Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Difficult situation...

Hello everyone :),

My name is Steven, and I live in Belgium.

Currently, I'm in a kind of difficult situation (well at least for me, since I'm a newbie at all this stuff ^^).
So here it is... In a few weeks I am moving out, and I plan to buy a new "multimedia center" for this new space. The room I'll be staying in is a rented attic in a house with other people, but they have busy lives and aren't home that often, so I can crank up the volume once in a while ^^. The room itself will be pretty small in comparison to the rest of the rooms in the house, and it'll be the only part of the house in which I can put what I want. The rest of the house is available to me, but I can't change any of that, you see? ^^

So now, I have to find the appropriate speakers for a space of that size. The room will be 32 square meters, so that means (according to Google conversions) about 344 square feet (13.1233596 feet * 26.2467192 feet), and about 7 feet (2.2 meters) high in the middle of the room, BUT it descends down to about 3 feet (1 meter) from the middle, on both sides of the ceiling. I hope you can kind of imagine those numbers ^^, because unfortunately I don't have a picture right now (I'm on my laptop).

The right speakers for that space are one thing, but then I have another question :). The speakers will be linked to a Onkyo TX-SR706 A/V Receiver (any other suggestions here? Always welcome ), so that means I will need a surround speaker-set. But now I wonder... Should there be any harm in listening to stereo music through (a) surround receiver/speakers ?

I asked these questions here because I've heard and read good things about Axiom speakers, and I might consider buying them, if they offer a good setup for a room & receiver like mine.

Anyway, thanks a million in advance!

Greets !
Steven

I've always wondered what music and movies sounded like in an A-frame attic like you are describing.

I have no idea, but I'm happy to wait here with you for the Axiom posse to arrive.

I'm very good at playing the damsel in distress. Hey, maybe if speakergrrl appears, BrenR will come running. Don't worry if you don't get that reference - it was made for the old-timers here.

Hello, Steven, welcome!

That Onkyo is a very nice unit, and will pair beautifully with Axiom speakers.



Music in surround is wonderful!

I highly recommend Axiom speakers if they are in your price range.

I don't think your situation is difficult - I think it is exciting!

That is a decent-sized room. Perhaps positioning the speakers will be the difficult thing, but you can always experiment. Unless you are planning to stay in this attic for a long time, I would consider getting small speakers (like the M3 or M22) and perhaps some stands (if you do not have furniture upon which you will place the speakers) so that you can move them more easily later.

How is the beer in your area?

Hi Steven, Welcome. Sounds like an interesting room...according to my math, you are looking at somewhere around 1700ish cubic ft or thereabouts. There are several combinations from Axiom that you might consider....what kind of budget were you looking at? A nice combo would be the Epic Grand Master 350(save a little extra if you don't mind waiting by going through the Factory Outlet).

It's great that you discovered Axiom speakers and I'm sure you will love them if you decide to go with them. Your room description is a little ambiguous. I made these models in Google SketchUp with the dimensions you gave us. Is your room like this



or like this?



If it's like the first, then it would be easier to set up a surround sound system since the back wall is closer. If it's like the second picture then it would be a bit more difficult, but still not impossible. Both room layouts would work well for stereo listening.

Welcome to the forum. I'm sure someone else will come along and give their opinion.

EDIT: Looks like people already responded while I was doing the models.

Hey :D,

Thanks for the reply ^^. Indeed, I don't know what that means ^^, and I'll let you know how it sounds in that room ! (If I don't forget until then ^^)

Greets !
Steven

Hey Tomtuttle :),

Thanks for the warm welcome !
Yeah I plan to buy some stand with the speakers, since it's hard to hang those surround ones on the crooked part of the roof...

Thanks for the reply !

Greets !
Steven

PS: The beer is great ! Brands like Duvel, Jupiler, Maes (don't like that one), Hoegaarden, ... I don't know if you've tasted some of the Belgian brands before :), but I guess it's beer like anywhere else ^^.

You have no idea how good you have it, do you? Belgian beer is my favorite kind. Especially Het Anker. drool......

Greets! : REFLECT!!! :: Steven : Bbigwyres

PS: Cool, posters with actual speaker knowledge have arrived!

Hey Adrian, thanks for the welcome !

With my budget, I'm trying not to exceed € 1500, so I think it should be enough for a good set of quality Axiom speakers :).
I've checked out the ones you suggested, and I like them :), although I would prefer those speakers on the stands to be floorstanding speakers. I don't know if there would be a difference in sound then, but I just like the sight better ^^ (I wouldn't choose floorstanding speakers if there is a decrease in sound quality though ^^)

Thank you for the reply !

Greets !
Steven

Hey Pmbuko, thanks for the welcome ! ^^

And wow, thank you for going through the trouble of drawing that layout oO. I hope it didn't take too long ...

But unfortunately, my room is the same as the second picture.

Thanks for the reply (and sketch) !

