Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners M80's vs M60's (or even M22ti) -Unique Questions!

Sorry if I gave you guys the wrong impression. I love my M60s. I've had them for two years and still dig 'em, but I guess I do have a mild case of upgradeitis at the moment. I'm only speculating that the M80s will sound better at super-high volumes.

Upgradeitis????? Whats that??
jokeing of course
I now own 4 recievers, 3 subs and 10 different speakers (besides the subs)

Budd, my thought on your question about your 1014 driving M80s is to remember that it has the THX Select certification. Although many poo-poo this as a mere marketing tool and grossly over-estimate the cost($5 or so per unit is my understanding), it includes driving a 3.6 ohm load and is useful as an assurance of amplifier capability. It's likely that your 1014 would be fine with M80s.

The cost is based on a per unit basis and goes down the more units said manufacture agrees to produce. If you want to carry the THX mark on a handful of pieces, it's far more then 5 bucks. On top of that you then pay for what level of certification you are claiming...................claiming being the key word! My Denon 3805 is a great example. It's reported power per the THX standard and it's actual power are to different animals all together. It started out as a great idea but now it's not much more then a cash grab.

I guess my thoughts are if it's so great and so stringent a standard how come more and more equipment is carrying the logo that shouldn't be?

Secrets of Home Theater & HIFI has long been on THX's back over the apparent ease at getting stuff certified.

AhHa, that is some new and useful info.

Hi BuddTX,

Yep, more drivers in the M80 do let it play at incredibly high sound levels in big rooms. But never generalize about personal preferences in volume levels. Big rooms with vaulted ceilings suck up hundreds of watts. During some listening tests of Axiom's new EP600 DSP subwoofer, a colleague of mine cranked up five 250-watt per channel monoblocs and the two power amps driving the M80s, each with 250 watts, shut down because they were clipping. I had to leave the room it was so loud, but my colleague loved it (until the amps shut down!).

Don't even think about putting M22ti's into a big room. Tonally, they are very close to the M80s and M60s in the mids and highs, but like any compact speaker they have limits in output level. In an average room (about 20 x 14 x 8), the M22ti's will play as loud as I ever want (with a sub). That translates to listening to classical, jazz, some rock, opera etc. at about 85 dB SPL (C weighting), sitting about 10 feet back, which subjectively is termed "quite loud," with occasional dynamic peaks to 98 dB SPL (very loud).

If I switch to the M80s, and want louder for test purposes, the M80s will do it and still sound very clean to way past 100 dB SPL, even in big rooms.

In stereo only, the larger enclosure of the M80s does result in slightly deeper bass and more output than the M60s. If you are running a sub with them, these differences become very small, only audible with immediate A/B comparisons, and even then I find my preferences change with program material.

Do not assume your Pioneer will drive a 4-ohm load at full output. If it has a 4-ohm switch or a menu setting for 4-ohms, it likely won't, THX certification notwithstanding. My recommendation of Denon, H/K and NAD is based on customer (and personal) experience with the M80s and these brands of A/V receivers, as well as with other brands that I do not recommend for the 4-ohm M80s.

Regards,

Hey Buddtx. You got your answer straight from the horses.....er... mouth. Now order some axioms and enjoy

Bigwill...you've GOT to post the full size version of that avatar for us.

Ahh, spiff, you're making me blush.

Just get properties on the image and copy the URL to a new window. I'll leave the linking to BigWill.