[shauk786]

I recently heard the Evoke speakers with Nuprime electronics and have to say after going to at least 10 years of CES, and THE Shows in Vegas and Newport Beach, and listening to the most expensive systems at the shows, I have never heard anything as natural, and real sounding as this.

I bought a full VMPS Home Theater System, and have had many great names in electronics including Bryston, Cary, etc, and they don’t sound anywhere as good.
 
I know I will be at the Evoke and Nuprime room in Newport.

[Evoke]

Thanks shauk786  for your positive feedback! When you design a product it's easy to believe you will accomplish your goal. It's another when you get validation from real music lovers. Can't wait for you to attend THE Show. It will always be our goal to deliver an incredible product to best those many times our price.  Oh - by the way... It's amazing how well television shows are being mixed these days. In particular - House of Cards sounds really great. That sound guy must  be an audiophile too!

[Evoke]

WyWires to supply all internal wiring for Eddie. There are 3 different versions so that the tweeter, midrange and woofer all have the correct wire to deliver the performance each driver needs.  http://www.wywires.com 

[Evoke]

All the pieces are coming together. THE Show is about 30 days away. Components are stacking up for assembly. As soon as the cabinets arrive - time to roll up the sleeves and make it all come together!

[mresseguie]

Guess what I did today?

My wife and I are traveling this summer and we just spent three nights in the Coast Redwoods area of Northern California. Then, we drove a helluva long ways south just so I could spend a few hours in John Casler's man cave listening to Evoke's EDDIE speakers powered by Nuprime components. I'm glad I did. Perhaps I ought to write it this way: I'M GLAD I DID!

John or Mark will have to fill in the details of which songs were first played, but the first track was a Bela Fleck tune that did an excellent job of demonstrating Eddie's bass capability. It's clean, fast, clear, and sweet. Yeah, I said sweet because the bassist was standing not four feet in front of me and I could hear every note. It was a live recording. The audience was really enjoying the tune and I could see them to my front, my left, and my right.

The next track demonstrated the midrange planar driver's capability. Okay, a bunch of the songs demonstrated it. I'm at a loss for some words. I'm not some professional reviewer with a handy audiophile '100 must use vocabulary list' booklet sitting beside my iPad tonight. The clarity left me grinning. I could really hear the guitars, the strings being plucked or strummed. In a later track of my choosing, Natalie Merchant's voice rang out clear and wonderful even though the recording was clearly not the best. I happen to love Natalie's voice. Half-way through the track I told John I was angry with him because I could finally hear this is a poorly recording.

Before I forget, between the Nuprime amp and preamp, and the EDDIE speakers, there is no hiding a poor a recording. You are going to get an earful of clarity of music that won't mask poor recordings. If the recording has warts, you're going to hear them.

It was around this time that I shared my bias with Mark - I told him that I prefer dome tweeters and that getting me to really enjoy a ribbon tweeter would be a challenge. Oh, I have heard a very few speakers with ribbon tweeters that I liked, but by far I prefer dome tweeters. [Yes. We exist.] I listened to several tracks that I knew had the potential to sound bright or have sizzle if played on speakers with inferior tweeters. For the most part these ribbons performed admirably, but there were two tracks that irritated my ears. When I told John and Mark about that sizzle, Mark reminded me that there are two dials in back that allow one to adjust settings to one's liking. He reached round to make an adjustment and asked me to listen again. Hot damn, but the sizzle was gone and I listened to the track again, but this time without mentally cringing. That dial worked magic.

How does this ribbon tweeter stack up? Hmm. It's pretty damned good. It's at least as good as the Scan Speak Ring Radiator tweeter in my speakers in Taiwan. As I didn't do a side-by-side comparison, I can't declare one or the other an absolute winner. I can tell you I like this tweeter. I can also say that I want to listen to one more dome tweeter before I make a decision to buy a pair of Eddies. [Sorry, Mark. I can't let go of my dome tweeter bias without a fight.]

Geez. It takes so much time to type on my iPad. I'm going to cut this short, and add an edit in the morning.

Quick recap: These speakers are excellent sounding. There is great balance between the three drivers. The midrange is so clear and revealing. My two-way speakers just don't compare. What else? I like these speakers! They are heavy - sixty pounds per speaker. Imaging is exceptional in my opinion. These speakers gave me that "you are there" experience.

