Speaker Recommendations

[snipsnapsappy]

I thought, since we have a DVD player recommendation thread, why not a speaker recommendation thread. Whenever people discuss speakers, I always draw myself in to discuss what I think are great speakers. As everyone knows, I swear by my Axiom speakers. I would heartily recommend them to anyone because I think their sound is amazing. They also have a great look, simple yet very nice. They also come in 4 main finishes and over 20 custom finishes to fit any decor. Their customer service, because you buy direct from the company, is amazing also. There is no tax and 2-day shipping is free (or included in the already low price) so the deal is actually even better than most brick and mortar stores. They also have a 30 day money back guarantee for all of their products, so if you are unsatisfied or want to test out different size speakers, you can send them back.

www.axiomaudio.com

I would recommend to anyone these speaker from Axiom:

Fronts:

M2: great little speaker Amazing Highs and Mids, not much bass, but that is what a sub is for anyway.

M22: similar to the M2, but has another mid range driver that adds even better mids and has a little more bass, a sub is still needed.

M60: same quality highs and mids of the M22's, but has much more tight controlled bass. These guys go down pretty dang low and a sub is only needed for really deep bass notes found on some movie soundtracks.

M80: Sonically, the same as the M60'sthey can just play a lot louder. They are a little bit difficult to power because of their 4 ohm load, but Axiom says they are not difficult for any reciever that runs more than 90 watts per channel to power. They also need a lot more breathing room around them. Use only for very large rooms.

Center:

VP150: No matter what fronts you choose, get this center, it has an extremely wide dispersion so the sweet spot is the whole entire couch and not just the middle of it. It also matches the above mentioned speakers better than any of the other centers from Axiom.

Surrounds:

QS8: This surround may be the best surround on the market. It uses a technology that no other speaker manufacturer I know of uses. It sends out the sound in four different directions. The tweeters fire out in 45 degree angles from the walls, and the mids fire up and down. This creates a wall of sound without having to resort to di-polar, out of phase sound.

Subwoofer:

HSU VTF-2 or VTF-3: These subs are not made by Axiom, the are made by HSU. They are widely hailed as the best buys on the net. They are another direct from the manufacturer company with great customer service. Add one of these to your system and be prepared to be drowned in gut busting 17hz bass.

www.hsuresearch.com

PB1-ISD: Also a great internet company, these subs are on par with HSU, I do not truly know which one is better, but at least SVS now has different finishes for their box subs.

www.svsubwoofers.com

So does anyone else have any other recommendations?

[PunkMunkey]

I find it difficult both to recommend speakers to people and to take other's recommendations on speakers simply because individuals hear differently (for lack of better terminology)...

What might sound great to me might sound really bright or overbearingly harsh to someone else...

I happen to like a more forward speaker...Axioms are on my short list for auditioning come upgrade time...as is Klipsch's Reference line...while I was once intrigued by them, I'm not too interested in the Rockets anymore (found at www.av123.com) only because they're considered by most to be really laid back with attenuated highs...

As far as subs go, however, I'm really partial to SVS...having heard their entry level powered cylinder I am really impressed with it's performance/price ratio and have pretty much sworn to buy one come upgrade time...

But like I said, what sounds good to me might not sound good to anyone else...

[snipsnapsappy]

Yeah, I understand that, but I actuall find that most people who are not used to good sound will be impressed by Axioms sound. If someone likes laid back sound, I would definitely recommend the Rockets. But, I think, most people who have never bought good speakers, will be impressed by Axiom.

I recently talked to a guy at the Axiom forum, who owns Martin Logan speakers (i.e. very expensive) in his Home Theater, and bought a VP150 center channel for his family room. He liked the sound so much, he hooked it up into his home theater and now wonders why he spent so much money on the Martin Logans. He says he hears so much more detail with the $350 Axiom than the $1500 Martin Logan.

[PunkMunkey]

Oh totally!...why spend $6000 when you can get comparable for about 1/3 that price...IMO, the point of diminishing returns with speakers (and a lot of tech toys) hits pretty "low" on the pricing scale ("low" being a relative term of course)...but I subscribe to the theory that jumping from a $750 5.1 setup to a $2000 5.1 setup will gain you more sound quality than going from a $2000 setup to a $5000 setup...then again I guess I speak as someone who has very little disposable income and want the best bang for their buck...