I've been wanting to move to a three way speaker and I'm thinking about trying the M60s. Can anyone answer the following:

1) What is the advantage of the die-cast woofer baskets upgrade?
2) I don't plan to bi-wire. Is there any reason I should get the bi-wire upgrade? I've never seen a 3-way without a bi-wire input.
3) My amp is 40 watts. I see the minimum wattage required is 10 watts, so I should be fine, but is a 40 watt amp really enough to drive these speakers?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

UPDATE - I got an answer on #1 searching the forum. Also, my setup is for music listening, not home theater.

Looks nicer. Ian is on record as saying there is no audible difference.



I think the general consensus here is that bi-wiring does nothing at all. There is less certainty about bi-AMPING, but I'm very dubious. Skip the extra cost.



Depends on how loud you want it to be. Somebody who likes math will probably calculate the target SPL for you at rated output, but I wouldn't hesitate to use a 40w amp with the M60's.

Good luck. Have fun.

Oh, and WELCOME!

Everything Tom said...including the welcome!

But I would ask how big your room is and what types of music / how loud before being confident about the 40 WPC.

I have the m80s myself and they are excellent! The m60s use mostly the same drivers and are supposed to be very good, too.

To answer your questions, no need for the die cast or bi-wire options. In fact other than aesthetics the only option I'd suggest is the spikes if your listening room has carpet.

As to whether your amp is powerful enough, what speakers do you have now? How sensitive are they? The m60s are listed as 93 db anechoic, 97 db in room. If what you currently have are about the same or less sensitive then the m60s should be able to play just as loud or louder. Only if your current speakers are more sensitive might there be an issue if you like it loud.

Then again, you might be more tempted to 'crank it' with your new speakers. Running an amp at or above clipping is notoriously hard on speakers so if you notice it happening by all means you should turn down the volume and consider upgrading your amp.

Enjoy your new speakers!

Foster, welcome. Agree to skip the die-cast and bi-wire options. As to amplifier power, it depends on how loud of an average level you use and how much above that average level the peaks in the music you listen to are. 40 watts would allow for a peak level a little above 100dB at typical listening distances. This should be sufficient in most cases, especially if it's doing the job now(unless your present speakers are significantly more sensitive than the M60s).

Thanks for the info everyone, I appreciate it.

Mark the room is technically huge. Our entire upper floor is one giant room really, so 20 x 45 x 10. I'm not expecting my 40 watt to fill the room, just the listening / living room section. There are times I'd like to crank it, so I will listen for clipping. Hopefully I can get the volume I want, we'll see.

I listen to funk, rock and modern jazz.

I am not sure the sensitivity of my current speakers, but I do not think it is above 90. They are old, crappy 8 Ohm Bose. So hopefully I can drive the M60's well. If not, I'll use the 30 day return policy.

Thanks for the info on spikes, I'll get some. I assume they will still come with the regular feet? I also may run these speakers from time to time without grills for the looks, so I may get the die cast "jewelry".

Thanks again!

Hello FosterCO,

That is an enormous room. I would not feel comfortable driving M60s in a room of that volume with less than 100 watts per channel. Given the penchant of many enthusiasts to "crank it" with great-sounding speakers, especially at parties, I think you should seriously consider upgrading the amplification. Forget the audio jewelry and divert the funds to more amplification capability.
By the time you "listen for clipping" in a room that size at high volume with 40 watts per channel, you may well have already damaged one or more drivers.

Regards,
Alan

Alan,

I appreciate your insight. However I dont plan on trying to power that whole room, really just my 15 x 20 living / listening area.

As for parties, having experienced what you describe too often when I was younger, I went out and bought a whole different crappy stereo system I setup for parties, so the M60s will not be used for that.

Nevertheless, I will think on your concerns before buying.

Thanks!

FosterCO, regarding "I dont plan on trying to power that whole room, really just my 15 x 20 living / listening area", you can't really power just the listening area in a large room, the sounds go to the entire space and thus dilute (weaken) the volume level when you're sitting at the listening position.

for a given listening pos., the larger the room, the more power is needed to keep the same loudness level.

i had m60's in a 17x18' room and 135 watts wasnt enough for me... but, that is just me... as noted by the clipping led's lighting up like a xmass tree lights...

Just thought I'd post an update. I got the M60's a little more than a month ago. I am very happy with them. I think they deliver excellent sound, and I especially like the low bass. The only negative was that they exposed my need for a tube roll, but that was needed anyway. I am also very happy with them as home theatre reinforcement. Saving Private Ryan beach landing was intense.

As for room size and volume levels, there is no problem here (at least to me!). With my amp at half power the music needs to be shouted over, which is too loud for my tastes. The sound is nicely audible all over the main level.

I may buy a Hegel H100 eventually, because not having a remote control on my old tube amp is getting inconvenient.

In retrospect maybe I should have gotten the die-cast baskets, as my lady simply loves the look of the speakers without the grill. But who saw that coming?!? .

Oh and the Sorrel Pear finish was the right choice. Not too orange, not too bright. Just a nice reddish brown.

All in all, I've got the sound I wanted.

Happy holidays all!

What does Sorrel pear look like?

If what you currently have are about the same or less delicate then the m60s should be able to perform just as noisy or noisier.