Hi All,
Just received the exciting news that era made the April 2007 Stereophile Recommended Components list with the Design 4 and Sub 10. As these are the only products tested thus far, we're batting 1000.
Thanks again for all of the support even before Stereophile reviewed them.
Also, thanks to JA for the review even though we are currently not an advertiser.
Best wishes,
David Solomon
www.signalpathint.com

That's a nice review, it looks like! All of the customer "reviews" are very positive, many gushing. I'm surprised they're getting that much resonance off the side panel, though it is very high. These things are about as brickish as I've ever seen. However, as Jack from NHT reminded in another thread, you can have a big resonance mode on a small speaker and it can be far less audible than a lower resonance on a big speaker because the panel is so tiny. The D4 has about 1/3rd the radiating surface of the speaker sitting next to it.

Hi All,
Just received the exciting news that era made the April 2007 Stereophile Recommended Components list with the Design 4 and Sub 10. As these are the only products tested thus far, we're batting 1000.
Thanks again for all of the support even before Stereophile reviewed them.
Also, thanks to JA for the review even though we are currently not an advertiser.
Best wishes,
David Solomon
www.signalpathint.com

Congrats. Richly deserved.

The D4's are fine against the wall from a bass standpoint. The port is tuned 10Hz lower than the resonant freq of the driver, so not much comes from the port other than air... We did this on purpose as we knew many installations require placement near a back wall.
The D5's have enough bass to affect the low end output if in full range mode and placed too close to the wall.
If the D5's are cut off at 60Hz or above, this will not be a problem.

My question is more like, is the "5's all around" idea so much better than "front three 5's and all rears 4's" idea given the fact that that the fours would look nicer and be easier to mount on the wall.

David,

Your floorstanding speaker looks very nice. Do you have any dimensions available? I have a few questions in regard to the D5. Are there provisions on the bottom of the D5 for stand mounting (threaded inserts)? Also are grilles black or brown?

After reading this thread I am looking forward to demoing the D5. I am also looking at the Dynaudio Focus 140 and the Aerial 5B.

Thanks, Bill

Congratulations David,

I ordered my D4 setup last week from my dealer. I am hoping to get it sometime this week. Can't wait.

Greg

My question is more like, is the "5's all around" idea so much better than "front three 5's and all rears 4's" idea given the fact that that the fours would look nicer and be easier to mount on the wall.

You know, so much advice comes down to how you use your system. When I listen to theater, I like multi-channel. It's fun, but not much comes from the rear channels...mostly acoustic cues, echos and the occasional bullet wizzing by.
From time to time, you have copters or such going from front to back, so a sub in the rear is a very pressurizing experience and really adds a lot.
When I listen to music, I mostly prefer to listen in stereo...sometimes w/ a sub and sometimes w/o. Just so you know, this is my preference. That's why I don't mind a smaller speaker in the rear.

For theater, I do the 5's in front and 4's or 3's for rear. If you listen to 5 channel stereo critically, you may want to match the fronts and rears.

Hope this helps,
David

David,

Your floorstanding speaker looks very nice. Do you have any dimensions available? I have a few questions in regard to the D5. Are there provisions on the bottom of the D5 for stand mounting (threaded inserts)? Also are grilles black or brown?

After reading this thread I am looking forward to demoing the D5. I am also looking at the Dynaudio Focus 140 and the Aerial 5B.

Thanks, Bill

Hi Bill,
Dimensions not final but somewhere in the 40" tall range. Well get the 2nd article in a month or so. We'll then have to voice them and get the values back to the factory.
With any luck, we should get them in June/July.

There are 8mm inserts on the bottom of the Design 5's for stand mounting.
They all come with black grills.

Hope you like the speakers.
Best wishes,
David

Congratulations David,

I ordered my D4 setup last week from my dealer. I am hoping to get it sometime this week. Can't wait.

Greg
Thanks Greg!
Best wishes,
David

Hi Bill,
Dimensions not final but somewhere in the 40" tall range. Well get the 2nd article in a month or so. We'll then have to voice them and get the values back to the factory.
With any luck, we should get them in June/July.

There are 8mm inserts on the bottom of the Design 5's for stand mounting.
They all come with black grills.

Hope you like the speakers.
Best wishes,
David

David,

Thank you for the information. The 40" height range would be perfect. I am glad to hear there are inserts for stand mounting as well as black grilles. I will hopefully be able to hear the D5s and LCR5 today or tomorrow, I will post my impressions.

Take care, Bill

Well I ended up splurging a bit! I ended up getting a Rotel RB 985 - 5 Channel Home Theater Amplifier(100 watts per channel) for $331.00 on ebay. It was $31 over my limit but the guy is local to me so I didn’t pay any shipping at all. I should get it this weekend. Can’t wait to see how well it does with my Design 4 and Design 3 speakers. I will let everyone know how the rotel compares to my Yamaha HTR-5790.

Hi all. Heard these speakers for the first time this week and simply fell in love with them. They sound awesome and the fit/finish is fantastic. Here's my question, I don't think I can swing ($$) a D5 setup up front. So will I be happy with D4's all around? I did not hear/see the D3's, would these make a good rear pairing with the D4's? I'm looking to pair these with a Velodyne SPL series sub - need a smaller sub than the D8/D10...
Now what Rx to power these babies. I see David recommended Arcam AR300/350, but that's pretty steep. The sales guy recommended a Rotel, again maybe too steep for me. Any suggestions? I really want a set of these and want them to sound their best and stretch their legs!!!

BTW - I was previously set on a Def Tech setup, either studio monitors or Gems.


Randy

Simple answer: YES you can do a full surround system from ERA for not much money. I bought the Design 4 mains and center and the design 3’s for the surrounds. I tested all three speakers(D5, D4, and D3). The D5’s are nice but they are just too far out of most peoples price range. The D4’s are the best compromise for the front stage. I debated wether to get D4’s for the surrounds. Trust me the D3’s do just fine. They are timbre matched to the D4s and they are more than adequate as rear speakers.

I also bought a Yamaha Htr-5790($150 used) and I pick up my Rotel RB-985($331) tomorrow (100 watts per channel X 5).

In total I spent $1800 on my system with cables and I am extremely pleased with it! I will say that the D4 mains really need WATTS. The Rotel should solve that problem for me. For others they might be fine with just a decent receiver. Anyway these speakers are the best bang for your buck on the market. If you don’t believe me then stop by my place next time you are in Cary North Carolina! For $1800 my system will impress anyone.

The sales guy recommended a Rotel,
At $1299, a good minimum standard, and I would go with 4's all around, there is something VERY special about a completely matched system...the closer to absolutely identical , the better. Many even use another identical bookshelf as a center

At $1299, a good minimum standard, and I would go with 4's all around, there is something VERY special about a completely matched system...the closer to absolutely identical , the better. Many even use another identical bookshelf as a center


I think the 4's and 3's use the same driver the 3's are just smaller and cost about 1/3 less. They don't have as good bass response but they are well matched to the 4's. If you have the funds do 4's all the way arround. If you don't then 4's and 3's are great. I would buy the 4 center channel though. It is a different speaker from the regular bookshelf and it sounds really good.

The tweeter is differant, recessed in a horn-like way.
I would say the 4 lcr would be okay, and a neccesity for some with placement issues, but the three bookshelves across the front is a great idea , and ideal to match all around.
The threes, however, for the price are a fine alternative to most of the low end plastic satelittes people keep buying.

Thanks all. I think I'll do the D4's up front (satellite and lcr) and get the D3's for surround. That way when I upgrade to the D5's upfront I can just move the 4's to surround and 3's to rear!

Is a Marantz SR-7001 a good choice with these speakers?

At $1299, a good minimum standard, and I would go with 4's all around, there is something VERY special about a completely matched system...the closer to absolutely identical , the better. Many even use another identical bookshelf as a center

I use 5 identical bookshelfs (but not ERAs) and can highly recommend this approach.

Is a Marantz SR-7001 a good choice with these speakers?
How much can you spend?

How much can you spend?

Was hoping to stay around the $1000 area. A little more or a little less is always okay. I was orginally leaning towards the Emotiva LMC/LPA stack. But I read about a few issues with it. So I was then looking at a Yahama RX-2600. But I want the best for my Era speakers and want something tried and true I guess.

Again, I would suggest the Rorel RSX1057 at $1299 (maybe less) as this combination works well, the Cambridge and Arcams work well too.

Again, I would suggest the Rotel RSX1057 at $1299 (maybe less) as this combination works well, the Cambridge and Arcams work well too.
Agreed. I can't think of a better performer for the $$ than the 1057. It has a fine power supply and advanced bass management. Two of my "must haves".
The combo allows the crossover to be set at 60Hz instead of the traditional 80Hz w/ an amplifier that's up to the task of doing so with good grip and authority.
Best wishes,
David

Anyone know the MSRP for the D3's?

And are these correct?
D4, cherry - $600/pair
D4 CLR, cherry - $500

Agreed. I can't think of a better performer for the $$ than the 1057. It has a fine power supply and advanced bass management. Two of my "must haves".
The combo allows the crossover to be set at 60Hz instead of the traditional 80Hz w/ an amplifier that's up to the task of doing so with good grip and authority.
Best wishes,
David

Thanks. I'll concentrate my research on the Rotel 1057 now! How does it stack up in movie mode? Sounds like from you two that it rocks in music playback.

Anyone know the MSRP for the D3's?

And are these correct?
D4, cherry - $600/pair
D4 CLR, cherry - $500

The D3 is $400 pr and $440 in gloss black.
David

Thanks. I'll concentrate my research on the Rotel 1057 now! How does it stack up in movie mode? Sounds like from you two that it rocks in music playback.
It does a fine job all the way around. Music and movies.

Hi David,

My D4's came in, and I will be picking them up tomorrow from my dealer. I have a question for you regarding crossover. You have consistantly recommended crossing these over lower than 80. Obviously you designed them, and you should know, but isn't a crossover of 60 a little low for a 4" woofer? At higher volumes wouldn't a crossover of 80 be a little more effortless for the D4's?

Again, you should know, but I would love to hear any insight you have regarding to why a lower crossover than the norm makes sense for the D4s.

Thanks a bunch
Greg

Hi David,

I have a question for you regarding crossover. You have consistantly recommended crossing these over lower than 80. Obviously you designed them, and you should know, but isn't a crossover of 60 a little low for a 4" woofer? At higher volumes wouldn't a crossover of 80 be a little more effortless for the D4's?

Thanks a bunch
Greg
Hi Greg,
I'm the last guy that would tell you to run the speakers too low. I have to replace woofers if their blown. But I do want you to get the best possible sound from the speakers.
The D4 has a low end response of 60Hz, but that's just where they start rolling off. So if run in full range, they try to reproduce even lower frequencies.
When you cut them off at 60Hz, they're even more dynamic because that's where they stop, not where they start rolling off.
Also, when you cross over at 60, your sub is much more omni-directional and much harder to localize. I make this correction at dealers often.
For the other speakers, the D5 should be run as large, or full range if possible and the D3 should be cut of at 80Hz.

Best wishes,
David Solomon

Also, when you cross over at 60, your sub is much more omni-directional and much harder to localize. I make this correction at dealers often.
For the other speakers, the D5 should be run as large, or full range if possible and the D3 should be cut of at 80Hz.



God I love you posting here! You have no idea how hard a time I have convincing owners to do this.

David,

Just to get this straight, if I have the D4's up front (mains and Center) and D3s as surrounds how should I set these speakers up? Currently I run all of them as large but I am going to switch the D3's to small. I have the crossover set to 60 Hz right now but running the speakers as large overrides this. So if I run the D4's as large and the D3s as small should I set the crossover at 40, 60, or 80 Hz? The 3 front speakers will be getting the full signal so the crossover will only really apply to the rear D3 speakers.

The dealer locator link on the ERA website looks to be down. I get a 404 error message. Can anyone else get through?

The site appears to be working fine for me.

David,

Just to get this straight, if I have the D4's up front (mains and Center) and D3s as surrounds how should I set these speakers up? Currently I run all of them as large but I am going to switch the D3's to small. I have the crossover set to 60 Hz right now but running the speakers as large overrides this. So if I run the D4's as large and the D3s as small should I set the crossover at 40, 60, or 80 Hz? The 3 front speakers will be getting the full signal so the crossover will only really apply to the rear D3 speakers.

Hi mpgxsvcd,

I am not David, but I am sure he will correct me if I am wrong. According to his above post, you want to set the D3s to an 80 hz crossover. I see you have the D4s running full range. Is there a reason you are not crossing them over to the sub as well? It looks like 60 hz is the right choice to cross the D4s over to the sub.

The problem is that David’s post was not quite clear. My impression was that he was suggesting that I run the D4’s in full range which will send the entire signal including the LFE channel to the D4’s. It will send the LFE to the Sub also.

I just calibrated my system like I described above and it sounded better than anything else I had tried before. I just want to confirm that theoretically I am setting it up correctly. Here are the exact settings I am using with my Yamaha HTR-5970.

ERA D4 Left and Right Mains and D4 Center Channel – Large(Full range- Receives the full Left channel and the LFE channel).

ERA D3 Left and Right Surround – Small(Receives the Surround channels down to the crossover frequency)

LFE output Both(Sub and Left and Right Mains receive LFE)

Crossover 80 Hz This only affects the surrounds because they are the only speakers set as small.

Does this look correct?

Here is an earlier response from David. I think David is suggesting running even the D4’s as large. Is that correct?


Thought it might important to some to explain this.
era speakers have a natural roll off on the bottom end. We did sacrifice efficiency for bandwidth. But, this is why they sound like they do.
Most speakers this size have a bass hump somewhere in the mid-bass region. This allows them to be more efficient and play louder and give the illusion of bass, but they also roll off very quickly, forcing you to cross the sub higher. This causes phase shift and un-natural bass response.
We decided to take the high road and have drivers designed that could take the heat and abuse it takes to get a driver this small to go so low. This takes real power, but as a result, you should be able to attain audiophile performance in such a small box if you have good power.

One of the reasons we wanted to have extended bass response from the sats, was to be able to meet the subwoofer as low as possible.
When a system is crossed over at 80Hz or even higher, the sub is still localizable. Since most sats don't have a strong 80Hz or below presence, it's become common practice to cross over all small speakers at 80Hz...
So if you can choose your crossover, go no higher w/ either 4's or 5's than 60Hz if you have to cross them over at all... If you're running them higher, you're not getting everything the speakers have to offer.

