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New Axiom Speakers and SVS 20-39PCi - long review
#5055 08/22/02 02:06 AM
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NOTE: I have included a description of the Axioms since I will be posting this at multiple forums.

I upgraded my speakers and sub two weeks ago and wanted to share my impressions so far. I’ll start off with a few disclaimers. I am not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or retailers that I mention and I am only expressing my opinion based on my tastes.

I bought a set of PSB speakers (3LR/8T/1B) last September that I was pretty happy with, but I wanted to improve the bass response I had listening to 2-channel stereo. I’d decided to order a new subwoofer and was considering Adire Audio, HSU and SVS. When SVS announced their summer sale, I decided to order a 20-39PCi.

I had the opportunity to listen to a set of Axiom speakers while I was in Canada a couple of months ago and was very impressed. When I returned from Canada, I decided to order a set of the Axiom speakers (M60ti, VP150 and QS8) also and sell the PSBs to a co-worker.

Background:

I’ve owned various speakers over the years from Infinity, JBL and PSB. I spent a good deal of time listening to B&W 600 series and Paradigm Studio series speakers when I was considering the PSBs and am also very familiar with Apogee and Magnepan speakers thanks to a friend of mine.

Product Descriptions:

The SVS 20-39PCi is a powered cylinder sub with a new 320 watt BASH amp. I ordered a Bettercables subwoofer cable (one of the silver serpent interconnects) from SVS at the same time as the sub. Everything that I’d heard about the service from SVS was correct. Ron Stimpson patiently answered my emails prior to my order and the packaging for the sub was excellent! I knew that it was 39 inches tall and 15 inches in diameter before I placed my order, but my initial impression on opening the box was “WOW, this is BIG!”

I live in Florida, so my options were limited for ordering the Axiom speakers. I could order the speakers directly from Axiom for full retail or from the Axiom Factory Outlet at a discount for blemishes. Either of these options includes shipping costs in the prices and offer a 30 day in home trial period (you get your money back minus shipping if you aren’t satisfied). I chose a third option and placed the order with Marc Hallam at Audioshop. Marc offers great discounts if you are willing to forego the 30 day trial, which means no returns. I had already heard the speakers and knew that I liked them, so this was a safe option that saved me $150-$400. Marc was also excellent to work with. He kept me informed during the order process (there were a couple of glitches with my credit card company needing to verify a large purchase with a foreign company) and ensured that the speakers were not only double boxed, but also braced at the corners. The speakers arrived in four boxes (one for each M60ti, one for the VP150 and one for the QS8s) two days after I placed the order. One of the outer boxes was damaged in shipping, but the inner box didn’t even have a scratch and the speakers were in perfect condition.

Axiom speakers all have Anti-Standing Wave (ASW) cabinet designs. They are not the usual square boxes that many other manufacturers use. The sides of the M60ti are tapered from front to back so that they are not parallel to each other. This shape reduces internal standing waves, which decreases reverberations and allows the internal air to move easier. Another design feature that is different from most speakers I’ve looked at is there is no crossover on the woofer. The woofer’s natural mechanical roll-off characteristic achieves integration with the tweeter. The speakers all include aluminum-cone woofers, ferro-fluid cooled titanium tweeters and gold-plated five-way binding posts. The M60ti has dual binding posts for bi-amping or bi-wiring, is 37.5 inches tall (before installing the included spikes or rubber feet) and includes two 6.5 inch woofers, a 5.25 inch midrange and a 1 inch tweeter. The VP150 has a different driver configuration with three 5.25 inch woofers mounted horizontally in the middle and two 1 inch tweeters on the outside. The QS8 are unique quad-pole surround speakers that include two 1 inch tweeters mounted on 45 degree angels on the front of the speaker and two 5.25 inch woofers mounted in the top and bottom.

Fit and Finish:

The build quality of the speakers is very good. I ordered the Black Oak vinyl veneer, which has a fine wood grain look. Boston Cherry or Light Maple is also available. The application of the veneer is first rate, especially on the angled edges and corners. This was the one area that I was most concerned with since I hadn’t seen the Black Oak before, but I am VERY happy with how they look. The speaker grills fit snuggly against the cabinets.

Setup and Calibration:

The M60ti came with rubber feet, spikes (which I installed) and a wrench to tighten the binding posts. The QS8 came with wall mounting brackets, which I used. The brackets come in four pieces; one set is installed on the back of the speakers and one set is screwed into the wall. I found the that brackets were a little tight to the wall to slide on the speakers, so I added a couple of washers to each set which made them perfect.

