EMP Impression Speaker

[majorloser]

Some may remember that last Ocotber at the 2008 Audioholics SOTU Event at Disney World there was some new prototype speakers introduced by Engineered Music Products (EMP).

http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/emp-prototype-speakers

As a offsrping of RBH Sound, the products introduced by EMP have the unique opportunity of utilizing the same talented engineering/design team to produce an affordable line of speakers that are available through on-line retailers. It also allows EMP to introduce items that may not fit in with RBH Sound's current product line.

I have recently been given a unique opportunity to receive an early example of EMP's production model of the Impression Series tower speakers to audition. The single prototype tower displayed last year at the Audioholics SOTU definitely made attendees stop and look. It featured a high gloss burl wood finish for the cabinet with a high gloss black front baffle.

Here is a picture I took during the setup and unpacking from last October:

This is the current production speakers. They are available in both high gloss black and the beautiful red burl finish :

You will notice some of the refinements from the prototype. The midrange is now silver instead of gold (I preferred the gold). The speaker grill pins are now part of the grill and not mounted to the front baffle. And the tweater is now completely black.

 

[majorloser]

I spent the past day cleaning out subwoofers and movie props from my theater to make room to audition these speakers.

The picture above shows the EMP Impression towers along with a pair of Status Acoustic Decimo bookshelf speakers and a pair of Canton Ergo 80 towers. I will also be using a pair of RBH TK-5CT towers as comparison. I particularly wanted to use the RBH TK-5CT's and the Status Acoustic Decimo's for this comparison. The RBH TK-5CT, though a discontinued model, represent a lower end model in the RBH product line. After getting discontinued from the RBH line it was re-released in the EMP line as the EF-30T. The Status Acoustic Decimo represent the absolute top of the line for RBH products. Status Acoustic is the pinnacle acheivement for the design team. The Decimo utilized the best materials and construction available from RBH. As for my older Canton Ergo towers, they are one of my favorite speakers that I still enjoy listening to for long hours.

As you can see from the following pictures, EMP has maintained the beautiful exterior finish and excellent cabinet work. The high gloss black front baffle sets off the gorgeous red burl finish on the rest of the cabinet.

Though they do supply a black cloth grill, it's probably going to end up stuffed in a closet somewhere in your home since it covers up the finish on the front baffle. The grill features a small EMP badge on the bottom edge.

 

[sawzalot]

May I ask , what is the cost factor involved with these beautiful speaks, I love the finish and I am very interested in your impressions as well. Thanks sawz..

 

[majorloser]

Here's some close ups of the drivers:

The tweeter

The midrange

The woofer

The tweater is a 1" fabric dome.
The midrange is a 5.25" aluminized poly-matrix cone with a fixed phase plug.
The woofers (2ea) are 6.5" poly-matrix cones.

 

[majorloser]

May I ask , what is the cost factor involved with these beautiful speaks, I love the finish and I am very interested in your impressions as well. Thanks sawz..

I'm going to have to get back to you on the MSRP. We are going to have the entire 5.1 setup at the Oregon GTG this October. Hopefully these will be available for sale before then. I would also hope that AverageJoe will also pipe in with his thoughts since I beleive the 5.1 setup should be delivered before too much longer.

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53440

I'm sure the Audioholics Store will fight to get these beauties on their shelves as soon as they're released.

 

[Adam]

The gold did add more bling to it, that's for sure. I'm a grill man, though, so I wouldn't see the cones all that much.

Those are some great looking speakers. I look forward to reading your impressions of them!

 

[Tomorrow]

I have had the good fortune to see and hear these speakers at AverageJoe's house. They are stunningly handsome speakers! RBH/EMP has done an amazing job of putting beautiful aesthetics into their lineup.

