Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo Help! what compact stereo for a college dorm

Christmas is coming...would like to get a compact audio system for my college student. Can you advise me on a compact and inexpensive yet quality system? Only have 2 desires from my student: 1) multi-cd/dvd player and 2) remote control. And findally from my corner, I'd like to get some Axiom M2i's to add the sound quality.

Bob, to go along with M2s, I'd suggest that a very good buy in a multi-disc(5)CD/DVD player is the Panasonic F85(about $130)suggested by Audioholics and a fine low-priced receiver is the Pioneer 912 (about $290).

For a small dorm room, the M3ti's may be a better choice than the M2i's. The M2i's will need a subwoofer. Without one, they'll sound very lacking in depth. They'll be clean and clear for sure, but your son/daughter I'm sure will miss the low end.

The M3ti's in a small room can get away without a sub. It's still not going to go all that low without a sub, but it's the "small room - no sub" speaker of choice.

I must admit that the though I haven't heard the M2s or the M22s, my M3s do sound a little exciting due to a nice mid-bass and upper bass. for my small room (15x10x10), the M3s play quite loud with ample bass. I would like to add a subwoofer but I'm desperately fighting upgradeitis and till now, its working. The M3s should be suitable for your listening since they "seem" to encompass the entire frequency range.

If i were livin' in a dorm room id probbly leave my stereo stuff at home and bring along my good headphones and a headphone amp. Then id have my computer which would also play my movies and have a tuner card for tv, along with 30 megs or so of songs!

I like the idea of using the computer for your movies, tv, and music, but I'm not a huge fan of headphones. I still say get a pair of speakers.

Unless you spend over $200 on a tuner(like a good viewsonic), do not expect anything close to decent for TV reception.

Yeah, although I do own what I consider is an excellent pair of headphones, I tend not to use them unless I have to. In my office I have a Sony "executive microsystem" , which is constantly playing music softly. And I cannot possibly replace even these crappy little speakers with headphones.

Perhaps it's time for me to replace the Sony speakers with a pair of the M2s...

Not trying to bum out all the axiom supporters here, but I would just go w/ one of the Denon/Mission shelf systems for your dorm room. I am not very far removed from the dorms, just a couple years, and remember what it was like =)

Save yourself a few bucks, get you an average shelf system that takes up VERY LITTLE room, and save the fun stuff for four years from now.

By the way, I think ecost has a pretty good deal on a Denon refurb shelf system right now.

If you start with a small system with quality speakers, those speakers can always be integrated into a better system after graduation. M22ti mains now will make excellent rear channels down the road for a 7.1 system, or would be perfect for the "bedroom" system later on, when you go all out for the kick-ass HT system later.

If you buy some crap shelf system now, it'll end up in the trash 4 years from now.