[launche]

Lauche, truly excellent reviews - thank you!

Have you considered putting the DEQ/X that came with the XD system on the CS2s?  I think the DEQ/X can hold multiple sets of correction curves, and I'm guessing that Clayton could provide the crossover curves to lie under the room correction curves.  I suspect that this would be very interesting to a lot of people - I don't think anyone has had a chance to directly compare the 2496 to the DEQ/X.

Thanks!

First off I'd like to apologize for the typos in my posts, usually I am typing fast inbetween other tasks and am using a wireless keyboard so sometimes the keyboard lags behind or I can't type as fast as I think.  I will admit to not proof reading so I'm surely it my long posts were a bit difficult to read and follow.  If it is acceptable I can go back and clean things up a bit.

Thanks brj,

The DEQX unit (the XDA) is a closed system (to my knowledge) and was designed specifically for the NHT XD system and can only be used properly with the XD speakers.  It is not the other DEQX stand alone unit. 

[launche]

The system is playing loud, bass is pumping nicely and I can go to another room and not feel or hear the resonant effects of the bass at no where near the likes typical box bass would produce.  I can go upstairs to my bedroom and where you would normally hear the bass build up in the wall cavities and such and it's evident that someone is blasting a stereo downstairs.  With the CS2's that damn near null and void (pun intended)  my wife has no idea that I am cranking the system at the levels I am hearing in the listening position or in the room.  Those with these domestics concerns this is absolutely priceless in my estimation.

This is perfectly in line with theory - dipolar bass cancels in the big picture. The net bass energy into the room should be around zero and it sounds like it is, which is why you hear so little of it in other rooms. Nice to hear that it works in practice.

Yes, RD I know am of the bass cancelling effect. I've enjoyed this effect more or less will most OB speakers I heard or had.  Just wanted to mention it for people who may not have heard OB bass, which I find to be wonderful.  I'm listening right now and my family's asleep and it's comforting to know I'm not disturbing them, so yes it works in theory and damn well in practice.  I was thinking a bit ago to take the bass traps down because this isn't much bass to trap (I'm being a bit imprecise here). Well I guess they could help clean up the midband... but still not worth having those big traps in my room for minimal improvement.

A word on the compression driver tweeter.  I remember showing a different one to a friend when I was working on a speaker project and he looked at it with disdain.  In the CS2's application I found the tweeter to be very musical and articulate.  And interestingly enough not harsh at all to my ears.  Even at loud volumes when I would epect some irritation, the CS2's tweeter never bothered me or showed signs of distress. Some may have concerns about the use of pro-audio drivers but they have their advantages, the CS2's seem to play well and maintain their composure and stay dynamic and stay listenable pretty much right up to their limits. Some may have their specific taste in tweeter design and presentation but again this option is a very viable one and sounds musical to my ears.  There are times when I feel as if the tweeter is highlighting itself but part of my thought was maybe that's because the bass is just so natural and so unassumingly ushered into the equation.  when turning the CS2's up to really nice levels, the bass kept it's composure pretty well right up to that tipping point.  I've heard OB bass performance that seemed to slam harder when pushed but at the expense of more distortion.  The CS2's appear to walk the line bewteen staying composed vs sheer slam for the sake of doing so when really juiced.

[TheChairGuy]

launche - don't apologize for your typo's - you r posts are great.  Keep 'em comin' 

I found the same thing as you having spent time with Maggies in my room (open baffle, of course). They did not load the room, or other rooms, with bass...so you heard them less, or not at all, in the rest of the house.

As I live in California - and our houses don't typically have a lot of insulation in the walls (nor are outside walls particularly thick to guard against inclement weather).  So, like no house I ever lived in back East...sounds travels here across several rooms and even a floor above at fairy restrained levels.

