Best Desktop Speakers Yet?

[Tucom]

Just found this company incidentally while perusing HiFi audio site 6moons.


These look pretty incredible - http://eversound-audio.com/essence.html


Hopefully there will be a US dealer.

 

[campyguy]

Don't hold your breath. Vaporware, so far. They were "announced" in early 2014 and still "currently shipping samples to distributors around the globe". And, at about 2750 Euros for a pair, they'd better sound fantastic, provided, of course, they ever see the light of day...

 

[Tucom]

Don't hold your breath. Vaporware, so far. They were "announced" in early 2014 and still "currently shipping samples to distributors around the globe". And, at about 2750 Euros for a pair, they'd better sound fantastic, provided, of course, they ever see the light of day...

The design is rather incredible and Apple-like, but looking at the backlog of status news updates dating all the way back to 2013, you may be right

On that note - I just hooked up my Klipsch iFi sound system to my iMac and SWEET YEHZOOS what a sound, easily besting anything I've ever heard under a grand. And to think I was going to sell these. Given this, I probably wouldn't buy these Eversound speakers either way for their asking price.

 

[campyguy]

I agree wholeheartedly about the design - they're nice looking, and the connectivity is hard to beat. I offer "nice" as they're largely a copy of the previous ES-2. For roughly $3k US, I could fly to Geneva, drive/train to Zermatt (gotta leave the car at the parking lot), play a round at GC Matterhorn, and eat very well, then buy a really nice pair of Grado cans when I get back with plenty of cash left over!

As for the iFi speakers, I agree they're pretty damned nice. I'm listening to my 15+-year old Yamaha studios right now, I don't recall the model number - they matched the long-gone "beige" Power Mac 8600 I owned at the time and now they're connected to my now-old iPad 3 streaming Apple's HQ music (courtesy of iOS 9!).

Eh, the food in Zermatt is overrated anyways.

I don't have a price for a 2.1 setup I've heard demoed that caught my eye that's not out yet but they sounded pretty good, check out the Luna E. They're unusual-looking, but attractive and have a TOSLINK input - but the sub has a 5.8GHz wireless connection from the two satellites so it can be hidden or placed somewhere other than on/under a desk. Cheers!

 

[Tucom]

I don't have a price for a 2.1 setup I've heard demoed that caught my eye that's not out yet but they sounded pretty good, check out the Luna E. They're unusual-looking, but attractive and have a TOSLINK input - but the sub has a 5.8GHz wireless connection from the two satellites so it can be hidden or placed somewhere other than on/under a desk. Cheers!

Oh, Edifier. Man I'm glad you mentioned these as I really liked the style and design of the 2.0 version of these, but never got a chance to demo them.

The iFi's RSX-3's are Klipsch's reference satellites, but of course a larger reference Klipsch bookshelf will outperform them. I don't know how loosely Klipsch uses the term 'reference' - but I darn well bet it's used properly. I've owned M-Audio studio monitors, KRK's, Spicas, Infinity Primus, Polk - and besides the KRK ST-6's I had powered by a NAD integrated amp these Klipsch's are tops, absolute.

So, I'm not sure how the Edifiers would compare, but Edifier started out (AFAIK when I first heard about them) as a company making basically the best desktop PC 2.1 system you could get back in the day. Def. interested in giving the Luna's a demo.

 

[campyguy]

I'm looking forward to seeing a Luna E setup in a sound room - the demo was at a house of a friend of a friend who's a musician, it wasn't an ideal set up and they weren't tweaked for location but they drowned out everything else, in a really good way. If I see them locally or online I'll check back in here...

A couple of my friends have the Edifier speakers that look like "horns" and they sound surprisingly good, with one using the pair and the other connected by wires to a small sub. They didn't sound as clear or powerful as the upcoming Luna E IMHO. I listen to everything except for opera, FWIW. And, IMHO also the Luna E is a nice step from your RSX-3 units and a couple of flights of stairs up from my old Yamaha speakers...

I'm looking to start a new business, getting out of engineering and construction altogether as it's a PITA. My biz partner and I are scoping out new locations and that's where the new speakers will go. There's too many people in my office so I have to resort to cans most of the time (Grado SR325e and Beyer T51i, both lovely) but missing a more open sound - I was working alone over the weekend, so I could have some fun with the Yamahas. But it's time to retire those and find something more pro and current looking - they looked nice next to my Power Mac but not so much with my rMBP!

