Hello all,

I'm looking into upgrading my Yamaha speakers that came with my Yamaha CRX-332 mini-system to either a pair of Axiom M2's or M3's.
I'm currently using the Yamaha CRX-332 system with a JBL NL150 10" subwoofer and the results are actually quite impressive!

This system is used for music only and it's in a fairly large open living room.
I have read many reviews on this Yamaha mini-system and noticed that people were getting great results when adding a subwoofer (done) and upgrading the provided Yamaha speakers with higher quality bookshelf speakers.
Amazon.com - Yamaha CRX-332

I have 3 questions:

1.) Does the Yamaha CRX-332 have enough power for the M2 or M3?
2.) Which Axiom speaker would you recommend using, considering the pairing with the JBL NL150 10" subwoofer?
3.) What crossover setting should I use on the JBL subwoofer when paired with the M2 or M3? The Yamaha has no crossover settings.

Here is a picture of current setup:


Here are the specs for the Yamaha CRX-332 and the JBL NL150 subwoofer:

Thanks!

Zak, judging from the 8 watt number shown, that amplifier might handle about 10 reasonably clean watts. That would allow for peaks in the mid 90s of decibels from Axiom speakers at your listening position.

With that sub the M2 would make a nice system for listening within those limits. You'd try to get a blend with the sub by setting its low-pass filter in the 80Hz area.

Hello Zak,

I'd agree with JohnK's recommendation. You'll likely find the Axiom M2's to be quite a lot more neutral than the Yamaha speakers.
Just be very careful not to push the tiny Yamaha amplifier into distortion. The Yamaha amp is rated at very high distortion (10%) and at a single frequency, 1 kHz (those are typical of mini-system specs, which enables the manufacturer to claim higher power output for marketing purposes).

Note that a small amplifier like this one pushed into distortion (clipping) can risk damage to the woofers and tweeters of the M2.

Regards,
Alan

+1 to what John and Alan said.

Thanks to all for replying!

I was really looking forward to pairing some M2's with this system, but I think I will leave well enough alone and keep the current setup as-is for now.
I might just replace the Yamaha mini-system with the retro Outlaw audio RR2150 Stereo Receiver in the future.
I know it will have no problems powering the Axiom speakers:



Thanks guys!
Take care,
Zak