Elemental Designs A7-900 vs. Epik Conquest vs. JL Audio Fathom f113

Well a7-900 is a little more powerful and more musical than conquest according to the "craigslist", but its also more expensive and bigger. If you can afford it and have room for it, and your wife is cool with the size, then no reason not to go for the best. If you were worried about the rough textured finish of ED, note that they changed their finish to a finer texture one, which should look better, possibly similar to the epiks.

Well, the good news is that you can sell the Fathom and get enough to pay for any of these with change to spare.
I have to agree with the above though, the A7-900 is about 3x the size of the Fathom and takes 4-5 people to carry it. But it does have the highest output of any of the non custom built subs and will certainly put a smile on your face.
I think the Conquest would also be a great choice, but again, if you aren't satisfied with the Fathom, it will probably take the A7-900 to quench your thirst for output.

In agree with the previous posters... If you want sheer output, get the the A7-900, as long as you (or your wife) don't mind it's looks.

Squiggy34 - You might want to take a look at this pic before you make a move to a different subwoofer.

This pic shows the SVS PB10-NSD (19Hx15Wx21D inches) next to an A7-900.

Your Fathom is 19.625H x 16.5W x 19.25D - pretty close to the SVS shown.

The A7-900 is pretty big. Plus, you love your current sub, the Fathom.

I had no idea Bowflex made speakers, Craig.

That picture always puts a smile on my face.

I'm not too sure about ED's policy, but I believe that you will have to pay for return shipping. However, if you have the space for it and don't mind the anti-WAF, I don't think it will be leaving your house once you get it.

The A7-900's only issue is its size. I certain couldn't fit it in my place, and it cost 2x what my Tower did

If you have the space, get the A7-900 and be done with it. Craig rated it the highest for SQ in music and it also received the highest score for HT as well. My guess is he won't say anything different than his (and others) rankings show on his list.

I was heavily influenced by Craig's list on what to buy so thanks again to Craig!

Squiggy 34,

I'm extremely happy adding a second Fathom 113 to my room. It has added symmetry and a smoothing of bass in the room and extended the bass impact to the point the room shakes more than enough! I thought I was going to break a window playing Cloverfield at reference levels.

So you are not considering the A7-450?

Sounds like you have made your decision. Please let us know your impressions.

While there has not been much discussion of headroom in this thread, it is really important.

You will control the volume no matter what you decide. There should not be any "overkill", if you have the Ed properly calibrated.

You will likely end up with enough headroom to last you a lifetime if you choose the Ed A7-900.

With regard to the A7-450, I got the impression that it did not hold up all that well in a direct comparison to the SVS PB-13 Ultra. I would steer clear of the A7-450. The Epik Conquest would be a better choice if you change your mind about the Ed A7-900.

Not many people have all the pieces in place to get an Ed A7-900. Since you and your wife are prepared for this behemoth, you might want to get it, knowing that you are one of only a few people who have the space and acceptance from your spouse for something that is almost size of a desk.

The dimensions 26 X 26 X 49 don't do it justice. The picture posted by Craig shows just how big it is.

I have a feeling that Craig Chase is the only person who you are likely to hear from who has already compared the Ed A7-900 to the J L Audio F113 (and ranked the Ed higher).

I would love to hear from someone who has heard dual F113's and the Ed A7-900 in the same location. Don't forget the price of admission to dual F113's. The new F212 is the one that is getting all the "air time". I would go with the Ed.

Headroom is nice. Since going with 4 eD 18 inch drivers in my sono's I have re-calibrated my subs at 72 db's compared to 80 db's I used to run subs. It plays just as loud but not overbearing at all. It seems so much more natural but will scare the crap out of you when called upon. I would buy the eD just so you know for sure.

No one can evaluate the sound of these subs for you. You have enough money to get the Ed A7-900 and if it doesn't "shine", send it back and get another F113.

We can't tell you which you will like better. Craig Chase made it clear that the Ed A7-900 was the best sounding and most powerful sub that he has tested. What more can you expect?

I doubt that anyone has done a head to head using 2 F113's vs. one A7-900. If you don't try the Ed A7-900 you will always wonder what you might be missing. Don't sweat the return shipping. There is no way to intellectualize your way through a decision like this.

LOL, I had to chuckle when you said "if it [A7-900] doesn't shine, send it back...". Not that it couldn't be done, but it does sound like a big pain to me. I sure as heck wouldn't want to move that 400+ lb beast more than once!

However, I agree with your overall post. The A7-900 is a great bargain in terms of price/performance. Its only "review" with any kind of ranking (Craig's) is overwhelmingly positive, so it seems like a safe bet. Again though, it's up to your own ears. You know you like the Fathoms, but the price difference between the A7-900 vs. two Fathoms (assuming you sell your current one) is probably at least $3-4k. On the other hand, trying out the A7-900 might cost you at most $200-400, depending on the cost of return shipping if you end up not liking it. It's up to you whether you want to try it or not. Either way you should have great bass.

Squiggy - The A7-450 is going to sound identical to the A7-900, except it will lose some headroom.

There have been several threads in the DIY section here from guys who have used the 18 inch eD driver and built their own subs - the A7-900 is really a "DIY" sub that they happen to build for you.

It will take more effort to dial it into your system, and it is not an automatic that you will prefer the A7-900 to the Fathom(s) - but it sure would be fun to read about your results if you give it a go.

Hello,

Quote: I am just a little nervous that the ed a7-900 may not be as good as the fathom where the fathom shines.


I have been away from the sub forum for quite some time. I could not help myself to help you make the right sub choice.
I have owned one f113, one Conquest and one A7-900. If you want unlimited slam and great extension down low for movies great articulate bass for music and SIZE does not matter hands down go with ED and do not look back. If size does matter then I would go with TWO f 113 Just my two cents.

rmlowz

just more food for thought. i know you ordered, but it's likely not too late to edit your purchase.

according to chris at eD, TWO A7-450's would FAR exceed the capabilities of a single A7-900. and each be a little easier to move and lift that the 900. pricewise, they'd be $2600 together vs. $2200 for the single A7-900.

they have a couple other new subs coming out as well, p7-650, A7-350. no specs yet on their website.

enjoy your sub(s).

i have a pair of their A7S-450's and have been very pleased (which hasn't been reviewed by craigsub unfortunately so there's no point of reference) however, i chose that based on eD's recommendation for something that would be superior to the A5-350 yet sizewise, be comparable for my purposes. the A7-450 was too tall and pricey in pairs for my budget.
I use their eq2 to help flatten out the output. it's a very simple analog device that is easy to use. not sure about the sms1 but that is held as the gold standard.

SVS was supposed to have their own automatic parametric eq based on audessey tech. but still in beta afaik.

Can you elaborate any further on the conquest vs. the A7-900? they're both on my shortlist, but I was leaning towards the conquest due to size and weight, and the preliminary reviews of the conquest claims it'll hit 12.5Hz at 103dB without ever going above 10% THD. pretty tempting...

ok understood.
you could colocate, or place side by side. it would look like "one" sub perhaps.

just a thought.