Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater New Speakers....

I am upgrading from my current sat/sub 'boring' system to a fuller, more realistic system. I just bought the new Onkyo 700 receiver which I still cannot believe was only $700 considering all the features it has; two thumbs up. It has been a vast improvement over my older Yamaha which did impress me until this purchase. However, my query is based on recommendations from all current owners. I have a rectangle room which is 22 feet long and 15 fee wide. I have mentally choosen the M22 based on its presumed accuracy and neutral sound. I would like to upgrade the center to the VP150, QS8 rears, and EP175 thunder. I like having a dedicated sub to clear the dialogue and have more control over the fronts while watching movies. I have had to strain to hear my Boston Acoustic setup now, even with the upgraded VR Series center. The bottom line, I have two small kids, every speaker owners dilema. I am concern the M22 will be 'tipsy' and not as comforting standing as a tower. I am now concerned with maintaining the concise dialoge and clear highs choosing a tower over the acclaimed bookshelf.

I would like to compile a survey, whether you own one or just giving your opinion, over the differences between the Epic 40, 50 , & 60. I am not an idiot. I know about greater bass extension, loudness, and physical components and size. So, what to report on, seamlessness, clearness, accuracy, or how neutral or saturated the front will sound. I have been considering the 50, however, I would like to hear from you.

Thanks

Hey, Canman.

I've had the pleasure of auditioning all of the Axiom towers and the M22 (in various combinations of head-to-head). You should also consider adding the M80 to your list of potential buys.

The M40 is full, warm, and laid back. The level of detail will surprise you, and I'm still surprised how unforgiving the speaker can be of cheap electronics or lousy recordings. The midrange is quite laid back, meaning opera and jazz vocals can sometimes sound distant, though with pop and hot-miked rock recordings, this is a bonus. If you like to have music on in the background, the M40 will not give you any listening fatigue.

The M22 is the opposite of the M40, in that its strength is midrange clarity and openness. It is smooth and very pleasing to the ear, particularly with classical and jazz music. You will need a sub for full-range music. Be warned, the M22's midrange "magic" is almost wasted on hot recordings, but overall it's one of the best bookshelf speakers you can get.

The M50 is similar to the M40, but the bass is tighter, making it a better speaker for rock music and instrumental jazz. To my ears, vocals were even more laid-back than with the M40, but this is probably due to the added bass output.

With the M60, clarity increases substantially, and the midrange driver brings vocals and details out that are sparkling. Like the M22, the M60 does not mesh well with bad pop recordings, but it is a FANTASTIC speaker overall.

The M80 is all it is advertised to be. The openness, clarity and transparency is obvious within 10 seconds of listening, even relative to the M60. You will not find its level of quality within 500-600 bucks of the price.

I've never been one to pay too much attention to imaging, but I have a pair of M40s, and they certainly place instruments properly left-to-right. I admit I don't have experienced ears to tease out 3-dimensional imaging.

If you're using a VP150 as center channel, dialogue will sound superb in a HT setup. In terms of "seamlessness" and "timbre matching", I always find this a bit silly when reading about it in reviews. Yes, you may hear minor shifts in tone as a car moves across the front soundstage, but does it in any way diminish the experience? ANY Axiom tower, VP150 and QS8 setup will give you an engaging HT experience that will have you bathing in Diana Krall's piano on Live in Paris and ducking bullets in The Matrix.

Hope this helps, and happy shopping!

Hi Canman
I have the M22's speakers,and I was worried about them being tipsy aswell,because I have a 18 month little boy.
So what I did was have the M22's on their stands,but also had them wall mounted to the back of the speakers,so my little one can't knock them over. Works great,this is something you might want to consider,if you really want the M22's.Because they are worth considering.

Canman, in case you have not already seen some of these reviews, here are some links to forum readers who placed their thoughts on their recent Axiom selections, several of which have compared Axiom speaker models:
the original fhw multiple model review

the dual model Randyman review

my original m60 review
m22 and qs8 review but as surrounds

sonicfox m60 review

sorry if i forgot anyone, i'm starting to lose track of the links

Hope this helps!

PS i have a large dog who is a clutz and i was also worried about getting the smaller m22s for speakers
As long as the stands are well weighted i don't think you will have a problem and as far as the m60s go, you WON'T have a problem (unless of course you have a little future linebacker on your hands)

I just finished my setup of the recently purchased M60's, QS8's, VP150, and EP175. I mated them to the new Yamaha RX-V1300. I've only watched a few dvd movies since the complete setup this past Sunday. All I can say right now is WOW!!!! I am very impressed. I too have a 3 year old (he loves pod racing btw) and a baby due Oct 18. The M60's are very stable with the spikes used. I'm sure there will be a speaker grille accident. Oh well, that's what replacement parts are for. Good luck deciding on your choice of speakers. It only took me three months to decide. Thank you to all that helped. BTW Jazzman...Saving Private Ryan was an excellent first viewing dvd for my new system.

Great new system, and good luck with the baby on the way! We're expecting our son on or about 3 October.

If you like the war genre, take a look at U-571 in DD or DTS on your system. Just make sure nobody in the house is trying to sleep when you hit the depth charge sequence.

Happy listening.

lando

FHW - That was a great review considering the types of music and their individual dynamic range. I appreciate Paul's idea about adding the safety to the back of the M22's. And Chesseroo, I was enlightened by all of the links you provided. The reviews were great. I am still in my bind, I want champagne (M60) on a beer budget (M22). Living in Bermuda has forced the additional cost of shipping and duty. Shipping, on average, $300, and duty, 33% of the cost. These added costs make the more expensive speakers that much further out of reach. I have considering the M60 and VP150 with the QS8's and EP175 to come or all out with the M22, VP150, QS8, and EP175 at once. I could always try to sell the M22's later though the whole bookshelf vs. children is my main concern at the moment. I feel, watching mainly movies over music I should opt for the bookshelves and save money now on the cost, shipping, and duty. Then I would have to either mount the speakers on stands or mount the safety on the wall just in case....
The M60's look so so good too! Damn it!!!!

Ah such decisions.
I set myself down with a budget as well, then i also came up with a figure which was a number i could absolutely not go beyond.
I ended up buying my system slightly over my budget number but under my absolute limit.
In order to rationalize my decision on going over my bugeted value, i said to myself,
"Hey, i'm going to pay three grand today but i'm going to have this system for the next 15 or 20 years as well. That's a good investment."
That's not to say i won't be buying other newer/better equipment in the future to build a second system for another room in the house though....
My father used to manage a radio shack back in the early 80s and he still has his Realistic Mach 1 and Minimus 7 speakers with a 60 lb receiver (the model escapes me). Now i've got a stereophile friend that wants to buy his Mach 1s for their drivers. Its all an investment.