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Almost Ready to Purchase...I Need Assurance
#301485 04/12/10 07:15 AM
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Well I'm going on 1.5 years of investigation and getting ready to buy. I am still unsure what to buy but I am getting anxious probably fueled by too much research and think I need to go forward. So here's the deal: I am in a 1925 Cu. ft. bedroom with a roof sliding from 8-12 feet high. I will sit about 12 ft. from the speakers. Walls are bare but the room has wall to wall carpeting with some wood furniture and one standard size bed in the center. I listen to classical music 95% at moderate levels, but will use my present speakers as temporary surrounds for future Home theatre. I have an older powered sub that goes down to 25HZ and can tuned and adjusted to other speakers.

In asking the Axiom experts about there suggestions I've always had the recommendation to buy M22's with a sub (350, 400 & 500). But I am leaning toward the M60's. Thinking that the stands for M22's will bring the price up pretty close to the M60's anyway(using the factory outlet) I like the idea of a full range speaker even though they may not extend as low as the 80's...I can still use the sub for that. I guess the question is, at least for classical music orchestral sound, would the mid-range and highs be better reproduced in the M22's than with the M60's? I am thinking about presence, balance and sound stage and fullness. The bass will be taken care of by my present sub or a new one later on, perhaps a HSU VFT-2 or 3 MRK III. I am also thinking of upgrading to a Denon AVR 2310CI from my present older but pretty good Technics receiver. If in your opinion there will not be a significant difference between these choices then I lean toward the M60's. M80's would be great but are just too big..as has been said in these forums before "they are beasts"...Thanks...LEE

Re: Almost Ready to Purchase...I Need Assurance
Captain4105 #301488 04/12/10 08:04 AM
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Lee, my own listening is almost entirely classical and as I've mentioned before, supported by a good sub such as my EP500 it fully meets my listening needs(including pipe organ)and there's no need for it to be "full-range". I'd think that your experience with the M22s would be quite similar, but I can't claim that they'd be superior to the M60s in the areas that you mention. The M22s use two of the 5 1/4" drivers for the mid-range, while the M60s use one. At least in theory this should give the M22s greater power handling capacity in the mid-range, although the M60 enclosure is of course tuned lower for bass response. Whether there would actually be any mid-range advantage at sensible listening levels I'd be inclined to doubt, but I've never heard the M60s.


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Enjoy the music, not the equipment.


Re: Almost Ready to Purchase...I Need Assurance
JohnK #301504 04/12/10 01:54 PM
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I have the M22's and I've never heard the M60's. But, IMHO, the money would be wiser spent on speakers than on stands as long as you have the room for them. The M22's take up less room.

Re: Almost Ready to Purchase...I Need Assurance
CatBrat #301515 04/12/10 04:14 PM
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Captain, in addendum to John and Cat's posts, you should also be aware of the fact that the M60's for all intents and purposes are pretty much the same physical size of the M80's, being only slightly shorter and less deep by a couple of inches.


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Re: Almost Ready to Purchase...I Need Assurance
CatBrat #301516 04/12/10 04:19 PM
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Last time I listened to the M22v2, I thought it sounded alot like the M60 with less bass, add that sub and you are pretty much equal to M60s and very close to M80s.

The M60s are a very good speaker but the M80s offer a more pronounced midrange and upper end than the M60s, IMO. Now this is at lower volumes say 60-75/80db once you allow some power to the M60s the differnces disappear and the M60s are much closer in sound to the M80s, but as with all things audio YMMV.


Jason
M80 v2
VP160 v3
QS8 v2
PB13 Ultra
Denon 3808
Samsung 85" Q70
Re: Almost Ready to Purchase...I Need Assurance
Captain4105 #301531 04/12/10 05:00 PM
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 Originally Posted By: Captain4105
Well I'm going on 1.5 years of investigation and getting ready to buy. I am still unsure what to buy but I am getting anxious probably fueled by too much research and think I need to go forward. So here's the deal: I am in a 1925 Cu. ft. bedroom with a roof sliding from 8-12 feet high. I will sit about 12 ft. from the speakers. Walls are bare but the room has wall to wall carpeting with some wood furniture and one standard size bed in the center. I listen to classical music 95% at moderate levels, but will use my present speakers as temporary surrounds for future Home theatre. I have an older powered sub that goes down to 25HZ and can tuned and adjusted to other speakers.

