Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater What am I ever to do???

After visiting this board for quite sometime, I have decided that it is time to take the plunge and get myself some nice new speakers. But first I have a couple of questions for you guys...

1. I have narrowed down my choices between the M3 and the M22. Is the M22 a lot better speaker than the M3? What differences will I notice between the two? I will be pairing either one of them up with a sub..which leads into question number...

2. Would the EP350 be overkill for a medium size room? I know that I will not be in this apartment forever which is why I am thinking about going with the 350 over the EP175. Also, do you have any other suggestions for a sub.

3. I have decided to go with the QS8's as surrounds instead of the QS4's based on many opinions on this site. Anybody object to this?

4. And finally, in recent weeks I have noticed a lot of people using an M22 or M2 as their center channel speaker opposed to a VP100 or VP150. What are the advantages and disadvantages to doing this? I was thinking of getting the VP100 but have started second guessing this decision recently.

Thanks for the help. Also, I will be using an Onkyo receiver to power all this stuff. It will either be 80 watts per channel or 100 watts per channel. This will suffice, will it not? Any other suggestions on receivers? Again, thanks for your time and help.

GO,when I was faced with a similar decision the fact that reviews(especially SoundStage reviews and NRC measurements which can be looked up at the eCoustics.com site)indicated that the M22s had a flatter upper bass and lower mid-range resulted in my picking them. The somewhat elevated upper bass and slightly depressed lower mid-range on the M3s gives an impression of "fuller" bass and a more laid-back "relaxed" mid-range which some(not me) might prefer. I preferred the more accurate M22 response, which would work especially well with a good sub being primarily responsible for the bass.

2.The EP350 certainly would be fine in a medium sized room. If you've been reading the board you may have noticed that some also have high regard for subs such as the SVS 25-31 PCi and the Hsu VTF-2.

3. QS8s are fine.

4. I prefer a small, vertically oriented speaker for the center channel rather that a horizontal array. The M2 uses the same mid and tweeter as the M22 and would match almost perfectly, with smoother dispersion. It also would save a little money.

On receivers, buy the features you want at the best price you can get. Don't be overly concerned about advertised power ratings, bearing in mind that about 1 watt is used at fairly loud average levels with brief peaks hitting 50-100 watts. 80 watts should be plenty.

I believe EP350 and QS8's would be good choices. When in the apartment, you can tone the volume down but when you move to your new house, you are already set. That is a more logical path than toning down on the equipment and then upgrading when you move to your new house.

What I am finding out on VP150 as center speaker is that it is very sensitive on placement. It should be tilted forward and aimed at the listening position and should also be pushed back a little bit behind from the TV screen to get the optimum sound effect. This characteristic may not be present in M22's or M2's. I still have to find this out.

I own the following:

VP150
QS8
M22
EP350

yes, the system matches perfectly. Yes, I would buy it again. I have a small listening room, in a duplex, and no, the sub is not overpowering,

I have 2 setups.

Bedroom:
M1's - mains
M0's - surrounds
VP50 - center
AR8 - sub (8in powered sub)

Living Room:
M3's - Mains
M2's - Center, Rear Center
QS4's - Surrounds
Currently building my sub.

I prefer the M2 as a center in my living room over the VP50 in my bedroom, although both sound very good. I think I would have been happy getting the VP150 for the living room, but I wanted to try the M2. Given the 30day trial, if I had been disappointed with the M2, I would have replaced it with a VP150.

As for a sub, if you get either the M3's or M22's, you could feasibly get by without a sub until you get a chance to audition some. I'm very impressed with my M3's running in large mode right now.

If you are going to buy a sub now, I can't comment on Axiom's subs, but have auditioned the Hsu VTF-2. I love it. A good friend of mine purchased it and uses it in a room similar in size to mine. I can't say enough good things about it. I simply don't have it in my budget to buy a sub, so I'm building one using some existing equipment (Onkyo 501 amp, MTX 4000 series 12in. sub) and will make a sonotube sub.

What size room do you have? This is very important in your decision. My room is 10 feet high, but not very large in area. I started with the M3ti as mains to determine the quality/output of the speakers. OUTSTANDING quality, however, I did not think that they filled the room. Unless you are putting your system in a medium to small sized room, you may want to opt for the M22s. As for the rears, the QS line is supposed to be great. I have had really good results with the M3s in the rear though. Best of luck!