I connected my Bettercables Premium II Speaker Cables to the M60ti and VP150 speakers. I’m using bulk 12-gauge wire from Home Depot with gold-plated banana plugs at the receiver end for the surrounds. I added a couple of rubber door stops under the VP150 to angle the speaker toward my listening position.

My listening room is 15’ by 12’ with 10’ ceilings. I have about 8’-9’ from the TV to the sweet spot in the center of my couch. I used Video Essentials with a Radio Shack Analog SPL Meter to calibrate the speakers (75 dB) and sub (77 dB). The SVS was extremely simple to set up and integrate with the Axiom speakers thanks to the well written owner’s guide. I let the speakers play for about 40 hours over the next week before I started to listen critically.

Equipment Used:

Onkyo TX-DS696 Receiver
JVC XV-SA70BK DVD Player
Sony SCD-C555ES SACD Player

Bettercables Premium II Speaker Cables (Front Left, Front Right and Center Channel)
Home Depot 12-gauge bulk speaker wire with Radio Shack Gold Plated Banana Plugs #278-306 (surrounds)
Bettercables Silver Serpent Interconnects and Subwoofer Cable

Radio Shack Analog Sound Pressure Level (SPL) Meter #33-2050
Video Essentials Calibration DVD

2-Channel Stereo Mode (no sub used):

CDs used:

Acoustic Alchemy - Reference Point
Jones, Norah - Come Away With Me
McLachlan, Sarah - Sufacing
Merchant, Natalie - Tigerlily
Santana - Supernatural
Scott, Tom - Target
Steely Dan - A Decade of Steely Dan
Sting - Brand New Day
Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee Special Edition

SACDs used:

Boston – Boston
Vaughan , Stevie Ray and Double Trouble – Couldn’t Stand The Weather

After the initial break-in period, I began to play with the location of the M60ti speakers and ended up with them toed in slightly. I decided to start out with some acoustic music and listened to Acoustic Alchemy – “Reference Point”. The minute the music started playing I knew I was going to love these speakers. On track #3, “Take Five”, there was a very wide soundstage that I was used to with the PSBs, but also a depth to the acoustic guitars that I had not heard before. The sound seemed to extend in front AND behind the speakers. On “Target” by Tom Scott, the title song was clean and detailed with a lot of punch. On track #3, “Aerobia”, the opening sequence of synthesizers seemed to appear above and to the left of the left channel M60ti. On track #5, the cowbell was clear and precise. I moved on to some Steely Dan and loved the way the cymbals sounded on track #4, “Deacon Blues”. Each new instrument I heard was reproduced exactly as they should sound. On Toy Matinee, the wind up toy in the title track sounded like it was close enough to touch. The bass on “Maria, Maria” from Santana’s “Supernatural” was strong and centered. The M60ti have plenty of bass for me without using a sub, but those people that like organ music or rap might want to use a sub to extend down a little farther. I love good female vocals and these speakers really do them justice. The vocals from Norah Jones, Natalie Merchant and Sarah McLachlan all seemed to float in front of me with a layered sound to the background vocals. Sting’s “Brand New Day” is one of my favorite CDs and I’ve listened to it quite a few times now on the Axioms. Track #2, “Desert Rose”, seems to have a wide, tall and deep soundstage and imaging presence. I could have sworn the center channel was on during Track # 4, “After The Rain Has Fallen”. The guitar tracks on the SACDs from Boston and Stevie Ray Vaughan were amazing. They seemed to hang in the air and stretch out wonderfully.

Home Theater Mode:

DVDs used:

Last Of The Mohicans
Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Of The Ring
The Matrix
Silverado: Collector's Edition
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
U-571: Collector's Edition

The SVS lived up to all the hype that I’d read. It puts out incredibly clean, low and flat bass with very little effort at all. I used some of the some of the standard killer bass tracks from U-571 (#15, “Depth Charged”), The Matrix (#15, “Landing In Fight” and #31, “Chopper Shootout”) and Star Wars: Episode I (“THX Intro and #20, “Pod Race Tunnel Exit”). I won’t bother to reiterate was has been written many times about the performance of the SVS, but I will say that this may be the single best purchase I’ve ever made for this hobby!

