Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Would YOU trust this cat with YOUR speakers?

Thanks to a recent retirement party and the overwhelming generosity of the people I worked with I am now able to order my home theatre speakers.

So now it’s decision time……

M22s or M60s?

Background
I currently have a stereo setup that I bought almost 30 years ago, Bose 901-II (stop laughing) and a Crown D150 and Crown IC150. They still work fine but I think it is probably time to upgrade . My listening tastes are eclectic. If I like it, I’ll listen to it.

I’ll be powering the speakers with an HK320. Be warned, many hours spent staring at the back of the receiver going “what is all this stuff” will probably lead to another post entitled “How do I hook this up?”

I am estimating that my listening will be evenly split between HT and music. I have never owned a sub so the question of using a sub with music has never even come up. I will be getting a sub for the HT side, just not sure if I will use in while listing to music.

My ears certainly have a lot to experience

The Room
The room is 285 sf/2,280 cf., carpeted wall to wall with heavy drapes, windows on three sides of the room, large fireplace on one wall. I would never be tempted to call the room, or myself, “bright sounding”.

The Cat
We have two cats, a good cat and a devil. Here is the cat in question:



I have called him a lot of things in his short life but he generally answers to the name of Smokey”. He is only 1 year old and is extremely “active”. He has left his mark on a few pieces of fabric but seems to leave most of the furniture alone.


Question Time
So the questions are:

How many of you have towers and cats?

Any problems with this combination?

Any problems with the ports?

Any solutions?
It should be noted that getting rid of the cats is not a solution. Getting rid of me and the HT might be a solution.


In a room this size which front speaker makes sense? M22s or M60s?

The listening position will be about 15 feet away and the speakers will be about 10 to 12 feet apart. If I can ever afford a flat screen then the listening position would be about 8 feet away with the speakers about 10 feet apart.

Same question for QS4s v/s QS8s, which is the best "fit" for this size room?

For the center my mind is already made up, the VP150.

I know that the popular suggestion is always M60s/VP150/QS8s, I’m just trying to make sure that I’m not buying more speaker than I will ever use. For what it’s worth I hope that these are the only speakers that I will have buy (I’m old).

Thank you for reading this far.

Oh yes, here is the “good cat”

Misty


All three of us thank you for your input.

cheers

Ford

Ooh, that bad cat reminds of my bad cat I used to have. He was grey as well. His name was Hoskins. Never bothered my speakers though, he was not a "climber". If "Smokey" is a climber you may have problems with towers.
Without the grills he may not bother them as he couldn't get a grip so to speak. Then again he would be able to get at the actual speaker then. Cats are a lot of fun aren't they, lol.

I have the M22's and they are superb but I have just ordered a pair of M80's so it is somewhat of a tossup.

Good luck to you and the kittys.

In reply to:

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How many of you have towers and cats?

Any problems with this combination?

Any problems with the ports?

Any solutions?

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As long as you keep the catnip away from the towers, you should be fine. Also, if you ever see your cat's head in a vortex port, turn up the volume and play the finale of the 1812 Overture.

I've got towers... I actually picked them over bookshelves because of the cats. I was just too worried about when they play and run all over the house jumping on each other's backs and falling over that my speakers would be the first casualty.

They've never ever tried to scratch the grill cloth at all, when I've had them on. With the grills off, my "bad" cat does like to get on two legs and put her arm as deep as she can into the ports. As far as I can tell, she can't actually reach anything, so that's actually one of the more innocuous thing she does.

So I don't think towers are a problem at all - but yours may be worse than mine.

Hi Ford,

Cool post. Thank you for sharing all of that.

I've never heard the M22's. I own M60's. I love them.

Getting them eliminated any "what if" sentiments I might have had. My room is a different configuration than yours, but about the same size. I do not feel like I sit too close to get good imaging or that the speakers need more room to "breathe"; quite the opposite. I find the soundstage to be huge in every dimension.

Perhaps more importantly, you are coming from a frame of reference where the 901's probably sound "big". For all their other shortcomings, they do tend to bounce a lot of sound around. I think you will be rendered practically incontinent by the difference the Axioms make, but I also think that the M60's will more closely replicate the size of the sound image that you are used to.

Did you consider using the 901's as surrounds? That could be a fun experiment.

As to the cats, I'd say if your sofa and drapes are relatively unscathed, your grills should be okay too.

Let us know how you make out!

That is sooooo weird. I have 1 1/2 y/o twins that look just like your evil one. One of them is evil and she looks identical to your evil one. Their names are Misty and Pepper. Pepper is the bad one. All three of my cats are declawed so scratching is not a concern. The twins, however love to race around the house all all hours of the morning. So until I get some tac for my M22s on their stands I take them and sit them on the floor every night. Drivers in towards the wall of course just in case.

In reply to:

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All three of my cats are declawed

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Yowch! Poor toes...

We have the M60's and two cats. I have a different problem with each cat. The calico will use the sub or tower as a scratching post for her declawed front claws. The tabby will use the M60 as a launching pad to the top of our entertainment center. I will figure a way to post the pics of damage to my Axioms, so that you may see it for yourself. The ports do not present any problems for the cats. I can't say the same for my precocious 4 year old and 16 month old. The ports make great hiding places for their assorted "port size" toys. I don't have any solutions. I do wish the grill material was fastened on a bit more sturdy. It will be something you live with. Our room is 13 X 23 with the main position at 9 feet away. We have the 60's, 8's, and a 175. We couldn't be happier.

Retirement you say??? You lucky b*****d . I'm inside of 2 years to go and I can't even wait.

Here's the deal, your posting indicates that you upgrade once every thirty years, like clockwork. Based on that schedule, live a little!!! Buy the M60/VP150/QS8 set. As Tom points out (and I agree), the M60s are terrific. I have also been amazed with the QS8s. Since your coworkers have exercised their contribution muscles towards your golden years, there is some incentive to choosing the larger speakers, especially since comparable equipment can cost up to 2X.

Are you worried that having the larger speakers will cause you to enjoy music and HT TOO much? Grab the brass ring!!! Don't let yourself fall prey to wishing you had gotten the larger set.

As one semi-old guy to an older, retired guy, there is a bit of downside. You will find yourself listening to lots more music and watching lots more movies just because they sound so much better. This means more time in the favorite chair. Be sure you are adequately supplied with Depends and make sure to schedule someone for regular drool wiping duties. I have found both of these things to have enhanced my daily HT experience.

Your post indicates you have no interest in borrowing my book - "100 Excellent Cat Recipes". Declawing has its merits, but I'm pretty sure the cats would have a preference to avoid that experience. So that leaves you with the "grills on or off" decision. I'd guess that the cats would likely leave the grills alone. If they don't, Axiom would probably be happy to send you another set for a reasonable price.

From a more serious perspective, grab the gusto - you've earned it. Also, don't delay in getting a sub. You won't believe what you have been missing if you have never had an excellent sub.

Good luck with whatever you decide. You are sitting in a nice place knowing that you can only end up making a good decison with what you are contemplating.

we have a cat in our house that i call lucky. i named him that because he was lucky he stayed. i solved the cat issue by cranking the volume on the m60 the first time he walked near it. since then, he is timid when walking past it.
dan