It has more than just good looks, too. The tower's presentation is neutral and clean. Resonance in these was 100% reduced from what was present in the TK line, IMHO. The high end was clean and free of sibilance and ringing. Mids were clear and slightly prominent, without low-mid bloom. Bass seemed a tad lacking in comparison to the speakers I A/B'ed them against (JBL S312's, Yamaha NS-777, and a pair of Pinnacle Platinum somethings ). The JBL's and Yammies had a bit more bass extension...but the Yammie's may have a bit more bloat than honest, tight bass. The Impressions are smallish towers and could use a little subwoofer support.

All in all, I like these speakers a lot for a small to medium sized room. There is no denying their loveliness. I will be VERY interested in how these measure out and where they are priced.

 

[majorloser]

I spent a little bit of time this evening listening to a few favorite auditioning CD's

The Best of Sade

Harry Connick, Jr. - We Are In Love (SACD)

Melvin Taylor & The Slack Band

Though these aren't the best recordings out there, they work very well for me to see how the drivers perform through their paces. I can usually make a lesser speaker slip up and start sounding muddy with Melvin Taylors speed guitar versions of blues classics. But these speakers did quite well. There is also a couple of tracks from Sade that have a background of maracas (?) that can be hard to pick out if the tweeters are weak. Again these speakers did well. Harry Connick just has a couple of really good arrangements that start soft with his vocals and build up with the full orchestra. Though these speakers are a little lacking in the bass department, again they did well.

I haven't had much time to spend with these speaker doing a comparison with the other towers. But I can tell they do perform well. Obviously, with smaller drivers they will need some bass reinforcement with a good quality subwoofer if you plan on listening to full orchestral arrangements and of course with demanding movie soundtracks. But as with most small floorstanding speakers you will need a subwoofer paired to be truly full range.

 

[R-Carpenter]

I am sorry but this looks like a big plug for EMP. Everything is so fabulous. Are we going to see a full page add next month?
Couple of questions though. Is it actually veneered panels finished in lacquer or a vinyl type plastic looking "burl finish"?
Also, a "fixed phase plug", what exactly is it? Is it fixed to a mid-range diaphragm of to the drivers motor assembly?
Thanks and best, R.

 

[TLS Guy]

I am sorry but this looks like a big plug for EMP. Everything is so fabulous. Are we going to see a full page add next month?
Couple of questions though. Is it actually veneered panels finished in lacquer or a vinyl type plastic looking "burl finish"?
Also, a "fixed phase plug", what exactly is it? Is it fixed to a mid-range diaphragm of to the drivers motor assembly?
Thanks and best, R.

I certainly hope these speakers are a lot better than what was on offer in Florida last fall. In the EMP room I had the displeasure of hearing some of the worst sound I have heard in a very long time. They only have one way to go, but one hell of a climb, form what I heard.

 

[Tomorrow]

I am sorry but this looks like a big plug for EMP. Everything is so fabulous. Are we going to see a full page add next month?
Couple of questions though. Is it actually veneered panels finished in lacquer or a vinyl type plastic looking "burl finish"?
Also, a "fixed phase plug", what exactly is it? Is it fixed to a mid-range diaphragm of to the drivers motor assembly?
Thanks and best, R.

Speaking for myself, I personally don't like being accused of being phony and pimping for this speaker...and it seems a bit nervy to then ask for more information with a "thanks and best".

I have no investment in RBH/EMP. I called it like I heard and saw it. I mentioned that I didn't like the previous EMP offerings but these Impressions were superior to those in every way. I gave brief comparison opinions based upon A/B'ing them with other speakers in their class. Take it as you will, but I feel offended. And I'd guess Dave does too.

 

[Soundman]

Some may remember that last Ocotber at the 2008 Audioholics SOTU Event at Disney World there was some new prototype speakers introduced by Engineered Music Products (EMP).

http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/emp-prototype-speakers

As a offsrping of RBH Sound, the products introduced by EMP have the unique opportunity of utilizing the same talented engineering/design team to produce an affordable line of speakers that are available through on-line retailers. It also allows EMP to introduce items that may not fit in with RBH Sound's current product line.

