EB2 loudspeakers...my review

[Richard Allen]

I'm not sure mate, I'm thinking I need to squeeze in a few more CDs before the Mrs returns tomorrow, you know, just make absolutely sure they're run in properly*. I mean, you can't be too cautious about these things can you. :rockout: :rockout: :dance: :dance:

*not that I'm just using that as a lame excuse to listen to more music on my new speakers...

Tsk tsk. (shakes head ) :wall:

 

[Richard Allen]

I found the EB2's very light in the sneakers to be honest. At the time my supporting kit was all Cyrus which may explain this?

And the very fact that you've ditched it proves the point. If a Marantz can drive them then the Cyrus should've walked it but it didn't. Cyrus 8 if I remember correctly. What you've got now will more than adequately drive EB2 or indeed the new EB4 floorstander. Good choice of source components by the way.

Good memory sir! Is the EB4 out yet? I really, really liked the mids and highs of the EB2's but the low frequency element didn't work for me. I guess the EB4's might be worth trying as they will probably supply the bass I thought to be lacking in the EB2's. Actually, lacking bass is wrong. It was just too fast and tight for my ear.

Just looked at your kit list. What happened to the Kef R100s??. They didn't work either then?.

 

[MajorFubar]

I'm not sure mate, I'm thinking I need to squeeze in a few more CDs before the Mrs returns tomorrow, you know, just make absolutely sure they're run in properly*. I mean, you can't be too cautious about these things can you. :rockout: :rockout: :dance: :dance:

*not that I'm just using that as a lame excuse to listen to more music on my new speakers...

Tsk tsk. (shakes head ) :wall:

Well you know how it is, any excuse to get some more music on

The fact that it works with a Marantz proves this. Even I was surprised by the sound that Major's got. His lounge isn't the biggest in the world and the way his sytem is set up wouldn't be my ideal choice but hey!, it's one of the best sounds I've EVER heard from either EB1 or 2.

I've been doing a bit of tweaking with positioning, sounds even better now!

I couldn't resist having a go with my Cyrus 2+PSX. I was a bit wary because I thought the different tonal balance between the Cyrus 2 and the Marantz would make the speakers sound too foward. Tbh it was a lot better than I expected, and might even be preferrable if my main musical diet was classical, solo guitar/piano or jazz. The midrange detail and soundstage is staggering. But the Marantz is a better allrounder with these speakers.

 

[Richard Allen]

So what you done then John?

You haven't got an awful lot of room to play with. :?

 

[Gazzip]

I found the EB2's very light in the sneakers to be honest. At the time my supporting kit was all Cyrus which may explain this?

And the very fact that you've ditched it proves the point. If a Marantz can drive them then the Cyrus should've walked it but it didn't. Cyrus 8 if I remember correctly. What you've got now will more than adequately drive EB2 or indeed the new EB4 floorstander. Good choice of source components by the way.

Good memory sir! Is the EB4 out yet? I really, really liked the mids and highs of the EB2's but the low frequency element didn't work for me. I guess the EB4's might be worth trying as they will probably supply the bass I thought to be lacking in the EB2's. Actually, lacking bass is wrong. It was just too fast and tight for my ear.

Just looked at your kit list. What happened to the Kef R100s??. They didn't work either then?.

They were R300's and they were probably one of the best pairs of speakers that I have owned. So fast and with great low frequency stuff, but I got greedy and tried the R500's, then the R700's trying to get more but I got less..... of the agility anyway. Things were going away from where I wanted to be so I started to look around again. I ended up at Fanthorpes HiFi in Hull where after some tooing and frowing I settled on a pair of PMC PB1i's which made me very happy for a while. The IB2S's were an impulse purchase, (half the retail price on eBay), and they were a step up again, but in some ways a slghtl backward step as far as "my sound" is concerned.

We shall see however what the future holds! The EB4 sonds like a tempting prospect indeed!

 

[MajorFubar]

So what you done then John?

You haven't got an awful lot of room to play with. :?

Moved each one about four inches further away from the TV plus toed them in ever so slightly to help reduce reflections of adjacent furniture. The imaging was damn good before but now it's absolutely snapped into focus.

 

[Richard Allen]

I found the EB2's very light in the sneakers to be honest. At the time my supporting kit was all Cyrus which may explain this?

And the very fact that you've ditched it proves the point. If a Marantz can drive them then the Cyrus should've walked it but it didn't. Cyrus 8 if I remember correctly. What you've got now will more than adequately drive EB2 or indeed the new EB4 floorstander. Good choice of source components by the way.

