Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater New set up in Australia

I'll toss in that Studio 100s were indistinguishable from my M60s by my ear, though I claim no expertise in critical listening.

During the comparison, my buddy who bought the Studios thought he could 'maybe' spot a difference but since it wasn't definitive, even he agreed that it was not significant enough to warrant his bigger price paid. He did however enjoy the look of the 100's visual design better for his particular home and thus we are both extremely happy with our purchases.

Oppo USA is only making Region 1/Zone A players, but the BDP-831 is getting ready to ship to the UK, local to their settings.

Also there's a simple, $100, hardware mod, which can easily be done by the end user (remove cover, unplug Blu-ray drive, plug mod into the drive, plug cable into the mod, return cover) that'll convert the US player into region/zone-free.

Hi again,

David, if you are considering the 4-ohm M80s/EP500, I'd suggest you move away from the Marantz and consider Denon and other brands which, historically, have had no trouble driving 4-ohm loads.

While according to one source of mine, Marantz and Denon (and Sherwood Newcastle) all come out of the same factory, they do not have the same engineers designing them.

The brands of AV receivers that Axiom as found have no difficulty driving the 4-ohm M80s are Denon, Sherwood Newcastle, NAD, Rotel, Outlaw Audio, and B&K. I think there is a series from Yamaha RZ? that are also OK with 4-ohm loads. Others here may recall which Yamahas are OK with the M80s.

Regards,

Merlin the company selling them in Australia sells them both modded and unmodded the $1075 price is for the modded version.

Thanks to both for the info.

I agree with your friend Murph, one reason I looked hard at Paradigm was because I thought they were beautiful speakers. As awesome as the Axioms sound, they will never win a beauty contest (unless we're talking about the Vassalo's). This isn't to say they are ugly by any means, just... well let's just say they are purpose built, not dressed to kill!

I feel the piano black finish, coupled with the simple yet eligant lines of the M80's help them disappear into the living room. While if I wanted my speakers to really stand out and scream, "look at me, look at me"!!! Then I would go with something like the Paradigm's. But the longer I live with the M80's, the more I appreciate their modest appearance.

Now that I think about it, I don't think I really want a speaker that screams, "LOOK AT ME" after all!

I will add that the Integra DTR 9.9 AV receiver has a 4 ohm setting. I own one along with an Oppo BDP-83 and an Axiom M80 EP500 speaker system. The Integra is 2600 US but the system sounds awesome with absolutely no power issues and lots of headroom.

Usually, a setting like that just limits the output power...

Rvr, you didn't say if you're actually using the 4 ohm setting, but despite the language in the manuals, such settings should never be used. They're simply a fire safety related feature required for UL(Underwriters Laboratory)approval. They operate by reducing the voltage which the power supply section of the unit can output, and following Ohm's Law, when the voltage is reduced so is the current and power. So, although it might help prevent overheating, tests have shown that the maximum power capacity is cut roughly in half.

Thanks guys for all your input and information. I think I'm a fair bit wiser now. Just have to weigh up the pros and cons, the budget and then run all this by the "minister of the treasury department" (the wife)to get approval.
I'll keep you posted.
Take Care and have a great day.
David