 

[Tucom]

And, IMHO also the Luna E is a nice step from your RSX-3 units and a couple of flights of stairs up from my old Yamaha speakers...

Better than the RSX-3's ya think? Damn now I'm REALLY curious! These RSX-3's sound better than a set of new M-Audio BX8-D2's I had recently. I really dig the old school configuration of the quintessence of setting up a speaker: Amp -> High quality speaker wire (Bluejeans Cable <3) -> Binding posts on the speakers. Never really messed with anything BlueTooth or a sub that's wireless, but I'm intrigued. I plan on keeping these Klipsch for a long time (already had them for about 10 years) - especially since I just had the amp board on the sub recapped with genuine Japanese caps, so it's a one of a kind in a sense. I may even get my Uncle to help me (again) replace the spring clips with banana plugs like I did on another iFi board. Dude's great with that kind of thing and has a drill press and all.

Love these things. Such a shame they got discontinued. Only thing they could improve on would be better capacitors so the amp board doesn't fail (happened to my other one we mod'd with Banana Plugs) and a much better quality iPod dock control pod (the current one is a really 'meh plasticky' bit) or ditch the iPod thing. But, they're still easily one of the best systems to be had for under a grand.

If I ever get a living quarters that would allow (I'm in an apartment at the moment, but my neighbors are pretty cool with noise), I'd love to either get a set of Anthony Gallo Acoustics Reference 3.5's OR the Klipsch Reference 280's (the new ones). I'm a big fan of kick-@#* 2.0 setups without needing a separate sub.

 

[campyguy]

I do, think that is? I think you know what I mean? I'm not an audiophile, however, I do like my tunes as good as they can get. For instance, I'm digging the HQ streaming over cellular in iOS 9 for my matched music and I can really tell the difference when listening with my cans. As for BT - I've gone on the record here by offering that using the words "Bluetooth" and "music" in the same sentence in regard to listening to music is blasphemy - and I've spent more than enough time in close proximity to pile driving...

What I like about the new Edifier speakers is the TOSLINK connectivity, with the RCA connections as a good option. The BT connectivity is a feature I'd never even consider using. What I don't know is whether the set I was listening to was a demo or the final product - either way, it's a product I'd pay for, within reason.

Agreed on the separate sub thing, which is why some of the Edifier units appeal to me - they look good, but with the Luna E the sub can be hidden.

Funny you mentioned the capacitor upgrade bit. I read this just this morning: http://possiblyunsafe.com/2015/07/27/replacing-vintage-speaker-capacitors-2 linked-to from Lifehacker. I've got couple of vintage speakers that are crying out for an update. Maybe that content will help you get a bit more life out of you beloved speakers, and this was a fortuitous exchange! Cheers!

 

[Tucom]

What I like about the new Edifier speakers is the TOSLINK connectivity, with the RCA connections as a good option. The BT connectivity is a feature I'd never even consider using. What I don't know is whether the set I was listening to was a demo or the final product - either way, it's a product I'd pay for, within reason.

Agreed on the separate sub thing, which is why some of the Edifier units appeal to me - they look good, but with the Luna E the sub can be hidden.

Yeah the TOSLINK is cool, if the DAC within the Luna's themselves are good, which I'm very much betting it is. I'm not totally adverse to a separate sub. If the satellites are a very elegant design - like the Lunas - then I'm all for having a sub. It all depends on the setup, too. For home theater it's almost a necessity.

I'm also not totally adverse to the idea of BlueTooth, I'm sure it can sound very good. But for true HiFi I don't think anything can beat a hard-wired connection.


Keep me posted on the Luna's!

 

[campyguy]

Yeah the TOSLINK is cool, if the DAC within the Luna's themselves are good, which I'm very much betting it is. I'm not totally adverse to a separate sub. If the satellites are a very elegant design - like the Lunas - then I'm all for having a sub. It all depends on the setup, too. For home theater it's almost a necessity.

I'm also not totally adverse to the idea of BlueTooth, I'm sure it can sound very good. But for true HiFi I don't think anything can beat a hard-wired connection.


Keep me posted on the Luna's!

Will do! Cheers!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

The B&W MM1 speakers are pretty good desktop (or laptop) speakers.