If an unassuming, traditional-looking
floorstanding speaker is high on your wish-list, then the Epic 5s could fit the
bill.
98cm tall and 32cm deep, the Epic 5s are
fairly big but don’t dominate a room. There are solid MDF plinths in the box,
plus a set of sturdy spikes. The speakers themselves are two-and-a-half-way
designs, with a 25mm soft-dome tweeter positioned above and dual 17.9cm
mid/bass drivers. Those drivers either sit flush with a removable baffle, or
hide behind a grille.
Epos
Epic 5
Play a mixture of tracks through the Epics
over a prolonged period and you’ll find them easy on the ear and extremely
comfortable to live with in the long-term.
Highs from the soft-dome tweeter sparkle,
but there’s a real sense of finesse and smoothness there which stops any
potential hardness dead in its tracks. The White Stripes’ Dead Leaves And
The Dirty Ground crashes and bashes about, but the track doesn’t grate.
Switch to a classical album and the Epic 5s
show they can time and sound natural, too. Bass can sound overly plump if
partnered with the wrong kit, though, so we’d stick with an agile amp such as
the Rega Brio-R to help cut through them.
Highs
from the soft-dome tweeter sparkle, but there’s a real sense of finesse and
smoothness there which stops any potential hardness dead in its tracks.
Going down the bi-wire route, we found the
speaker’s soundstage turns more airy and open while single-wire retains greater
cohesion. It’s worth experimenting. We also found the speakers sound their best
at least a foot from a rear wall and toed in slightly towards the listener.
There’s a simplicity to the Epic 5s’ sound
which is quite charming. They don’t have the dynamic versatility and spark of
the class-leaders around this price, but they’re still extremely easy to live
with.
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Details
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Price
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$1125
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Ratings
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4/5
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