Bought a nice pair of Era D4 on ebay for around 530 - 30% cashback. Woohoo. Thanks you guys.

Does anyone know what size spades the D5 take?
I am looking at 2 different types and I dont know which one will work best

-Spades: SS9 will fit from 1/4" to 5/16" (9mm) binding posts
-Spades: HDS5 will fit 1/2" barrier strips and 1/4" binding posts

any ideas?

After running my D5's on a lower-grade Sony receiver, it's time to upgrade to higher end amplification. I run a 2.1 setup (D5 on stands, Sub8) for theater, TV, and (mostly) music.

As I only need 2 (perhaps 3) channels of amplification, I've decided on a separate pre-pro and amp so I can take advantage of higher end DAC without dumping money into unused amplification.

I've had my eye on the Emotiva XPA-2, but it's rated at 250wpc @8ohm. Is there generally any concern about pushing that much power into the D5?

After running my D5's on a lower-grade Sony receiver, it's time to upgrade to higher end amplification. I run a 2.1 setup (D5 on stands, Sub8) for theater, TV, and (mostly) music.

As I only need 2 (perhaps 3) channels of amplification, I've decided on a separate pre-pro and amp so I can take advantage of higher end DAC without dumping money into unused amplification.

I've had my eye on the Emotiva XPA-2, but it's rated at 250wpc @8ohm. Is there generally any concern about pushing that much power into the D5?

While I have never heard the Emotiva amps, there is no reason for concern running the D5s off of a 250W amp. I run my D4s on a 250W Musical Fidelity A5. It really is a beautiful combination.

While I have never heard the Emotiva amps, there is no reason for concern running the D5s off of a 250W amp. I run my D4s on a 250W Musical Fidelity A5. It really is a beautiful combination.

Good to know -- I'm also considering the A5.5, as I find the integrated DAC an interesting feature alongside our HTPC / DVR (Vista based).

Out of curiosity, what pre-pro are you running with the A5.5?

-R

Good to know -- I'm also considering the A5.5, as I find the integrated DAC an interesting feature alongside our HTPC / DVR (Vista based).

Out of curiosity, what pre-pro are you running with the A5.5?

-R

I am running the A5 integrated amp, so the pre is built in. I feed it with the Musical Fidelity X-DACv8 though. My main source is the Squeezebox. I really have no complaints with this setup.

Once I got the D5LCR I started running it full-range as well - still with the sub. Bass-tastic, I know, but I like it :)[/QUOTE]

Basstastic!?! LOL
I'm stealing this...
:D

Just bought the D5's (beautiful sycamore) and have them on J-29 black Paradigm premier stands (filled). They're paired with a Cambridge Audio 640A integrated and a 640C cd player. Fantastic combo!

Sounds great FerCruz, let us know what you think when you get going some more.

So which Aerial Acoustics speaker would the D5 and D5 LCR be best related to?

So which Aerial Acoustics speaker would the D5 and D5 LCR be best related to?

The Aerial 5B monitor.

I've read through a lot of this thread and am very excited to be auditioning some ERA bookshelves soon and I wanted some ERA lovers' opinions. I love the looks of the ERA speakers and I've heard some great things about them.

First, my setup. Onkyo SR805 (on order), MFW-15 Sub (arrived recently).

Here's a pic.
http://tpellowe.com/avsforum/current.jpg

Questions:

1) Should I get D4's or D5's? Crossed over to MFW-15 at somewhere around 80hz. I'd LOVE to get away with the smaller size of the D4's if I won't notice a difference.
2) Should I get an LCR for the center or the same as my fronts?
3) Where can I find a good price or buy online? (may have to pm me for that one.)

Thanks so much for your help!

Todd

Questions:

1) Should I get D4's or D5's? Crossed over to MFW-15 at somewhere around 80hz. I'd LOVE to get away with the smaller size of the D4's if I won't notice a difference.
2) Should I get an LCR for the center or the same as my fronts?
3) Where can I find a good price or buy online? (may have to pm me for that one.)


1) Your room doesn't look too large, so D4's should work fine. (I have D5's but I think my room is larger than what your photo shows.)

2) Two D4's and a D4LCR across the front should sound great!

3) I don't know if there are any Era dealers that sell online, but if you are not close to an Era dealer, you may find one that could work out shipping them to you.

the room is only 13.15x12.5x8.

thanks for your input!

1) Should I get D4's or D5's? Crossed over to MFW-15 at somewhere around 80hz. I'd LOVE to get away with the smaller size of the D4's if I won't notice a difference.
2) Should I get an LCR for the center or the same as my fronts?
3) Where can I find a good price or buy online? (may have to pm me for that one.)

Thanks so much for your help!

Todd

Hi Todd,
Nice set up! You could almost go either way. If the D5's had too much bass, you could cut them off at 60-70Hz. If you're listening to HT on the D4's you would probably have to do this anyway. At least w/ the D5, you don't lose out on dynamic range and there's a chance you could even run them full range (my preference).
I also like the same series center although they both have the era family sound, so you could mix the D4 center w/ the D5, just be sure to cut off the D4 @ 60-80Hz...
We don't have internet dealers, but if you let me know where you are, we can get a good dealer to ship them to you that has a 30 day in-home trial.
As always, please let me know if I can be of further service. You can call or write.
Best wishes,
David Solomon
770-649-9544


The D5 will be more dynamic and would probably be my first choice.

Thanks David. I'll be in touch.

Hi all,
I have been comparing speakers for a few weeks now and from those I have spent time listening to (Era, PSB, Vandersteen, B&W, Paradigm, Focal) I am really impressed with the D14. I live in an apartment at the moment, although I am on the bottom floor (slab) and it is a recent and well-built unit with little sound transmission to above floor (see details below). I have plenty of room for them in terms of space from the wall. the rear of the speaker would be about 22" away.

So, my question is this... if I were to go with the the D14s and the bass turns out to be a bit much for good neighborly relations, what would the effect of using a bit of foam or similar acoustic treatment in the slot? I know that in a typical ported design this would have very little impact to anything above about 100Hz. However, I am certainly not an acoustic engineer. Is there something in the design of the D14 itself or a "slotted" approach in general that would make this a particularly bad idea? Also, as FYI I am planning to buy a house within the next year so this is a temporary situation.

Side note on current living conditions...
I recently had the opportunity to determine the level at which I can listen in my apartment and not have any impact on the folks above. About a month ago they were renovating that unit so I turned on the stereo and went upstairs. Using a Radio Shack spl meter I determined that average levels of 80dB or slightly more are competlely inaudible in the unit above. Only when the average reached over 85dB with a strong bass track could I hear anything at all upstairs, just a tiny hint of bass transmission. My current speakers are B&W 685 monitors which are rated at 49Hz. So, I think the D14 will probably be ok as I rarely listen at anything above 75-80dB average. But, from my experience with the D14s the bass can be quite impressive :)

Thanks, and sorry for the long post. I just wanted to set the context of the question.

Hi all,
So, my question is this... if I were to go with the the D14s and the bass turns out to be a bit much for good neighborly relations, what would the effect of using a bit of foam or similar acoustic treatment in the slot? .
This will basically make the bass more like the D10... The more of the slot you stuff, the less bass output you get. It's actually a good way to tune the bass to your room if the D14's have a bit too much bass output.
Happy holidays,
David

Thanks for the response David, and Happy Holidays to you too!

Hi,
I've had a pair of D10s with a D4LCR and D4 Satellites since the end of August 2008. I don't have a sub and run everything full range. Since I live in a bottom floor apartment with poor sound insulation I really couldn't run a sub guilt free.
I'm running a Denon 2807 AVR which has a decent amount of power ( 110 watts per channel ), but isn't obviously the best possible match.

I'm pretty happy with the setup, but spend a fair amount of time listening to music ( probably about half of the time ), and there are times where I wish the bass were a little fuller and more detailed. My room is 12 ' 11" wide x 13' 11" long x 10' 11" high and I have the fronts projecting along the width. When listening in 2 channel mode I turn of any equalization and run the Denon in direct mode.

I'm considering upgrading to the D14s since this would be a better match for the rest of my speakers and would potentially improve my 2 channel listening experience.

I'm wondering if anyone has had much experience between the D10s and D14s and whether it would be worth the trouble or if the difference would be too subtle to really justify? Also I noticed there is a bit of foam in the front ports ( I had to realign one of the rings because it got shifted durinig shipping to my audio store ), would removing the foam ring increase the bass output slightly without degrading the sound quality?

Thanks,

Ben

Hi,

I'm considering upgrading to the D14s since this would be a better match for the rest of my speakers and would potentially improve my 2 channel listening experience.

I'm wondering if anyone has had much experience between the D10s and D14s and whether it would be worth the trouble or if the difference would be too subtle to really justify? Also I noticed there is a bit of foam in the front ports ( I had to realign one of the rings because it got shifted durinig shipping to my audio store ), would removing the foam ring increase the bass output slightly without degrading the sound quality?

Thanks,

Ben

Hi Ben,
To give a little history, the D10's were designed against a sheetrock wall w/ 16" stud centers. They can be a little bass shy but this is how we designed them... So many times, I've listened to 2 channel and HT where people have the speaker as close to the wall as possible and the bass is so over bloated you can't even listen. So when we voiced the D10, it was specifically done this way for this type of environment.
The D14's on the other hand, were voiced to have lots of bass output for those who can pull them from the wall and or for rooms that don't reproduce bass very well.
Having said this, there are rooms that naturally make more bass than others. And some rooms make little bass, sometimes even with a subwoofer.
By the way, removing the foam around the port won't increase the bass output. This is to displace the air flow from the port.

Hope this helps,
David Solomon

A question for the D5 owners. I will be adding a sub to my system to add more bass (D5's and Cambridge integrated and cd player). I wan't to run the D5's full range. What setting would you recommend for the sub? The D5's go down to 50hz, Should I cut the sub at that? 60hz maybe?

Thanks!

A question for the D5 owners. I will be adding a sub to my system to add more bass (D5's and Cambridge integrated and cd player). I wan't to run the D5's full range. What setting would you recommend for the sub? The D5's go down to 50hz, Should I cut the sub at that? 60hz maybe?

I have the D5's and D5LCR across the front and run them full range. I think I have my sub cut at 60hz or 80hz (can't remember which), but I am happy with the sound in my room. Sound is very subjective, so try various settings with various music (and or movies) and see which you prefer. There right answer is the one that is right for you.

Thanks!

I got a Velodyne Impact-10 and the XO is at 50hz (the SW's lowest setting). Great results, I was missing information, specially with orchestras and rock.

Am looking to purchase ERA D5 but not sure where to look, pls help.

Thx

Am looking to purchase ERA D5 but not sure where to look, pls help.

Thx

Go to the Era website. They have a search to find your closest dealer. It is well worth it. I really like these speakers.

Go to the Era website. They have a search to find your closest dealer. It is well worth it. I really like these speakers.



I have googled it but can't locate their webpage

Here you go.

http://signalpathint.com/index.php/component/option,com_locator/Itemid,43/

Greetings David,
I'm on the market to buy new speakers. I'm very impressed with the D14 that I came across at a dealer. They didn't have the D10. Other than the bass, can you describe any other differences?

Would you be able to make a recommendation based on my room setting. I have a 17ft x 15ft room. The speaker are to place along the wide length of the room at the corners. I'll have the speakers approx 4 inch from the back of the speaker and about 6 inches from the side. They will be toed in toward the sofa at the centered about 10 ft from the speakers. Would you recommend the D10 or D14 with this set up?

Will the D10 provide better bass due to the goal of the original design? Is there other sonic compromises that might impact either of these? I'm also assuming that the D14 can be tuned via the rear port if it sounds too boomy being that close to the wall.

Appreciate any advice you can provide.
-Best Regards!


Hi Ben,
To give a little history, the D10's were designed against a sheetrock wall w/ 16" stud centers. They can be a little bass shy but this is how we designed them... So many times, I've listened to 2 channel and HT where people have the speaker as close to the wall as possible and the bass is so over bloated you can't even listen. So when we voiced the D10, it was specifically done this way for this type of environment.
The D14's on the other hand, were voiced to have lots of bass output for those who can pull them from the wall and or for rooms that don't reproduce bass very well.
Having said this, there are rooms that naturally make more bass than others. And some rooms make little bass, sometimes even with a subwoofer.
By the way, removing the foam around the port won't increase the bass output. This is to displace the air flow from the port.

Hope this helps,
David Solomon

Greetings David,
I'm on the market to buy new speakers. I'm very impressed with the D14 that I came across at a dealer. They didn't have the D10. Other than the bass, can you describe any other differences?

Would you be able to make a recommendation based on my room setting. I have a 17ft x 15ft room. The speaker are to place along the wide length of the room at the corners. I'll have the speakers approx 4 inch from the back of the speaker and about 6 inches from the side. They will be toed in toward the sofa at the centered about 10 ft from the speakers. Would you recommend the D10 or D14 with this set up?

Will the D10 provide better bass due to the goal of the original design? Is there other sonic compromises that might impact either of these? I'm also assuming that the D14 can be tuned via the rear port if it sounds too boomy being that close to the wall.

Appreciate any advice you can provide.
-Best Regards!

The sound is still the era family sound provided they go close to the wall. Otherwise, they can be a bit thin w/o a sub.
Based on eveything in your post, you're a D10 man if I've ever seen one. This is the perfect application.
Hope this helps,
David

Hi,
I don't have a dynaudio dealer anywhere near me. I've read good things about both. Can you give more detailed thoughts comparing the 220s and D14 both sonically and their construction (fit and finish wise)? I appreciate your help since you have both. At the end of the day, which would you take home for 90% music listening (jazz, soul, blues, acoustics)?

Thank you

PS Have you had a chance to listen to Focus 220 II? If so, how are these?

I tell you what, these D14's are really impressing me and our customers. So much so I have elevated these in stature into our Dynaudio room and they now reside beside the Dynaudio Focus 220's. The Dyn is a bigger animal, but as an alternative, the D14's are very ear pleasing.

I'm quite taken back by the bass of these little guys too......Yes, I said little, they are not as large as you might think. You really need to see in person.

The finish is absolutely amazing for a speaker that costs so little.

Greetings,
I'm getting ready to set up my 5.1 surround sound system. In the front I will be using the ERA Design 4 Satellite speakers with the Design 4 LCR center speaker. In the rear I will be using ERA Design 4 Satellite speakers and the ERA 8 Subwoofer. I will be driving these with an Arcam AVR 350 Receiver. What is a premium in-wall speaker wire you would all suggest ? I've looked at the Liberty 12-1P-UC THX Ultracap 12-2 In-wall Speaker cable and the Belden 1311A 12/2 Oxygen free high conductance CL3 rated what speaker wire are some of you using the more research I do the more confused I'm getting. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

I will have three Ascend Sierras in front an F12 Rhythmic/Ascend sub and I’m on the fence with ERA D4 for surrounds in 5.1. Can anyone comment on the combo and if they might match well. WAF states size matters for the surrounds and in my research the D4 seams like the best sound- size- build- product out there. The only other speaker I’m looking at is the Aperion 4b. The htm 200 from ascend might be too big. If anyone has other options I’ll look into those as well. Thanks Vandy

Hi,
I don't have a dynaudio dealer anywhere near me. I've read good things about both. Can you give more detailed thoughts comparing the 220s and D14 both sonically and their construction (fit and finish wise)? I appreciate your help since you have both. At the end of the day, which would you take home for 90% music listening (jazz, soul, blues, acoustics)?

Thank you

PS Have you had a chance to listen to Focus 220 II? If so, how are these?


Two very good speakers you are looking at there. Since you are responding to my previous comments about the D14, I'm happy to respond again.

The D14's are very nice speakers indeed. How do they sound compared to the Focus 220? Only you can make the final decision, however, I'm an honest guy and you've asked my opinion. First, let's talk fit and finish of both.....One word SUPERB on both of these. Second to none actually! When it comes to sound, the D14 has it's place in this world for sure, however, so does Dynaudio. Pound-for-pound I feel nothing on the planet compares to Dynaudio's brilliance. They obviously are my favorite speaker brand out there. The Focus 220 is the better speaker, it has deeper and tighter bass and is smoother on the top end. This speaker costs $1K more, though. Do keep that in mind. The D14 is still a fine speaker and I really like it. It's certainly no slouch and can hang with and better a lot speakers in it's price range and many above it too.