If the amp clips after that because of extreme volume levels, try crossing them over at 50, then 60 until the amp stops clipping.
If any of you blow a woof doing this, you're on your own!...LOL
just kidding, I would gladly replace it.
Best regards,
David

Here is an earlier response from David. I think David is suggesting running even the D4’s as large. Is that correct?

Sorry Guys,
I didn't mean to make this so confusing. There are different answers depending on the spl you listen at and the amplifier and processor quality you use.

(The rule I use) Run the 4's or 5's full range IF you play system at a level that does not bottom out the speaker or sends the amp in to clipping. Try this first.

If the speakers are bottoming out, start the crossover as low as possible and raise it in as small of increments as possible until the speakers don't bottom out any longer.

If the amp is not up to the task, you may find it better just to crossover the speakers at 60-80 Hz as this will relieve current used to drive the bass frequencies. These are the hardest frequencies for an amp to drive. (This is if you're not driving weird impedance ribbon mids and tweets)
If you just want to make it easy, and still sound fine, here's a good rule of thumb...
Cross the D4 @ 60-70Hz
Cross the D5 @ 50-60 Hz
Cross the D3 @ 80HZ


Trying hard to cover all bases... from $300 sony's to top shelf Lexicons.
And from 90dB - 110 dB listeners.
This is a huge range of gear and listening habits so please bear with me if I have left a specific detail out.

Hope this helps!
Best to you all!
David
Call or write anytime w/ specific needs!
davids@signalpathint.com

David, as always thanks for the explanation. That is exactly what I needed. You are a testament to the dedication and thoroughness of your company. I just wish more people knew what a great product and company you have.

I just bought a mid level(100 Watt x 5) Rotel amp so I am fairly comfortable running the 4’s as large. Plus I only go up to about 90-95 DB when the kids and wife are not home(which is almost never). I should be good to go now.

Finally, time for me to go and enjoy the fruits of your hard work.

Cheers to you and everyone else at ERA!

Agreed. I can't think of a better performer for the $$ than the 1057. It has a fine power supply and advanced bass management. Two of my "must haves".
The combo allows the crossover to be set at 60Hz instead of the traditional 80Hz w/ an amplifier that's up to the task of doing so with good grip and authority.
Best wishes,
David

I don't mean to get off track on this thread talking about receivers vs. these awesome speakers...

Any suggestions other than the Rotel 1057? I know this is a fine choice, but I'd like to compare 2 or 3 and pick the one right for me (and my new speakers). Maybe something with equally good power and bass management capabilities...

Arcam
Cambridge

Maybe something with equally good power and bass management capabilities...
BUY AN SMS-1

Again, I would suggest the Rorel RSX1057 at $1299 (maybe less) as this combination works well, the Cambridge and Arcams work well too.

Personally, I don’t think the Rotel receivers are that great of a value. Sure you get the great Rotel Amplification but you miss out on a lot of the great features that some of the other receivers have for a lot less.

I would recommend a Yamaha HTR-6090 which has HDMI, 7.1, all of the decoding you need, and a whole lot of other great features for about $600 brand new online. Then you can buy a great 5 or 7 channel Rotel or Emotiva stand alone amplifier to use with the Yamaha’s pre-outs. I use this setup and I was able to get a Yamaha HTR-5790 for $150 used and the Rotel RB-985(100X5) for $331. You could easily do a new HTR-6090 and a used RB-985 for less than $1000 and that gives you 100 watts x 5 plus you can get up to 120 watts for the rear surrounds or front affects. If you go with the RSX1057 you only get 75 watts x 5 and you don’t have a great option to do 7.1.

I just think that you should let each component do what it is best at. Rotel makes terrific amplifiers and Yamaha makes feature rich and inexpensive receivers. Put them together and you have one heck of a great system in my humble opinion.

Some links for your reading enjoyment.

http://www.rotel.com/products/surround-sound-receivers.htm

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=451765&CTID=5000400

http://www.emotiva.com/lpa1.html

What exactly is advanced Bass management?

What exactly is advanced Bass management?

Some receivers automatically default to a crossover setting of 80 when you set your speakers to small. Advanced bass management allows you to choose different / lower crossover settings. Some receivers even go as far as allowing you to set different crossover settings for different speakers at the same time. In my H/K for example, I could set my mains to one crossover, my center to another crossover and my surrounds to yet another crossover. Thankfully with my new Era speakers, I have the D4s / D4 LCR all the way around, so I don't need this feature, and just set one crossover for all.

Personally, I don’t think the Rotel receivers are that great of a value. Sure you get the great Rotel Amplification but you miss out on a lot of the great features that some of the other receivers have for a lot less.

I would recommend a Yamaha HTR-6090 which has HDMI, 7.1, all of the decoding you need, and a whole lot of other great features for about $600 brand new online. Then you can buy a great 5 or 7 channel Rotel or Emotiva stand alone amplifier to use with the Yamaha’s pre-outs. I use this setup and I was able to get a Yamaha HTR-5790 for $150 used and the Rotel RB-985(100X5) for $331. You could easily do a new HTR-6090 and a used RB-985 for less than $1000 and that gives you 100 watts x 5 plus you can get up to 120 watts for the rear surrounds or front affects. If you go with the RSX1057 you only get 75 watts x 5 and you don’t have a great option to do 7.1.

I just think that you should let each component do what it is best at. Rotel makes terrific amplifiers and Yamaha makes feature rich and inexpensive receivers. Put them together and you have one heck of a great system in my humble opinion.

Some links for your reading enjoyment.

http://www.rotel.com/products/surround-sound-receivers.htm

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=451765&CTID=5000400

http://www.emotiva.com/lpa1.html

I tend to agree with you. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was first leaning towards the Emotiva LMC-1/LPA-1 stack. It is still in the running, but I might want to let some of the current issues get resolved first. Thus I am on the prowl for other choices (and who better to ask then "the" speaker rep himself).

Again, sorry to hi-jack discussion away from the speakers themselves. But you all's input is valuable. Thanks.

... I was orginally leaning towards the Emotiva LMC/LPA stack. But I read about a few issues with it. ....


What issues regarding the Emotiva LMC/LPA? As one new to the home theater
game, I am reluctant to invest heavily into the preprocessor side since it seems
like it's still too much of a moving game. The less expensive Yamahas etc seem to
have the functionality I need (which may change in a few years), and it seems like
mating it to a good amp (which won't change unless the system moves) is a
rational approach to this business.

Rick

Arcam
Cambridge

The Cambridge 640R and Arcam AVR-280 look quite nice, both still quite new so not a lot of info to be found. Would lean towards the Cambridge I guess though. Thoughts?

What issues regarding the Emotiva LMC/LPA? As one new to the home theater
game, I am reluctant to invest heavily into the preprocessor side since it seems
like it's still too much of a moving game. The less expensive Yamahas etc seem to
have the functionality I need (which may change in a few years), and it seems like
mating it to a good amp (which won't change unless the system moves) is a
rational approach to this business.

Rick

Hi Rick - check out the Emotiva Emotions thread, post #341. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10171746&&#post10171746

Again, sorry to hi-jack discussion away from the speakers themselves. But you all's input is valuable. Thanks.

I don’t think the amp discussion is high jacking the thread at all. In fact I now think a good separate amp is an absolute must with these super inefficient speakers. I thought the D4’s sounded good when I was using my receiver alone. However, when I got my Rotel RB-985 this weekend it was a whole new world. Once I calibrated my system to the Rotel the speakers came alive. The ERA speakers now put out solid clean Bass. Before the sub was doing all of the work and the ERA D4’s were falling flat on their face at higher volumes(80-90 DB). For the first time my home system sounded like the system that I demoed at Audio Advice. Now the audio advice system was about $5000 I think and I only paid $1800 for my whole system so they are not exactly the same but close enough for my tastes.

These speakers are good with almost any receiver. If you want them to be great then you have to throw a lot of good clean power at them. I recommend no less than 100 Watts of 20hz-20Khz power rated to all channels simultaneously. 130 watts or even 200 watts per channel would be ideal though.

I definitely would say that anyone considering these speakers should budget in between $200 and $500 for a decent 5-7 channel amplifier. I don’t consider the amp to be a nice to have anymore. It is a necessity for me.

Just my 2 cents.

What issues regarding the Emotiva LMC/LPA? As one new to the home theater
game, I am reluctant to invest heavily into the preprocessor side since it seems
like it's still too much of a moving game. The less expensive Yamahas etc seem to
have the functionality I need (which may change in a few years), and it seems like
mating it to a good amp (which won't change unless the system moves) is a
rational approach to this business.
Some would put forth their beliefs that some amps can impart certain sonic characteristics that may or may not be desireable, so comparing a few might be a good idea, and others might argue that mass market receivers, may not have a very decent pre-amp output stage and that this coupled with other snoic shortcomings may be less than desired, and others might say that the improvement in adding any outboard amp to a mass market receiver is so helpful that any other shortcomings are secondary.

Here is a good example of how the Rotel amplifier changed my system. When I was using the Yamaha receiver to amplify my speakers most of the Bass was coming out of the sub. If I turned off the sub while watching normal TV at normal volumes I would hear most of the bass drop out. I had everything set to large but it just seemed like the Bass signals were not really getting driven to the D4 mains.

With the new Rotel I still have the D4 mains setup as large and the LFE channel is redirected to both the sub and the large speakers. However, now when I turn off the sub during normal listening I don’t notice the Bass cut out. The Rotel just seems to drive the lower end of the speakers better. And yes I did calibrate the system with the new Rotel amp including the lower frequencies. My Yamaha allows me to calibrate each individual speaker at 10 Khz increments from 40 Hz to 120 Hz.

That being said, I still need the sub to hit the really low frequencies when I watch movies at high volumes. However, the D4’s actually do hold their own in the lower ranges provided you give them good power.

Just an observation.

....Arcam AVR-280 look quite nice, both still quite new so not a lot of info to be found.

Quite new? The AVR300 has been out over a year and the AVR350 for the last several months. I think I would favor the Arcam just based on experiences of others.
I admit I don't know that much about the Cambridge, not sure it has the same musicality of the Arcam or power reserve.

I got my D4 (L,R,SR,SL) and D4LCR (Center). I have the front three set up, and they are absolutely wonderful. I am going to wall mount the D4 surrounds using the included wall bracket, but I am not 100% sure how to do it.

I am guessing the supplied screws are to mount speaker to the bracket on the top and back, and I need to supply my own drywall anchors to get them up on the wall. Do I mount the speaker to the bracket first, and then mount the bracket to the wall? Do I put the bracket up first and then mount the speaker to the bracket next?

If anyone could walk me through this step by step, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks
Greg

I got my D4 (L,R,SR,SL) and D4LCR (Center). I have the front three set up, and they are absolutely wonderful. I am going to wall mount the D4 surrounds using the included wall bracket, but I am not 100% sure how to do it.

I am guessing the supplied screws are to mount speaker to the bracket on the top and back, and I need to supply my own drywall anchors to get them up on the wall. Do I mount the speaker to the bracket first, and then mount the bracket to the wall? Do I put the bracket up first and then mount the speaker to the bracket next?

If anyone could walk me through this step by step, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks
Greg

Congrats on your purchase. I know you will love them. I have the D4s but I did not mount them with their bracket. I have the D3’s and I just used an omni mount.

I would guess that you should mount the stands to the wall first and then attach the speakers but that is just a guess. I am sure the experts will chime in here shortly.

What are you pushing the speakers with? Receiver or external amp? Do you have a sub also?

What are you pushing the speakers with? Receiver or external amp? Do you have a sub also?

I have a sub on order (Paradigm Seismic 12) that I probably won't see for about a week. That is probably a good thing though, because it has forced me to set all my speakers to large for the time being. I am totally blown away by the bass these small speakers have. My room is pretty big too. Once my sub comes in, I will certainly cross them over to the sub, at either 60 or 80

Right now, I am using a HK DPR-2005 receiver, which is their now discontinued all digital path receiver. It is pretty powerful as far as receivers go, and is rated similar to their flagship models as far as power. I have not spent a ton of time listening yet, but so far, this looks to be enough power. I am open to the idea of an external amp, but I won't go down that path unless I need it. I will see after I do some more listening and really push these. If I have enough to push them as large, I certainly will have enough once I cross them over.

We shall see.

I got my D4 (L,R,SR,SL) and D4LCR (Center). I have the front three set up, and they are absolutely wonderful. I am going to wall mount the D4 surrounds using the included wall bracket, but I am not 100% sure how to do it.

Do I mount the speaker to the bracket first, and then mount the bracket to the wall? Do I put the bracket up first and then mount the speaker to the bracket next?

If anyone could walk me through this step by step, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks
Greg

Hi Greg,
Glad you like the speakers.
You would mount the bracket to the wall, then the speaker to the bracket. You will have to get anchors at Home Depot or the like.
http://www.mutualscrew.com/productdetails.php
This is my favorite anchor..
Good luck! Let me know if I can be of further service.
Best wishes,
David Solomon

Hi Greg,
Glad you like the speakers.
You would mount the bracket to the wall, then the speaker to the bracket. You will have to get anchors at Home Depot or the like.
http://www.mutualscrew.com/productdetails.php
This is my favorite anchor..
Good luck! Let me know if I can be of further service.
Best wishes,
David Solomon

Thanks. So pardon my ignorance here, but I am guessing that I will mount the wall mount flush with the wall. If I do this, would I only attach the speaker to the mount on the bottom. I guess this was my initial question. If I need to attach the back of the speaker to the bracket as well, I am not figuring out how to do that. I am visualizing being able to easily mount the bracket to the wall without the speaker attached, or easily attaching the bracket to the back of the speaker without the bracket being attached to the wall. I can't put two and two together though and figure out how to do both.

I have a sub on order (Paradigm Seismic 12) that I probably won't see for about a week. That is probably a good thing though, because it has forced me to set all my speakers to large for the time being. I am totally blown away by the bass these small speakers have. My room is pretty big too. Once my sub comes in, I will certainly cross them over to the sub, at either 60 or 80

Right now, I am using a HK DPR-2005 receiver, which is their now discontinued all digital path receiver. It is pretty powerful as far as receivers go, and is rated similar to their flagship models as far as power. I have not spent a ton of time listening yet, but so far, this looks to be enough power. I am open to the idea of an external amp, but I won't go down that path unless I need it. I will see after I do some more listening and really push these. If I have enough to push them as large, I certainly will have enough once I cross them over.

We shall see.

