ERA Speakers - Page 24

if you are in the san diego area there is a shop that sells them. i went for a listen about two moths ago and my jaw hung low. the sub was ok and i would not swap my pb12-nsd for the era but their 5.0 system sounds great.

Here's the price sheet...
David

 

era Customer price sheet Sept 2007.pdf 76.767578125k . file

When will we see the D10 and D14 showing up at stores? I had the D5 on my short list as my earlier post indicated but I found them a bit too lacking in bass when I went back for another listen. I also found them to have a limited soundstage this time, which was strange because I hadn't noticed that before. Going back for another listen and hope to see the D10s there one of these days!

Hi JN,
The towers should be hitting our warehouse the end of oct.
I know, july...aug...sept...oct...but really, they should be in then.
At some point next year, we'll be introducing a new 12" sub as well.

As far as the D5 not having as much bass as before and a lack of pin-point image indicates the speakers may be out of phase...happens from time to time. Those are two things we typically don't hear from our customers. However, while the 5's have a boatload of bass output, they really only go down to a little less than 50Hz..
Best wishes,
David Solomon

hello David

Do you have the sensitivity rating for the D10's. How does the
impedance curve look? Thinking of using tubes .
Thanks

Hi Jim,
Haven't received the impedance curve/spl, however I will post when I do. They should be in the 6-8ohm range w/ a fairly flat impedance curve as we did w/ the D4/D5. And from listening, I expect they are in the 87-89dB range...Let's see how close I come.
One correction...I spoke too soon on the expected date.
I am assured the towers will be here the 3rd week in Nov. I was told this before but sor some reason, the end of Oct stuck in my head.
I'm sorry if I've caused inconvenence to anyone due to the missed expected dates.
Best wishes,
David

Do you have response curves for the PL series? I listened to some Paradigm Cinema 330s and Milennia 30s and while they sounded OK, the mid range was just too rolled off for my taste, the sound was too flat.

Just listened to these amazing speakers today. I've already purchased a mid-range receiver (Onkyo 705) with 100W per channel.

Question is, will this receiver handle these loadspeakers in a 5.1 configuration? If not I can always return the receiver since I did just buy it, but I'd rather keep it since I got a good deal.

If anyone can help me figure this out I'd really be greatful.

Eric

I went ahead and got a pair of D5s to replace the D4s, which will soon have a new home in my bedroom. They're not broken in yet (about ten hours' playing time), and they're perhaps a touch bright right now; I'm hoping they'll round out like some previous posters have talked about.

Other than that... wow. I adored the D4's soundstage and clarity in my desk chair's sweet spot, but they just couldn't command the 15x60 room that they live in. To make matters worse, I have placement constraints that prevent them from getting much boundary reinforcement. With the D5s, it's a complete non-issue. Similar soundstage as the D4, but with so much more OOMPH behind and beneath them. They also feel like they're doing a better job of partnering with my Sub8; I'm running them full-range, with the sub crossed at 60Hz. I see where Iostream is coming from when he talks about them being slightly less defined in the mid-range than the D4, but perhaps that's just a function of the increased bottom-end sound keeping my brain distracted.

Truth be told, everything I have to say about the D5 is right in line with what everyyone else has said about them on this thread. Thanks, everyone for helping me make an informed purchase.

As enamored as I am with the D5, I can still see why the D4 garners the lion's share of reviews and discussion. What an amazing sweet spot of size, sound, and price. By this HTIB-refugee's standards, the D5s are big suckers that visually dominate their spot. The D4's, meanwhile, are just beautifully sized and proportioned.

-Hans

Hi David

Price sheet shows- 4LCR for D4 & D14 Tower ?
Price sheet shows- 5LCR for D5 & D10 Tower?

Am I missing something?

Thanks

Hi Jim,
The D4 LCR drivers match the top two drivers in the D14 and the D5LCR match the top two drivers in the D10. These are the best sonic match, albeit weird that the cheaper center goes w/ the more expensive tower.

Hope this helps,
David

David

Thanks for the quick clarification.