There, that was a somewhat safe comparison. As a dealer I'm not one to knock what I sell. As I do sell these speakers for a reason. If they sucked they wouldn't be in my showroom. ;)

Have you looked into Transparent in-wall speaker wires? They have some very inexpensive options. It also gives you the option of adding a custom network onto the cable in the future as long as know the length of your run.

Greetings,
I'm getting ready to set up my 5.1 surround sound system. In the front I will be using the ERA Design 4 Satellite speakers with the Design 4 LCR center speaker. In the rear I will be using ERA Design 4 Satellite speakers and the ERA 8 Subwoofer. I will be driving these with an Arcam AVR 350 Receiver. What is a premium in-wall speaker wire you would all suggest ? I've looked at the Liberty 12-1P-UC THX Ultracap 12-2 In-wall Speaker cable and the Belden 1311A 12/2 Oxygen free high conductance CL3 rated what speaker wire are some of you using the more research I do the more confused I'm getting. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

I just bought a pair of D4's and a D4 LCR on Audiogon. In prep for the D4's I bought a pair of Sanus Basic Foundations, but am trying to figure out the Right Thing(tm) for the LCR's. I have a 58" plasma mounted on the wall (a bit on the high side, but not fireplace height), and I figure a 28" stand is a good fit for the center. Sanus only seems to make 18" stands for centers.

A quick Google turns up the Wood Technology CC-28's as a possible option (sorry, the forum won't let me post links yet), which seems like it would blend in fairly well with the Sanus stands.

What has me puzzled is how to handle the curved nature of the speaker when put on its side. I have the rubber mat and all, but it still seems weird to me. Any other stand options for the D4 LCR's that folks recommend?

The other option I suppose is wall mounting, and while I've seen the postings here on AVS that say the D4 is designed to sound good in that configuration, I'm pretty old-school conservative on wall mounting. I.e., speakers sound best when stand-mounted. Am I worried too much about that?

I have a D5 LCR and it came with a couple of rubber wedges that actually slide under the back of the speaker to support it. They are kind of nice in that you can adjust the angle of the speaker pretty easily. I would imagine that the D4 would come with something similar or it would at least be available.

I have a D5 LCR and it came with a couple of rubber wedges that actually slide under the back of the speaker to support it. They are kind of nice in that you can adjust the angle of the speaker pretty easily. I would imagine that the D4 would come with something similar or it would at least be available.

The D4 LCR I purchased from Audio Visionaries in Colorado Springs, also came with wedges.

I've got the D4 mains and D4 LCR installed now. Wow. Neutral, detailed, seamless and precise soundstage. All the things I look for in speakers, and very nicely finished to boot.

So nice in fact, that I'm considering moving them upstairs to the living room, where looks have historically been a higher priority. Right now there's a Denon 2.1 all-in-one DVD player/receiver driving the crappy pair of speakers that were included. Assuming the Denon can handle the D4's, it would be really nice to have better sound up there. As it is now, I find myself turning up the volume louder than I would normally do, just to make dialog intelligible.

So I'm considering perhaps getting a pair of D5's for the basement home theater:

Driven by an NAD T763 receiver
Center would still be a D4 LCR
The backs of the D4's are currently 6" from the wall (and sound great). Optimal position of the D5's (visually) would be about 4" off the wall. Is that going to cause tonal balance issues?
Is the extra bass extension going to be noticable? I have an Audio Concepts Force XL sub driving the bottom end now.
The room isn't terribly large: 12x16 with a 7' drop ceiling. Seating is about 8' from the front of the speakers.

Any thoughts? Am I just as well off by getting a second pair of D4's?

Any thoughts? Am I just as well off by getting a second pair of D4's?

I prefer and direct folks towards the D5 where applicable. They provide a tad fuller sound and a bit larger soundstage overall. For HT a subwoofer is still very much needed with either, though. The ACI sub will work just fine with either of these.

Right now there's a Denon 2.1 all-in-one DVD player/receiver driving the crappy pair of speakers that were included. Assuming the Denon can handle the D4's, it would be really nice to have better sound up there. As it is now, I find myself turning up the volume louder than I would normally do, just to make dialog intelligible.

You will be upgrading the Denon all-in-one as it will not drive the D4's appropriately. You would be amazed what additional current can do for these speakers.

I prefer and direct folks towards the D5 where applicable. They provide a tad fuller sound and a bit larger soundstage overall. For HT a subwoofer is still very much needed with either, though. The ACI sub will work just fine with either of these.

Yes, wouldn't even consider a HT without a sub.

I guess my biggest concern is how the D5's are going sound with only 4" of clearance off the back wall. They will be on stands, with generous clearance from the side walls, with the plasma being the only other component nearby.

I guess my biggest concern is how the D5's are going sound with only 4" of clearance off the back wall. They will be on stands, with generous clearance from the side walls, with the plasma being the only other component nearby.

Hard to tell until you have them set up in that fashion. I'm not as concerned with the back walls as I would be the side walls, which it sounds like you have plenty of clearance.

Got an offer accepted on Audiogon, should come in a week or two. Same guy from whom I bought the D4 center, which is in immaculate shape.

Watched Spider Man 3 last night with my wife. The SM franchise has held up pretty well I gotta say---SM3 wears repeated viewings well, and my wife (not a huge action move fan) enjoyed it very much.

One thing I noticed with the three Era's in front was how seamless the soundstage has become. Not only up in front, but the surrounds (a four-year old pair of Cambridge Soundworks dipoles) tie in much better than before.

The scene where the Sandman is born in the pit was simply amazing---the swirling blades did a perfect 360 around the room. I watched SM3 a couple of weeks ago, before the Era's were in place, and that scene did not jump out like that originally.

Can't wait to try the D5's.

David S., PMs sent.

Can't wait to try the D5's.

I've had the D5's on the air for about a week now. All the good things about the D4 are there---neutral, detailed, seamless soundstage---and a few noticeable improvements. Bottom-end extension is audibly better. Overall more "punch" and presence. They handled The Incredibles effortlessly.

Definitely worth obtaining, especially since I can use the D4's elsewhere in the house.

Still can't get over how much better it makes my mid-fi Cambridge Soundworks surrounds sound. I was anticipating that upgrading the fronts was going to all but force me to revamp the rears. But no pressing need at this point---this is the first time I've had my surround system really gel into a cohesive stage, and I'm enjoying the ride.

I've had the D5's on the air for about a week now.

The update is that the D5's keep getting better. I've streamed a couple of music-heavy Netflix movies (Across the Universe, That Thing You Do), which are stereo only, and the D5 handled the low-end beautifully. I had to remind myself occasionally that the sub was not in the mix---the bottom had plenty of presence.

I've moved the D4's upstairs to the Denon S101 all-in-one. Could be a better situation, but the Denon seems to have enough juice to drive the D4's. Only real limitation right now is that the Denon seems to be EQ'd for the speakers they supply, so I had to boost Treble to +10dB in order to get the mids under control. Not perfect by any means, but the D4's are wayyyy more detailed than the Denon speakers, so my goal of being able to get intelligible dialog without cranking the volume has been achieved.

I am so glad I ran into this line of speakers.

I know this has been brought up many times in this thread, including many questions from me about crossover settings.

I have D5 mains, D5LCR center and D4 surrounds. If you spend enough time on this forum, you get it beat into your head to cross over monitors at 80hz, and even cross over most floorstanding speakers at 80hz or maybe 50-60hz. I am sure David Soloman is sick of trying to convince us of this, but I have thrown convention to the wind, and have been running my D5s as large. I do have the option on my receiver of running the mains as large with the sub set to plus (which sends everything to the mains, but sends the same info to the sub below whatever you set the crossover at). I set it to that and cross over the sub in the receiver at 50hz.

I was shocked what I found out once I really critically listened. With the sub crossed over at 80hz, I did get more bass, but with the D5s set to large and the crossover set much lower, I got punchier bass, maybe slam is the right word. I also found that when I switched back and forth, some of the guitars were obscured by the bass with the 80hz setting, but sounded more "right" with the large setting. Nothing overwhelmed anything else. I would love for others to throw conventional wisdom out the window and give this a try and report back.

I'm happy to say I have a pair of Era D4's arriving soon for my bedroom / home office. Would an NAD C355bee or C352 do enough justice? It's in my bedroom, so I don't need to rock the joint

I was shocked what I found out once I really critically listened. With the sub crossed over at 80hz, I did get more bass, but with the D5s set to large and the crossover set much lower, I got punchier bass, maybe slam is the right word. I also found that when I switched back and forth, some of the guitars were obscured by the bass with the 80hz setting, but sounded more "right" with the large setting. Nothing overwhelmed anything else. I would love for others to throw conventional wisdom out the window and give this a try and report back.

Well, my unscientific sample is that I didn't have the same luck you did. When I first got the D5's I set the decoder in my Samsung 2500 Blu-Ray player such that the mains were "Large". I then proceeded to play "The Incredibles", and it didn't take too many explosions to regret that tweak. Definitely sounded like the D5's excursion was being overtaxed on the peaks, with a nasty, raucous distortion/clipping.

I put them back to "Small" and all was right with the world again.

I could imagine that for most material, the D5's are more than up to the task of taking a full-range signal. But they didn't handle the really loud stuff gracefully. I have no clue what the Samsung mapping of crossover frequencies to speaker sizes are, and wish that I had more fine-grained control. But it is what it is, and the "Small" setting works well enough for my purposes at the moment.

Well, my unscientific sample is that I didn't have the same luck you did. When I first got the D5's I set the decoder in my Samsung 2500 Blu-Ray player such that the mains were "Large". I then proceeded to play "The Incredibles", and it didn't take too many explosions to regret that tweak. Definitely sounded like the D5's excursion was being overtaxed on the peaks, with a nasty, raucous distortion/clipping.

I put them back to "Small" and all was right with the world again.

I could imagine that for most material, the D5's are more than up to the task of taking a full-range signal. But they didn't handle the really loud stuff gracefully. I have no clue what the Samsung mapping of crossover frequencies to speaker sizes are, and wish that I had more fine-grained control. But it is what it is, and the "Small" setting works well enough for my purposes at the moment.

That problem could just be lack of control from the receiver/ amp you're running. What are your using to power them?

That problem could just be lack of control from the receiver/ amp you're running. What are your using to power them?

NAD T762. Theoretically possible that the NAD ran out of gas, but seems unlikely. I'm familiar with amp clipping, and this did not sound like that. And while the NAD is not high-end, it's a pretty competent amp and this is the first time I've run into any problems.

The Era's have been preceded by a fair number of other speakers of various sizes connected to the NAD, and this is the first time I've had anything like this happen.

Well, my unscientific sample is that I didn't have the same luck you did. When I first got the D5's I set the decoder in my Samsung 2500 Blu-Ray player such that the mains were "Large". I then proceeded to play "The Incredibles", and it didn't take too many explosions to regret that tweak. Definitely sounded like the D5's excursion was being overtaxed on the peaks, with a nasty, raucous distortion/clipping.

I put them back to "Small" and all was right with the world again.

I could imagine that for most material, the D5's are more than up to the task of taking a full-range signal. But they didn't handle the really loud stuff gracefully. I have no clue what the Samsung mapping of crossover frequencies to speaker sizes are, and wish that I had more fine-grained control. But it is what it is, and the "Small" setting works well enough for my purposes at the moment.

Hi David,
Bass sucks most of the power from your amp and is the hardest task for the amp. Since the D5 is only about 86dB, you do need to have a pretty high-current amp or the D5 can bottom out on the "Large" setting. When you switch to the small setting and the amp isn't driving bass, it's more efficient/less taxes and can drive mid-bass to high-end better w/o bottoming out the woofer.

It's usually not the speaker, but the amp if this happens.

This is easily proven by trying a bigger/better/ more high-current receiver.
They usually run $1200-$3000. Another less expensive alternative is to get a good two channel amp and run it from your L/R pre outs. Between 100-200 wpc. A lot of retailers have a loaner program so customers can prove this to themselves.

On a side, many receivers are rated @100wpc, but have low current. Those would be the receivers that are typically $300-$700... Most of those have small power supplies and storage caps, so dynamic content often drains the unit of reserve power resulting in your description.
Hope this helps,
David

NAD T762. Theoretically possible that the NAD ran out of gas, but seems unlikely. I'm familiar with amp clipping, and this did not sound like that. And while the NAD is not high-end, it's a pretty competent amp and this is the first time I've run into any problems.

The Era's have been preceded by a fair number of other speakers of various sizes connected to the NAD, and this is the first time I've had anything like this happen.

Hi David,
This is actually a fine amp...
Still, if you the D5 is bottoming out, you're just using more power than you have onboard...
Sorry for the long email last time, but I often hear this when one is using a $300 receiver and wonders why they they don't sound right.
Best wishes,
David

I had the same issue as davidyon and came up with the same conclusion he did. The D5s are great speakers but they are still 5" drivers and they go too deep to get the kind of volumes with that kind of bass. The T762 is a very powerful amp, one of the most powerful receivers ever made under $2K. It can very easily put a bookshelf, any bookshelf, into bass distortion. A big amp can make it very easy to hear port chuffing with deep bass material as well. I can repeat this with any bookshelf speaker, but the D5 is a bit more susceptible because it does go so deep. I alway recommend using the crossover unless a customer just likes the doubled bass sound.

I had the same issue as davidyon and came up with the same conclusion he did. The D5s are great speakers but they are still 5" drivers and they go too deep to get the kind of volumes with that kind of bass. The T762 is a very powerful amp, one of the most powerful receivers ever made under $2K. It can very easily put a bookshelf, any bookshelf, into bass distortion. A big amp can make it very easy to hear port chuffing with deep bass material as well. I can repeat this with any bookshelf speaker, but the D5 is a bit more susceptible because it does go so deep. I alway recommend using the crossover unless a customer just likes the doubled bass sound.

Hi John,
Thanks for the reply. For many, I'm glad to further define the position of running full or limited bass. I've heard it good and bad both ways.
Other issues come into place in deciding which way to set your system up.
What's my room like?
How loud do I want my system to get?
How loud will the speakers play?

Many rooms either add or subtract bass (and other frequencies) from speakers depending on where they resonate or where standing waves build.
50Hz-120Hz are common problem areas. This can make or break a system. Many articles have been written over the years about how room affect system performance and response.
Some rooms are fairly flat, but this would be an exception.

SPL also has a play in which way you go. As you mention, the D5 is a 5" bass driver and can only take so much volume. You will certainly run into problems if you try to play them louder than they can go, with or without sufficient power.
At 86dB 1w/1m, they will play approx 105dB full range w/o over-driving the system w/100wpc.
Within these parameters, I prefer them full range. Above this spl, it would be better to cut off between 50Hz-80Hz, depending on how loud you listen.
I've also found since the speaker has very low distortion, many just keep turning them up until whatever amp is clipping. NAD has a soft clip circuit that isn't as noticeable as most when in clip mode.
At any rate, I appreciate the clarification as I had not defined the parameters very well, rather my preferences as I like to set them up and listen.
Best wishes,
David

I had the same issue as davidyon and came up with the same conclusion he did. The D5s are great speakers but they are still 5" drivers and they go too deep to get the kind of volumes with that kind of bass. The T762 is a very powerful amp, one of the most powerful receivers ever made under $2K. It can very easily put a bookshelf, any bookshelf, into bass distortion.

Not to beat this into the ground, but I pretty much agree with this take on it. I'd be perfectly happy to accept that the D5 can easily overtax most amps. But given my experience with this NAD, and what amps sound like when their capacity is exceeded, the symptoms I experienced simply do not line up with an overdriven amplifier.

To their credit, the D5's did very well. The Incredibles is one of the more challenging soundtracks I have. And the problem only showed up on the loudest of transients (explosions, jet engines, etc), and not very often at that.

David, I was wondering if I may ask a couple of questions regarding the D5 and D10 speakers?

I am looking at these as my mains for a revamp of my system and was wondering if you think a Denon AVR-4306 receiver would power these sufficiently? I would be using these in an open floor plan house, the listening area is only about 15x20 but the rest of the area adds up to about 4200 cubic feet. I would also be using them with an SVS PB13-Ultra, so I will most likely be crossing them over but I reserve judgment until I get to try both.