Good memory sir! Is the EB4 out yet? I really, really liked the mids and highs of the EB2's but the low frequency element didn't work for me. I guess the EB4's might be worth trying as they will probably supply the bass I thought to be lacking in the EB2's. Actually, lacking bass is wrong. It was just too fast and tight for my ear.

Just looked at your kit list. What happened to the Kef R100s??. They didn't work either then?.

They were R300's and they were probably one of the best pairs of speakers that I have owned. So fast and with great low frequency stuff, but I got greedy and tried the R500's, then the R700's trying to get more but I got less..... of the agility anyway. Things were going away from where I wanted to be so I started to look around again. I ended up at Fanthorpes HiFi in Hull where after some tooing and frowing I settled on a pair of PMC PB1i's which made me very happy for a while. The IB2S's were an impulse purchase, (half the retail price on eBay), and they were a step up again, but in some ways a slghtl backward step as far as "my sound" is concerned.

We shall see however what the future holds! The EB4 sonds like a tempting prospect indeed!

I'm curious. Why dump Cyrus for Bryston. Did you find a "hole" in the sound you were trying to create or what?.

 

[Richard Allen]

So what you done then John?

You haven't got an awful lot of room to play with. :?

Moved each one about four inches further away from the TV plus toed them in ever so slightly to help reduce reflections of adjacent furniture. The imaging was damn good before but now it's absolutely snapped into focus.

So you've narrowed the focal point a tad but widened the soundstage?. Interesting. So the squeakers are about 6 feet apart then. If I'd spent more time in your room and sat in "the sweet spot" a little longer I may well have come up with the same scenario but you know your room better than anyone. Glad you're happy.

 

[Richard Allen]

I would still like to see a manufacturer have the courage to go against 'fashion' and flip the width / depth proportions so that the cabinet has a wider front baffle and less front-to-back depth. These were the 'classic' proportions until relatively recently. I am convinced a wider front baffle used to give better stereo imaging.

OK. I'll do it Chebby. Got the drive units to do it here anyway but they're not cheap. SEAS bass units. I'll keep you informed. :shifty:

I knew you wanted to. As you said when I raised the question here previously ...

"There is an equation, although the exact maths escape me at the moment, as to the width and the depth of a loudspeaker. The ratio, I believe, is the diameter of the driver vs the width of the cabinet. Ideally, the cabinet should be wider than it is deep. This is to allow for ' diffraction'. Unfortunately, 'Er Indoors' dictated that loudspeakers should have a slimmer profile so, because of market forces, we went there. As was previously posted, these became reflex designs (with all the shortcomings), but the ideal is wider than depth."

Just to give you an update Chebby. I've found a 10" and an 8" SEAS driver that will do the bass AND a 3" dome midrange. Could this be the birth of the EB5 I ask myself? :?

 

[chebby]

I would still like to see a manufacturer have the courage to go against 'fashion' and flip the width / depth proportions so that the cabinet has a wider front baffle and less front-to-back depth. These were the 'classic' proportions until relatively recently. I am convinced a wider front baffle used to give better stereo imaging.

OK. I'll do it Chebby. Got the drive units to do it here anyway but they're not cheap. SEAS bass units. I'll keep you informed. :shifty:

I knew you wanted to. As you said when I raised the question here previously ...

"There is an equation, although the exact maths escape me at the moment, as to the width and the depth of a loudspeaker. The ratio, I believe, is the diameter of the driver vs the width of the cabinet. Ideally, the cabinet should be wider than it is deep. This is to allow for ' diffraction'. Unfortunately, 'Er Indoors' dictated that loudspeakers should have a slimmer profile so, because of market forces, we went there. As was previously posted, these became reflex designs (with all the shortcomings), but the ideal is wider than depth."

Just to give you an update Chebby. I've found a 10" and an 8" SEAS driver that will do the bass AND a 3" dome midrange. Could this be the birth of the EB5 I ask myself? :?

Sounds good.

However - just for the purpose of the comparison with a wider/shallower cabinet - wouldn't it be best to keep the other 'variables' to a minimum? (Like using the same drivers and keeping cabinet volume the same.)

 

[iJoe]

That would be a good as an optional alternative arrangement and would suit desk mounted systems better also as less depth. I would be happy with a tweeter that rolls off past 15Hz as my hearing as good as it was due too boomy club music

Could we have some pictures too please?

