EMP Tek Impression Series E55Ti Tower Speakers First Look

[typh00n]

Well, I will look forward to the M60 comparasion, and other brands in your future internet direct face off.
I also would love to see how they compare to the NHT Absolute Tower: http://www.nhthifi.com/NHT-Absolute-TowerCenter (free center for pre-ordering), though they are smaller and probably more in the E5Ti class (same height), I find them similarly attractive (it's probably the base) and priced in the E55Ti range.

 

[Tom Andry]

Gene, do you know if those outrigger feet you mentioned will be available for people that bought the E5ti's already? I've got a feeling they wouldn't fit but I thought I'd ask anyway.

Yes, they will work as a retrofit. They'll be offering these standalone for current E5ti owners.

 

[Flyinace2000]

Anyone else pre-order?

The guys at the audioholics store say it will ship out monday. I will be away on business for 2 weeks but as soon as i get home i will have some new toys to set up!

 

[fightinkraut]

Anyone else pre-order?

The guys at the audioholics store say it will ship out monday. I will be away on business for 2 weeks but as soon as i get home i will have some new toys to set up!

I'm loving my E5Ti's, congrats on the sweet purchase, make sure to let us know what you think once they're set up!

 

[eddie]

Does Anyone Have Theirs Yet?

I'm hoping to get some first impressions of how these sound, especially in comparison to their little brothers.

 

[krzywica]

I think I am going to see if I can get my hands on the outriggers.

 

[Coult_45]

Can I get some help with surrounds?

You may want to consider a more laid back speaker than the Klipsch since the EMP sound tends to be on the warmer side while Klipsch is more forward (not a bad thing).

I suggest looking at either Aperion Audio or Emotiva for their surrounds as I believe they will be a better match for the EMPs.

What about a surround that doesn't have a tweeter? I am looking at the Jamo C400SUR. It has two full range drivers.

Is this a bad idea to match with emp tek speakers?

 

[sholling]

What about a surround that doesn't have a tweeter? I am looking at the Jamo C400SUR. It has two full range drivers.

Is this a bad idea to match with emp tek speakers?

I can't speak to matching EMP's sound but did you see the frequency response on that Jamo? Now I've never heard one of these but just the specs would (and did) scare me off. But perhaps someone else has personal experience and loves them.

Specifications

• Cabinet design: Closed dipole driver arrangement/Bass-reflex enclosure
• Two 4.0" full range drivers
• Power rating: 80W, continuous / 120W, dynamic
• Impedance: 6 ohms
• Sensitivity: 88 dB (2.8V/1m)
• Frequency response: 80Hz - 15kHz
• Dimensions: 13.6" W x 9.3" H x 5.2" D

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

I just picked up a pair of Wharfedale WH 2 surrounds for my bedroom, and another pair for use as rears in my main room and I'm quite pleased. Pleased enough that I rat-holed a third pair for another project that I have coming up. I have no Idea how they compare to the EMPs but I'd describe the Wharfedale's sound as moderately warm and find them a pleasant surround.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• Cabinet design: 2-way bipolar satellite speakers
• Each speaker uses two 1.1-inch dome tweeters and two 4-inch Polypropylene cone woofers with hand-wound voice coil
• Recommended for use with amplifiers delivering up to 120 watts per channel
• 4- to 8-ohm impedance
• 88 dB sensitivity
• frequency response 80 to 20,000 Hz
• Measures 8.9 x 9.6 x 5 inches (W x H x D)

 

[Coult_45]

I can't speak to matching EMP's sound but did you see the frequency response on that Jamo? Now I've never heard one of these but just the specs would (and did) scare me off. But perhaps someone else has personal experience and loves them.

