Hi:
I am thinking of getting the M60s for mains to start a HT system. I have the Yamaha 659 receiver and right now have some old JBL 2600s (bookshelf)which sound OK. If right now I want to get one more speaker group, would I be better of getting a center, sub or surrounds? I will likely get all eventually, but this is all I want to spend at the moment.
The mix is 70% music, 30% movies (or so). Which will add the most to the listening experience until I can fill in the rest? I am a geezer (52) and don't like the music too loud these days. Also, the room is wide, but while sitting in front of the speakers, you are only 9 feet back, I was going to just get the m22s, but thought that the m60s might avoid upgradeitis when I buy a place.
Also, while I have always liked the woodgrain, my girlfriend insists that the black speakers have a higher waf, since they will blend in with anything else. Right now the only one that I have to please is me, but who knows... If I am not going to get the veneer, am I better off with the black? How do others like their black speakers.
Answer quickly as I was going to surprise myself with these speakers as a birthday gift to me.
Thank you for the input.
I'm in a similar situation, but have ordered M22's for a 60-40% HT-2ch split. I just ordered a sub and will use my old Bose 201's as surrounds until I prioritize spending on some QS8's.
I'd say since you are getting floorstanding speakers they should have better bass than the bookshelves I am getting, so go with a pair of surround speakers next. Then look at the sub and center.
I myself like the woodgrain look and am going with the Cherry with black grills. I wasnt too impressed with the site of the black on the website, but I read a few reviews that said they look really good. I believe Sirquack has Ebony finish from the custom finish and really likes it.
Good luck.
mdix, welcome to the forum! I would move your JBLs to surround duty and focus on getting a sub. This way you will benefit with both HT and two channel listening. As long as you are in the sweet spot you can run the M60s in phantom mode which will simulate a center. Nothing beats a good sub for HT, and if calibrated properly should add some oomph to stereo listening as well.
MD, welcome. If you mean in addition to the M60s, my view is that the QS surrounds should come next. The bass from the M60s is good enough so that getting a sub, while desirable, can be delayed. Since the M60s can provide a good "phantom" center for someone sitting about midway between them, a separate center speaker can also be delayed. A very wide-dispersion set of side surrounds(such as the QSs)helps greatly for movies and also for music if DPLII, etc. is used to extract the ambience present in two-channel music material and steer it to the surrounds where it belongs. Although the 2600s could also be temporarily used for that purpose, the QSs would be better and the 2600s could be tried as back-surround speakers instead.
Thanks, for the input. I can see why I am having trouble deciding... there are a lot of possibilities. The JBLs are a wood grain vinyl on home made bamboo stands (I'll try to take a picture) and may look funky with the black speakers if I try to use them as the surrounds....I had thought about moving the JBLs to the bedroom for the zone 2, but am using some old indoor outdoor realistics and I can't seem to turn them low enough because the room is small and the JBLs would be even louder.
How about the proximity of the seating to the M60s- will the sound drive my ears to the back of my head or should I be all right just 9 feet back?
Well, off to work to pay for all this stuff.
I sat about 8 feet from my 60s and, the last time I checked, my ears were right where they should be.
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MD, welcome. If you mean in addition to the M60s, my view is that the QS surrounds should come next. The bass from the M60s is good enough so that getting a sub, while desirable, can be delayed. A very wide-dispersion set of side surrounds(such as the QSs)helps greatly for movies and also for music if DPLII, etc. is used to extract the ambience present in two-channel music material and steer it to the surrounds where it belongs. Although the 2600s could also be temporarily used for that purpose, the QSs would be better and the 2600s could be tried as back-surround speakers instead.
I read a review of some NHT SB1's that were used for surround speakers and while they did the job, the reviewer said that his QS8's created a seamless wider dispersion than the SB1's and much better HT experience.
I second the vote for some QS first, then a sub.
I agree with John. The QS8s would be a great next step. The 60s will give you more bass than your current speakers and the JBLs will be too directional for surrounds. Next I would go for a sub while continuing to use the "phantom" center provided by the 60s and the receiver. Then complete the set with a center.
You also might not be aware of a couple of discounts that could change your thinking. There is a "Factory Outlet" from which you can buy discounted speakers that are funtionally perfect but have "flaw" in fit'n'finish. Most people who have bought FO products have never found these supposed flaws, including myself. Also, if you buy 5 speakers (any mix) at once you get a 5% "Home Theater Discount." So if you just bought new M60s you would pay $960. If you bought a pair of 60s, a pair of QS8s, and say a VP150 from FO your total price would be $1615.95. That's a pretty good deal. For comparison, buying this at full price would cost $1795.95 and buying them a piecemeal at full price would cost $1890.00.
I received my Axioms only a couple weeks ago in black and I'm actually thinking about changing to Boston Cherry. I should have ordered samples first. The wife actually thinks the black is okay and prompted the order in the first place, but I'm not sure it fits what I wanted. You can order color samples and when you return them the credit will be applied to your order.
Bill3508
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I received my Axioms only a couple weeks ago in black and I'm actually thinking about changing to Boston Cherry. I should have ordered samples first. The wife actually thinks the black is okay and prompted the order in the first place, but I'm not sure it fits what I wanted. You can order color samples and when you return them the credit will be applied to your order.
Bill3508
Bill,
Boston Cherry is VERY nice, i love the color, so does my wife.
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Boston Cherry is VERY nice
Except that accent comes through in the vocals and everyone sounds like Norm Abram.
Bren R.
Of course if I go with surrounds, there is also the stand price thrown in unless I go back and raid the bamboo grove.
Whenever I see the surrounds mentioned, all anyone talks about are the QS8s.. Do the QS4s have the plague or something?
You'll note that I said "QSs", covering either, depending in large part on the size of the room. You didn't describe your room, but QS4s have often been suggested here for small/medium rooms.
Also, it's generally suggested that if possible the surrounds should be wall-mounted about 3' above ear-level, rather than on stands.
Thanks. I had not noticed that even the surround stand that Axiom sells is 38" tall. I got divorced last year and am renting so not sure about putting any more holes in the wall than I need to( for brackets). It looks like some more pondering is in order...
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T I got divorced last year and am renting so not sure about putting any more holes in the wall than I need to.
I was in the same situation.
i put 4 holes per speaker in the wall(2 holes on a stud), and got some of those speaker wire covers to hide the wire. Even if I have to buy some spackling and paint, it is still a lot cheaper than those stands. The good news is i couldnt rent 1st class, so they may not even notice a couple of more holes 
good luck
Randy
Good luck. How do you like the QS4s... most people seem to focus on the QS8s?
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Good luck. How do you like the QS4s... most people seem to focus on the QS8s?
I've got QS4s, since they're very close to the listening area, QS8s might have been overkill. They're very nice.
Bren R.