After power requirements my other concern is with placement against a back wall. I typically have my speakers about 18" from the back of the speaker to the wall. The speakers run against the long wall so they will be several feet on either side from a side wall. I noticed in another post you spoke of how you designed the D10 to be closer to a wall but that would put my equipment rack directly in between the front baffles and I am hesitant to do that, are the D10's going to be too bass shy with this little amount of room (IE do they HAVE to be right up on the wall)?

Last question, do you think based off of the size of my room that D5's are off of the table?

David, I was wondering if I may ask a couple of questions regarding the D5 and D10 speakers?

I am looking at these as my mains for a revamp of my system and was wondering if you think a Denon AVR-4306 receiver would power these sufficiently? I would be using these in an open floor plan house, the listening area is only about 15x20 but the rest of the area adds up to about 4200 cubic feet. I would also be using them with an SVS PB13-Ultra, so I will most likely be crossing them over but I reserve judgment until I get to try both.

After power requirements my other concern is with placement against a back wall. I typically have my speakers about 18" from the back of the speaker to the wall. The speakers run against the long wall so they will be several feet on either side from a side wall. I noticed in another post you spoke of how you designed the D10 to be closer to a wall but that would put my equipment rack directly in between the front baffles and I am hesitant to do that, are the D10's going to be too bass shy with this little amount of room (IE do they HAVE to be right up on the wall)?

Last question, do you think based off of the size of my room that D5's are off of the table?

Hi Snow,
The 4306 will be fine. Great power supply!
If you didn't have the SVS, they would be a little thin. But given the size of the room and the SVS PB 13, you'll be fine even pulling them out a bit. You'll get good depth of field. Although I LOVE the 5's, the D10 crossover is better.
Hope this helps,
David

Thanks David, very much appreciated. :)

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?

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?


I had the same question. You need to get your own drywall screws. Use two of them to first mount the bracket to the wall. Once it is secure, Use the provided bolt to come up through the bottom of the bracket into bottom of the D4. Don't tighten it all the way, so you have some room to swivel the speaker to where you want it. Once it is in place, tighten the bolt

I had the same question. You need to get your own drywall screws. Use two of them to first mount the bracket to the wall. Once it is secure, Use the provided bolt to come up through the bottom of the bracket into bottom of the D4. Don't tighten it all the way, so you have some room to swivel the speaker to where you want it. Once it is in place, tighten the bolt

You might even consider using a stud finder and mounting the bracket to a wall stud. It is worth it for the extra support. FWIW, the D4 sounds great even wall mounted. The port just doesn't push enough air to cause a problem. I had my mains wall mounted for a bit before my desk was finished and was happy with the sound.

Perfect explanation Redskin and love mounting to a stud as Iostream suggested...

Hi David,

I interested in your D4's (and smaller sub too). I'm definitely not a high volume guy.

Will I be able to drive the D4's adequately with a Marantz SR6003?

Thanks.

Hi David,

I interested in your D4's (and smaller sub too). I'm definitely not a high volume guy.

Will I be able to drive the D4's adequately with a Marantz SR6003?

Thanks.

Hi Zman,
The Marantz should work fine. It has a nice power supply.
David Solomon

Hi David

well, after review after review about speakers like ascend/axiom/rega/linn/eops/av123/ ect....i believe i have decided to go with era...but now, i have to add the d14's to the mix as i can get a real good price on a pair and so your thoughts are needed and wanted :)

whatever i choose will be replacing a set of kef 103/4's...nothing wrong with them, just want something different...the problems are twofold...

1. they are the mains in my stereo and my h/t system...the rest of the system is kef except for the sub which is a hsu...so i am concerned about blending them with the rest of the kef's

2. my listening area is pretty poor...the system is against the only way it could, with an opening at each end of the wall with the mains right next to each opening..in other words..opening>speaker>>system>>speaker>opening..thats why i had to get a sub as there is hardly any bass in the room without a sub on the the opposite way, and this occurred even when i had AR 9's! and since the system is in the middle of the wall the mains need to sit out at least a foot or so, so the sound isnt blocked. the listening position is then about 10 feet away.

so, which speaker would work the best?? :)

thanks for taking time to read this!

I guess this thread might be a more appropriate place for this question.

I have 3 ERA design 4 speakers and 2 design 3 speakers currently. The 3 D4s are up front and the D3s are currently used as surrounds. However, tomorrow I am picking up 2 more D4s. Should I put the new D4s as front presence speakers coming from my Yamaha RX-V663 or should I replace the surround D3s with the D4s and put the D3s up front?

What is more important? Having the front presence speakers match the fronts or having the surrounds match the fronts. Right now the surrounds don’t match the fronts and it sound pretty good. However, I will eventually go to a traditional 7.1 setup one day so I decided to pick up the extra 2 speakers while I could still get them at a great price.

I have a question about D5 placement. My decision about purchasing a pair depends on getting an answer. I don't see any way I can get a pair of D5's to audition at home. I need speakers primarily for front-only stereo for listening to classical (and other) music. I will also use them for front-only home theater speakers. My room is approximately 12x12. My existing speakers are circa-1975 Fried RII's; so I like a good sound stage and adequate bass, but am not going to spend a fortune to get them.

My plan is to set the speakers on an open shelf beside and a bit to the front of my 50" TV. So, there would be air to the right, left and front, but not all around like on stands. The rear might have to aim into a compartment of our entertainment unit. I note that some reviewers normally stuff the ports on speakers like this. (I may or may not get a subwoofer.) I am also thinking of getting a Peachtree Nova as an amp.

Has anyone tried these speakers in such a situation? Any advice concerning the port?

I have a question about D5 placement. My decision about purchasing a pair depends on getting an answer. I don't see any way I can get a pair of D5's to audition at home. I need speakers primarily for front-only stereo for listening to classical (and other) music. I will also use them for front-only home theater speakers. My room is approximately 12x12. My existing speakers are circa-1975 Fried RII's; so I like a good sound stage and adequate bass, but am not going to spend a fortune to get them.

My plan is to set the speakers on an open shelf beside and a bit to the front of my 50" TV. So, there would be air to the right, left and front, but not all around like on stands. The rear might have to aim into a compartment of our entertainment unit. I note that some reviewers normally stuff the ports on speakers like this. (I may or may not get a subwoofer.) I am also thinking of getting a Peachtree Nova as an amp.

Has anyone tried these speakers in such a situation? Any advice concerning the port?
Having been through the selection process and being pretty much where you are I'll give you my non expert $0.02

I listened several times to my material on Paradigms (Studio20/60/100), B&W CM7/9, Several Totems, Dynaudio Focus series, PSB, Quads, Viennal Acoustic (Bach) and Era D5/4/10/14 speakers, I a ERA based system with D5 (zone 2) D14 L/R, D4 center, D4 surrounds and a JL Fathom 112 for a sub. I do not have my room setup and I buying the speakers a pair a month. Right now I'm running D5's for L/R and D4's in surround (5.1). My D5's are sitting on 20 inch boxes (24 is better for my setup) and open in front, TV to one side, bookcase to each outside and about 20 inches out from the wall. Drive is a Pioneer SC-07 and all cables are homemade 10G with monster bananas. I played with placement last night with my wife and both of us agreed on toein and that the 20" real clearance was noticeable in helping. THe side gap does not seem to matter. My room has hardwood floors so I dropped the highend 1dB/octive to address some brightness. THe D5's sound great with very good base and super clarity. I would not worry too much on side clearance but keep some in back. One thing I want to try is a 45 degree deflector behind the port to see if I can suck them back some and "fool " the speaker into thinking it has more back space. I did try a stuffed port approach and frankly they still sounded good but we both preferred the open port. b Difference was that the base and maybe mid range was a tiny bit muddled.

Greetings,
I was wondering if anyone has used the Bello SP-300 or Bello Sp-24 Speaker stands with the ERA Design 4 Speakers, and if so how do you like them?

Greetings,
I was wondering if anyone has used the Bello SP-300 or Bello Sp-24 Speaker stands with the ERA Design 4 Speakers, and if so how do you like them?

Hi Brent,
It's a beautiful stand but the top plate is much too big... you would really need a 4x4 like the Definitive Tech Pro 100/1000. Not my fav, but works pretty well.

David Solomon

I wounder if one of you or perhaps David S. can give me some advice. I have most of my setup installed (D14 for fronts, D4Center for the center, and D4's for the rears. I have the D14 set to Large, and the Center and rears as Small, along with my Receiver crossover at 80 Hz. My receives is a Pioneer Elite SC-07. I'm finding that the dialog is a bit hard to understand at times as it seems to be a bit mid heavy or perhaps too little high end? Either way the dialog is sort of muddy. Have I set this up incorrectly? I tried a crossover at 50Hz as well with no noticeable difference. BTW I have a sub in the mail so right now I'm just with these 5 speakers.

thoughts?

thanks in advance, paul

I have the D14 set to Large, and the Center and rears as Small, along with my Receiver crossover at 80 Hz.

There is no real need to set the D14's to LARGE for home theater usage.

Did you AUTO calibrate or just adjust by ear? You may need to change the speaker distance settings, etc. to hear a noticeable difference.

Are the D10's & D14's available in black or piano black?

Are the D10's & D14's available in black or piano black?

NO, at least I've never seen a pair of them in black.

I wounder if one of you or perhaps David S. can give me some advice. I have most of my setup installed (D14 for fronts, D4Center for the center, and D4's for the rears. I have the D14 set to Large, and the Center and rears as Small, along with my Receiver crossover at 80 Hz. My receives is a Pioneer Elite SC-07. I'm finding that the dialog is a bit hard to understand at times as it seems to be a bit mid heavy or perhaps too little high end? Either way the dialog is sort of muddy. Have I set this up incorrectly? I tried a crossover at 50Hz as well with no noticeable difference. BTW I have a sub in the mail so right now I'm just with these 5 speakers.

thoughts?

thanks in advance, paul
Hi Paul,
I agree w/Tony that running the D14 in small would most likely rectify the problem and restore the mid-range clarity. Having said this, it's known that I like running mains in full range when possible. I like that mid-bass punch that ia hard to replicate w/an avg subwoofer.
To get into this a little deeper, we designed the D14 to be pulled away from the wall 2-4ft for rooms that are tight w/ not much low freq resonance. They just have a bunch of low-energy. The D10 was designed to be installed closer to the wall or w/rooms that have a deeper (looser) resonate frequency.
So on first glance, it sounds like you either have the speakers too close to the wall or you have a room that is bass fat. Which brings us back to Tony's suggestion of running them crossed over a little higher than where the bass begins to bloom.
If you're new to this or the above is close to Latin, you should probably get a local dealer to calibrate the system. It makes all the difference in the world.
Hope this helps,
David

thanks very much for the advice. I will try this tonight. I currently have the D14's setup 28 inches from the rear wall and toe in is 25 degrees from normal. The music performance with good recordings is very good with good clarity and clear highs. I am only seeing vocal mud in movies. Anyway I will try the crossover settings in Small mode and then try moving further from the wall.

thanks for your help.

apul

Hi all,

I'm trying to put a 5.1 system together that I'll enjoy and my wife will enjoy looking at. :) I love the Era's, but my wife is dead-set on in-ceiling surround speakers. Farther back, I saw mention of them as an upcoming possibility, but I can find nothing on Era's website to show if/when they are coming.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

Thanks!

Hi Paul,

So on first glance, it sounds like you either have the speakers too close to the wall or you have a room that is bass fat. Which brings us back to Tony's suggestion of running them crossed over a little higher than where the bass begins to bloom.
If you're new to this or the above is close to Latin, you should probably get a local dealer to calibrate the system. It makes all the difference in the world.
Hope this helps,
David

Hi David I had a productive weekend and found something unexpected. I found that my center channel kept acting like the highs were not being reproduced and after the above changes I reran the pioneer MCACC calibration system and noticed something strange. During the speaker distance checking portion the system generates high frequency chirps to do what I assume is a time of flight calc. As the Fronts, surrounds, and center located I got a CHIRP, CHIRP, CHIRP, CHIRP, THUD! Dead tweeter or what? I pulled the wiring and verified good contact and retested. THUD!. I pulled a D5 from my ZOne 2 and tried it. CHIRP! I switched back, THUD! I also selected a troublesome vocal section of a DVD and tested both and with the center it was very difficult to understand, with the D5 it was crystal clear. I went ahead and returned the center to the dealer and expect to hear back soon. I suspect this is a freak. My dealer seems to be selling lots of these and they said that they've never had a failure and I have no reason to doubt that. Either way stuff happens and this is a reason that I'm glad I bought good stuff from a reputable place!

regards

paul

Hi all,

I'm trying to put a 5.1 system together that I'll enjoy and my wife will enjoy looking at. :) I love the Era's, but my wife is dead-set on in-ceiling surround speakers. Farther back, I saw mention of them as an upcoming possibility, but I can find nothing on Era's website to show if/when they are coming.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

Thanks!

Hi Grit,
We are currently not going forward w/the in-ceiling speakers. There are several that work well w/our speakers. First off, if you're only playing movies, bloody little actually goes to your back speakers. They're mostly for effects and room size ques. You will get an occasional bullet or plane flying overhead, but not too often.
If you're listening to movies mostly, I would recommend a mid-grade speakercraft or something w/a soft dome tweeter. If you listen to 5.1 music, you might want to step up to Triad for the rear effects. They match the era's better in timber and tone.
Hope this helps,
David Solomon

Has anyone tried the Sanus Hover (http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/speaker-foundations/sp-hover/HF1) series stands with the D3s? I use D3s as surrounds for my D4 Sat and LCR. My new apartment is forcing me to stand mount everything instead of wall mounting it like I did in my last home. I'm considering using the Sanus all around as they are rated to 10# and the D4s only weight 10.4#s. Or I can use the Def Tech Pro 100/200/1000 stands for the D4 sats but it looks too big, plus no threaded bottom insert for the D3s.

Hi David I had a productive weekend and found something unexpected. I found that my center channel kept acting like the highs were not being reproduced and after the above changes I reran the pioneer MCACC calibration system and noticed something strange. During the speaker distance checking portion the system generates high frequency chirps to do what I assume is a time of flight calc. As the Fronts, surrounds, and center located I got a CHIRP, CHIRP, CHIRP, CHIRP, THUD! Dead tweeter or what? I pulled the wiring and verified good contact and retested. THUD!. I pulled a D5 from my ZOne 2 and tried it. CHIRP! I switched back, THUD! I also selected a troublesome vocal section of a DVD and tested both and with the center it was very difficult to understand, with the D5 it was crystal clear. I went ahead and returned the center to the dealer and expect to hear back soon. I suspect this is a freak. My dealer seems to be selling lots of these and they said that they've never had a failure and I have no reason to doubt that. Either way stuff happens and this is a reason that I'm glad I bought good stuff from a reputable place!

regards

paul

Congratulations Paul... LOL,,,You are about the 3rd person to blow a tweeter in 5 years. This was also the most likely cause of your problem but I never even thought of it since we have so few blown. Glad you figured it out.
We'll be glad to send a tweet to your dealer, but would have sent one straight to you to change out.
It's an easy swap and will take all of 5 minutes.
So you know, everything that happens on screen comes out of the center. Explosions, crashes voices etc.. It's the most used speaker in a multi-channel system w/video. Therefore, it typically needs a really good amp that keeps up w/the volume you want to recreate. My final thought is you may not have quite enough power going to it. You may want to run it on small to br less taxing on your receiver. If you already have it on small and you blow another, you just need more power or DC is somehow making it down the line from the receiver.
Thanks for the update!
David

Has anyone tried the Sanus Hover (http://www.sanus.com/us/en/products/speaker-foundations/sp-hover/HF1) series stands with the D3s? I use D3s as surrounds for my D4 Sat and LCR. My new apartment is forcing me to stand mount everything instead of wall mounting it like I did in my last home. I'm considering using the Sanus all around as they are rated to 10# and the D4s only weight 10.4#s. Or I can use the Def Tech Pro 100/200/1000 stands for the D4 sats but it looks too big, plus no threaded bottom insert for the D3s.

