I'm in the process of redoing my system, after about of decade of paying little attention to audio equipment (things appear to have changed). My budget for speakers is in the $800 range, and I'm interested only in two-channel at the moment. I'm wondering whether, at this price point, one is better off going with a pair of floorstanding speakers, or with bookshelf speakers plus a sub--that would be, in the Axiom line, either the M60s or M22s with a subwoofer. I'd prefer floorstanding speakers, in terms of looks and convenience of placement, but if the bookshelf + sub combo is going to deliver markedly better sound, I can live with it. My receiver is a Denon AVR-1603, so it's not terribly powerful. Am I right in thinking that floorstanding speakers might demand too much power from my amp?

My living room is about 320 square feet, 8' tall, acoustically very hard (concrete ceiling and hardwood floor). I only really care about music; I do watch some movies, but I'm not really into the "home theater" experience. I listen to classical, blues, and rock. Thanks for any advice you can give me.

Mark

Mark(couldn't possibly be Donahue, could it?), if it was me I almost certainly would go with the M22s plus sub. The M22s have an extremely smooth treble, midrange and upper bass and their weakness in the low bass would be a moot point with a properly set up sub. However, from what you say I suspect that you'd be happier with the M60s. The somewhat better low bass performance wih a sub might not be all that important in your listening, and that's the only area where the combo might be said to be "markedly better". The midrange and highs should be essentially identical. Note that, if anything, floorstanders are slightly more sensitive and would actually demand less power from your 1603. Big speakers don't in general require big power and neither do they provide "big sound"; theoretically the broadest dispersion and biggest sound stage would be obtained with an almost infinitely small point source. So, if you like the looks and convenience, go with the M60s.

Thanks for the response--it's very helpful. Mark Donohue was one of the great American auto racers, a childhood hero of mine. He was known through much of his career as "Captain Nice," but went through a depressed period when his friends took to calling him "Dark Monohue."

If you're set on 2-channel on an $800 budget, go with the M60s. I initially bought the M22s (I already had a sub) but sent them back for the M60s. In music, the subs rarely kick in because the M60s handle exceptionally well. Having compared both, the M60s will give you the mid-range and treble excellence of the M22s but will add the presence, richness, and tight bass that an M22 + sub will never deliver.

IMHO, M60s. Add a sub later when you get into home theater. I didn't think HT would be important to me at all, but after getting the digital receiver and additional speakers - I was completely blown away. Can't stop renting $.99 DVDs from Albertsons.