Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Upgrading 5.1 system

Hello everyone after 5 years I am finally correcting a mistake I made. You see 5 years ago I bought the m60ti qs8 and vp150. The mistake was not getting the m80's I have wanted the 80's since I bought my m60s

My questions are this how big a difference will I see from the m60ti to the m80 v2?

2 how different is the real wood veneer from the vinyl?

3 should I upgrade the qs8 and vp150 too to v2

4 what is your thoughts on my full system should I change anything?

My full system as of now

Fronts m80s v2 (not here yet)

Rears qs8 TI

Center vp150 TI

Receiver Rotel RSX 1560

sub woofer SVS 2531 PCi

All cables are better cables except speaker cable I got that from axiom

So please tell me your opinions on what I should and should not change. Or any question you may want to ask thanks

Not sure it would say you made a mistake, I owned M60's for many years before getting the M80's, they are both awesome speakers and very similar.

1) I don't think you will see a HUGE difference, they have made some changes to the crossover, tweeters, and a few other minor changes through the years. The m80's will give you a little more in the bass regions, and possibly be a little more detailed.

2) Don't know I have the vinyl.

3) Again, following the answer to 1, the changes have not been HUGE. I think you might see some subtle differences but not Earth changing.

4) The only thing I would change is that your Qs8's should be "side" surrounds, not "rears" as you mention. Hopefully, you have the placed correctly. Other than that things look fine.

Do you think your system is lacking in some way?

You could order the M80 V2's and audition them against your M60's to see if you find the improvement you're looking for, since you have the 30 day trial period. As to the Q's, I don't think you should 'upgrade' to the V2's for the simple reasoning being that the surrounds are more for ambient sounds which are much less noticeable than your mains, so I think there would be less to discern between the older Q's and the new ones. Not really sure how much difference there is with the VP150 vs the V2 version so I can't comment there.

I have loved my m60s its just from the day I got them I thought I should of went bigger. I love my system as it sits right now, but I upgrade every 5 or 6 years. Whether its just replacing old with new or getting totally different stuff.

The only thing I really have a problem with is the 60s and 150 don't match as well has I would like. Its very hard to get them to the same level, normally I have to put the fronts to 10 and the center to 3 or 4. They are still not leveled but as close has I can get without compromising sound.

Will the 80s be a better match for the 150 thanks again

The level differences are due to the VP150 at 6ohms and the M60s at 8 ohms. Once you get the M80s it is reversed, the VP150 needs to be boosted to keep up with the M80s, but not as much.

I A/B'd M60s and M80s and the differences were mostly noticeable at lower volume listening, the M80s are clean, crisp and clear at low volumes(all volumes actually) while the M60s I found to be more subdued. Once volume levels reached higher ~80 - 85db and up, the differences were negligible as the M60s really opened up and sounded more clear, YMMV. If you look back into late 2007 posts, you will find some where mojo and I did the testing.

Grif, welcome. If you've been pining for the M80s the past five years, then yes, in that sense you made a "mistake" going with the M60s. In reality, however, in your setup the difference between them, especially with your 25-31, may be insignificant. Alan has indicated that the difference above the lowest bass is very small and you may be disappointed if you've been anticipating a "big" difference. Keep in mind that the M80s are slightly more sensitive and require a bit less power, so that at the same settings it'll be a little louder and sound better simply because of that if volume levels aren't precisely equalized.

From what you report, you actually appear to have more dissatisfaction with the VP150. A suggestion for a change would be to consider using a different center, such as a vertical M22, if you can fit it in to your setup.

or a new VP150, they have made many changes since your 150ti series to improve the performance/sound of the 150. Also, if you calibrate the speakers to the same SPL, using a meter, you might not notice this difference in levels.

Thanks John and your are right, for the most part my center as always frustrated me. Don't get me wrong I have wanted the 80s since I bought the 60s. But no matter what I do either the center is to low and I cant hear the voices during the action. Or there's just voice no action, I heard rumors of a 4 ohm VP does any one know about it.

Also I am not rich but I have found that you can sell certain used items, from certain brands. For almost what you paid for them I have already sold my m60s for 650. I think I paid 900, so in my mind I spent 250 to use the heck out of the speakers for over 5 years. And I have to say in my mind that is excellent my brother gave 8000 on some B&Ws he used them about a year and got back 4800. A waste imo thanks

You got a good deal for your M60's! You have to wonder about some of the "list" prices on audio these days, esp when you see discounts of 50% sometimes.

On the wood finishes, it depends what finish you started with. The HG cherry and burled walnut are not a lot different from their real counterparts.