Greets !
Steven

Well, I've heard that Belgian beer is famous around the world, but I also heard that beers like, for instance Carlsberg taste very good too... Have you ever tasted Carlsberg, or other non-Belgian beers?
I've never even tried Het Anker !

Thanks for the reply ^^.

Greets !
Steven

Hello again everyone :),

I've been looking around on the website, and comparing, and I think I like the Epic Grand Master 175 setup (it also fits my budget), but I'd replace the bookshelf speakers with the M50 tower speakers...
Would this be a waste of money and space ^^? Or is there a noticeable difference in sound? (Personally, I also think it looks better, but I understand that this is not a good reason to go for the towers, and not the bookshelf speakers ^^)

I can't forget the dimensions of the room though, but the M50 towers should fit just right against the vertical part of the side walls (the sides with the crooked roof).

Too bad I won't be able to test any Axiom speakers before I choose to buy them, because they don't sell them here in retail stores :(, but does anyone have experience with this setup ?

Thanks a million in advance !!

Greets !
Steven

I'm thinking the 175 will not add a lot to the M50s. But I've not heard either of them. I'd be tempted to just get the M50s and save up $ (or euros, in your case) for a bigger sub later.

Hey medic8r :),

Thanks for the reply ^^. But I'd really like to go 5.1 as soon as possible :).
So do you think the Grand Master 175 (minus the Bookshelf-on-stand speakers, but plus the M50 towers) package would be sufficient for a room my size ?

Thanks a million !

Greets !
Steven

He's saying the the EP175 won't add that much bass extension to the M50s. But the package you're describing is called the Epic 50-175. Though, if you have a little bit more cash, or if the Dollar is weak that day, it would be recommended to step up to the next sized sub with the Epic 50-350 package. Still, 2109.95 USD is 1505.70 Euros today.

Ow sorry, I misunderstood Medic's post ^^. Thanks for clearing that up :).
And thanks for the advice on the Epic 50-350 package. But do you mean I should only upgrade the sub, or the whole package (because the center speaker is also different from the Epic 50-175 package)?

Thanks for the reply !

Greets !
Steven

Welcome to the Axiom forums Crydevil

Yeah what they are saying is upgrade just the sub to the EP350. The 350 will really provide some satisfying bass and get that room really rockin!

So the package would be

M50
VP100
QS4
EP350

Have fun in your speaker journey!

Hey, thank you for the warm welcome !

Ok, thanks for clearing that up :), that looks like a nice package indeed :D. Too bad I can't really test them before I choose to buy them, but I trust the word of the experienced Axiom user that these speakers are top notch ^^.

Thanks for the reply !

Greets !
Steven

Crydevil,

There is a 30 day trial period for the speakers in which you can return them but the customer has to pay for the return shipping costs. That said, maybe you can talk to them before you place an order and get an estimate on how much that would be.

Cheers!

A few other suggestions Crydevil that I recommend is to talk this over with one of the Axiom specialists by email or through their toll free number and hear what they have to say as well.

Other things to consider is that when you order more than 5 items you receive 5% off your order and if you order from the factory outlet(b-stock) you receive an additional 10% off. Shipping from the factory outlet usually takes 2-4 weeks though. A-stock items ship immediately.

Cheers!

M50 x2
VP100
QS4 x2
EP350

from the Factory Outlet would be €1,417.40 EUR.

Hey, thank you for the reply :).

Thanks for the advice, I've just sent their experts some questions, and now all I have to do is wait for an answer ^^.
Those percentages off may come in handy indeed ^^, but doesn't B-Stock include damaged goods? (I always thought it did ^^)

Thanks a million !

Greets !
Steven

Hey, thanks for the reply :).

By my calculations, that should be about 200 € off. Nice

Thank you !

Greets !
Steven

I have never ordered from the factory outlet but from my understanding from people that have is that the factory outlet goods are top notch. There might be minor cosmetic blemishes, in some cases they have yet to notice anything.

I am sure you will get a more detailed response from someone who has. There are many regulars here that have ordered from the factory outlet, and there are a few that are awaiting their systems from the factory outlet as we speak.

Welcome Crydevil. I ordered a 7.1 system from the FO a few months ago. I had slight blemishes that I could find on 3 of the speakers, but they were all situated in areas that are not easily seen (wall facing edge of speaker). Additionally they were very minor. The other speakers I cannot find a blemish on. Unless you require an absolutely perfect finish you are safe to order from the FO IMHO.

And Belgian beer is great.

Cheers!

I ordered some W3 speakers two years ago from the factory outlet and could not find a blemish on them. They are great.

Sometimes I wonder if the shipping window starts to close (for example, you are quoted 2-4 weeks, and it will be 4 weeks tomorrow), and if your desired speakers are not in factory outlet stock, if the Axiom staff send out A-grade speakers just to clear the order.

All 8 of my speakers are FO (ordered at various times) and I am hard pressed to find a blemish. At any rate, B stock to Axiom is a minor blemish invisible from a meter away, so not "damaged".

