Official Epik Subwoofer Thread - Page 365

Ok, so now I don't have to post pics.... SWEET!!!!

OK, so does someone want to post some pics of the bare 15" driver? And an up close pic of the plate amp and controls? And please do it before I have another big zippy BONG HIT?!!?!!!?!?!?!!?!?!!?!?!

Chad...can you post the Empire's specs and/or measurements?

Looks like foam.

The driver looks like it might be treated paper.

Yeah, is Epik using cheap Radio Shack drivers? Those surrounds look pretty cheesy...............looks like packing foam...............

Wow Saw and heard all I needed and on that note I wish all New Empire owners the best. Im out take care guys .

looks sweet.

What were the surrounds made out of on the older Epik lines?

Edited: Is this a serious question or do you truly not know the pros and cons to different surround materials?

IIRC, butyl rubber. By the looks of the new drivers, they may not be as robust as the 18" drivers, but are probably a lot more efficient, which would explain the the use of the standard 600 watt amp. Only speculating, of course. Regardless, foam is still a perfectly good surround material for HT use, not so much for car audio.

what is the longevity of foam vs rubber surrrounds? My room where these would be placed is a basement and during the summer humidity is an issue even with a dehumidifier running.

My Epik Castle has foam surrounds.



But the identical drivers on the Vanquish and Sentinel are some kind of rubber material:

Really depends on the material type, coatings involved and the environment it is used in. Newer treated foam is not as susceptible to the old school dry rot (which rubber is also susceptible). I would suspect Chad chose this material for the quicker "return to shape" once the driver moves. ie, foam will return to it's unloaded state quicker than rubber (based upon similar thicknesses, etc.)

Just so there is no bias one way or the other read into it...I suggest doing a google on "foam vs rubber surrrounds".

I'm not 100% sure what the sentinel surrounds are made of. Its definitely not foam, and I don't believe its the traditional rubber because it doesnt feel like rubber and it seems a bit more flexible than the traditional rubber. My best guess is some sort of plastic compound like urethane or santoprene. It seems like a pretty durable material whatever it is.

From a brief google search it appears that different materials are used based on the design of the speaker and what the overall goal is. It sounds like foam has a faster return to shape. A few people said that the newer foams don't rot like the old ones did in the past.

Below is one of the posts I read about the surrounds:

We are over-generalizing when we state that "foam surrounds deteriorate (rot) over time". That was true at one point, but the current treated santoprene(?) foam surrounds used on newer high-end drivers no longer do this.

Way to go Chad!!! First you move 10 minutes further away from me, then you cryptically post on your blog about some new Empire subwoofer, then you tell people not to post pictures and now you post in this thread and get everyone jazzed up!! LOL!!

Seriously congrats on the new product line, I hope its not better than my Phoenix

looks good, a picture of the back would be nice but it appears to be simple and well built. I didn't expect the drivers to have parabolic surrounds and tons of copper in the motor but It does look like a very effective design. I'm guessing the driver has a stamped frame and a decent sized motor to get the job done, probably something similar to the atlas line of subs from a few years back. I look forward to receiving mine and by then there will probably be some thorough reviews for all to look through, good job Epik.

I will stick with my Phoenix; this thing is amazing!

Epik just may have shot themselves in the foot on the Empire for the reasons below.

The drivers look nowhere near as nice as what the Phoenix has; I would
like to see the back of the driver.

If the normal final price after the promo is near $1000 I think that Epik
will have some pretty upset customers on their hands.

Saying it is half off MSRP (which Epik didn't even use in their last lineup) is
very misleading and shady. You can make up any price you want to make it sound like a great deal.

Chad has answered the easy questions, but where are the specs? Just plain weird.

Well you sure sound like you work for a competitor who's scared of what Chad is doing again with all the BS you are tossing out there.


Besides when a man gives you his word about something and keeps it you should RESPECT that and that man, not put them down for being a man of their word as obviously they are hard to find.
At least a good man would.....

Hopefully we can get back to talk about Epiks great subs...

Those drivers look similar to what HSU uses on there 3.3 subs.

xxxxxxx1

The drivers looks nice. Can't wait to see them in person and run some REW tests on them vs my Tower. Placement may be trickier than expected with woofers on the sides.

Chad told me the magnet in the empire driver is about 8 oz, whereas that driver in the valor/knight/caliber was 6.5. At least I think that is what he said, although I thought 15" sub magnets were heavier than that. Anyway, just a fun fact for ya....

And about him posting the pics, he said his computer hard drive crashed. That would probably do it....

You are wierd. If you are looking for a driver to admire why look at a finished sub? Go DIY route. As far as MSRP is concerned have you checked the HSU/SVS site? There is a MSRP, REGULAR PRICE, AND FINAL PRICE.

I would be surprised if the Empire drivers are of the same high quality as my Phoenix, which I happen to like alot.

You completely missed my point about the MSRP. Epik's last line of subwoofers had only one price, (the final price), and never did the tacky/gimmicky MSRP thing that HSU and SVS does.

A company can say whatever they want for an MSRP with half off to make it sound like a great deal, but all the MSRP is, is an over-inflated price to begin with.

I think for the $799 introductory price you are getting quite a sub. The Sentinel I have is one 12" driver and I am guessing the same amplifier as the specs/pictures look very similar. That 600W amplifier will provide 1500W RMS transients. I also think the cabinet is thicker and of course a little larger. Based upon the pricing structure of their other products, I think the "rumored" $999 final price is in line with the rest. Who knows?

BTW- I plan on having the Empire veneered in an exotic hardwood to match my room. The cabinet shape lends itself very well to this modification. Not sure if it will void my warranty, but based upon my other Epik products, I'm not too worried.

Though he has not posted specs, I believe it safe to assume Chad quote MSRP to provide a value reference point in the mind of each reader. Each of us has an expectation of what performance we should get for spending $1,500 on a subwoofer. You can bet our expectations at that price point will be exceeded of Chad's reputation is worthless.

The facts we don't know are what is his cost?; what improvements were achieved with using these components over older and perhaps technologically outdated materials readily available to the public?; By executing a R&D roll-out is an otherwise bad economy did he achieve some savings by purchasing in bulk - now? etc...

If the performance is as excellent as he believes, and I seriously doubt he doesn't have full specs, then many of his competitors are scrambling.

Chad told me on Monday that they had taken more calls since the Empire announcement than they had in the previous 6 months.

Hypothetically, lets say he nets $400 on the sale of a normal sub but only sells 3 a week in a sucky economy. But now he is selling 20 per day and making $200 each.... I think he is a much smarter man than many on this forum. Just my humble opinion and I am NOT calling anybody here stupid so please don't take it that way. I am saying that there are lots of factors we do not know and without that information many are making ASS(es) U M(e)ptions.

Count down until install is less tahn 12 hours!!!! Yippee!

numei626,

I don't believe you understood Chad correctly ... the magnet would be 8 INCHES in DIAMETER vs the previous 6.5 INCHES in DIAMETER.

Bill C

I wonder how these will compare to the ED A7S-450? The ED subs are a sealed 18" with a 1300 watt amp, and two of them go for $1600 shipped. The Empire is a sealed twin 15" with a 600 watt amp, and two of them go for $1737 shipped. I'm curious if four 15" drivers and 1200 watts total can beat twin 18" drivers with 2600 watts total.