If my choices were only between the EPOS ELS3 and the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1, I would choose the Diamond 9.1 with no hesitation.
I owned the EPOS ELS3 and found them to sound somewhat boxy and congested in the upper bass. I also felt that the EPOS could not be driven all that loud before breaking up. I used them with solid state components ... a vintage Marantz 2240 receiver; an Audiosource power amp; a Music Hall CD 25 cd player; and a JVC 602 DVD player. I had the Diamond 8.1's in the same set-up and the differences were fairly noticeable. The sound was very clear and open and the Diamonds worked well in a variety of placements. The 9.1's offer improved sound, especially in the bass department ... a real step above both the Diamond 8.1 and the EPOS ELS3.
If you are open to other options, I would audition the NHT SB2's. These are the small monitors that I ultimately went with and have kept. I prefer how these speakers sound with both solid state and tube components ... very musical sounding.
Regards, Rich
I owned the EPOS ELS3 and found them to sound somewhat boxy and congested in the upper bass. I also felt that the EPOS could not be driven all that loud before breaking up. I used them with solid state components ... a vintage Marantz 2240 receiver; an Audiosource power amp; a Music Hall CD 25 cd player; and a JVC 602 DVD player. I had the Diamond 8.1's in the same set-up and the differences were fairly noticeable. The sound was very clear and open and the Diamonds worked well in a variety of placements. The 9.1's offer improved sound, especially in the bass department ... a real step above both the Diamond 8.1 and the EPOS ELS3.
If you are open to other options, I would audition the NHT SB2's. These are the small monitors that I ultimately went with and have kept. I prefer how these speakers sound with both solid state and tube components ... very musical sounding.
Regards, Rich