Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners vp160 vs vp180 vs vp150

I have an old vp150, probably v2, and it's really good but I got to thinking about how much sound comes out the center channel when watching movies. Maybe I need a center than can handle the low end better. I figured if I'm going to upgrade go all out and get the vp180. I read in another forum that the vp180 has a bad speaker arrangement. Particularly the two horizontally spaced tweeters. Comb filtering issues is what they called it. Supposedly this can cause issues with dialogue clarity. They called it a boutique speaker because all the drivers look fancy but at the cost of sound quality. The vp160 has the ideal speaker arrangement. 1 tweeter and 1 midrange set at midpoint of cabinet between woofers. With the vp 160 I gain woofers but lose a tweeter and 2 midrange speakers compared to the 150. I would think multiple midrange speakers would be best for dialogue. It comes down to, is the vp160 going to improve my listening experience all that much over the 150? Any advice from axiom owners would be greatly appreciated.

I own the VP180 HP and I don't have any issues with comb filtering. No matter which of the 5 seating positions I'm in I notice very little off axis changes and certainly not enough to switch to the VP160. Dialogue is always crystal clear and never sounds muddy. Several people here have the VP160 and swear by them too. I don't think you can go wrong either way. One thing to keep in mind is how much room you have. The 180 is huge. The 160 isn't as wide but is a few inches taller. If you are mounting on stands or below your screen you may want to invert. I didn't think about my placement prior to ordering so I had to purchase angled stands so everything was firing towards my ears where I was seated.

I had the 150v2 and I'm so glad I switched to the 160v4. There is just no comparison. I heard the 180v3 once and did not notice any problems. You are safe with the 160v4 that's for sure!

Vp180 is an excellent center but it is a big speaker and does well with a 100”+ screen … my feeling is the 160 is a better fit for most LED/OLED TVs (I’ve only heard the 180 but everyone here seems to think 160 is fantastic). I’m also a big on-wall fan for the centers. BTW I also have a VP150 v4 and am happy with it. Could be that it’s balanced with the M2 v4 mains and EP500 v4. Maybe with bigger fronts the 160/180 is a better fit

I used a V150 V1 for many years in my Mansfield Beach Axioms and upgraded to the VP180 v3 with stand many years ago. The performance is wonderful how it fills the theater! yeah I remember the old threads about comb filtering, hogwash.

Thanks everyone for the responses. You sold me on the vp180. Only problem is installing that beast from my ceiling. Andrew from axiom suggested a hanging shelf. Great idea.

Great Choice!

Enjoy the new found power!!