I have used these stands, but like all telescoping stands, they are not very stable. They are made for the garden variety plastic speakers that are so popular these days.
I go down to the Def Tech stands as needed because they are more stable.
For adhearing them, I use BluTac...or you can just go to an office depot and get some tac-n-stik, which is basicly the same stuff for about $1...
Just wad a little on each corner of the stand and they hold the speaker in place well.
I'd go one step further and sand load the Def Tech stands. They sound better and are more stable like this.
Best wishes,
David

If you listen to 5.1 music, you might want to step up to Triad for the rear effects. They match the era's better in timber and tone.


Sweet! No wonder I am enjoying my D5s and a D5 LCR across the front with Triad InCeiling speakers for the surrounds. :D I had not seen this combo mentioned here, but was really my only choice as my system is in a room with an open floor plan that spreads into the adjacent room. Ceiling mounting the surrounds was my only option. I got a deal on a pair of Triad Mini/8 LCR InCeiling speakers and they do go very well with the D5s.

I have used these stands, but like all telescoping stands, they are not very stable. They are made for the garden variety plastic speakers that are so popular these days.
I go down to the Def Tech stands as needed because they are more stable.
For adhearing them, I use BluTac...or you can just go to an office depot and get some tac-n-stik, which is basicly the same stuff for about $1...
Just wad a little on each corner of the stand and they hold the speaker in place well.
I'd go one step further and sand load the Def Tech stands. They sound better and are more stable like this.
Best wishes,
David

Thanks Dave but won't the Def Tech top plate show through with the small D3s?

Congratulations Paul... LOL,,,You are about the 3rd person to blow a tweeter in 5 years. This was also the most likely cause of your problem but I never even thought of it since we have so few blown. Glad you figured it out.
David

No Worries. BTW the dealer verified a high freq issue not not specifically a tweeter problem (wiring/electronics??). I suspect DOA or damage in shipment as it always had the problem (first call to the dealer was next day) and I never pumped any high-ish power to the system. On the pioneer we yet to get over -15 to -20 dB in 5.1 mode. Chances of a blown tweeter seem slim. Either way its getting sorted. Thanks for standing behind your stuff. Wish everyone did!

cheers
paul
p

Thanks Dave but won't the Def Tech top plate show through with the small D3s?

No, They're perfect. Not quite as wide and deep as the D3.
Best,
David

For you A/V knowledgeable types: My new blu-ray player (LG BD390) has an audio setting for speakers: large or small. Does anyone have any idea what this really means/does? Any advice on what's right for ERA D5's (via Peachtree Nova) without subwoofers in a 2-channel system? I am interested in musical results, not gut shaking movie sound. A/B comparisons are tough because of how long it takes to make the change in the BD menu system.

For you A/V knowledgeable types: My new blu-ray player (LG BD390) has an audio setting for speakers: large or small. Does anyone have any idea what this really means/does? Any advice on what's right for ERA D5's (via Peachtree Nova) without subwoofers in a 2-channel system? I am interested in musical results, not gut shaking movie sound. A/B comparisons are tough because of how long it takes to make the change in the BD menu system.

Set it to large. Setting it to small, will send the bass information to a sub. Since you are not using one, you want everything sent to your D5s. Your D5s will play what they can and not play the really deep stuff. I am not real familiar with the Nova, but you want to make sure the settings are Large with it as well if you have the choice, for the same reasons.

rwinner, how do you like the Nova with the D5s? I am looking to free up some desk space and consolidate the Musical Fidelity stack + headphone amp into the Nova.

rwinner, how do you like the Nova with the D5s? I am looking to free up some desk space and consolidate the Musical Fidelity stack + headphone amp into the Nova.
I like the Nova and D5 combination but with some reservations. First, you need to know that I am not using this as a desktop setup but rather as a main stereo and for TV viewing. My principal interest is classical music. My room is small (12ftx12ft). I am replacing a set of Fried R2 speakers that I have used happily since 1975. The Nova/D5 is more analytical and brighter than the Fried/Rotel combo and I have to get used to it or add some bass (25-50Hz) somehow or the D5's just need to break in some. Right now I can't add a subwoofer but will be able to eventually. I am pretty pleased with the soundstage; the Frieds were great on that. I don't use headphones. I am a computer guy and am thinking about setting up a music server using a spare PC I inherited. If you have a site to recommend that discusses how best to do this, please let me know. For now, the complexity of a new TV, new blu-ray, new amp, new speakers, new cabinet that smells bad, new fans, new cables, etc., and a wife who doubts the wisdom of all this is all I can handle!

I like the Nova and D5 combination but with some reservations. First, you need to know that I am not using this as a desktop setup but rather as a main stereo and for TV viewing. My principal interest is classical music. My room is small (12ftx12ft). I am replacing a set of Fried R2 speakers that I have used happily since 1975. The Nova/D5 is more analytical and brighter than the Fried/Rotel combo and I have to get used to it or add some bass (25-50Hz) somehow or the D5's just need to break in some. Right now I can't add a subwoofer but will be able to eventually. I am pretty pleased with the soundstage; the Frieds were great on that. I don't use headphones. I am a computer guy and am thinking about setting up a music server using a spare PC I inherited. If you have a site to recommend that discusses how best to do this, please let me know. For now, the complexity of a new TV, new blu-ray, new amp, new speakers, new cabinet that smells bad, new fans, new cables, etc., and a wife who doubts the wisdom of all this is all I can handle!

Hi,
You should know that the D5 and Nova takes a few days to break-in.
After that, the system mellows and becomes more musical and much less bright.
I won't even play the D5's or Nova at a show until they have at least 48-72 hours on them.
Would love to know how you like once you've had some time on the system.
Best wishes,
David Solomon

Hi,
You should know that the D5 and Nova takes a few days to break-in.
After that, the system mellows and becomes more musical and much less bright.
I won't even play the D5's or Nova at a show until they have at least 48-72 hours on them.
Would love to know how you like once you've had some time on the system.
Best wishes,
David Solomon
Fair enough. Life intervenes, so it may take a month before I have broken them in.

I like the Nova and D5 combination but with some reservations. First, you need to know that I am not using this as a desktop setup but rather as a main stereo and for TV viewing. My principal interest is classical music. My room is small (12ftx12ft). I am replacing a set of Fried R2 speakers that I have used happily since 1975. The Nova/D5 is more analytical and brighter than the Fried/Rotel combo and I have to get used to it or add some bass (25-50Hz) somehow or the D5's just need to break in some. Right now I can't add a subwoofer but will be able to eventually. I am pretty pleased with the soundstage; the Frieds were great on that. I don't use headphones. I am a computer guy and am thinking about setting up a music server using a spare PC I inherited. If you have a site to recommend that discusses how best to do this, please let me know. For now, the complexity of a new TV, new blu-ray, new amp, new speakers, new cabinet that smells bad, new fans, new cables, etc., and a wife who doubts the wisdom of all this is all I can handle!

If you are interested in a media server/client solution i would highly recommend you have a look at XBMC. I have been using it for about three years and find it to be far ahead of most other solutions out there. I would start by checking out the website as well as a very extensive thread here on avsforum:

http://xbmc.org/

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=635294

It is a little work to get set up, by once you are there, it is fantastic to use. If you have questions about it, feel free to PM me.

Jeff

I have decided to dismantle my 5.1 system and go back to 2 channel listening. I was thinking of using my D5 - LCR with a SONOS unit in a large bedroom but I would want to wire it up for mono. Does anyone know if there is a safe way to do this? If not I would probably just sell the speaker.

You just have to connect the positive lead to the Right positive post on the amp and the negative lead to the Left negative post on the amp. (Or the opposite way. It doesn't matter)

If I do as you suggest while I get both channels or just the rt. or left?

Neither. You'll just have mono.

Hi
I have bought Era design 5 speakers last week. I have Pio BDP-51d payer.
and SAMY 46A650 ,NAD 325 BEE Int Amp. If i connect my TV and BDP 51d with hdmi cable , i am getting "hum" sound from era speakers.. I doubt that are these speakers magnetically shielded...????

Hi
I have bought Era design 5 speakers last week. I have Pio BDP-51d payer.
and SAMY 46A650 ,NAD 325 BEE Int Amp. If i connect my TV and BDP 51d with hdmi cable , i am getting "hum" sound from era speakers.. I doubt that are these speakers magnetically shielded...????

Magnetic shielding is to protect the picture on a CRT based television. It has nothing to do with the sound. In fact the magnets that are being shielded are in the speakers, not the television. For your hum, I am guessing you have a ground loop somewhere in your electronics.

thanks for the reply...I am getting "hum" sound if i connect this player with my TV(Samy LN46A650) through HDMI cable. I used different cables but still i am getting hum sound. If i disconnect the hdmi cable the humm sound disappears.you were saying about ground loop in my electronics..can you please explain what is ground loop?? na dhow to get rid off?

I am looking for advice about subwoofers. I have era Design 5 monitors in a 12x12 room. I am interested in (classical) music performance in a 2-channel system. I'm thinking I'd like to extend the base about an octave, that is to about 25Hz. If I want earth movement, I'll use sex, not the stereo. :)
One non-obvious question is whether there is a substantial and cost-effective advantage to getting a subwoofer for each channel. I can buy used (Audiogon, ebay) and expect to spend less than $1000, perhaps substantially less. Brand advice is welcome. I've looked at Hsu, ACI, KEF, and era, but I note a large number of respected brands.

I am looking for advice about subwoofers. I have era Design 5 monitors in a 12x12 room. I am interested in (classical) music performance in a 2-channel system. I'm thinking I'd like to extend the base about an octave, that is to about 25Hz. .... I can buy used (Audiogon, ebay) and expect to spend less than $1000, perhaps substantially less. Brand advice is welcome. I've looked at Hsu, ACI, KEF, and era, but I note a large number of respected brands.

For that size room, one sub for each channel is overkill, in my opinion, but if you can get a good deal, go for two. I have the Design 5 monitors in a 5.1 system in a much larger room and use one Martin Logan Abyss sub with very good results. For a 12x12 room, you could probably even go with the Martin Logan Dynamo. Listening to both the Abyss and Dynamo I found that they are very "musical". By that I mean that I could actually hear different notes and not just a thump, thump, thump. If you listen mostly to classical music, I think you would enjoy the Martin Logan subs. Both are in your budget range if you are buying used from Audiogon, etc.

Hey all. looking to drive my D5 pair in another room and I'm investigating a disk player and amp combination or perhaps a combined unit like the NAD L54. I was planning on running these as a Zone 2 set off my pioneer sc07 but the cost of the cabling and remote solutions are near what separate components would cost. any thoughts? Everyone here is familiar with the D5's and reasonable power levels. I'm not experienced in players/amps so your thoughts are valued. THis is the last step in my audio journey! woohoo! listened to so many speakers my ears bled. well not really.

Hey all. looking to drive my D5 pair in another room and I'm investigating a disk player and amp combination or perhaps a combined unit like the NAD L54. I was planning on running these as a Zone 2 set off my pioneer sc07 but the cost of the cabling and remote solutions are near what separate components would cost. any thoughts? Everyone here is familiar with the D5's and reasonable power levels. I'm not experienced in players/amps so your thoughts are valued. THis is the last step in my audio journey! woohoo! listened to so many speakers my ears bled. well not really.
I've found te Peachtree Nova to have plenty of power for the D5's at 80 w/c. They bill it as "high current," but I'm not sure of the significance relative to your question. With the Nova you might consider going purely digital with the Wadia dock or a digital-out cd player. You don't state a budget and this may be out of your range for this application.

actually i did look at the Nova as you mentioned and you are correct it is a bit more than I want to spend. I was and am searching for a CD/DVD player and amp that would drive the D5 pair for roughly $500. I think the NAD L73 fits the bill and as far as I can tell is a good piece of gear for the money. It has 60W x 2 which seems a bit low but my wife (ie. the user) NEVER cranks it so I suspect 60 will be OK. It also has a tuner so she can listen to car talk on weekends. If I'm gonna drag the spouse into stereo geekdom it must be done in baby steps and with her thinking its her idea! thanks for the verification of your power experience.

I think the NAD L73 fits the bill and as far as I can tell is a good piece of gear for the money. It has 60W x 2 which seems a bit low but my wife (ie. the user) NEVER cranks it so I suspect 60 will be OK. It also has a tuner so she can listen to car talk on weekends. If I'm gonna drag the spouse into stereo geekdom it must be done in baby steps and with her thinking its her idea! thanks for the verification of your power experience.

I think the L73 would be fine for the D5s. Remember that NAD is much more conservative in their power ratings than other brands. A 60W NAD amp is usually equivalent in real power to other brands' amps rated at 100W or more.

I bought an Era Sub 8 last week for my bedroom system. I ran it in my living room for a while to give it a good check out and see what it's really about. I can say that this little sub is a dynamo. It's got some great punch and handled some pretty bass heavy content really loud without any signs of giving up or distress. Given it's size and that it's only an 8" driver, you would never guess what this thing is capable of. Then again, given what Era can do with the D5, I guess you could expect that their subs would also punch above their weight as well. I am not only completely satisfied but thoroughly impressed with it's performance.

On an unrelated note, I heard that Era no longer has a Canadian distributor. I hope that we will still have access to Era products up here.

Oh, I've also got the D5, D5 LCR and D3 surrounds.

I have the option of buying Era Design D10 or Cambridge Soundworks Tower I, used for around $500. Any comparisons other than the stated specs? Thanks!

Due to this thread (and overall perception/reviews on the web) ERA has caught my eye as a possibility in my new speaker quest.

My main question (and by far most the important element in speaker performance to me) aimed at people who own either the D4 or the D5 is how does this speaker sound at LOW volume ?

Due to family constraints (wife + daughter) almost all of my listening is done at low to very low levels with the majority of that done "late night" after the said wife and daughter are asleep.

How does the D4/D5 perform at low volume ? I think I read in one review that the author stated that the D5 is the best speaker he has ever heard at low volumes. Can people who own the product confirm this ?

Amplification is provided by the Pioneer Elite SX-A6-J 2 channel receiver. It is rated on paper at 60W/CH but my suspicion is that it has more juice than that.

It is a DUAL MONO design (seperate XFMR for L/R channels) and weighs in at 22 lbs. Furthermore, Pioneer claims that in low power that it runs in Pure Class A mode for what that may or may not be worth.

One last question: how much space does the D5 need in the rear to avoid any bass boom ? The only place available for my speakers is on an open bookshelf ledge which is about 18" or so from the back wall.

Does ERA make a port plug for the D5 ? If not can some tissue be placed in the port if is sounds to thick ?

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

P.S.
Reading through this thread it really makes an impression (very positive) on me that the company owner is so engaged with his customer base.

Thanks

Bwilson1,
I have been living with D5's for about 5 months and am very pleased. I have listened at various volume levels except extremely loud. I often listen at lower-than-optimum levels to keep peace in the family. I found that the D5's needed about a month to break in; I am not sure whether I broke in or they did. I was changing from a pair of 1975-era Fried R2's that had a remarkably good bass and a somewhat laid back, "English" sound. The D5's are more accurate and lively and they seem to have a bass extension down to about 50-60, but that might require volume to achieve. I have recently added an NHT U2 bass system since they have had a price drop. Crossing over at 60, seems to add the right level of lower bass, and this combination sounds fantastic. I should point out that these remarks apply to classical music as I am much more forgiving on movies and TV than with acoustic music and have virtually no interest in rock.

The D5's present a remarkable sound stage. I listened yesterday to the ASV recording of the Lindsays playing the Death and the Maiden quartet and was astounded at the precision of the sound stage. It's a good choice of recording because it's plausible that a string quartet could actually be in the room. You can hear the bite of the strings that recordings and systems often mask, but which you can't miss in a live performance. I don't get this effusive often, but I was transported.

I have my D5's with the backs about 10-12" from the wall on an open console and have no boom problem from the port. My room is only 12'x12', which may make the U2 seem like extreme overkill, but the dual speakers and great controls make it so much easier to get around room dynamics. My amp is a Peachtree Audio Nova at 80w/ch and it is plenty powerful enough for the D5's. In fact, I am becoming convinced that we Americans are over-obsessed with watts.

For really keeping things quiet, you might consider some good head- or ear-phones. I like the Shure SE530's; they have had a huge price drop lately.

Due to this thread (and overall perception/reviews on the web) ERA has caught my eye as a possibility in my new speaker quest.

My main question (and by far most the important element in speaker performance to me) aimed at people who own either the D4 or the D5 is how does this speaker sound at LOW volume ?


