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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

Showing 10 responses by loose

loose OP
239 posts
 
Chadnliz:

your post made me laugh my ass off (cuz it's soooo true!). I've gone through gear like a freak of nature. Started when I was 13 or 14 ...and just EXPLODED. Went through the l'il 'good ghetto blaster' to Energy ESM4's with Nad gear...then off to Adcom then Counterpoint... Speakers went to a variety of speakers (mostly NHT)...

but i think what the next poster said is the route I should follow too...(if you read his, you'll know what i mean)..

gotta try em at home first...That's a LOT of money for me to shell out on speakers... (as sad as that is). He's also right in comparing M15.2 to the Mystiques as that's only fair...
loose OP
239 posts
 
Texsun:

you're absolutely right... I SHOULD compare the 15.2 to the Neat Myst...for some reason, though, i've always had a dislike for the 15...(not that i know it that well - only had one or two listens to the M15)

and I forgot to mention my room size is 14x11.5, speakers on long wall...(quite a short distance to listening position, which sucks-but it's better than the other way - TRUST ME)

maybe that will make the Neats too cramped

Decisions, decisions...
loose OP
239 posts
 
Mcfavre4:

what speakers / equip are you using at the moment?
loose OP
239 posts
 
Rar1:

Yes, i've heard the EPOS need space to breathe. I won't be putting them in a bookcase, though...I'll be using their proper stands. They will be placed 12" to 15" from the rear wall, with about 3 to 4.5 feet to the side walls.

Further, I HAVE tried the M12.2's with my amp, but not my cd player as source (it was a cyrus 8, I believe, which is better than my source - not that my source is a slouch)... The amp and speakers seem to mate quite well. Still haven't tried it at home, though.

Thanks again, people. I always appreciate your comments.
loose OP
239 posts
 
Well guys, I just got a wicked deal on a pair of Neat Mystiques...can't refuse it! I'm soooooo excited! picking them up tomorrow!!! wooo hoooo!!!!!

(sorry... just wanted to tell SOMEONE how excited I am...whenever I talk to any of my friends about audio equipment, their eyes just glaze over...)
loose OP
239 posts
 
I'm just on my way now to pick them up. I've purchased from a dealer here in Toronto (store's called Hi Fi Fo Fum). The guy who owns the shop (Steve) is a very stand up, up-front and knowledgeable guy. He sure as hell knows a lot about system synergy - the setups in his store always get my feet tapping.

He's also very patient - i've been kicking tires in his store for about a year and a half and he's been patient with me the entire time! (something I can't say for MOST high-end dealers)
loose OP
239 posts
 
welllll...

now that i've had the Neats Mystiques at home for a couple of days (They're already broken in - demo models), I have to say, they are very, very good in many ways, but they are not a good match for my room. They are too much of a speaker for my room - the bass overwhelms everything, despite trying all sorts of positions. I would still have to play around with cables, but in my mind, no cable will be able to correct the bass problem. I'm disappointed b/c they sounded excellent in the showroom (as i described earlier), but the bass just drowns out everything here... It doesn't help that my room's acoustics make the place inherently boomy and that boominess is also compounded my the Unico's 'somewhat round' bass. Further, because the Neats are on the long wall in an 11x14 room, they can only be pulled out a max of 18 or 20 inches - STILL not enough to correct the bass problem in this room.

I'm soooo sad b/c i REALLY wanted to like them (and Steve, teh dealer, gave me a great deal on them - he's a really good guy who knows his stuff)...

*sigh*... I'm going to have to give him a call this week to hopefully work something out
loose OP
239 posts
 
ok...placed them about 2" closer together... didn't think it would make much of a difference. Boy was I wrong. Sharper image, tighter bass, better midrange clarity - better all-around (I can't believe that such small increments make such a HUGE difference).

Still going to play with cables. The system sounds great, even at low volume (which is great considering I live in an apt.)

Next stop - cable town!
loose OP
239 posts
 
Actually, he had them driven at different times by various amps. I believe I first heard them with Naim (as per your assumption). But most recently, I heard them with what Steve calls 'one of the best integrated amps you can possibly get' - an LFD (Mistral) amp.

Don't get me wrong - my setup sounds nice. I just know that it's capable of more.

Of course, I'm always open to suggestion with respect to equipment...although I really do like the Unico (it's so beautifully built). Steve sent me an email telling me that he had a similar issue at his own place and assured me he can correct the bass problem. I have faith in his ability to do so.

I'll see what we can come up with and if system switches are in order, I just may have some equipment up for sale.
loose OP
239 posts
 
Well HOT-a-DAMN ~! Steve let me try out some Ecosse cables at home and HOLY CRAP! what a night and day difference from my Audioquest Type 4 ~! Faster, tigher, airier - you name it- this cable improved the entire spectrum.

BUT...

just as i was hooking up the new cables, i decided to clean all contacts. I took everything apart and cleaned it all up again and lo' and behold - my MSB Link DAC stopped working (for the SECOND TIME)

i'm sooooo upset... last time it broke, it took over 2 months to get it back - AND WHEN I GOT IT BACK, IT WASN'T EVEN MINE!!! They LOST mine and gave me the wrong one. Then they couldn't find mine at all, so they gave me a different one. And now this second one is busted too!! MSB - NEVER, EVER again

This makes it impossible for me to really discern what differences the cables made EXACTLY.

*sigh*

...electronics... it's a love-hate thing with me
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