Song Towers vs. Axiom M80's

cujobob · « **Reply #160 on:** 28 Feb 2009, 02:33 am »

With speakers, used is always a good option. If you want Songtowers, good luck finding a used pair.. Very rare. Also, the ability to choose any veneer you can find is pretty cool. I think brightness is often due to design and not just the drivers. Send back the Axioms and enjoy some auditioning...IMHO. Lots of great options, but Internet direct is the only way for me.

fsimms · « **Reply #161 on:** 28 Feb 2009, 01:42 pm »

Bob, I bet you have an HT receiver. Most of them have a treble control menu that you can reduce the treble. That might help.

Bob

Nick77 · « **Reply #162 on:** 28 Feb 2009, 02:07 pm »

Food for thought, I think alot of us start out with a HT setup and decide to splurge on floorstanders hoping they will fill the 2 channel capacity also. That's what I did when I got my Av123 750's and that worked for a bit. Then it was on to the upgrade Ninja xo's and that lasted for a bit. Then it was on to the Av123 Mini's and 2 channel bliss. Since have moved on from there but my point is inevitably we gravitate to 2 channel listening perfection and the HT element takes a bit of back seat. So you can address it now or down the road in a yr and probably take a beating on resell.

BoB/335 · « **Reply #163 on:** 28 Feb 2009, 02:16 pm »

Not sure I understand. Are you saying that 2 channel "bliss" can NOT be achieved with floorstanding speakers?

BoB/335 · « **Reply #164 on:** 28 Feb 2009, 02:21 pm »

Quote from: fsimms on 28 Feb 2009, 01:42 pm

Bob, I bet you have an HT receiver. Most of them have a treble control menu that you can reduce the treble. That might help.

Bob

I have dabbled in PA system a bit (read: very little) and I have a bit of knowledge (read: very little) with eq's. I know that a treble control will adjust a whole swath of frequencies in one swoop. Although that would probably tame the sound I would expect it to reduce the highs. I suspect the irritation coming from the upper mids. It has been suggested to me before so I should at least give that a try.

BoB

Nick77 · « **Reply #165 on:** 28 Feb 2009, 02:31 pm »

Quote from: BoB/335 on 28 Feb 2009, 02:16 pm

Not sure I understand. Are you saying that 2 channel "bliss" can NOT be achieved with floorstanding speakers?

No my point is that you will probably gravitate toward more 2 channel listening and always be unhappy with your mains.

BoB/335 · « **Reply #166 on:** 28 Feb 2009, 03:28 pm »

I have been focussing on the music end of this project. As a HT speaker it seems to do much better. I am not happy with these speakers for music and is the reason for me saying so and the reason to continue my search for a speaker that I AM happy with. I thought I was fairly clear about that. Thanks!

Nick77 · « **Reply #167 on:** 28 Feb 2009, 03:59 pm »

Well excuse me, I thought you had warmed up to the idea of keeping them. No worries.

BoB/335 · « **Reply #168 on:** 28 Feb 2009, 04:15 pm »

Sorry for the misunderstanding. I have been mentioning that the M80's were bright even in a treated room. I also mentioned the discussion I had with JimSalk.
If I gave the impression that I might keep the M80's I apologize. I do not intend to keep the M80's.

BoB/335 · « **Reply #169 on:** 28 Feb 2009, 04:19 pm »

Quote from: Marbles on 28 Feb 2009, 04:11 pm

With your current room and set-up, I doubt you find the speaker you're looking for.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Seems most here are a level well above me in "critical listening". (Thought I mentioned earlier that I had never done critical listening and how I enjoyed my visit with Evan and Joe)
It seems evident that YOU would never find a speaker to fit that room. I, on the other hand, have no doubt that I will find the speaker I am looking for. (Or I could put a match to my house)

BoB/335 · « **Reply #170 on:** 28 Feb 2009, 04:32 pm »

My wife just listened to some older Amy Grant and is listening to Susan Ashton right now and thinks she sounds great. She's scratching her head wondering what the heck I am talking about.

BoB/335 · « **Reply #171 on:** 28 Feb 2009, 04:37 pm »

Quote from: Marbles on 28 Feb 2009, 04:31 pm

If it's any consolation, I'll never be (completely) happy with my room either, and it's certainly the limiting factor in my system.

Just went through your gallery and I agree. I only saw one pic that I would be completely happy with!

