Up next is a classic shootout between two speakers that probably competed against each other in the mid 70's the EPI M100 and Acoustic Research AR15.
Both speakers are two way with 8" woofers, one with an inverted dome tweeter and one with a dome tweeter, both are acoustically suspended systems and the cabinets on both are real walnut veneer. Both speakers are crossed over at 1800hz. Both speakers also got new caps and the veneers were sanded and re stained.
I will start he shootout with aesthetics, both speakers are well built with stunning real wood veneer. I painted the fronts of the AR15's with a piano gloss black which gives it a nod in appearance. Also the insets for the woofer and tweeter on the AR15's are better as the drivers sit flush mounted.
The internals are similar in design but the AR15's have a 2nd. order crossover with a 0db/-3db/-6db level switch for the tweeter on the back. The EPI is a 1st. order crossover on the tweeter alone.
I would give the nod to the AR15's in the aesthetic department.
The sound is where the meat of the matter is.
I had an extensive listening session between these two and here are my thoughts. The EPI once again has digs deeper into the bass region giving the speaker a fuller richer bottom end something the AR15's just can't reach. From the bass region to the lower mid range the EPI's have a smoother transition. I find the EPI's smoother throughout the mid range right up into the mid treble range, this is where the Ar15's take over.
The dome tweeter on the AR15's obviously extend higher and give off a much more spacious stereo image with more detailed revealed in the material. The Ar15's also give off the airiness sound that surrounds you when listening to the music, where as the EPI limit on the upper regions does not throw off the same airiness.
The sound stage and imaging was a little closer together with the EPI's where as the sound stage and imaging was much more expansive with the AR15's.
I found the EPI's to be a bit more efficient than AR15's. I had to set the tweeter on the AR15's to the -3db setting or the AR15's where just too bright for my room. Perhaps the design was to over come the heavily shagged carpet and drapes of the seventies.
When listening to George Winston's Autumn, I found the piano notes weightier with the EPI's and less shrill. This CD is a great source for finding the resonance of the tweeters with certain piano keys. The AR15's could at times be a little shrill, more so than the EPI's.
So what is my final impression? These two speakers are very close to each other and I found myself leaning toward the richness of the bass and mid range of the EPI's over the spaciousness and upper detail of the AR15's. I could listen to both speakers for hours on end and have been doing so with the AR15's to date.
These speakers are both excellent examples of the golden audio era, both are worth having a listen to along the path of vintage audio.
The nod goes to the EPI's by a nose.
Next up will be the EPI M100 vs. Mirage 450's.
Both speakers are two way with 8" woofers, one with an inverted dome tweeter and one with a dome tweeter, both are acoustically suspended systems and the cabinets on both are real walnut veneer. Both speakers are crossed over at 1800hz. Both speakers also got new caps and the veneers were sanded and re stained.
I will start he shootout with aesthetics, both speakers are well built with stunning real wood veneer. I painted the fronts of the AR15's with a piano gloss black which gives it a nod in appearance. Also the insets for the woofer and tweeter on the AR15's are better as the drivers sit flush mounted.
The internals are similar in design but the AR15's have a 2nd. order crossover with a 0db/-3db/-6db level switch for the tweeter on the back. The EPI is a 1st. order crossover on the tweeter alone.
I would give the nod to the AR15's in the aesthetic department.
The sound is where the meat of the matter is.
I had an extensive listening session between these two and here are my thoughts. The EPI once again has digs deeper into the bass region giving the speaker a fuller richer bottom end something the AR15's just can't reach. From the bass region to the lower mid range the EPI's have a smoother transition. I find the EPI's smoother throughout the mid range right up into the mid treble range, this is where the Ar15's take over.
The dome tweeter on the AR15's obviously extend higher and give off a much more spacious stereo image with more detailed revealed in the material. The Ar15's also give off the airiness sound that surrounds you when listening to the music, where as the EPI limit on the upper regions does not throw off the same airiness.
The sound stage and imaging was a little closer together with the EPI's where as the sound stage and imaging was much more expansive with the AR15's.
I found the EPI's to be a bit more efficient than AR15's. I had to set the tweeter on the AR15's to the -3db setting or the AR15's where just too bright for my room. Perhaps the design was to over come the heavily shagged carpet and drapes of the seventies.
When listening to George Winston's Autumn, I found the piano notes weightier with the EPI's and less shrill. This CD is a great source for finding the resonance of the tweeters with certain piano keys. The AR15's could at times be a little shrill, more so than the EPI's.
So what is my final impression? These two speakers are very close to each other and I found myself leaning toward the richness of the bass and mid range of the EPI's over the spaciousness and upper detail of the AR15's. I could listen to both speakers for hours on end and have been doing so with the AR15's to date.
These speakers are both excellent examples of the golden audio era, both are worth having a listen to along the path of vintage audio.
The nod goes to the EPI's by a nose.
Next up will be the EPI M100 vs. Mirage 450's.
Cool shootout! Love those stands too. I was just gifted a pair of early m1oos and am loving them so far.
ReplyDeleteI have a pair of each of the first edition Genesis Physics (same a Epicure 100) and the AR-15's which I occasionally swap out for the sake of change. They both have a different sound but to my ears the 15's are easier to listen to in a longer listening session. I find the LF on the Genesis to be a "tad" less detailed. In terms of HF the Genesis I find has a bit more extension but with more shrill near the limits of the the tweeters response caused by what I feel may be a slight break-up due to the hard inverted dome material. Both pairs have mundorf capacitors and all-in-all both fine speakers.
ReplyDeleteBy the way the woofers in you AR15's are either not original or have been heavily doped. Had two pairs bought as new and the woofers were untreated pulp cones with the semi transparent cloth dust covers.
ReplyDeleteSorry to burst your bubble, but the LF driver (woofer) on your AR's is not original.
ReplyDeleteIt is and was.
Delete