Awesome!

Dang. Now *that's* a center speaker.

I was thinking more along the lines of a VP160, I guess, with tweeter above the mid, but this really *is* awesome and a much better fit into typical HT systems.

you wanted it, Axiom listened.

I was just checking that out, great news ... I'll have one on order.

I will PM you my address.

I already have it Randy ... you do mean the Florida address, right?

Not everybody gets the newsletter at the same time.

Dammit.

This is the Owner's Club letter.

they probably missed the mark on this one, time will tell.

Well, you're a positive fellow.

Dang Ken, I almost posted the exact same thing. Don't you know the world would be a better place if more of us were always negative.

We all miss Mark, even when he's here.

Why do you say that?

I'm surprised at the pricing. I thought it would be more expensive. I'm happy with my M22, but it's still tempting. I look forward to impressions from others.

I think it's actually about the cost of a single M80 (well, not counting the stand).

BTW, the physical dimensions are identical to the M80.

Good call. I was only thinking about it in terms of cost versus the VP150, and the Owners Club preorder price makes it even more appealing.

Does anybody know what the overall height of the VP180 on the stands are?

Yes:
FMSCC180 Specifications

Dimens. (in.)(HxWxD) 18.5 x 10.5 x 11

Weight (lbs) 24 lbs

Weight (kg) each 10.90 kg

It has magnetic grills. Wonder how soon this feature will be showing up on the other models.

Ken is that the height of the stands alone or with the 180 in place?

...but my aim is getting MUCH better.

I am happy for all you guys with big, dedicated rooms. That thing requires quite an investment, size-wise.

I'm holding out for the in-cabinet version.

Need pictures please

Is it a center channel, the size of an M80??

I'm tempted to order three for fronts and switch from a 1.85:1 screen to a 2.35:1 screen. Instead of a 16:9 screen with M80s on the sides of the screen, I could use the whole wall for screen with all speakers underneath. Thoughts?

Holy smokes

Sweet, this is what I've been waiting for. Just pulled the trigger but forgot about the stand. Is it adjustable or is it a custom height job?

Intewesting.

I think you can specify how high you want the stand if the standard height doesn't suit your setup, I believe that is how the other stands work anyway, they are not adjustable.

If the VP180 cabinet size is exactly the same as an M80 it will fit like a glove on our TV stand. The opening in the stand where the current VP150 resides is 47"w x 9.75"h and the M80 cabinet is 40"h(VP180w) and 9.25"w(VP180h) ... Wango Tango!

Thanks!

Tom, unless you build a custom wall, or your house is built with incorrect stud spacing, it is unlikely this, or even a 150 would fit.

Clean livin', Rick.

Randy - I was trying to be funny, but also thinking for those people (like you, you lucky bastige) with dedicated rooms. Obviously, you'd have to frame the wall with the speaker in mind. But if you COULD do that - have in-cabinet versions of M80/VP180 across the front, that would be an amazingly capable and elegant solution.

Geeesh! you go to your neighbour's for a couple of hours to install some crown moulding and you miss the grand unveiling!!

That's pretty much the info I have. I assume it's the stands alone, but I'm not certain. I'll ask.

I have never received an owners club email... need to find out why.

Send a note to Peter Bright. He fixed mine up.

Is it a single stand? I ask only because the pic earlier looked either a lot wider than 10.5in or consisted of two stands. I wonder if centering 10.5in under a 40" speaker is stable enough?

The stand purchase gets you both stands.

Items now on my "post home purchase" wish list:

VP180,
EP800,
2 Channel Axiom Amp


Any thoughts on running this in parallel with a vp150?

I think your amp would probably die a horrible flaming death of deathiness.

That sounds like fun

4 Ohm VP180 + 6 Ohm VP150 = 2.4 Ohm flaming death in parallel.

'zactly.

I bet a 1400-3 would do the trick.

Yeah, if you did the splitting before the amp, it would be fine.

Thanks! The wait is going to drive me nuts.

It would be a fun experiment with the Axiom amps and some other professional amps.

I'm now running a VP150 and a VP100 in parallel for a 3.4 ohm load on my old trusty HK AVR635 ... what's another ohm!

Ken has made it his mission in life to get magnetic grills on all Axiom speakers....

I'm not allowed to say more at this point in time.

About 40% more current in this case. Run em' in series!

My first thought was "it's too damn big" -- it's certainly much bigger than anything I was expecting -- but I really think they nailed it with this one.

The center channel sometimes gets almost as much content as both mains combined, which argues for the center channel being heftier than one of the mains. I see this as being a perfect match for my M60s

I agree with your assessment John, I believe Ian and the boys (and girls?) nailed it with this center.

It's certainly consistent with Ian's other designs.

Very cool news! Glad to hear Axiom is listening and responding to our demands suggestions.

One of the more interesting aspects is the WTMMTW configuration, rather than TMWWMT, which would have more closely followed the VP150 precedent. Wonder if the extensive listening tests Alan mentioned will also result in a possible re-design of the VP150.

From what I understand, the VP180 was designed the same way as the VP150: make prototypes with every possible configuration, and pick the one that sounded the best. So I wouldn't count on a redesign on the 150, although ya never know with Axiom.

I recall suggesting magnetic grills a looooong time ago. It's a nifty feature.

