A few questions for Green Mountain Europa owners


I am considering these speakers and had a few questions. What are your overall impressions? What amp are you running them with? What types of music do they do best? Can you tell me of areas where they fall a little short?
thanks,

Chris
128x128tcbannon
I won't bother repeating what the posters above have said, but I will say that I agree completely. They are, IMO, a very rare bargain.
I narrowed my selection down to three: the Sonus Faber Concerto, Revel M20, and the GMA Europas. I auditioned the SF's and the M20's, then decided to give the Europas a try (at less than 1/2 the price). They won hands down, although I still hold the other two in very high regard. Something else that I find rare about the Europas is that you can find them in solid but modest systems like mine (which is very similar to Phasecorrect's) and also in very expensive, truly high end systems such as Tennisjunky's (I think that's the system I'm thinking of). This in itself speaks to the value that these speakers represent.
Where do they fall short? Some are not as fond of their appearance, although I actually like it. They are probably best suited for modern tastes. I like the way they look because they are not the same old wooden boxes. Another drawback (although it is also a BIG strength) is their weight. They are around 45lbs, and require either a very sturdy shelf or preferably a nice set of stands.
As others have already said, Roy is a pleasure to do business with, an added bonus. At this price point you won't find better service and advice.
I have had my Europas for about a month and am very happy with them. I would say that they are fast, lively, with good detail, transparency and soundstaging. My system consists of Jolida JD100, Foreplay, KR Audio Antares (12 watts/channel) and Cardas Neutral Reference speaker cables.
I also have a Jolida 102B (EL84 tubes) which when inserted into the system results is a more fuller and warmer sound, however, I still prefer the more detailed sound of the Antares.
Thanks guys. I had the opportunity to talk to Roy a few days ago and he was very helpful and a pleasure to talk with. I have a Conrad Johnson integrated 45 watt tube amp. Based on your comments, it sounds like I have enough power though I will still bring the amp to the dealers when I listen.
Do any of you guys know Anthony Perrotta? He is a GMA dealer in Brewster New York.
From what they show, it would appear that they are using sand cast resistors, and Solen caps. If so, I would think that some simple upgrades in the speaker's crossover parts might make it sound even better. I am not so sure that the coils are an issue, but you might want to alagator clip in some Alhpa coils just to see if there is an improvement using them. I'd certainly want to Change out the tweeter caps with AuriCaps, the woofer coil with an Alpha Core, and all the resistors with Mills, if not all the caps with AuriCaps, all the coils with Alpha Core, and all the resistors with Mills. OTOH I'd not destroy anything, in the process, sometimes inexpensive coils are used because they have higher resistance, to keep the rest of the circuit simpler, but I'd still have to try some upgrades becasue they could make a great speaker awesome, or an awesome speaker, more so.

Regards,

Lou