Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions EP500v2 advice, repair/replacement options?

Hi all, my trusty EP500v2 (circa ~2009) seems to have died just before the end of 2023 holidays. It appears to power on ok, but there is no output. I verified the coil and driver are ok - free moving and responds to 9V battery test as expected. I also verified output from my amp over the RCA cable using a multimeter and test tones. So it seems to me like either the input board or RCA inputs on the EP500 have failed.

I am wondering if there are any other suggestions on what to check or how to diagnose/fix?

FYI, I have emailed Axiom and gotten a reply asking for a picture of the amp, though I did already supply the serial number with my 1st contact. I sent the pic immediately and haven't had a reply in a couple of days. I haven't used Axiom support in years as my system has worked flawlessly since upgrading to the M5HP OnWalls when they were newly released. Axiom had an amazing reputation for customer support and I could vouch for that years ago, however I am not finding that same responsiveness that used to be there. Hopefully it's just a holiday season issue, but I'm curious how service and support has been for others more recently?

If my EP500 ends up needing replacement I was considering upgrading to an EP800, but if Axiom isn't the same great company I've known it to be I may start to look elsewhere. I am very open to opinions and experience there as well.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Sorry that your v2 died. It kind of kills me that often these things cost more to fix then they are worth. Even when one knows how to fix it the time it takes may not worth it. I’ve definitely gone that route more than a few times. As far as getting a new one I’d personally stick with the 500. The EP600 and 800 are hugh boxes (which greatly limit placement).

Thanks Rich. Any suggestions for further diagnosis? Have I missed anything?
I am waiting to hear back from Axiom for any suggestions from repair to replacement to upgrade options but communications are slow.

I miss the bass! Been without since just before Christmas. I have recalibrated system without the sub now and I am pleasantly surprised how well the M5HP's manage on their own, but it's still no substitute for a good working sub.

Re placement for bigger sub enclosures - there are 2 ideal spots in my room for sub placement and they both can accommodate a large sub even though my room is small. I have no issues with overkill on the subwoofer! ;-)

I wonder what causes subs to die? Limiting circuitry have been around for decades to prevent overdriving the sub (even my 29 year old Mirage sub has one).

Inadequate switching power supplies appears to a culprit in modern subs, but that's not applicable with Axiom subs and their linear power supplies.

The 500 is just fine for movies but lacks the depth of the 600 and 800 for music. With the 600 and 800, you hear growling and texture that just isn't there with the 500. You'd never know it until you heard it, and then you can't go back.

Ian swears up and down the 600 is as good as the 800...reaches as low. I find the 800 reaches lower but that's only necessary for special effects.

I have one 800, two 600s, four 500s, and two 125s - all v4. I also have a self-modified Sony and Yammie.

Just about anything can cause a sub to die. I can speculate.

Bad design leading to poorly specified parts like power supply capacitors or even $0.02 parts like resistors.

Poorly manufactured boards or assemblies like drivers.

Poorly documented instructions from engineering to the shop floor.

Vendor parts that don't meet spec but pass functional tests during production. This is a tough one. It's expensive and time-consuming to screen parts.

Incomplete production testing. "Just build it and ship it".

I worked in hardware factories for 20 years. Another 10 years in a software factory.

Mojo, sounds like you'd recommend recommend an upgrade to the 600 or 800?

Good point about capacitors or resistors. Since it seems to be just the input, maybe it's one of those simple parts on the board? When I took the amp plate off to do the 9V battery test, the board on the inside of the sub was all covered by a molded plastic housing so I didn't even think to inspect it. Any reason I shouldn't try to see if I can remove that plastic covering and check if it's a cheap part that may have fried?

Also, Andrew F. at Axiom emailed me back today and suggested either an amp replacement or upgrade program. As my amp is so old (v2 circa 2009) I wonder what amp replacement I'd get and is it just 'plug and play' with my ported EP500 vs the new EP500's which are not ported? Room calibration will be done of course. But I thought the DSP is 'tuned' for the full solution of driver, coil, cabinet all together. Does anybody have experience how this would work - getting an amp replacement for an older design?

The amp is plug and play. They'll just change the code in the DSP to match the v2.

My advice is to work Axiom over for an upgrade. There's just no comparison between v2 and v4. I had a 600v2 and wanted to take an axe to it. I worked out a deal for the 800. Even if you just get a 500v4, you'll be god-smacked by the clean, articulate bass compared to v2.

You can remove the plastic covering but be careful you don't zap yourself from the charge stored in the capacitors.

All subs and speakers are now real wood finish. Treat yourself!

Work out into the deal to upgrade the QS8 to QS10. I had QS8s too. Damned glad they're gone!!