It's better if you think of it as a TMMT configuration just like the VP150, but with a woofer tacked on at each end

Seriously, after playing around with some calculations looking at the impact of comb filtering, if you buy into that, this configuration does seem like the best one. My very informal experiments suggested that comb filtering is most noticeable in the midrange, so you want those drivers closest together. The wavelength of the frequencies handled by the woofers is so long that even the widest separation doesn't seem to be a problem, leaving the tweeters in the middle.

I have run my 3808 with 2 M22s and the VP150 as centers, no problems

I will be ordering a VP180 soon as well, uhhh, not to add to the VP150 and M22 configuration, I think that just might kill the Denon.

Is the VP180 ported? Nothing obviiously on the front, if not it must not have the same low FR as the M80.

Yes, it has 3 ports on the back. I had to ask the same question...

Not that it's very important, but are the binding posts in the middle or at one end? I'm thinking they might be offset, because the midrange woofers use a sealed tube/chambre, don't they?

bigjohn would be spoiled for choice. That's the right person, right? He was before my time.

Your Axiom forum history is spot on, CV!

Yes.

I was considering a BigJohn reference too. Or more about masturbation.

I like that I totally deflated my comment with uncertainty.

Sorry Adrian, I have no idea about the positioning on the back. The only pic I've seen is the one you've seen.

I'm sorry Ken. But that response just wasn't funny.

Fail.

Definitely not epic, though. Ken can't do anything right! Wait, I just turned into his wife.

Ken has it all: more than 13000 posts, free Axiom gear, at least 3 wives...

Yeah, but 2 of them are real nags.

Only 11 more for the win!

11 more wives?

Really, THIS guy is the one to watch out for..... 3800 posts in 16 months!

If he had registered on my date of registration, he would have ~25,000 posts today....

That's cuz your spending to much time stalking us.

Oh, go finish painting that kitchen wall that you started, like, three months ago.



Not that I like the new color anyway.

What?

You think the taupe is too dark?

Taupe? I guess I should check the color accuracy of my telescope...

It's hard to tell colours at night time.

I think Adrian is just a little behind what mojo was able to accomplish in his short time before how quit the forum.

That's insane. I feel like I post a lot, which I do, but I'm definitely outclassed.

It has nothing to do with being positive or negative, just realistic!

Right.

Some members on this forum, for whatever reason, feel their opinion is the only one that really matters; people who have what I call “tin god complex”. My opinion of the VP180 design is based on what I've read in many reports on designing a good centre channel speaker. Axiom is not the only source of information Ken. In fact, Axiom is not even a reliable source of information; it’s kind of the Fox News of audio.

Uke, dude: re-read your first sentence. Good.

Now begin re-reading your second.


"...so, like, enough about me. What do YOU think about my hair?"

It's hard to say this without sounding like an Axiom apologist, but they are certainly aware of conventional wisdom regarding center channel design, have even experimented with such designs and driver layouts, and have ruled them out by subjecting them to blind listening tests against other, less conventional designs.

This is how Axiom operates. In fact, the answer to the question "Why did Axiom design it this way when other companies do it that way?" is often "Because they found that way didn't stand up to this way in their tests."

I don't know when "unconventional" started becoming "bad".

So many people spend so much time looking at specs and paper stats (especially people who frequent online, or purchasing online) and don't think about that maybe, the guy who designed the thing just might know what he is doing, or might have tested it a thousand times and found no discernable difference? If it's "worse" on paper but nobody can hear it, who cares?

I work in the tire industry and it's like when someone asks why such and such a tire doesn't have such and such a tread design, which perhaps they prefer, and is a very frequently asked question. I usually say it's because they guy with the engineering degree from Harvard says this is better .

The military must not hire those Harvard engineers.

It would be interesting if Axiom ever thought about using the same driver configuration as the M80 with the exception of using just 1 tweeter.

Now it would certainly have a lower power handling than the M80's but it would be a good idea for a double blind test. Or try a WMTMW design compared to the VP150 model for the middle priced center channel option.

About 1890, if you believed Edison and his cronies.

...and speaking of Tesla, this edition of Drunk History is hilarious and informative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T5gQHa2pq4

I'm glad YouTube doesn't have a smell application.

Uke, dude: re-read your first sentence. Good.

Now begin re-reading your second.


"...so, like, enough about me. What do YOU think about my hair?"



Dude, what's your point?
Re-read my first sentence! why, nobody will explain it to you?

and about your hair, I think YOU look like a Ken doll Bobby.

Never heard of the phrase "tin god" before. Learn something new everyday!

Is that the same as the not-so-well-known "God of Tin" from Scandinavian legend?

Yeah, he makes thunder by shaking a big sheet of tin. He only does it when Thor's not around for fear of being upstaged by, well, real lightning and thunder from Mjolnir.

Oh. I think some people confuse him with the North American Indian God of Flatulent Thunder.....Tah Kobel.

My wife refuses to eat at, as she calls it, Toxic Hell. I enjoyed their Double Decker tacos when they were a buck and a half, or less. I got sticker shock last weekend when I went in and saw them at 2.79 - what the --?!

Even getting a heart attack has gotten more expensive.

Probably a nostalgic reference to the Wizard of Oz.

Oh, I've heard it before. Not usually how I think of myself around here, I usually go more with "emperor with no clothes" or perhaps CAO.





Chief Annoying Officer

CAO hardly seems fitting.

No comment on the Emperor title.