Emotiva ER Measurements

Using the Sencore SP395A FFT Audio Analyzer, we measured the ERM-1 in room on and off axis frequency response with 1/12^th octave resolution.

ERM-1 ½ Meter Frequency Response (1/12^th octave)

The ERM-1 was such an easy speaker to measure since it was a sealed design that naturally rolls off below 80Hz and the close spacing of the drivers allows the system to converge into a point source at roughly ½ meter.  The on/off axis response of the ERM-1 proved to be very linear and smooth.  These are definitely not ear bleeders are obviously voiced to sound very natural and non-fatiguing.

ERM-1 ½ Meter Frequency Response (1/12^th octave) Various Tweeter Settings

If you want to customize your sound, Emotiva lets you with the inclusion of a tweeter switch which has 3 positions (+2dB, 0dB, -2dB).  The proper setting depends on your room acoustics and listening preferences.  The switch worked as promised providing a +-2dB level adjustment above the systems crossover point which appears to be in the 2.5kHz region.

ERM-1 ½ Meter Frequency Response (1/12^th octave) Various Boundary Settings

The ERM-1’s inclusion of the boundary switch is very useful for those placing these speakers in close proximity to a wall or in an entertainment center.  It essentially compensates for the natural boost a speaker gets at lower frequencies when loaded into a 2pi space environment.  The switch appeared to take in effect below 300Hz by knocking off up to 6dB of bass and restoring the proper balance to the speaker while it was placed against the wall.

ERM-1 Impedance & Phase Plot

The ERM-1 is a well oiled machine with a carefully executed crossover design to keep the phase response within a +-30deg window throughout the entire audio band and an impedance profile that never dips below 3.2 ohms (per THX recommendation).

Overall Observations

With such a relatively benign impedance profile, natural roll off below 80Hz and relatively high efficiency, excellent on/off axis dispersion characteristics, this speaker has all of the hallmarks of a well executed THX design at an unheard of price class. It has the potential of sounding great in virtually any environment utilizing a wide variety of amplifiers and receivers. Don’t be afraid to feed these babies a lot of power as they won’t bottom out and thanks to the excellent driver’s utilized and 4^th order Linkwitz Riley crossover implementation they won’t scoff at the juice.

Editorial Note on 4^th Order Networks
There are many advantages to the crossover topology Emotiva employed in this design with one being able to produce a maximally flat amplitude response. With a 24 dB/octave slope it provides the best isolation between drivers resulting in the least modulation distortion and has a 360 degree phase shift which results in "in-phase" response and promotes minimal or no lobing or tilt in the coverage pattern. It is also the least sensitive to driver misalignment.  The disadvantage is crossover component complexity and cost and increased insertion loss because of inductor DCR.

This is one of the most well executed loudspeaker system designs of come across in years regardless of their asking price. It is an obvious asset that Emotiva has chosen to employ one of the great loudspeaker engineers in the industry (Vance Dickason) to engineer this system.