EFE technology speakers???

I've been reading alot about ED Frias's speakers but since i can't demo them due to the fact that you have to either diy or buy them directly from him i'm alittle hesitant
to fork out $$$$ on speakers i've never
heard. Every review i've read has been 5 star
and i've never heard a bad comment about his speakers. If they live up to the reviews they
seem to be one of the best speakers for the value that i've found. I'm looking at getting
the c-2 center, t-22 mains and ed's pre-built
DIY cabinets for the rears. You can choose either a 4 or 5 ohm resistor.What is the major difference between the two??Is there a noticeable difference in sound?? If anyone owns or knows someone who owns or has knowledge of the above speakers please post.

Why does my post look like i've been up drinking all night. When i post it's arranging sentence structure??

I can't help you on the speakers. I have never heard anything but great things about the Ed Frias speakers though. If you have any good links post them. I have been looking for some (good links) for a while. As far as your drunken post don't hit enter while you are typing. Let the board do that for you.

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Stott

Hi Hookitup,

I have an electronics engineering background and I just received the parts for 6 of Ed's DIY speakers. His designs are extremely solid. I am sure you would be happy with any of his speakers. I won't build mine for about a month until I get my home remodeling done first. He is very enthusiastic and willing to help you in any way. I have spoken to him several times on the phone discussing speaker design. Don't hesitate on Ed's speakers.
The 5 ohm resistor will make the speakers more warm and the 4 ohm will make them brighter. I would base your decision on where you plan to place your speakers and room acoustics. I ordered the 5 ohm as I have harwood floors and other reflections I am trying to tame that makes my room more bright.
I hope this helps. If you want more info on things like crossover designs, driver seletion, etc. let me know.

Bob

I am investigating the EFE speakers at the moment. I am considering a pair of T-22's to replace my L/R. If they sound good, I was considering upgrading the fronts to T-36's and moving the T-22's to the rear. If anybody who previously posted has updates on EFE's speakers I would appreciate it. Hate to pop for a k buck without a little more info.
Thanks, Mike

I built some Ed's diy speakers complimented with a Tempest diy sub and can only say they sound fabulous with my outlaw 1050. My brother has some Paradigm Reference 80s with a Marantz 7200 amp. He says my speakers kill his. In fact he is getting me to build him a complete set of 6 diys. He also has become a believer in a good sub (building a Tempest for him also). He couldn't believe how much he was missing in his classical cds.
For the money I would go with Ed's diys and a good subwoofer. I'm a firm believer in having a seperate subwoofer rather than trying to have an all in one speaker design.
Take a look if you like:
http://www.picturetrail.com/mch1/1159742

I ordered the T-22's so I'll post a review when I get them. I have a HTM center B&W, so one comparison I'll make is using a T-22 as a center instead of the B&W. I figure comparing it to B&W should be a pretty good test.

HTM1 or 2?

MCH: Great looking setup! I like it--nice job!

I have the HTM2, the smaller B&W. I've liked it, but I think even with a sub, a little more low end would have been nice. I think the HTM1 may have been a better choice, but too late now. I bought it on ebay. I think the current delay on the EFE's is around 4 weeks, so I guess I'll have to be patient.

Does anybody have a web addy on this stuff??

EFE doesn't have a web site. It is just one guy, Ed Frias. If you email EFESPKRS@aol.com, he can send you some info & pictures. He has about 5 models. The pctures he sent to me look like really nice craftsmanship & I've heard good reviews. I'll definitely follow up with a review once I have them.

I spoke with Ed last week. He was very willing to talk about his speakers, and other HT and audio subjects. He seems to be good people. He e-mailed some information on his products along with some extra pictures. They look very nice, and if they live up to the reviews I've read they are an outstanding value. One of the things that impressed me was his willingness to suggest his lessor priced speakers to try and save me some dollars. Check out Ed, and his products!

[This message has been edited by Oil Can (edited October 30, 2002).]

Well, the T-22's arrived today. So far so good. The cabinet is perfect. The fit & finish matches the quality of my velodyne HGS cabinet. I don't know how he does it. If anything, the T-22's have s lightly better look at the edges than the velodyne. Minimal testing at this point. As I mentioned, I have a HTM2 B&W center, which I have temporarly switched back and forth with a T-22. First I did a sensitivity check. With an SPL meter, the T-22 appears to be about 2db less than the HTM2. I thought they were the same (90db) but you can't argue with meters. Next, I tried a couple of scenes from Moulin Rouge & Evita. I had always noticed the B&W had a boxy sound with male voices in rare cases. The T-22 removed that. The T-22 is not ported, so it could be the port in the HTM is adding some resonance. Anyway, more later. I'll do some comparisons with the HTM, and also with the old polk's the T-22's are really replacing. I may have an HTM for sale if I decide to dump it in favor of another T-22 for the center.

Well, I finally got around to testing out the EFE's under semi-controlled conditions. I still like em, but I must say, the testing showed the HTM is a winner too. See my web site http://www.stabie-soft.com/speakers.html for the gory details. Basically the EFE's have a better bottom, and the HTM's a smoother mid/tweeter xover region. The HTM has better dispersion, although I forgot to put that on the web report...

After Ed saw my dip in the mid, he sent me an updated choke for the crossover. Haven't even installed the choke in the second speaker yet, but I wanted to rerun the FFT response curve. The fix definitely pulled the dip up, so now Ed's speaker looks as flat as the B&W. I'll post again after I get the second inductor installed and have some done listening. I must say, Ed redefines the meaning of customer support. I wish larger companies were this pro-active. Take a look at the updated report at http://www.stabie-soft.com/speakers.html.