The Exotica 3's arrived yesterday!!!
They came around 1100ish, but I was unfortunately stuck at work until 4 pm. I felt every minute of that five hours, as well as the drive home, but, I'll be honest, I enjoyed the anticipation. I tend to get more excited about things that are for, or happening to, my kids or family, then myself anymore. It was a cool experience to be excited so greatly for myself, like I was a kid again waiting for Christmas morning.
As soon as a I got home, I started the two hour plus process of removing the old speakers from the room, and unpacking and setting up the E3s. Setting up the first one, I felt like a kid unwrapping his favorite new action figure. I just couldn't stop marveling at the craftsmanship. From the spikes to the plinth to the cabinets, and even the little cage around the servo controls, these things scream masterwork. I told my wife after we finished setting them up, that they make the rest of our house look like crap. We need major renovations to adequately surround the speakers.
Imagine the deflating gut punch then, when after completely unwrapping the first speaker, I noticed the dome tweeter was smashed in.
In as ridiculous of a fashion that you would imagine someone mourning the loss of a speaker, I stared incredulously, muttering, "I knew something like this would happen to me, how could this happen to me?" True tragedy right?
In hindsight, I probably sounded ridiculous, but I was generally upset. I waited four months for these and they were broken......or so I thought.
After I stopped whining, I called Jim and told him the situation. He calmly explained to me that, the domes on these speakers are so thin to maintain sensitivity that stuff like this could happen. He instructed me to use painter's tape to gently coax the dome back to shape. I let my wife do the dirty work, because she is much more patient and gentle than myself. The surgery was a success, and the dome is back to perfect shape!!
After setting up the second speaker, I went about putting them in the room for initial listening. I used derivatives of the Floyd Toole method, and placed the speakers at different multiples of 25 and 75 percent. I was tired at this point, so I just got them approximately into place, and sat down for a listen.
HOLY HELL!!!!!!!!
I was blown away.
I never realized how important, in all forms of music, that vocals are to me. I had such problems with my old speakers and dialogue intelligibility. There was always this sense that the vocals were recessed.
These E3's put the performers IN THE ROOM. I always thought that line was hyperbolic BS, but I have HEARD IT. It is amazing. The voices are so present, natural, and three dimensional. Every inflection, tonal shift, and unique vocal idiosyncrasy is rendered with perfect clarity.
I watched an Episode of Archer, and it just sounded excellent. It is a mostly dialogue driven comedy, and the sound was just stellar.
So far they are performing in my room head and shoulders over my old speakers, except in one area, dynamics.
My old speakers, GR Research LS6s, were just amazingly dynamic. I don't know if with some break in time, the E3s will close the gap, but right now the LS6s were just more dynamic.
Also, there is a little hint of stridency and tightness, I am assuming that the drivers ( a little bit) and the Clarity Cap MRs (a lotta bit) need to break in.
The bass is also amazing. Another thing I never realized is how sensitive I am to ported designs. There was always this common characteristic to speakers and subwoofers I had heard with ports, that I never liked. I just figured that is how bass sounds. I never put two and two together, until I heard these. The sealed servo bass is excellent! Tight, and detailed. Amazing.
I am extremely happy right now. If they stay this clear, open, fast, and natural while just relaxing the slightest bit, I wouldn't be able to ask for anymore.
Thanks Jim and company!
