Ok, its like this, I have a Yamaha receiver (5 x 110w), Mirage M990 mains, Paradigm center, Paradigm 15" sub, Paradigm surrounds. Mainly listen to music, some movies and the room is 15x19 w/vault.

Now for the dilemma. I've been fighting it for years and the wife wants me to dump the piano finished M990s and get some bookshelf speakers so it will free up the floor space and "get rid of those big black boxes". I've already hid the sub in the entertainment center. My problem is I don't think speakers will sounds very good (I'm looking at the M3s because the top shelf has 14"). If I'm placing the M3s in the entertainment center will I be completely unsatisfied or is it something I could live with? I don't listen to music that loud anymore because I now have kids, etc.

Any advice? Should I dump the 10 year old in wonderful condition M990s and get some M3s or stick with my guns and keep the fight up to keep my M990s?

Regards....

Personally, I think that room is way too big for the M3's. I think you would be better off with the M990's.

I would have to agree thats a pretty big room for bookshelves.If I were you I would keep the Mirage M990s,if your happy with them why change.Keep up the good fight

Even though I have a 15" sub that will more than do the job on the low end? That was my concern as well but I though maybe with the sub I could get by with the M3s. Biggest concern was them sound like crap stuffed in the top of the entertainment center. Thanks for the reply!!!

Stick with you guns.

You should have your speakers at ear level for the best possible imaging. Your existing sub is perfect for your room. I would try to keep your existing speakers. Is it the size and or the color that your wife isn't happy with?

One of the drawbacks of this hobby is that, for speakers to operate at their optimum, they need to operate in open space, without surfaces nearby to cause problems. So for best results do NOT place speakers, subwoofer included, in cabinets or entertainment centers.

Alan, Axiom's resident expert, had this to say in a recent thread. He's talking about the M22s, but both are rear ported speakers, and the principle is the same.

For most of us, who live in the real world, circumstances (like WAF, size of room, furnishings, etc.) preclude doing what is best, and we have to bite the bullet and make do with what we can get away with.

To answer your question, the M3s would do fine with just the sub, but might be lacking in a room that size. And, with both the sub and the M3s in an EC, the results would probably be less than stellar. Only YOU could tell if you would be dissatisfied with this arrangement.

If you can fight the good fight without it destroying your marriage, as the others have recommended, I'd stick with the M990s.

The bookshelf vs. towers issue partly depends on how loud you like your music/home theater. I recently upgraded my living room stereo for "cosmetic" reasons - bookshelf (with a subwoofer) Mirage M260s to Axiom M22s - and I also have some Polk RTi8 towers that I use for home theater in another room. The M260s and M22s are excellent speakers that work well in a big room for "It sounds like a string quartet is playing in the living room" type volumes. I suspect the M3s would do very well with this also. But the bookshelf speakers just don't push enough air to give you "The Who is playing in the living room" or the volume I like to hear in action/adventure movies - although my Polk towers will do that in the family room. Off the top of my head, it occurred to me that you might want to try 2 M3s on each side - I'm curious what some of the smarter (i.e. virtually everybody here) folks around here would think of that. Or, you could just tell the wife that everybody here thinks that bookshelf speakers (especially that small) would be a big step down audio-wise so you don't want to do it.

Thanks for the reply.. I think I'm gonna go and buy some bookshelf speakers just to try it out. Return them and get some M3s if it seems to work well. Problem is I can't go much larger if any than the M3s because I only have 13.7" in height to work with.. thanks again!!

Make sure you re-balance your speaker levels and sub level after hooking up the bookshelf speakers. Speakers have different efficiencies, and without doing this the new speakers could be too loud or too soft relative to your other speakers and sub.

Verify your sub crossover is what you expect, usually about 80Hz.

Also the Mirage M990 is a dipole design. Two 6.5" woofers, one forward firing 4" mid and 1" tweeter, and one rearward firing 4" mid and 1" tweeter.

ANY other unipole speaker, bookshelf or floor standing, will sound different from this. Not necessarily better or worse, but different. Be prepared for it.

Let us know the result.

It's been awhile since I dispensed this foolproof HT problem solver advice, but ir seems most appropriate here - Sell the Wife!!!

Finally! The voice of reason.

In reply to:

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Sell the Wife!!!

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AAAALAY-LU-YA.... AAAALAY-LU-YA

Ray has exorcised the demons!!

bigjohn

Ok.. I did it and I'll never do it again! I tried using Klipsch RB15s for my test. It was immediately evident that I was not going to be happy with this deal. I had to crank up the sub, it sounded ok and it would play load. They were obviously much more effecient than the M990s but the depth and fullness was just not there. It just simply sounded like the music was coming from a little "boxy" enclosure. Don't get me wrong the RB15s did fine for a bookself speaker and I can only assume the M3s would do even better. However, this test just gave my ears everything they needed to keep the large, floor standing M990s. I was willing to compromise but not willing to compromise that much.. :-)

Thanks again for all the feedback, looks like the wife will have to put up with them cause I can't bring myself to a bookshelf speaker for this room..