Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Best Speaker Sys. Under 3000$ consideration within

Thanks for the replies guys, I appreciate it. I really like the dart board reference. I 've thought about that quite a bit really. It really sums it up quite well.

I can tell you that if I go all Axiom it'll be
m80's
vp150
ep500
qs8's.

from what has been said here, I have run dry on info seeking here on the axiom forum as to what "brand" to choose. But if I can get thoughts on different aspects of home audio here that would be great. As i see it there are some quite knowledgeable folks here on this forum, that I can learn from IF I ask questions.

So If i may . . . Keeping the same brand across the front is now a MUST for me (learned from reading and input) the one question I would have about speakers and mixing is just how important is staying with the same name speakers for the surrounds or rears, as the front end is? I've not found much info on it. except some saying the "timbre" (<--i believe the word is) should be matched, does that come down to driver size? type? or is there more to it than that?
So would it sound like crap if I were to get the QS8's and use them with another makers front end speakers? or even the other way around having Axiom's on the front end and diff maker's on the rear?

Auditioning, there again is my thorn in the side. where I am I 'may' be able to audition speakers is about an 10-12 hours drive away in the big city. I have NO idea what if anything they would have that anyone would have even heard of. That is compounded by the fact I have never been to that city, and in this country 'english' is not the first language, so it would be like looking for a needle in a GIANT haystack with signs that may as well have been from outer space. so there is that barrier as well.

If I get helpfull input here on the Axiom forum or not. I have a desire to learn and gather as much info as I can, BEFORE , I make my leap of faith and I will continue my quest regardless.

afterall why does one need prior knowledge of other speakers to get help? Everyone started somewhere. I say I want the most true to life speakers that are not going have TOO much push in the high end so as to make my ear "flip". What more detail is needed than that? Maybe its just being stupid , but I would have thought that would be enough. And In my question asking online I have assembled a list of choices that most think ANY will be good
choices, and i have amassed this list with NO prior knowledge and NO auditioning.

Just imagine that you all are my ears, I'm able to hear how different speakers sound through you and your individual interpritations of what you are hearing. Imagine I then that we meet and you share your thoughts about what you heard. That is how it feels to me I understand the same speaker sounds different to different people, that is EXACTLY why I ask views from so many that HAVE be able to audition any of those that I am interested in. Take this all as you will, ignore me, or share with me. ITS ALL GOOD.

spel chk schmell chk

In reply to:

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It's been my experience that people who call Axioms "bright" tend to be idiots.Around these parts they use the word "tinny".

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Then call me an idiot as I'm one of those people or idiots as you call them who found in particular the M80's a little on the "In Your Face" or "Bright" side.

In reply to:

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If you like dull the Axioms won't be for you,if clear and accurate is your thing you'll love them.

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Really? Ever heard the M50's or the M3's or are you just guessing that all Axioms sound the same? Have you owned them all? I have.......... with the exception of the M60's and based on your comment you are implying that every Axiom speaker made is clear and accurate and more or less sounds the same. I got news for you, the M50 and the M80 sound nothing at all alike. Nor do the M3's and M22's that I have sitting 5 feet away from me as I type this..............and I can go on but you get my point.

Be careful when throwing around the term idiot as you are blanketing a fair number of people with an idiotic statement who are anything but idiots.

Always look on the briiiight side of life.....

Guess my memory is failing me, I thought you had told me you replaced the Axioms.

Stone_Man, buying speakers is taking a leap in faith, particularly if you can't audition.
Most of us on this board took that leap and are very happy with our decision. You can spend the rest of your life reading subjective thoughts on different speakers, but that will not help you get any closer to your end goal.
In the end you are just going to have to jump and hope you made the right decision with your choice. Imho the Axiom line would be a great choice, but the final decision is yours. Good Luck

Stone_Man,

I’d not expect anyone on this board to recommend any other speaker but Axiom. Most of us have them and most of really, really like them. There are a large percentage of us who like them just for their sound characteristics and really couldn’t give a rat’s ass what they cost either….in other words, to some of us, we’d have them even if they were double the price. So don’t listen too hard to some of the folks who always, for some reason or other feel they have to throw in this silly “great speaker for the money” disclaimer when they talk about them.