Amplification is provided by the Pioneer Elite SX-A6-J 2 channel receiver. It is rated on paper at 60W/CH but my suspicion is that it has more juice than that.


One last question: how much space does the D5 need in the rear to avoid any bass boom ? The only place available for my speakers is on an open bookshelf ledge which is about 18" or so from the back wall.

Does ERA make a port plug for the D5 ? If not can some tissue be placed in the port if is sounds to thick ?

Thanks

This may seem a bit biased, but the D4/5 does sound really good at low levels. And the A6 should be a good match.
18" should be fine, but if too much bass, you can always use foam rubber to plug the port(s).
Best wishes,
David Solomon

Hi, I'm new!

I have a sub question!

I've been using Monitor Audio Silver 4i's up front (I believe David had a hand in those, no?) and a few years ago bought some D3's to replace my tiny MA Bronze surrounds.

The D3's sounded so interesting that I A/B'd my 4i's & D3's and had mixed feelings about the comparison - (my D3's seemed more musical).

I am picking up my D5 sats & Center tomorrow - query what is a good non era sub to run with this system? I only care about music,

I am thinking of upgrading my Monitor Audio ASW sub, it is IMO pretty accurate but also not state of the art. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Ron

Hi, I'm new!
I am picking up my D5 sats & Center tomorrow - query what is a good non era sub to run with this system? I only care about music,

I am thinking of upgrading my Monitor Audio ASW sub, it is IMO pretty accurate but also not state of the art. Any suggestions?


I am sure there are lots of good options, but I have a Martin Logan Abyss sub with my D5 sats and D5 LCR and really like it. The Abyss is a very "musical" sub. You can actually hear the different low bass notes and not just thump, thump, thump...

Checking out their web site, looks like the Abyss is a discontinued model, but the Dynamo 1000 has very similar features and specs.

Hi, I'm new!

I have a sub question!


I am thinking of upgrading my Monitor Audio ASW sub, it is IMO pretty accurate but also not state of the art. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Ron

without budget this is tough. I know nothing about the monitor ASW so you will need to have a listen. My only suggestion is a JL Fathom. I have the F112 and I'm amused and pleased everytime it turns on. WOrks extremely well in music only and will damage your house in HT mode. I also listened to REL/Paradigm servo/velodyne 15inch and selected the F112 with no questions. Mind I did not listen to every model of the others but I did listen to the same music on each although I can't say anything about the room correction or treatments.

I think the L73 would be fine for the D5s. Remember that NAD is much more conservative in their power ratings than other brands. A 60W NAD amp is usually equivalent in real power to other brands' amps rated at 100W or more.

followup for anyone interested. THe D5's running off a NAD L73 with 60wpc is a dandy setup. The D5's can take everything the NAD can dish but sound great and in HT mode (set to large) will and do shake the floor. Had a bit of a accident in setup and got 5 seconds of high volume LFE and WOW. So an honest 60wpc is just fine.

paul

My main question (and by far most the important element in speaker performance to me) aimed at people who own either the D4 or the D5 is how does this speaker sound at LOW volume ?

How does the D4/D5 perform at low volume ? I think I read in one review that the author stated that the D5 is the best speaker he has ever heard at low volumes. Can people who own the product confirm this ?


Hello - I was able to demo both the D4s & D5s at a dealer a year or so ago, both were set-up on a shelf. Both sounded good to me but I went with the D4's as the D5 seemed 'slightly' boomy at higher volumes (in fairness to the D5's, they were only 6"-8" from the wall and the plug wasn't installed). In my opinion the D4's sound very good at low volumes, with excellent mid range tone (hooked up to an Arcam solo in a family room) and will play as loud as I need when the volume is turned up.

I have a sub question!

I am picking up my D5 sats & Center tomorrow - query what is a good non era sub to run with this system? I only care about music,


Hello - As mentioned in paulsax's reply, without a price point it's a tough answer. JL is one of the best, but it's up there in price. If there's a place you could demo some B&W subs, the ASW610 (or ASW610XP) might be worth the trip to listen to.

Hello - As mentioned in paulsax's reply, without a price point it's a tough answer. JL is one of the best, but it's up there in price. If there's a place you could demo some B&W subs, the ASW610 (or ASW610XP) might be worth the trip to listen to.

I didn't mention a price point b/c I was curious what sub(s) era users were using with music and if they were happy with them.

My reference point is Velodyne Optimum 12 so I guess anything under $1200 and as close to 0 as possible...

The suggestions so far have been very helpful!

P.S. My D5's arrived yesterday and I haven't been able to tear myself away..

Thanks!

Ron

I didn't mention a price point b/c I was curious what sub(s) era users were using with music and if they were happy with them.

My reference point is Velodyne Optimum 12 so I guess anything under $1200 and as close to 0 as possible...
...
Ron

As I mentioned in a recent post, the D5's combine quite well with the 4-piece NHT U2 bass system for music. However, you have to have space for two 14" cubes plus two stackable, cool-running pieces of electronics, the X1 active crossover and the 250W A1 amp. There is an official dealer who sells through ebay who will sell a system for under $1K, down from about $1,600+ a couple of years ago; others get $1100. (All prices include s&h from the factory.) The advantages of the X1 and two separate drivers are that you can overcome room peculiarities pretty easily. All parts of the system have excellent fit and finish but the driver boxes are available only in gloss black and the electronics in dull black. If you want the drivers to operate in stereo, you add an A1. The owners manual is on line at the NHT site nhthifi.

All that being said, your room size might drive your decision.

For 1k I'd prob get something other than the U2. Go to the sub forum here and there are sealed subs under 1k that should play much louder and deeper than the U2.

For 1k I'd prob get something other than the U2. Go to the sub forum here and there are sealed subs under 1k that should play much louder and deeper than the U2.
Louder, certainly.
Deeper, maybe.
Louder and deeper, perhaps.
More accurate, versatile or musical? Doubt it.

Thanks for the responses! Based on my research the U2 does look interesting, as does the Rythmik 12", mid level Martin Logan subs, and Velodyne DD series.

I'll be awhile if buying new but like to know ahead of time in case a good used deal pops up.

I've got my Monitor ASW110 dialed in pretty tight right now - I actually may not need anything as deep/loud don't matter to me.


Ron

I am putting together a very modest 5.1 system and was looking into the era D3 line. My thought was to use 3 D3-LCR speakers up front. All 3 would be on a shelf in my Salamander AV cabinet that my 57" DLP sits on.

Has anyone compared the D3 to the D3LCR directly? Would I be any better or worse off by using D3 satellites for the mains? They will fit fine. I just figured the LCR might have a tad better bass response. I will obviously use a subwoofer in the system. I will be using a midrange AV receiver...Denon or Integra....maybe a Rotel 1058.

I am putting together a very modest 5.1 system and was looking into the era D3 line. My thought was to use 3 D3-LCR speakers up front. All 3 would be on a shelf in my Salamander AV cabinet that my 57" DLP sits on.

Has anyone compared the D3 to the D3LCR directly? Would I be any better or worse off by using D3 satellites for the mains? They will fit fine. I just figured the LCR might have a tad better bass response. I will obviously use a subwoofer in the system. I will be using a midrange AV receiver...Denon or Integra....maybe a Rotel 1058.I would recommend stepping up to the D4s for upfront if it is at all feasible. The upgrade in sound quality is substantial.

I can fit the D4 no problem. Just trying to keep costs down. For reference, I borrowed this photo from another member (hope he does not mind). This is the same as the rack I have except I do not have doors on mine.

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p306/KJaquith/Kuro15115.jpg

The 3 speakers will all sit on the shelf directly below my TV. Really, my options are:

1. D3 + D3LCR
2. 3 x D3LCR (all horizontally)
3. D4 (horizontally) + D4LCR
4. 3 x D4LCR (all horizontally)

I am leaning towards option 2 or 4. Obviously the D4LCR is a better speaker, but for my needs, I hope the D3LCR will fit the bill.

(Bummer about the ceiling speaker. I will likely install a pair of Speakercraft or B&W in ceiling for rears.)

Hi there,

I am leaning toward buying the Onkyo A-9555 to pair with the D5 I recently bought. Based on reviews by many others, the A-9555 seems to have a tube-like warm sound. Can anyone out there comment on this combination?

Thank you very much.

Too long without a post in this thread. I can't believe how long I have gone without an itch to upgrade my speakers. The D5s are the real deal.

Redskin,

I agree with you 100%. I went through a number of speakers, but when I hit the D5's, I have stayed put.
I have thought of speakers for another, less used room in the house though.

Redskin,

I agree with you 100%. I went through a number of speakers, but when I hit the D5's, I have stayed put.
I have thought of speakers for another, less used room in the house though.

Hey Chris...I think I remember a while back, you were part of the discussions we were having with Dave regarding crossover setting, and setting the crossover lower than 80hz. What did you wind up doing? I used to run them large and/or at a 50hz crossover in my old house, but since moving to our new home, I have just set them to 80hz...just because it was easier (I am lazy ;)). I am going to play with it some this week.

Hey Chris...I think I remember a while back, you were part of the discussions we were having with Dave regarding crossover setting, and setting the crossover lower than 80hz. What did you wind up doing? I used to run them large and/or at a 50hz crossover in my old house, but since moving to our new home, I have just set them to 80hz...just because it was easier (I am lazy ;)). I am going to play with it some this week.

Ya that's right, that was when I first got them I believe. I ran them full range for a while, and then switched over to the 60hz crossover. I feel it gives me a little more volume and power, though it could just be my mind playing tricks on me. I actually spent quite a bit of time messing with it, and I feel pretty good with the setting now. I think I just had to stop playing around and enjoy them!

Any era owners upgrade yet, or are you all happy like me? :) Anyone have a sub 10 they want to sell?

Ron

Ronaldo,

Happy like you. :-) Every time I thought I might want to upgrade speakers in my main setup, I soon learned that the D5s were still outperforming my source components. And now that I've gotten everything upstream of the D5s nice and settled, I find I'd rather spend my audio dollar on new vinyl.

As for my HT setup (also Eras), I'll get more bang/buck by upgrading the power conditioner that feeds the receiver than by upgrading the speakers.

-Hans

Any era owners upgrade yet, or are you all happy like me? :) Anyone have a sub 10 they want to sell?

Very happy with my D5 sats and D5 LCR as the front stage for my 5.1 system. For my size room and needs, the Era speakers are perfect. No need to upgrade.

Ronaldo,

Happy like you. :-) Every time I thought I might want to upgrade speakers in my main setup, I soon learned that the D5s were still outperforming my source components. And now that I've gotten everything upstream of the D5s nice and settled, I find I'd rather spend my audio dollar on new vinyl.

As for my HT setup (also Eras), I'll get more bang/buck by upgrading the power conditioner that feeds the receiver than by upgrading the speakers.

-Hans

What do you have upstream?

Ron

What do you have upstream?

Ron

In the main setup, I've got a Rega P3/24 with the outboard PSU, Musical Fidelity A3.5CD, one of each Musical Fidelity X-v3 series boxes, a Rotel power conditioner, and a Musical Fidelity A3.5 Integrated. The MF A3.5/Xv3 generation of gear is amazing for the price on the used market, and the individual pieces complement each other so nicely. Previous occupants have included a Rega Apollo, a Technics SL-1200, a Rotel HT Receiver, a Peachtree Decco, and (very briefly) a Rogue Cronus.

The amp is overkill for such a small room (10x11 with some treatments at the reflection points) - it rarely gets above the 10:00 mark and never above 11:00. But the D5s really seem to like working with an amp that doesn't have to strain itself.

The whole system has a very clean, forceful, direct, and extended sound. The Rega injects some enthusiasm in, while the A3.5CD offers for a very even-handed presentation. If there's a downside, it's not so great for background listening - it's a very intense "Pay attention or else!" kind of system, which suits most of my music listening moods just fine. Imaging is very good thanks to the room treatments, but I do have to put up with some unavoidable lumpiness at around 50Hz. Room resonance, not much I can do about it.

Bump.

Hi All,
Finally there's a good solution for stands for the D4's and subsequent P'tree DS4.5. It has been nearly impossible to find a good stand for small speakers that are actually stable...
Sanus makes a stand called the SF26 ($120 or so). They were kind enough to make some top plates to fit our speakers.

We now have those top plates for $20/pr. The stands are fill-able. You do need blu-tac or the equivalent to couple the speakers to the stands, but they sound great.
I still highly recommend the Sanus Ultimate foundation for the D5.
Hope this helps!
And by the way, thanks so much for the comments. As Peachtree Audio has taken away much time, I haven't been posting at all lately. As always, you can get me direct at davids@signalpathint.com
Best wishes and happy listening!
David Solomon

I FINALLY got the Sub 8 to complete my whole set this last weekend. My wife finally gave me the go-ahead for our anniversary. Best Wife EVER! :D

So, I'm running D14s, a D4 LCR, and D4 surrounds, powered with a Rotel 1560 and sourced by TiVo, Sonos & Bryston BDA-1, and Oppo BluRay. I'm having TONS of fun and feel so blessed that I have such great quality "toys". I'm experimenting with cross-over settings and such. So far, so good.

I did notice something that I thought was odd though. Please forgive my ignorance here, I don't have the manual handy, and I'm not looking at the back of the sub. So, there's a knob for volume/gain, and there's a knob for crossover. There's also a switch that I interpreted as bypassing the crossover knob. I'm using the receiver to handle crossover; thus, I used the switch to bypass the crossover knob on the sub. However, when I adjusted the crossover knob, I still noticed that it had a subtle change in output.

My guess is that I'm mis-understanding something here. If you use the receiver to cross signals over to the sub, I shouldn't need to do anything with controls on the sub, right?

Grit I think the short answer is yes and no. If your receiver is set to 80 and your sub at say 60 than in a simplistic way your sub knob is doing nothing. I have read that setting both to the same crossover point can have some odd effects but I dont know. I am set at 80 on the receiver and set the sub to I think 100 or something like that. Try both adn see if you care. Your D14's will go to 40hz with authority if needed. BTW I have hte same system with a Pioneer Sc07 and JL F112 and have no desire to mess with anythign now. I do find that the room correction is nice but I can get closer. I run the correction and fine tune myself for volume to individual speakers. Especially the rears. Try a 5.1 music demo something. THe D4 rears dont let the side down until crazy loud. Make what seems like a expensive rear choice feel good.

luck

p

unrelated but I just read that ERA is being pulled under the Peachtree label and going to be renamed? I know that its all the same company. CUrious as to why and any impact on existing owners. Good deals on D10 and D14's right now. Glad I did not buy recently at full price!

David any thoughts?

unrelated but I just read that ERA is being pulled under the Peachtree label and going to be renamed? I know that its all the same company. CUrious as to why and any impact on existing owners.

Just curious...where did you read this? Maybe it is just for marketing simplicity....one brand instead of two?

yeah likely. not inferring anything bad, just curious whats up and what the impact may be. The deals being offered as dealers clean out stock are big so if it matters to you (to me it does not) your resale just bit the big one.

What are all you using for speaker cables? I am lloking to upgrade from Monster mc1x? cables. I can't afford to try lots of different cables. Solid core or stranded? Audioquest, nordost, transparent, mit? What do you all recommend. For the record I Have Era d10 fronts, d5lcr center and d3 rears.
I am sitting about 10 feet from the fronts and center.
As far as amp I am using a Sony strda7100es and the cables would be around 2.5 meters long for the fronts and about 1m for the center.

Eric

All sufficiently thick wire sounds the same.

I'm using audioquest type 4+ on my era d5's, and transparent music link plus on my d5 lcr, and the chickenwire the builder installed in the walls to drive the rear d4's.

I was using the audioquest on the d5 lcr as well, and swapped it out for the transparent just because I had it lying around. I was surprised that I could actually hear a difference. The transparent had been packed away for years because I couldn't hear a difference on my previous mirage om-c3 center.

So there may be better and more budget friendly things out there. I had these wires on my old setup, and they are still doing well on the era's.

What are all you using for speaker cables? I am lloking to upgrade from Monster mc1x? cables. I can't afford to try lots of different cables. Solid core or stranded? Audioquest, nordost, transparent, mit? What do you all recommend. For the record I Have Era d10 fronts, d5lcr center and d3 rears.
I am sitting about 10 feet from the fronts and center.
As far as amp I am using a Sony strda7100es and the cables would be around 2.5 meters long for the fronts and about 1m for the center.