Disclosure: Mark did not offer me a special deal or discount. I'm not getting paid by him or John. Unfortunately, no one offered to buy gas for my 1200 mile drive from Oregon. John gave me a few chocolate chip cookies and a raspberry drink.

That's all for tonight. It's 12:50 am. Good night.

Michael

[maty]

@mresseguie

What was your favorite Nuprime model with those boxes?

For the most part these ribbons performed admirably, but there were two tracks that irritated my ears. When I told John and Mark about that sizzle, Mark reminded me that there are two dials in back that allow one to adjust settings to one's liking. He reached round to make an adjustment and asked me to listen again. Hot damn, but the sizzle was gone and I listened to the track again, but this time without mentally cringing. That dial worked magic...

From a computer (very optimized to multimedia), the Izotope RX-5 De Hum VSTplugin is very useful.

I use him with foobar2000 (music) and BS Player (video).

[mresseguie]

Hello, Maty.

We used the Nuprime MCH K-38 with a DAC-10 for both DAC and preamp the whole time. Everything sounded fantastic. I had originally planned to hook up the ST-10 amp to hear how it sounds, but I honestly forgot to do this because I was so enjoying the music and accompanying conversations about the development of the speakers.

John says the MCH K-38 is sonically very similar to the ST-9 amps, but I didn't independently verify this.

Michael

[maty]

MCH K-38 / ST-9 are "warm". With the very detailed DAC-10 (ESS Sabre) they have to be a good combination.

MCH K-38 / ST-9 with DAC-9 (AKM AK4490) maybe too "warm" I think.

And thank you!

[johzel]

Correct me if I'm wrong but these look remarkably a lot alike the VMPS 626 speakers (pictured below)??

[John Casler]

Guess what I did today?

My wife and I are traveling this summer and we just spent three nights in the Coast Redwoods area of Northern California. Then, we drove a helluva long ways south just so I could spend a few hours in John Casler's man cave listening to Evoke's EDDIE speakers powered by Nuprime components. I'm glad I did. Perhaps I ought to write it this way: I'M GLAD I DID!

John or Mark will have to fill in the details of which songs were first played, but the first track was a Bela Fleck tune that did an excellent job of demonstrating Eddie's bass capability. It's clean, fast, clear, and sweet. Yeah, I said sweet because the bassist was standing not four feet in front of me and I could hear every note. It was a live recording. The audience was really enjoying the tune and I could see them to my front, my left, and my right.

The next track demonstrated the midrange planar driver's capability. Okay, a bunch of the songs demonstrated it. I'm at a loss for some words. I'm not some professional reviewer with a handy audiophile '100 must use vocabulary list' booklet sitting beside my iPad tonight. The clarity left me grinning. I could really hear the guitars, the strings being plucked or strummed. In a later track of my choosing, Natalie Merchant's voice rang out clear and wonderful even though the recording was clearly not the best. I happen to love Natalie's voice. Half-way through the track I told John I was angry with him because I could finally hear this is a poorly recording.

Hi Michael,

Let me assure you the pleasure was all mine, and you and your wife (who is INCREDIBLE ) are welcome anytime.

The Cuts we played were:

Bela Fleck - Live version of the preamble and Amazing Grace featuring Victor Wooten one of the Worlds best Bass Players.

Ricki Lee Jones - Dat Dere

Roger Waters - Ballad of Bill Hubbard from Amused to Death, in Q-Sound (your wife "loved" the sonic affects in the beginning few minutes)

Black Light Syndrome - DUENDE, which demonstrates a systems BASS abilities

Nils Lofgren's Keith Don't Go, which is also a STANDARD Reference Cut for demoing systems for years.

Before I forget, between the Nuprime amp and preamp, and the EDDIE speakers, there is no hiding a poor a recording. You are going to get an earful of clarity of music that won't mask poor recordings. If the recording has warts, you're going to hear them.

It was around this time that I shared my bias with Mark - I told him that I prefer dome tweeters and that getting me to really enjoy a ribbon tweeter would be a challenge. Oh, I have heard a very few speakers with ribbon tweeters that I liked, but by far I prefer dome tweeters. [Yes. We exist.] I listened to several tracks that I knew had the potential to sound bright or have sizzle if played on speakers with inferior tweeters. For the most part these ribbons performed admirably, but there were two tracks that irritated my ears. When I told John and Mark about that sizzle, Mark reminded me that there are two dials in back that allow one to adjust settings to one's liking. He reached round to make an adjustment and asked me to listen again. Hot damn, but the sizzle was gone and I listened to the track again, but this time without mentally cringing. That dial worked magic.

