The new Epos ES14N are inspired by the past but look to the future
SPEAKERS
Founded in the early 1980s, Epos was a bit of an engineering maverick, refusing to follow many of the speaker design conventions of the day. Its two standmounters, the mid-range ES14 and cheaper ES11 sibling, delivered exceptional sound quality thanks to a raft of clever engineering solutions. These included ultra-simple crossover networks, highly developed mid/bass drivers designed to roll-off smoothly at the top of their operating range, and cleverly constructed cabinets.
Like the original, the ES14N is a largish two-way standmounter. The two generations both have metal-dome tweeters, polypropylene mid/bass cones and are rear ported. Both driver units are fresh designs specifically for this speaker. The 18cm size of the injection-moulded polypropylene mid/bass unit still echoes that of the original, because it was felt that this size gives a good balance between bass extension and midrange ability compared with the more conventional 20cm and 16.5cm choices that most rivals use.
A solid metal phase plug is claimed to help off-axis performance and the way the unit behaves at the top of its operating frequency range. Its 36mm copper voice coil is double-wound on a TIL (a glass fibre/epoxy mix) former, and great care has been taken with the motor system to ensure linear low distortion and minimal inductance variation over the cone’s travel.
The ES14N’s relatively conventional crossover is a major departure from the ‘simplicity first’ philosophy of the original. Epos felt it was preferable to control the new speaker’s response electrically rather than by using the drive units to do the job mechanically. As a result, the crossover is more complex than before.
The ES14N prove something of a slow burner. It doesn’t take long to recognise their impressive clarity and precision, but our initial listening is marred by the treble being a little disjointed and thin, while overall dynamics come across as a little restrained. Thankfully this impression changes over time as the speakers settle into sounding wonderfully cohesive and balanced. That treble soon calms and integrates beautifully with the midrange, delivering as seamless a performance as we have heard at this level. Dynamics gain considerably in expression too.
BOLD AND CONFIDENT
These standmounters major in analysis, control and organisation. Give them a dense recording such as Stravinsky’s The
