Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners QS8s vs. ERD-1 vs. FXi A4 vs. ADP-590

From the look of that puppy, I'd say the 180. Be aware the 180 is HUGE. Very wide, and very, very deep.

So, for your surrounds, you would choose the QS8s over the Studio ADP-590s if given the choice then? Do you have a 5.1 or 7.1 setup for your HT? In 7.1, would you recommend 4 QS8s? (Two for the side surrounds and two for the rear surrounds)?

Also, which Paradigm center channel did your in-laws have?

Thanks.

Anecdotal stories like these uniquely fill QS8 responses on several forums (compared to other surround speaker reviews and comments)and really make me excited to try them out (and maybe own them).

We have a store in my area with some demo Paradigms that may be available for a good price. Given that the Axiom and Paradigm lines sound similar, do you think that I could mix Paradigm's Studio CC-690 Center Channel with 4 QS8 surrounds for a 7.1 setup with regard to the timbre matching and overall blend?

I think that would work just fine. Surrounds exactly matching the fronts aren't as big a deal as all the fronts matching.

You could put the center either above or below the screen (or one above and one below for you overachievers). Folks seem to think that the horizontal dispersion from a vertical center is better than any horizontally-oriented center channel.

BUT I think one of the big advantages of a vertical center is to have three identical speakers across the front. You don't sound like you want to replace your mains, which is fine. I've really liked all the DCM speakers I've ever heard.

If I was going to have a "dream home theatre" though, I'd get identical speakers for the L/C/R.

If you keep the DCM's, you're probably not going to get an exact timbrel match between them and the center channel. And that's okay, because even center channels from the same family (like Axioms) tend to sound a little different than their vertically-oriented brothers due to speaker placement and boundary effects and so forth.

Of course, most people aren't willing to make the aesthetic or design compromises necessary for a vertical center channel. I think that's okay, too. I'm really perfectly happy with my M60/VP100 setup, but I do recognize that designers have to work pretty hard on crossover baffle step correction on horizontal center channels, which can result in some tradeoffs you don't have to make on vertical speakers.

I think there is consensus around here that the VP180 is a pretty big upgrade over the VP150. I haven't personally heard a VP180, but I trust those forum members who have made the direct comparison in their homes.

I love my QS8's. I think they are terrific. I haven't heard your other surround candidates.

Have fun.

Thanks for the encouragement, I know it's a guy thing (my wife is perplexed how I can stay up late into the night doing research on speakers and HT info), but it's exciting now that the time to actually get my system is drawing near.

With regard to the VP 180, yes, I have seen one professional review (if I find it again, I will post it) and a thread too where the only knock on the 180 was off-axis listening and they liked the off-axis of the Paradigm Studio CC-590 and Signature Series better (but for the increased prices, especially for the Signature Series, unless I can get a fantastic deal on the Paradigm Center, the VP-180 sounds like the best bang for the buck so far).

Yes, I would choose QS8's over ADP 590's. The 'quadripolar' driver configuration of the QS's are capable of amazing acoustical feats. Like you, the search for a better surround is what led me to Axiom initially. I was originally looking at the Paradigm Cinema series but was really unimpressed by the little Cinema ADP surrounds. I started searching and found the Axiom QS8's and then their in/on wall solution and the rest is history.

My in-laws chose the Paradigm Signature W-Series in spite of me urging them towards Axiom. They had a much higher budget so did not mind paying more for the aesthetics of these speakers, and I have to admit they are gorgeous and well made speakers. They have the matching LCR combination using the horizontal center version. They do sound really great for on wall speakers.

I have a 7.1 setup with 4 QS8's for the side and back surround channels. I would in general recommend 4 QS8's for 7.1, but that can depend on room configuration. Some guys on the forum here have noted that if the back surrounds are quite far away you might be better at going with direct radiating speakers. My HT is fairly small and I am mostly equidistant from all 4 surround channels so QS8's all around make the most sense for my room.

Nicely done. +1

Senator(future aspirations?)welcome and congratulations on your upcoming graduation from law school. Be sure to study-up for the bar, of course. As for the surrounds, the QS8s are so outstanding that they are in my view the clear choice of those that you've listed.

The best "bang for the buck" in a center speaker would be a vertical unit identical or at least as similar as possible to the mains. The fine off-axis performance of the cc-590 and cc-690 is understandable, since they in effect are small vertical speakers handling the mid-range and treble, while flanking woofers handle the less directional bass. This was noted by the reviewer in the Epic 80 review now featured in the Axiom blog, where the extreme dispersion was the only area where the Paradigm center was considered to be superior. Again though, a regular vertical speaker is more cost-effective for such use.

Okay, that's good to hear. I'm thinking more and more, given the price difference between the comparable Paradigms ($1,599.00 for the Studio CC-690 and $1,199.00 for Studio CC-690) that I'm better off going with the VP 180 and an amp for about the same price. I'm thinking this one:
http://emotiva.com/xpa3.shtm
and I would use it to drive the front three speakers cleanly and powerfully, and then let the system run the rest of the four surrounds and the sub until I can upgrade this fall to the Onkyo or Intregra A/V or Pre/Pro 11.2 setup.