Emotiva ERT-8.3 Owners Chime In!!! Please! ;)

S

Solid-State

Banned
Emotiva ERT-8.3 and/or ERT-6.3 Loudspeaker Owners Chime In!!! Please! ;)

I'm hopping to hear owners of the new Emotiva ERT-8.3 to voice opinions on these rather new loudspeakers. Also I'm curious how it performs in concert with the ERT-6.3 as a center. Currently I have M80s and VP150 and am unhappy with the sound and want to upgrade.

Solid-State
 
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agarwalro

agarwalro

Audioholic Ninja
What about the Axiom's do you not like?
What electronics are you mating your speakers with?
What is your primary use, music or movies? What kind?
Any preferences?
Budget?

If you tell us that, perhaps folks here can make a recommendation better suited to your needs.
 
S

Solid-State

Banned
I don't want to get into the why I'm not happy about the M80/VP150 front but I'll talk briefly about it below. Lets just say I want to upgrade to the next level.

I'm about to pair the UMC-1 with an Axiom A1400-8. I wonder if I should upgrade to the Emo speakers as well while I'm at it. I know I want to upgrade to something better than I have that's for sure.

I've had a chance to hear the smaller bookshelf speaker and they were very impressive. I'm curious what the ERT-8.3 as L/R with the ERT-6.3 as a center sounds.

As for the Axioms they are good duty and sound good for the money less the VP150 with it's "sssh" combing/diffusion/artifacts. A good analogy regarding this problem is the rainbows some see with a DLP right. It really bothers me but from what I gather online, not others. As for the M80 I managed to raise them with cinder blocks so my ear was at the NRC test mike height and they have become acceptable.

I really just want to upgrade to better speakers. Axioms are "good for the money" but from four years of listening and installing various systems I've come to realize there are better speakers out there for not a lot more $$$


Solid-State
 
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Soundman

Soundman

Audioholic Field Marshall
I don't want to get into the why I'm not happy about the M80/VP150 front but I'll talk briefly about it below. Lets just say I want to upgrade to the next level.

I'm about to pair the UMC-1 with an Axiom A1400-8. I wonder if I should upgrade to the Emo speakers as well while I'm at it. I know I want to upgrade to something better than I have that's for sure.

I've had a chance to hear the smaller bookshelf speaker and they were very impressive. I'm curious what the ERT-8.3 as L/R with the ERT-6.3 as a center sounds.

As for the Axioms they are good duty and sound good for the money less the VP150 with it's "sssh" combing/diffusion/artifacts. A good analogy regarding this problem is the rainbows some see with a DLP right. It really bothers me but from what I gather online, not others. As for the M80 I managed to raise them with cinder blocks so my ear was at the NRC test mike height and they have become acceptable.

I really just want to upgrade to better speakers. Axioms are "good for the money" but from four years of listening and installing various systems I've come to realize there are better speakers out there for not a lot more $$$


Solid-State
I hear where you are coming from. I had that same Axiom setup for a while, with the QS-8's as surrounds. I felt the same way with the sibilance. Axiom has a distinct sound, some like it others do not. I, like you, did not care for it. The M80's are a very nice, detailed speaker, but they are really forward sounding, so look out once you crank them. Their speakers really need to be used in a treated room for good results.
It did not take me long to upgrade them and I haven't looked back since. if you did not care for them, then you would probably prefer a more laid back to neutral sounding speaker.
 
J

jephdood

Junior Audioholic
I'm not an owner, but a friend of mine bought a set.

I thought the 8.3's had a decent top end and midrange, but I think I expected more from the bottom. I realize it's a sealed design, but their depth was really lacking.

The build quality seemed good.

I liked the 6.3 a lot as a center.. and could see it really doing well as a main speaker as well. And since the 8.3's really require a sub anyway, three 6.3's across the front (with sub) would be an ideal setup.

