As I am playing catch up from being on-line sparingly this fall, I would like to chime in, not necessarily for the OP as he's already made a buy decision but rather for the many observers and readers of the thread who have questions. What follows is more for the member who rarely posts, for the forum lurker, or for the newbie guest.
I agree with the OP that this has been a lively discussion (
). Before I get into the meat of my observation, I would like to offer a preamble. I honestly don't know what my reputation is on this forum, not sure if I'm considered a fanboy, basher or other. Don't really care because it doesn't really matter. Certainly not to me, anyway.
People can think what they like. People will believe what they believe. People will quote experience - as a professional, hobbyist or both - as the reason why they are right. All that is fine. Sometimes what is lost is that the less experienced enthusiast will seek opinions from the learned because they want
someone with knowledge to tell them what is good.
Experience does matter but not all experience is the same, and another person's experience should never -
ever - replace
your own experience, to your ears in your room with your electronics. Most of the gentlemen on this forum with years in the hobby will say this. Sometimes opinions are based on facts or data while other times it’s based on critical listening and subjectivity. Sometimes its a combination of both. It usually is, IMHO.
The reality is, many people lurk in this forum, never post, simply read what is said. They stay in the shadows for fear of feeling dumb or posting something silly and being laughed at. Many people will hop onto the forum with little or no experience seeking a great deal, a good buy that will sound great, maybe impress neighbors and friends, be simple to use and understand, and last a long time. They’ve heard about Emotiva and want to find out what they can. Enough of my ramblings. Here is my original post of the ERT 8.3.
emotivalounge.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=speakerreviews&action=display&thread=4617For those not interested in the full review, I’ve attached my conclusion below:
To my ears, the Emotiva 8.3 towers offer an exceptional value even in this emerging age of the internet dealer. The towers have an open, clean transparent sound that is very revealing. The speakers let the music shine uncolored yet exhibit the subtle dynamics and a well-defined sound stage well above its price point. The towers signature sound is big and bold and they want to be played loud. The type of music does not seem to matter: it plays them all quite well, and even better, nay stunning, when the source is well recorded. This neutral nature of the 8.3s make them even more appealing. A bonafide hit.As anyone can surmise, I liked my ERT 8.3s in my room to my ears with my electronics (I should note I did not have the XPA-1 monoblocks back then and the towers were driven by the XPA-5).
Since this review, I spent a considerable time listening to other speaker manufactures, both in my home and out. As one fateful day would have it, I walked into someone’s home and listened to the Mirage M3-si and was floored. I took them home and played them side by side against the ERT towers. It was a quantum leap forward, but it should be. These speakers were $2,800 a pair in 1993 dollars. After many months of avoiding ratherwife’s menacing glare at having a double speaker set up in the living room (the Mirage are huge and take up beaucoup space) I reluctantly sold the pair to another forum member.
A year later I was afforded a chance to listen to the ERT towers again and I still stand by my original review. To my ears, I think they provide an excellent value but one would have to hear them in person to make up their own mind. I do think they are extremely well crafted and rock solid.
- Does the ERT 8.3 have competition? I think it’s safe to say yes, even at their price point.
- Do the ERT towers represent a great value? Yes, I think so.
- Does that mean you will agree? Maybe, maybe not.
The bottom line is, listen with your own ears before buying (if possible), read and research what you can (ask anything; this still is one of the most open minded audio forums around), and whatever people think about Emotiva speakers is OK, even if two experts have different views.
When I was in the wine business, I would always leave time at the end of my classes for the participants to ask me any question they had, regardless if it dealt with the subject matter or not. Invariably, I would get asked, “How did you get to know so much about wine?” My answer was simple: “There is no substitute for pulling corks.” In other words, try as many different types of wines – even ones you may not initially think you’ll like – as possible. Study the wine as you try it, think about it as you drink it, read about it and see what others say about the wine. Take it ALL in and make YOUR OWN impression of the wine. Repeat this over and over and you’ll amass a keen sense in no time.
The advice is relevant in the audio world. Try as many speakers before the buy decision but always continue to at least hear other speakers. Listen to your go-to tracks on other speakers and experience the differences. Keep doing this and you’ll be fine in no time.
Peace to all, and Happy New Year.