Specifications

• Cabinet design: Closed dipole driver arrangement/Bass-reflex enclosure
• Two 4.0" full range drivers
• Power rating: 80W, continuous / 120W, dynamic
• Impedance: 6 ohms
• Sensitivity: 88 dB (2.8V/1m)
• Frequency response: 80Hz - 15kHz
• Dimensions: 13.6" W x 9.3" H x 5.2" D

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

I just picked up a pair of Wharfedale WH 2 surrounds for my bedroom, and another pair for use as rears in my main room and I'm quite pleased. Pleased enough that I rat-holed a third pair for another project that I have coming up. I have no Idea how they compare to the EMPs but I'd describe the Wharfedale's sound as moderately warm and find them a pleasant surround.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• Cabinet design: 2-way bipolar satellite speakers
• Each speaker uses two 1.1-inch dome tweeters and two 4-inch Polypropylene cone woofers with hand-wound voice coil
• Recommended for use with amplifiers delivering up to 120 watts per channel
• 4- to 8-ohm impedance
• 88 dB sensitivity
• frequency response 80 to 20,000 Hz
• Measures 8.9 x 9.6 x 5 inches (W x H x D)

Thanks for the suggestion. I like the looks and price of those. I am concerned about the tweeter design. I take it these are from around 2003 based on this old thread.
http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=2122091
I know Wharfedale uses soft dome tweeters now but I am not sure what they used in the past.

If these are of the same quality the reviews claim they are a great deal. However it appears they aren't discounted much since they were $100 at best buy in 2003. Could you tell me what you think the tweeter is made of?

I am also considering the Polk rm8
http://bestofaudio.com/product_info.php?cPath=35_30_43&products_id=8788&osCsid=11f82f570e7f3257531156d5f1fce39b

These are twice as much but I might be willing to pay that if it is a much better match to the emp speakers.
Does anyone else have a thought?

 

[sholling]

Thanks for the suggestion. I like the looks and price of those. I am concerned about the tweeter design. I take it these are from around 2003 based on this old thread.
http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=2122091
I know Wharfedale uses soft dome tweeters now but I am not sure what they used in the past.

At least they have a tweeter. The Jamo you were looking at did not which is why I said something. The Wharfedales are not the $400 exact timbre matches to my Bostons Acoustics (no longer made) that I'd like, but I like that I can crossover to them at 80hz and that they don't do anything wrong (not too bright to be a good match like say a Klipsch) - in other words they don't scream "I'm not a match". Frankly they work for my needs. But I'm looking for movie surrounds and not to try to match 5 music channels - although they do that well for my bedroom. For 5.1 music I'd be looking to stay with one brand if possible.

Could you tell me what you think the tweeter is made of?

Looks like plastic.

 

[yepimonfire]

What about a surround that doesn't have a tweeter? I am looking at the Jamo C400SUR. It has two full range drivers.

Is this a bad idea to match with emp tek speakers?

i personally would not buy any speakers without a response above 20khz unless your an old man who has lost most of his hearing in the high end, i once had a pair of speakers that had a response up to 16khz that i used for surrounds, they seemed to lack good direction, which is IMO important for surrounds.

 

[Coult_45]

i personally would not buy any speakers without a response above 20khz unless your an old man who has lost most of his hearing in the high end, i once had a pair of speakers that had a response up to 16khz that i used for surrounds, they seemed to lack good direction, which is IMO important for surrounds.

This is 2 for 2 to bring up the response. Like you were implying high frequencies are harder to pinpoint the location. since these are surrounds I thought that could be a benefit, especially since they are by bipole design. I don't know that is why i am asking but isn't this a good thing especially when trying to timber match the speakers to a different make. Check out the Aperion Audio Intimus 4bphttp://www.aperionaudio.com/product/Intimus-4BP-Bipole-Surround-Speaker,226,19,704.aspx They have a similar response with tweeters.

I was looking at the 4bp but wanted something MUCH cheaper. My situation might be different than others.

I will need to mount something on a rear wall. I had a monopole speaker @ a 95 degree angle in the past set up. It setup only sounded good in the sweet spot in the middle of the room, and you could easily point out where the surrounds were placed in a dark room. I thought a bipole speaker mounted in the same place would be the best fix. My thinking, which could likely be flawed, was that this cut off in response would help the speaker defuse the sound and make the speaker where it is harder to pinpoint its direction.

