Hi All,

I currently have a 5.1 system with M22s in front, VP150, and QS8s for surround with a SVS PBPlus 12. I just had these in a big open family room.

I'm finally getting my dedicated theater room that's 14x18x9. I want to move from 5.1 to 7.1 and need two more speakers. I will install screen and projector also.

My question is I want big speakers for the front. For that size room, will the M60 be enough or do I need the M80? Also, should I move the M22s to the side and leave the QS8s as rear surrounds or vice-versa?

Thanks for any suggestions you might have!
Chester

Welcome Chester! you could use either the M60 or M80 in your room with no problems. If you are going to continue to use the M22s in your HT, they would be better as rears and the Q8s as sides. Just make sure you give the 22s some breathing room behind your seating position as they are direct radiating speakers.

Wow Chester, registered in 02 and first post. Welcome!!!!

To be honest with a good sub and proper calibration and setup, the m22's would work in that room.. To answer your question the m60's would be totally adequate for that space, as would the m80's. What receiver are you using to drive the system?

My room is 30ft x 31 x 9 and I've owned both m60's and m80's, they both were plenty, I just got sucked in by the m80 club members.

For 7.1, you would want the Qs8's directly to the side of the seating area, and the m22's behind you a good ways. Actually another setup of Qs8's for the rears might be good, if you have the room behind you?

Yeah, I'd say the 60s would be fine in that space. 80s would also be fine!
I don't actually own any 60s, but the 50s filled my 18x19x8 living room quite adequately. Like SirQ, I had the opportunity to get the 80s, so I jumped at it.

The 60 and 80 work equally as well in any size room, the difference is which sound you might want. I found the M60s to be less clear/forward then my M22Ti's which you also have. The M80s are a much closer match to their sound, IMO, either way you can't go wrong, I still wish I kept the M60s for other rooms and just for a change of pace as the M60s are no slouch and sound great as well just slightly differnt and I only noticed because I A/B compared to the M22s and M80s.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I never thought that the QS8s would be better on the side. I'll do that. For the M22s, would the wall brackets here from Axiom give them enough breathing room?

After I got my speakers, I like them so much that I bought my parents a whole set with the M60s in front.

I feel like this is my opportunity to the get M80s too but the room is not big. I'm also worried that my receiver (Onkyo 805) can't handle the M80s.

Hi Chester, I think the posts above re: "breathing room" are asking how far the M22s would be behind your seating position.

General consensus seems to be that if, for instance, your couch is very close to the back wall where the speakers would be mounted, the results will not be great...

I haven't used Axiom's wall brackets but I would have to assume that they allow for some space behind them for rear ported speakers, maybe someone who has them can contribute or give a representative a call. The 22s should also have room to 'disperse' into the listening area, so you don't want to have them too close behind you.

I doubt if you'll have any problem with your Onkyo running M80s, that receiver is quite powerful and I believe the specifications on Onkyo's site show it handling 4 ohm speakers.

Sorry, I miss understood the breathing room. I would mount the rear surrounds at the back of the room about 3 ft behind the sitting position. Is that enough? What's too close? Can I point the speakers down?

What about just adding two QS8's for the 6&7 channels while keeping the M22's for the fronts? It could save you some $.

For me, I think 3 feet would be too close for a direct radiating speaker for surround use. I would be worried about it being distracting instead of creating a diffuse surround field.

Or go ahead and buy the QS8's and try the Axiom trade-up program to move from the M22's to the M60/80's and save some $ - that could be a best of both worlds option.

I am currently using a set of Infinity direct radiating speakers for my 7.1 surround in the rears and have seating at 3 feet (back row) and 6 feet (front row) from them. I personally do not hear much of a differance between either row of seating as far as 7.1 surround goes. Although saying that the first row of seating is the sweet spot in my HT.

Later
Phil

My vote goes for M60's up front, put the QS8's to work in a 5.1 configuration, and use the M22's in your bedroom or something like that. Just my 2 cents.

Either way, we'll need to see picks of your new project!

Gotta appreciate someone who takes the time to think before posting.

Must also be in the running for a record in resisting upgradites if he bought his speakers back then.

Are you suggesting that post was 8 years in the making???

Hehe, I'm a slow thinker. I'm a MS developer.

There's no reason to upgrade since these speakers work great. Also, I had to wait 8 years to build my house to get my theater room.

Thanks everybody for all these suggestions but the bad part is that the decision is harder than before since I didn't even think about these possibilities. I still have a little over a month left to decide since my house is not finished yet.

Sounds like a man after JohnK's heart to me!

You got that right, Micah. In about a month it'll be 8 years for my M22s, so I suppose that I'm one of the candidates for the record that Dean mentioned.

Well John you're certainly up there but I was surprised to see at least three active, posted within the last year, members (Axiom employees not counting) who’ve been here longer than you. They are 2x6spds, sonicfox and ravi_singh. Now way to tell who actually bought their axioms first. I’m curious if any of them are still using their original speakers.

I wonder how many Ravi Singh there are? I worked with an SAP (IBM) consultant with name several years ago.