I have recently been given a unique opportunity to receive an early example of EMP's production model of the Impression Series tower speakers to audition. The single prototype tower displayed last year at the Audioholics SOTU definitely made attendees stop and look. It featured a high gloss burl wood finish for the cabinet with a high gloss black front baffle.

Here is a picture I took during the setup and unpacking from last October:

This is the current production speakers. They are available in both high gloss black and the beautiful red burl finish :

You will notice some of the refinements from the prototype. The midrange is now silver instead of gold (I preferred the gold). The speaker grill pins are now part of the grill and not mounted to the front baffle. And the tweater is now completely black.

Thanks for posting this. I'd be very interested in the pricing and availability of this new speaker. Also, do you know if Audioholics will be doing an in-depth review? The speaker looks great anyway! Please keep this thread active if any more information becomes available.

 

[gene]

I got a chance to listen to the EMP towers last week in my reference room. I have to say they were impressive. I thought they would just be looks but sonically they performed better than my expectations. I was unable to bottom out the woofers which means EMP didn't try to tune them too low for a more impressive low end frequency response on paper.

The Audioholics store just uploaded the entire lineup and EMP is offering Audioholics readers a special limited time promo. Its worth a shot to see if you like them. I have certainly heard better speakers but not really at this price.

The towers will retail for $700/pair but EMP is offering them for $400/pair right now with free shipping!

http://store.audioholics.com/product/2714/1/

If you don't like them, send them back! I would also like to hear everyones opinion on them since they seem to be quite a good value.

 

[majorloser]

I had a couple forum members, Mazersteven and MUDSHARK, over the other day to do some comparisons between my RBH TK-5 towers, Canton Ergo towers and the EMP Impression towers.

I made sure all 6 towers were level matched and used an RCA switcher to seamlessly choose which pair was on at any time. We played a very diverse sellection of music that included CD's that they brought. While the music was playing I was able to randomly switch between towers without them knowing which were in use. I would not tell them which set was on at any time (but they'd just get up and check).

After awhile they determined that the Canton towers were the hands down winner and easily picked out from the other two pair. MUDSHARK actually asked me to stop turning them "ON" during the first round since they were skewing his choice. So I stopped using them and just switched between the RBH TK-5's and the Impression towers.

When it was all over, I placed the Status Acoustic Decimo bookshelves into the mix. In the end it became a shootout between the Decimo bookshelf and the Canton tower. At that point it became a toss up. Both have great traits and crystal clear sound. mazersteven actually wanted them both on at the same time. "That's the sh*t", was the actual phrase used.

I've been hoping MUDSHARK and Mazersteven would post their thoughts. Hopefully they'll do it soon. Otherwise I'll try and summarize their comments.

 

[Soundman]

I got a chance to listen to the EMP towers last week in my reference room. I have to say they were impressive. I thought they would just be looks but sonically they performed better than my expectations. I was unable to bottom out the woofers which means EMP didn't try to tune them too low for a more impressive low end frequency response on paper.

The Audioholics store just uploaded the entire lineup and EMP is offering Audioholics readers a special limited time promo. Its worth a shot to see if you like them. I have certainly heard better speakers but not really at this price.

The towers will retail for $700/pair but EMP is offering them for $400/pair right now with free shipping!

http://store.audioholics.com/product/2714/1/

If you don't like them, send them back! I would also like to hear everyones opinion on them since they seem to be quite a good value.

WOW! That sounds like a sweet deal. Gene, is there anything in the RBH line that these would sonically compare to? I mean seriously, $400!?!?! Do they perform like a TK-5 or above? Just wondering what kind of performance we are talking about here.

 

[Soundman]

I had a couple forum members, Mazersteven and MUDSHARK, over the other day to do some comparisons between my RBH TK-5 towers, Canton Ergo towers and the EMP Impression towers.