The 6.3 is a very long speaker, however, so getting the stand mounting right.. and stable.. would be a trick.

It would be cool if they made some kind of hollow sand-fillable matching finish platforms for them.. a-la Ascend.
 
S

Solid-State

Banned
Yeah that's an interesting thought. The 6.3s across the front in a medium small room would be great I speculate. I haven't seen any FR charts for any of these speakers and have only heard the bookselfs. About where does the 6.3 drop off on the lowend? I figured the 8.3 crossing with an F15 with a slight overlap at around 60-70Hz with an LFE+main 45-55Hz main low pass would be perfect for my taste in bass. These questions are for my uncle's system by the way not my personal. If the 6.3 is that much better in the midrange you could go with a sub that starts higher than the F15. These choices of front concert will have a big impact on sub choice. I currently have the EP500 and it's a great sub from about 70Hz down. I wish it had a low cut filter I could set at from 15Hz to 25Hz as I'm sick of the mike rubs etc scaring the **** outta me and there is no content out there recorded in those frequencies unless it's unintended like mike rubs, rap music or movie LFE data! I don't believe it's very "musical" like the GR Research woofer etc. One look at the GR Research plates and you realize it's a better sub. It wouldn't work that well with the 6.3 IMHO. The GR Research sub driver powered via A370-XLR Rythmic F12 plate would be the ticket for those 6.3s Specially with a UMC-1 base management you wouldn't need the PEQ plate version and could go balanced for your LFE segment run. Shame I've starting to really learn this stuff VIA building my own speakers and obtaining my own test gear or I might consider the 6.3s Perhaps I can dissect it and even learn more from Vance other than his great book and perhaps replicate and tweak with better components. It's so amazing the software and books out there to help a guy like me learn acoustics via the practical knowledge of building speakers. What's possible via inexpensive and FREE software that's out there would require test gear like Toole's NRC lab of Lore and cost thousands to setup. What's so funny is a guy like me using the net and my brain, some books and first year calculus can learn and achieve stuff these older guys took decades to figure out. I really think it scares the **** outta the old guard "high end" EE to some extent on a sociological level and I believe I hear echos on forums and discussions with others in the industry I know. Owhh and decent amazingly performing drivers exist for next to nothing these days that old timers would pay a fortune for. The Vifa XT25TG30-04 tweet is an example of this as it's compares to a Morel to my ear. All I can say is I hope more professional science degree baring intelligent young people follow our old heath kit grandfathers and start building and learning practical electronics. Don't let these people sprinkle mystic and fairy dust over this stuff.

Solid-State

PS I was one of those kids in the early 80s that had the Radioshack and Ramsey "electronics labs" and actually made it through the books/experiments and did more than power the piezoelectric buzzer LOL I also played lego and managed to build more than a wall or a simple geometric shape. If you are one of the buzzer or lego wall people please... don't even bother ROTFL
 
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S

Solid-State

Banned
I'm not an owner, but a friend of mine bought a set.

I thought the 8.3's had a decent top end and midrange, but I think I expected more from the bottom. I realize it's a sealed design, but their depth was really lacking.

The build quality seemed good.

I liked the 6.3 a lot as a center.. and could see it really doing well as a main speaker as well. And since the 8.3's really require a sub anyway, three 6.3's across the front (with sub) would be an ideal setup.

The 6.3 is a very long speaker, however, so getting the stand mounting right.. and stable.. would be a trick.

It would be cool if they made some kind of hollow sand-fillable matching finish platforms for them.. a-la Ascend.
Were these speakers broken in? The low end on the 8 inchers will take time to really open up. I suggest your friend not push them for a couple weeks and let them break in. I'd go back and give a listen then to be 100% certain of the bass performance. Where abouts would you say they drop on the lowend? Perhaps 65Hz ish? If they were really fresh you can't be certain of how ultimately they will perform. Don't believe the naysayers in this regard. The surrounds, voice coil and xover components do change physical and electrical properties as they ultimately settle in on their broken in final state. I'd go back and give them a second listen and report back.

