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409K views 8K replies 439 participants last post by  Mr_clean817 
#1 ·
Title says it all. Since I just bought a set of these I wanted to establish a centralized thread for information for EMP ONLY!


I know this is a daughter of RBH and Destination Audio, but since there are differences I thought this thread might be appropriate.
 
#4,841 ·
Gee, I’m an R5Bi owner and have an SVS sub. But I use a PSA sub with my R5Bi’s. Does that count?

Really, it doesn’t matter what brand of sub. It matters what you are using it for, your expectations, your room volume and loudness you play media at, plus your budget. In other words, we need more info ;).
 
#4,847 ·
I am a subwoofer sevant, so let me help you avoid some of my mistakes. Buy a brand known for good subwoofers. I have owned 2 Klipsch and a Martin Logan sub, and while both of those companies make good speakers, there subs were pretty weak. If you want decent or better low end, you just have to spend 400-800+ dollars.
So you could really have two strategies....but two smaller subs, like the pb1000, which will help even out the bass w/in the room, or get one full on sub and work really hard on proper placement. In my theater, I have the unicorn, the EMPtek 10i10i, a dual 10 inch sub. Really good sub for the $350 or so I got it for, but not a heavy hitter like most of the subs listed in the last few posts to this thread. Now I run the EMP with an Outlaw LFM1. People warned against me trying to run those two subs...but they seem to complement each other really well. The EMP is accurate and powerful above 40 hz and the outlaw hits low and get loud! I just level matched them with my ears and set the gain so the Outlaw is slightly dominate, but not by much.
Anyway, enjoy those EMP speakers and keeps us posted on your thoughts!
 
#4,848 ·
@dsrussel Thanks for your response on my other thread as well. I'm getting a lot great feedback here.

I'm usually a buy and forget sort of person. So shipping and resending back usually is not how it ends up with me. Unless it's a bad product. That is why I'm doing my due research.

I think I could go up to the 700s. Hoping to see a svs pb/pc-2000 refurb around 730. I mean if it's worth the upgrade then why not spend 230 on something I'm not intending to upgrade ever ;)

Space in the room seems to be getting tight. It's only a 12x17 room. I got a couch in there. A 100 inch PJ screen and 2 bookshelves that take up most of the front wall. I'm going to squeeze the AV equipment on a bookshelf on the back wall. So having a smaller foot print sub will make it easier to place. I know I'll need the subwoofer crawl. The smaller the speaker easier it will be to make space for it.

Right now the possible options are:
- behind the couch
- on the side wall
Do you think it is bad to put the sub behind the couch? Will it cause localization issues with a 80hz crossover? I'm assuming that's the crossover I need with the r5bi.

I'll look into the xv15. Thanks for the recommendations.



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#4,850 ·
[MENTION=8042125]

Right now the possible options are:
- behind the couch
- on the side wall
Do you think it is bad to put the sub behind the couch? Will it cause localization issues with a 80hz crossover? I'm assuming that's the crossover I need with the r5bi.

I'll look into the xv15. Thanks for the recommendations.



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Near field placement (behind the couch or along side the couch -- the sub is used as an end table) are what many people like because of tactile feel. I see no problem placing it behind the couch or along a wall, provided it sounds great. And yes, an 80 Hz crossover is what most people use, including myself for the R5Bi's. With a sub, those R5Bi's will perform even better and get louder without stress.

I understand it's a hassle to send something back that you think may be pretty good. But both SVS and PSA encourage you to do just that. They don't want you fairly happy, they want you very happy. And all the subwoofers mentioned are quality products, but they will sound different. Some will be better for movies and some better for music.
 
#4,849 · (Edited)
Btw, the customer rep (Brian) at EMP is a champ! He was great to work with.

He did mention that their new sub was almost ready. They were taking some last minute pictures etc.
@Elihawk - thanks. I learnt from this forum to trust and stick with ID sub brands :). It's hard to research and buy something sight unseen. Once I get this all set up.l, I'll be sure to drop some thoughts.

The two sub idea is interesting. My AVR does support that option. Perhaps I can nab a pb1000 now. And wait for a clearance in the future.
 
#4,851 ·
yes, EMP has great customer service, like a few other ID companies!
Based on what I have experienced with EMP, I wouldn't put it past them to have a really great sub for the price!
 
#4,852 ·
Anyone wonder how proportional posts in a user/owner thread is to sales!? I always wonder, as the JTR thread has many most posts than the EMP, but I wonder are there really 5 times as many JTR owners as EMP?
 
#4,854 ·
JTR is pretty popular brand, and I would wager the people who are spending that kind of money on ID speakers, are pretty active on places like this. They also do a lot of shootouts and get together's with those speakers, so there's a lot of discussion. I bet there are lots of EMP owners who don't post on here as well.
 
#4,853 ·
Well, I was hoping to have my speakers yesterday, but FedEx home has appeared to have had a problem. The scheduled delivery day has now gone from 5/16/15 to unknown, and the speakers are still "in-transit", for over 48hr, from a location that is only a few hours away.

I can only assume they missed the truck to the local FedEx hub, and now I will have to wait until Tuesday because of it (FedEx home does not deliver on Mondays).

Gosh Darn it
 
#4,856 ·
They are both good choices, I think with Polk you will get a bit more forward sound. By this I mean the high frequencies are more emphasized, whereas with the EMPs they are a little more rolled off. The EMPs will have a better mid-range, but the Polks will have stronger bass.

