Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Disgruntled Bose Owner Seeks Axiom Setup Advice

Hi Starbuck,

Welcome. I think bigjohn's got your situation covered pretty well.

I'd encourage you to peruse these forums some; there is quite a bit of collective opinion to be read. I was going to say "collective wisdom" but that phrase somehow enobles the regulars beyond merit

Definitely see if a friendly Axiom owner lives nearby; many folks are amenable to auditions. Make sure you stop by the Beer Thread. Stay away from the Politics thread

You are going to realize a significant improvement over your Bose system with any Axiom setup.

I have a couple of concerns/observations about your situation.

First, you are used to a pretty big, diffuse soundstage from the 901's. While the clarity and precision of Axiom speakers is going to be "better", it might take a while to adjust to the change. Also, I wonder whether an Axiom floorstanding model might more closely match the fullness that you've been listening to. If you opt for a bookshelf model, make sure to budget for stands.

Second, your listening habits give me pause. Axioms are EXTREMELY accurate speakers, and recordings from many hard rock or metal bands are not mastered very well. You may find that Axioms reveal undesirable traits in those recordings. Some forum posters have found that the sound of the M50 is more to their liking than the M22 or M60 (which have similar sonic signatures). Forum regulars kcarlile and 500 are M50 devotees, and may be a useful resources.

Finally, give us more detail about your Yamaha. You may not be as bad off as you think there. The speakers are going to make a huge difference; I'd urge you not to scrimp on speakers unless you don't have any Dolby Digital processing whatsover. Even then, you can find good pieces from HK and Denon in the sub $300 range.

Eh, when it comes down to it, the real reason I'm an M50 devotee is because I really don't want to feel like I bought the wrong thing. They're great speakers, but there's that little bit of me...

Anyway, the M50s are great with hard rock/metal. Lots of bass, but the clarity and soundstage is still there.

In reply to:

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Interesting that you are recommending a sub from a different company as opposed to what Axiom has to offer...any particular reason?

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yes, i think it is a better 'bang for bucks' sub..

axiom makes good subs, real good subs.. SVS makes better subs, and at a little cheaper cost. you could also check into HSU subs.. they have real good ones also, starting around $350-$450..

bigjohn

I was looking at the Epic 50 Home Theater as a possible packaged alternative, as it comes with the M50s that others have said are good for the music I listen to.

The funny thing about my 901s is that for some recordings they are amazing...particularly some remastered classic rock bands like Queen, Yes, Jethro Tull and Rush...for classical music and top 40 stuff, they are suitable as well...yet my leanings towards harder bands like Korn, Faith No More, Type O Negative, etc...they sound terrible. I really have to turn them up way loud to hear the musical nuances, and at that point the neighbors are banging on the walls.

As for movies, the Lifestyle 25...you just lose the voices in the explosions and special effects...so anything that balances things out will be an improvement to my current system.

John just described my system to a 'T', and I couldn't be more pleased. Only difference is I'm using an EP175 sub. I have no complaints with it, but in hindsight I feel it probably would have been a better value (more performance, less cash) to go with an SVS or HSU sub.

If you like the hard stuff like I do, look real hard at the M50's. I also don't mind the 901's. When set-up right there is nothing wrong with them at all.

I agree with John. You need to get out there to someones house to listen to the Axiom line up. Bring beer.

The issue you are having with the 901 is that you have little to no base in them. For the classical high notes they may sound great but once you go with lower, base effect music you loose out on the effect. Same for the Lifestyle 25 (what cheese d**k came up with that marketing machine of a name). Once you get a good center and great sub your eyes will pop out and you will kick yourself for not making this move earlier.

You do need to take a look at your reciever and let us know what you have (model #) and we will steer you in the right direction if it is needed.

Go with the M60's, VP 150, and QS8s. And get a good sub. You'll never look back or have any regrets. You'll also avoid upgradeitis. In general, I know I am glad I have towers up front. I think that having a better low end enhances movie watching significantly.

Not trying to upset the apple cart here, but I think you should by a new receiver first. I too have a Bose speaker system. I’m not advocating Bose by any means, but they don’t sound as bad as some folks try to portray either. I also have Axiom M80’s playing stereo in my second zone with an Outlaw LFM1 sub. So I can reference both worlds here.

Point I’m trying to make is that my Bose speakers woke the hell up when I drove them with my new AVR. I was driving them with a POS 5.1 receiver that claimed 120 watts per channel, DTS Dolby, blah, blah blah……I bought a H/K 7200 and let me tell you, night and day difference. The Bose system can’t hold a candle to my second zone Axiom/Outlaw system, but still, big difference with the new receiver. I’d start there first. Then upgrade your speakers when you get some more pennies saved up.

And as far as your listening tastes go, they are comparable to mine. My M80’s flat out crank and rock the house. There is no muddling or over brightness of anything. AC/DC, VH, Sound Garden, Blink 182, Breaking Benjamin, Pink Floyd, Arosmith, etc, etc…. These babies sound terrific, and as loud as the neighbors will tolerate.

I dunno, let's find out what kind of receiver he has first. This may differ from your experience, but I think speakers are going to make way more of a difference than receiver.