Eric

I am using best of class: Radio Shack 14 gauge wire, overkill, I know, but it was on sale.

Ron

What are all you using for speaker cables?

For my D5 left/right and center D5 LCR I am using 14 gauge oxygen-free copper speaker wire from Monoprice with Monoprice gold-plated banana plugs.

i went with bulk belden 10 or 12 ga from blue jeans as well as locking bananas from blue jean. No comment on cables but the blue jeans lockers are nice. I have some monster bananas on my fronts and there is no comparison in solid-ness of connection and plug fit, no comment on any sound delta. I went with the bigger gauge is better (within reason) and found the cost difference to be minimal.

i went with bulk belden 10 or 12 ga from blue jeans as well as locking bananas from blue jean. No comment on cables but the blue jeans lockers are nice. I have some monster bananas on my fronts and there is no comparison in solid-ness of connection and plug fit, no comment on any sound delta. I went with the bigger gauge is better (within reason) and found the cost difference to be minimal.

The Blue Jean belden is a 'best buy'. I'm using it in my second system and think it's as good as the more expensive DH Labs T-14.

PS: I just ordered a pair of the bargain D10's, yippee!

I just replaced my monster mc1x? cable that I beleive is a 14 gauge with some old audioquest 4+ that I had and it sounded much better. I don't know if it was solid core vs. the stranded or the audioquest was a larger guage but it did sound more detailed and had better definition. I am going to start saving up for some better transparent or mit cable. Thanks for all the replies I was afraid I was going to open a can of worms with the cable question. I should have known better. I would really like to get another pair of the d10 and use as rear speakers especially with the prices now!!! but I am unemployed right now and have to mind the dollars.

Are era speakers on sale? Can someone tell me where to find these deals? Thanks.

I had the same experience as several of you re: cable upgrade path with my D5s - started with some generic bulk cabling, then tried AudioQuest Type 4 and liked it more - stronger bass and more detail than what it replaced. Then I tried Transparent MusicWave Plus, which was decidedly better than the Type 4. It was the very edge of my comfort-zone price wise, but I decided to keep it anyway. I still feel a bit sheepish about how much it cost; it's perhaps the lowest "bang for the buck" of any piece of my system.

Unrelated question - hey, for all you D10 owners, are any of you running a D10 in a VERY small room? Due to an impending remodel, my 10x11 room is about to become an 8.5x11 room. I tried swapping D4s for my 5s, but neither behaved all that well when put right up against the back wall; they both sort of "whited out" and became very hard in the treble. Plus, the D4 just didn't sound big and bold enough now that I'm so used to the 5s. I was hoping that the D10 could be put flush against the back wall. Maybe I'll have to switch to headphones instead...

Are era speakers on sale? Can someone tell me where to find these deals? Thanks.

http://www.underwoodhifi.com/

I know that the recommendation is D5 lcr with D10 and D4 lcr with D14, and that it seems odd (it does) but wondering what real world experiences people here have pairing a centr with either the D10 or D14, both of which I am currently considering for a HT speaker upgrade. I was considering the D10/D4 lcr until I read the recommendations.

If I am spending a few hundred more on the setup, I think I prefer it go to the mains for the 2 channel benefit but my space is better suited to the D10s as they'll only be about a 8-12 inches out from the back wall.

I know that the recommendation is D5 lcr with D10 and D4 lcr with D14, and that it seems odd (it does) but wondering what real world experiences people here have pairing a centr with either the D10 or D14, both of which I am currently considering for a HT speaker upgrade. I was considering the D10/D4 lcr until I read the recommendations.

If I am spending a few hundred more on the setup, I think I prefer it go to the mains for the 2 channel benefit but my space is better suited to the D10s as they'll only be about a 8-12 inches out from the back wall.

In an ideal world get what they suggest. In the real world.... if you're getting the Demo D10's from Definitive Audio I'd get the demo D4 LCR - it would be weird for the center to cost more than the L/R.

They all have the "era sound," I personally don't think it will be noticeable, but it would be easy enough to test in store.

EDIT: Just saw that the LCR's are on closeout due to the "merger" with peachtree, get the D5 LCR for only $400! There are some screaming bookshelf & LCR deals at www.definitive.com via their "shop online" tab.

Ron

unrelated but I just read that ERA is being pulled under the Peachtree label and going to be renamed? I know that its all the same company. CUrious as to why and any impact on existing owners. Good deals on D10 and D14's right now. Glad I did not buy recently at full price!

David any thoughts?

I also was hoping David could respond to this. My concern is that placing speakers on sale leads me to think they are discontinuing them?? Or is this just for re-labeling purposes? Or will there be a total re-design of the series? In either case, as a current era speaker owner, will I be able to replace something (driver, crossover, etc) through Peachtree should it go bad or be damaged AFTER this merger?

In an ideal world get what they suggest. In the real world.... if you're getting the Demo D10's from Definitive Audio I'd get the demo D4 LCR - it would be weird for the center to cost more than the L/R.

They all have the "era sound," I personally don't think it will be noticeable, but it would be easy enough to test in store.

EDIT: Just saw that the LCR's are on closeout due to the "merger" with peachtree, get the D5 LCR for only $400! There are some screaming bookshelf & LCR deals at www.definitive.com via their "shop online" tab.

Ron

Those deals look good. I wonder if the D5s will work with an entry level receiver.

Those deals look good. I wonder if the D5s will work with an entry level receiver.

My parents have the D5 speakers on an "entry level" receiver and they sound good, but they use them primarily for music and do not play them at very loud levels. More power would make them sound even better, but they will work. And you can always upgrade your receiver later.

Couple responses in one to be pixel green!

First the LCR to main matching is a function of the mid driver. The LCR4 has the same mid as the D14 and the LCR5 matches the mid/woofer on the d10. That aside I had a bad LCR4 out of the box (BTW was sorted quickly and easily by my dealer) so I ran a D5 as a center with my D14 and never thought twice about it. WOrked fine and while I could note a difference I really had to pay attention to do so. Personally I watch movies to see the movie, not to critique my stuff so 20 seconds into any film I forgot all about it.

As for the D5 on modest or such reciever's I'm running my back room on a clearance NAD L73 with claimed 60wpc and it is complete power overkill for the room and the sound is good. I have them too close to the walls on the side to fit around stuff but i have no reservations about that. It actually made the "soundstage" wider. I also run the D4 in surround and finally found a film that actually can let them strut their stuff. THe new sherlock homes file has some really good content there and the match to the d14's is great. Still seems overkill for surrounds but what the heck.

p

Couple responses in one to be pixel green!

First the LCR to main matching is a function of the mid driver. The LCR4 has the same mid as the D14 and the LCR5 matches the mid/woofer on the d10. That aside I had a bad LCR4 out of the box (BTW was sorted quickly and easily by my dealer) so I ran a D5 as a center with my D14 and never thought twice about it. WOrked fine and while I could note a difference I really had to pay attention to do so. Personally I watch movies to see the movie, not to critique my stuff so 20 seconds into any film I forgot all about it.
p

Another way to look at it is, which one sounds better, period? I'm not as concerned with perfect timbre match as I am quality sound and intelligible dialogue. I find some centers can sound a bit muffled during some dialogue and can be hard to understand.

I've never listened to or compared the LCRs, only the satellites so I'm interested to hear what impressions are from those who have listened to both D4 and D5 LCRs.

Hi JN99,

I've run D4sat+D4LCR, D5sat+D4LCR, D5sat+D5LCR, and D4sat+D5LCR(!). 4+4 and 5+5 sounded better than either 4+5 or 5+4. The mismatched sets didn't sound bad, but they did require some receiver settings fiddling to level-match. The matched, in contrast, had a little extra bit of magic to the sound, and were always more satisfying, though I could never exactly pinpoint why.

-Hans

I heard that the ERA speakers sounded a lot lot like Aerials. Is this true? I loved the 7B's!

My room is small 12' x 10'. Is the D4 better for me, or should I get the D5? This reviewer said the D5s produced too much bass for his small room, so he had moved them to a bigger room.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/era/era.html

My budget receiver is the Denon 1610. While it's good to hear that these speakers can be driven by modest receivers, I read somewhere else that it's best to drive them with amps. I guess I just need some assurances that I can drive them with my receiver.

http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/1/325320.html

My room is small 12' x 10'. Is the D4 better for me, or should I get the D5? This reviewer said the D5s produced too much bass for his small room, so he had moved them to a bigger room.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/era/era.html

My budget receiver is the Denon 1610. While it's good to hear that these speakers can be driven by modest receivers, I read somewhere else that it's best to drive them with amps. I guess I just need some assurances that I can drive them with my receiver.

http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/1/325320.html

I read that review and found that part amusing. I have the D5's and while the bass is surprising for such a small speaker they are still SMALL bookshelf speakers. :)

I think its more a porting issue - the D5s should be out from the wall further than D4s (mine are out about 16")

The D5s are slightly more efficient.

Ron

Good to know! Thanks. Now only if I can find some discounted sycamore D5s.

I heard that the ERA speakers sounded a lot lot like Aerials. Is this true? I loved the 7B's!

Need to be careful here. I listened to a set of aerial 6's before I bought my d14's and at that time thought that hte d14 was quite close to the aerial and a better value for the money. I can see how someone would call them similar but I was unable to put them in the same place at the same time so beyond similar I'll keep my yap shut.

Another way to look at it is, which one sounds better, period? I'm not as concerned with perfect timbre match as I am quality sound and intelligible dialogue. I find some centers can sound a bit muffled during some dialogue and can be hard to understand.

I've never listened to or compared the LCRs, only the satellites so I'm interested to hear what impressions are from those who have listened to both D4 and D5 LCRs.

jim one thing you could consider is skipping the center specific speaker and just getting another front bookshelf and running 3 wide. 3 D4 or D5 units would work well across the front. I know this is blasphemy for suggesting this but I can hide in anonymity with this web thing! With my SC07 and D14/LCR4 front I have never thought that the dialog was other than clear.

Need to be careful here. I listened to a set of aerial 6's before I bought my d14's and at that time thought that hte d14 was quite close to the aerial and a better value for the money. I can see how someone would call them similar but I was unable to put them in the same place at the same time so beyond similar I'll keep my yap shut.

Why would I have to be careful here? You can keep your trap shut :eek:, but I am asking a simple question. lol :D

Seriously though, I know that have some of the same DNA, so it really makes we wonder. The Aerials have a separate mid-range adn the ERA's are 2 way. They are obviously not the same, but I am wondering just how similar they are...

Why would I have to be careful here? You can keep your trap shut :eek:, but I am asking a simple question. lol :D

Seriously though, I know that have some of the same DNA, so it really makes we wonder. The Aerials have a separate mid-range adn the ERA's are 2 way. They are obviously not the same, but I am wondering just how similar they are...

The D10's are a 2-way but the D14's are a 3-way.

Interestingly I went out and found some Eras still on a dealer's floor and had another listen (it's been three years since I auditioned the D4 and 5s). They only had the D10 and the monitors, no D14s. I was not all that impressed by the D10s when compared to the D4s.

Why would I have to be careful here? You can keep your trap shut :eek:, but I am asking a simple question. lol :D

Seriously though, I know that have some of the same DNA, so it really makes we wonder. The Aerials have a separate mid-range adn the ERA's are 2 way. They are obviously not the same, but I am wondering just how similar they are...

Referred to me shutting up! Get too opinionated on speaker reviews and folks get bent plus I'm very aware of my aural limits as well as having time in between listening sessions.

THat said I thought the D14 was very similar to the Aerial 6. BTW no way I would say that about the D10. For some reason I did not get on with the D10 but like the D14. No idea why but there it is.

Does anyone have any recommendations on in-wall speakers that are a reasonable match with the Eras? I know somewhere back in this thread David mentioned Triad but I didn't see anything else. I do wonder what's going on with Era and Peachtree, David has been long absent from this thread and an email to him went unanswered. Too bad...

So sorry for the long absence. Lot's of questions that I'll get to above, but for now, I wanted to let you all know about the era/P'tree merge.
Please know that we will always honor warranty work be it era or Peachtree. We're the same company. And if service continues as before, we may have another 2 drivers per year blow, LOL. Good news is that we have hardly any service issues with era.
era was a labor of love for Jim and I. We spent over a year having the drivers designed to our spec, tuning cabinets and crossovers. We got great reviews and people loved the way they sounded, but with 500 other speaker companies out there... small fish, big pond.
Peachtree, on the other hand was a one of a kind and has been very successful, even in this economy.
With limited personnel and resources, we decided to merge the companies and keep the core products that make the most sense from era.
So era will soon bear the name Peachtree, but the components will remain the same.
We will drop center channel speakers and become a 2 channel company, so for the time being, the D3, 4 and 5 LCR's are all being closed out at great prices. They always made really good stereo speakers as well as three across the front for HT.
I'd like to thank you all for buying our speakers and then taking the time to write such nice things. I'm so glad we are retaining the speakers and hope we can be of service to you in the future.
As always, I tend to drift when doing the daily travel, taking care of a bunch of dealers etc, so if I'm ever gone too long, yo can always get me at dsolomon@signalpathint.com
Best wishes,
David Solomon

So sorry for the long absence. Lot's of questions that I'll get to above, but for now, I wanted to let you all know about the era/P'tree merge.
Please know that we will always honor warranty work be it era or Peachtree. We're the same company. And if service continues as before, we may have another 2 drivers per year blow, LOL. Good news is that we have hardly any service issues with era.
era was a labor of love for Jim and I. We spent over a year having the drivers designed to our spec, tuning cabinets and crossovers. We got great reviews and people loved the way they sounded, but with 500 other speaker companies out there... small fish, big pond.
Peachtree, on the other hand was a one of a kind and has been very successful, even in this economy.
With limited personnel and resources, we decided to merge the companies and keep the core products that make the most sense from era.
So era will soon bear the name Peachtree, but the components will remain the same.
We will drop center channel speakers and become a 2 channel company, so for the time being, the D3, 4 and 5 LCR's are all being closed out at great prices. They always made really good stereo speakers as well as three across the front for HT.
I'd like to thank you all for buying our speakers and then taking the time to write such nice things. I'm so glad we are retaining the speakers and hope we can be of service to you in the future.
As always, I tend to drift when doing the daily travel, taking care of a bunch of dealers etc, so if I'm ever gone too long, yo can always get me at dsolomon@signalpathint.com
Best wishes,
David Solomon

Very interesting, but I can certainly understand hard choices have to be made in this economy. One thing you said, though, got me thinking and now I have a question wrt the LCR's that you said are being closed out at great prices. :D

My system is set up in my family room which is a large open floorplan that also flows into the kitchen. It is used for about 50% music and 50% HT with a large screen LCD and NAD T775 HT receiver. Across the front I have D5 sats on sand-filled stands and a D5 LCR for the center channel below the screen. (Surrounds are in-ceiling Triad speakers and the sub is a Martin Logan Abyss.)

While I LOVE the sound of this setup, would there be any advantage to getting two more of the closeout D5 LCRs for the right and left channels to replace the D5 sats? I wondered due to your comment about 3 LCRs across the front for HT. If so, can the D5 LCRs be mounted on the stands vertically? (I would guess not as I don't remember seeing mounting holes on the ends of the D5 LCR.) And, if so, where are the closeout LCRs being sold? Is it on the web site or with dealers only?

This is random, but I thought I would try. I have D5s for my mains, D5LCR for my center and D4s for my surrounds. I really like them a lot, but they are in the Sycamore finish, which is a terrific finish, but I have recently moved them into a dedicated theater, and everything is black. If someone is interested in trading me their black for my sycamore, I would appreciate it.

David,

Makes sense about scaling back in this economy.

How will the 'Peachtree' D4's and D5's match acoustically and aesthetically with the ERA products?

Will they be identical product in a box with a different label? Same amazing woodwork/finish on the cabinets?

Thanks for any comments.

I saw the new D5's at RMAF this weekend. The boxes are similiar in size but now sport a curved top and are, all in all, a little more refined looking than my era D5's. They sounded similar but I was only able to listen for a few minutes in a large, crowded room. I'm sad to see the era name go but I am really excited that the D5's live on.

