The better value

[Hi Ho]

What would the better value be for speakers? I plan on upgrading my receiver and speakers to a matched set. Right now I have Advent Smaller Loudspeakers up front, a Polk CS1 center, and Realistic Minimus-7 surrounds. It isn't exactly matched. I do love the sound from the Advents though.

Anyway, I have been looking at the Yamaha HTR-5860 and Pioneer VSX-1015TX for a receiver. I decided that since I won't be using the 4 OHM Advents that one of them would work fine.

For speakers I am considering either Axiom or a DIY kit, the AR.com DIY kit (http://www.madisound.com/ar_com.html) to be exact. Now, the price difference would be substantial but since I can't just go to a store and listen to both it is hard to make a decision. I am thinking of buying/building a pair of the DIY speakers and trying them out. Has anyone heard those speakers? How would they compare to Axiom speakers?

[mulester7]

AR.com DIY kit (http://www.madisound.com/ar_com.html) .....Hi Ho, this kit has Peerless elements, a Frias mod in the already custom crossover, and +/- 2 db full-range....this should be a quality two-way....consider the ones like JGarcia has by GR Research, also, if you decide to kit....

[MacManNM]

What would the better value be for speakers? I plan on upgrading my receiver and speakers to a matched set. Right now I have Advent Smaller Loudspeakers up front, a Polk CS1 center, and Realistic Minimus-7 surrounds. It isn't exactly matched. I do love the sound from the Advents though.

Anyway, I have been looking at the Yamaha HTR-5860 and Pioneer VSX-1015TX for a receiver. I decided that since I won't be using the 4 OHM Advents that one of them would work fine.

For speakers I am considering either Axiom or a DIY kit, the AR.com DIY kit (http://www.madisound.com/ar_com.html) to be exact. Now, the price difference would be substantial but since I can't just go to a store and listen to both it is hard to make a decision. I am thinking of buying/building a pair of the DIY speakers and trying them out. Has anyone heard those speakers? How would they compare to Axiom speakers?

Which Axioms are you thinking about?

[Hi Ho]

Which Axioms are you thinking about?
That I'm not sure about. It depends on the budget which I am not quite sure of right now.

[jaxvon]

It's hard to beat DIY in terms of value. A $400/pr speaker you build compares to a much higher priced speaker that you buy assembled. Besides, there's the whole pride factor...

[jcPanny]

For Axiom bookshelf speakers, I would go for the M22ti model. You can buy them from the factory outlet page for $400 shipped. This will be comparable to the cost of the $350 kit plus shipping.

I think the two mid drivers in the Axioms might give it the edge. You might consider using the Axiom 30 day trial period to evaluate the speakers and getting the kit if you don't like their sound.

I have the HTR-5860 and recommend it.

[Hi Ho]

Thanks for the responses. The kit is $185/pair without enclosures (I would build my own) so that gives it a defenite price advantage. I think I will order/build a kit and see how it sounds, then maybe try some Axioms using the trial period.

[mulester7]

The kit is $185/pair without enclosures (I would build my own).....brave man, haha....Hi Ho, I applaud your aspirations, and remember Elmer's wood glue seemingly turns INTO wood, and silicone usage inside is paramount....a certain degree of overkill on counter-sunk wood screws is never bad, either....and progressively damp the internal volume with damping material applied and worked, through the woofer hole......

[Hi Ho]

When I built my subwoofer I used polyurathane glue and no screws. It has worked perfectly. Polyurathane glue expands and makes an air tight seal.

[jcPanny]

If provided the specs on the driver, I think there are some people around here that can model the dimensions of an enclosure using software.

Good luck on the project.

[superjohnny]

Has anyone done a direct comparison of the AR.com DIY speakers from Mr. Frias vs. the Axiom M22ti's? I've searched high & low for someone giving insight between the 2. I've heard the M22ti's and liked them very much. I've been kicking around the idea of getting some for my living room, but I love to DIY and the AR.com kit seems like a nice setup that gets rave reviews.

My listening room is about 2,000 cubic feet (12'x18'x8' roughly) but it opens directly up into the dining room which is another ~9' so maybe 12'x27'x8' and both rooms have bare hardwood floors. Dunno if any of this matters, but I thought I'd throw it out there...