You know, lots of people just buy a two channel amp to augment the receiver power. If you do this, one, you'll have plenty of power when listening to two channel and you relieve the receiver of powering the two front speakers, so the receiver should become much more efficient as it would then be powering only the center and rear speakers. You simply take the front "pre-outs" and run them to the outboard amp. Of course you could also take the path that MPG took adn get a full 5 channel amp and let your processor do the sound field work while the amplifier powers the speakers.

The other option that I really like is getting an integrated amp w/ Home Theater Bypass. Essentially, you'll use the amplifier in the integrated for the front two speakers (L&R), but when you switch to two channel, you have a true two-channel set-up not affected by the processor on the receiver as you'll then be using the pre-amp section out of the integrated.
This is really the best of both worlds.
This is often a more expensive way to do it, but can really be very good if A) you're more into music than theater, or B) if your HT receiver just doesn't quite have enough juice to do the job well.
Hope this helps,
David Solomon

Thanks. So pardon my ignorance here, but I am guessing that I will mount the wall mount flush with the wall. If I do this, would I only attach the speaker to the mount on the bottom. I guess this was my initial question. If I need to attach the back of the speaker to the bracket as well, I am not figuring out how to do that. I am visualizing being able to easily mount the bracket to the wall without the speaker attached, or easily attaching the bracket to the back of the speaker without the bracket being attached to the wall. I can't put two and two together though and figure out how to do both.

Hi Greg, Yes, you would mount the D4 to the bracket w/ one screw from the bottom. Plenty to hold the speaker and still allow you to toe speakers inward a bit.
The inserts on the back of the speaker are for alternative mounting like w/ OmniMounts.
Best wishes,
David

I have a sub on order (Paradigm Seismic 12) that I probably won't see for about a week. That is probably a good thing though, because it has forced me to set all my speakers to large for the time being. I am totally blown away by the bass these small speakers have. My room is pretty big too. Once my sub comes in, I will certainly cross them over to the sub, at either 60 or 80

Right now, I am using a HK DPR-2005 receiver, which is their now discontinued all digital path receiver. It is pretty powerful as far as receivers go, and is rated similar to their flagship models as far as power. I have not spent a ton of time listening yet, but so far, this looks to be enough power. I am open to the idea of an external amp, but I won't go down that path unless I need it. I will see after I do some more listening and really push these. If I have enough to push them as large, I certainly will have enough once I cross them over.

We shall see.

I would definitely give your HK a good thorough work out before deciding to go with a separate amp. I almost bought that same receiver instead of the Rotel. It should power the speakers just fine. Did you buy it new? Do you mind me asking how much it was?

In my case I had to go to an external amp because the Yamaha amps really are not good even in their mid to upper level. I have heard the top of the line Z9 is fantastic though. It should be for $2500 used! Anyway, the Yamaha amps just don’t cut it with these speakers. My guess is your HK will be up to the task. If you find you need more power then Carver makes some good two channel amps that go for around $225 used for 200+ watts per channel. That will drive these babies pretty well.

I would definitely give your HK a good thorough work out before deciding to go with a separate amp. I almost bought that same receiver instead of the Rotel. It should power the speakers just fine. Did you buy it new? Do you mind me asking how much it was?


I have had it for a while. When it was first introduced, it retailed for something like $1700. I bought it new, when it dropped to $1000. I think you can find them used for $400-500 or so.

Actually they are down to $300-360 on ebay. I would have bought one except I really like the night mode on the Yamaha receivers(More accurately, my wife likes the night mode). Yea I know it is bad to take these brilliant speakers and remove all of the bass but my wife just can’t stand the constant volume increase and decrease for commercials on TV. Until Dolby Volume is available I don’t have any choice but Yamaha receivers. The HK night mode can not be applied to all audio types. The Yamaha’s will apply it to everything and it completely stabilizes the volume at the expense of all low end frequencies.

Anyone have any other suggestions for volume leveling? My wife has super sensitive ears(She is a concert violinist). Dolby volume advertises that it will do volume leveling without removing the lower frequencies. However, currently there are no plans to place it in receivers, or at least “no plans that Dolby would care to discuss at this point”.

Check out the April sale at Emotiva - http://www.emotivaaudio.com/sale.html

Nice!

Check out the April sale at Emotiva - http://www.emotivaaudio.com/sale.html

Nice!

That is an awesome deal! Man are you trying to get me to rethink my Rotel purchase? Well you are successful.

Does anyone have the ERA speakers with Emotiva equipment? How is it working out for you? Those two components really look like the best bang for your buck on the market today.

These speakers are good with almost any receiver. If you want them to be great then you have to throw a lot of good clean power at them. I recommend no less than 100 Watts of 20hz-20Khz power rated to all channels simultaneously. 130 watts or even 200 watts per channel would be ideal though.


You can get away with less power on the rears. I'm quite happy with a 70wpc rotel 1050 running the ERA 4's in the rear. However I would want a a bigger amp to drive ERAs for the fronts.

Check out the April sale at Emotiva - http://www.emotivaaudio.com/sale.html

Nice!
As compared to the aforementioned receiver/amplifiers, this looks like a great deal. I read the tech specs on the amp and it looks like it could drive a tank.
The LPA1 is 6x125 watts for $699?!?...
For the many who have a budget receiver with a small power, this looks like a wonderful upgrade.
The thing that's really appealing about an outboard amp is that amps don't change much.
On the contrary, processors change from year to year w/ this or that sound field, HDMI etc. This will never change, however, good power is ALWAYS necessary for good sound and can't be substituted. Especially in the case of less efficient speakers like ours.
My statements regarding the Emotiva is purely theoretical since I have not heard the amp myself. But according to the specs, I would have to believe it looks better than most receiver amps by a long shot.
Would love to hear from someone who has practical experience with one of these amps.
Best regards,
David Solomon

Actually the LPA-1 is only $499 for 125 watts X 6 channels! That is unreal. I f I hadn’t got such a good deal on the Rotel then I was going to buy the Emotiva and try it out. I think they have free shipping and a great return policy to boot.

Two companies to watch out for in 07? Easy, ERA and Emotiva.

Dave,

Any chance you could order one of those Emotiva amps to do some testing with your speakers? You could always return the amp. Or if you don’t want to take advantage of their return policy I am sure you could get 90% of the cost back for it on ebay. It would be pretty cool if you guys could get a speaker/receiver/amp deal going. That would make one hell of a system for the price of a Blose HTIB.

You can get away with less power on the rears. I'm quite happy with a 70wpc rotel 1050 running the ERA 4's in the rear. However I would want a a bigger amp to drive ERAs for the fronts.

Yea you probably could get away with 70 watts to the rears but personally I like 100+ watts for all channels. I am sure it won’t be long before I am wanting to get a 200+ watt two channel for the mains and also something like that for the center. I will be deaf before I am done!

What are you currently using to drive the fronts and center?

Any chance you could order one of those Emotiva amps to do some testing with your speakers? You could always return the amp. Or if you don’t want to take advantage of their return policy I am sure you could get 90% of the cost back for it on ebay. It would be pretty cool if you guys could get a speaker/receiver/amp deal going. That would make one hell of a system for the price of a Blose HTIB.

Another thing to consider as well, they have a 40% off upgrade plan. So buy the amp and processor now, upgrade the processor later and get a 40% discount! They make it tough to say no...

Yea you probably could get away with 70 watts to the rears but personally I like 100+ watts for all channels. I am sure it won’t be long before I am wanting to get a 200+ watt two channel for the mains and also something like that for the center. I will be deaf before I am done!

What are you currently using to drive the fronts and center?


Hey mpgxsvcd, which model Rotel did you get the MkII or the first generation without the front cooling rails? Was thinking of also getting a Rotel RB-985 to drive the ERAs but need to know the exact depth including the speaker lugs/lead terminals and front grill.

Could you let me know what the front to back length is? (If you are interested in letting go of your RB-985 for the Emotiva let me know)

Thanks

I got the Rotel RB-985 not the MK-II. I actually didn’t want the MK-II because my wife would hate the vents on the front. The MK-II is generally more expensive also. The regular RB-985 is 17-3/8 x 5-1/2 x 15-5/8 WxHxD. That is the depth spec from the manual and that is actually from front face plate to speaker terminal end. The actual depth of just the amp itself is less than 15 “.

I don’t think I will be willing to get rid of my Rotel amp. I really really like the sound from it. I have never heard the Emotiva so I am a little cautious about buying it without listening to it. However, if I ever feel like the 100 watts is just not enough then I will let you know.

I am considering the Rotel RB-985 or perhaps Adcom GFA545 x 3

Thanks for the sizing as it looks like the RB-985 will for me. Any idea if the MkII and the 1075 are also as per spec with the terminal ends?

Thanks

Actually the LPA-1 is only $499 for 125 watts X 6 channels! That is unreal. I f I hadn’t got such a good deal on the Rotel then I was going to buy the Emotiva and try it out. I think they have free shipping and a great return policy to boot.

Two companies to watch out for in 07? Easy, ERA and Emotiva.

Dave,

Any chance you could order one of those Emotiva amps to do some testing with your speakers?

I talked to Emotiva today. Should have an amp here soon. I'll listen as soon as possible although I'll be out of town a lot in the next few weeks. Will let you know asap. My guess is that this is a fine amp for the $$, but I typically have a command over the painfully obvious.
Best wishes,
David

I talked to Emotiva today. Should have an amp here soon. I'll listen as soon as possible although I'll be out of town a lot in the next few weeks. Will let you know asap. My guess is that this is a fine amp for the $$, but I typically have a command over the painfully obvious.
Best wishes,
David

Awesome, I can't wait to hear how it sounds. Can you specifically try it with the 4's all the way arround and then try the 4's in front and the 3's in back. From what most people have said those two scenarios sound like the most popular setup. I am curious about how well it drives the 5's also.

Bottom line: I just can't wait to hear how it does.

5's up front
4's as surround

Dave,
Is it true you shared a place for a time with Berman in Atlanta?
Bet you've got stories, huh?
He speaks quite highly of you.
What a character he is too.

Now I am really torn. I love my Rotel RB-985 but the LPA-1 is really what I had my heart set on. I have decided that if David comes back and says the LPA-1 is everything that they have advertised then I will sell my RB-985. I suspect that I will be able to get almost all of the value of the LPA-1 from the Rotel. I will try it on craigslist first because I really don’t want to have to deal with shipping it.

Anyway if anyone here really has the heart set on the Rotel RB-985 then it will probably be for sale soon. I am going to try to get $425 for it. The Rotel amps tend to go really quickly on craigslist. If that doesn’t work then I might rethink it.

Yea you probably could get away with 70 watts to the rears but personally I like 100+ watts for all channels. I am sure it won’t be long before I am wanting to get a 200+ watt two channel for the mains and also something like that for the center. I will be deaf before I am done!

What are you currently using to drive the fronts and center?

I currently have a proceed AMP3 (125wpc) for the fronts. However I'm still using my old mirage speakers for fronts. I've only Demo'ed ERA 5's for the fronts/center (a friend let me borrow them). I need to get off my butt and sell my mirages so I can buy ERA5's across the front.

Dave,
Is it true you shared a place for a time with Berman in Atlanta?
Bet you've got stories, huh?
He speaks quite highly of you.
What a character he is too.
Yes we did. Seems like another life now. This was some 20 plus years ago.
Too many war stories to mention or remember.
Dave B is one great guy and still one of the most knowledgeable in the industry.

I currently have a proceed AMP3 (125wpc) for the fronts. However I'm still using my old mirage speakers for fronts. I've only Demo'ed ERA 5's for the fronts/center (a friend let me borrow them). I need to get off my butt and sell my mirages so I can buy ERA5's across the front.
Now that is a fine amp! The D5's will sing...plenty of juice (current) and a wonderful sound to boot.

David,

How would you rate the Rotel amps like the RB-985 that I currently have? Do you have any experience with this particular amp? Do you reccomend going with a 3 channel high output amp(130 watts or more) for the Design 4's and just let the Design 3's run off of the receiver? Or would you amp them all the way arround with something like the Emotiva amp?

I really like the fact that all of the speakers go through the same path. There was a huge sonic difference between my receiver and using the receiver with the Rotel amp. I don't really want to sacrifice the rears for the fronts but at the same time I want to get the most out of the fronts.

David,

How would you rate the Rotel amps like the RB-985 that I currently have? Do you have any experience with this particular amp? Do you reccomend going with a 3 channel high output amp(130 watts or more) for the Design 4's and just let the Design 3's run off of the receiver?
Hi MPG
Going to 130 wpc from 100 wpc will do almost nothing regarding SPL, about 1dB. Going from a small to large current is another story but the 985 is a nice amp w/ good toroidal transformer and plenty of current.
I would think the D4's would work great with this amp.
Are there specific problems that you're trying to address?

Regarding the D3's, turn off the front three channels and see how the rears are performing. My guess is the receiver is fine to run the rears, but you'll see quickly if you need some power.
Best wishes,
David

I'm looking for some nice speaker stands for my D3's. Does anybody have the Sanus Natural line? How does the cherry look? How tall a stand should I get? I'm worried that D3 does not have a bottom mount and these getting knocked off the stands...

http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/productCategory/line/speakerFoundations/pcat/natural/

Hi MPG
Going to 130 wpc from 100 wpc will do almost nothing regarding SPL, about 1dB. Going from a small to large current is another story but the 985 is a nice amp w/ good toroidal transformer and plenty of current.
I would think the D4's would work great with this amp.
Are there specific problems that you're trying to address?

Regarding the D3's, turn off the front three channels and see how the rears are performing. My guess is the receiver is fine to run the rears, but you'll see quickly if you need some power.
Best wishes,
David

Yea, I am probably just getting upgrade itis. The reason I like the Emotiva is that it can do 7 channel. Eventually I would probably add front affects or rear surrounds. And I really do like having all channels on the external amp. There is a big difference between the amp and my receiver.

The other thing is that I got such a good deal on the Rotel that I can make $100+ just flipping it. How can you pass up on trading a 10 year old 30 Lb 5 channel 100 watt amp for a brand new 7 channel 63 pound 125 watt amp? If both amps are the same sonically then the emotiva is a much better deal, right?

Anyway, I am not sure my wife will like the huge emotiva amp in our living room so she might nix that before it even happens.

If both amps are the same sonically then the emotiva is a much better deal, right?

That's the big "if".

That's the big "if".

That is why I bought the Rotel first. I trust Dave's assessment of the Emotiva. If he comes back and says it is a quality amp of equal or greater sound quality than a Rotel then I will definitely have to consider swapping them out.

Dave can you identify the subwoofer in the attached pictures? Is it actually an ERA Design 8 sub? It does not look exactly like the design 8 sub on your site. It was originally purchased in April 2006. Were you selling the design 8 back then?