I made sure all 6 towers were level matched and used an RCA switcher to seamlessly choose which pair was on at any time. We played a very diverse sellection of music that included CD's that they brought. While the music was playing I was able to randomly switch between towers without them knowing which were in use. I would not tell them which set was on at any time (but they'd just get up and check).

After awhile they determined that the Canton towers were the hands down winner and easily picked out from the other two pair. MUDSHARK actually asked me to stop turning them "ON" during the first round since they were skewing his choice. So I stopped using them and just switched between the RBH TK-5's and the Impression towers.

When it was all over, I placed the Status Acoustic Decimo bookshelves into the mix. In the end it became a shootout between the Decimo bookshelf and the Canton tower. At that point it became a toss up. Both have great traits and crystal clear sound. mazersteven actually wanted them both on at the same time. "That's the sh*t", was the actual phrase used.

I've been hoping MUDSHARK and Mazersteven would post their thoughts. Hopefully they'll do it soon. Otherwise I'll try and summarize their comments.

How did the TK-5 and Impression compare?

 

[majorloser]

How did the TK-5 and Impression compare?

I was hoping those guys would post their own thoughts...

The RBH TK-5's have better bass extension, which it should considering they have an 8" side firing woofer. I would say the Impression towers have a better quality tweeter, so the highs were a little more detailed. So the TK-5s perform better in the mid to bass ranges while the Impression towers preform better in the mid to high ranges. If you added a decent powered subwoofer to the Impression towers, the bass wouldn't be an issue.

But for me the biggest difference is appearances. The RBH TK-5's are some of the ugliest towers ever made. They use a cheap vinyl veneer that just looks cheesy. Where as the Impression towers have a very nice (dare I say beautiful) wood veneer with a high gloss finish. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

If you brought home the RBH TK-5 towers your wife would raise Hell because they look like crap in the living room.

If you brought home the EMP Impressions your wife would say how nice they look and how well they compliment the furniture.

I have quite a pile of different speakers in my house. When it comes down the final thoughts, I still like the sound of my Canton speakers and would love to upgrade. But alas, I can't afford the Canton Reference towers that I really want. So I play around with things I can afford.

 

[majorloser]

OK, that settles it.

For $400 a pair, that's a steal.

I don't think there's many $400 speakers out there that will give you more "bang for the buck".

http://store.audioholics.com/product/2715/66334/emp-impression-e5ti-tower-speakers--red-burl-pair-

 

[gene]

I love hearing the comparison between the TK Towers and these new speakers. Tom Andry is doing a detailed review as we speak and has both speakers in his posession. The TKs probably still have an overall edge in performance but as Dave said, the Impressions are much nicer on the eyes and are also lighter on the wallet. One thing I noticed is its an absolute must to use spikes on these speakers to help tighten up the bass response. Also they sit kinda low to the ground so you may want to consider buying outriggers that raise the speaker a couple of inches.

OK, that settles it.

For $400 a pair, that's a steal.

I don't think there's many $400 speakers out there that will give you more "bang for the buck".

That price isn't going to last. They are basically selling them at cost to flood the market with fan boys

 

[Tomorrow]

I love hearing the comparison between the TK Towers and these new speakers. Tom Andry is doing a detailed review as we speak and has both speakers in his posession. The TKs probably still have an overall edge in performance but as Dave said, the Impressions are much nicer on the eyes and are also lighter on the wallet. One thing I noticed is its an absolute must to use spikes on these speakers to help tighten up the bass response. Also they sit kinda low to the ground so you may want to consider buying outriggers that raise the speaker a couple of inches.



That price isn't going to last. They are basically selling them at cost to flood the market with fan boys

You and Dave are quite correct about the bass reach of the TK's. As I pointed out, the Impressions are small towers and need support from a sub. But the top end is much more refined, IMHO, less edgy and annoying compared to the TK's. And for sure, the Impressions are absolutely the best looking speakers in their class.