Axiom Audio LFR1100 Tower Loudspeaker Preview

gene

gene

Audioholics Master Chief
Administrator
Axiom Audio just threw up some pics of their new flagship LFR1100 (Linear Field Radiator) OmniDirectional DSP Loudspeaker on their facebook page and forums. They will be demoing this speaker at the Salon Son & Image show later this month in Montreal Canada. This speaker seems to be something they have been hinting at and working on for quite some time, so it's pretty big news for them.

Details are just emerging at this point but here is what we've been able to gather:

  • The LFR1100 (if that's the model# they will be using) features similar drivers to their current flagship M80v3 but adds an additional 6-1/2" bass driver on the front side
  • The cabinet is the same angular, legacy design as their other floorstanding speakers.
  • You can expect deeper bass response with the additional bass driver and larger cabinet
  • The LFR1100 adds 4 additional drivers on the rear cabinet: (2) 1" titanium tweeters and (2) 4" midbass/midrange drivers
  • The LFR1100 works in conjunction with an outboard DSP box which we suspect gets connected line level between the preamp and power amp
  • Each LFR1100 requires two (2) power amplifiers (channels) to operate, since the rear drivers are NOT connected to the front drivers
  • The cabinet height of the LFR1100 is about 4 feet tall and same depth as the M80v3, and we suspect it will weigh around 70lbs each
  • The LFR1100 are fitted with an outrigger system (they look very similar to the attractive ones on the EMP E55ti and E5ti in fact)
  • Based on Axiom pricing structure, we guesstimate these speakers will sell for around $2500/pair in standard finishes, but we'll have to wait to find out - that's just a guess.
This new speaker represents a very different direction for Axiom Audio from what we can see. Apparently they now feel that beyond $1400/pair you actually can make a better sounding speaker rather than just adding to cosmetics and appeal. They seem to be going after the audiophile who wants a huge soundstage, lots of dynamic capabilities and bleeding edge DSP technology to produce the best of both worlds between a direct radiator and a bipolar - or as Axiom is calling it, an "omnidirectional" loudspeaker. Suffice it to say, there is no other speaker on the market at this price range designed like this and it really makes for a standout product for them.

Axiom has also hinted that their new DSP box will become available for other existing models in their lineup to "significantly improve" upon their sound.

We wonder if Axiom will also be taking this approach with a matching center channel boasting rear firing drivers. As you know, Axiom has recently introduced two new center channel speakers, the VP160v3 and VP180v3 to better timbre-match their M60v3's & M80v3's and also address the off axis lobing and limited dynamic range of their former VP150v3.

It seems Axiom has been busy in the last year expanding their product line, which is a good thing for those wanting more and who are able to accommodate larger sized speakers to achieve larger sized performance. We look forward to finding out more about these new speakers.

What are your thoughts on the new Axiom speakers?





Update 3/26
Changed name from M100v3 to LFR1100 since Axiom officially named the speaker.
[*]These speakers still utilize passive crossovers but require the separate 4 Channel DSP to properly operate which is included in the system price.
[*]Axiom announced the pricing of the LFR1100's will be $3,760/pair (including DSP) in standard finish.
[/LIST]
 
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j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
Interesting that they completely separated the front from the rear and the use of the DSP to manage them. I wouldn't mind hearing them.
 
gtpsuper24

gtpsuper24

Full Audioholic
Wow really tall cabinet, hope they take cabinet bracing seriously on this model. But I really doubt that.
 
agarwalro

agarwalro

Audioholic Ninja
As a previous Axiom owner, I have followed their fall from grace with mixed emotions. I hope this speaker heralds their return to the AV community's beloved status.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
As a previous Axiom owner, I have followed their fall from grace with mixed emotions. I hope this speaker heralds their return to the AV community's beloved status.
I would seriously doubt it. They would be better off with less drivers, but better ones, a better crossover and probably a better cabinet.

Good speakers do not need speakers firing out the back, to produce a deep and wide sound stage.

My view is that rear firing speakers is a resort of the desperate.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
That's where they seem to think that the DSP will help, which is why I'm curious to hear them, but I agree with TLS, I don't think rear firing drivers are the answer.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
That's where they seem to think that the DSP will help, which is why I'm curious to hear them, but I agree with TLS, I don't think rear firing drivers are the answer.
This is what the designer Andrew has to say about it on the Axiom forum: -

OK, I've finally been asked to spill some of the beans regarding this new, as-yet-unnamed, model. By now we have received a number of questions, all of which are in a similar vein:

I've seen these before, aren't they just a bipolar speaker?
Why have drivers on the back of a speaker where I can't hear them?
Why do you need 4 amplifier channels and a DSP anyway?
What are you guys up in Dwight smoking, and where can I get some? wink

First a little background:
Many people do not realize that the sound we hear from a speaker in a room is comprised of direct and reflected signals that come from all surfaces of the speaker, except for the bottom if they are floor-standers sitting directly on the floor. smile It's an amazing sight to measure a conventional speaker in an anechoic chamber with the BACK of the cabinet pointed at the microphone and witness that there is quite a bit going on back there. The bulk of the sound does come from the front and sides of a typical speaker, but as we move higher and higher in frequency, more of that information disappears as we move around the cabinet. Low frequencies don't behave the same way as they are omnidirectional by nature. This gives us something of a discontinuity in that at higher and higher frequencies we are radiating less and less acoustic energy, or power, into the room. So why do we care? Well, simply because this issue of "most of the energy up front" tends to compress the natural sense of acoustic and depth perspective of instruments, singers, and the space they were recorded.