Dave can you identify the subwoofer in the attached pictures? Is it actually an ERA Design 8 sub? It does not look exactly like the design 8 sub on your site. It was originally purchased in April 2006. Were you selling the design 8 back then?

Hi MPG,
Yes, it is the sub 8, however, this was the first run and we actually used a modified sub10 amp to get it to market a bit faster.
Since then, the amp we specified originally for the sub 8 was built and that's the sub amp used today.
Since few used the high-level in/out, this is now gone. We are now using a 200 watt amp. Even though the amp pictured is more expensive, the extra wattage it had was a waist since the sub 8 can't use the full 300 watts.

Best wishes,
David

Hi MPG,
Yes, it is the sub 8, however, this was the first run and we actually used a modified sub10 amp to get it to market a bit faster.
Since then, the amp we specified originally for the sub 8 was built and that's the sub amp used today.
Since few used the high-level in/out, this is now gone. We are now using a 200 watt amp. Even though the amp pictured is more expensive, the extra wattage it had was a waist since the sub 8 can't use the full 300 watts.

Best wishes,
David

David,

Thanks for your prompt response. So would you say that this particular Sub 8 is equivalent to a new Sub 8 today or does it have some drawbacks?

I'm looking for some nice speaker stands for my D3's. Does anybody have the Sanus Natural line? How does the cherry look? How tall a stand should I get? I'm worried that D3 does not have a bottom mount and these getting knocked off the stands...

http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/productCategory/line/speakerFoundations/pcat/natural/
Hi Logsend,
The best fit that I know of is the Definitive Technology Pro 100 stands. The top plate is among the only that are small enough for the D3/D4 w/o having to go to a telescope model which are all terrible stands. http://www.definitivetech.com/loudspeakers/stands.html#prostand100
There as a product called blu tac that you can anchor the D3's. Go to office depot and get tack-n-stic...same thing, but only costs a buck instead of $15.
The D4's can be anchored with the supplied 8mm screw through the bottom of the stand. Just use the rubber feet that come w/ the speakers so you don't scratch the bottom of the speakers.
For the D5's, I highly recommend the Sanus Ultimate Foundation...
Best wishes,
David Solomon
www.signalpathint.com

David,

Thanks for your prompt response. So would you say that this particular Sub 8 is equivalent to a new Sub 8 today or does it have some drawbacks?
My pleasure!
No drawbacks at all. It performs just like the new amp since we had to choke the old one back to 200 anyway.
You can hook-up high level (speaker level), but most use low-level (RCA).
Best wishes,
David

I don't want to come across as a fanboy, but WOW. I have been using my D4 setup for about a week now, and I am totally impressed. The funny thing, is I have not received my sub yet, so these are running Large, without a sub. I can't believe how full they sound for such small speakers.

Believe it or not, my previous speakers were Monitor Audio Gold (GR10, GRLCR and GRFX), which are twice as expensive and much larger with 6 1/2" drivers. Now I am not going to sit here and say that these are better speakers than the MAs, but to me and my preferences, they are. The GRs were almost my perfect speaker, but they were slightly too bright for me. The D4s are perfect for me.

I have owned plenty of 4" and 5 1/4" driver speakers in the past, and I have no idea how you guys were able to get this much of a full sound out of a 4" driver. I am sure there are a lot of people that will dismiss this speaker because of the small driver without even giving it a chance. I am telling you, give it a try, and you will be surprised.

Great job ERA!

Greg

David,

I have a pair of Sanus Steel SF-26 stands. They appear to have the same top plate as the Ulitimate Foundation stands. Will the screw hole locations on the top plate of the SF-26's line up with the hole locations on the D5's? I want to avoid any drilling if I can.

Thanks, Bill

Acouple of friends (customers) were telling me that they had heard the Emotiva on LSI9's , Vienna Acoustic Haydn's, and Revel Concerta series bookshelf speakers, and they said that on these speakers the combinations ranged from "bright" to "forward" and one of the guys said they were a bit fatiguing on the Polks and Revels, but I wonder if the Era's wouldn't smooth out that or if they will reveal the same issue?
I am looking forward to Dave's impressions too, as this seems like a good deal.

VA's I thought are typically warm and involving. Not a good sign if an amp makes them bright or forward.
This kind of goes against the neutral and smooth description in the reviews of Emotiva amps.

VA's I thought are typically warm and involving. Not a good sign if an amp makes them bright or forward.
This kind of goes against the neutral and smooth description in the reviews of Emotiva amps.

I will totally reserve my judgment until David weighs in with what he thinks. No pressure though, David! Just kidding. If he likes it then I think it is worth a shot. At that price it does sound too good to be true. But who knows maybe we have all been over-paying Rotel, Carver, and Parasound all these years. Hey, who would have ever thought that someone could make a tiny bookshelf that is built like a rock, looks amazing, and can keep up with some towers on the low end and all of this for less than $600? I will once again thank David and the ERA gang for breaking that mold!

David,
Any update on time of arrival on the floorstanders or definative pricing?
I've heard some reviewers have heard them already, is this correct?

With mention of the Era floorstanding speaker, I recall seeing a picture of them. Anyone have a link to those pictures?

Thanks, Bill

I will totally reserve my judgment until David weighs in with what he thinks. No pressure though, David! Just kidding. If he likes it then I think it is worth a shot. At that price it does sound too good to be true. But who knows maybe we have all been over-paying Rotel, Carver, and Parasound all these years. Hey, who would have ever thought that someone could make a tiny bookshelf that is built like a rock, looks amazing, and can keep up with some towers on the low end and all of this for less than $600? I will once again thank David and the ERA gang for breaking that mold!

I agree, I'm always up for a bargain.. especially if it SOUNDS good too! :)

Have we come that far since page 3? Check it out! Floor Standers!

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=488110&page=3&pp=30

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=75618

Beee Yooo Ti Fullll!

mpgxsvcd,

Thanks for the link and yes those are beautiful speakers.

Bill

Gorgeous; they have a little of that Dynaudio look to them but without the ugliness/funkiness.

David,

It doesn’t look like there is very much information on your sub-8. Can you clarify a few things for me? I am looking for a sub that could be used in an enclosure that has only the front face open. The enclosure is 16 to 20 inches high(Depending on whether I take a drawer out or not), 18 inches wide, and 22 inches deep. I would like to put a front firing sub in the enclosure due to the W.A.F. Is this possible with the Sub 8? Your website says that the sub8 can be “configured for down-firing or front firing with the flick of the onboard boundary EQ”. How does that work exactly? Also what are the exact height, width, and depth dimensions of the sub-8 with the legs in place?

Also, is the sub-8 a good choice for me if I just listen to movies at moderate levels and only occasionally listen to them at higher levels? Your site says that the sub only goes down to 35 Hz? Isn’t that a bit high for an $800 sub?

Sorry for the questions. I really don’t have much knowledge about subs. I am just trying to find the best sub for me that my wife can also live with!

While we wait for David's Emotiva review, has anyone looked into the Cambridge 640R yet?

David,

I have a pair of Sanus Steel SF-26 stands. They appear to have the same top plate as the Ulitimate Foundation stands. Will the screw hole locations on the top plate of the SF-26's line up with the hole locations on the D5's? I want to avoid any drilling if I can.

Thanks, Bill
Hi Bill,
I don't use a screw on the ultimate foundation, I use blu tac. I have been a fan for years, but I use the blue tack from office depot...one dollar instead of fifteen. Use 4-1/4" balls on each corner of the stand.
Also, if you can fill the SF 26 w/ sand, do so. The bass and image will greatly improve.
Best wishes,
David

While we wait for David's Emotiva review, has anyone looked into the Cambridge 640R yet?

Read the review today in S&V?
Interesting receiver. Kind of an Arcam junior. Although power out is about the same.
Designed in the UK too.

Check out this review of the Arcam AVR350. Very detailed review. Allow yourself an hour to digest it.
Scroll down to the AVR350 then click on the 'IAR' review. (pdf)

http://www.audiophilesystems.com/

I plan to audition one next week, in fact I think the dealer carries Cambridge too.

Emotiva on LSI9's , I am looking forward to Dave's impressions too, as this seems like a good deal.
I contacted Lonnie from Emotiva before the post I made about checking the amp out. They were going to send one out for audition, but I haven't heard anything since even after a couple of emails.
I will call again when I get back fom the Montreal show and see if I can get a little further. Sorry if I'm holding any of you guys up.
Bet wishes,
David

David,
Any update on time of arrival on the floorstanders or definative pricing?
I've heard some reviewers have heard them already, is this correct?
We did show a pair of protypes at CES, but they were mock-up cabinets.
We should get the first artical in May. Jim and I will voice them and send the crossover information to the factory. With any luck, we'll see the floor-standers in June/July. Right now, we're sticking w/ $2k. I also think we can hit that target as well.

David

David,
It doesn’t look like there is very much information on your sub-8. Can you clarify a few things for me? I am looking for a sub that could be used in an enclosure that has only the front face open. The enclosure is 16 to 20 inches high(Depending on whether I take a drawer out or not), 18 inches wide, and 22 inches deep. I would like to put a front firing sub in the enclosure due to the W.A.F. Is this possible with the Sub 8?


[/QUOTE]Your website says that the sub8 can be “configured for down-firing or front firing with the flick of the onboard boundary EQ”. How does that work exactly? [/QUOTE]
Put the rubber feet on the sub face, turn it on it's face (amp up), turn the EQ switch to "on" and you have a front firing woofer. It works great.

[/QUOTE] exact height, width, and depth dimensions of the sub-8 with the legs in place?[/QUOTE]
14.5 x 12 x 12 1/2

[/QUOTE]Also, is the sub-8 a good choice for me if I just listen to movies at moderate levels and only occasionally listen to them at higher levels? Your site says that the sub only goes down to 35 Hz? Isn’t that a bit high for an $800 sub?[/QUOTE]

Great questions. We're just telling the truth about the 35Hz which is much deeper than most realize if you're hitting all of the notes above as well.
If specs on a single 8" woofer are below that, which is possible, they either have a much bigger cabinet, are hitting one note bass or they're doing it below 100dB...or they're lying.
You just can't have it all.
Having said that, the sub 10 is a little better better musically. It has no choke on the bottom end and is a sealed cabinet, so it goes lower, but just not as loud as the sub 8. Both have really good range up and down the scale and have very low resonate cabinets. For mostly HT, I would go w/ a sub 8 almost every time.
Like the D4's and 5's, we really took our time on these subs. They had to sound just right, not just hit a price point. I actually sent the sub 8 back six times before it was good enough for us to put our name on it. This was over a one year period. I thought our manufacturer was going to kill us. But we finally got it right and it's the unit we have today.
Hope that didn't sound too much like a commercial, but I am very proud of the subs.
The Sub 10 just made Stereophile Recommended Components...the next sub us is $1200 more.
If you're still with me, I owe you a beer :)

David

Read the review today in S&V?
Interesting receiver. Kind of an Arcam junior. Although power out is about the same.
Designed in the UK too.

Check out this review of the Arcam AVR350. Very detailed review. Allow yourself an hour to digest it.
Scroll down to the AVR350 then click on the 'IAR' review. (pdf)

http://www.audiophilesystems.com/

I plan to audition one next week, in fact I think the dealer carries Cambridge too.
The 350 is easily my favorite receiver. They're not cheap, but are still a bargain.
I've used the 300 and 350 at shows for the last year and a half and will continue to do so. The 300 is amazing, but the 350 is magic. No need to add to the IAR review, it really says it all.

Enjoy the combo.
Best wishes,
David

The 350 is easily my favorite receiver. They're not cheap, but are still a bargain.
I've used the 300 and 350 at shows for the last year and a half and will continue to do so. The 300 is amazing, but the 350 is magic. No need to add to the IAR review, it really says it all.

Enjoy the combo.
Best wishes,
David

I agree, the Arcam 350 is awesome and sounds better than the 640r, but in my opinion it sounds about 200 to 300 dollars better not 1,400.00 dollars better...

Dave,

That is exactly what I wanted to know. It sounds like the sub 8 is the right sub for me. Thanks for your thorough explanation. Wow I guess this will mean that I will have an all ERA 5.1 system. Does anyone else have an all ERA 5.1 system?

Well I stopped in today to hear the Era 5's. WOW. I have heard a lot (not all) of sub $1000 speakers, and this one is at the top of the list. My only issue was the gear used was much better than what I have. The dealer even told me these speakers are very, very power hungy. Can you run these with a normal receiver for a while and then update it or add an amp?

Well I stopped in today to hear the Era 5's. WOW. I have heard a lot (not all) of sub $1000 speakers, and this one is at the top of the list. My only issue was the gear used was much better than what I have. The dealer even told me these speakers are very, very power hungy. Can you run these with a normal receiver for a while until I update it or add an amp?

Chris,

Where in the Boston area did you hear them?

Bill

The 350 is easily my favorite receiver. They're not cheap, but are still a bargain.
I've used the 300 and 350 at shows for the last year and a half and will continue to do so. The 300 is amazing, but the 350 is magic. No need to add to the IAR review, it really says it all.

Enjoy the combo.
Best wishes,
David

I really want to go with the Emotiva stack, but it's just too big (size wise) for my space. So, since I can't quite swing an Arcam 350 I think the next best thing for me is the Cambridge 640r. Only cons I see about it is no video transcoding to HDMI and no auto mic calibration. Anyone see why this Rx would not work nicely with my new Era's (D4 and D3) and Velodyne SPL-1000r setup?

Chris,

Where in the Boston area did you hear them?

Bill

Goodwins High End in Waltham. Spoke with Paul there, really great guy.

Goodwins High End in Waltham. Spoke with Paul there, really great guy.

Chris, I have dealt with Goodwins. Only online though. Great people! They hooked me up with my center channel after someone returned it still in the box!

I would definitely say that the ERA design 5 speakers hunger for a nice separate amp. If cost is a major factor for you(Isn’t it always?) then I would look into getting a nice used receiver with all of the features you want. Then buy a good 2,3,5, or 7 channel to suite your needs.

In my case I have the Design 4’s up front and the design 3’s out back. I bought a used Yamaha HTR-5790 off of ebay for $150. I used the receiver alone for quite awhile but it was not cutting it. The receiver just could not push the Bass to the speakers like they wanted to be pushed. So I bought a nice 5 channel 100 watt per channel Rotel RB-985 amp off of ebay for $331. That made all of the difference. My speakers fill the room just like when I demo’d them with a $3000 amp(Well close enough for 1/10 the price). You don’t have to spend a lot to get these speakers to sound good. However, you do have to do a little bargain hunting to get the power they require.