The Axiom speakers are fantastic home theater performers. I started with Silverado, which includes one of my favorite opening sequences in a movie. The scene starts in almost complete silence and adds layers of sounds (wind blowing, birds crowing and chirping, fire crackling, etc.) before exploding into action. The sound of the door being crashed in with guns shots, wood splinters, and metal on metal were all perfect. Once all of the bad guys are killed, the lush deep sound of music that builds with the background of shell casings striking the floor made for a great contrast. The Axioms didn’t even appear to break a sweat keeping up with each of the transitions.
In “Last Of The Mohicans”, Chapter 11 – “The Siege”, canon shots came from right, center and left channels with deep base impact. One canon ball is shot from the right through the left soundstage. The transition from right to center and center to left channel speakers was seamless.

The QS8 surrounds got a workout with Star Wars: Episode I and Lord Of The Rings, which is my current favorite sound demo disc. During the Pod Race in Star Wars, Anakin’s ship loses a part that causes it to start to spin. I had the distinct impression of the sound circling in front of me over me head and at my feet. In Lord Of The Rings, Chapter #29 – “Balin’s Tomb”, the scene with the cave troll made me feel I was there (literally with the SVS!). When the cave troll swings its weapon for the first time, I heard it fly over my head before landing right beside me. The Axioms and SVS kept up with all the action effortlessly.

Conclusion:

I highly recommend all of these products. I think the midrange and treble on the Axiom speakers really shine. Even inexperienced listeners would be able to hear the extended, airy smoothness that these speakers exhibit. These speakers do have a more forward presentation similar to the Apogee speakers, but nothing fatiguing in my opinion. I was able to listen for hours at a time and enjoyed every minute. I have read some people express that Axiom speakers are too forward for their tastes, so these speakers won’t be for everyone. Of course these same people seem to prefer speakers that sound dull and lifeless to me. The soundstage and imaging is also wider and deeper than the Magnepan or B&W speakers in my opinion. The SVS sub is an incredible value and fantastic performer.

Customer Service from all four of the companies listed below is excellent:

Audioshop
Axiom Audio
Bettercables
SVS

My next upgrade will be a widescreen TV to replace the 32” direct view set that I have now…

Photos:

View From The Sweet Spot
Angled View of Setup
M60ti
M60ti Top View
M60ti Side View (Black Oak wood grain)
M60ti Tweeter
M60ti Midrange
M60ti Woofer
M60ti Binding Posts
Bettercables Premium II Speaker Cables
M60ti and SVS 20-39PCi
SVS Packaging
VP150 Side View (with rubber door stops)
QS8 Top View

David



Re: New Axiom Speakers and SVS 20-39PCi - long review
#5056 08/22/02 03:38 AM
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Someone is a happy camper. I think that you have summed up what the true strength of the Axiom line is. The midrange and the high end are where these speakers really shine. Bass extension may be the parameter that most impresses your friends (certainly true on a quick audition), but the midrange and treble are where the music lives. Axioms can put performers in your room as well as anybody out there regardless of price. It is that quality which separates the great speakers from the also rans. It is that which determines the livability and the lasting quality of these remarkable products. Two, three years from now, when you sit down and listen and still say "wow", that is when you know that you have found real gold.

Re: New Axiom Speakers and SVS 20-39PCi - long review
#5057 08/22/02 11:46 AM
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Dave,

Good review! I just have two questions. Why didn't you get the cherry finish to match your entertainment center? Second, could you post a few pictures of your surounds mounted on the wall?

thanks,
bestboy4

Re: New Axiom Speakers and SVS 20-39PCi - long review
#5058 08/22/02 12:50 PM
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Thanks bestboy4. I'm in an apartment right now until my new house is finished. The entertainment center in the photos you saw is temporary. I have an entertainment center in a cherry finish that was built by a local woodmaker, so I ordered the Black Oak to make sure the Axiom cherry finish didn't clash.

There is one picture of the QS8 speaker from the top, but I'll add a picture of the surround on the wall and let you know when it's available.

David


Re: New Axiom Speakers and SVS 20-39PCi - long rev
#5059 08/22/02 12:59 PM
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A very thorough review with all your parameters defined for the masses as well as pictures of the whole shebang. That's fantastic!
I can appreciate the list of music and movies you used since my equipment is virtually identical (M60s, QS8s, vp150, Onkyo 797 receiver). Loved that thing about the cowbell...
I like your impressions of the SVS sub. I'm going to see if anyone i know locally has different subs so i can bring them home to compare to my Axiom EP350.


