Epik Subs - Is it really worth it?

I read about the guy in Canada who ended up getting an Epik sub with shipping damage. Don't know that you can make the case that they aren't built well, based on having shipping damage.

They're actually built like tanks. The drivers (I have a Phoenix) are very robust, as are the amps. I've not come remotely close to running out of steam with mine.

They're heavy, and possess very inert cabinets.

Regarding CS, Epik seems to build as many as they can, with the components available to them. Then, they shut down until their components are available again.....and start back up in production. That's where they are now, from what I've read.

They're a small operation. Personally, I spent quite a bit of time on the phone with the owner, Chad, before plunking down my money. Very knowledgeable and a great guy to talk to.

None of this matters as Chad has stated they're taking a break, as they completely sold out of their current line up. So, nothing is expected from them until after the new year.

Hope that helps.

Every manufacture has horror stories associated with them including HSU and SVS. The Epik subs I've come across are well-built and impressive.

Worth it? Ive been around the block with the "big brand name subs" like Velodyne, the large infinities, REL, Martin Logan, etc... And you will spend 3-5 times the money and get 1/4 of the performance. Epik is a small company run by a good guy (Chad). Ive been to his shop. These are built to order and are built in an intimate factory. Chad may take a day or two to get back to you but thats only because he is back there building your sub.

Im as much into rock crawling as I am audio and I have seen this situation play out a million times. A small company who makes amazing product at low prices, because they dont have a huge staff of 18 yr old, unknowing kids sitting there answering phones. Instead, you wait a couple days for a call back and you talk to the super knowledgable owner of the company....but eventually enough "newbies" complain about lack of phone answering, that the company hires a couple kids to answer phones, and they raise the prices. Then customers arent happy with the lack of knowledge on the phone, and the higher prices. Plus the owner, techs, and engineers are disconnected from the customer and it shows in the product.

I have dealt with few if any companies with better customer service than Epik. And ask Chad if he stands behinds his product and see what he says

No, your not dealing with Walmart here. I suggest you wait it out. You WONT be disapointed!!

BTW, After playing with all kinds of subs from bargain to the 9,000$ REL studio. I can say I have NEVER heard a sub as good as my Dynasty.

I hate to say this but, it is what it is. That is a risk we take when it comes to online companies.

Ill take a potential loose cord over a sub that is known to blow to amps, or drivers.

My Dynasty has never shook its power cord loose, despite it breaking my main 1.5" thick drywall wall to pieces.

Have you talked to Chad? How long ago did you call him?

...

Wall damage from your sub? What kind of frequency and at what volumes are you using that thing at? Are you using a subdude or anything like that to try and prevent vibration transmittal through the floor to the walls and such? lol, news like that just may cure me of my obsession with obtaining another Sentinel.

I cross mine over lower than most (50hz ish) and tune a bit more output out of it. For movies, mostly you dont really hear it, it just shakes your pants. (Im also running off an antimode 8033) Its in a finished basement, so walls and floor are concrete under carpet and drywall. The ceiling it hardwood with 3 layers of different insulation. The room has no rattles and is quite "dead". But he main wall, which is on the opposite side of the room as the sub, is littered with cracks! But you can only see them if the sceen in almost pure white. (I project onto a painted wall). I will probably get some 1/4" drywall and glue it to the existing wall, and see how that works.

EDIT: BTW I run my receiver's (HK AVR8000) LFE level at -6 to 0db, the sub is at about 40%, and for movies I use the antimodes 10db lift at 25hz.

are you calling or emailing? they always responded to my emails within a day. but that was before they stopped taking orders. i understand wanting to hear back from them. i got a little antsy waiting for my sub (3 weeks). patience is difficult when you're waiting for a sub.

I sent an email the day I found out the subs were out of stock, and I had a friendly reply within 24 hours. When I replied with another question, there was about a 48-72 hour turn-around time to get a response. I think that is fair considering it is a small private company and it is holiday season. If you are having second doubts about your Epik sub order, re-visit the Craig's Sub list and regain your confidence

BTW, the loose plug thing is common with other big ID sub companies as well. Honestly, that does not affect sub performance or reliability. I speak from personal experience.

I understand your concern, but why does someone who appreciates good customer service in the form of returned calls, returned emails, and someone answering the phone have to be a "newbie"? This makes absolutely no sense to me, and I can't figure it out.

It sounds like you're opinionated against people who demand higher customer service than you do, and somehow they are of lesser experience (what field are we talking about here, as a buyer of THINGS?? a lesser experienced consumer?) than you are.

Honestly I find your tone mildly annoying. I do understand your point though. No one wants crappy service. No one wants to talk to someone on the phone who "doesn't care". Chad obviously doesn't want to hire these types of people, so he's growing at his own pace. I completely respect that. However, many would be willing to pay slightly more for their Epik subwoofer with things like ... oh I don't know, someone who answers the phone with more consistency, real wood veneers, or keeping their product in stock 11 months of the year instead of 9. These are minor complaints of mine, but deal breakers for others. I have seen many people state that Epik lost their business because of these and other issues.

The QC complaints are unwarranted though. Chad stated earlier this year that his shipping damage was somewhere in the neighborhood of less than 1%. Even so, he increased the quality of his packaging! A great response from him, and sounds like one he didn't have to make given the low frequency of incidents. Also the amount of bad amps I've heard of is so small it's almost not even worth mentioning. Epik makes an extremely solid product that are built like tanks and never stop working.

After my long response:

To the OP: Don't worry about Epik. You are waiting right now for responses during the holidays. Chad's company is nearly in hibernation mode right now. They're building subs to get out their remaining orders, and my guess is they're going to take a couple of well-deserved weeks off after the recent sale.

The electrical plug thing is what it is. The reason they re-worked their subwoofer line was because they were having trouble with the old amps being delivered and supplied in the quantity that they needed them in. Chad worked really hard to find a replacement amplifier line, and ended up with the amps he has now. Apparently finding subwoofer amplifiers isn't an easy task. He doesn't build the amps, so there isn't much he can personally do to fix the loose plug issue. It's a minor issue to work through, one that I'm willing to bet you will forget all about once you get your Epik sub.

I personally could not be happier with my Epik subwoofer and know you will love yours as well!

Sorry, by frequency I meant how often do you listen to your sub at earth shattering levels? I assume that means the wall cracks were not present before you got your Dynasty?

doesnt a 10 db boost at 25 hz seems a bit much and could damage the driver especially since it is a ported box? i could be wrong.

That would depend on the overall volume. If the volume is down -10 or -15db or more, the boost of +10db @25 shouldn't bother a Dynasty. The boost is well above it's tuning. At higher volumes, the boost could present a problem.