I was never concerned with the Jamo's response, until now. I was concerned with the possible lack of detail by not having a tweeter.

I don't think this forum is making me more intelligent. I think it is helping me understand how ignorant I am about these things.

 

[Coult_45]

The Jamo C400s are out. All this time thinking about them and I just realized they are dipole. They wouldn't work with my setup.

Now I am looking for something cheaper than the aperion bipole that would match emp well.

 

[LATE2WORK]

EMP E55TI Review

Hello everyone! I'd like to share my experience related to my new EMP E55TI tower speakers.

At first I was very apprehensive about buying these speakers because I didn't really know that much about them. Then I talked to Daren at EMP and felt really good about what he had to say. He told me they were going to be put up on their website the very next day for pre-order, and I placed my order immediately. When I first got them, I didn't know what to expect, yet what I got instead was something truly special.

I've collected speakers and other audio gear while studying speaker design for over 35 years. Out of all of the speakers I've collected, I would say that these are one of the best values on the market. The speakers are gorgeous, and at this price point they are truly stunning in their performance, beauty, and the integration of their sound signature. The driver placement is awesome!

I hooked them up to one of my Pioneer Elite SC-07 receivers (I like this receiver so much that I bought three of them), and the first thing that I noticed is that the speakers are very symetrical in their sound placement. To me this means that there is not any emphasis on any particular sound frequency.

I'm not one that goes along with the 100 hour break-in period theory. I can pretty much tell whether I like a speaker's performance within the first 5 minutes, and after 4 hours of listening to these, I was still listening.

In my opinion these speakers are the best value on the market for dollar spent for sound placement at this time, and beauty as well. I own speakers from all the major players in this price category and above such as Emotiva, Aperion Audio, Definitive Technology, Paradigm Reference Signature, Ascend Accoustics, NHT, Swans and many more. I feel that the EMPs are a truly outstanding value in every way and that they set a new precedent in the industry at this time.

I'm so thrilled with these speakers, that I'm ordering a 2nd pair of them this week. I'm going to do double-blind testing with these speakers and see how they compare to speakers double their cost.

I would really like to thank Shane at EMP for his incredible design on these beautiful tower speakers!

Thank you from a very happy and grateful Audioholic!

LATE2WORK

 

[eddie]

LATE2WORK, do you have any pics? I would love to see them in the flesh so to speak, with the stabilizers attached.

 

[LATE2WORK]

Eddie, yes I took pictures of the speakers, but not of the stabilizers. I'll post them as soon as I can. The speakers are absolutely gorgeous, and I love the design of the cabinet. It's similar to the new Paradigm reference if you're familiar with those... If you're considering buying these speakers, I wouldn't hesitate, as I just bought a 2nd pair of them today because I like them that much!

Good luck on your journey wherever your heart leads you, Eddie!


typh00n, you're more than welcome. I tried your link, but am unable to get it to work...

 

[typh00n]

Looking forward to the pictures, mine should arrive later this week, I got the black ones, which Daren said they were running very low on stock when I pre-ordered.

And I'm not sure what link you're referring to

 

[BudgetHT]

I'm in. I'll be ordering a pair in red burl at the end of this week.
Looking forward to the pics. I would like to see how the outriggers are implemented.

 

[eddie]

Eddie, yes I took pictures of the speakers, but not of the stabilizers. I'll post them as soon as I can. The speakers are absolutely gorgeous, and I love the design of the cabinet. It's similar to the new Paradigm reference if you're familiar with those... If you're considering buying these speakers, I wouldn't hesitate, as I just bought a 2nd pair of them today because I like them that much!

Good luck on your journey wherever your heart leads you, Eddie!


typh00n, you're more than welcome. I tried your link, but am unable to get it to work...

Thank you LATE2WORK! These are definitely in the running. Once I get more feedback and perhaps a professional review, I'll feel a lot more comfortable with a purchase. I look forward to seeing your pix.

 

[LATE2WORK]

Eddie, there's nothing more professional than your own perception... ;-)