Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Floor Standing Bed Surround Vs. Bookshelf

I have been planning on using M3s for all my ATMOS surround speakers for a while now. But with the current sale I'm rethinking some aspects of that at least for the bed speakers (ear level). I will probably stick with M3 ceiling and heights for weight and size reasons but thought I'd seek opinions on getting rid of the stands and using M50s or M60s for ear level side and rear surrounds. I heard somewhere that base response mattered in surrounds but i'm not sure where the frequency cut off should be.

On the bookshelf side I toy'ed with M5s for these for aesthetic and money reasons but felt the floor models made more sense.

So M3/M5 vs. M50/M60 for bed surrounds.

P.S. fronts are LFRs.

I can attest to the fact that bass response matters for surrounds. The QS10v4 have been a wonderful upgrade over the QS8v2 in that regard.

But bass response is not all that's important. There are gunshots, screeching get-away vehicles, panting as fugitives flee, and other such effects with intricate details that got missed in the QS8. I have zero, absolutely zero complaints, about the QS10 for a surround. The only complaint I have is that Ian won't give me more HP drivers. I want three in the QS10.

Now you're not going QS but it's important to understand you need preservation of detail. And if you're going to listen at reference level or anywhere close to, you need linearity. Guaranteed the M3 and M50 will not give you that. For sure you will say "Wow! I like it." but you will have no idea what you are missing. Like I again discovered when my mother visited me, letting her live in simple ignorance is more blissful than exposing her to the tortures of reality.

So you need either M5 or M60. With the M5, you need power if you want to play near reference. Sorry but your receiver won't cut it. I know because I measured and my mighty Onk was compressing. With the 1000 feeding my QS8s, I can listen at reference without distortion or fatigue. It is simply amazing and you can't know what it's like until you experience it. It is far better than any theatre I've ever been to!

Rich, one other thing that's really important. I had the M50s in the living roo. I really enjoyed them as I've extensively reported. But-and this is an important but-I simply could not live without the mid-range and improved highs of the M5. It's not just the improved accuracy the M5s offer. It's also the improved dispersiveness of the mids and highs that expands the soundstage. Lows are also more linear.

I expect with the M60s you will get what I described above. If you want the greater bass linearity, you will need HP drivers. How important this greater bass linearity might be for surrounds isn't something I have compared. But I know it's important for mains and I love the HP driver in the QS10.

Rich, just one more thing...LOL! I say all these things about the various speakers and I know some reading my posts think that I'm being pedantic. One of the advantages of me not jumping right to active LFRs is that I have a basis for comparison going back to the ti, v2 all the way to various models of v4. You can't possibly know the differences until you've had a chance to experience the various speakers in your home.

You could therefore get the M3 and M5 or the M50 and M60 and compare. I already know you. You are the type who will wonder eternally what he might be missing.

This is the last thing. The M50s rightly have their place. Tube gear, vintage amps in 2.0, vinyl or as dedicated home theater fronts for movie duty, or if extreme detail in music isn't your fancy, that's where you want to use them.

Lol...
One more...too funny.

Mojo ask for active QS10's...
And active M5HP's...
Then report back.
Lol.

Lol. I have suggested active on-wall LFRs. As for active QS10 and M5, I'm mum on those.

Mojo, After reading your take on the M50 and given the cost of the M60 I'm leaning toward the M5. I'll have to think a bit more on this ...

Need wicked stands.

The Axiom stands are quite solid.