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Thinking of getting the Emp Tek E5bi speakers but have some questions

post #1 of 13
11/9/12 at 4:25am
Thread Starter 
The Emp Tek E5bi speakers are on sale right now for $162/pair (normally $250/pair) and I was thinking of getting them but I am concerned that they will not play loud enough for me because they only have a sensitivity of 85db. I would be buying these to use as fronts and primarily for home theater. My room is 1,500 cu. ft. I have an older Sony STR-DE845 receiver that is 100w per channel. Will these speakers get loud enough in a room my size to watch movies at moderate listening levels or even slightly higher than moderate? I was also looking at the Primus Infinity speakers and they are bigger, can play lower and have a better sensitivity (90db). What would you guys recommend?
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post #2 of 13
11/9/12 at 4:40am
Thread Starter 
I might also buy the E5bi package that includes another pair for the rear, the E5ci center and the Es1010i subwoofer. This package is also on sale right now for only $700. Buying all of these components separately when not on sale would cost $1,200.
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post #3 of 13
11/9/12 at 10:58am
If you want loud, go for the Infinity p363 speakers, the EMP speakers will not match them for output. The Infinity speakers are on sale at Fry's this week, so if you have a Fry's near you, I would go for the Infinitys. I don't think the EMPs would be bad, but they definitely won't have the dynamic range of the Infinity tower speakers. They EMP sale on their es1010 subwoofer is very good though, I think you would be hard-pressed to find a better value than its sale price. The Infinity bookshelf speakers are also on sale, they do make for great surround speakers. The EMP bookshelf speakers would be comparable to the smaller Infinity bookshelf speaker, the p153.
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post #4 of 13
11/9/12 at 11:14am
It depends on how far you sit from the speakers, and how you define "loud":
http://www.hometheatrebasics.com/home-theatre-tools/spl-calculator/

If you are trying to cleanly hit 101+db from the listening position, then yes another more sensitive loudspeaker would be a better fit.

Some people might say 90db is pretty loud, and you should have no problem hitting that with those speakers. Keep in mind if you are trying to play loud, those Infinity speakers are going to 100% require a 4ohm stable receiver, which I don't know if your particular model receiver would support.

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/floorstanding/primus-p363/primus-p363-measurements
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post #5 of 13
11/9/12 at 12:14pm
The Infinitys do not need a 4 ohm receiver. I know they have some impedance dips, but they can be run just fine on any mid level receiver. I am sure that Sony receiver will have no problems driving them.
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post #6 of 13
11/9/12 at 12:23pm
The Sony will drive a lot of speakers, and even has a 4ohm switch. However, for that size room,
even bookshelf speakers are a good option.
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post #7 of 13
11/9/12 at 12:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shadyJ View Post

The Infinitys do not need a 4 ohm receiver. I know they have some impedance dips, but they can be run just fine on any mid level receiver. I am sure that Sony receiver will have no problems driving them.

I was just going off the Audioholics review where it was stated:
Quote:
Although Harman rates the Infinity Primus P363 as 8-ohm speakers, what I measured tells a much different story. These are clearly 4-ohm speakers. They appear to be tuned just below 50Hz, but the saddle points are quite asymmetric. This indicates a system tuning too low for the available box size needed to produce a more optimal response. The 4 ohm dip between 100Hz to 200Hz is a bit concerning for those wanting to use these speakers with budget A/V receivers. Even if bass managed, these speakers can present a rather strenuous load if the amplifiers in the A/V receiver don’t take kindly to 4-ohm loads. I found that Infinity employed a 4-ohm tweeter as evident by the impedance dip above 10kHz. I believe they did this in attempt to increase speaker sensitivity.

If the OP wants to play them loud, you just want to make sure the Sony receiver can handle 4ohm loads at high SPL. Sounds like it can, so he is good to go.
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post #8 of 13
11/9/12 at 12:30pm
I have the EMP E5ti speakers, which are rated at 87 db, and an older Sherwood AVR w/o much power...and my system get plenty lound, in fact I have never even approached full volume in my 16 x 20 foot room. So my guess is the bookshelves will give you plenty of volume. I have heard the IP p163 speakers and those are pretty good as well!
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post #9 of 13
11/9/12 at 2:06pm
fwiw, for $110 ea. +ship. the infinity p363's are hard to pass up
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post #10 of 13
11/9/12 at 2:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by smasher50 View Post

fwiw, for $110 ea. +ship. the infinity p363's are hard to pass up

Very nice deal indeed. I don't think I could make speakers for that price smile.gif
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post #11 of 13
11/9/12 at 3:11pm
Where can I get them that price online?
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post #12 of 13
11/9/12 at 5:05pm
frys electronics
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post #13 of 13
11/9/12 at 5:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by elminster79 View Post

Where can I get them that price online?

There are currently $109 each online but they're online stock runs out very quickly. so if you want some, get them now!
http://www.frys.com/product/6878376
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