BoB/335 · « **Reply #172 on:** 28 Feb 2009, 08:02 pm »

Quote from: Marbles on 28 Feb 2009, 04:43 pm

You must be a vinyl enthusiast

Thta's it!

cujobob · « **Reply #173 on:** 1 Mar 2009, 04:43 am »

Most speakers can be worked into a room, but as I mentioned already, some speakers need to be further away from boundaries than others. Those are the types which are more difficult in the average room. A few room treatments can do wonders...and there are some that can be worked in which don't look horrible. If the Songtowers are a bit forward in your room, I would suggest the room treatment route. High frequencies are easily absorbed.

BoB/335 · « **Reply #174 on:** 1 Mar 2009, 05:47 am »

Quote from: cujobob on 1 Mar 2009, 04:43 am

Most speakers can be worked into a room, but as I mentioned already, some speakers need to be further away from boundaries than others. Those are the types which are more difficult in the average room. A few room treatments can do wonders...and there are some that can be worked in which don't look horrible. If the Songtowers are a bit forward in your room, I would suggest the room treatment route. High frequencies are easily absorbed.

Seems like you're talking to me but I don't own Song Towers.

cujobob · « **Reply #175 on:** 1 Mar 2009, 06:26 am »

Sorry, it sounded as though thats what you'll end up with so I'm making that assumption. Hopefully, you order a pair and the sound blows you away from the first listen in your room. If not, some room treatments will get you there.

adydula · « **Reply #176 on:** 1 Mar 2009, 02:10 pm »

Bob,

From your picture your between a rock and a hard spot, or its the old trying to put 10 pounds of stuff in a 5 pound bag....

If you can not find another place in your domicile for this 'nice stuff' then its a compromise most of us just could not live withe and
we would most likely take up fishing

IF this is the ONLY place for this stuff, then your stuck with the suggestions of the posts so far, mucking with the treble etc...wall treatments, I am sure
that would go over well especially if your stuck in this corner!!!

There must have been a reason for you buying these 'large' speakers in the first place, and I assume you want to listen to good or great sound etc....

There are some soluitions that would be better in this very small area:

One of them I know of first hand and have helped install 4 of them in 4 different locations all sensitive to big 'ugly' speakers (YES there are those that hate the boxes no matter what veneer is on them}

....

It would involve gettng rid of the speakers you have and replacing them with a different solution.

Take a look at www.orbaudio.com, in you case their mod1 offering would work well for you based on that photo.
http://www.orbaudio.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2

I have a set of the SongTowers in a seperate room and can play to my hearts content...but downstairs in a large open airy 18 ft ceiling room I have a set of these exact same small speakers and sub that we use everyday for TV viewing, satellite and an occaisional DVD or cd with the grandkids.

They come in all colors and mounts for wall floor etc....you can out them on rather small, releatively 'skinny' tubular stands very cheap and move them apart if needed.
If your receiver has a auto calibration mode, you could try calibrating this way...

The end result here may be better than selling all your stuff and putting a BOSE Wave Music system where you center speker sits!!!

Any how, best of luck!!

Alex

BoB/335 · « **Reply #177 on:** 1 Mar 2009, 08:27 pm »

Orb was the very first speaker I looked into any was even making arrangements to pick them up in person in Manhattan where they have an office. I think "critical listening" has some disadvantages. You guys seem to not be able to go to someone's home and not enjoy listening to music under non-ideal conditions. Everything has to be just so and the maybe 1/4" to the right.
Right now I'm listening to a great guitarist I saw playing in Penn Station that was selling his own cd's. His name is Yoshiki Miura (Japanese I believe) plaing some great jazz. Noy sure if this is an ideal recording either BUT I can't believe that this would sound anything like this on an Orb system. Yes even on these M80's in this room.

It's obvious that I don't have much in common with you guys concerning music listening. (Please don't take that wrong) I appreciate the help you guys have given me and I can understand where your heads are at. We're just at different places and we are going round in circles with this thread. I really do hope to continue reading and learning and even meeting more out you at a RAVE and learning more in person and with my ears. As for now, I will do the best I can. I plan to check out some other suggestions on speakers that I have received from guys in this Circle. And I plan to take Jim Salk's opinions on my situation to heart.

This thread should probably just die at this point. (No icons for beating a dead horse?)

funkmonkey · « **Reply #178 on:** 1 Mar 2009, 09:08 pm »

Quote from: BoB/335 on 1 Mar 2009, 08:27 pm

(No icons for beating a dead horse?)

There ya go Bob, click the [more] by the smileys to find the other icons.

Good luck in your quest, I tend to agree that many of us get so wrapped up in analyzing/maximizing what we can get out of our systems that we have a hard time getting lost in the music (myself included). It is after all, all about the music...

BoB/335 · « **Reply #179 on:** 1 Mar 2009, 09:22 pm »