Official Axiom Owner's Thread - Page 25

Hi - just joined the site and stumbled onto this group. My first post. Thought I'd share a story about a pair of Axiom M3Ti's I purchased about 5 years ago...... I live in Australia, but am in the US frequently, where stuff is often cheaper. So I bought the M3Ti's in the States, to bring home in accompanied baggage. I checked into Qantas at JFK. With all my mileage I am a platinum passenger so can use the first class counter, and get the baggage allowances for first class. But even first class is allowed only 2 pieces of baggage. I had 3 - my suitcase and two speaker boxes. The agent said "you'll have to pay $xxx excess baggage (I now have forgotten the exhorbitant cost), because you're checking 3 pieces." I replied "Do you have some packing tape?" "Yes" was the reply. 30 seconds later the two speaker boxes were wrapped to make one package. Taa daa! 2 pieces = no excess baggage! You just have to wonder sometimes........

If you haven't I would give them a call and confirm they got your order just to be sure.

Does Qantas here in the U.S. hire former government employees?

I had to talk may way onto a Qantas plane from Wellington to Canberra when I was an Embassy guard in the Marine Corps. I'd forgotten my passport and was working for the State Department so I wasn't traveling on SEATO orders. I showed them the State Department message telling me to report to Canberra and told them that it even superseded SEATO orders. Had to give them the same line to get through customs.

I did get a confirmation email right after I ordered, that's all I've received though. Not that big of a deal now though, I just got my projector in today (viewsonic pro8100) and it has the horizontal banding problem, so back it goes.

That sucks about your projector. I had my fingers crossed when I fired up my first projector a few months ago. So far so good.

Ironically, right after I figured out my projector was bad, I got an email saying my speakers had shipped. So now I'll have speakers and now video, opposite problem of before. Go figure, lol.

Hi Axiom owners!

I have a Denon AVR590. My priority is music.
It seems that I like to have a pair of M3. Could you tell me why I should buy them?

Thanks!

Lets hope it's not a case of bad AV karma or your speakers will arrive in pieces courtesy of the shipping company. I hope the turn around time on your projector isn't to long. I just got my projector back in November and I'm already so spoiled by it I've considered getting a second just in case one goes down for some reason. I would hate now to even go a week w/o the big screen for movies and games.

I lived with a friend a few summers ago that had M3s for bookshelvs with an onkyo sx607 equivalent reciever in a 2.0 setup. I'm now buying M60s, etc because I heard all kinds of things just out of those bookshelves that I've never heard before. was a totally different experience. It's one of those things that you'll never realize what you're missing out on until you hear it. Anyways, there were several things in my price range to look at, and with no places to audition around here, I'm just going with what I know. If for some reason I absolutely hate them, I can return everything within 30days.

Also, had a question for you guys. Is anyone bi-amping the M60s? What kind of improvement would I expect out of this? Can I do this with an Denon 1910?

For proper bi-amping you need to use an external crossover. The problem with that is the M60 or any speaker for that matter is a package deal with the drivers, cabinet and crossovers all designed to produce a particular response. Trying to duplicate or better that response with and external crossover would be very difficult.

Just got my axiom's in, everything looks good so far. For those of you though that order the brackets for the QS8's, DON'T USE THE SCREWS FOR THE WALL! They're junk and strip very easy, leaving you unable to get them in or out. Considering that they're $56 brackets and also contain no instructions or diagrams (though they're pretty easy to put together) I was a little irritated when I had to use a pair of vice grips to remove a screw that had gone in 95% of the way before it stripped instantly. 2 of the 4 I used did that. I expect that on cheap brackets for $20, not $56 ones. Other than that though, things are slowly getting hooked up.

Hi,

I just order a pair on M60, in-cabinet designs. I will be using them as in-walls - yes - I know they'll stick out into back room a little, but I wanted a full sized enclosure.

I've read the Axiom install brochure.
~ use template to cut hole in wall.
~ slide speaker into wall.

ok - any other advice?


Questions that spring to mind:
* I had assumed that I would also be attaching front flange of speaker to the wall surface - glue or screw from back. But the directions make no mention of it.
*Should I put some sort of thin gasket material between dryway and above mentioned flange to dampen vibrations, or do I instead want to firmly couple the speaker with the wall?
*OR do I just, as the instructions imply, slide it in and let it sit freely? Though I would still be worried about speaker vibrating against the wall...

* I will be building an enclosure around the rear end of the speaker on the opposite side of the wall - for appearence and to maintain firestop. Should I fill this space - probably three inches from each edge of speaker case - with some sort of fiber fill?

* lastly, I was wondering if anyone has thought of attempting to get some toe-in ussing a shim between wall and front flange of speaker. Alan recommended against it, but I just wanted to see if anyone had experimented with it.

Thanks all,
Scott

careful there, I have these speakers, they are HEAVY. You do not want to just slide them into the drywall, I would build some type of 2x4 shelf between the studs to support the weight. There's no mounting bracket for these, and the 1/2 MDF front baffle will not bear the weight- for long...