The idea of biploar, which as many of you know I am VERY familiar with, was to duplicate the signal coming from the front of the speaker at the back of the speaker. This signal would be in phase with the front (push-push), unlike a dipole which would be out of phase at the back (push-pull). Theoretically, you would now have an ideal radiation pattern all around the cabinet, with no reduction in mid and high frequencies. Unfortunately, there are significant issues that come with the benefits. One is that by introducing this extra energy into the room, you end up skewing the total balance. It's becomes tipped up at the top end. You also end up with some serious cancellations between the front and rear drivers which tend to wash out images and give you 10 foot wide vocalists! And because you are driving this bipolar speaker with a single amplifier, you have limited control on how different the front and back signals can be. In many cases the level of the rear section is simply reduced to try and combat these issues. We have a speaker that has a natural sense of space and depth, but with tonal and imaging issues. Great...

The solution? Come up with a way to give the speaker a perfect power response, get rid of the cancellation, and make sure the tonal balance is perfect. Easy, right? Yes, it does sound easy, but practically it's difficult to implement. You need to drive the front and back sections differently and independently. That's why we need an extra stereo amplifier for this speaker. We also need to have far more control over the acoustic response of both sections of the speaker, something impossible with conventional crossover networks on their own. 4-channel DSP to the rescue!

If you do this right, and, believe me, that takes a mountain of R&D, you can have your cake and eat it to. Exactly what we are doing and, more importantly why, will remain a secret. What we have been able to achieve is what we believe to be the first "omnidirectional" speaker, which we've codenamed LFR (Linear Field Radiator), that does not trade off neutral tonal balance and imaging precision for an artificially big sense of space. If you have listened to bipolar speakers before and haven't liked them, you need to listen to these! smile
Now it seems to me he is trying to solve the full space/half space transition problem. That is what BSE is for and it does not require hanging drivers on the back!

There is an advantage in the separate amp, however. The full space/half space radiation transition problem is not just dependent on the baffle width, but the location of the speaker in the room and to some extent the room.

So I use active BSE on my front three speakers, and it is a huge advantage.
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
I think they need more tweeters and midrange drivers on both sides of the speaker in addition to the front & back. More is better. That's their motto. :eek::D

One Center speaker is good, two Centers is even better, and three Centers is best.:D
 
gtpsuper24

gtpsuper24

Full Audioholic
But all those tweeters and woofers looks awesome to the average AV consumer. So more must be better. :D Don't forget theres also room on the top and bottom for even more woofers and tweeters :eek:

I feel sorry for the other speaker brands cause you just know that these speakers will beat out any speaker Axiom puts them against in their so called DBT. Why would I want to spend $100k on Wilsons, Focals, Revels when I can just buy the new Axioms which of course sounds similarily good :p
 
Matt34

Matt34

Moderator
I just had a case of déjà va while reading this article. All I could think about was the Bose 901 and their fancy outboard EQ system.
 
agarwalro

agarwalro

Audioholic Ninja
I would seriously doubt it.
A bit premature innit?

On the lines of your crossover contention, IMO, they should just do away with the passive one altogether and implement an active DSP.

My view is that rear firing speakers is a resort of the desperate.
I'm trying to qualify this better for myself. Is that comment referring to 'rear firing' like the BP7000SC with rear facing speakers and not open baffle rear firing like the Orion?
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
A bit premature innit?

On the lines of your crossover contention, IMO, they should just do away with the passive one altogether and implement an active DSP.

I'm trying to qualify this better for myself. Is that comment referring to 'rear firing' like the BP7000SC with rear facing speakers and not open baffle rear firing like the Orion?
I'm referring to rear firing monopole drivers, not open baffle.
 
STRONGBADF1

STRONGBADF1

Audioholic Spartan
I'm not digging the front grill but maybe that's just me. I'd like to see Axiom do a complete cabinet redesign. I'd like to hear these though.
 
N

ned

Full Audioholic
I spoke with Ian once and he seem to indicate he doesn't believe in DSP then.
 
GranteedEV

GranteedEV

Audioholic Ninja
Despite the negativity, I see some serious possible advantages in this, if they can get cardioid response out of it.

The problem is, that the cabinet looks too deep. If the cabinet is deeper than it is wide they'll run into serious issues even with DSP.

Also, the frequency range that could most benefit from going cardioid is bass, and yet it's the bass woofers that seem to be lacking rear wave.

I gotta wonder what Axiom had in mind when they made this speaker. It's... odd.

On the lines of your crossover contention, IMO, they should just do away with the passive one altogether and implement an active DSP.
Even the M80 is a 3-way speaker. That means six channels to drive it. Why do away with the passive if the active gets no better results?

In much more exciting news on the topic of cardioid, AJ in FLA's new speakers got rave reviews at Axpona last weekend!
 
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AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
In much more exciting news on the topic of cardioid, AJ in FLA's new speakers got rave reviews at Axpona last weekend!
AJ said he got requests for distribution in Finland or something like that. Also got a lot of orders for his speakers. Got Bob Carver & the vice president of KEF to listen to his speakers and everything. Coolness.:cool:

AJ's 1812 Overture speaker system was interesting; looked like a kick-a$$ system.:D
 
GranteedEV

GranteedEV

Audioholic Ninja
lol.

Now if he used HIS choice of amps and cable, they would all be like

"MEH" :rolleyes: :D
 
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