hello all,

I recently came across a used 7.1 setup.

it's the epic 50 - 350 and it has the m50ti towers, 4 qs-4s, and the ep-350 subwoofer. I plan to use them in a dedicated home theater room that's about 15x20.

I haven't been able to find much info about the differences between the ti, v2, and v3.

I'm not exactly sure how old they are, either, but i'm guessing they have to be at least 10 years old.

would these be worth purchasing? the price seems reasonable, but I'm not sure if their age or the m50ti models had any issues.

any info or advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks in advance.

Hello jaco523,

The M50v3 has been significantly improved over the old M50ti, with a newer and better tweeter. The old M50ti was pleasant enough, but in blind listening tests I found it rather on the "dull" side in the treble region -- not as detailed as the original M22ti, the M60ti or the M80ti. In recent listening tests, I was surprised at the improvements in the bass/treble balance of the new M50v3.

The QS4s should be OK. You should certainly check that the amplifier of the EP350 subwoofer is working properly before you lay down your money.

Generally speaking, the changes to the original "ti" versions with the subsequent v2 and v3 versions involved improved tweeters with better dispersion and power handling, adjustments to the crossovers for smoother spectral performance, and better drivers (woofers and midranges, where applicable).

Regards,
Alan

Well, Alan, I suppose it IS your job to promote upgradeitis.

(said the guy with the M60ti's).

thanks for the quick response.

I forgot to mention that a vp100 is also included.


if I did get this set, would it be worth it to upgrade the tweeters in the m50s? any idea how much that might cost?


all in all, does $450 seem like a fair price for this 8 speaker setup, given their age and some of the shortcomings of this version?

Try being the guy with M50tis, Tom.

$450 is not an unreasonable price for that setup, and it will make you happy for a heck of a lot less money than a brand new setup. I doubt a tweeter upgrade would work, as I'm sure there's a crossover upgrade involved as well. Probably cost a couple hundred bucks or something, but that's a guess.

I agree with Ken; it might not make financial sense to upgrade the drivers and crossovers. You'd have to check with Axiom, and they'd probably need the serial numbers to figure out exactly what would and wouldn't work.

That's a LOT of speakers for $450. If they are in decent cosmetic shape, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

A very fair price, and as others have noted, it wouldn't be worth the cost to try and update the drivers and crossovers.

KenC has always championed the M50s. You have to take my comments in context-- immediate blind comparisons between different models tend to exaggerate subtle tonal differences because of the sudden switch in spectral balance. Heard by themselves, the M50s will yield an enjoyable listening experience.

Alan

It's exactly what Alan says. To be truthful, I like my M80s a great deal more than my M50s, but I loved my M50s when they were the only thing I had.

Price seems fair although I have never heard the m50s. What are you using now?