Epic 80 CD and DTS Audio Evaluation
We all have our favorite albums with which to listen to systems. It's important, because it's the only way to have a prayer at comparing a new system to what you already know, or the defacto standard you have created in your memory. For me, I utilize several albums which I will describe below. There are others I utilize as well, but these cover a wide array of testing material. These albums have been with me for quite some time and serve as good references for fidelity, imaging and how the speakers handle smooth Lexicon [or other] reverbs.
"After properly installing the EP350 subwoofer, you may have to take a tour of your house and nail down anything that is prone to rattling or falling off walls!" - Clint DeBoer, Audioholics.com
Steely Dan Gold (Expanded Edition) CD: I like to hear the clarity of a speaker system by playing "Hey Nineteen" at high SPLs. I could almost hear the M80ti(s) merely laughing at my futile attempt to test the punch in the guitars. When the background vocals chimed in I couldnÕt believe how much additional depth and detail were present. The most impressive detail present during percussion and absolutely revealed finger noise during guitar string plucking. After listening to the song a second time around I noticed that when moving off axis by just a few feet I experienced a dramatic phase shift in the music. Toeing the M80ti(s) in a little further relieved this and the shift disappeared. In fact, after the adjustment, walking around the center of the room yielded a fairly consistent timbre, probably due to the multiple drivers of the M80ti(s) which fill the entire area. The reverb in Deacon Blues absolutely enveloped the listening room with a smooth, natural sound unmatched with other speakers in this price range.
Toy Matinee DTS: What amazed me here was the spatial imaging found in the title track, "Toy Matinee." Toms rotating around the room appeared more directional in this 5.1 system than in any other I've tested - a tough achievement as the smooth transition of a sound between the rear channels is jumpy without a center channel to help, and gradual rear to front transitions are difficult at best. In "The Ballad of Jenny Ledge" the detail present in the hi-hat showed off the accuracy and frequency response of the dual 1" tweeters.
The Eagles - Hell Freezes Over DTS: As you can tell from the above reviews, I like to hear how smooth a good reverb sounds, when played on a DTS 5.1 system. "New York Minute" is probably one of my favorite songs of all time, and the Epic 80 system made me feel like Don Henley was singing in my living room. I could not believe how gently the voices occupied my room, with an almost eerie realism that I had not heard before. The drums are panned wide in this mix, which allowed me to reference the accurate spatial placement of the system - which was flawless. Smooth bass rounded out this song and assured me that clarity and spatial accuracy wasn't the only thing the Axiom's did well in this price range.
Seal: An oldie but goodie, Seal does a great job at revealing how the speakers handle low-end and computer-generated techno frequencies. Particular at 5:15 into "Crazy," there are frequencies that many people aren't even aware of due to their system's inability to reproduce them. While the M80ti(s) were unable to punch out the 25-35Hz sub-harmonics, the EP350 filled in the gap just fine.
