[jeffreybehr]

This summer (2010) I decided not to build good-looking versions of my big OBLAs (see http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=45966.0 ) and bought a pair of Audio Physic Avanti IIIs in fascistfornia.  Took my EM7-12s on that trip, and all 3 of us were astonished at how well these things drove the Avantis, fullrange*.

Here is one the day after I plopped them down...


I've since improved them a bunch (with active filtering/amping on the bass, much-improved caps in the MR/treble x-over, high-quality Audioquest speakercable internally, new spikes to anchor them to the concrete, etc.).  The EM7-12s are still sounding great driving only the MR and treble and with a new coupling cap with an 85Hz filterpoint to replace the lots-of-cheap-film-caps filters on both MR drivers.

In my largish room, about 3200 cubic feet, the music sounds big, clean, spacious...just the way it should.  I love big-orchestra Classical music, and the 12s have never disappointed me.  Here they are in the system, so small they're almost invisible.


The five Marantz MA500 amps drive the center, surrounds, and bass sections of the Avantis, while the Crown CDi2000 drives the SuperSubs.

TY Roger for building affordable, great-sounding SETs for us regular folk.

* The output transformers are wired in parallel for low-impedance speakers.

[acresm22]

Good to hear from you again, Jeffrey. The MR circle has been dead...in fact, I've been wondering if Roger is still making the EM7 amps. I heard (maybe here on AC, can't recall now) that he was having trouble sourcing the wood chassis for a while there...

[Ericus Rex]

Great to hear!

I've been hoping Roger would put these monos on sale like he did with the RM-10.  No luck so far.

Man!  Those are beautiful speakers!

[opnly bafld]

Do you always use the subs?
The APs will dig a little deeper with different amps on the woofers. 

Lin

[chadh]

Great to hear!

I've been hoping Roger would put these monos on sale like he did with the RM-10.  No luck so far.

There won't be a sale on the EM7 amps as I'm pretty sure Roger's not making them anymore.  As suggested above, the walnut chassis proved a problem for him.  For some time, he had an English offsider working with him, who was willing to make the chassis for Roger.  But once that guy returned to England, Roger discovered that the the cost of getting them sourced elsewhere was prohibitively expensive.

Chad

[TONEPUB]

Hey Jeffrey, how have you been!

Powering my 89db speakers with a pair of these:


about 800 watts per/ch!



Hope to see you the next time im in phx...

[jeffreybehr]

"Good to hear from you again, Jeffrey."  And it's a pleasure to be back.  Buying and improving, and especially listening to, the Avantis has rekindled my love of music listening and hi-end audio.

"Do you always use the subs?  The APs will dig a little deeper with different amps on the woofers." No, I don't always use them, just most of the time.  I'm sure there are amps out there that are better at driving the Avantis' bass, but the MA500s do just finely.  Because I drive the bass levels a little harder than if the bass were passively crossed, I have the low-pass Filter Point a 'bit' lower (as in 56Hz intead of c. 200Hz!) with a 4th-order BW slope, plus I have a 20Hz hi-pass 3rd-order BW filter on the bottom.  I also eq down the 31Hz room resonance (1).  Those four 7-inch drivers, plus the higher level of upperbass/lower-MR the MR drivers produce due to the 85Hz FP in the amps, produce the best-sounding string basses I've ever heard (2).  For excellently recorded  piano-trio sound including the best stringbass I've ever heard, try Opus 3's Knud Jorgensen Jazz Trio, CD # CD 8401 (3).  I don't listen to pop music and don't want or need super-tight, overly damped (IMO) bass.

"Hey Jeffrey, how have you been?  Powering my 89db speakers with a pair of these"  I'm well, TYVM Jeffrey D.; I hope you and yours are too.   If you'd like to long-term-loan me a pair of those gillion-dollar Burmesters, I'll sure try 'em.  Meanwhile, I'll continue to listen to and enjoy my humble $100-each MA500s.   ,



(1) all with a dbx DriveRackPA
(2) but I don't get around much shopping for speakers or anything else. 
(3) I LOVE the music and recording.  The latter is analog, using a single Blumlein dual-figure-8 mic.  Was issued on LP originally.

[opnly bafld]

Sounds like you have it sorted out. 

I just wanted to give a heads up because I used to own some MA500s and just about every other amp I had easily beat them in low bass quantity and quality.

Enjoy,
Lin

[TONEPUB]

Jeffrey:

Only one of the 911's is mine.  The other is on loan from Burmester NA till CES, then I have to send it back...

[jeffreybehr]

Jeffrey:  Only one of the 911's is mine.  The other is on loan from Burmester NA till CES, then I have to send it back...

Poor baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     

Good thing it's a stereo amp; you may just have to struggle along with just one. 

[acresm22]

There won't be a sale on the EM7 amps as I'm pretty sure Roger's not making them anymore.

That's a shame if true. I wonder if Roger will end up building the amps in another type of enclosure. I've been wondering too why none of the pubs (online or otherwise) have never done a writeup on the EM7 or SAS series.