Mordaunt Short Avant 906/905 vs B&W dm601/LCR60

[corysmith01]

I'm looking to possibly upgrade to floorstanding speakers...and at the same time, just look to see what's out there. My first "real" speakers have been my current speakers, a pair of B&W 601 s3's paired with an LCR60. I am running an SVS PB10-ISD to handle the lows and some Polk R15's for surround. In looking around, and considering floorstanders, I've read and read and read...and then read some more. I came across Mordaunt Short in the Audioholics recommended system list. I'm looking to get the floorstanding Avant 905 paired with the 905 center. I can't find any dealers around so I can't really listen to them, but figure you can't really demo Axiom, Aperion, etc, either...you just have to order and hope. While knowing that, is there anyone that could tell me a little about the differences here...I mean, what can I expect in terms of differences? Is the sound significantly different, moving from the kevlar driver of the B&W's to the aluminum driver of the MS's? Is the difference bt. floorstander and my bookshelves the biggest differential, more so than the manufacturer? I found an online dealer for MS and am tempted to pull the trigger, but before doing so, just wanted to ask around...Mordaunt is not a name I see come up very often in these forums, but when I saw them as the recommended set, considering all the speakers out there, for a $12K system, I got to thinking that there has to be some reasoning behind that. So, is there anyone that could enlighten me. Would these be a "better" set of speakers than my B&W's in terms of performance? Very similar, and thus I may not really notice a difference? Save your money until you can make a significant upgrade? Any response is welcome. I don't have tons of cash, so the thought of plunking down $1000 on speakers I've never heard seems a littel scary, so I'm just looking for thoughts opinions.

[RLA]

Hello
When we wrote the $12k system recommendation it was for a total system.
We had goals and price points for each part of the system The MS speakers easily outperform their perspective prices point and they were an easy choice for the system The system now need to be updated to reflect Recent product release's Projector, Screen and Receiver soon ;) One other speaker you should seriously look at if your budget is around $1,000 is the Axiom M-80 this compact tower will blow you away with ultra tight bass and big dynamics

[corysmith01]

One other speaker you should seriously look at if your budget is around $1,000 is the Axiom M-80 this compact tower will blow you away with ultra tight bass and big dynamics

Thanks for the response. Well, two things about the Axioms. One, they blow my budget right off the bat, just for the speakers ($1240)...and that doesn't include a center channel. With the Mordaunt Shorts, I was looking at $1000 total for both the floorstanders ($750/pr) and the center ($250/ea)...so if I add an axiom center to the M80's, we're looking at $500+ over my budget. With that said, how do the towers just below that compare; the M50 or M60's? Just curious. I would entertain the thought of Axioms, but would still like to hear more about the M-S's.

Second thing about the Axioms is that, and some may kill me for saying this, I'm just not blown away by the look of them. Yeah, yeah, I know it's all about the sound...but I'm an art director by trade. That's what I do from day to day, 50/60/70 hrs a week. So yes, the aesthetics play a role in my consideration. Would I choose a crappy speaker b/c it looked good? Absolutely not. But, if it came down to 2 and one looked better than the other, I'd opt for the eye candy. Now, I'm sure there are some out there that absolutely love the look of Axioms...to each his own. It's a personal evaluation. Maybe it's just looking at them online...I don't know, but everytime I've pulled that site up (and I've done that a lot), I've just sort of looked at those white drivers with that black center cap and been like "blech." Like I said...I know that's personal and some may find them stunning...so I'm not hating on the Axiom fanatics here. But that brings me back to the Mordaunt Shorts...the sure look sharp...I just would like to know if they sound as good as they look. :D

[Buckeyefan 1]

Cory,

How about these?

www.trtheaterresearch.com/homespeaker/tr-2800-2801.html

www.trtheaterresearch.com/homespeaker/tr-2850.html

www.trtheaterresearch.com/homespeaker/tr-1420.html

Now why can't these US guys take a hint and make some attractive speakers like these $250 imports? Geezus.

[corysmith01]

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about! :D

[Buckeyefan 1]

We're not talking stuff like this either.
Check out the cables on the one photo.

[corysmith01]

Those cables are insane...they probably cost as much as my entire HT set up...and I wonder how much audible "improvement" they provide. :cool:

[Leprkon]

Thanks for the response. Well, two things about the Axioms. :D
a third thing about the Axiom 80s is that four ohm rating. make sure you have a decent front-end to drive them.

[Tex-amp]

If you want to audition the consumer direct speakers go to the Ascend Acoustics Forum (http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/), Axiom forum (http://www.axiomaudio.com/boards/ubbthreads.php), and Aperion (http://www.aperionaudio.com/Forum/) and ask if there is someone in your area willing to let you come listen.