Goodwins High End in Waltham. Spoke with Paul there, really great guy.

That is where I demoed them as well and Paul was who I dealt with, a real nice guy. I was set to go with Dynaudio but am seriously thinking of the Era's.

Bill

That is where I demoed them as well and Paul was who I dealt with, a real nice guy. I was set to go with Dynaudio but am seriously thinking of the Era's.

Bill

If you get a chance to hear these Bill be sure and let me know your thoughts!

One thing I would like to know is how much power is really necessary. I am updating my receiver near the end of the year, but I dont want to go by a whole year underpowering them.

Hi Logsend,
The best fit that I know of is the Definitive Technology Pro 100 stands. The top plate is among the only that are small enough for the D3/D4 w/o having to go to a telescope model which are all terrible stands. http://www.definitivetech.com/loudspeakers/stands.html#prostand100
There as a product called blu tac that you can anchor the D3's. Go to office depot and get tack-n-stic...same thing, but only costs a buck instead of $15.
The D4's can be anchored with the supplied 8mm screw through the bottom of the stand. Just use the rubber feet that come w/ the speakers so you don't scratch the bottom of the speakers.
For the D5's, I highly recommend the Sanus Ultimate Foundation...
Best wishes,
David Solomon
www.signalpathint.com

Just in case anyone is interested, the Sanus Natural Foundations stands have an optional topplate that measure 4.5 x 4.5. That's pretty much in line with the Def Tech's above. I like the Def Tech's, but was hoping for a non-black stand!

I have not seen much mention of the Era center speakers and their performance. I have heard the D5s and was very impressed but the D5-LCR was not available to demo. Can people that have the Era centers specifically the D5-LCR give their thoughts on them.

Also how would the D5-LCR compare in performance to the Dynaudio Focus 200 center, if anyone has heard them both. I am having a hard time deciding between the Dynaudio's and the Era's. I have heard speakers from both and must say that D5 was very close in performance to the Focus 140 at half the cost.

Thanks, Bill

Well I stopped in today to hear the Era 5's. WOW. I have heard a lot (not all) of sub $1000 speakers, and this one is at the top of the list. My only issue was the gear used was much better than what I have. The dealer even told me these speakers are very, very power hungy. Can you run these with a normal receiver for a while and then update it or add an amp?

You might give the Era 4 LCRs a listen. They're about the same price as the Era 5s, but more efficient. And I actually preferred the sound.

Another question on the D5-LCR. Are there threaded inserts on the ends of the cabinent? On some of the pictures it looks like there are.

Thanks, Bill

I can't speak to the ERA 5 Center speaker but I do run the ERA design 4 center speaker and it is wonderful. Before I heard the ERA speakers I was dead set on getting some Monitor audio Silver speakers. I just loved the way those speakers sounded but they were just too expensive for me. Then I found the ERA speakers and I fell in love with them.

The D4 center channel speaker blends perfectly with my D4 mains and my D3 rears. Vocals are crystal clear through it and it can carry some of the lower frequencies as well. The best thing about it is its size. It is freaking tiny compared to every other decent center speaker out there. Of course you have to listen to it yourself to decide but personally I bought the ERA center channel first it was so good. I couldn’t afford the other speakers so I just picked up the center channel first. It made me realize that all of my other speakers were absolute garbage!

My D4 speaker has threads on the sides of it to mount it to a wall. I think it came with a U shaped bracket to mount it also.

One thing I would like to know is how much power is really necessary. I am updating my receiver near the end of the year, but I dont want to go by a whole year underpowering them.

Each person’s listening habits are different but I will give you my opinion. I first tried the speakers with an 85 watt 20-20Khz Yamaha receiver. That just did not cut it! Then I moved to a 110 watt 20Hz-20Khz Yamaha receiver. That sounded good but the speakers really did not have that “good bass response that they are supposed to have”. So I bought the 100 watt per channel(All channels driven) Rotel RB-985. The amp rated with "all channels driven" made all of the difference! The speakers immediately came to life. Like David said going higher than that won’t make that much of a difference. Heck 200 watts per channel will only get you another 3 DB, I think. And these speakers are only rated for up to 150 watts. I know they can handle a lot more than that in reality though! Anyway I think between 100 an 130 watts all channels driven is the sweet spot. I can hit about 95 DB regularly and not run into distortion problems.

You might give the Era 4 LCRs a listen. They're about the same price as the Era 5s, but more efficient. And I actually preferred the sound.

The 4's are actually a whole lot cheaper than the 5's $900 vs $600(mains) and $700 vs $500(Center channel) and yes I actually prefer the 4's to the 5's also.

The 4's are actually a whole lot cheaper than the 5's $900 vs $600(mains) and $700 vs $500(Center channel) and yes I actually prefer the 4's to the 5's also.
No, I specifically meant the 4LCRs, which are not just centers but also left and right speakers as well, if one wishes.

At $1000 vs. $900, they're actually a tad pricier than the regular 5s.

No, I specifically meant the 4LCRs, which are not just centers but also left and right speakers as well, if one wishes.

At $1000 vs. $900, they're actually a tad pricier than the regular 5s.

Never seen those before. Do you have a picture of them? Here are the only 5 LCR's I am aware of. These can be had for $700 new.

http://www.signalpathint.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=50


http://www.goodwinshighend.com/speaker.htm#era

I really loved the D5's, although I didnt hear the D4's. I think I will get them, and pick up an amp in a couple of months.
Now I need some decent amp suggestions around $600

Never seen those before. Do you have a picture of them? Here are the only 5 LCR's I am aware of

http://www.signalpathint.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=47

http://www.signalpathint.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=47

Those are only $500 new, correct?

Ok I see you are talking about using two d4 LCRs instead of two D5 mains. Sorry I didn't get that at first. What would be the benefit of that? I know the LCR is a different speaker that is actually larger but I have found that my mains handle Bass better. But maybe that is just my situation.

I use blu tac. I have been a fan for years, but I use the blue tack from office depot...one dollar instead of fifteen. Use 4-1/4" balls on each corner of the stand.

Best wishes,
David

David,

I did a search on Office Depot and could not find a Blue Tack product. Is it called something different?

Thank you, Bill

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-tack

So from all the reading I have done from this thread, is the best bet to get a seperate amp instead of just getting a more powerful receiver?

So from all the reading I have done from this thread, is the best bet to get a seperate amp instead of just getting a more powerful receiver?

I have tried both. The separate amp was the only thing that really made a difference. The separate amp isn't as expensive as you would think either.

In my experience with the D5's, it's not the quantity of the wpc, but the quality that matters. My 38wpc Onix SP3 tube made the D5's sing without problem. On the other hand, a 90wpc Sony receiver struggled to to create anything beyond a thin reedy effort of sound. The speakers require well-built amps to reach their potential, anything less leaves the listener short-changed.

I have spoken to a few other era owners and they suggested for my 12x12 room, where I sit about 8 feet from the speakers, that the D4's may be a better bet.
Anyone else have any thoughts?

I have an 18 by 12 room and I think the D4’s sound great in it. The D5’s have a little more Bass response but that is not always better in my opinion. The D4’s are an excellent speaker you can’t go wrong with either.

I am still amazed when I turn of my sub while playing a movie and I barely loose any Bass at all. With my old system I could walk into the room and without looking I could tell whether my 1 year old daughter had pushed the sub’s power button or not. With the ERA speakers it would be an absolute guess at normal listening levels.

mpgxsvcd,
What spl's do you get your D4's up to?

mpgxsvcd,
What spl's do you get your D4's up to?

I have two kids so my normal listening level is barely above a wisper. However, when the wife and kids are out of the house I generally watch movies like LOTR at about 90-95 DB(measured with an SPL) during fight scenes. I rarely go much over 100 DB because that is where my sub starts to fall apart(I have a crappy sub right now). The ERA Speakers hold up to about 105 DB though.

So from all the reading I have done from this thread, is the best bet to get a seperate amp instead of just getting a more powerful receiver?

A seperate amp is the best route to go. I went from an 80wpc sony 333es to a 70wpc rotel 1050 and the ERA4's (using them as rears) really woke up.

As for your 12x12 room. I would suggest ERA4's up front and either 3's or 4's in the rear depending on budget.

A seperate amp is the best route to go. I went from an 80wpc sony 333es to a 70wpc rotel 1050 and the ERA4's (using them as rears) really woke up.

As for your 12x12 room. I would suggest ERA4's up front and either 3's or 4's in the rear depending on budget.

Hey Kommon, it looks like we are from the same area. Where did you get your ERA speakers? Audio Advice?

What do you run as front speakers?

I am getting a good deal on an Acurus A125x5 (5 channel amp) - approx $700.
Following are specs in brief
125 watts per channel continuous, all five channels driven into 8 ohms 20 Hz to 20 kHz at no more than 0.06% THD
175 watts per channel continuous, each channel driven into 4 ohms 20 Hz to 20 kHz
Imput Impedance 20K Ohms
Signal to Noise Ratio 110 dB A weighted
Input Sensitivity 1.1 volts for full output

I am planning on getting either the D4s or the D5s (still debating which). Anyone have any exp with Acurus and how they will match with these speakers?

I think if you can afford it, go with the 5's. There is more depth to the music coming from the speaker. You may feel that won't want or need a sub. Either way, just make sure to get a good pair of stands that can be filled with lead shot or sand.

The Acurus should be a nice pairing. Don't forget to use decent wires.

I think if you can afford it, go with the 5's. There is more depth to the music coming from the speaker. You may feel that won't want or need a sub. Either way, just make sure to get a good pair of stands that can be filled with lead shot or sand.

The Acurus should be a nice pairing. Don't forget to use decent wires.


I have seen few people rating acurus as on the bright side. Would that matter?

I have not seen much mention of the Era center speakers and their performance. I have heard the D5s and was very impressed but the D5-LCR was not available to demo. Can people that have the Era centers specifically the D5-LCR give their thoughts on them.

Thanks, Bill
Hi Bill,
We've had the system's reviewed very little. Just a judgement call as we wanted to be first known for music reproduction. So the first couple of years, we send mostly two channel systems out to reviewers.
The D5 LCR was voiced the same as the D5 sat...
It works well w/ the D5 and even better if you use three D5 LCR's.
Most simply find it difficult to place three vertical D5LCR's.
In a later post you had asked about the inserts. The D4's and D5's all have 8mm inserts.
Best wishes,
David Solomon
PS: Where did you demo?

Hi Bill,
We've had the system's reviewed very little. Just a judgement call as we wanted to be first known for music reproduction. So the first couple of years, we send mostly two channel systems out to reviewers.
The D5 LCR was voiced the same as the D5 sat...
It works well w/ the D5 and even better if you use three D5 LCR's.
Most simply find it difficult to place three vertical D5LCR's.
In a later post you had asked about the inserts. The D4's and D5's all have 8mm inserts.
Best wishes,
David Solomon
PS: Where did you demo?

Hi David,

Thanks for your thoughts. I would go with the D5s and the D5 LCR. But you have me thinking how great the three LCRs would sound. One question on the D5 LCR is that does it have a threaded insert on each end of the cabinent or is that just on the D4 LCR?

Also would you feel that a Boston Acoustics A7200 (Sherwood Newcastle A-965 clone) amp at 110x7 would be sufficent to power the D5s? I demoed the D5s at Goodwin's in Waltham, MA.

Thanks again, Bill

Just to chime in about ERA sats and subs...

Great quality,in fact superb built and great design,these sound as good as they look! Plus considering the price,not easy to fault them at the prices they go.

I was most impressed by the tiny ported ERA sub,tank like built reminding me of the type of built you get with JL Audio! Same with the sealed ten incher,these products ooze quality.Truly superb value and I have seen and heard alot.

Good work

They remind me, a bit, of some of the Rels

Hi David,

Would you feel that a Boston Acoustics A7200 (Sherwood Newcastle A-965 clone) amp at 110x7 would be sufficent to power the D5s? I demoed the D5s at Goodwin's in Waltham, MA.

Thanks again, Bill

Hi Bill,
Haven't heard the amp but power wise, more than adequate. Tons of current.
David

I am getting a good deal on an Acurus A125x5 (5 channel amp) - approx $700.
Following are specs in brief
125 watts per channel continuous, all five channels driven into 8 ohms 20 Hz to 20 kHz at no more than 0.06% THD
175 watts per channel continuous, each channel driven into 4 ohms 20 Hz to 20 kHz
Imput Impedance 20K Ohms
Signal to Noise Ratio 110 dB A weighted
Input Sensitivity 1.1 volts for full output

I am planning on getting either the D4s or the D5s (still debating which). Anyone have any exp with Acurus and how they will match with these speakers?

Hi Skghost,
I would have to agree w/ AffordableAudio on this one. I've found the Acrus amps to sound fine. They may be a tad on the aggressive side, so I'm not sure it would be my forst choice for metal dome speakers, but the era speakers should be fine.
Best wishes,
David Solomon
www.signalpathint.com

Hi All,
I just returned from the Montreal Hi Fi Show. WOW...I never thought I could like a show "almost" as much as the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest.
The people were wonderful and we were well accepted. Many spoke French only, but the music was certainly universal.
We showed the D4 in stereo with a 100 watt per channel Creek integrated and the D5 with a Sugdon 30 wpc pure class A on the D5.
Most of the time it was standing room only and the big question was "where's the sub?" not sure how they say it in French, but thankfully, our local dealer was there, Christian from St Huberts Audio in Montreal, and proved to be a fine interpreter.
The answer was "There is no sub playing, but thanks for asking." I was playing mostly music that was leaning a bit toward the bass just to make a point.
Kudo's to all who put on the show! Hope to make it next year! Montreal is a beautiful city, even if you can't get in or out due to snow fall in mid-April.

I know that some have had to wait for a response from time to time. If I do not answer for a period, I'm probably out of town and will get to you as soon as possible.
Thanks for your patience,
Glad to be back!
David Solomon

The D5 LCR was voiced the same as the D5 sat...
It works well w/ the D5 and even better if you use three D5 LCR's.


David,

What is the advantage of 3 LCR’s as opposed to 2 mains and 1 LCR?

Also can you answer a few simple but maybe overlooked questions for me?

1. How do you pronounce ERA? Is it like Ear-A, or Air-A, or E.R.A, or “Those speakers that are the best damn bang for your buck out there”. Just kidding about the last one. Well, not really kidding, but you know what I mean.
2. Also do you go by Dave or David?
3. What does a store have to do in order to carry your speakers? Can more than one store in a single city carry your speakers?