Steven, yet another welcome to Axiom. Since you took the trouble to measure those room dimensions, I did the exhaustive calculations(i.e., multiplying the 344 sq. ft x the 5 ' median height)to get the 1720 cubic foot volume of the room. That's slightly smaller in volume than a typical North American listening room and neither that nor the shape of the space should be particularly "difficult" from an audio standpoint.

Your 706 is an excellent receiver and would be fine to power any of the Axiom speakers. And yes, you should certainly listen to 2-channel source material in surround sound(I always do)using processing such as the DPLII in your 706 to extract the natural surround ambience which(in varying amounts)was mixed into the front channels(there was no place else to put it)and send it to the surround speakers where it belongs, making the listening experience a bit more realistic.

As to ordering your Axioms I'd strongly suggest that you order from the Factory Outlet to take advantage of the 10% saving. Most of us who've done this have had difficulty even finding the cosmetic blemish. These are brand new speakers otherwise.

My suggestion would be to consider moving up to the M60s rather than the M50s(slightly in from the sidewalls there would be enough vertical space). These list at 738EUR. The QS4s are at 319EUR and the EP350 at 565EUR. Since I gather that you'll likely be listening midway between the front speakers, you might consider not getting a center speaker and instead using the main speakers to form a "phantom" center. The VP100, if wanted, would list at 190EUR.

The M60s plus QS4s plus EP350 would total about 1460EUR with the 10% Outlet discount and 1387EUR with the additional 5% discount for 5 items ordered. The VP100 would add about 162EUR.

I like John's idea, the 60's rock.

Hi Steven,

Nice to see you here. I believe I posted in your thread at Home Theater Forum. You were thinking about B&W speakers. I find that the M60's sound very similar to the 703's.

That is one thing I found as well, back when I was looking at speakers I was pretty close to getting the 703's. Two things changed my mind, one being the price difference, and the other being the sound of the Axioms, I never sent them back..

Hello everyone,

First of all, a big thanks to each and every one of you :). All the replies have been a great help so far in the choice of my speakers, and the dimensions of the room in which they must fit.

So, since you guys recommend that I should go for FO speakers, I guess it's safe to say that I will ^^.

Thanks a million guys !

Greets !
Steven

Hey John, thanks for the warm welcome ^^.

And thank you for the advice & calculations :).
Now I don't think it's difficult anymore, because of you guys' advice ^^, and also partially because I found those stands for the surround & center speaker. My first concern was that I couldn't hang the surround speakers on the wall, because they would face downwards (even with the rotating systems that Axiom sells), and the top point of the vertical part on the wall was too low also. But then I found the stands for those surround speaker, and that made it a whole lot easier :).

Your idea of replacing the M50's with the M60's is tempting :). I guess my budget of around 1500 € allows it, if I order from FO :).

Thank you for the reply !

Greets !
Steven

Hey Dewd :),

First of all, thanks for the reply you made at the HTF ^^. My main question on that forum was which A/V Receiver I should pick, and I've finally chosen the Onkyo TX-SR706, and I was indeed thinking about B&W, but then I found a shop here in Belgium which distributed them, and the high prices just blew me away.
Then I found Axiom, and these prices blew me away down the other direction ^^. And, as you and others have stated, the quality in sound is quite the same :D, so my choice is easily made :).

Thanks for the reply !

Greets !
Steven

HI Crydevil. You have received lots of good advice so far. I would agree with these two things:

1. Move up to the M60 as it will give you ALL the detail that Axiom has built its reputation on.

2. Listen to the B&W 703 first to get an idea of what the M60 will sound like.

I've heard in the past that has happened....

Crydevil, go for the M60 from the outlet. From memory, FO will have a minor visble flaw from closer than 5' I think. From those I believe they're usually not on a main focal point.

Hey Fred, thanks for the reply :).

Moving up to the M60 sure is tempting :), and I guess I'll do it, because I got lucky with my salary this month ^^ (squeezed out a little extra).

And thanks for the tip :D. I'm sure I can find a B&W 703 speaker here in Belgium, just a matter of time :D.

Thanks a million !

Greets !
Steven

Hey man, thanks for the reply :),

I think I'll go for FO products indeed after all these recommendations I've got ^^. Just bummer that it'll have a minor flaw, because I'm quite a perfectionist when it comes to stuff I buy ^^, but if it's barely noticeable, I guess it doesn't matter :).

Thank you very much !

Greets !
Steven

Have you heard back from your correspondence with the Axiom staff?

Steven, also keep in mind the Duty and VAT which would be payable in addition to the Axiom cost.

Hey :),

Yes I have ^^. I told him what my speaker setup (M60's, VP100, EP350 & QS4's) was going to be, and the dimensions of my room, and he said that it should work out great. He also said my receiver should handle the job perfectly :).

Thanks for the reply !

Greets !
Steven

Hey John :),

Thanks for the tip :), but isn't this already included in the price that is mentioned oO? If not, the VAT is not that much of a problem, because I can retrieve that 21% later on, somehow... ^^

Thanks for the reply !

Greets !
Steven