[j_garcia]

Well, if you wait a couple of weeks, you could get in on the preorder of the SVS bookshelf deal at $217/pr (not including shipping).

GR has drawings to create the exact enclosures for the A/V-1 and A/V-2 and includes the ports, x-over etc, so they really are a great little kit, and the sound is great. Definitely better than pretty much anything at the kit price. I believe they even offer pre-cut front baffles because the tweeter needs to be recessed for the midbass to fit due to their slight overlap (which is critical to the design). That raises your kit cost a bit, but it's also probably going to run you less than a router and router bit to make the recess (unless you already have a router).

Edit* The magnetically attached, self locating grilles (included with the precut baffles) are a big plus in the cool factor, because you see nothing but the wood and the drivers when you take the covers off. Notice no pins, or holes or anything to attach the grilles:
http://www.gr-research.com/images/maplepair.jpg

[Hi Ho]

I have a fully equipped wood working shop so there aren't any problems there. Hopefully I will be able to order a kit soon and try it out. I want to buy a new receiver first though.

[mulester7]

I have a fully equipped wood working shop so there aren't any problems there. Hopefully I will be able to order a kit soon and try it out.....Hi Ho, when-and-if you DO eventually assemble a pair of GR Research 2's, I ask you to post impressions.....

[basham]

NOTE: This post applies to 2 channel listening only.

I started out with the Axiom M3's originally. After about a year I thought I would give the M22's a shot. I prefered the M3's but was outvoted due to WAF.
I then set-up my own listening room:D, and to celebrate the move, I bought the Ascend Acoustics CBM170's. Even though the M3's were very musical to my ears, the 170's simply outperformed them. It was about this time that I decided to try my hand at DIY, and immediatley built myself a new sub. Well 4 subs later I just had to try full range.
Two months later I finally finished my cabs for the AR.COM kit by Ed Frias.
What can one say about these. The midrange is very involving, and the bass is fantastic, very defined. Needless to say the AR's are still with me in my room and the wife has the M22's.:eek:

Mike.

[mulester7]

NOTE: This post applies to 2 channel listening only.

I started out with the Axiom M3's originally. After about a year I thought I would give the M22's a shot. I prefered the M3's but was outvoted due to WAF.
I then set-up my own listening room:D, and to celebrate the move, I bought the Ascend Acoustics CBM170's. Even though the M3's were very musical to my ears, the 170's simply outperformed them. It was about this time that I decided to try my hand at DIY, and immediatley built myself a new sub. Well 4 subs later I just had to try full range.
Two months later I finally finished my cabs for the AR.COM kit by Ed Frias.
What can one say about these. The midrange is very involving, and the bass is fantastic, very defined. Needless to say the AR's are still with me in my room and the wife has the M22's.:eek:

Mike......GREAT report, Basham....you'll remember long the ones you built.....

[superjohnny]

So you liked the AR.com's better than the M22's? Care to elaborate?

[mtrycrafts]

Edit* The magnetically attached, self locating grilles (included with the precut baffles) are a big plus in the cool factor, because you see nothing but the wood and the drivers when you take the covers off. Notice no pins, or holes or anything to attach the grilles:
http://www.gr-research.com/images/maplepair.jpg


Boy, that really is impressive an idea. Most impressive indeed.

[basham]

So you liked the AR.com's better than the M22's? Care to elaborate?

Superjohnny,

Out of all of the speakers mentioned I liked the M22's the least. The midrange on the 22's is good, but in my opinion the highs were to "forward"
The bass was adequate, but the bass definition was lacking. The same is true for the M3's, but it seemed that the highs were a little less forward. I think that the M22's really excell in a HT setup.

I had a harder time between the AR's and the 170's The 170's are a great little speaker, Good bass, great midrange and highs, excellent for 2 channel use. It's just that the AR's are a little more involving, toe tapping, hip swaying, that type of thing. They really tend to draw me into the music more. And the bass is fantastic. In my room they extend down into the low 40's, and it is very well defined. My subs xo is set to about 35Hz, and the integration is seemless.

Hope this helps out.:)
Mike

p.s. These are just my impressions and opinions.