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Epos Vs. Neat

I am on the verge of picking up new speakers after about a year of being without (I've posted relatively recently about this)...

...I had pretty much settled on Epos M12.2's. I like their speed, accuracy in the midrange (vocals are beautiful) and punchy sound (will be used in a relatively small room).

The other day, however, I passed by the shop where I plan to make the purchase and there was a guy there auditioning the Neat Mystiques and Ruark speakers (don't know the model - i think Sabre IIIs or something)...

The Neats really caught my attention. They have excellent clarity, are very fast, punchy and musical ... best of all, they play music. There is just something about the way the put the music together that makes you want to groove no matter WHAT you're listening to. The Epos do this as well, but to a lesser extent.

The thing is, the Neats are a tad costly for me (twice the price of the Epos) and I'd still have to make cable switches etc. to get them to sound right at home (I'll have to do the same with the Epos, but they're a lot cheaper so adding cost of cables is not such a big deal).

I wonder if i could get some opinions from any of you... Should I purchase the Epos and stay within my current budget? Should I hold off for a few more months and get the Neats? Further, which would likely work better with my associated equipment (listed below)?

Anyone have experience with both of these speakers? with either of these speakers?

any comments and/or suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Signed,

A poor man with an expensive addiction.

assoc. equip:

Unison Research Unico (stock)
Rotel 971 cd
Link Dac III, half nelson with upsampling.
cables: up in the air
loose
rar1's avatar
rar1
1,795 posts
 
Hi Loose:

The rear port on the EPOS 12.2 needs space to breathe, otherwise its magic is lost. They also need to be on stands at a proper height. The EPOS 12.2 are fine for nearfield listening.

I owned a pair of EPOS 11 that never sounded as wonderful as they did in the showroom, mostly because I had them placed inside a bookcase on a shelf inches with the rear port maybe 6 inches from the rear wall. They need to be out in the room.

On a final note, the sound of the EPOS are moderately dependent on the equipment that they are paired with. You should be in good shape with the Unico hybrid and the Rotel/Link.

Regards, Rich
peter_s
1,348 posts
 
I'll just add that I was really impressed with the 12.2's. They are a great bang-for-the-buck speaker that I would recommend to anyone going shopping in the $800 new range.
mcfavre4
85 posts
 
I have owned the Neat Mystiques and Epos M12(not 12.2) at the time to compare. The Neats were much more transparent and involvinig to me. The really conveyed the musical message as far as tempo and had just a magical midrange that fills out the space between the speakers much better than the M12 did. The highs were also more open and airy. They sounded quite different yet both are well recommended with Naim gear specifically. Both sets of speakers were listened to in my home on the same gear Naim (Nait 5/FC2/CD5). I haven't heard the M12.2.
caterham1700
271 posts
 

Loose,

RE:"...maybe that will make the Neats too cramped"

I current use MF7's and Critiques, formerly owned Elites & Elite SE's and have used Mystiques,Vitos, and MF9's in show exhibits.
Generally, I've found that Neats tend prefer close spacing and placement relatively near to the rear wall to give of their best- typically 5 ft to 6-1/2 ft apart and from 12" to 20" from the rear wall,dependant on the particular model, in both long and short wall setups in medium and smaller sized rooms.

best,
Ken Lyon
GreaterRanges/Neuance
loose OP
239 posts
 
Mcfavre4:

what speakers / equip are you using at the moment?
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