In asking the Axiom experts about there suggestions I've always had the recommendation to buy M22's with a sub (350, 400 & 500). But I am leaning toward the M60's. Thinking that the stands for M22's will bring the price up pretty close to the M60's anyway(using the factory outlet) I like the idea of a full range speaker even though they may not extend as low as the 80's...I can still use the sub for that. I guess the question is, at least for classical music orchestral sound, would the mid-range and highs be better reproduced in the M22's than with the M60's? I am thinking about presence, balance and sound stage and fullness. The bass will be taken care of by my present sub or a new one later on, perhaps a HSU VFT-2 or 3 MRK III. I am also thinking of upgrading to a Denon AVR 2310CI from my present older but pretty good Technics receiver. If in your opinion there will not be a significant difference between these choices then I lean toward the M60's. M80's would be great but are just too big..as has been said in these forums before "they are beasts"...Thanks...LEE


Quite frankly, as you surmised, given the slight difference in cost, you might as well go for the M60s. I had a set-up that originally included the M22s with subs for both music and movies and as good as they sounded, I always felt they strained slightly at higher volumes in the mid to upper bass range that was handled quite easily once I replaced them with the M60s. The final result, even though it is a technically a "full range" speaker, surprisingly, I found the M60 actually blended better with my subs than the M22.

Re: Almost Ready to Purchase...I Need Assurance
casey01 #301948 04/15/10 12:28 AM
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Having owned both (currently m22 + EP175 and in the past m60 - now at my parents house)

I wholeheartedly recommend the M60s for music, given the choice between the two setups.

For movies & videogames, I prefer the m22 + sub.

I do about 50-50 music & other, but even with that split I would still lean towards a pair of M60 instead of the bookshelves + sub.

Since you already have a sub, I suggest you take the plunge for the m60. The mids and highs are in my opinion similar, and the smooth extension on the m60 really helps.

Re: Almost Ready to Purchase...I Need Assurance
jakewash #301955 04/15/10 01:44 AM
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 Originally Posted By: jakewash
Last time I listened to the M22v2, I thought it sounded alot like the M60 with less bass, add that sub and you are pretty much equal to M60s and very close to M80s.

The M60s are a very good speaker but the M80s offer a more pronounced midrange and upper end than the M60s, IMO. Now this is at lower volumes say 60-75/80db once you allow some power to the M60s the differnces disappear and the M60s are much closer in sound to the M80s, but as with all things audio YMMV.


What he said. Well, I actually found differences between the M60 and M80 even at higher levels.

I have listened to all 3 at Axiom with an A/B switch so I could compare directly. The M22 + sub sounds very close to the M60.

I ended up with the M80 because I thought I heard enough of a difference in the M80 mid range and trebble.

On the stands, there are less expensive options than what Axiom offers. There are a few people here who have bought other stands.

In the end all 3 speakers are very good so you can't go wrong whatever the choice.


Fred

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Blujays1: Spending Fred's money one bottle at a time, no two... Oh crap!
Re: Almost Ready to Purchase...I Need Assurance
fredk #301980 04/15/10 06:33 AM
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Thanks for all the responses. One other question. Will the M60's produce a rich mid range for say strings of an orchestra? I ask this because I love the idea of a total integrated speaker system with smooth extension down to the stated 37Hz.

Re: Almost Ready to Purchase...I Need Assurance
Captain4105 #302054 04/15/10 05:08 PM
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AS I said it depends on the listening volume if you are listening at louder levels, the M60s are nearly the equal of the M80s, but as Fred noted, there are still differences they are just noticeably less,IMO at louder volumes.

I think I would recommend you to go with the M22+sub, as I feel it has a better defined midrange sound than the M60s, or jump to the M80s and have it all in one package, this was for music right? If not then the additional range of a good sub is required for HT work.


Jason
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QS8 v2
PB13 Ultra
Denon 3808
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