I have heard both and prefer the EMPs, but everyone has a different taste. Either choice would be great, maybe purchase a pair of bookshelves from each company, and see which one she prefers. It will only be about $25 to send back the pair you don't like, and then you can order the rest of the set.

What is your overall budget for the 5.1 system? And do you need a receiver as well?
 
#4,859 ·
That is a very nice budget. The X4000 is a very good receiver, and will work well. I would try and get the HSU VTF3-MK5, fantastic sub and great value. EMP would be and good choice and offers better value than the RTiA series. You can get t the older RTi series from the Polk ebay store, and that would give you a little more bang for your buck.
 
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#4,861 ·
A note about Accessories4less. They can be a gamble. It seems a lot of their refurbished units aren't completely fixed before they resell them. I suspect we don't hear as much from customers that have no issues, but there seem to be enough issues to warrant concern. If you can find an open box for about $100 more that's the best deal, as you still get the 3 year warranty.
 
#4,863 ·
For a small amount of money, one can add to the warranty. Like any company there may be problems on various pieces of equipment (new or refurbished). It's how these companies handle problems that are the key.
 
#4,864 ·
Thanks a lot, Trans & russell,

My sis. is clueless about electronics stuff anyway, if I tell her the X4000 does have Atmos and DTS:X, she'll believe, LOL.
Anyway, Trans, yeap, the VTF3-MK5 is one of the sub that I target. Room size is about 19x14x9, not too small, not too big. I don't think she has budget to get 2 subs though.
@Russell, I've read your review of the EMP RB55i, very interesting, however, the speaker itself is pretty small and light-weight, right? Also so, the rest of the series is 6-ohm nominal, while the bookshelf is 8-ohm one. Is that right?
 
#4,868 ·
Thank you for reading my review. I also have a later version of that review on Amazon (I have spent much more time with the speaker, since I had published the AVS review). Yes, the R5Bi’s are 8 Ohm “nominal” speakers, while the R55Ti towers and their center channels (R5Ci and R56Ci) are 6 Ohm “nominal” speakers. That should not pose a problem for the X4000 AVR (nor any AVR). The R5Bi’s are rather small, but not tiny (6-7/8” W x 12-3/4” H x 8” D), but the soundstage they present is surprisingly large.

As you probably already know, speaker selection is subjective and personal. It's always a good idea to audition as many speakers as practical. What I like in a speaker, someone else may not. For a more professional review of the R5Bi's (at the time they were called E5Bi's), read Andrew Robinson's review here: Andrew Robinson review: http://hometheaterreview.com/emp-tek-e5bi-bookshelf-speaker-reviewed/ and his video review here:
 
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#4,866 ·
I think in a room that size, a single VTF3-MK5 would be great. Just spend some time getting it located properly, even a good sub can sound bad if located in a poor position.
 
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#4,869 ·
For subs, the selection is much smaller than the jungle of speakers out there. I felt lost when I was looking to upgrade from my Infinitys and it took me 5 months to end up with a choice that I'm happy with and can finally say that I may not be looking at speakers for a long time. Good luck and have fun.
 
#4,873 ·
I've got a few years before I join you guys...but the key term there is few (55 now)...so don't go drinking all the beer and having all the fun before I get there!
 
#4,874 ·
Well, Elihawk, don’t wait too long! It’s not the beer and fun I’m worried about disappearing … it’s me ;). BTW, I retired when I was 55. Got out when the getting was good.
 
#4,875 ·
....I've got a LONG time :( (27 years old)

401k and a RothIRA are starting next year though. Hoping to have a nice chunk of change come 60 so my wife and I can enjoy a nice beachfront property :D
 
#4,876 ·
Good going. I started mine when I was 20. It will probably end up being the best decision I made when I was that age...

Beach front property is fine, just keep in mind that in 40 years that beach will have crept up quite a ways from where it is now. If you can afford it, I'd go west coast. Fewer storms, nicer climate.
 
#4,878 ·
My retirement account tells me I have to wait a few years!
 
#4,880 ·
Soulburner, I have 3 receivers in my house and everyone of them were "refurbished" from accessoies4less and I also bought one for my son in law and have had 0 issues with any of them. Too small a sample size, I know, but I will buy from them all day long and twice on Saturday!
 
#4,881 ·
2 of 2 were defective in some way for me. And I know that more people with problems will post about it than will people who have none, but the official Denon threads see regular posts about malfunctioning units, many bought from A4L. YMMV
 
#4,882 ·
I wonder if Denon is responsible for the factory restore?
 
#4,883 ·
I recently had to go through the same decision whether or not to buy an AVR from A4L.

I decided against it because it didn't feel like they were very confident in the refurb. Good companies (like Apple) will give you the same warranty and service for their refurbs. Using that as a litmus test A4L was ruled out. Yamaha has 2yr new receiver warranty. But when buying refurbs through A4L it was only 1 year. Sounded fishy.


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#4,884 ·
I'm not going to defend A4L and I haven't purchased anything from them, but plenty of people here have, and without problems. As far as their 1-year warranty, you can get 2, 3 and 5 years for a fee ($28, $40, $55) on products $500 and under, like the E400. If you want or need to save some money, it's a viable option. If one is unconcerned about price, Crutchfield is a great place to buy (as is Amazon).
 
#4,886 ·
Like Dsrussel says, you can save 100 dollars on a lot of recievers and turn around and buy a ~25 dollars extended one yr warranty. Anyway, all I can say is that I have bought 4 receivers in the past 5 years from a4l and had no issues...
 
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