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Steve Guttenberg finally reviews the Eminent Technology LFT-8b loudspeaker.

 

Over the past few years I and a number of other owners of the Eminent Technology LFT-8b have on this site extolled the virtues of this under-acknowledged loudspeaker. I myself have encouraged those interested in Magnepans to try and hear the LFT-8 before buying. That is not easy, as ET has only five U.S.A. dealers.

I am a long-time fan of Maggies, having bought my first pair (Tympani T-I) in 1973, my last (Tympani T-IVa) a few years ago. But the Tympani’s need a LOT of room (each 3-panel speaker is slightly over 4’ wide!), which I currently don’t have. So I gave a listen to the MG 1.7i, and didn’t much care for it. As I recounted in a thread here awhile back, I found the 1.7 to sound rather "wispy", lacking in body and tonal density (thank you Art Dudley ;-).

Brooks Berdan was (RIP) a longtime ET dealer, installing a lot the company’s linear-tracking air-bearing arm on Oracle, VPI, and SOTA tables. After Brooks’ passing his wife Sheila took over management of the shop, continuing on as an ET dealer. I knew Brooks was a fan of the LFT-8, and he had very high standards in loudspeakers (his main lines were Vandersteen, Wilson, and Quad). The shop had a used pair of LFT-8’s, so I gave them a listen. They sounded good enough to me to warrant investigate further, so I had Sheila order me a pair, along with the optional (though nearly mandatory) Sound Anchor bases.

I wouldn’t waste your time if I didn’t consider the ET LFT-8b to be just as I have on numerous occasions (too many times for some here) described it: the current best value in all of hi-fi. Hyperbole? Well, you no longer have to take it from just me and the other owners here: Steve Guttenberg finally got around to getting in for review a pair (the LFT-8 has been in production for 33 years!), and here is what he has to say about it. After watching the video, you can read other reviews (in a number of UK mags, and in TAS by Robert E. Greene) on the ET website.

https://youtu.be/Uc5O5T1UHkE

 

 

128x128bdp24
bdp24's avatar
bdp24 OP
9,452 posts
 

I thought you might have something to say on this subject Ric. ;-)

I'm unaware of the WBT Nextgen post, though I do have some of the RCA's on ic cables. Gotta check those out.

harpo75
81 posts
 

Yes ricevs, hardwiring even is always the best way to go.  Although it can also be inconvenient for moving, cleaning, upgrading, selling equipment.  I’ve thought of doing it many times to the speakers but haven’t.  Not real hard to do there.  I have hard wired from a couple sources in the past.  That at least gets rid of the connections on one end. 

The Apogee’s have to be fantastic. 

bdp24's avatar
bdp24 OP
9,452 posts
 

One application where I am pretty serious about hardwiring is in the tonearm. All my arms have single uninterrupted length of wires, from cartridge clips to RCA jacks. With a signal that low in level you really don’t want any extra joints (so to speak ;-) .

harpo75
81 posts
 

Right with you there bdp24.  Rewired my Saec with one length of OCC from cartridge to Cardas RCA jacks. 

harpo75
81 posts
 

I did completely upgrade the crossover parts in the LFT-8b with a copper foil inductor on the mid-panel, larger gauge copper wire inductor on the woofer, all high quality polypropylene caps and wires everything inside with Furutech OCC wire soldered with silver content solder and of course the Cardas posts.  The only resistor on the tweeter panel is the Mundorf MResist Ultra which are super clean sounding.  The sand resistors are terrible sounding.  Very grainy (no pun intended).  

Just the copper foil inductor on the mid-panel was a huge sonic improvement!   Much smoother sound and more revealing.  

The reason I kept everything inside was that the speakers would be much easier to sell if I ever want to.  I always consider that when modding things. 

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