Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners The Might from Dwight - Review of the EP800v4

Glowing...

Your boys or your albino aluminum dustcaps?

Weeks now into the Gut busting 800; it's funny but either I am getting used to it or the thing is truly breaking in..... I can play it with the switch in the 'up' position; +6db boost 50-100 hz and it's not over powering as it did initially. It's just very smooth and meshes so well with the EP500.

Two EP500's in this massive room would do well too for the record, especially with switches. But it's fun to only have to deal with one switch on the 800 and leave the 500 alone to do it's thing. I am running the gain at about 12 o'clock on the 800 and perhaps 1 o'clock on the 500 and an average boost on the preamp of up to +2 db. This is with the A51 running 400 watts bi-amped into the Model T's. When I tested the Parasound Class D amp last week at 600 watts single feed into the T's I had to cut back the gain on the subs, there was so much low end coming out of the T's it was just over powering the room.

I might pick up a pair of Anthem M1 mono blocks which would be 2000 watts per channel into the T's, YIkes! I was told the low to mid range out of those amps is very powerful. It's that or the Bryston 14 B or 7 B monos. Most likely a used set up of SST2, either runs 900 watts per channel. But I am intrigued with the ultra slim M1's with liquid cooling.

Almost 3 months in and the Ep800v4NME is still AWESOME! Anyone who hasn't upgraded to a v4 DSP sub is missing out big time.

Well I have had around 6 weeks of time with the EP800v4GB; I love it! By far the best sub I have had in this room. This is way beyond any SVS sub I had (4 of them) and much smoother more refined than the Paradigm SW2000 for my application. I found the SW2000 was over-powering the room and causing resonances in various areas. I couldn't dial it in well.

The EP800 and my EP500 work harmoniously together and the sound is perfect for the grazer and other grazers who wish to do so.

I have had two weeks experience with a pair of Anthem M1 Statement mono-blocks.... yikes! These pancakes just turned my pair of Model T's into two more EP500's at the front of the room. It's like I have 4 subs in the room and the imaging/soundstage is outstanding!! I am still trying to replicate two amplifier fault code which shut down the amps for 10 seconds several times one night under moderately heavy lifting. I reduced the output level from the preamp to the monos by 3 db; so far no faults. I am also thinking that the faults might have been caused by the power line coming in as it happened during a huge storm with 50 mph wind. I think there may have been a voltage swings which the monitoring circuits in the M1's didn't like. After all, the M1's have multiple monitoring circuits for various parameters including full shorting or open circuit on the speaker outputs and full AC input monitoring.

So not sure if it was the reduction of the preamp output (the M1's have a switchable preamp input level, either 0db or -6db and I have it set at 0db). I could have probably accomplished the same thing with the switch vs. re-calibrating the line out levels in the preamp.

Ian is still pushing me towards the Bryston 28B3 monos.... With the massive toroid high capacitance power supplies, he said the headroom in dynamic range for music is beyond anything. I think they run around 1800 watts per channel into 4 ohms which is close the the M1's which are at 2000 watts continuous, but they use a switching power supply. However with 240 volt/15 amp dedicated AC mains for each amp, it is said that the M1's have limitless headroom..... until they fault out that is But I am definitely enjoying these flapjacks.


Slim

You had trouble dialing the SW2000 in due to harmonic distortion. I had the same problem with the EP600v2.

It would be interesting to hear what the difference is, if any, between the Bryston and Anthem. I think James should send you a couple to try out.

I'd love to try out the Bryston Sub's as they look like the lower half of the T's with three 8 inch drivers and the large 800 watt amp. However, I think the dual 12's will be hard to beat. But one never knows.

Mojo, did you get the photos I sent off of the new mounting handles I machined for the M1's?

Yes, Slim. Absolutely gorgeous work. You should freelance!

They look interesting, and certainly carry the Axiom designs through out the Bryston speaker lineup!

The interesting part is the frequency responses listed compared to their Axiom branded sister products. You get what you pay for I guess.

The frequency range of the Axiom EP800 is a little lower 12 vs. 18 hz and it has another 6 db SPL more over the Bryston. I also listed above the amp at 800 watts for the Bryston, but I just read it's 600 watts; so the EP800 has more power at 800 watts and a much larger cabinet. The total surface area of the speakers in the EP800 is 226 sq inches vs. 151 for the Bryston. And in the case with Mojo's EP800 and mine, we have the gut punch switch for afterburner need, as needed.

It appears that the EP800 will push more air, but will the Bryston sub have "tighter" sounding bass with the smaller drivers? I have no idea as I have not compared them side by side, but I'd like to. Just like I'd love to try a pair of the Bryston Mono blocks.