They are bright. So what? It’s just a term, slang, an adjective. Some people hate bright speakers and they say that they give them headaches. Some people like boomy/bass heavy speakers that they call lade back. It’s all a personal preference. Some folks think Bose sounds just fantastic. Some like JBL. Way different sounding speakers. I think they suck, but that doesn’t mean they do suck. They don’t give me headaches, but I never really get into the music with them. I need a very detailed speaker or I get bored and have to go fire up the dirt bike or do some other foolish thing that involves adrenalin. My speakers sooth me and calm me down. I have not ever in my 40 years been able to sit still and not do anything - until I got a set of M80’s and their sound just sucked me in. My girlfriend was scared something serious was wrong with me when she came home and I was sitting in front of the speakers don’t nothing but listening. JBL and Bose could never do that for me. That’s what this “hobby” is all about. Finding the sound that can draw you in and turn you into a vegetable. You will not find it asking folks to choose for you.

So you need to go out and figure out what type of sound you prefer. Go to any store you can find, listen to all they have and take notes. Then, come on back and tell us what you think. I bet that there will be someone on this board that has heard them and can tell you if they are a bright, warm, detailed or whatever…..type of speaker. They you will know what speakers to leave on your shopping list and what to take off.

to me that was a very good reply overall mdrew , thanks
I wouldn't exactly say I want you guys to choose for me, but I want instead , just what u have done, you gave me your view on the speakers that u have listened to. And your take on the axiom m80's. I am sorta suprised that u started off with "They are bright. So what?". I like that an honest view of how they sound to you. It seems many here equate saying an axiom is brite is a total condemnation of them. If it a general characteristic of them then it is. So again, i thank you for your candor, and not just saying something that is a half truth in your eyes " ears" simply to justify to yourself that u made the right choice and your speaker can't be viewed by discriptors other than the likes of perfect.

Again, my whole reason for wanting honest input such as yours is because of my ear problem. It's been years since my last hearing test. but I would guess if there is a. don't know the words so bare withme. deviation from flat response, a spike, whatever it is, at (guessing) anywhere from 2K to 5K range that may "set off" my ear distortion. It could be at a higher level, not sure but that would be my guess. So that is why I ask about the as u say forwardness or briteness of it. I really like everything about what I have read about axioms , paid reviews or personal views.

another thing noone has mentioned, could the yammy rx-v2500 through eq maybe stop the speaker from being something that would get rid of or lessen the crack-ly highs? Bottom line is I would hate my ear to start its thing the first time I cranked the m80s a bit.

Again I don't know diddly squat but , would I be correct to assume that the m60 may give my ear less troulbe compared to the m80 , cause it only has one tweeter. or an overall less . um... pronounced highs?

thanks again folks,

I would never describe the treble on the Axioms as being crackly. They're very clear. Don't know about bright; to me that means the treble is overemphasized. I don't recall the treble being overemphasized on the 22s, 60s, or 80s I've heard.

I don’t have time or the inclination to play word games. A spade’s a spade to me. You want my opinion, that’s what you’re gunna get. And I won’t even try to be politically correct or nice or mean. Just straight. That’s who I am.

Yes, I think they are bright and that word doesn’t bother me in the least bit. When I think about the meaning of the work bright, I believe that adjective fits. But just what is that description??? In the audio work thesauruses, detailed will be right next to the word bright. I just don’t care what the word is. They are extremely detailed. You can hear a spider fart in the recording studio with these speakers (not literally, but you get my drift). The only speakers that can reproduce detail to that degree will be considered “harsh/bright/in your face” or what the hell other some half deaf thumpity-thump lover wants to call them. Is there too much treble??? For 75% of the music I listen to, no, I like them just the way they are. For the other 25%, yes, too much for me. That 25% is all hard alternative rock (Breaking Benjamin / Seether / Chevelle) that has a lot of intense guitar and hard vocals. For the rest of my collection, I wouldn’t live without it. I’ve got two 400 disk changers filled with just about everything from blues, jazz, classic rock, metal, country, celtic, light and easy stuff, classical, instrumental, blue grass, contemporary, and other stuff I don’t even know what to call. I like it all. I just had a hearing test today and was told my hearing is as close to perfect as a human can be. Take that for what it’s worth.

Can you EQ it out? Yes you can. Any receiver with tone controls will allow you to back down the treble a couple db’s. If you get them and really like the speakers but just feel as if they have too much treble, either drop the treble or call Axiom. Tell them what you think and if they think resisters will help, they’ll send you some to put in line with the tweeters (20 minute job). They knock down the treble a db or so. You never hear about these things and I’m probably gunna get an ass chewing for mentioning them because Axiom goes to a lot of trouble building speakers to roll off the assembly line as is. The resisters change their sound.

I’m beginning to feel like a salesman and I really don’t like salesman, so this is my last “sales’ post. Go out and listen. I can’t give you any more information that I already have.

Good luck.

I, personally, would rather be known as bright than veiled. Then again I'm pretty laid back, so....