And Dave, as always, it was great seeing you this year. Keep up the good work.

I don't care what they're called - they sound great! I worry that losing the center channel is a bad idea.

Ron

I don't care what they're called - they sound great! I worry that losing the center channel is a bad idea.

Ron

If they sell the speakers as singles then its no big deal. 3 x D5 across the front would be pretty great.

If they sell the speakers as singles then its no big deal. 3 x D5 across the front would be pretty great.

Almost as good as 3 LCR's. :)

Ron

I saw the new D5's at RMAF this weekend. The boxes are similiar in size but now sport a curved top and are, all in all, a little more refined looking than my era D5's. They sounded similar but I was only able to listen for a few minutes in a large, crowded room. I'm sad to see the era name go but I am really excited that the D5's live on.

And Dave, as always, it was great seeing you this year. Keep up the good work.

Thanks for the info. Curved top? I'm trying to picture that...and not succeeding very well.

I saw the new D5's at RMAF this weekend. The boxes are similiar in size but now sport a curved top and are, all in all, a little more refined looking than my era D5's. They sounded similar but I was only able to listen for a few minutes in a large, crowded room. I'm sad to see the era name go but I am really excited that the D5's live on.

I too saw and listened to the D5's at RMAF. I was ready to buy them just based on the looks, but when the music started... Oh. My. GOD! I couldn't believe the sound, and this after having spent a few hours upstairs listening to $50k+ systems (and feeling utterly uninspired by the way, but that's a topic for another thread)...

Back to the D5's -- yes they were curved, but haven't they always been? I'm confused...

So needless to say I'm in the market for a pair of D5 Sats and a D5 LCR. Couple questions:

1) Can anyone compare them to Paradigm Studio 10's? Both are similar in size, shape, and price. I've listened to the 10's but I don't remember being as impressed as I was with the D5's.

2) Same comparison question with the Ascend Sierras -- any thoughts?

3) My basement media / listening room isn't all that big (see below). Would the D5's possibly be overkill? Would D4's possibly be a better choice? I'm an 80/20 home theater / 2-channel music guy and I listen at moderate levels. I've got a Hsu STF-2 sub in my system...

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n110/pg_rider/basement.jpg


Looking for suggestions on where to find Era speakers in the Colorado Springs, CO area. boweavle, you mentioned Audio Visionaries but they don't have any D5's. Maybe I can come listen to yours? :)

I ran a D5 as my center with my D14's for some time and it worked well. I know they are not supposed to match but its not like the difference is in your face. I dont recall ever even noticing a change. VERY little content out there does the across front sweep. IMO the match is a bit less important than most assume.

As for the D5 V. the Studio 10's I had a chance to listen several times to each and each time I found the D5 more to my liking. WHat I noticed was that the D5 had a somewhat more detailed sound (with the setup I heard) and much less base differences that I would have thought. I personally found the Paradigms to be a bit overrated (on the web) compared to the other things I listened to. I wanted to like them (actually still do) but liked the ERA's better.

your mileage and system may vary. BTW I am demoing cables and the D5's respond nicely to the Nordost Red dawns and BLue Heavens. Noticeably more detail (as in lots) with my Pioneer SC-07. Real eye opener with my D14's as well. Now is the improvement worth the dosh???? Still undecided. but.......

pg_rider:
I listened to Paradigm Studio 20s and Era D5s last weekend. No question in my mind, D5s were the winner in cleanness and accuracy. But they were the era d5s, not the peach tree version. I would bet that doesn't really make a difference though. I'm also gambling that the Studio 20 is considered a better model than the studio 10 and that my answer is still relevant to you.

I have a pair of the new style Peachtree D4's in Rosewood arriving Monday. I'm very eager to see/hear them.

I see Crutchfield is selling them now. I got mine from Underwood Hi-Fi, I've done a lot of business there and have always gotten great service.

David,

Makes sense about scaling back in this economy.

How will the 'Peachtree' D4's and D5's match acoustically and aesthetically with the ERA products?

Will they be identical product in a box with a different label? Same amazing woodwork/finish on the cabinets?

Thanks for any comments.
Hi,
They look close, but they're about 2" taller and are more rounded on the top.

Yes, same sound/components. Same skilled woodwork, but they are better looking.
Best wishes,
David

I don't care what they're called - they sound great! I worry that losing the center channel is a bad idea.

Ron

Us too... Hope not although we are giving up HT which is sure to affect us in that arena. We were always a 2 channel company at heart though.

Thanks for the info. Curved top? I'm trying to picture that...and not succeeding very well.

Some of you were wondering how much the D4/5 have changed in appearance. Here's a picture new D5... D4 looks the same, only a bit smaller.
Hope this helps,
David

Us too... Hope not although we are giving up HT which is sure to affect us in that arena. We were always a 2 channel company at heart though.

David, the new speakers look great!

I also see there are some photos of them out at the signalpathint web site. While on the site, I also saw the page on the old Era speakers and it says something about 50% off on the D5 LCR closeout, but it does not say how to purchase them at that price. Is that just old information, or did I miss another page?

David, the new speakers look great!

I also see there are some photos of them out at the signalpathint web site. While on the site, I also saw the page on the old Era speakers and it says something about 50% off on the D5 LCR closeout, but it does not say how to purchase them at that price. Is that just old information, or did I miss another page?

Yes, to get the closeouts, you have to call in directly. 704-391-9337.
My partner David Richardson will take the order over the phone.

Yes, to get the closeouts, you have to call in directly. 704-391-9337.
My partner David Richardson will take the order over the phone.

What do the new D4's sell for? Needledoctor and Crutchfield both list $699, but your webpage says:

"$799.00 - Call now for stock and finish availability. 704-391-9337 "


???

What do the new D4's sell for? Needledoctor and Crutchfield both list $699, but your webpage says:$799.00
???

Sorry, we have been updating the buy now page and I accidentally sent our web master the Canadian price sheet a couple of weeks ago. my bad...Just checked our site and it now says $699 which is correct.
Thanks for keeping me on my toes...

Sorry, we have been updating the buy now page and I accidentally sent our web master the Canadian price sheet a couple of weeks ago. my bad...Just checked our site and it now says $699 which is correct.
Thanks for keeping me on my toes...

You're welcome. But FYI, this is not the first time I've had to tell someone at Signal Path that they had bad prices on their webpage. Last time they fixed half the problem. Seriously - friendly advice from a fan and owner of your products: it's 2010 and most of your dealers have probably closed their doors. Putting wrong/confusing info on your webpage is just not an option anymore.

My 'Peachtree' D4's just arrived. Damn, they are tiny. And beautiful. They sound a lot (and I mean a LOT) like the thousand dollar a pair speakers I was running in that room.

My experience with ERA speakers is that they loosen up a lot (like gain 3db efficiency) after the first 20 hours. So I'm burning them in over night with some harpsichord music.

These are really nice looking speakers. Really sturdy packing, too (always a classy touch). I bet they'll blend great with my Martin Logan Dynamo.

These are really nice looking speakers. Really sturdy packing, too (always a classy touch). I bet they'll blend great with my Martin Logan Dynamo.

I am sure they will. :) I have the Era D5s and a D5 LCR across the front on my system and they blend very well with my Martin Logan Abyss sub, so the D4s plus the Dynamo should also sound very nice.

Some of you were wondering how much the D4/5 have changed in appearance. Here's a picture new D5... D4 looks the same, only a bit smaller.
Hope this helps,
David

hi david,

hope you can help with a question: do these speakers sound different from your previous ds4.5/ds5.5 speakers?

thank you

Which would you rather have for surrounds with D5 mains and D5LCR for center...four D3s for a 7.1setup or two D4s for a 5.1 setup?

Can anyone recommend a stand for the D5 LCR? Its been about 2 months now that I have been using the D5s and the LCR. I could not be happier. Do yourself a favor and buy the Led Zep DVD in 5.1. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/images/icons/icon14.gif

Can anyone recommend a stand for the D5 LCR? Its been about 2 months now that I have been using the D5s and the LCR. I could not be happier.

Sanus Ultimate Foundation UL24 or 26.
You'll use BluTac under the corners to secure the speaker to the stand.
Best wishes,
David Solomon

hi david,

hope you can help with a question: do these speakers sound different from your previous ds4.5/ds5.5 speakers?

thank you

Yes... These are like the era D4 and D5. We did a cosmetic upgrade, but the parts are the same.
But...they are more expensive by $100pr...
When we decided to roll era into P'tree, there was really no need for the DS5.5 as it was only $100 less and about the same size as a D5.
We're keeping the DS4.5 as it's a good bit smaller than the D4 and goes great w/the musicBox.
Hope this helps,
David

ERA Speakers are now officially branded Peachtree Audio

Congrats David! Question -- have you ever compared your D4's or D5's to the Paradigm Studio 10 or 20? Simlar designs, dimensions, price points... Just curious how you think they stack up?

Congrats David! Question -- have you ever compared your D4's or D5's to the Paradigm Studio 10 or 20? Simlar designs, dimensions, price points... Just curious how you think they stack up?

I think you should compare them yourself for the most unbiased answer :)

My opinion is that Paradigms sound quite different than any of the Era speakers (heard the D5 and compared them to the Studio 10). You may like the sound better, or not. The Studio 10 certainly measures very well based on the published reviews, it tends toward a slightly brighter sound. In the end I got a great deal on the 10 so I went with that, but the Era D5 is an excellent choice

Congrats David! Question -- have you ever compared your D4's or D5's to the Paradigm Studio 10 or 20? Simlar designs, dimensions, price points... Just curious how you think they stack up?

Warpdrive is correct on all counts... To add a few lines,
I find them to be quite different in design principal.
To me, it comes down to a few basic things... The first and most important being personal sound tastes.

If you like the sound of metal tweeters, you may like the Paradigm. I personally think they're very good speakers for the money, however, after working for a British speaker manufacturer for 10 years before we started the company who uses metal tweeters, we knew quick that we wanted a soft dome tweeter. Especially with the harsh digital recordings being produced today. This is a personal choice and as I often say about our speakers and amps...We hope you like our flavor. Outside of live acoustic music, EVERYTHING has a flavor.
Regarding construction, surface mounted cabinets are much less expensive to make than flush mount. We decided to go w/flush mount as we believe them to be better finished.
The Paradigm is a couple of dB more efficient, which is good for low power amps. But, the D5 goes down to 50Hz where the Paradigm cuts off @ 62Hz which is where some of the added efficiency is derived.
Hope this helps fill in some blanks... HOWEVER, as Warpdrive points out...There's nothing like hearing them for yourself. Confession: I am super biased because when we voiced them, Jim and I got to decide the overall sound and spectrum tilt. Once again, hope you like our flavor.
Best wishes,
David

With your drivers being designed by Michael Kelly wouldn't the sound move in the direction of Aerial or a/d/s ? Also I noticed Aerial did tie up w/Peachtree at the recent CES when he demoed the new 7T. Could there be any other future tie ins?

I got a pair of the D14s a couple weeks ago and they are sweet. I'm running the LCR 4 and D5s in the rear. I have a sub so I end up changing my crossover from 70 for music to running full for movies. I get a little too much bass otherwise

BTW: Anyone want a pair of D10s for a good price PM me.

Matt

With your drivers being designed by Michael Kelly wouldn't the sound move in the direction of Aerial or a/d/s ? Also I noticed Aerial did tie up w/Peachtree at the recent CES when he demoed the new 7T. Could there be any other future tie ins?

We defiantly lean toward warm.
Regarding tie-ins, to the degree that Michael thinks the combo is very good. So much so that he's buying an iNova to carry to dealers to show off the7t.
It was a lot of fun so I'm sure we'll display together at some shows.

Mr Solomon-
I have the D5 fronts and LCR and was wondering how much if any toe-in should I add to the L/R. The L/Rs have about a 2ft+ distance from the LCR.

Hello,

I'm interested in either the D4s or D5s as a 2.0 setup. My listening area is very small (12x12). I do not really want to run a sub since this will be mostly for music and I don't want to have to deal with bass management/boominess in a small room. I'll be powering these with an HK 3490 AVR. I guess my question is, would the D5s be overkill in terms of unneeded bass in my small room, and would D4s be sufficient?

I want to fill out the lower range as much as possible without bass sounding muddy/boomy. I listen to mostly indie/rock, but occasionally some rap also. I don't have an Era dealer near me to audition, so any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hello,

I'm interested in either the D4s or D5s as a 2.0 setup. My listening area is very small (12x12). I do not really want to run a sub since this will be mostly for music and I don't want to have to deal with bass management/boominess in a small room. I'll be powering these with an HK 3490 AVR. I guess my question is, would the D5s be overkill in terms of unneeded bass in my small room, and would D4s be sufficient?

I want to fill out the lower range as much as possible without bass sounding muddy/boomy. I listen to mostly indie/rock, but occasionally some rap also. I don't have an Era dealer near me to audition, so any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

In a 12'x12' room I would say it would depend on where you want to place the speakers. If they need to be close to a wall or on bookshelves, then I would go with the D4s. If you plan to have them on stands and can have them 10"-12" out from a wall on the stands, then I would go with the D5s. Since you will not have a sub, it should not get "boomy" unless you have D5s up against the wall. The good thing is that both the D4s and the D5s have good bass response for that size speaker, but I think the D5s only will play down to about 50Hz, and the D4s not quite that far. So you won't get the lowest possible bass without a sub, but you will be surprised at how full a sound spectrum the Era's can produce.

In a 12'x12' room I would say it would depend on where you want to place the speakers. If they need to be close to a wall or on bookshelves, then I would go with the D4s. If you plan to have them on stands and can have them 10"-12" out from a wall on the stands, then I would go with the D5s. Since you will not have a sub, it should not get "boomy" unless you have D5s up against the wall. The good thing is that both the D4s and the D5s have good bass response for that size speaker, but I think the D5s only will play down to about 50Hz, and the D4s not quite that far. So you won't get the lowest possible bass without a sub, but you will be surprised at how full a sound spectrum the Era's can produce.

Thanks for the reply. I haven't come up with any set plans on where to place them, but it shouldn't be a problem to place them away from wall on stands. So I'm leaning toward the D5, but do they come with port plugs just in case?

Thanks for the reply. I haven't come up with any set plans on where to place them, but it shouldn't be a problem to place them away from wall on stands. So I'm leaning toward the D5, but do they come with port plugs just in case?

No, the D5 speakers do not come with port plugs....at least there were none in the box when I got my set.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_qandvgqJBr0/TWc0c27jXoI/AAAAAAAAAMk/zGxdxLgS8XQ/SDC10445.JPG

Using a pair of D4s as nearfield desktop speakers. No sub needed. Fantastic.

Using a pair of D4s as nearfield desktop speakers. No sub needed. Fantastic.

Great shot!

upon going to the peachtree site, they kept saying that the d5 has only a 4" woofer. I really am thinking that it is an error. but I thought I'd check with you David to confirm this. I know it is unlikely that it is 4" on the d5, but I just didn't think the website can make that kind of mistake, so I thought I'd better check. thanks.

Question for anyone here.I just picked up a marantz nr1601 for a 2ch bedroom setup w/no sub.I've been trying to look into the era d4's.Wondering if anyone has any insight if the d4's would be too difficult for the marantz.My understanding is that the d4's are 83db/8ohm.thanks

Question for anyone here.I just picked up a marantz nr1601 for a 2ch bedroom setup w/no sub.I've been trying to look into the era d4's.Wondering if anyone has any insight if the d4's would be too difficult for the marantz.My understanding is that the d4's are 83db/8ohm.thanks

The D4s should work fine with that Marantz. While more power is always a plus, you likely would not be playing them that loud for a bedroom setup so you should be fine.

I just replaced my old Mirage OM-10's with the D14's and I can't believe what I've been missing. Now I need to replace the rest of my Mirage setup. Next up will be the d5 clr for the center channel. I have two questions:

What to use for the rear? (I have the OM-R2) D3, D4, D5?

I have an ATI 1506 amp that is currently set up as a 6x150 @8 ohms. I can bridge the channels so it becomes a 3x450 @ 8 ohms. This would require getting another amp for the rears. I use my HTPC with asus HDAV deluxe as a pre-amp.

Is 450 @ 8 ohms too much?

I'll keep the BP-150 sub for now unless I'm convinced changing subs will be a big improvement.

