Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater M22 or M60 as front speakers?

I have a VP150 center and m22 fronts. I will finish my system off with QS8s sides and backs and a pair of SVS subs. I plan on running the crossover at 80hz all speakers set small.

My room is 25' X 12' X 8' and has openings to other large rooms. I sit about 8' from the TV / front speakers.

How would the power and soundstage change with M60 fronts rather than the m22?

Also, with the -3dB at 60Hz(m22), 95Hz(Qs8), and 85Hz(VP150) and assuming those readings are aggressive, will my 80Hz crossover leave a gap in power in the 90Hz area?

I guess I ask these questions because I wonder if the M60 would fill that 90Hz area better.

Thanks for your help.

The M22's will play full at 90, but to answer your question in short, yes, the M60's are better speakers and will somewhat improve response in upper bass. By how much remains to be heard. Every room responds differently to different frequencies.

An 80hz crossover works well with the M22s and even with the QS8s. Remember that a crossover isn't a brick wall that totally cuts off the response;it's a more or less gradual slope, so there's no significant"hole" created with the speakers you list. You don't need an M60 for this purpose.

I'll bump this thread since I have the same question.

"How would the power and soundstage change with M60 fronts rather than the m22?"

That is, give you're seated 8' away, what are the differences between the M60 and M22? I have read that the M60 sounds best from about 10' to 15' away. I think this part of the post was missed in the first two replies.

Thanks

This question depends on what, in particular, you are looking for from the Axioms. If its bass you're after, then you should add a sub, regardless. If you have a good subwoofer (and any SVS fits this description), whether or not your main speakers handle lower bass well is almost a moot point.

With either the M22ti or the M60, you'll want to set them to "small" when paired with an SVS, which will handle the 80Hz range with much more authority than either Axiom speaker.

Someone had asked about the difference b/w the M60 and M22 quite recently. Try doing a search for my response to the query. I auditioned both last year

As for the bass, some people are not interested in having 'authority' with the low frequencies especially for music. Subwoofers have a distinctly heavier sound (and far more fudgy) than the bass from the M60 which makes it overbearing and rather indistinct. In such case. leave your receivers settings on 'large' for your tower mains and use the crossover knob on the subwoofer set to a lower value to achieve an integrated sound. The main speakers will pick up the bass to their lower cutoff and the subwoofer will then only enhance VERY low end frequencies.

Thanks for the responses.

My real concern is the comments I have read from Alan and at least one other member that the M60 sounds best at about 10 to 15 feet. I'm not sure what they mean? Does if effect the soundstage? I'm not sure what that means, I'm somewhat of a novice at this. Can someone clear this up?

I think I'll like the more detailed sound of the M22 or M60 vs the M40. The M22 would be fine with me, but my wife does not like the look of the speaker on a pole (stand). She didn't mind that the M60 cost twice as much. So if the wife doesn't mind bigger better speakers I sould get them! But I don't want the bigger speaker if they won't sound better because I'm sitting too close. My room is about 13'x22' but alittle more than half is home theater. I will be sitting no more than 8' away.

Thanks for the help. This is one of the most helpful and informitive fourms I've come across.

The idea behind moving your listening location a distance away from the main speakers is to create a seamless stereo sound from left to right. If you are sitting too close to your main speakers then this seamless 'soundstage' is lost (your ears can pick out distinctive left and right without having any stereo effect...the 'phantom centre' as it has been referred to lately).

Since the M60s are considerably larger than the M22s, they produce a different soundstage, usually larger. In order to setup the speakers for the best creation of the IDEAL soundstage the larger speaker need more room for position adjusting. This does not mean you cannot buy the M60s and listen to them at 6 feet or 8 feet away. My own listening room limits me to an 8 foot distance. I've compensated somewhat for the shorter distance by setting the M60s further apart.
The M60s are more designed for a larger room so if you have a small listening area then the M22s are typically plenty wide in their soundstage and volume to fill the room. If you have a 13x22 area and only half is the HT area, then the M22s would be just fine. However, you mention that your wife is not keen on the M22s sitting on stands and you are also unsure as to the detailed sound of the M22/M60.
In this case, i would recommend you audition the M40s or M50s if you are set on Axiom as the brand.
Randyman reviewed the M50s vs M60s awhile ago. You can read his post here
Here is a post by fhw who reviewed the m40s, vs m50s vs m80s
The M80s will sound virtually identical to the M60s except for the M80 extended bass and according to Ian, will play louder than the M60s to give you an idea of comparison.

If shipping costs are not really a concern, then take Axiom's 30d trial and give them a listen.