 

[chebby]

That would be a good as an optional alternative arrangement and would suit desk mounted systems better also as less depth

I don't envisage something the size of EB2s being suitable as desk speakers no matter what width to depth ratio is employed.

 

[The_Lhc]

I would still like to see a manufacturer have the courage to go against 'fashion' and flip the width / depth proportions so that the cabinet has a wider front baffle and less front-to-back depth. These were the 'classic' proportions until relatively recently. I am convinced a wider front baffle used to give better stereo imaging.

OK. I'll do it Chebby. Got the drive units to do it here anyway but they're not cheap. SEAS bass units. I'll keep you informed. :shifty:

I knew you wanted to. As you said when I raised the question here previously ...

"There is an equation, although the exact maths escape me at the moment, as to the width and the depth of a loudspeaker. The ratio, I believe, is the diameter of the driver vs the width of the cabinet. Ideally, the cabinet should be wider than it is deep. This is to allow for ' diffraction'. Unfortunately, 'Er Indoors' dictated that loudspeakers should have a slimmer profile so, because of market forces, we went there. As was previously posted, these became reflex designs (with all the shortcomings), but the ideal is wider than depth."

Just to give you an update Chebby. I've found a 10" and an 8" SEAS driver that will do the bass AND a 3" dome midrange. Could this be the birth of the EB5 I ask myself? :?

Sounds good.

However - just for the purpose of the comparison with a wider/shallower cabinet - wouldn't it be best to keep the other 'variables' to a minimum? (Like using the same drivers and keeping cabinet volume the same.)

Tsh, the man's creating, stop trying to manage him!

 

[MajorFubar]

So you've narrowed the focal point a tad but widened the soundstage?. Interesting. So the squeakers are about 6 feet apart then. If I'd spent more time in your room and sat in "the sweet spot" a little longer I may well have come up with the same scenario but you know your room better than anyone. Glad you're happy.

yeah just a fraction over six feet. In my smallish room at least, is seems to be the best compromise between them being too close together or too close to room boundaries. Considering the size and layout of the room they have no right to sound half as good as they do. Says a lot about your speakers that they can put in such a stellar performance in such 'real world' conditions.

 

[steve_1979]

Just to give you an update Chebby. I've found a 10" and an 8" SEAS driver that will do the bass AND a 3" dome midrange. Could this be the birth of the EB5 I ask myself? :?

Hi Richard. Is there any news on those active speakers that you were working on a while ago?

 

[Richard Allen]

Just to give you an update Chebby. I've found a 10" and an 8" SEAS driver that will do the bass AND a 3" dome midrange. Could this be the birth of the EB5 I ask myself? :?

Hi Richard. Is there any news on those active speakers that you were working on a while ago?

All EB models will soon have an active option. They will all be available initially with plug in outboard passive crossovers. The active bit will be a central unit which is set individually to each models requirements. In other words, all new EB models will be upgradeable at the customers' request.

 

[steve_1979]

Just to give you an update Chebby. I've found a 10" and an 8" SEAS driver that will do the bass AND a 3" dome midrange. Could this be the birth of the EB5 I ask myself? :?

Hi Richard. Is there any news on those active speakers that you were working on a while ago?

All EB models will soon have an active option. They will all be available initially with plug in outboard passive crossovers. The active bit will be a central unit which is set individually to each models requirements. In other words, all new EB models will be upgradeable at the customers' request.

Oooh that sounds interesting. Good luck with the project.

Will you supply the amps too or do customers use their own?

 

[Richard Allen]

Just to give you an update Chebby. I've found a 10" and an 8" SEAS driver that will do the bass AND a 3" dome midrange. Could this be the birth of the EB5 I ask myself? :?

Hi Richard. Is there any news on those active speakers that you were working on a while ago?

All EB models will soon have an active option. They will all be available initially with plug in outboard passive crossovers. The active bit will be a central unit which is set individually to each models requirements. In other words, all new EB models will be upgradeable at the customers' request.

Oooh that sounds interesting. Good luck with the project.

Will you supply the amps too or do customers use their own?

E nuff said. Wait for the launch september time. :silenced:

 

[jonathanRD]

Just to give you an update Chebby. I've found a 10" and an 8" SEAS driver that will do the bass AND a 3" dome midrange. Could this be the birth of the EB5 I ask myself? :?

Hi Richard. Is there any news on those active speakers that you were working on a while ago?