OB designs are great for folks in apartments, townhomes and houses with thin walls and other people living in it 

John

[GHM]

Great review launche,
I got a chance to hear the Emeralds over the weekend... phenomenal speakers! I also heard the Galos 3.1 in the same room..didn't care for these at all! No match for the Emeralds IMHO for the same money. I see a pair of C2s in my future. aa

[zybar]

Great review launche,
I got a chance to hear the Emeralds over the weekend... phenomenal speakers! I also heard the Galos 3.1 in the same room..didn't care for these at all! No match for the Emeralds IMHO for the same money. I see a pair of C2s in my future. aa

You should hear a pair of CS2's with an upgraded or modified DCX...oh my!   aa

George

[GHM]

Great review launche,
I got a chance to hear the Emeralds over the weekend... phenomenal speakers! I also heard the Galos 3.1 in the same room..didn't care for these at all! No match for the Emeralds IMHO for the same money. I see a pair of C2s in my future. aa

You should hear a pair of CS2's with an upgraded or modified DCX...oh my!   aa

George

I had a good friend with me..he's still talking about these speakers!! I can only imagine how much better they can get! I know he's going to buy a pair as well in the near future. By far the most explosive speakers I've had the pleasure of hearing!

[TomS]

Great review launche,
I got a chance to hear the Emeralds over the weekend... phenomenal speakers! I also heard the Galos 3.1 in the same room..didn't care for these at all! No match for the Emeralds IMHO for the same money. I see a pair of C2s in my future. aa

You should hear a pair of CS2's with an upgraded or modified DCX...oh my!   aa

George

I had a good friend with me..he's still talking about these speakers!! I can only imagine how much better they can get! I know he's going to buy a pair as well in the near future. By far the most explosive speakers I've had the pleasure of hearing!

The "explosive" part is what has really surprised me so far.  I haven't had a lot of exposure to OB's, but having heard the tri-amped Orions a couple times, I really wasn't expecting this kind of dynamics from the CS2's.  I heard excellent dynamics in the Ronins too, though they had a sealed, not OB bass section.  The CS2's, for a reasonable size/volume room like mine, can really knock you out.  Contrary to what I thought would happen, I'm also adding more room treatments to deal with it.  Who 'da thunk it?

Tom

[JoshK]

And interestingly enough not harsh at all to my ears.  Even at loud volumes when I would epect some irritation, the CS2's tweeter never bothered me or showed signs of distress.

This was my inexperienced a priori belief in CDs too.  However, the opposite is almost true.  CD's have a fraction of the distortion that a dome tweeter has at say 90db+.  They have tons more headroom.  At very low volumes they may have more distortion then a really good dome, but typically it is mostly 2nd harmonic in nature. 

The common harsh misconception probably goes back to some of our experiences with pro events or cheap car audio, etc.  CD's are greatly affected by the horn/waveguide that they are on.  In fact you might say that you are hearing the horn as much as the driver.  Horns are essentially bandpass devices and used within their passband they do their deed.  When you drive a horn outside of its passband or do not cross appropriately they can make for some seriously nasty sound.  This is due to lobing and diffraction and I have just a basic understanding of the mechanics.   I think this is what I heard in the Avantgarde Duo.  It is what people speak of when they describe a horn's honk and coloration.  Geddes relates this to higher order modes.

Used within the passband appropriately there is no reason to believe a CD + horn/waveguide should be anything other than a super charged tweeter with serious headroom.  The headroom leads to the perceived startling dynamics.  As a result you then can see just how much the standard dome is compressing the dynamics as a comparison. 

[launche]

Thanks JoshK, a good assessment.

Yes, The CS2 do light up the room nicely.  Making an already tough decision even tougher.  For my money, this is a speaker that could be the end of the road for my tastes and hitting the point of diminishing returns, there's always better of course but one can get a large slice of the pie with these units.  Yesterday, I had to break the system down to avoid the strong temptation.

...there's no more "on the fence" about these, they are the real deal.  If your considering something in this price range or beyond, consider the CS2's.  It's a qaulity speaker system, the only issue is whether you are looking for some specific sound or presentation.  