They will be supported in a firm shelf, actually a platform, I will be building about a foor above the ground, so all the weight will be taken care of that way. Any advice on the other aspects of my post?

One way you can create a gasket around the edge would be to run a small bead of calk around the inner edge of the front baffle, let it dry before you install, and then when you press it into the wall it will help seal things and create a buffer between the wall and the speaker. Another option would be some small felt dots around the edge, but doing this may put a visible gap around the speaker.

I would consider just installing it and seeing if you have problems. I would not screw into the front baffle, the MDF does not hold screws well and it is so thin (consider the bevel around the edge) they would almost certainly poke through. I have mine sitting on a ledge right now, waiting for me to build the cabinets they will live in, the don't move around that I can tell, they stay where they are put with that large rubber mat on the bottom.you've got even more contact surface and friction than people using rubber feet on floors with regular speakers.

I asked axiom if I needed to fill the cabinet space with filler, they said no- that the speakers are designed and tuned to slide into a hollow cavity without further modification. We'll see. right now mine are open air in the room.

BTW- I have them flanking my 110" screen, 12-13 feet from my viewing position, without any toe-in. The imaging is amazing for music, and the front sound stage with my VP150 is wide and seamless with 5.1 content. I Don't worry about toe-in. these speakers are designed for even sound 30 degrees off axis (according to the website). I have mine straight forward, and the sweet spot is still dead center between them and it's like I'm at a concert, front and center.

thank you rprice, this is extremely helpful.

I'll recheck the web site regarding the 30 degrees off-center recommendation. I played around with foam templates quite a bit last night with the aim of putting then somewhere between the 22-30 degree standard. The position that works best was about 20 degrees.

Otherwise they'd be facing "side" furnature...

Do you think this would be a significant problem?

Note I also use my R/L as a phantom center. My guts telling that staying in the narrower angle range will be better for this configuration.

Note that my last speakers - w22's - were at about 15 degrees. Back then, I didn't know any better and just put them off a little to each side of a lcd panel.

I look forward to your input!

I'm no audiophile, but with my current setup, when I listen to stereo music without any special processing from my AVR, the vocals sound like they are coming from my center channel, I had to double check that it was actually turned off- so I'm guessing a phantom center would work as well.

I've got 2 M60s and a VP150 due to arrive tomorrow. Woop!

I have a pair of QS-8s in rosewood natural satin coming tomorrow, going to install them behind my recliner for the surround back speakers! I think at 4 ft even for the mounting "t" bar.

Axiom shipping is going to be working overtime! I wonder if they have a half dozen m80's jammin' on the loading dock?

Dear Ax Heads,
I'm currently using 2x M50v2's as surrounds in a 5.1 configuration. They're placed behind the couch, which is the main listening position, and for the most part, are firing directly into the back of said couch. The speakers are 35.5 tall and the back of the couch is roughly 34 tall. Are there any riser or stand solutions; prefabricated, DIY templates/ideas, or otherwise, that could perch the speakers higher, say roughly 10-15 whilst being easy on the eyes? The speakers are sandwiched, for lack of better term, 4 from the back wall and 10 from the couch in question. I need to raise these puppies up. And yes, the wife would freak if I repositioned them bookending the couch, flanking firing in towards the seating position/s. Also, moving the couch forward is not a viable option/solution. Quite the quandary, your input is welcome.
Many thanks in advance!

Since it’s behind the couch you could just put them on cinderblocks. I’ve used them for speakers many times. They can even be painted so they don’t look so bad.

You could look into the Axiom trade up program and see about getting some QS8s which should work much better as surround speakers especially in close quarters.

http://www.axiomaudio.com/tradeup.html

Looks like I can join the club. I just put in my order for a set of M60s.

I’m sort of curious what’s going on. Are people getting their tax refunds or something?

Nope. Got that back a long time ago.
I did just speak to Brent at Axiom to make a custom request for the high gloss burled walnut finish so now mine are 4-weeks out, but I'll take pics when they come in.

I got a $10K retirement loan and paid off a bunch of debt so I have more income now, then I got that email about stuff in the owners club and made the mistake of going to look...

Mine was just getting a setup back after having to sell mine 3 years ago when we sold the house. Back then it was an Athena setup, I figured now I could upgrade a little. My wife was a little iffy on it, until she heard them. No problems now. Totally blew her away, and I only had 5 of the 7 speakers setup plus hadn't done any Denon Audessey stuff at all.

Fedex brought my QS8s in rosewood natural satin today, they are heavier than I expected, going to have to find the right means to secure them to the lathe and plaster in the old house. Very beautiful finish!

Geez, I never even knew this thread existed. Dean, you've been holding out on me.

I've been enjoying my M80 music/HT setup for two years now.

Nice!. I saw the burled walnut when I toured the factory. If I had the cash, that would be my choice.