All EB models will soon have an active option. They will all be available initially with plug in outboard passive crossovers. The active bit will be a central unit which is set individually to each models requirements. In other words, all new EB models will be upgradeable at the customers' request.

Oooh that sounds interesting. Good luck with the project.

Will you supply the amps too or do customers use their own?

E nuff said. Wait for the launch september time. :silenced:

I'm am being very patient while I quietly wait until I am in a position to get a new amp and floorstanders - probably with a budget of circa £2k - so this all sound very interesting - especially as I would rather go with British manufactured gear.

Maybe WHF forum members could get priority in the queue

 

[Richard Allen]

I'm am being very patient while I quietly wait until I am in a position to get a new amp and floorstanders - probably with a budget of circa £2k - so this all sound very interesting - especially as I would rather go with British manufactured gear.

Maybe WHF forum members could get priority in the queue

Hello Jonathan. Thanks for your post. As soon as it's done and launched, probably at Whittlebury, I will be more than happy to discuss your requirements with you although by that time EB will also be in selected independant retailers as well.

 

[jonathanRD]

I'm am being very patient while I quietly wait until I am in a position to get a new amp and floorstanders - probably with a budget of circa £2k - so this all sound very interesting - especially as I would rather go with British manufactured gear.

Maybe WHF forum members could get priority in the queue

Hello Jonathan. Thanks for your post. As soon as it's done and launched, probably at Whittlebury, I will be more than happy to discuss your requirements with you although by that time EB will also be in selected independant retailers as well.

OK thanks Richard, the prospect of British hand-made floorstanders with a similar pedigree to your other models, is very tempting - I'll be keeping an eye on progress.

 

[manicm]

I would still like to see a manufacturer have the courage to go against 'fashion' and flip the width / depth proportions so that the cabinet has a wider front baffle and less front-to-back depth. These were the 'classic' proportions until relatively recently. I am convinced a wider front baffle used to give better stereo imaging.

Thanks for the review Major. (And for introducing a new test criteria.)

...and easier positioning as well. I too would like to see this revert.

 

[Gazzip]

I found the EB2's very light in the sneakers to be honest. At the time my supporting kit was all Cyrus which may explain this?

And the very fact that you've ditched it proves the point. If a Marantz can drive them then the Cyrus should've walked it but it didn't. Cyrus 8 if I remember correctly. What you've got now will more than adequately drive EB2 or indeed the new EB4 floorstander. Good choice of source components by the way.

Good memory sir! Is the EB4 out yet? I really, really liked the mids and highs of the EB2's but the low frequency element didn't work for me. I guess the EB4's might be worth trying as they will probably supply the bass I thought to be lacking in the EB2's. Actually, lacking bass is wrong. It was just too fast and tight for my ear.

Just looked at your kit list. What happened to the Kef R100s??. They didn't work either then?.

They were R300's and they were probably one of the best pairs of speakers that I have owned. So fast and with great low frequency stuff, but I got greedy and tried the R500's, then the R700's trying to get more but I got less..... of the agility anyway. Things were going away from where I wanted to be so I started to look around again. I ended up at Fanthorpes HiFi in Hull where after some tooing and frowing I settled on a pair of PMC PB1i's which made me very happy for a while. The IB2S's were an impulse purchase, (half the retail price on eBay), and they were a step up again, but in some ways a slghtl backward step as far as "my sound" is concerned.

We shall see however what the future holds! The EB4 sonds like a tempting prospect indeed!

I'm curious. Why dump Cyrus for Bryston. Did you find a "hole" in the sound you were trying to create or what?.

I upgraded my Cyrus setup and ended up with a pair of mono Cyrus power amplifiers. Three faulty pairs of said amps, combined with a "it's your electrics not our kit" response, did for me with Cyrus. Very shabby customer service IMHO. I figured go with a 20 year guarantee from Bryston and you can't go far wrong.

 

[MajorFubar]

Where do i put my name down to be an official tester for the new EB4s

 

[Richard Allen]

I upgraded my Cyrus setup and ended up with a pair of mono Cyrus power amplifiers. Three faulty pairs of said amps, combined with a "it's your electrics not our kit" response, did for me with Cyrus. Very shabby customer service IMHO. I figured go with a 20 year guarantee from Bryston and you can't go far wrong.

EB4 will work great with Bryston. Please be aware that EB4 is not a ported design, it is an aperiodic. Works the same as EB2 but is a floorstander. There is a deeper bass but still has the speed and agility of the EB2. As soon as I'm happy with it I will put it on the website. Stay tuned.