David,

What is the advantage of 3 LCR’s as opposed to 2 mains and 1 LCR?

Also can you answer a few simple but maybe overlooked questions for me?

1. How do you pronounce ERA? Is it like Ear-A, or Air-A, or E.R.A, or “Those speakers that are the best damn bang for your buck out there”. Just kidding about the last one. Well, not really kidding, but you know what I mean.
2. Also do you go by Dave or David?
3. What does a store have to do in order to carry your speakers? Can more than one store in a single city carry your speakers?
Hi MPG,
Many prefer having exact matching between left, right and center. The only true way to do this is using three of the exact same speakers.
This is not important to me, but it is a valid way to set up HT.
1. Era-a
2. David, but Dave doesn't bother me.
3. We usually have a single store, but there are exceptions, like here in Atlanta, we have two good dealers. In Raleigh, we are more than covered by Audio Advice. Dealers just need to call or write as we take each market on an individual bases.
Best wishes,
David

David:
One of my writers attended the Montreal show, needless to say he now understands why I'm so impressed with the D4's & D5's. Glad to hear the show went so well for you.

Hey Kommon, it looks like we are from the same area. Where did you get your ERA speakers? Audio Advice?

What do you run as front speakers?

Yup. I'm right up the street from AA. I'm currently using Mirage OM-12's and a Mirage OM-C3 as my fronts. They blend quite well. However when I get motivated enough, I'm going to get rid of them and pick up a set of ERA 5's and 5LCR with the ERA10 sub.

Last time I was there they had some ERA stuff in the used room, but it was the lighter maple finish. I'm partial to the cherry.

Yes I am partial to the cherry also. Check out my setup in the pics below. The speakers totally get swallowed by my cabinet. You can barely tell they are there!

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=80078

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=80079

Did they have any used ERA subs? I missed out on the Design 8 sub on Ebay. It sold for $208!

I like the rosewood :)

mpgxsvcd,
What tv unit are you using?
How do you like it?

Wanted some opinions from those watching this ERA thread:

I'm looking to match my Rotel 1068 receiver with a power amp to go with my ERA 4 (L/R), the ERA 4 LCR and the 3's at the back (5.1 setup)

My options: (I'm in Canada so duties/handling fees kick in when buying across the border)

a) Local buy: Rotel RB-993 200w 3 channel + Rotel RB-991 200w x 2 (for $1150 shipped)

b) Local buy: Rotel 1075 (120w x 5) = for $1000 CDN shipped

c) Cross-border buy: Emotiva LPA-1 (120w x 5) but rated only at 1Khz (not the full 20-20Khz spectrum) - this but would be $530USD shipped + CDN conversion + duties/handling cross border fees, tax, etc

I'm thinking option (b) would be sufficient to drive the ERAs and come close in price to option (c) ... and match the Rotel 1068 pre that I have....

Thoughts? (are the 200w separates overkill for these speakers)?

Honestly, I don't think anything is overkill for these speakers. I demo'd them with a 250 watt per channel amp and I think the speakers could handle every bit of it. They(D4's) are only rated to 150 watts but I know they can handle more than that. Where did you find out that the Emotiva was rated at 1 Khz? I personally like my Rotel but I have heard the Emotiva is a steal at that price.

I like the rosewood :)

mpgxsvcd,
What tv unit are you using?
How do you like it?


Do you mean “What Tv” or “What TV stand and bookshelves”. The TV is a Sony GWIV LCD. I love it a lot more than the Sony GWIII that it replaced. The Stand and bookshelves were bought online from a Bush furniture website. I forget the exact URL. The whole entertainment center was only $750 shipped. Quite a steal.

Do you mean “What Tv” or “What TV stand and bookshelves”. The TV is a Sony GWIV LCD. I love it a lot more than the Sony GWIII that it replaced. The Stand and bookshelves were bought online from a Bush furniture website. I forget the exact URL. The whole entertainment center was only $750 shipped. Quite a steal.
Ya I meant the TV stand. I like it, I will check out the Bush website. Thanks

Where did you find out that the Emotiva was rated at 1 Khz? I personally like my Rotel but I have heard the Emotiva is a steal at that price.

Must be a mistake somewhere. It seems to be rated full bandwidth. Web site link below.
Lots of good things to be said from the following site. Looks like a solid buy for five bones.
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/archive/index.php/t-239544.html

David

(From Emotiva web site) http://emotiva.com/lpa1.html

• Rated Power Output: Channels 1-5 (All Channels Driven at 0.04%THD, 120vAC/ 60HZ supply) 8 ohm: 125 watts / 4 ohm: 225 watts

• Channels 6-7 (All Channels Driven at 0.05%THD, 120vAC/ 60HZ supply) 8 ohm: 50 watts / 4 ohm: 95 watts

• Frequency Response: +/- 0.1 db: 20 to 20Khz, +/- 1.0 db: 10 to 100Khz

Wanted some opinions from those watching this ERA thread:

I'm looking to match my Rotel 1068 receiver with a power amp to go with my ERA 4 (L/R), the ERA 4 LCR and the 3's at the back (5.1 setup)

My options: (I'm in Canada so duties/handling fees kick in when buying across the border)

a) Local buy: Rotel RB-993 200w 3 channel + Rotel RB-991 200w x 2 (for $1150 shipped)

b) Local buy: Rotel 1075 (120w x 5) = for $1000 CDN shipped

c) Cross-border buy: Emotiva LPA-1 (120w x 5) but rated only at 1Khz (not the full 20-20Khz spectrum) - this but would be $530USD shipped + CDN conversion + duties/handling cross border fees, tax, etc

I'm thinking option (b) would be sufficient to drive the ERAs and come close in price to option (c) ... and match the Rotel 1068 pre that I have....

Thoughts? (are the 200w separates overkill for these speakers)?

If only all choices were like this...
BassMan, they all look solid to me from different angles .
The Rotels both sound great and match your processor.
200 watts is fine... and very manly. You won't use all of it, but headroom is a wonderful thing and w/ 200 wpc, you have "grunting" rights w/ all of your friends!

Option B would be sufficient. Good conservative choice and you'll never be sorry.

There's some question about the Emotiva LPA1, (she may be a bit naughty and from the wrong side of the tracks) but I've read some good things about this amp. It weighs in and specs out like a real amp. I have no personal experience w/ it, but it costs less than a lot of cables, so you don't have a lot to loose and she looks like a lot of fun!

Like I say...no bad choices!
Best wishes,
David Solomon

Thank you for your reply David.

For those interested, I found these specs inside the LPA-1 User's Guide:

LPA-1 Technical Specifi cations
Rated Power Output: (All Channels Driven @ 1Khz, 120VAC/ 60HZ supply, THD noted)
Channels 1-5 125 Watts into 8 Ohms (0.04%THD)
225 Watts into 4 Ohms (0.04%THD)
Channels 6-7 50 Watts into 8 Ohms (0.05%THD)
95 Watts into 4 Ohms (0.05%THD)
Frequency Response:
20-20Khz: +/-0.1dB
10-100Khz: +/-1.0dB
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): (80kHz measurement bandwidth)
Channels 1-5: <0.040%
Channels 6-7: <0.052%
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >100dB, Unweighted (Full Output Reference)
DC Offset: <1mV
Crosstalk: >75dB
Damping Factor: Approximately 200 into 8 Ohms
Input Sensitivity Range (Gain):
Channels 1-5 29dB
Channels 6-7 26dB
Input Impedance (RCA Input) 47K Ohm
External Trigger Input: 3-12 VDC, center tip of 3.5mm jack is positive
Clearance for ventilation (Back): Minimum 2” / 50 mm
Electrical Power Requirement: 1200 watts @ 115VAC when driven into 8 Ohms
Electrical Power Consumption: 4 Watts (Standby) and 46 Watts (Idle)
Raw Weight: 63lbs / 28.63kg
Shipping Weight: 70bs / 31.81kg
Dimensions: 17” W x 7.75” H x 19” D
432mm W x 197mm H x 483mm D

To me the LPA-1 looks like a good buy!

I guess it would make sense to buy a new amp with a 30 day return policy and a 5 year warranty rather than a product that has been pre-owned.

Cheers

Thank you for your reply David.

For those interested, I found these specs inside the LPA-1 User's Guide:

LPA-1 Technical Specifi cations
[I]Rated Power Output: (All Channels Driven @ 1Khz, 120VAC/ 60HZ supply, THD noted)
To me the LPA-1 looks like a good buy!

I guess it would make sense to buy a new amp with a 30 day return policy and a 5 year warranty rather than a product that has been pre-owned.

Cheers
Good digging Bassman!
They make it look like full bandwidth on their web site.

Yes I am partial to the cherry also. Check out my setup in the pics below. The speakers totally get swallowed by my cabinet. You can barely tell they are there!

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=80078

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=80079

Did they have any used ERA subs? I missed out on the Design 8 sub on Ebay. It sold for $208!

Looks good. I'm seriously looking at the salamandar setups as it is time to retire my bellogetti. The bello doesn't allow for good center channel placement.

I picked up my speakers this evening: D4's and D4 LCR for fronts and D3's for rear!!! Can't wait to set these up. My media cabinet is not quite done yet though... I'll be powering them with a Cambridge Audio 640r. Also, using a Velodyne SPL-1000r sub. All this next to my new Samsung 4661f lcd. Heaven.

I picked up my speakers this evening: D4's and D4 LCR for fronts and D3's for rear!!! Can't wait to set these up. My media cabinet is not quite done yet though... I'll be powering them with a Cambridge Audio 640r. Also, using a Velodyne SPL-1000r sub. All this next to my new Samsung 4661f lcd. Heaven.

Congrats logsend,

Must be exciting, post some pics!
I am picking up my D5's on Tuesday

Congrats logsend,

Must be exciting, post some pics!
I am picking up my D5's on Tuesday

Awesome logsend. You have the same speaker setup that I have and it sounds like a pretty similar Home theatre setup to mine.

ChrisCollins, Are you getting 5’s all the way around? That would be pretty freak’n cool. Wish I had the coin for that! Let us know how you like them. What amplifier are you using with them again?

Awesome logsend. You have the same speaker setup that I have and it sounds like a pretty similar Home theatre setup to mine.

ChrisCollins, Are you getting 5’s all the way around? That would be pretty freak’n cool. Wish I had the coin for that! Let us know how you like them. What amplifier are you using with them again?


No 5's up front and 3's in the rear.

No 5's up front and 3's in the rear.

Still cool and a much better option price wise!

Still cool and a much better option price wise!

I have a small room so I thought the D'3 would be more than adequate for rears. Their size is actually perfect.

Since there isn't an official "ERA Owners" thread, I thought I'd weight in on our experience auditioning speakers this afternoon. My wife and I stopped by several conveniently located dealers here in Seattle listening to a number of different speakers. Amongst our top three were the PSB Image B15's (which we preferred to the B25's) and some Monitor Audio Bronze R units -- until we heard the D5's.

The reviews are true -- we were amazed by their performance. We had originally been looking for a small HT setup, but the D5's performance (combined with a rather awkward floorplan for proper speaker placement) had us walking away with a two channel setup.

They were so convincing, not only did we go home with a pair and a Sub 8, the wife (who was not too thrilled to be auditioning speakers all afternoon) is pushing very hard for a complete source / amplification upgrade!

If you're shopping in this grade, make sure you don't purchase before hearing the D5's.

Since there isn't an official "ERA Owners" thread, I thought.....
......
If you're shopping in this grade, make sure you don't purchase before hearing the D5's.

Did u get the opportunity to audition the D4s as well? Just wondering in your opinion how the D4s compared against D5s? I have been debating between these two for some time now. Unfortunately dont have a local dealer to go an compare.

Thanks,
Sam

Did u get the opportunity to audition the D4s as well? Just wondering in your opinion how the D4s compared against D5s? I have been debating between these two for some time now. Unfortunately dont have a local dealer to go an compare.

Thanks,
Sam

We listened briefly (< 5 minutes), but it was not the focus of our session, so I don't feel comfortable giving you a detailed comparison of the D4/5.

My wife and I listen to music on our system more than movies, so we went with the D5 as they had substantially more low end power than anything else we had listened to earlier in the day, including however fleeting a moment with the D4's. However, I do remember our rep noting that of the D3 and D4, the D4 was the clear winner, as though the drivers are the same, the extra room they have in the D4 really makes a huge difference.

If we ever expand the system, we'll probably use D4's for the rear / side channels. If your primary goal is a HT setup, the D4 may be a better choice. I am thoroughly impressed with our D5's and our Sub 8. They're a very potent combination.

-R

Thanks for your response. We listen mainly to music with an odd movie on the weekends. In fact I am going to start with a 2.0 system and slowly expand. I am leaning more towards D4 to begin with and based on my experience, I will add D5s as my mains and move the D4s for surrounds, or keep the D4s for mains, add a D4 LCR and D3s for surrounds.

David,
Did you ever get a chance to listen to the speakers with an Emotiva amp? I currently have an HK 3480 (2x120W) receiver, but was thinking of either adding the Emotiva RPA-1 (2x200W) or a Rotel amp, or possibly ditching the HK all together and adding a decent integrated if I can find one for $750 or so. Would love to hear Emotiva impressions since I haven't seen much on their amps for music. Of course I am nearfield at the computer so I may not need so much power at 1m.

All,

Well I got my stuff going this weekend, here's what I have again: D4's up front with D4 LCR and D3's in the rear. These are powered by a Cambridge Audio 640r receiver and sit side saddle with a Velodyne SPL-1100r sub.

So far, the audio quality is excellent, but the 640r seems to not be driving things the way I'd expect a 7-channel 100 watt amp (all channels driven) to. I'm still trying to get things setup (with SPL meter, etc) and the receiver says it needs 36 hours fo break-in. Any thoughts?

Randy

logsend,

What are you not getting from the speakers?

chris,
not saying anything about the speakers really, I just expected a much louder system. example, I have to play audio, via my SlimServer, at like 25-30db on the volume knob to get what I consider a normal sound level. 0db is the max.

Is it just because they are an inefficient speaker/harder to drive?

Yes, it's a much less efficient speaker than others out there. Having to turn up the volume is a small price to pay for the unbeatable price/performance from the Era line.

I think David would tell you that the guys at Musical Fidelity make a VERY strong case for almost never having too much power, and I would guess that he would agree that many people's fidelity issues revolve around starving their speakers. If you feel you need more room , look at other equipment, but at what volume levels do you typically listen?

