Thoughts on Era Design 5 monitors??

Michael, it's ttowntony. You bought some speakers in a past life from me.

To your question, the ERA D4/5's are excellent speakers. The D5 Satellites are among the very best made and looking at any price category. As to how they sound? They sound wonderful as well. They play clean and tight. They are somewhat dependent on current, but just about any solid state amplifier will work with them.

Hope all is well...

I like the Era D5's but like the B&W CM1's a little better. Bass is clearer and deeper on the CM1's and the highs are slightly smoother and better defined. This comparison made with Rotel's new 500W/ch Class D amp and their entry level preamp. The cabinet work on the Eras IS off the chart however.

Excellent for price to performance. Can also recommend Paradigm out of Canada, their entry level Atoms and their Studio Monitors (20 and 60).

I have a pair of the D5's in my office and listen to them about 8 hours a day or more. They sounded very good with a Panasonic SA XR digital receiver (digitally amplified) and took a huge step up when paired with Musical Fidelity gear.

However, I'd give the B&W's a listen before putting your money down.

I have a pair of D-4 era's hooked up to an ARCAM AVR350 using silver alloy wire. They have a large, clear sound stage. The highs are smooth and the midrange has a quick, easy fluidity- like liquid. They took 150 hours to break in. The only drawback is that the lower range is not fully present- as with most small monitors. These are speakers that you can listen to for hours and hours.