Shopping/listening with wife.

[Davemcc]

My wife and I just hit every audio store in town (big box excluded, there's only 4). So far I've struck out on what I intended to listen to, Energy RC10, PSB Image B25 and Thiel PCS. We have these dealers here, but not these in stock to hear, maybe not for a few weeks.

She already knows that she can't have the Thiel CS2.4, Martin Logan Odyssey or J.M. Labs Electra 1007 Be that we heard, although she would gladly have them tomorrow. In this case, I have to be the responsible one.

Paradigm Studio 20's are a definite maybe. They hurt my wife's ears, but the actual listening room was horrible. She had to sit with her back against a glass wall in a tiny room with the speakers 5 ft away from her face. Plus, they won't let us bring a pair home to give them a real listen.

I was most impressed with the ERA Acoustics Design 5.

She was most impressed by the EPOS M5 and to be honest, I like them too.

Also, the latter two were being driven by equipment that far exceeds what my Denon 686 can produce.

I guess the whole point of this post is to invite comment on either ERA or EPOS, because I don't really know a lot about them except that I like the sound. I will try to find and read reviews, etc., but all of a sudden she's in a real hurry because now she's heard real music instead of Bose music.

In fact, I might just have the go ahead for the whole system (Matching center, Denon 2307, Sunfire 5 channel amp and Rocket Bi-pole surrounds)

 

[highfihoney]

If i can offer any advice it would be to pay attention to your 1st impressions of any speaker & try not to account for a speaker sounding bad due to room conditions,from my experience 1st impressions are accurate,if it sounds like a turd it generaly is a turd.

 

[majorloser]

And if the wife really loves the way something sounds, you'd better take it home and at least audition it!

You'd never hear the end of it otherwise

"You know the speakers I liked would have sounded better......."

 

[Davemcc]

Thanks for the comments. I think she would be happy with either the ERA or EPOS. I'm leaning to the ERA because it has a fuller bottom end that I think will blend better with the PB12-Plus that should be arriving soon.

My biggest problem now is that I can't find any real info on the ERA Design 5. Their website doesn't even post FR and I can't find any reviews. I can't even find out what the MSRP is to see if the deal their offering is full price or discounted. Who wants to pay full retail?

 

[dave1490]

And if the wife really loves the way something sounds, you'd better take it home and at least audition it!

You'd never hear the end of it otherwise

"You know the speakers I liked would have sounded better......."

ha good luck getin what you want,mine always wants the cheaper model.

 

[mtrycrafts]

... They hurt my wife's ears, but the actual listening room was horrible. She had to sit with her back against a glass wall in a tiny room with the speakers 5 ft away from her face. Plus, they won't let us bring a pair home to give them a real listen.

In the end, speakers what makes or breaks what you hear, along with the room acoustics and the quality of the recording.

This demo room, a closet(5ft) is far from being reasonable. Who knows how much it affected what you heard, but I bet it was a detriment.
Not sure how they expect to sell anything without a better setup or allowing you to test it at home.

You may need to visit larger cities close by? Friends?

 

[Davemcc]

You may need to visit larger cities close by? Friends?

Well, I'm very close to Detroit, across the River in Windsor. I wouldn't know my way around the audio world in Detroit, however, short of looking in the phonebook and using Mapquest. I have considered setting up an audition at the Salk factory because I guess its not far from here. I am intrigued with Salk's custom build approach and I could see myself with a set of Ellis 1801's.

On the bright side, I did come up with some info on ERA. I caught this on a link from AVS forum.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/era/era.html

This answers a lot of my questions and I was very impressed listening to the Design 5. I may just go and order a set tomorrow. My wife wants me to get a move on things and replace the Bose.

 

[Davemcc]

I ordered a set of Era Design 5's today in Rosewood.

It will be a couple of days before they get here.

I gave them another audition today using some old Stax tracks on CD and pounding some Metallica, Holier Than Thou and Through the Never. They played both of these widely varied styles very well. My original audition with these used an older Spyro Gyra CD and the performance was very, very nice.

 

[billy p]

Lol

ha good luck getin what you want,mine always wants the cheaper model.

what's the wifes maiden name. I think we married sisters. On the serious side why are people having trouble auditioning speakers at their local dealers? Many forum members have expressed this issue!!

 

[emorphien]

If i can offer any advice it would be to pay attention to your 1st impressions of any speaker & try not to account for a speaker sounding bad due to room conditions,from my experience 1st impressions are accurate,if it sounds like a turd it generaly is a turd.

Don't blow off a demanding speaker that was hooked up to inadequate amplification though. Make sure things are hooked up right when you're doing your serious auditioning.

 

[Davemcc]

Don't blow off a demanding speaker that was hooked up to inadequate amplification though. Make sure things are hooked up right when you're doing your serious auditioning.

The first time I heard the Era's, it was hooked up to about 10G's worth of equipment and sounded great. The second audition, it was hooked up to a Sherwood AVR in a very basic setup and I was able to try a few different room placements and they still sounded great.

As for the Studio 20's at the other shop, he brought them in from another room where they were used as surrounds to the small square room with the glass wall where they sounded awful. We then listened to some of the larger Studios (same drivers) in a different room (Triangular room !!??) where these ones didn't sound as harsh. I guess if he were really trying, he would have brought the studio 20's into the 4th room where the Theil's and Paradigm Signatures were hooked up to give the 20's a fighting chance. Oh well. I'm sure I'll be happy.

 

[emorphien]

The first time I heard the Era's, it was hooked up to about 10G's worth of equipment and sounded great. The second audition, it was hooked up to a Sherwood AVR in a very basic setup and I was able to try a few different room placements and they still sounded great.

I've heard those aren't too hard to tame. But it can always vary from speaker to speaker.

 

[KC23]

If i can offer any advice it would be to pay attention to your 1st impressions of any speaker & try not to account for a speaker sounding bad due to room conditions,from my experience 1st impressions are accurate,if it sounds like a turd it generaly is a turd.

Amen to that!