Post by LuisV on Jul 3, 2009 10:11:15 GMT -5
... Make me a loyal customer for life!! ;D ;D
Ordered a pair of ERM-1 speakers late Monday afternoon and received them 2 days later!! I would like to say thanks to Emo for providing outstanding customer service and for their speedy turnaround times! These were purchased to use in a bedroom system consisting of the following tube gear:
I'm the original owner of the above gear and unfortunately they have been in storage for the last year as we've been moving and renovating. I say unfortunately as I miss the warmth and fantastic sound quality produced from the tubes. I picked the ERM-1 in the hope of striking a balance between sound quality and price as funds have been running low due to all of the associated expenses with the move and renovations we're undertaking.
The Arrival and Unboxing...
The package arrived safe and sound with the speakers individually boxed. Robust foam end caps surrounded each speaker and they were tucked neatly within their soft / black bags. Each grill was wrapped with a thin layer of paper... I'm assuming to protected them and avoid any scratches / damage during shipment. The attractive "E" emblem was in a small bag tapped to one of the foam end caps, so keep your eye out for them.
Quick Test and associated Gear
Since we're still working on the bedroom, I decided that for a quick test I would connect them to my HT setup in the living room and play some music through my Bluray player. All testing was done in 2 channel mode as that is how they will be connected in our bedroom.
HT Setup
At first I thought it would be a completely unfair test as my system consists of B&W Matrix 804 speakers; however, I was rather delighted when I hit play and the CD began to spin. Ran thru a few familiar tracks and after an hour of listening to the ERM-1 speakers I switched back to the B&Ws. Ran thru the same tracks and my first impressions were solidified....
For the money these are a great set of speakers. Good build quality, appearance, feature set and sound. Although I need more time with these and will therefore continue my review once I log in some more hours with them, they certainly did impress me.
Some quick observations...
I'm fully aware that I need to log in more hours with these speakers and eventually do some blind testing; however, my wife and I feel that these are a great example of how a manufacturer can achieve great sound at an affordable price.
More to come... but so far... I'm hooked...
Ordered a pair of ERM-1 speakers late Monday afternoon and received them 2 days later!! I would like to say thanks to Emo for providing outstanding customer service and for their speedy turnaround times! These were purchased to use in a bedroom system consisting of the following tube gear:
- Audible Illusions Modulus 3a
- VTL ST85
- Anthem CD1
I'm the original owner of the above gear and unfortunately they have been in storage for the last year as we've been moving and renovating. I say unfortunately as I miss the warmth and fantastic sound quality produced from the tubes. I picked the ERM-1 in the hope of striking a balance between sound quality and price as funds have been running low due to all of the associated expenses with the move and renovations we're undertaking.
The Arrival and Unboxing...
The package arrived safe and sound with the speakers individually boxed. Robust foam end caps surrounded each speaker and they were tucked neatly within their soft / black bags. Each grill was wrapped with a thin layer of paper... I'm assuming to protected them and avoid any scratches / damage during shipment. The attractive "E" emblem was in a small bag tapped to one of the foam end caps, so keep your eye out for them.
Quick Test and associated Gear
Since we're still working on the bedroom, I decided that for a quick test I would connect them to my HT setup in the living room and play some music through my Bluray player. All testing was done in 2 channel mode as that is how they will be connected in our bedroom.
HT Setup
- Marantz Processor
- Samsung 1500 Bluray Player
- Acurus A250
- Acurus 200x3
- B&W 804 Mains
- B&W HTM Center
- Definitive Technology PF1500 Sub
- Definitive Technology BP2X Surrounds
At first I thought it would be a completely unfair test as my system consists of B&W Matrix 804 speakers; however, I was rather delighted when I hit play and the CD began to spin. Ran thru a few familiar tracks and after an hour of listening to the ERM-1 speakers I switched back to the B&Ws. Ran thru the same tracks and my first impressions were solidified....
For the money these are a great set of speakers. Good build quality, appearance, feature set and sound. Although I need more time with these and will therefore continue my review once I log in some more hours with them, they certainly did impress me.
Some quick observations...
- How do they compare to the silky smooth vocals and effortless highs of the B&Ws? They aren't as smooth; however, they aren't harsh. Some vocals had a slight nasal tone to them; however, it didn't take away from the over all sound quality nor experience of listening.
- Do they throw out a similar sound stage and disappear? While not as vast or expansive as the B&Ws, these did through out a nice wide sound stage. Vocals were dead center when appropriate and instrumentation filled the sound stage nicely. The live version of the Eagle's Hotel California sounded nice and wide; however, the B&Ws bested the ERM-1s as you felt more a part of the experience rather than simply listening to it.
I'm fully aware that I need to log in more hours with these speakers and eventually do some blind testing; however, my wife and I feel that these are a great example of how a manufacturer can achieve great sound at an affordable price.
More to come... but so far... I'm hooked...
;D