Saying you can never have too much power is pretty theoretical, unless it's free. You can never have too much FREE amp power, I'll agree with that. (Is Musical Fidelity handing out any free amp power this month?) But until amp power is free - the money might be better spent elsewhere. Like on speakers.

What you need is enough power to drive them at the volume levels you want with no distortion. That sometimes means that your amp might be spec'ed higher than your speakers, since amp manufacturers lie more than speaker manufacturers. ;) That is, to get x watts of clean power, you need x + something. How much that something is depends on how real the amp specs are.

For example, they sound pretty damn good with 60w of legitimate power from the Ayre AX-7e You can find plenty of other 100w+ amps that could only dream of sounding as good as the Ayre. But, of course, giving them 300w of Ayre power for each speaker (which I'll probably try a little later) should really bring out the best in them. It's something that I am really interested in; just how good can the D4 sound with premium gear in front of them. I'll let you guys know when I finish putting my new system together and feel adventurous enough to put my 804S to the side for a while.

I'll keep tuning and report back in a week or so! So far the speakers are just awesome. Once I get everything set-up to take the best advantage of these, I'm sure I'll be happy. I can't find anybody that has anything bad to say about the Cambridge 640r, so I figure its just a matter of time before I nail things down!

For example, they sound pretty damn good with 60w of legitimate power from the Ayre AX-7e You can find plenty of other 100w+ amps that could only dream of sounding as good as the Ayre. But, of course, giving them 300w of Ayre power for each speaker (which I'll probably try a little later) should really bring out the best in them. It's something that I am really interested in; just how good can the D4 sound with premium gear in front of them. I'll let you guys know when I finish putting my new system together and feel adventurous enough to put my 804S to the side for a while.

Is an Ayre amp that much better than a Rotel amp? I have a 100 x 5 Rotel amp that I am happy with but I always get that upgrade bug. I think I would finally be satisfied if I can get 200 watts of good clean power to at least my front three D4 speakers. Now if only I could find that amp for less than $400. I guess I will just have to keep saving!

Heh, Ayre makes a great amp... For this purpose probably not such a huge issue when compared to Rotel, since the Design 4 doesn't go too far below rated impedance anyway. If you really want 200W of clean power, you might be able to find a used Rotel RB993 (3x200W), though they go for over $400 still. Finding any quality used 3x200W for under $400 will be hard. Aragon 8008x3 and Rotel RB993 are the most likely candidates for < $1000. And even Aragon will be very hard to find x3 at that price.

Heh, Ayre makes a great amp... For this purpose probably not such a huge issue when compared to Rotel, since the Design 4 doesn't go too far below rated impedance anyway. If you really want 200W of clean power, you might be able to find a used Rotel RB993 (3x200W), though they go for over $400 still. Finding any quality used 3x200W for under $400 will be hard. Aragon 8008x3 and Rotel RB993 are the most likely candidates for < $1000. And even Aragon will be very hard to find x3 at that price.


Acurus too has a 200X3 that goes on ebay (or audiogon) for around $500.

I got the D5's last Thursday and only had a little time to play around. So far they are great but I am looking for suggestions for a 2 channel amp for around $500. I am going to use my Marantz receiver as the pre.

I got the D5's last Thursday and only had a little time to play around. So far they are great but I am looking for suggestions for a 2 channel amp for around $500. I am going to use my Marantz receiver as the pre.

This Behringer A500 looks like an incredible bargain:

http://theaudiocritic.com/blog/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=20&blogId=1

If you want to spend more, you can look at the Outlaw Audio Model M200 M-Block amps. ($650 for two.)

Or the Emotiva RPA-1. ($699)

Personally, I would try the Behringer A500. I've never seen that much power so cheap.

Is an Ayre amp that much better than a Rotel amp? I have a 100 x 5 Rotel amp that I am happy with but I always get that upgrade bug. I think I would finally be satisfied if I can get 200 watts of good clean power to at least my front three D4 speakers. Now if only I could find that amp for less than $400. I guess I will just have to keep saving!

In my experience, yes, an Ayre V-6xe will sound superior to the Rotel although considering the price gap and the price of the D4s it's probably not worth it.

Almost blew my D3 rear speaker! I was attempting to find out where I was getting some very faint static in my rear speakers. I hooked up my cable box rca output directly to my Rotel 100 watt amp to remove the receiver from the equation. I plugged the speaker in and then fired up the cable box and amplifier. It was all of a sudden “VERY LOUD”. I reached for the remote to turn down the volume but I realized that the receiver was not in the equation anymore so my remote could not affect the volume. I fumbled for the power button on the cable box. Finally I got it turned off but it was “VERY LOUD” for several seconds. I checked the cable box setup and I realized that I had the rca output volume set to 100%. I nearly fried my speaker in an effort to cure an insignificant amount of static. I can never resist the urge to TWEAK! I know, I know, Leave well enough alone. I just can’t do that. I ordered all new shielded cables because even though I can’t hear it from a normal seating position, I still know it is there! Anyone else an eternal tweaker?

I hooked up my cable box rca output directly to my Rotel 100 watt amp
What gave you the thought that this would be a good idea?

I didn’t say it was a good idea. In the end it was definitely not a “Good” idea. However, it should not have been a bad idea as long as I had set the volume level output correctly. I needed to see if the receiver was the culprit introducing the static. It turns out that it was a contributing factor. How else would I have tested this? What is the difference between using the preouts of my receiver vs. using the outputs from the cable box? Either one should work with the amp right?

I need some help deciding between the D4’s and D5’s for a home theater system. My room is about 13’ x 20’ with an 8’ ceiling. For my front 3 speakers, 2 satellites plus an LCR, the front of the speakers will be about 15 inches from the wall. That puts the back at just less then 5 inches for the D5’s. The right speaker will also be about a about a foot from the sidewall. I’m worried that I will get too much base reinforcement with the D5’s. Would a system based on D4’s be a better choice? Either way I’m thinking I would use the sub 10 and D3’s for the rears.

Also I was looking for some opinions on a receiver. I was leaning toward a Yamaha 2600 or 2700 so I could use the 5.1 PCM out of my Toshiba A2 via HDMI. However, with the ERA’s I’m thinking an Arcam AVR300 might do a much better job even if it is limited to a DTS stream via Toslink from the A2. Any opinions?

Thanks

Well its been another week or so and thus far I have to say I love my Cambridge Audio 640r receiver married with my ERA's (D4's and D3's). Movies and music are incredible. My digital music player could be better, but that has nothing to do with the receiver/speakers, just need a better DAC. I'm wondering if I should have gone with D4's all around, but so far I think I made the right choice.

I need some help deciding between the D4’s and D5’s for a home theater system. My room is about 13’ x 20’ with an 8’ ceiling. For my front 3 speakers, 2 satellites plus an LCR, the front of the speakers will be about 15 inches from the wall. That puts the back at just less then 5 inches for the D5’s. The right speaker will also be about a about a foot from the sidewall. I’m worried that I will get too much base reinforcement with the D5’s. Would a system based on D4’s be a better choice? Either way I’m thinking I would use the sub 10 and D3’s for the rears.

Also I was looking for some opinions on a receiver. I was leaning toward a Yamaha 2600 or 2700 so I could use the 5.1 PCM out of my Toshiba A2 via HDMI. However, with the ERA’s I’m thinking an Arcam AVR300 might do a much better job even if it is limited to a DTS stream via Toslink from the A2. Any opinions?

Thanks

I think the D4/D3 combo would work well for you. I'm using the same setup in a sightly larger room (plus cathederal ceilings) with no regrets. I don't think a 2600/2700 will cut it though. Go with the Arcam, or if you want HDMI and 7 channel options take a look at the Cambridge Audio 640r.

Well its been another week or so and thus far I have to say I love my Cambridge Audio 640r receiver married with my ERA's (D4's and D3's). Movies and music are incredible. My digital music player could be better, but that has nothing to do with the receiver/speakers, just need a better DAC. I'm wondering if I should have gone with D4's all around, but so far I think I made the right choice.


Thats great. Are you finding the 640r has enough power for the speakers?

This Behringer A500 looks like an incredible bargain:

http://theaudiocritic.com/blog/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=20&blogId=1

If you want to spend more, you can look at the Outlaw Audio Model M200 M-Block amps. ($650 for two.)

Or the Emotiva RPA-1. ($699)

Personally, I would try the Behringer A500. I've never seen that much power so cheap.

Are people using pro amps for home theater/2 channel?

What is the difference between using the preouts of my receiver vs. using the outputs from the cable box? Either one should work with the amp right?
The cablebox , as a source, has no real attenuation and outputs at line level of a specific but somewhat unknown output and is designed to be run into a unit set for source inputs, a pre-amp or receiver's pre-out stage has attenuation that has quite a variance on the amount of output it feeds to a dedicated amp and is designed for that purpose.

Thats great. Are you finding the 640r has enough power for the speakers?

Yes, it's 100watts (all 7 channels driven) and I think its driving them quite nicely.

Yes, it's 100watts (all 7 channels driven) and I think its driving them quite nicely.

The 640r actually put out 91 watts, all 7 channels driven on the test bench.

That's plenty of power for the Era's. And I'm sure they sound great.

I just wish audio manufacturers would be honest about their specs, rather than inflating them to hit a magic marketing number like, "100 watts per channel".

From Yamaha I would expect it. But to see Cambridge Audio cooking the books, it's disappointing.

The 640r actually put out 91 watts, all 7 channels driven on the test bench.

That's plenty of power for the Era's. And I'm sure they sound great.

I just wish audio manufacturers would be honest about their specs, rather than inflating them to hit a magic marketing number like, "100 watts per channel".

From Yamaha I would expect it. But to see Cambridge Audio cooking the books, it's disappointing.


Actually the recent review by hi-fi news spec'ed the 640r in their lab as 7x125 into 8ohms.
http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/assets/documents/Hi-FiNewsMay07640Rrvwlicensed.pdf

Actually the recent review by hi-fi news spec'ed the 640r in their lab as 7x125 into 8ohms.
http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/assets/documents/Hi-FiNewsMay07640Rrvwlicensed.pdf

That's how I would have expected the 640r to perform.

The test results I saw were from the Sound & Vision review:

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/receivers/2216/test-bench-cambridge-audio-azur-640r-av-receiver.html

It's odd that two different magazines could measure it and be off from each other by so much.

Someone on ebay is selling a pair of D3’s in Black. Not a great price ($329) but they are brand new in an opened box. Just thought I would give everyone a heads up, especially if you are in Toronto. I would buy them as front affects but my wife would kill me if I spent another dime.

Is the store locator working for everyone on the ERA site?

Is the store locator working for everyone on the ERA site?

It is for me.

I am looking at some 2 channel amps, and came upon the Rotel RMB 1075 on sale locally. It is rated at 5x120watts. Should i be looking for something with more power, like a 2x200 watts to drive the D5's as my mains?

Are you crossing them over? Where?

only for HT, not for 2 channel

Reserve Power Is Always Good To Have, What Type Of Material Do You Listen To And What Are Your Typical Listening Levels?

I do listen to everything; jazz, rap, rock, classical. I like to listen sometimes at low levels, sometimes high levels. I dont think I exceed 95db's, but I havent checked in the past year or so. For HT, my reciever (Marantz SR5500) can not drive a full 4 channel set (no center), and I do not use the Era for rears just yet. The mains soak up so much power, that when played in surround sound, the whole sound level dramatically reduced. My receiver just does not have the juice to push them, let alone more than two channels. I wasnt sure if a good 2 channel amp or a 5 channel amp would be a better bet.

I personally use my Rotel RB-985(5 channel X 100 Watts) with my 3 D4’s and my 2 D3’s at about 95 Db. The Rotel handles the speakers just fine at those levels. It starts to fall apart above 100 Db though. I personally like the fact that each speaker is amp’d with the Rotel. It keeps the sound more consistent through-out the room. Do you have the center channel also? I wouldn’t suggest running the center on a different amp from the mains for movie listening. That is why I bought the 5 channel 100 watt amp. The 100 watt 5 channel amp gets me the consistent sound I was looking for and reasonably high levels. If I had wanted to step up to a 200 Watt Rotel amp then I would have had to buy at least the 3 channel 200 watt amp that is relatively expensive even used. The 5 channel 200 watt ones are much more expensive.

I was able to pick my 100 watt 5 channel amp up for $331 total. That is a steal! I have seen the 200 Watt Rotel 2 channel amps go for as much as $795 used. That is quite steep for a few extra db of head room and 3 less channels of amplification.

My reciever now has 90wattsx6, and I believe it was tested to have actual 90 watts, not just reported by the manufacturer. I was under the idea I would need to double to really hear a difference.

My reciever now has 90wattsx6, and I believe it was tested to have actual 90 watts, not just reported by the manufacturer. I was under the idea I would need to double to really hear a difference.

what receiver?

Marantz 5500

You should look for something that has much higher current output, usually with a torroidal power supply , and lots of capacitance. This is why straight amps (non-current limiting) will seriously outperform most mass market receivers of the same power rating.

My reciever now has 90wattsx6, and I believe it was tested to have actual 90 watts, not just reported by the manufacturer. I was under the idea I would need to double to really hear a difference.

I heard a difference just going from a 110 watt Yamaha to a 100 watt Rotel. The Bass from the ERA D4's was much better with the Rotel. I can turn my sub off now and not really notice much of a difference in the medium-low range.

My receiver was not putting out a true 110 watts though. I have heard the marrantz receivers are quite good at powering speakers.

I listened to the Design 4s with the Musical Fidelity A5 (250Wx2) integrated today... I was amazed by what these little speakers can do, but even more amazed at what a difference good amplification made. The Design 4s were cleaner and more controlled than the Design 5s with a less powerful Arcam.
I think I have finalized my office setup :)

I have seen several people selling their D4 and D5 speakers claiming that they are purchasing the ERA towers to replace them. Are the towers coming out now?

Nothing imminant that I've heard about yet.

Obviously power is a very important consideration with these speakers. Can a 50-60 watt receiver/integrated from rotel (ie, ra-1062) or nad (ie, L53/L73) actually do well with the D4? Heard them with a Mac 6500 (way overkill), but it was unbelievable!!! Thanks...

I do listen to everything; jazz, rap, rock, classical. I like to listen sometimes at low levels, sometimes high levels. I dont think I exceed 95db's, but I havent checked in the past year or so. For HT, my reciever (Marantz SR5500) can not drive a full 4 channel set (no center), and I do not use the Era for rears just yet. The mains soak up so much power, that when played in surround sound, the whole sound level dramatically reduced. My receiver just does not have the juice to push them, let alone more than two channels. I wasnt sure if a good 2 channel amp or a 5 channel amp would be a better bet.



