EP500 Listening Tests & Recommendations

 

Blue Man Group "The Complex and Graham Nash" Songs for Survivors are two of my favorite multi-channel reference discs (if you haven't already gathered this from my mention of them in various reviews). The Dave Matthews track "Sing Along" from the Blue Man Group disc has excellent LFE content and the EP500 really showed it off. The bass was well-extended with oodles of punch and slam, especially towards the middle of the song with the mini drum solo. You could hear clear delineation of the bass notes, never sounding boomy or one notey as do some high-excursion subs. The DTS 96/24 percussion track really sounded wonderful on my reference system, even more so with the EP500 pumping out the LFE track. Adding the EP500 to my system really helped smooth out the bass response in my room while also providing significantly more low end extension and tactile response.

I rediscovered track #4, "Chelsea Hotel" from the Graham Nash DVD-Audio disc with the EP500. On my reference subs the bass was authorative and well-tempered, but with the EP500 thrown in the mix, slam and "felt" response was elevated to a new level. I enjoyed watching the EP500 rattle the plastic screen on my RPTV while it also rumbled my couch with authority. There were times I felt as if someone had installed tactile transducers under my couch and I actually had to convince myself otherwise. Track #9 "Liars Nightmare" blew me away the first time I heard it as I remember saying to myself "wow, that's really deep bass, atypical of most recordings". With the EP500 engaged, the hairs stood up on my arms as I felt the adrenaline rush from the power of the mighty sub. The EP500 handled multi-channel music with aplomb, never faltering or whimpering when pushed to levels loud enough to implode small furry animals.

 

Let's face it, the main driving force behind owning a subwoofer is for the movie watching experience and wow effect. An action movie is sterile without surround sound, and possibly worse if devoid of deep and powerful bass. I can't count how many times I have walked away from a local Cineplex disappointed from the movie watching experience because the sound system had anemic bass response and/or highly compressed and distorted bass on pivotal action scenes. Terminator 3 is a prime example of a movie that was much more enjoyable when viewed from home on my reference system than it was at any of the movie theaters I originally watched it at. There are too many good action scenes from T3 to discuss in this review but I will say the truck chase and bathroom fighting scenes were the two most memorable for me. The EP500 added much more realism and envelopment to the experience. At times I actually though I could hear Arnold's thoughts emanate from the EP500: "Gene, this is NO girlie man sub. It is very pumped." Who am I to argue with the Terminator.

Just for kicks I popped in a DVD I haven't watched for some time to see if the EP500 could further enhance my enjoyment of the movie. In Toy Story 2.I jumped to the opening scene where Buzz Lightyear was blasting his way to a planet tracking down Zurg. The first few minutes of this movie are simply stunning, both visually and audibly. The bass from Buzz's rockets and the smashing of Zurg's evil robot minions is nothing short of exhilarating. With the EP500 fired up, I proceeded. I found that my butt got a rather vigorous workout while the EP500 shook my couch to the sound of Buzz's rocket thrusters. I felt every bone crushing head decapitation blow Buzz dealt Zurg's evil robots with his laser. Even the music from the 2001 Space Odyssey while Buzz was walking through Zurg's fortress carried more weight and feel to it than I have previously heard. While my intention was to just skip through a few scenes in this movie to assess the EP500's performance, before I knew it I watched the movie in its entirety.

No matter what movie or music disc I threw at the Axiom EP500, it provided a newfound sense of realism and enjoyment that I didn't even know was missing.

It's a bit difficult to find faults in such a high performance, high value product, but as Audioholics, we do our best to be overly critical. With that, here are a few bullet items I would like Axiom to consider to make their product even better:

It's a short laundry list, but it gives us something to look forward to checking out on future Axiom subwoofer products.

The EP500 is one truly powerful subwoofer, capable of very high SPL levels, especially in smaller rooms. We recommend securing any expensive china or knickknacks before firing this bad boy up for the first time. Due to its very linear low frequency extension, output capabilities, and EQ options, the less fussy placement nature of this subwoofer is quite invaluable. However, experimentation is always key. Following the guidelines we have established in our Loudspeaker Setup Tips Pages is certainly a good start. The manufacturer's guidelines and Axiom Audio tech articles available at their site are also great resources to tap into for ensuring you squeeze out maximum performance of this product.

Although I achieved very good results locating this subwoofer behind the listening position, I would advise caution when attempting this type of configuration. Due to the high output and low extension characteristics of this subwoofer, I found it at times to be localizable, even with the LPF set to 80Hz. What was actually happening was that the enormous tactile effects and sense of pressure waves were distracting me enough to perceive there was a subwoofer somewhere in close proximity to me. I ultimately found pushing the sub back a few additional feet and off-center to the primary listening positions, lowering the output a few dB below reference to the rest of my system, and tweaking the crossover down a tad, helped to alleviate localization issues.

I have now listened to the EP500 in two completely different listening environments and systems. The first was my factory tour to Axiom Audio nearly a year ago, and the most recent was when integrated into my own reference system. In both instances, the EP500 proved to be an outstanding performer regardless of price. It had the ability to command the respect of any bassaholic whether their preferences lean towards home theater or music. Its almost limitless dynamics and tactile response aren't necessarily the defining characteristics that lend the EP500 to be an awesome subwoofer. Its low level linearity and control at high output levels really are the icing on the cake. There are many great subwoofers (especially available online) at this highly contested price point that offer commendable performance and cosmetics, but we feel the EP500 is class leading in performance in this price category. Alas "King of the Deep" is an appropriate title for it. If you are serious about bass, you owe it to yourself to check this subwoofer out. With Axiom's great customer service (one of the best we have seen in this business) and generous 30 day return policy, it's a risk free, no-brainer decision in this humble reviewer's opinion. In fact, if you aren't happy with the performance of this sub, please send it my way, my reference system could always benefit from the addition of an EP500 or two.

The toughest choice about the EP500 isn't debating its performance edge over the competition as much as it is figuring out which of the four standard finishes and two grill colors to choose from. As if that wasn't difficult enough, for a small premium there are even custom finish choices with six different grill color options . Now that's custom!