[Ric Schultz]

4 reasons why the Emeralds are so dynamic:

1.  High efficiency......this means there is less power going to the driver and less back EMF to mess up the drive.  Easy for the amp to handle.  No strain on the amp at all.

2.  Horn top end.  Horns are naturally fast thangs.....super accelerating small titanium diaphragms....wave guide (horn) loaded gives super fast transient response.

3.  Open baffle woofs/mids: no box to compress the dynamics and with two 15s there is very little movement of each driver, again resulting in less back EMFand transient distortion.

4.  Direct amp drive.....this is important.  Those of you who have listened to passive parts know there is no inductor, resistor or capacitor that can be as fast and dynamic as the real thang (nothing)......and nothing is what you have in front of the driver

For those seeking even more transparency and dynamics....you will want to bypass the binding posts and wire going to the high freq driver and connect your high frequency speaker wires directly to the back of the driver.  One of my customers has already terminated his high frequency wires with the exact tabs you need so when he gets the speakers he simply slips the tabs right on the driver.....(no binding posts or other wire in the signal path for more dynamic, pure sound).

I can hardly wait to get my speakers....this is going to be fun!

[JoshK]

The BMS drivers that EP uses in the CS2 if I am not mistaken don't use titanium diaphrams.  I think it was reported to be mylar or something like that.  I was suppose to get my BMS 4540's today or soon. 

[Ric Schultz]

OK,
I don't know what drivers are in the CS2.....and whether they are titanium or not, but according to most everyone who has heard them....they sure are fast.

[gitarretyp]

The CS2 uses a selenium tweeter on what look to be a parts express wave guide and eminence alpha15 woofers.

[JoshK]

OK, selenium make a poly-type CD and a titanium type CD.  I thought I heard it used a BMS. 

FWIW, I heard good things about the selenium poly CD.  I also have read really good things about the PE waveguide and have a pair to play with and to compare to my DDS ENG 1-90s. 

[zybar]

The CS2 uses a selenium tweeter on what look to be a parts express wave guide and eminence alpha15 woofers.

And how do you know this?

George

[TomS]

...For those seeking even more transparency and dynamics....you will want to bypass the binding posts and wire going to the high freq driver and connect your high frequency speaker wires directly to the back of the driver.  One of my customers has already terminated his high frequency wires with the exact tabs you need so when he gets the speakers he simply slips the tabs right on the driver.....(no binding posts or other wire in the signal path for more dynamic, pure sound).

This is one of the first things I did.  I just clamped my Reality wires right to the HF driver.  It definitely improved the high end, though the stock crossover is obviously rather limiting.  One step at a time...  Tom

[gitarretyp]

And how do you know this?

George

You can see the tweeter label on the driver. I've seen the eminence referenced elsewhere, though i certainly could be wrong on the woofers. The wave guide is a best guess, but it's a pretty close cosmetic match for the PE wave guides.

[Clayton Shaw]

I use a Selenium D220Ti compression driver in the CS2. This unit employs a ribbed titanium diaphram and a 1" exit. It is a wideband design which is an obvious requirement since the CS2 crossover point is 1kHz.

The CS1 3-way prototypes have all used BMS compression drivers. They use an interesting annular, mylar diaphram and sound very good.

Most all the premium pro driver companies produce excellent compression drivers. The list includes:
B&C, Beyma, BMS, Eighteen Sound, JBL, Radian, RCF, Selenium. Choosing one depends on the application and suitability of parameters as well as personal preference.

Most CD/horn combos are very non-flat if not equalized. This, along with improper horn lens selection accounts for most of the poor sound we have historically associated with horn sound. DSP equalization allows one to focus on what consider to be critical design issues (polar performance, acceleration, distortion etc.) without the burden of driver response flatness. This can be dealt with later via DSP.

Clayton Shaw
Emerald Physics Corp.