I've had my D5's for over a month now and just wanted to post back that I really love these speakers. I had some tough placement issues in an L-shaped space, but I worked it out and they sound great. I haven't been paying much attention to break-in but I was just sitting here thinking how great they're filling the space. I liked them when they were new but I love them now.

Shane

What placement issues did you have and how did you solve them? What receiver or pre/pro/amp config are you using with this spearkers?

I'm considering D4's for front duty and D3's for surround but also have weird shape room. LCD is over firplace with no room to the sides to wall mount these speakers. On stands is not an option cause I have a two year old who would have them in ruins in days.

I have had my D5's for a few months now and have really enjoyed them, especially since I got an external amp. I do have a question though. I have a fairly small room, about 216 sq ft., and I sit about 8-9 ft away from my display. I am picking up the D3's for rears but am not sure if I should get the D5 LCR or the D4 LCR. I probably watch movies 50% of the time, and the LCR will be powered by a receiver, as the amp I got is 2 channel only.
Any suggestions?

Hi to all.... My fist post.

I'm putting together my first stereo listening room and need some expert advice related to the ERA D5's...

I will be listening to blue grass, baroque, and classic rock (nice mix, huh?).

Listening room is ~ 25'x15'x7' = 2600 cf. Carpeted floors. Paneled walls. Sheetrock ceiling, Brick hearth, and ~ 30 sq ft of glass.

Now my technical questions about ERA speakers...I was in Phoenix this past week and had an opportunity to hear the ERF D5's for the first time. I was really impressed. I'm considering matching a pair of D5's (and possibly a ERA Sub 8 or Sub 10) with one of the new Onkyo 9555 Class D integrated amps:

1. I understand the Class D amps like high impedance speakers, and I'm wondering of the D5's will match?

2. The ERA's are fairly inefficient speakers. I understand this generally translates to "richer" sound at lower volumes? Can someone please explain to me? Will the 9555 be able to drive them hard enough to fill my relatively small room?

3. Is the current carrying load capability of the 9555 amp suitable for the D5's?

Thanks in advance for helping this newbie...

Sherrell

Here is what I'm planning out, I need help with the missing piece though.

Room Type = Family room with no back wall (opens to kitchen)
Room size = 12x14x10 (WxLxH)
Floor = Hardwoord
Video/Stereo ratio = 50/50

TV = Sony 46XBR4 (still sitting in the box) with HDMI 3.1 inputs.
Proposed Speakers = 5.1 config - era D4's Sats for front L and R sats and D4 LCR for center. era D3's for surround duty.
Power amp = Emotiva LPA-1 or LPA-2 if I wait for that (December).

What's missing? Of course its the receiver or pre/pro.

Video requirements are HDMI switching, and v 3.1 would be a great match for the new HDTV. Multi sourse/multi zone would also be a requirement (min 2 zones). Also upscaling of all analogue video content to 1080p would be good as would iPod dock support.

So, can anyone help? Can I match a decent Sony reciever with pre outs to the Emotive LPA-1 and era D4s/D3s and expect solid stereo performance or do I need to go with a dedicated pre/pro?

Can anyone make a receiver or pre/pro recommendation that would blend nicely with the above and match my processor requirements?

Solving this last peice of the puzzle will allow me to pull the trigger on the era's, which I'm just dying to do

Keep up the audiophile fellowship...its amazing.

Cheers,
Eric
Thank you one and all.

dtc9.8 and any one of a number of good amps to go with it.

Thanks Jake. I will put it as option 1 on my list. Do you think the Emotiva LPA-1 might be a good match with this dtc 9.8? Would you classify the Emotiva LPA-1 as a 'good amp'?

Thanks again,
Eric

I use these for stereo music only in an L-shaped kitchen+dining+living room area with hardwood floors and no good place to put floor speakers where they would sound good except for the living room. Even if I did put them in the living room, I have no good place for the electronics.

I put one D5 on a shelf and the other on a speaker stand, both pointed toward the dining+living "leg" of the L. They sound great even 30' away on the couch, and I get more volume than I need. If I really want to rock out I go downstairs where my HT is, so that's a separate issue. This setup is primarily for "entertaining", though most of that time it means the two of us (or three when the kid is up) .