Yes the genetic heritage of the EVOKE Eddie is strong in the ability to MAKE the sound your own.

Kind of silly to have a "fixed" speaker when all our systems, rooms, hearing abilities, and preferences are so varied.

Buying a "fixed" sound speaker. is like walking into a clothing store that only has suits in 42L.  They just won't fit everyone.

How does this ribbon tweeter stack up? Hmm. It's pretty damned good. It's at least as good as the Scan Speak Ring Radiator tweeter in my speakers in Taiwan. As I didn't do a side-by-side comparison, I can't declare one or the other an absolute winner. I can tell you I like this tweeter. I can also say that I want to listen to one more dome tweeter before I make a decision to buy a pair of Eddies. [Sorry, Mark. I can't let go of my dome tweeter bias without a fight.]

Geez. It takes so much time to type on my iPad. I'm going to cut this short, and add an edit in the morning.

Quick recap: These speakers are excellent sounding. There is great balance between the three drivers. The midrange is so clear and revealing. My two-way speakers just don't compare. What else? I like these speakers! They are heavy - sixty pounds per speaker. Imaging is exceptional in my opinion. These speakers gave me that "you are there" experience.

And as I posted you privately. what you heard is just the "tip of the berg".  Once you have EDDIE in your system you get to start the process of variables in set up and adjustment that eventually will take you to a "personal sound' that fits YOU.

Disclosure: Mark did not offer me a special deal or discount. I'm not getting paid by him or John. Unfortunately, no one offered to buy gas for my 1200 mile drive from Oregon. John gave me a few chocolate chip cookies and a raspberry drink.

That's all for tonight. It's 12:50 am. Good night.

Michael

Again, it was a GREAT PLEASURE to "talk the talk" and Hear the Sounds with someone who appreciates them at the same level.

And my regards to you wonderful wife who was a delight (although you know my bias) and was correct when she said she was "The Good Wife".  Thanks for the kind words and have a great trip.

[John Casler]

Correct me if I'm wrong but these look remarkably a lot alike the VMPS 626 speakers (pictured below)??

Yes the VMPS 626R was the EVOKE EDDIE's DNA donor, with significant Genetic Engineering.

[johzel]

Yes the VMPS 626R was the EVOKE EDDIE's DNA donor, with significant Genetic Engineering.

I further understand your enthusiasm.  The 626's actually cost a bit more as I recall . . .

[*Scotty*]

John, do you happen to know what the crossover points are?
Scotty

[Evoke]

First, thank you Michael for taking the time to listen to EDDIE. It is always nice to get real-
world feedback. I think I agree with you on just about everything - and in a case where we
differ - neither of us is right or wrong - but more on that later.

I'm pleased you liked the low-end performance. It's hard to imagine that a speaker of this
size would do what it does. Your hearing it validates that more than any amount of words I
can write.

As for the midrange - I'm so delighted you enjoyed it. It truly has a lot of detail and will
reveal exactly what is there - and not there in the case of a poor recording as you
discovered. But as we said - it doesn't make that music unlistenable - we will always enjoy
our favorite recordings.

I have to take a moment to comment on NuPrime. They have a similar philosophy as EVOKE
- and that is to create very high performance products at a reasonable price. That's not to
say there aren't better products out there - BUT NuPrime products are insanely wonderful
for their price - and even compared to products MANY times their price. It's one set of
electronics amongst a few that I use in testing as a reference.

Now I want to stick my toe in the water on traditional drivers vs. planners or ribbons. While
you loved the Strat F1 midrange, you had some issues with the ribbon tweeter. In the end
we tweaked the levels and you found the sound that was correct for you. While most high
end speakers lack any control - save those that are bi and tri-amped, Eddie has mid and
high level controls. This can really help, as you saw, in accounting for the differences
between a live or dead room and personal taste.

When I say personal taste I'm not talking about opinion. Let me explain. I have a friend who
has some upper hearing loss. He can still hear highs - but with less sensitivity. So by adding
several dB to the tweeter - he enjoys a sound that works for him - but one that I find overly
bright. Is either one of us wrong - absolutely not.

