Emerald Physics CS-2, Opinions Please

Guys..you all make very good points..well thought out and intelligently discussed. Yes indeed, I too have been Very guilty of going with the hype of the latest greatest products over the years as well. I think Tvad and I have very similar preference in what we like sonically. I know when a component is not gonna do it for me before too long Sometimes it takes some time (usually not long though) to decide .."hey..I cant live with this or that"..just not gonna do it for me! Many of us feel we have been duped along the way and are tired of being "burned" by that hype....

Now, does that mean Ill have the CS-2's forever?...probably not. I do know that I loved my Quads and was not planning to sell them..but again..In this hobby..we change components for the thrill of the next level of sonic enjoyment.

I can say, that after hearing the CS-2's in my home now for a few months..I hear much of what I always wanted in a speaker or my music. No speaker is perfect..that we all agree. The CS-2 does so many things well and gets the music right IMHO and the negatives are at a minimum for me and my preferences. I could have them be even more dynamic..if I had some SOTA front end equipment before them and maybe Clayton's new DSP unit at some point...but as you can see from my system, I prefer a warmer, less analytical sound..evidenced by no less than 17 tubes taking up residence and (adding heat!) in my set up. Even with my modest equipment, this is a well balanced and quite dynamic sounding system.

With respect to the drivers..I too have read about how the drivers are fairly inexpensive compared to other well regarded speakers and other OB designs...But, in the end..Consttraveler is correct..Taken as a whole, the system equipment, room, and speakers should get the music right first and foremost. Not dismissing the good science that went into the making of other well made and good sounding speakers nor solid work and physics that enabled them to be what they are, I think the heart of the matter for me is that the Emerald Physics speakers have managed to accomplish a benchmark sounding product. There is no new "groundbreaking" technology here..as Rchau correctly points out..only the proper application and forward thinking use of exsisting technology. That forsight has enabled a speaker to sound as good or better than many much higher priced speakers..and that folks I believe is the real buzz and not hype.

Oh..Grant..You got the order of previously owner speakers correct! LOL!..I didnt know you were keeping track! ;-) Funny.

If you haven't figured it out, I'm a physicist by trade so I do view things a bit from the science standpoint. Hard habit to break. BTW-I use DSP in some of my data analysis so I know full well the advantages and disadvantages.

It seems you have made up your mind so some of comments seems to have rubbed you the wrong way. I never intended to do so. As long as it makes you happy, it doesn't matter what I or anyone says. I was just expressing my opinions based on my experiences and my own personal preferences.

My main point was that many of the good qualities of the CS2's are due to the use of compression drivers, properly made horn, etc. and less to due with the DSP or open baffle nature of the CS2. So it is not a bad idea to listen to some other examples of speakers before you buy.

I do not own a pair of CS2's but my friend is a dealer and I hang out at the store most weekends so I get lots of listening time with the CS2's using a variety of electronics. He also asked me to him set-up the speakers so I did spend a fair amount of time playing with them.

I never dismissed pro drivers. They are very effective when used properly (operative word is properly). They have many key advantages like power handling and efficiency. I use Altec drivers which are essentially pro drivers. My point was that you could get a speaker with parts that have a better design for less. I did not intend to mean more expensive was better. Just that the component needs to be designed to do the intended job. The 'wall of sound' is very effective in creating a wall of sound just not music reproduction. Pro audio and home audio have different design criteria and needs.

That's why I suggested looking at Hawthorne Audio. Their drivers are made by Eminence, the same company that makes the bass drivers for the CS2s and the OEM for the drivers used Zu speakers. The main difference is that the drivers used by Hawthorne have a qts value optimized for open baffle operation so they don't need to use DSP to compensate for the bass. Same story with the PHY-HP drivers. They are designed for open baffle use and don't need equalization.

Since you have or are buying the CS2's, I do agree with using the digital input on the Behringer. The extra analog to digital stage really is a negative. Not sure what to do with vinyl playback other than an outboard A/D. One thought I had about the CS2 was to replace the Behringer crossover unit with the DEQX PDC2.6 (with or without preamp). The DEQX has a more flexible crossover and will also allow for room correction. If you are going to use this stick then you might as well get a bigger stick.