Okay, it's official, there is just no way I can afford the M60's. Since I have to ship them to New Jersey and thereafter to Bermuda the shipping and 33% duty on electronic goods is just too much of an added expense.

I am looking at the M22's and the M50's. I like the M22's better with the dual 5.25 woofers because of the more accurate sound but it is still going to be a headache of having bookshelves with two small children. I have already prepared, mentally at least, for the SVS 25-31 sub.

My opinion is that with two M22's, VP150, QS8's, and a SVS sub, it should be quite fine for mostly HT. My room measures about 25 x 15. Am I accurate with this conclusion or should I reconsider the M50's or even the M40's for fronts??

That's interesting.
I try to buy stuff from ebay through sellers in the States and personally i've found i can get things locally for cheaper b/c the damn exchange and duty just kills the 'deal' of a price.

Anyways, the M22s will do you well especially for HT. I personally prefer larger towers for music but for HT, the M22s coupled with a sub will do you great! The main difference i found b/w the M22 and the M60 was simply the 'size' of the sound. The m60s were louder and a bit more dynamic but both models seemed to still have that trademark Axiom sound of high clarity and smooth mid tones (as well as tight bass). If you have the cash to pay for return shipping, you could always audition both the M22s and M40s maybe just to be sure although i understand your distance situation is something of a problem.

Try reading through those reviews once again, or perhaps the consumer reviews at
audioreview.com--axiom
to help you discern the character of each of the models you are considering.

Chesseroo,

Thanks again for your recommendations. I have an especially difficult position here and the decision is going to kill me. I will probably go for the M50's over the M22's to avoid an accident with the kids. I have had huge Klipcsh some years ago and even though the big speakers create more open dynamic range I have to compromise both for cost to import and by physical presence. I would love to be able to audition the M22, M40, & M50 for myself, but that will not be happening. Just hope I make the right decision.

Fortunately here, it is more for HT and with the addition of the VP150, QS8, and SVSub I am sure it will still sound quite good.

Canman,

I have the smaller version of your set-up:

M40 VP100 Qs4 SVS 2531pci

For HT this system is outstanding, and with music it is excellant!! You can see my system here:

http://www.axiomaudio.com/wallofame.html

Steve_C

Canman, I would be inclined to suggest the M22s if you're going to use the SVS 25-31(incidentally, you can ask Tom at SVS to tune your 25-31 to 22hz, rather than 25, for a little more bass extension. They do this without additional charge). Bear in mind that there's no law that you have to use bookshelves for a "bookshelf" speaker. They can be placed on the floor and tilted back slightly. The key point in speaker placement is that the woofers should be at different distances from the three nearest room surfaces(i.e. floor, sidewall, frontwall).

That setup looks sweet. Did you have the chance to audition any additional front speakers?

You've got some great choices to finish off the HT in the QSx , VP150 and SVS.
The sound really will be excellent i'm sure of that.
I think somewhere not long ago we discussed how the speaker 'character' really seems to apply more for music than HT. I know i sure can't tell so much about the highs or midrange sounds while watching a movie but it's alot more evident when listening to music. If your primary task is for HT then both the M50 or M22 will do you well.

If you really are that worried about the possibility of knockover then don't think twice and go for the M50s for peace of mind. But, the M22s will sit solid on a stand that is properly weighted. Kids can push a tower off its spikes about as easily as they can yank speaker cables really hard....
Steve_C had a great suggestion in looking at the Axiom wall of fame page. You can get to see various Axiom speakers and their respective sizes in comparison to the surrounding furniture and such.
Links to my brief time with the M22 can be viewed here (clik on the couch panorama and you will see them next to the EP350, QS8s, a bar fridge, and futon couch):
my early HT pics with the m22s

Canman,

I did not audition any other front speakers in the Axiom line, however before my purchase I did audition some of the other speakers made by Canadian company's like Paradigm and PSB as well as speaker's from Monitor Audio. My plan was to formulate what I thought the Axiom's would sound like. I must admit that the Axiom's came very close to what I had expected!!

I was more interested in small floorstanders because I have very young and toddler age relatives, and felt it would be safer for both the children and the speakers. Also my wife is Queen Of The Killer Vacuum.

However, if you already have taught your own children or can teach them to respect "Daddy's Gear" the 22's on stands could still be a valid option, but I really don't think you would be dissapointed with your choice of the M50's.

P.S. My 40's are spiked to the carpet.

My M22's are great for home theater. I have a wife and a cat (both of which should never be let to play around home theater equipment) and my speakers have survived tipping thus far.

If you are really worried, I think I remember someone months ago talking about inserting a few screws from the underside of the stands into the speaker enclosure to secure things. If you call Axiom they may be able to tell you more on how safe that is.

Enjoy your Axioms!!! Whichever ones you get.

Steve,

What are your feelings on the M40's? Do you regret not spending the extra money and getting either the M50 or M60.
I am using them for mostly HT, so I was thinking about the M40 coupled with the EP150 and QS8. I am not sure if this is going to create a similiar dynamic range compared with the M50. I am still on the fence with the fronts. The other reviews on the M40's seemed very good.