Calling for opinions on Escalante Fremonts

Takashic,

Would you be amenable to demoing your Fremonts?

Evan

An excellent thread so I thought I would reshare my post from another Fremont thread here too if you don't mind to maintain the good reputation of these speakers.......
Bit of a time lapse in response!
Yes I've heard these speakers, it felt risky but I bought them unheard from a reliable and professional source in the UK where I live and I have not looked back. I use them with an AyonTriton III Valve Integrated usually on the Triode setting which pushes out 70W a side.
Given their 93db sensitivity this is loud and powerful enough to give me what I need from my music. The speakers are revealing and don't tolerate poor recordings. Dial a quality recording in from my sources...CD, DAB/FM Radio or Vinyl and the results are sublime. No need for a sub woofer, 12" drivers do the job great, the one's you can see, there is another 12" hidden within the cabinet. The scanspeak revelator tweeter is reputed to be one of the best in the business. I get it all....soundstage, musicality, pace, rhythm and yes....timing lol! The sound is clear, detailed, unfatigueing, true to whatever quality of recording has been achieved by the musicians and engineers. I play hand percussion Latin mainly so I'm very keen to hear the accurate reproduction of conga drums and the various hand techniques employed in the playing of those wonderful drums. The speakers were previously owned by the owner of a high end turntable manufacturing co who used them for a good few years to listen through to hear the various developments of his own products. He needed a reliable benchmark for that, these were it. Anyway my risk paid off, they are about 10 yrs old and are Fremont MkII. Greg Weaver and others put out reviews which I studied and together with the credibility of the first owner, although I took 6 months to decide, I plunged in to buy them. Piano black in colour, on matching purpose designed stands. I'm so glad the previous owner imported them, took such good care of them and I'm happy I was able o make the decision to buy and enjoy them.

Escalante Design speakers, both the Fremonts and the Pinyons, were among the most musical transducers I have ever experienced. It is truly a shame that the company is no longer around (for a variety of reasons, but that is a discussion for another time, perhaps).

I’ve been involved with audio since the 1970’s, and have heard, and owned, a wide variety of gear.  Some companies with less-than-stellar products make it due to excellent marketing and distribution, while others with superior products fail for reasons totally unrelated to the quality of reproduced sound.

While I will not disparage other products/dealers/reviewers/competitors, I will state what I have heard from the remarkable products produced by Escalante Design: they are extremely fast, clear, musical, dynamic, powerful, and quiet (they don’t seem to produce any noise of their own).  I have heard details coming out of both the Fremonts and the Pinyons that just amazed me – and I am a detail freak.  When hearing them (especially the Fremonts) in a top quality chain, they possess the ability to connect emotionally with the listener, as though you are hearing the true intent of the artist.

Disclaimer: I have owned, and still own, Escalante Design speakers.  They are my music’s best friends.  Regardless of whether you are listening to Dido’s Don’t Believe in Love, John Rutter’s Requiem, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Tin Pan Alley, Eva Cassidy’s Autumn Leaves, Fourplay’s Max-O-Man, or any other instrumental or vocal piece, the reproduction is simply unbelievably, well, believable.

And, having owned many, MANY speakers, beginning with Pioneer in the 1970’s, to Polk Audio in the 1980’s, and going on from there to include models from Genesis, Infinity, Ohm Acoustics, Magneplanar, Snell, NHT, Apogee, etc., I can state that the Escalante Design Fremonts and Pinyons (with a good subwoofer, like the ED Uinta) reproduce music – the ENTIRE musical experience – better than many “alternative” and “exotic” designs, to my ears.  And, although the speakers utilize dynamic drivers, they are capable of detail retrieval previously available only from ‘stats or ribbons.

One last word (for now): the speakers themselves use technology/circuitry that was new, and patented; many people did not know what to make of it.  They can be fairly exacting with regard to set up, and they WILL reveal whatever your system/room/recording has going on.

Thanks for your impressions and experiences with the Fremont's Takashic, I get the feeling this thread isn't going to get that busy. I'd be shocked if I bumped into any other UK owners here. Great for exclusivity but hopeless if I ever wanted to sell them on, not that I think I ever will after 5 months listening and they do keep surprising me with new detail that leaps out both subtly and dynamically. I've recently acquired a VoVox Textura XLR cable and put it between my Ayon Triton III integrated amp and Esoteric X-03 SE CDP which has upped the level again.

I was interested in your comments re positioning. I'm listening quite near field in a space 16' X 12' with the speakers on the long wall firing across the narrower width. Speakers are 6' apart tweeter to tweeter and 7' each from the listening chair, currently toed in at approx 25° angle each towards the chair. I did play around a bit before finally dropping the integral 4 spikes on each stand.  There is an arch behind me opening into a larger space 17' wide and 20' long into a bay window. The listening room is a solid floor hence my choice to use it for purpose (a major motivation for me when we bought the house 18yrs ago, I spotted the room potential immediately, luckily my wife loved the house in general!).

Yes, so I would be interested in your thoughts and experiences re positioning?