[bjcays]

. . . Well everyone thought it sounded terrific and when I told them the price ($1400) it was 'disbelief Squared'

Hi James,
Can you let us know what brand of speakers your friends who auditioned the Axiom M80v3 are currently running in their system ?

[James Tanner]

Hi James,
Can you let us know what brand of speakers your friends who auditioned the Axiom M80v3 are currently running in their system ?

Magnepan, PMC, Quad, PSB, Genelec and ATC I think.

james

[SoundGame]

Hi Soundgame,

When I was looking around for someone to help me with the Bryston Model T idea there were only a hand full of companies that had the testing facilities (anachoic chamber) and test gear I wanted so it narrowed the field a lot. I phone Ian at Axiom because I knew he had great facilities and testing gear and had been heavily involved in the listening tests I was involved in years ago at the National Research Council in Ottawa - (boy that brings back a flood of memories)   I also knew that Andrew Welker (whom I respected) a design engineer from Canadian company Audio Products days had joined Axiom as well.

Anyway I asked him to send me a pair of the 80's for evaluation and it was a revelation - I have had some serious speakers in my day but the M80 really surprised me.  Being the skeptic I am I asked a few friends to come over and audition the system setup in room 3 - see attached.  Well everyone thought it sounded terrific and when I told them the price ($1400) it was 'disbelief Squared'

So I decided if this company can get this kind of performance at this price range I found my guy.

James

PS - if the Model T sounds bad I will only have suicide as an alternative

Hi James, the Andrew Welker from Audio Products you mention in your note above.  Is that Audio Products International (API) that was located in north Scarborough on McNicol Drive about a decade or so ago?  I know them well, they were the mother company of Energy, Mirage, Sound Dynamics, Athena, Paisley and dB Plus as I  know.  It was a sad shame to have them bought our by a U.S. company i.e. Klipsch, who moved production to China and turned focused their products on big-box store placement - the famous Energy Pro22 were my first introduction to studio/audiophile speakers.  My father still owns them.

[James Tanner]

Hi James, the Andrew Welker from Audio Products you mention in your note above.  Is that Audio Products International (API) that was located in north Scarborough on McNicol Drive about a decade or so ago?  I know them well, they were the mother company of Energy, Mirage, Sound Dynamics, Athena, Paisley and dB Plus as I  know.  It was a sad shame to have them bought our by a U.S. company i.e. Klipsch, who moved production to China and turned focused their products on big-box store placement - the famous Energy Pro22 were my first introduction to studio/audiophile speakers.  My father still owns them.

Yes the one and the same company.

james

[SoundGame]

I'm not sure how far you are along and whether you can share some of the measurement highlights you're getting on this speaker but here's a few questions:

1) Expected anechoic frequency response at +/- 3dB
2) Expected maximum SPL
3) Expected input unclipped power handling before dynamic compression across the frequency spectrum
4) Distortion levels

Thanks.

[sfraser]

How about "are they making you smle? "

[James Tanner]

Hi Folks

I have the single tweeter version at home with the Bryston BDX -1 crossover but have not had a chance to try it on the 2 tweeter  -  triple Woofer version yet.

James

[sfraser]

If your smart, you won't be listening to them tonight 

[James Tanner]

If your smart, you won't be listening to them tonight 

Good point

[dakkon]

James, for those of us who already have enough amplification as well as channels. Do you know if the option will be made available to buy the speakers and crossover without the amps? I have 3 channel krell amps that are rated for 250W @8ohm and 500W @4ohm on all 3 channels... they are the KAV-250a/3's. I currently have Axiom speakers and have been buggin Ian to build a speaker like the one you are building for a couple years now to no avail...

Thank you for your time, Alex

[James Tanner]

Hi Alex

No sorry there is no way to design the speaker to be passive as the electronic crossover is designed to control and equalize the driver compliment. The active approach gives us so much more control over all the areas of performance that a passive network could not do.

As a matter of fact we have found that the active DSP electronic crossover approach allows us to tailor each crossover to each speaker. I am thinking about placing each speaker in the anachoic chamber and adjusting the crossover to exactly match the specific speaker. That way we can even adjust for slight variations in the speaker drivers themselves 

James

[James Tanner]

James, for those of us who already have enough amplification as well as channels. Do you know if the option will be made available to buy the speakers and crossover without the amps? I have 3 channel krell amps that are rated for 250W @8ohm and 500W @4ohm on all 3 channels... they are the KAV-250a/3's. I currently have Axiom speakers and have been buggin Ian to build a speaker like the one you are building for a couple years now to no avail...

Thank you for your time, Alex

Crap 

Hi Alex

I just realized you asked about using other amps - yes as long as the amps are of equal Gain on all channels.

James

[dakkon]

Crap 

Hi Alex

I just realized you asked about using other amps - yes as long as the amps are of equal Gain on all channels.

James

All of the amps are the exact same model, so the gain "should" be the exact same, unless any of the transistors have drifted a little over the years...

Do you have any idea what the speakers+crossover would cost, or are you at liberty to be able say? Could i call to get a price and or wait for the "official" public unveil?

[SoundGame]

Hi Alex

No sorry there is no way to design the speaker to be passive as the electronic crossover is designed to control and equalize the driver compliment. The active approach gives us so much more control over all the areas of performance that a passive network could not do.

As a matter of fact we have found that the active DSP electronic crossover approach allows us to tailor each crossover to each speaker. I am thinking about placing each speaker in the anachoic chamber and adjusting the crossover to exactly match the specific speaker. That way we can even adjust for slight variations in the speaker drivers themselves 

James

So James, you're at the point where this is looking like a viable prototype for an actual product?  What are the significant milestones you need to achieve now to be able to begin to draw a line in the sand as to when a production model will first be built? 

[James Tanner]

So James, you're at the point where this is looking like a viable prototype for an actual product?  What are the significant milestones you need to achieve now to be able to begin to draw a line in the sand as to when a production model will first be built?

We are still working on the 3 woofer, double mid, and double tweeter version so maybe another month and I will be able to give some real answers.  It really has to outperform my current speakers to make any of this make sense to go forward with.

james

[SoundGame]

We are still working on the 3 woofer, double mid, and double tweeter version so maybe another month and I will be able to give some real answers.  It really has to outperform my current speakers to make any of this make sense to go forward with.

james

Makes good sense - why go through all the trouble to build it, if you could buy better for slightly more or perhaps less.  Yes, it needs to take a competitive position in the crowd - and leading position in it's class would be even better.

If this does work out - then perhaps we'll see some active studio monitors - both near field and mid-field, down the road or does the vision only include a Model T?  Maybe I'm getting ahead on this...

[PRELUDE]

James,
I think we both should forget about speakers.It would never be efficient.
http://www.royaldevice.com/custom.htm

[mr_bill]

We are still working on the 3 woofer, double mid, and double tweeter version so maybe another month and I will be able to give some real answers.  It really has to outperform my current speakers to make any of this make sense to go forward with.

james

....outperform my current speakers.........
would that be the maggie 3.7s you will be comparing against?

[James Tanner]

....outperform my current speakers.........
would that be the maggie 3.7s you will be comparing against?

Hi Bill,

No not my Maggies or my Sanders Electrostatics as they are panels and have a completely different presentation. No I mean as compared to the best dynamic driver type speakers and of course passive versions of those speakers and active.

james

[James Tanner]

James,
I think we both should forget about speakers.It would never be efficient.
http://www.royaldevice.com/custom.htm

WOW - I give up

james