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M3's on the way
#370508 03/21/12 07:34 PM
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Hello everyone,

This is my first Axiom purchase. In fact this is my first "high-end" speaker purchase ever. I just bought a Yamaha Aventage AVR, and while it brought out more detail then I'd ever heard in my music/TV, my current speakers sounded very harsh on the highs, to the point of almost distortion/shrillness (I ended up disconnecting the tweeters it was bugging me so bad shocked )

The odd thing is my old Onkyo AVR didn't sound that harsh, but then again the sound wasn't as detailed. So, to make a long story short, I decided to upgrade they speakers hoping they will not sound so shrill and save me from having to return my expensive AVR. (My current speakers I bought from a thrift store when I was 17 for $100, they are Linear Phase Studio Monitors, probably not high-end by any stretch of the imagination, but they've been decent for all these years)

Out of curiosity, since others here are undoubtedly more experienced with Axioms speakers, has anyone ever experienced shrillness with cheaper speakers that were fixed by better ones? Thanks!

Last edited by trs79; 03/21/12 07:37 PM.
Re: M3's on the way
trs79 #370511 03/21/12 07:55 PM
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Welcome! The only speakers I've personally had any experience with are some of the Axiom line, and some Bose 901's back in the 70s.

I've never heard of this happening before. I'd like to know how you like the M3's. They shouldn't have a problem with harshness. But, if they do, it could be the placement and/or the room environment you have them in also. Is your room fairly bare of absorbing material, such as carpet, drapes, furniture, etc?

I wouldn't think that just changing the avr would make that big a difference. Is this a new AVR or used AVR? I'd check the settings. It might be that someone had the trebble turned way up in a menu that's embedded within the AVR, possibly.

Last edited by CatBrat; 03/21/12 08:00 PM.
Re: M3's on the way
CatBrat #370513 03/21/12 08:09 PM
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Originally Posted By: CatBrat
It might be that someone had the trebble turned way up in a menu that's embedded within the AVR, possibly.

In preparation for "Talk Like William Shatner Day", Cat is starting to morph his words towards Star Trek Lingo.

Welcome, Tip Ring Sleeve! I think something was wrong with the previous AVR as well!


::::::: No disrespect to Axiom, but my favorite woofer is my yellow lab :::::::
Re: M3's on the way
trs79 #370514 03/21/12 08:12 PM
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The trouble with tribbles?

Another thought. Did this AVR come with a microphone and the ability to run some fashion of sound equalization on it (or whatever it's called). If so, re-attach the tweeters and run that.

If an AVR setting is the problem, then purchasing the M3s or any other type of speaker isn't going to fix the problem.

Re: M3's on the way
CatBrat #370516 03/21/12 08:19 PM
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@CatBrat:

Thanks for the info! The AVR was an open box purchase but arrived in new condition. Unfortunately I've already tried messing with treble and the built-in equalizer which helps somewhat, but still the shrillness is there. Also I did run the sound EQ with the microphone it came with, but it didn't help much. Yeah I agree, if it is the AVR to blame then I'm in trouble. I figured I'd try better speakers first then if the issue remains I can be reasonable sure it's the AVR

@MarkSJohnson:
heh, I had to google to figure out what a Trip Ring Sleeve was (trs are my initials but hey I learned something new wink So you're thinking it's the AVR too. Good to know, over on avsforums some people were thinking it was the speakers, but then again they all had higher-end speakers like Paradigm, etc.

Re: M3's on the way
trs79 #370533 03/21/12 10:28 PM
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I have heard the M3's and thought they sounded very nice, indeed. I own M60's and like them very much.

I have a couple of theories on your situation.

First, it certainly could be "something" with the receiver. I guess you would need to not only try more than one pair of speakers, but also perhaps get another set of ears in the room.

Second, it could be that your existing speakers have blown-out drivers. You may be perceiving the resulting distortion as shrillness.

Third, and I sincerely mean no disrespect, have you had your hearing checked lately? Some people suffer from tinnitus or other symptoms that make hearing fairly unpleasant at times. In some cases, the only time people notice these symptoms is when they are listening to something critically.

I hope you will enjoy your new speakers!


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Re: M3's on the way
trs79 #370585 03/22/12 12:44 PM
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To answer one of your questions. Yes, changing speakers can create very dramatic changes. Speakers account for the majority of how your sound, well..... sounds. The room itself is also key but I'm guessing you had no dramatic changes in that regards.

Speakers that follow different design philosophies can sound very different. Companies that follow similar design philosophies can also sound very similar. However, your change began with a new AVR.

Some people will tell you that different AVRs will change your sound. Others will tell you that AVRs of decent quality and powered to your needs will sound the same. I won't start up that argument here, but I think it's safe to say that even those who feel AVRs/Amps can make a difference would say that it's probably not as big a difference as you seem to be describing.
NO working AVR, without settings maxxed to extremities, should be so shrill that you have to disconnect tweeters.

My guesses, and that's all they can be
-- As mentioned. the new AVR is using a sound mode or setting that needs to be changed or turned off. I personally have yet to hear a DSP sound mode (stadium, jazz club, rock, etc.) that I like. Start with everything natural and then tweak from there.

-- The old AVR was using a sound mode or setting that you were very accustomed to that you haven't replicated yet.

-- It has a technical issue (broken). I'd try looking up how you reset it to it's factory defaults then try it again. If it's upgradable, look for upgrades or patches and apply those (after the reset).

Borrowing another AVR and making sure that they are both on natural settings for testing purposes, should give you a very clear clue here. Even if you believe one amp can sound better than another, there definitely should not be so much difference you feel compelled to hack up your speakers by removing the tweeter. If that is the case, return the Yamaha like the first buyer obviously did if it's an open box purchase.

-- The speakers developed a technical issue. I'm not accusing but it's human nature to crank up the volume when trying out new equipment. It's possible drivers or were damaged or the crossover electronics. That would be odd and I know little of how they tend to break down, but I would assume that electronically it would be possible for a capacitor or resistor malfunction and distort the signal or (although less likely) that something could actually melt in such a way it creates a short resulting in way too much signal is being sent to the tweeters. Someone more knowledgeable can comment there.

Did you try listening to just one speaker at a time, swapping left & right? A visual inspection of the drivers and crossover could also provide clues.

Sorry for the long post. I'll end it here as I have run out of free (oops I mean, lengthy conference call time.)



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Re: M3's on the way
trs79 #370589 03/22/12 02:42 PM
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Don't forget to double check your wiring, make sure everythings connected properly and there's no loose strands of wire around your connections.


Half of communication is listening. You can't listen with your mouth.

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