You really need an education. Purchase a center channel, not an amplifier!

You need to use a center channel for HT use. Otherwise, DD DRC is turned on whether you want it to be ON or OFF.

http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/home-audio-subwoofers/1736-bass-effects-downmixing-dd-stereo-spectrum-labs-information.html

This has been discussed elsewhere on this AVS site, so do a search about the issue!

Obviously power is a very important consideration with these speakers. Can a 50-60 watt receiver/integrated from rotel (ie, ra-1062) or nad (ie, L53/L73) actually do well with the D4? Heard them with a Mac 6500 (way overkill), but it was unbelievable!!! Thanks...

Heard them with the 6500 eh? What were your impressions? I thought I was pretty well set on the Musical Fidelity A5, was ready to pull the trigger but now I am having second thoughts, should I try for the Krell KAV400Xi or perhaps a McIntosh integrated (6500 or 6900)? I will admit I am drawn to the sexiness of the McIntosh as much as their sound. Unfortunately the Era dealer in town doesn't offer either Krell or McIntosh, so I guess I will have to buy the speakers, break them in, then carry them into other dealers to hear Krell and McIntosh. Luckily they are small enough to do so.

I have seen several people selling their D4 and D5 speakers claiming that they are purchasing the ERA towers to replace them. Are the towers coming out now?
Hi All,
Sorry to have been out of pocket for so long.
I'll try to be a bit more available on the site.
We've actually been working on two towers. The cabinets are as well built as the 4's and 5's and they are very pretty. We're in the early stages of the voicing process and it looks like a realistic time table will be Sept/Oct.
At this point, it looks like the big tower will come in at $2,000 and the small tower will be around $1500. But don't hold me to it just yet.
Here's some rough shots in case you wanted to see the general idea.
Best wishes,
David Solomon

Can a 50-60 watt receiver/integrated from rotel (ie, ra-1062) or nad (ie, L53/L73) actually do well with the D4? Heard them with a Mac 6500 (way overkill), but it was unbelievable!!! Thanks...

Hi Jeff,
If you listen at low to mid levels, the Rotel will sound fine. As fine as the 6500? no, but still musical w/in the limits of the amp. The NAD's mentioned would be a little weak.
We voiced the speakers with the MF-A5. I should mention that we import Musical Fidelity, but it is a great combination.
Best wishes,
David

Hi All,
Sorry to have been out of pocket for so long.

At this point, it looks like the big tower will come in at $2,000 and the small tower will be around $1500. But don't hold me to it just yet.

Here's some rough shots in case you wanted to see the general idea.
Best wishes,
David Solomon

those look great, David.

Dave,
they look raked back(?) is this a cabinet design, because of spike adjustment, or is it just an optical illusion?

At this point, it looks like the big tower will come in at $2,000 and the small tower will be around $1500. But don't hold me to it just yet

each or pair?

You really need an education. Purchase a center channel, not an amplifier!

You need to use a center channel for HT use. Otherwise, DD DRC is turned on whether you want it to be ON or OFF.

http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/home-audio-subwoofers/1736-bass-effects-downmixing-dd-stereo-spectrum-labs-information.html

This has been discussed elsewhere on this AVS site, so do a search about the issue!

Well I dont care for your attitude. However, it is actually very useful and helpful, so thank you.
I would bet that most members here are unaware of this issue as well.

And I still do need an amplifier for the Era's.

Hi All,
Sorry to have been out of pocket for so long.
I'll try to be a bit more available on the site.
We've actually been working on two towers. The cabinets are as well built as the 4's and 5's and they are very pretty. We're in the early stages of the voicing process and it looks like a realistic time table will be Sept/Oct.
At this point, it looks like the big tower will come in at $2,000 and the small tower will be around $1500. But don't hold me to it just yet.
Here's some rough shots in case you wanted to see the general idea.
Best wishes,
David Solomon

Now why did you have to go and taunt us with those pictures? Great well that is $1500-$2000 I can just count as spent! Those are freak'n awesome looking. Please post anymore pictures you have. What about the Emotiva amp. Is it the real deal? Thanks for all of your help.

Well I dont care for your attitude. However, it is actually very useful and helpful, so thank you.
I would bet that most members here are unaware of this issue as well.

Check your receiver to see if it can disable this feature. My Denon AVR-887 allows me to disable DRC when I have my center off (it's tweeter is out of commission, waiting on a replacement).

Hi All,
Sorry to have been out of pocket for so long.
I'll try to be a bit more available on the site.
We've actually been working on two towers. The cabinets are as well built as the 4's and 5's and they are very pretty. We're in the early stages of the voicing process and it looks like a realistic time table will be Sept/Oct.
At this point, it looks like the big tower will come in at $2,000 and the small tower will be around $1500. But don't hold me to it just yet.
Here's some rough shots in case you wanted to see the general idea.
Best wishes,
David Solomon

The look of your towers remind me a lot of Aerial Acoustics' offerings... no surprise there... :D

Is your rosewood more of a brownish rosewood like a typical furniture walnut veneer (think Monitor Audio)? Or is it more of a reddish rosewood like AV123's Rockets?

Also, a little bit of curve to the low end of the grill might flow better with the curved nature of the enclosure. The squarish bottoms of the grills look awkward, IMO.

Check your receiver to see if it can disable this feature. My Denon AVR-887 allows me to disable DRC when I have my center off (it's tweeter is out of commission, waiting on a replacement).

Thanks for the tip Lindahl. I will check to see if I can.

Dave,
they look raked back(?) is this a cabinet design, because of spike adjustment, or is it just an optical illusion?



each or pair?
Just a little raked back... Those were pair prices.
David

The look of your towers remind me a lot of Aerial Acoustics' offerings... no surprise there... :D

Is your rosewood more of a brownish rosewood like a typical furniture walnut veneer (think Monitor Audio)? Or is it more of a reddish rosewood like AV123's Rockets?

Also, a little bit of curve to the low end of the grill might flow better with the curved nature of the enclosure. The squarish bottoms of the grills look awkward, IMO.
Actually, if you see the speakers in person, they don't look at all like the aerial's.
The Rosewood is more on the brown side.
I'll have more pictures soon so you get a better idea.
Best wishes,
David

Those were pair prices.
David

Are you sure you guys are making money at that price? Just kidding. Great job as always. Did you ever receive the emotive amp?

Did you ever receive the emotive amp?
Never heard back or received amp. Talked to them twice w/ positive feelings, however, they don't seem to want to part w/ one for audition and I need another amp like I need more leaves on my trees.
Can't believe no one had bought one as cheap as they are.
On paper, it still looks great for 5 bones.
Best wishes,
David

Are there any Design 4 or 5 owners in the Los Angeles area? I would love to hear them.

Are there any Design 4 or 5 owners in the Los Angeles area? I would love to hear them.
The Sound Factor in Encino, Pasadina and Santa Monica as well as the Pioneer Store in Costa Mesa and Upscale in Upland all have them for audition.

I've been to Sound Factor in Santa Monica--good folks who will let me bring in other speakers too. At the time they didn't have the Design 5. I'm sure I'll head there soon. Of course the Pioneer Store would have other speakers I would like to hear too.

I'm not in the market, but I have wanted to hear your speakers for a while.

[QUOTE=Iostream]Heard them with the 6500 eh? What were your impressions? I thought I was pretty well set on the Musical Fidelity A5, was ready to pull the trigger but now I am having second thoughts, should I try for the Krell KAV400Xi or perhaps a McIntosh integrated (6500 or 6900)?

Sorry for late response) Impressions: WOW! Awesome! Couldn't believe the sound of these speakers. I had been auditioning NAD M3 and Mac 6500 on some Sonus Fabers (looking for replacement for existing Acurus DIA 100 powering my B&W 803's). The NAD sounded very nice, and I really wanted to be impressed by it (good size, good power, tone controls, tilt control, A/B speaker switching, remote control, great reviews, etc). Then we switched to Mac, and it was, to me, much better. Everything sounded lusher, better definition, other instruments that were recessed with NAD were right up there, very very impressive. Only possible flaw was possible loose bottom (no pun intended, lol), but need to listen some more. While there, I mentioned I need small spkrs for bedroom, and how dissatisfied with what I had heard (especially Gallo aDivaTi, which, at least by reviews, should have been no brainer). So he mentions ERA, hooks up D4 to big Mac, and I am just blown away. Have to say they just sounded great. Now of course, in fairness to Gallo, Paradigm, Mirage (nanosat is pretty good), Monitor, etc, I only heard these through middle of road av rcvrs, and I wonder if they too (especially the Gallos) would sound markedly better via something like the big mac, but can't imagine any better, if even close to D4. Having said this, I will be going back to continue auditions, and will be trying the Krell 400, so maybe I will ask to hear the D4 for you and report back. I really really want the mac, but I just can't fit it in shelf I have now (BUMMER!). Question though, why would you want to spend so much($2500-$4000) on integrated for relatively inexpensive speakers? Would think they would sound great with $1000 amplification.

You really need an education. Purchase a center channel, not an amplifier!

You need to use a center channel for HT use. Otherwise, DD DRC is turned on whether you want it to be ON or OFF.

This has been discussed elsewhere on this AVS site, so do a search about the issue!

That is pretty interesting reading. I do have a question though, what exactly does DRC mean?

That is pretty interesting reading. I do have a question though, what exactly does DRC mean?


Dynamic Range Control. Sometimes called Dynamic Range Compression. It is used only for Dolby Digital formats. It is not used for DTS, PL-2 or anyhting else.


http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_7_2/feature-article-dialog-normalization-6-2000.html

Hi Jeff,
If you listen at low to mid levels, the Rotel will sound fine. As fine as the 6500? no, but still musical w/in the limits of the amp. The NAD's mentioned would be a little weak.
We voiced the speakers with the MF-A5. I should mention that we import Musical Fidelity, but it is a great combination.
Best wishes,
David


Thanks David. Not to be a suck-up here, but I've got to tell you that to my ears you have a real winner in the D4. I've been trying to find a small spkr for my bedroom (within WAF), and nothing this small has really sounded all that good, until I heard the D4's, which absolutely shocked me with their sound. My only concern, as I posted earlier, is that I listened to them via a Mac 6500, and there is no way I'm spending thousands on amplification for a small bedroom system. I have got to listen to them on mid-fi stuff (as I did with the Gallo DivaTi, Mirage, Polk, Paradigm, etc, that just didn't float my boat, even with subs). I also have severe space restrictions in bedroom TV rack where electronics will go, so I have a lot of complications (hence the NAD L53/L73 rcvr/dvd/cd combo idea). I've even toyed with idea of Panasonic digital receiver (xr55, 57), as its powerful (100wts), small, affordable (for the bedroom), runs cool, gives me A/B spkr switching, and is either the second coming of amplification or resolute crap, depending on whose review you read, lol. While I'm at it, two questions: 1) what do YOU think of the panny? 2) as an expert, do you think outboard spkr switchers materially degrade sound quality when ONLY ONE of the spkr sets are in use (not when signal is split among several sets)? Would love your opinions here...thanks again...Jeff

Question though, why would you want to spend so much($2500-$4000) on integrated for relatively inexpensive speakers? Would think they would sound great with $1000 amplification.

Well, this is an "office setup" Where I spend all of my work day, etc. It is kind of my only refuge in the house where I can listen to music uninterrupted. I have a Nautilus 804 HT setup downstairs and used to use that for 2 channel, but now with 2 kids and the fact that I spend 8-12 hours per day in my office, it was time to set up a more serious 2 channel setup there. I have listened to over 19,500 songs up there in the last 18 months logged to last.fm, and that is only my Squeezebox, not CDs. While my logical first choice was B&W 805s, I have some size constraints... The Design 4 fits the bill size wise, and sounds better to me than anything else I have heard which would also fit (Vienna Waltz, B&W XT2, etc.).
So, with that background out of the way... I really like the Design 4, they are a great speaker and fit the size constraints. There is no reason they shouldn't sound their best. While they sound very good with lesser amps, they really opened up with the Musical Fidelity A5. Though it seems odd to me that the speakers are such a small percentage of the system budget, it seems money well spent.
I have seen several reviews start by mentioning that era is trying to make speakers fit lifestyle constraints without sacrificing too much like most others do. I am glad someone is...

Can't blame you there. I must admit I was astonished at how good the D4s sounded with the big mac. So go for it!! One caution though, the mac 6500 is enormous, and I can't fit it into my main system, so if you have size constraints, the current excellent crop of integrateds are much smaller and isurely in same league as the mac. I've done a lot of research on integrateds, list includes : Krell 400, Unison Unico, Creek Destiny, Plinius 9200, Jeff Rowland Concerto, Ayre 7xe, Simaudio 5.3 and 7, Coda/Continuum Unison, Bryston B100, Mimetism 15.2, Classe Cap2100, Bel Canto, etc.

As far as the D4, I guess I'm having a hard time acdcepting that they can and should sound better with expensive amps, mostly because I want to convince myself I don't need to spend that much. This started out as a cheap bedroom two channel system (even HTIB), but just couldnt acxcept the lousy sound quality. By coincidence, I've got B&W 803Matrix in main setup (where I'm looking for new integrated) and B&W CDM9NT in HT setup. Can't get the 9NT's to sound as good as I'd like for music, so I'm considering going to 804N or S or 803N or S. 804s are really nice, but must admit I like that little extra bottom and depth in the 803. Also about to install Sonos system in all 3 rooms (like your squeezebox), so this is getting rather costly. Question about your squeezebox: do you use DAC to improve sound quality? I'm thinking I need DAC (ie, Channel Island or Benchmark) for each system (unless I can access the AV rcvr DAC).

I am not using a DAC yet, but as part of this update I am going to add one. Benchmark is a possibility, but I really like the look of the Musical Fidelity X-DAC V8. It is only a couple hundred more than the benchmark with the USB option, and you can choose tube or SS on the MF. Of course benchmark has a better USB DAC (24bit 96kHz).
As for the Design 4, sure they sound better with better amps. Basically they are not very efficient speakers. Interestingly you can get good performance from separates cheaper because finding an integrated that pushes 200W+ is not as simple. People have been very happy with the Rotel RB-1080 for instance... New you can buy an RB-1080 + RC-1070 for $1500. Parasound New Classic series is similarlty priced for 250W (the pre isnt shipping yet though). All that said, I wouldn't be going for this level of amplification if this weren't going to be my primary listening system. For a bedroom or such I would probably look into something smaller 120-150W (high current). Much easier to find for under $1500.