Thanks,

Dwayne

LOL... upgrading from mirage to the eras. I'm laughing because I replaced some mirage OM-12's with my era setup, so I *KNOW* how big of an upgrade this is.

I'm currently running the D10's in the front, D5lcr center, and D4's in the rear. My rears are powered by a rotel rb-1050 (70wpc). They work well, but I have an open floorplan, so my theatre area is 16' x 35'. I've got a set of D5's sitting on a shelf and I'm going to swap them out with the D4's. If you are in a smaller room, the D4's may be plenty.

On a side note, I believe that the D4LCR is recommended when using the D14's. So the D4's may be a better match in the rear.

Does anyone know where i can find d10/d14 speakers new or used?. Having a terrible time finding some. also if i cant find those, would going to the d5 on a stand be the same?. I need front drivers and want to stick with ERA/Peachtree brand as my rears and centers are that.

Thanks in advance.

P.S. I Live in Canada.

Does anyone know where i can find d10/d14 speakers new or used?. Having a terrible time finding some. also if i cant find those, would going to the d5 on a stand be the same?. I need front drivers and want to stick with ERA/Peachtree brand as my rears and centers are that.

Thanks in advance.

P.S. I Live in Canada.

Contact Underwood HiFi (http://www.underwoodhifi.com/specials.html) for Era speakers. They are offering the D14 on Audiogon (http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1315525919&/ERA-D14-Cherry-w.-Warranty-Sav) and the ad indicates shipping to Canada.

I'm looking into getting a Peachtree setup for my home office. I will essentially be setting up one of the Decco2/Nova units hooked up to the line-out from a Macbook Pro. I don't care too much for the iPod dock, and doubt I'd be able to discern the advantages of the new hardware in the iNova.

I see that dhoff01 is using D4s in a nearfield setup. What are the advantages of the D4 over the DS4.5 speakers in a nearfield setup? I ask because there is a great deal on the Signal Path site for a Decco2/DS4.5 combo. If the D4s are significantly better in this desktop nearfield application, I'd probably step up to a refurb'd Nova and D4 combo for a little more available amp juice.

I'm looking into getting a Peachtree setup for my home office. I will essentially be setting up one of the Decco2/Nova units hooked up to the line-out from a Macbook Pro. I don't care too much for the iPod dock, and doubt I'd be able to discern the advantages of the new hardware in the iNova.

I see that dhoff01 is using D4s in a nearfield setup. What are the advantages of the D4 over the DS4.5 speakers in a nearfield setup? I ask because there is a great deal on the Signal Path site for a Decco2/DS4.5 combo. If the D4s are significantly better in this desktop nearfield application, I'd probably step up to a refurb'd Nova and D4 combo for a little more available amp juice.

Want to first make sure you use the USB or optical out going into the Peachtree, not line out from the headphone output.
The D4 is a better built speaker and because of the shape and bracing, its a more expensive cabinet. The 4.5 is a great little near field speaker but doesn't image quite as good because of the aforementioned cabinet. This won't matter nearly as much in the near field position. The 4.5 was built and works best in this kind of set up.
Bottom line. For what you're doing, the Decco2 /ds4.5 combo sounds like the right choice.
David

Want to first make sure you use the USB or optical out going into the Peachtree, not line out from the headphone output.
The D4 is a better built speaker and because of the shape and bracing, its a more expensive cabinet. The 4.5 is a great little near field speaker but doesn't image quite as good because of the aforementioned cabinet. This won't matter nearly as much in the near field position. The 4.5 was built and works best in this kind of set up.
Bottom line. For what you're doing, the Decco2 /ds4.5 combo sounds like the right choice.
David

Thanks for the honest reply David. It's nice to have someone from the company recommend the less expensive package! This would be for low-volume, better sound quality listening for me. It was actually the additional presence of the dedicated headphone amp that drew me to the product in the first place.

As I understand it, I should be able to use an optical cable in the Macbook Pro headphone jack, is this correct? Otherwise I could just use the USB I suppose. I doubt I'd hear much of a difference with Apple Lossless files, but I figured why not use the theoretically best output possible? I'm new to this hobby, so please forgive my ignorance.

Time to butter up my wife....

Great shot!

Hi David,

Do you (or anyone reading) know of a pair of cherry veneered D3's which might be looking for a new home?

Thanks.

Mud

Contact Underwood HiFi (http://www.underwoodhifi.com/specials.html) for Era speakers. They are offering the D14 on Audiogon (http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1315525919&/ERA-D14-Cherry-w.-Warranty-Sav) and the ad indicates shipping to Canada.

Underwood is also still selling the D10's. I purchased mine from them a few months back . They were chosen as the liquidator for the remaining ERA stock.

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1315788456&/ERA-D10-New-Cherry-towers-w/wa

I recently purchased a pair of D4 speakers from Underwood. These are the older Era style (Era era?) version, with the flat top cabinet, as opposed to the newer Peachtree branded ones that have the curved top. The cabinet shape is relevant, because I'm going to use them in a nearfield set up by my computer, but instead of the speakers sitting on the desktop, I plan to put them on a shelf that is about one foot above head height. It occurred to me that in such a set up, it might be preferable to use the D4s upside down, i.e. with the woofer on the top and the tweeter on the bottom.

Anybody have any experience with inverting these speakers when positioned above? Any challenges that it might present, such as unusual behavior of the rear port when it's close to the shelf surface rather than higher up, or perhaps a need to adjust the foam "blanket" piece for the tweeter inside the grill?

I am going to put a 46" flatscreen TV above my fireplace mantle, with a pair of D4s just to the left and right of the TV, also on the mantle. The speakers will be only about 48" apart.

Would appreciate comments and advice as to Make/Model of receiver that will to do justice to the D4s and get the best sound out of them. I'm torn between buying a good (but complicated?) 5.1 receiver, or a good (simple and obsolete?) 2.1 stereo receiver. Seems to me with 5.1, they have to cut somewhere, so the quality of the amp is compromised.....assuming the same $ spent.

The 5.1 setup would have value to me only for the simpler HDMI switching. I don't really care for surround sound and find it distracting, and the explosions overwhelm the dialog and annoy the wife.

Some dumb questions:

1. With 2.1 left and right speaker only, and only 48" apart, would I hear dialog any better with 3.1 sound, where I buy the 5.1 receiver and convince the wife to add a wall mounted center channel speaker above the TV?

2. If I buy the 5.1 receiver, but only run it for 2.1 stereo, will the resulting sound be as good as with the 2.1 receiver?...Or will it be compromised? Are some movies for TV broadcast in 5.1 sound for example, so if I play back a recording from my cable box, will it sound as good or garbled with a two channel receiver?

3. I infer from some postings that only a two channel amplifier made by Peachtree with "clean power" will do justice to the D4s, but that puts me into buying yet another piece...a tuner, because I like good AM/FM. Surely a receiver exists that is a reasonable compromise that will meet my needs for great dialog and music. My budget is not that tight, as I do this electronics buying only every 12 years. I only know Best Buy and have never set foot into a higher end audio store. What do you recommend as a better receiver brand....say Cambridge Audio...and if I paid say $1,200 for a receiver, would it be worth it in your opinion for sound that is that much more improved?

What would you guys do in my place....and can you recommend a make and model receiver that you have used with the D4s and are very pleased with the sound? And should I go for a 2.1 receiver or a 5.1?

And again, my goals are great sound for dialog and music...and simplicity.

Many thanks for your insights.

The era speakers love good/clean power. I went from an older sony es receiver rated at 80wpc to a a 2-channel rotel 1050 amp, rated at 70wpc and the difference was night and day. The rotel really woke up the little era d4's.

So, my suggestion would be to look at getting separates. Get a 2 channel amp with a receiver that has pre-amp outs. This gives you good power, and the option to upgrade your receiver later. You can easily spend >$1k on a surround receiver that provides good power. If you decide to go full home theater later, you can use your 2-channel amp to power the rears, and get a 3-channel to power the fronts/center.

As for 2.1 vs 3.1 . If your speakers image well, you should hear quiet dialog fine. Like 2 people having a conversation. However it may be more difficult to hear dialog in an action scene, simply because you are asking the speakers to do much more. If 3.1 isn't in the budget, you can always go 2.1 and add the center channel later.

It sounds like a 5.1/7.1 receiver may be the better choice for you just because it sounds like the direction you ultimately want to go. Even if you don't want/need 7.1, nearly everything is 7.1 these days. Just be sure to get one with enough hdmi connections.


As for brands, take a look at denon, marantz, onkyo. All have good offerings at different price points. If I had to buy a receiver today, I would probably pick up the denon 3312, but thats based on online research. I haven't heard one because I need to stop spending money :)

I'm about to pull the trigger and upgrade to the AVR-2112ci from my older AVR-687. I currently have two Design Era 4 (6 ohm) bookshelf front speakers and the matching center channel which sound great. I'm looking for advice on what might be good to pair with them when it comes to a L/R rear pair of speakers. I might also be in the market for a sub and hoping that based on my receiver and current 3 speaker setup I might get some general advice on what would sound good at about the same price point.

I purchased the two front speakers used off of Audiogon and the center from Underwood HiFi so would prefer to get something used or on a super sale (last year model) since I don't need cutting edge or shiny new.

My main input is my HTPC over HDMI for movies and music.

Thanks much for any perspective on complimentary speakers and if you might be aware of any places with a good deal.

I'm about to pull the trigger and upgrade to the AVR-2112ci from my older AVR-687. I currently have two Design Era 4 (6 ohm) bookshelf front speakers and the matching center channel which sound great. I'm looking for advice on what might be good to pair with them when it comes to a L/R rear pair of speakers. I might also be in the market for a sub and hoping that based on my receiver and current 3 speaker setup I might get some general advice on what would sound good at about the same price point.

I purchased the two front speakers used off of Audiogon and the center from Underwood HiFi so would prefer to get something used or on a super sale (last year model) since I don't need cutting edge or shiny new.

My main input is my HTPC over HDMI for movies and music.

Thanks much for any perspective on complimentary speakers and if you might be aware of any places with a good deal.

Your choices are limitless regarding L and R surround speakers. No need to match brands for HT and I'll suggest looking for a used pair of Paradigm Atoms. Depending on the version, $100-$300 pair. IMO, the Atom is very good performing value speaker. Look for a pair of Era D3 if you want to match the front 3 and listen to multi-channel music.

The choices in SW are also varied. I think M&K sealed subs are good value, excellent musically and also good for HT. Take a look at this new KX-12 (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-M-K-12-Powered-Sub-Woofer-Speaker-KX-12-Kreisel-8-/150639502168?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item2312d06358) on eBay.

what is the recommended distance away from the wall for the D5's?

what is the recommended distance away from the wall for the D5's?
I like to start at about a foot... You may go further depending on your room acoustics.
David

I like to start at about a foot... You may go further depending on your room acoustics.
David

OK, so they like a little reinforcement from the wall behind them. I had been going on the further away from the wall the better approach

I have a very live room, glass, bare walls, not a lot of furniture and I keep fiddling with placement. Toe-in or not toe-in? I saw someone suggest extreme toe-in, so they cross in front of you. What do you think? Its a 12x 18 room, and at times I think it sounds better sitting at the back of the room, a supposed no-no.

Thanks

I recently snagged a pair of Peachtree DS4.5's for a nice price to try on my desktop... but I was also considering trying them as L/R in a 3.1 bedroom setup, along with an Era D3 LCR as center.

The bedroom is 11x16, and the listening position is about 9ft or so away. This would be for evening/late night listening, so low level resolution is way more important than system output.

It's my understanding the DS4.5 was designed with nearfield use in mind, but I'm curious if any particular reason they wouldn't working in a more traditional setting like that mentioned above.

Has anyone used them as mains in a small room, instead of nearfield?

bump... not much action around here, huh?

I recently snagged a pair of Peachtree DS4.5's for a nice price to try on my desktop... but I was also considering trying them as L/R in a 3.1 bedroom setup, along with an Era D3 LCR as center.

The bedroom is 11x16, and the listening position is about 9ft or so away. This would be for evening/late night listening, so low level resolution is way more important than system output.

It's my understanding the DS4.5 was designed with nearfield use in mind, but I'm curious if any particular reason they wouldn't working in a more traditional setting like that mentioned above.

Has anyone used them as mains in a small room, instead of nearfield?

Ive been curious about those 4.5's. Wish they were cheaper than $600 though. I REALLY want to hear the Silverline Audio's Minuet and compare the two....

Ive been curious about those 4.5's. Wish they were cheaper than $600 though. I REALLY want to hear the Silverline Audio's Minuet and compare the two....

They were just delivered 2 days ago, but so far I think they sound really sweet for nearfield use. I haven't tried them anywhere else yet.

$600 is pretty steep though. I was fortunate to get them for much less than that - although they're used and have a few cosmetic issues (nothing major, but I like my gear pristine).

I'm fairly sure now that I'll have my eye out for a deal on used pair of the original Era D4's... I like the look alot better, and Dave Solomon mentioned they're a bit better due to better cabinetry.

I'd love to hear the new Minuet Supremes as well... but they aren't cheap either.

They were just delivered 2 days ago, but so far I think they sound really sweet for nearfield use. I haven't tried them anywhere else yet.

$600 is pretty steep though. I was fortunate to get them for much less than that - although they're used and have a few cosmetic issues (nothing major, but I like my gear pristine).

I'm fairly sure now that I'll have my eye out for a deal on used pair of the original Era D4's... I like the look alot better, and Dave Solomon mentioned they're a bit better due to better cabinetry.

I'd love to hear the new Minuet Supremes as well... but they aren't cheap either.

Yeah the D4's do look sweet. They $100 more than the 4.5's, though. Damn you high-priced, delicious gear!!!

Hi all,


I've just ordered a pair of D5 speakers (used, $450) and a Nova (used, $700). Seemed like a pretty good deal to me, so just leave me dreaming if it wasn't :-).


These were my considerations :

* I'll be playing music from my computer (macbookpro). It's all in mp3 or flac/alac format. I'd also use my new system for watching movies (uncompressed bluray rips played from the same computer), but I'm not willing to spend extra on features that are good for movie watching only and not for music. I doubt I'd use the iPod docks much if at all.

* Most of my listening will be in a normal size (bed/living) room. Some over headphones. It'd be nice to also be able to occasionally host the small living room party for a group of friends and have the music sound good enough with enough volume and "pretty" bass to get people dancing.

* I have no existing hardware. I'd prefer to limit the number of wires and boxes.

* I'm not rich. I can't afford more than I spent (e.g. a new iNova (-> what I really wanted), or the Grands).


So, my questions :

1/ Did I get the right pieces? I could've bought an iDecco for about the same price as the old Nova, but I figured the extra Watts would pay off more than whatever improvements Peachtree has put into their products between generations.

2/ Given my setup (MacBook Pro + Nova), what cable(s) should I buy to hook them up? Is there anything else I need to buy besides such a cable?


Thanks everyone!


Kevin

Hi Kevin,

That's a great combo, and you got a great price - especially on those D5's. Good call on the Nova's extra watts - the D5 doesn't need the extra power for a small room, but it certainly takes advantage of it - especially for movie watching without a sub.

Get a USB cable to hook up the laptop to the Nova, and you're set gear-wise. Time to listen to things, and to play around with no-cost tweaks. It's a good enough combo that you'll clearly hear the difference between compressed and uncompressed music. If you have a CD collection in storage, now's the time to think about re-ripping everything as FLAC/ALAC. And depending on how lound you listen, try plugging the Nova directly into the wall rather than into a computer-oriented surge protector - you may find it makes a notable difference in sound quality.

Also, be willing to play around with the D5's placement in the room. They can boom a bit if you put them right up against the wall, but since you're playing everything from a laptop you can probably mitigate it with a software EQ curve. Also don't be afraid to try pulling them out into the room (on stands, for example) to see how the sound changes, and experiment with the grilles on and off.

Finally, make sure you have a comfy chair in the speakers' sweet spot, because everything sounds better from a comfy chair!

-Hans

I love my D4's (hence my username :))

Had them for 4-5 months and don't plan to get rid of them anytime soon. Wonderful speakers

Me too, love my D4's. I have had them for a little longer--a couple of years. Great quality for the price. I can listen to them all day long--not fatiguing at all.