Solid-State
 
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S

Solid-State

Banned
I hear where you are coming from. I had that same Axiom setup for a while, with the QS-8's as surrounds. I felt the same way with the sibilance. Axiom has a distinct sound, some like it others do not. I, like you, did not care for it. The M80's are a very nice, detailed speaker, but they are really forward sounding, so look out once you crank them. Their speakers really need to be used in a treated room for good results.
It did not take me long to upgrade them and I haven't looked back since. if you did not care for them, then you would probably prefer a more laid back to neutral sounding speaker.
Yeah I know exactly what you mean regarding the speaker's "sibilance". The VP150 is so horrible IMHO I had to disable it and go phantom. The "sssh" "sss" rolling off of every S word was driving me insane. Also it's horizontal off axis performance is god awful. These are a little more than opinions as well as I measured the speaker's FR off axis to confirm. The other thing I don't get is the magnet glued to the back of the driver magnet assembly LOL. Spare reject magnets used to make it appear heavier or something? The M80 is a decent speaker if you raise it so your ear is at the NRC test mike height. This requires large cinder blocks and totally kills the speaker's aesthetics. The QS8s are great rear speakers. The subs are decent as well but you can get better from Rythmik Audio or Ascend Acoustics. I have really liked the book shelf speakers though. The M22 is a great little speaker. The other thing I must add is Axiom is a fantastic outfit to deal with. The A1400-8 is an amazing class D amp as well and really no other ICE based product like it is around. All in all Axiom is a mixed bag thus why I'm hunting for new speakers.

Solid-State
 
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Matt34

Matt34

Moderator
Were these speakers broken in? The low end on the 8 inchers will take time to really open up. I suggest your friend not push them for a couple weeks and let them break in. I'd go back and give a listen then to be 100% certain of the bass performance. Where abouts would you say they drop on the lowend? Perhaps 65Hz ish? If they were really fresh you can't be certain of how ultimately they will perform. Don't believe the naysayers in this regard. The surrounds, voice coil and xover components do change physical and electrical properties as they ultimately settle in on their broken in final state. I'd go back and give them a second listen and report back.

Solid-State
I seriously doubt a couple weeks of "break-in" are going to change the T/S parameters of the drivers enough to alter the low-end response and if so I would really like to look at before and after REW charts to verify the difference.
 
S

Solid-State

Banned
Yeah I guess your right. I have heard a loudspeaker's sound change as they "break-in". I've never noted change in the low-end.

WOW I'm totally questioning myself now. Placebo affect!?!

IT CAN'T BE!!!
 
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S

Solid-State

Banned
I seriously doubt a couple weeks of "break-in" are going to change the T/S parameters of the drivers enough to alter the low-end response and if so I would really like to look at before and after REW charts to verify the difference.
I've read they placed a hell of a lot of poly inside the cab. I wonder if you could remove say 10-20% from the woofer part of the cab and expect low end increase? I have to say again that people have commented specifically that the cabs are mega stuffed with poly. Could affect excursion of the woofer and cause a drop of the low end?

Solid-State

PS Poly density affect on sealed cab

 
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M

mibson

Audioholic
I hear where you are coming from. I had that same Axiom setup for a while, with the QS-8's as surrounds. I felt the same way with the sibilance. Axiom has a distinct sound, some like it others do not. I, like you, did not care for it. The M80's are a very nice, detailed speaker, but they are really forward sounding, so look out once you crank them. Their speakers really need to be used in a treated room for good results.
It did not take me long to upgrade them and I haven't looked back since. if you did not care for them, then you would probably prefer a more laid back to neutral sounding speaker.
What do you mean by "forward sounding"?

Im thinking about getting M80s and I need to avoid speakers with "harsh trebble"...

Thanks for any advice...
 
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