I'm running a Creek Destiny integrated amp with both Zune and iPod docks hooked up. I got a great deal on the Creek on Audiogon, but if I were doing it again I'd want to give a listen to the amp that David from Era Design is working on (or maybe it's out now?) before I bought anything else as it's designed for digital music and I expect it will work well with the Era speakers.

Hi Everyone,

I just auditioned theD4s at a local retailer and loved them ... I'm thinking of purchasing the D4s for my sides, d3s for my rear surrounds and the d4 center channel (I'm still not sure about the subwoofer). My setup is as follows:

Listening Room: 12' * 15' that opens up into a dining room off the side. High 10' ceilings
TV: 50" Pioneer 5070 - don't need video processing in reciever.
Requirements: Want high quality sound but not booming bass or high volume as I live in a condo building that is relatively soundproof but I don't want to blast my neighbors.

The dealer recommended that I get a Rotel RSX-1057 5*75W receiver. He stressed that Rotel is a lot more strict that most other companies in how it rates it's power and would have more power than other receivers with higher Watt ratings.

I am, however, thinking about pairing the speakers with an Onkyo TX-SR805 because (1) is cheaper (2) seems more future proof in that it can handle the newest audio formats via HDMI (3) there seem to be more reviews out there that this is a great receiver (4) THX Certified. (5) Is rated at 130W*7 and should be able to drive these speakers.

I have two sets of questions. (1) Am I overlooking something that the Onkyo would not be good with these speakers? Features aside, would the Rotel sound siginificantly better? (2) Am I spending too little on reciever for these speakers? To optimize my budget, should I be spending more on reciever but less on speakers such as getting just the D3s and then something better than the Onkyo 805 or Rotel RSX-1057?

I really like the D4s, but it would be out of my buget to also get a $1500+ receiver to power them. I don't have a large room where I need to speakers to be loud so I'm hoping the Onkyo 805 would be sufficient.

Any help to inform my decision would be greatly appreciated.

Personally, I would go with an inexpensive receiver like an Onkyo or a Yamaha VX-661($350 online) and then pair it with a decent 5 channel amp like the Rotel RB-985(100 watts x 5 channels) for ~$400 used. I did this and it sounds great. Why pay for a sub par amp in a receiver when you can get a cheap receiver with all the features and just use an external amp?

Torroidal transformer made by Rotel themselves , and a better pre-out section?

So is there anyway to measure how much better a pre-out is in a Rotel as opposed to a Yamaha? Which would you rather spend your money on, the amp or the pre-out?

I guess I should have clarified what I was referring to. I meant that the amp in the Onkyo would be sub-par as compared to an inexpensive Yamaha receiver paired with a decent Rotel amp.

The Rotel receiver would definitely be better than the Yamaha or Onkyo alone. However, I am sure the Rotel is a whole lot more expensive than the other receivers even when they are paired with a decent amp.

2 questions for ERA

when do the towers hit the website?

can you recommend a few specific receiver models that might drive a full system which uses Design 14's as the front mains?

Does anybody sell ERA speakers online? (Their own website doesn't seem to have a "buy direct" option, that I have found.)

Hi DL,
The D10's and 14's will be on the site about mid-late November. About when they start shipping. Sorry for the delay, but I have had trouble getting pictures from the factory.
There are a few receivers that I can recommend. My favorite remains the Arcam AVR350, but most with a good power supply will do the job as well.
The upper-end Denon's, Yamaha's, Pioneer's, Rotel's, Onkio's etc will work fine and will push the D 10's or D14 well...
I just recommend staying away from the budget receivers as they typically have poor power supplies.
Having said this, if you do have a lesser powed unit, they can always be pumped up w/ an outboard amplifier as some have noted on these pages w/ good results.
Hope this helps,
David

Hi Pulliamm,
We have no web dealers, however, we do have dealers that will ship to you if there are none in your area w/ a 30 day in-home trial.
Write me @ davids@signalpathint.com w/ your location and I'll hop right on it.
Best wishes,
David Solomon

Hello David

Can a person bi/wire/amp the new towers ??
I currently have a Arcam AVR350.

Thanks