the stf-2, the total cost will be $800 on the dot. Although right now m60's are available for $720 in the outlet.

On the Bang for the Buck thread, you said that for an m22 owner, the upgrade to an HSU sub was MUCH larger than the upgrade to an m60. Could you elaborate on this?

Oh and how much better is the sound quality of the m22 and the m60?

Personally, I'd love to get the m60's but I'd like to get a nice HD-ready TV and/or surrounds, sub and center. Thanks!

While I'm at it, I'm trying to buy an entire system (from scratch). I'm trying to keep costs low and get the most for my money overall. I have some questions:

I plan to buy:

M22's (or m60's) $400 or $720
hsu stf-2 $400
qs-8 $470

harmon-kardon avr 325 $450
denon DVD-1600 $250
Samsung widescreen 30inch HD-ready TV
(trying to find one for $700-$900)
HD tuner (trying to find one on ebay for about $200)
cables (I have no idea how much this will cost)

total: about $3000

Questions:

1. I have a DVD burner on my Dell laptop, how can I use that through my TV and receiver system.

2.The main reason for my wanting to get a new stereo
is that I got a new state of the art laptop with cable Internet(first time with high-speed Internet) So I have downloaded a lot of music from Kazaa and may likely subscribe a $9.95/ mo music network where you have access to thousands of songs. How will these computer songs sound on Axioms? I will be playing them through my computer and not burning all of them to cd. I am also highly considering getting an Ipod-type device to hold 7000+ songs.
3. Is HDTV really worth it? I started out just wanting to get a nice stereo system. then i thought:
a) might as well get a nice home theater out of it (need surrounds and sub/center) then I thought:
b) I have nice sound and a progessive scan dvd, my 20" TV from 1996 isn't going to cut it, huh?
4. how will home theater sound if I can't get the center yet?
5) I saw the Samsung HD-931 (DVD player) that apparently upgrades the picture quality to a higher HD-type resolution, I am fraught whether to buy this or the Denon-1600. But I'm sure the audio quality for DVD's and CD's is much better for the Denon. But the Samsung is supposed to have a phenomenal picture, but bad build quality.
6) The denon dvd-1600 does not have SACD compatibilty or the ability to record DVD's. I have even seen a DVD player with Tivo capability, a DVD recorder AND a HARD DRIVE on it. Alas it was $1400, but I don't want to buy the denon dvd-1600 now, only to need to upgrade next year.
7. Do I need THX sound?
8. Could I get away with a cheaper receiver than the HK avr-325 for $450
9. Again the main thing I am worried about is that imaging will be horrible too close to the m60's
10. I live in an apt complex, Will the hsu sub make my neighbors hate me?

The M22's and M60's sound very, very similar. In your situation, the M22's and a sub will be a better fit I believe. The biggest advantages of the M60 over the M22 is ability to play loud without strain, and it's much larger soundstage. Since you're going to be sitting quite close, those two points are moot.

A good subwoofer with the M22's will give you great music, and lots of oomph for your movies.

The only reason I'd get the M60's in your situation is if you think you may have a larger space for them later on. If down the road you're going to be in a big room, you may want to upgrade then. If you get the M60's now, you won't ever need to upgrade.

A Hsu subwoofer won't make your neighbor hate you unless you play loud movies at stupid hours. For music, it's not boomy at all. It integrates extremely well with the M22's. It'll just sound like you have a small pair of speakers capable of full range sound.

I've found that the most annoying subwoofer use is in video games. I played a couple of fighting games on my PS2 and all the hits really THUD. That repeatedly over and over will drive your neighbor nuts. So if you play games, knock the sub level down a bit.