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Posted By: terzaghi need help choosing ht speakers - 08/02/07 01:30 PM
hello all... I am in need of some help choosing the appropriate axiom setup.

My living room is roughly 2100 cu ft. 13.5 X 19.5 X 8.
The living room opens to a hallway and the kitchen on the left side (left of the couch when looking at the TV.)

Due to the layout of the room (firplace and sliding glass door on the right), my TV and couch are located on the longer walls (opposite sides of the room of course) so the distance between the tv and the couch is the 13.5' distance minus the width of the couch and the tv; Depending on the placement of the main speakers, I suspect this will leave about 10' from the future speakers to my ears.

I want a 5.1 setup. The system will be about 60% movies and games, and about 40% music. I like action movies, deep bass, rock/rap/techno. My girlfriends likes country music as well.

Any suggestions on speakers?
Posted By: Hutzal Re: need help choosing ht speakers - 08/02/07 03:03 PM
For a full 5.1 setup in that room size I would recommend the following:

2 x M22 mains
EP500 sub
QS8/QS4 surrounds
single M2 vertical centre channel.
Posted By: terzaghi Re: need help choosing ht speakers - 08/02/07 03:12 PM
[image]http://img165.imageshack.us/my.php?image=floorplanwc2.jpg[/image]

I have attached a quick sketch of my floorplan/layout. The love seat is not really in there yet, but we will be buying a new couch/loveseat and it will likely be placed as shown. I realize thatis not the best location for a loveseat (the left and right surrounds won't be positioned correctly for people on that couch, but oh well)

I like my music to sound good and moderate volumes, but I also love to be able to turn things up LOUD once in a while. any further comments would be appreciated. I like my movies and games to be able to play LOUD at times as well. TV show volumes will be moderate.
EDIT: the link wont work i think image shack sucks. just copy and paste if you want to view it.

Posted By: ctown Re: need help choosing ht speakers - 08/02/07 04:40 PM
What kind of budget range do you have?? Do you want to have bookshelves on stands or mounts for main speakers or would you prefer floorstanding speakers for mains? What kind of amp do you plan on using?

Dont worry about the surrounds. The QS8's are very forgiving with placement according to most of the vets here.
Posted By: terzaghi Re: need help choosing ht speakers - 08/02/07 05:41 PM
I found out the true URL for the image from image shack, should work this time:


I am looking at purchasing the yamaha rxv661 receover. It provides 90 wpc.
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/produ...DETYP=ATTRIBUTE
open to suggestions on this though. I Would like to get something in the 500 dollar range or less for the receiver.

My budget is flexible for speakers. The most I can spend that I have looked at is this setup: 2 m60's vp150, ep500, 2 qs8's. If I go factory direct I could get all of this for 2,700 bucks

If I could get by with say m22's, vp100, qs4's and ep500 I would like to save some money.

I like the idea of having floor standing speakers but if there is not much difference in sound I would look at the cheaper bookshelve speakers.

basically I do not want to spend more money than needed for this size of room, (although i may move to a larger space in a few yrs), but at the same time I don't want to get something that leaves me wishing I had bought something bigger.
Posted By: Hutzal Re: need help choosing ht speakers - 08/02/07 07:08 PM
If you are out to save money, you could for sure get by with M22 mains, VP150 centre (or a vertical M22 if you can), EP500 sub (this is MORE than enough for your room...and I mean that), and QS8s.

This system will seriously rock your joint, you won't feel like you are missing out on anything. The M22s crossed over at 80hz to the EP500 sounds alot like the M80 tower speaker.

Alan has M80s and the M22 EP500 combo setup in an A/B setting, he said sometimes when A/Bing, he has to look and see which combo is playing because he can't tell. I would recommend the M22/EP500 combo for sure.
Posted By: ctown Re: need help choosing ht speakers - 08/02/07 07:24 PM
I was just thinking that depending on what speakers you are looking at you may need a receiver that is 4 ohm compatible.

I currently use my M22's and QS8's in a basically 10x15 room but planned on it being in a 13x20 ft room and JC from Axiom said that would be fine, but if I could go floorstanding M60 it would be better. These speakers can be played loud without pushing them, so you are good with the M22's, but if you want to buy an amp that goes to ELEVEN.....go M60's with your VP150 and QS8's.

The EP500 is outstanding as everybody says, but you may find an equal or better sub from HSU or SVS for less $$.

The amp you are looking at is reviewed here.. RXV661 review

in the same range is the Pioneer 1016 VSX 1016

Or the Onkyo 604 or 674. Onkyo 604 Onkyo 674

good luck with your choices
Posted By: terzaghi Re: need help choosing ht speakers - 08/06/07 07:59 PM
after reading some replies here and making a phone call to axiom here is what I am thinking: 2 m22's , vp100, qs4, ep500.

basically I am going with hutzal's above advice but using the vp100 center channel instead. what do you guys think?

or should I just get the m60s, ep500, vp150 and qs 8's? this may be too much for this room but in a few years if I move into a larger house I will not have to upgrade.

what to do, what to do...?
Posted By: Mojo Re: need help choosing ht speakers - 08/06/07 08:52 PM
M60s & VP150. No question about it. As for QS8s vs. QS4, I'm not sure.
Posted By: framer2180 Re: need help choosing ht speakers - 08/06/07 09:00 PM
Go with the VP150. I just recently upgraded from the 100 to the 150 and feel it was significant improvement. The rest of my system is M60's and QS4's and I am extremely pleased with them.
Posted By: ctown Re: need help choosing ht speakers - 08/07/07 06:23 PM
I have a similar room in the basement which is the final destination for my HT setup.

Axiom suggested to me M22's, VP150, EP500, QS8's.(and M60's if I had space for floorstanders) I like my music, TV, Movies, but not a big gamer, so interesting how they suggested differently for both of us.

I would say M22 and VP150 would give you a great soundstage, and keep you from eventually upgrading from the VP100. I have the QS8's, so cant speak on the 4's
Posted By: DanielBMe Re: need help choosing ht speakers - 08/08/07 05:00 PM
I had the same dilema and decided with the M60's, QS4's and VP 150. I'm happy I went with the M60's instead of the M22's. I know I would have have constantly been thinking what if...

I also went with the vp150 because it bothers me to no end when I can't pick up the dialogue of a movie properly and wanted to make sure that with my new ht that I didn't have that problem. So I figured it was more important to me to get the 150 then the QS8's so I went with the 4's.

I'm very happy with my system. I went with an HSU sub which "rocks the bells".
Posted By: ctown Re: need help choosing ht speakers - 08/11/07 12:33 AM
Daniel, good to hear you like the VP150 as that is my last piece of the puzzle in my system. I also went with the STF-3 when EFL was selling them off and it shakes the walls for movies if I want to...while not sounding boomy for music.
Posted By: framer2180 Re: need help choosing ht speakers - 08/11/07 02:59 PM
Sounds like what I went through. I originally had M60's, VP100 and QS 4's. I decided to upgrade to the VP150 and am very pleased that I did.The 100 was good but the 150 is great. My wife and I sometimes struggled to pick up certain dialogue during movies but that is just not a problem with the 150. If you have not yet purchased and want a listen, I live here in Calgary.
Posted By: ctown Re: need help choosing ht speakers - 08/14/07 02:12 AM
Thanks Framer2180 I may take you up on that sometime. Currently dealing with home reno's eating up my budget, but hoping this winter will be the time for my VP150.
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