So let's look at your bias toward dome tweeters over ribbons. I would never argue Ford with
a Chevy guy or vise versa. That said, there are some pretty amazing tweeters out there.
The Scan Speak Revelator being one of them. Another personal favorite are the RAAL
drivers. Going way back Infinity used the RTR electrostatic in their Servo-Statik 1A system -
truly amazing, sexy, lush. Accurate no. Mesmerizing yes! So as EDDIEs father, I had to
make a choice and I felt a ribbon was the best match to the Strat F1 mid. You had
commented that you looked forward to going back home and listening to your speakers with
the dome tweeters. I will be interested in your thoughts after you do that and welcome you
to bring them to compare the highs with EDDIE anytime.

In future conversations I look forward to understanding (Michaels) thoughts and feelings
more. It's that kind of input that leads to better and more revolutionary products.

Thanks again, Michael, for spending some time with EDDIE and writing your impressions
here about him.

P.S. The cookies were very good...

[John Casler]

I further understand your enthusiasm.  The 626's actually cost a bit more as I recall . . .

That may be true, as the 626R had several levels.

The 626R Jr was VERY inexpensive, but a fully stripped down version, sans mega woofers, and with spiral ribbon tweeter.

But the regular 626R with all upgrades including premium caps (not as good as those in the EDDIE) FST Tweeter, MegaWoofers, and premium cabinet (also not as good as the Eddie) was well over $4k retail.

So to come in at this price point, with all the genetic engineering is a crazy good price.

The "Founders Circle" Price, and Benefits Mark has offered, is even beyond "crazy good".

[John Casler]

John, do you happen to know what the crossover points are?
Scotty

Hi Scotty,

I do not, but I know Mark does.   I am not sure how much of the "Secret Sauce" he will be divulging.

I have seen a few measurements that are VERY IMPRESSIVE, but I'm much like Brian, who didn't stress WHAT a speaker measures, since I just want to know what it sounds like, and these seem to sound great.

I do know that Mark has said all the drivers either are proprietary or employed in a very solid way.

It appears that this is a "total design" exercise with a lot of care taken to integration of all components, including the cabinet.

[agdev01]

Saw the news announcement on the show website and found this thread.  Look forward to seeing and hearing these at the show. 

[Evoke]

agdev01 - Thanks for your post... Can't wait to see you at the show! Please introduce yourself from the Audio Circle when you are there!

Scotty - I saw your post and have been wondering for some time when this question would come up and how I would answer it. I think John did a really good job. But please allow me to elaborate.

Personally, I don't listen to specs myself - I listen to music. That said, engineering and measured performance are important. And it isn't just one thing - it's everything that contributes to good performance - both measured and audible. That's what John talks about as an integrated approach. So EVOKE designs try to be much like a good meal. All the courses are great by themselves but complement and go together with each other as a balanced experience.

But let me attempt to answer your question on crossover points. Simply - you shouldn't hear them. If you can hear one driver stopping and the other beginning, then the crossover design and the driver matching didn't work. [There’s a huge tech conversation we could have - but I’ll skip that for now.]

So what are the crossover points? I don't mean to ramble or deflect - but the integration of the entire product is part art and part science that involved countless listening hours. In the end I want you to know that an insane amount of musical passion as well as engineering goes into every EVOKE instrument. As such, there are certain technologies, their mixes and some specs that are proprietary - or as John put it, “secret sauce”…

Bottom line - In the end EDDIE has to speak for himself. If when you listen you're still hearing a speaker instead of the music, then I haven't done my job.

[John Casler]

Scotty,

Also, while as I stated, I don't know the hinge points for EDDIE, the VMPS were (towards the end) at around 220Hz from the Woofers to the Neopanel, and 6.9Khz from the Neo, to the FST tweeter.

I have a feeling, after we are actually seeing production models being placed, that Mark will spill some of the "sauce".

[James Romeyn]

Scotty,

Also, while as I stated, I don't know the hinge points for EDDIE, the VMPS were (towards the end) at around 220Hz from the Woofers to the Neopanel, and 6.9Khz from the Neo, to the FST tweeter.

I have a feeling, after we are actually seeing production models being placed, that Mark will spill some of the "sauce".

One of the nice things about a 3-way is its LF driver can be optimized for a narrower range vs. a 2-way with a mid bass crossed three octaves higher.  Generally the LF driver in a 3-way cuts off lower too. 

60 lbs is a lot of mass for speaker this size.  It looks sharp too. 

I'd love to see graphs for sensitivity, phase angle, and impedance magnitude.