Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Just got the QSC and here's what happened!

No i'm fine with trying stuff out. The speakers are now sitting about 7" off the back wall, and 1' off the side wall. Should i move them out to get more bass, or closer to the wall.

I do listen to peoples advise, but you see, when the speakers, basicaly fall APART, after 30 min's of playing them. That tends to be a problem. Unless you missed one of the last posts. The connectors FEEL OFF, after 30 min's of playing them.
I tested pretty much every thing..the speakers worked, for the few min's the Onkyo was on there. But somehow the dam speaker wires..FALLING off ...AFTER they got here...Kind of eluded me.

Move them closer to the walls.

Minimum amount the speakers need to be off the wall is ~3".

As everyone has already suggested I suspect you are used to the Polks and a non linear frequency response. I would bet your old speakers had a bump in the 50-80hz range, something the M80s do not have. I had a SVS PB12-nsd that had a bump in the FR curve around 50-60hz abd it hit pretty hard, very noticeable when played with the M80s or any other speaker I tried them with. I didn't like it as much as I like its big brother the PB13 Ultra that I now own.

This thread is strange. I don't remember which Onkyo you tried, but I do recall most folks suggested you check your M80s before grabbing a new amplifier. Of course, it's your money.

Now you notice that the M80s need a subwoofer, and I think you're right. However, as ClubNeon points out, a small sub will not work. You need a sub to fill 20Hz-50Hz. That's not a small sub.

You need a powerful sub, which puts out clean low frequency output. I'd consider a Hsu, Epik Legend, or Empire, if you're on a budget, or one of the big Velodynes or Axioms if not.

The only time I have ever experienced overwhelming in your chest type bass with music was with a vintage pair of CV bookshelf speakers coupled with a passive 10" CV sub.

ZZ Top was enough to almost make you feel sick sitting in your chair when played at ridiculous SPL's. Didn't take much amplifier either as they were super efficient. However, not an accurate speaker.

I still have a fondness for Cerwin Vegas, my first set of speakers.

I was looking at the Klipsch 12" Synergy model. Has 300 watts, and can be had for $350. The M 80's sound great, a much more "defined" speaker then the Polks. There just missing a little bit of the Polks bottom...which i guess after 25 years i'm used too. This also could be the room as the ceiling height is only 7 & 1/2 feet, but heavy acoustical dropped tiles. I'm not looking for chest pounding make you sick bass, just want to make up that little bottom end, that i'm used to. The Polks sat farther off the wall, but had a 12" passive speaker in the front with no ports, so however it was tuned, i "assume" thats were that little extra bottom is coming from.
The M80's will play insanly loud...in fact TOO loud...LOL
I see no reason to try and push them to insane levels to try and match the bottom of the Polks. So even tho, i'm not a big fan of subs, i think they could use just that little extra help.

Why aren't you a fan of subs?

Full range speakers reproduce sound from 20 hz to 20,000hz without more than 3db deviation. M80s can't do this. In fact, there are very few speakers that can. Much more power is required to produce low frequencies than high, so a passive speaker (non amplified) capable of full range sound production would require some great honking amplifier.

It makes a lot of sense to relieve your speaker (and amp) of the stressful task of producing sub 50hz output.

Also, just because a speaker puts out low frequency energy that shakes the house doesn't mean it is producing music. I have heard some speakers which flatulate loud enough to shake the house, but which sound more like the mens room at the sumo dojo after baked beans dinner than music.

I wouldn't pair such quality speakers as the M80s with a sub like this. I would either stay without one or buy a good one.
But I still think that what you're looking for is the the 50/80Hz area that the M80s play just fine (flat). If you get a good flat sub and calibrate it properly, you shouldn't get more bass from the sub than from the M80s in this frequency range unless you run the sub hot a few dBs.

that was a true LOLer raht thar.