"Those who preach the myths of audio are ignorant of truth."
Re: New Axiom Speakers and SVS 20-39PCi - long rev
#5060 08/22/02 05:33 PM
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Hello Davehead,
nice review and equipment you've got there. I have a quick dumb question, did you install both rubber and spike feet? or just the spike feet? I have an M50 and carpeted floor, unfortunately I am a newbie on this field and don;t know exactly how to install the feet, can you tell me how to do that(if it both rubber and spike feet must me install)
Thanks


Re: New Axiom Speakers and SVS 20-39PCi - long rev
#5061 08/22/02 05:33 PM
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All these reviews make me want to upgrade my equipment, and it's only 5 months old, or so!

Re: New Axiom Speakers and SVS 20-39PCi - long rev
#5062 08/22/02 05:51 PM
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Question again to anyone, if say you have a 5 month old axiom speaker and you wish to upgrade to a higher model, will be possible for AXIOM people to do a buy back, meaning you can send them back your old axiom speaker and you get the new one for a discounted price....any idea???

Re: New Axiom Speakers and SVS 20-39PCi - long rev
#5063 08/22/02 06:04 PM
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I'm not davehead, but you can use the spikes if you're setting your speakers up on a carpeted surface. You can use the rubber feet if you're setting them up on a hard surface. Use whichever meets your needs as you don't use both. Good luck!
lando


lando
Re: New Axiom Speakers and SVS 20-39PCi - long review
#5064 08/22/02 06:11 PM
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DAVEHEAD..
Welcome to the club ! Those guys and gals at Axiom have really got it together, don't they ? I love mine..
Hey, one little pointer.. That VP150, its designed to be placed on either side, eh.. There is no top or bottom.. You can flip it over and get rid of the door stops..
It came with those tiny little rubber stick-on's to keep it from sliding around..
Hey, I see you are an SRV fan.. Very cool my friend.. That dude had soul..
And with the system you're running now, I have only one more thing to say; "Loud is a Beautiful thing !"..


LFE ! The rest is just details..
Re: New Axiom Speakers and SVS 20-39PCi - long rev
#5065 08/22/02 07:02 PM
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Sean,

As Lando622 mentioned, you will only install the spikes OR the rubber feet; not both. I installed the spikes since I have carpet. You can screw either one into the bottom of the speaker.

David

Re: New Axiom Speakers and SVS 20-39PCi - long rev
#5066 08/22/02 07:09 PM
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Thanks chesseroo! I was aware that you had the Onkyo 797 and have read your posts with a lot of interest. I'm listening to all my CDs and discovering sounds that I wasn't aware existed!

I do love the sound of the Onkyo matched with the Axioms, but may eventually upgrade to the Outlaw Audio separates (the 770, 200 watt 7 channel amp and 950, pre-amp).

David


Re: New Axiom Speakers and SVS 20-39PCi - long review
#5067 08/23/02 12:40 AM
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Mikey,

Thanks. I've installed two of the rubber stick-ons to keep the VP150 in place. I'm not sure I follow you on flipping the speaker over. The sound would still not be directed at my listening position???

I also have the VP150 hanging over the front of the entertainment center by 1/2" to 1". The sound that "spills out" isn't restricted by a hard surface below it, which opens up the soundstage. I moved the speaker back on the top of the entertainment center as a test and heard a definite change in the sound.

David


Re: New Axiom Speakers and SVS 20-39PCi - long review
#5068 08/23/02 04:55 AM
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Great review Davehead.
I basically have the same set up ( M80's, vp150, qs8, Better cables)except for my sub. I have Sunfire True Sub Mark iv. I only recently heard of SVS and never came across any review comparing SVS and Sunfire side by side. Actually you almost never hear of Sunfire on message board across the net (Hometheatre forum, Sound and vision online)> I based my decision to purchase Sunfire from professional reviews, but since reading all these good reviews from SVS owner, I wonder if i made the right choice. Have you compare SVS with Sunfire? I would like to hear your opinion on this .

Re: New Axiom Speakers and SVS 20-39PCi - long review
#5069 08/23/02 07:29 PM
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Thanks happyjohnm80! I have not heard a sunfire in person, but you can do a search over at the HomeTheaterForum and will find a lot of threads match "SVS Sunfire" for the criteria.

David


Re: New Axiom Speakers and SVS 20-39PCi - long review
#5070 08/23/02 08:06 PM
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Bestboy4,

I've added one more picture of the QS8 mounted on the wall:

QS8 on wall

Ignore the speaker wire running across the wall. That is temporary until I move.

David


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