Emerald
Table of Contents
- Main Emerald Web
Page
- Is the Emerald Magnetically Shielded ?
- What amps/recievers are recommended ... ?
- Emerald as a center... ?
- Does Emerald use 1st order crossover? Phase coherent?
- Trying to decide between Emerald and Sapphire
- What makes the Emerald Special ... ?
- What has the Emerald been compared to? and Reviews
- Owner's Manual (PDF)
Is the Emerald Magnetically Shielded?
 | Yes, fully magnetically shielded. |
| The Emerald may be placed directly under/over/or adjacent to any type of screen. |
What amps or rec are recommended ... ?
| Too numerous to list. The Emerald is an easy load for any amplifier or receiver. |
| Even very inexpensive receivers will provide adequate power. |
| Higher quality amplification is recommended for the very best sound. |
| We suggest you let us know specific equipment you own or are considering, and we'll be happy to give you feedback. |
| The Emerald does work well with lower powered tube-amps including SETS. |
| Customers have reported very good results with small to mid-powered tube and solid state integrated amps.. |
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How does the Emerald work as a center ... ?
Before we came out with the Protege, and Essence, the Emerald was our best center. It may well be all the center you need. It is an excellent sounding center with very clear dialog. The Emerald has an extremely close tonal match to the other speakers in our line. What the Emerald gives up to Protege and Essence is dynamic capability. The biggest difference is in the lower range. The dual woofers of the Protege and Essence can obviously outplay the single 5 1/4" of the Emerald.
I'll try to sum it up the way I hear it. The Protege and Essence are definitely fuller sounding than the Emerald, this you'll hear at any volume level. It is not a huge difference, but it is there. The Emerald does a very respectable job.
Like most speakers, the Emerald sounds best when positioned vertically. However, if space is a concern, it make be laid on it's side above or below a TV. Sound quality will not be as good as when mounted vertically but will be as good or better than most traditional MTM on their side centers.
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Does Emerald use 1st order crossover? Phase coherent ... ?
No, the Emerald is not a
minimum phase design. In a minimum phase design, speaker height and listening
height are critical. This is true of all of this type of design like the older
Sapphires, Vandersteen, Thiel, etc.
The Emerald is designed to
allow successful placement above or below an optimum listening axis, (for
example, under or on top of a T.V. screen). The crossover design of the Emerald
is optimized to focus the primary radiation pattern approx 15 degrees up or down
depending on if the woofer or the tweeter is on top. If the Emerald is placed at
or below approx. 25", the woofer should be on top. If the Emerald is placed
higher than this, the woofer should be on the bottom.
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Trying to decide between Emerald and Sapphire. . .
I think of the Emerald as like a "little
brother" to the Sapphire. It has many of the same sonic attributes: smooth,
relaxed presentation, well defined and spacious image. What the Emerald does
well, the Sapphires simply does better. The first thing you'll notice is
that the bass goes far deeper and with greater power. With the Sapphires you
have nearly full-range response without needing a subwoofer(s). The
Sapphires also have considerably higher dynamic range capabilities.
The Emeralds have a lot of "guts", the Sapphires, with their much
larger cabinets and bass driver will fill a larger space more easily.
In terms of presentation: The Sapphires are more revealing of detail,
particularly in the upper midrange and treble area. They are smooth like the
Emeralds, but just a bit less forgiving of poor source material. This is the
price for substantially improved transparency and detail. The soundstaging is
very similar between the two. They both can do a great "disappearing"
act and portrait a vast sonic soundscape. The Emeralds have a mid-hall
presentation, and the Sapphires move that up towards the front for more
involvement. However, make no mistake, the Sapphires are not front-row, "in
your face" type speakers. Both speakers are really balanced towards
long-term listening enjoyment. It's a matter of budget choice:)
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What makes the Emerald Special ... ?
In a word, musicality. The Emerald simply sounds more like real music than most of it's competition. It presents a wealth of detail while never sounding harsh or "in your face". It is a very non-fatiguing speaker. And, it is built and looks like a little jewel. Built in the USA by skilled craftsmen using the highest quality Danish built drivers. Meant to please for the long-haul. Backed by the best warranty in the business. You get to try it in your home!
What has the Emerald been compared to ... ?
These are some of the observations of customers and reviewers:
| "Dynaudio Audience 42- The Emeralds are more forgiving, less fatiguing, better
imaging, better bass detail, more neutral overall. |
| "I bought the Emeralds partly on the basis of looks. Wanted a very attractive
pair of speakers for my bedroom system. First choice was the Sonus Faber
Concerto Home. I figured if the Emerald at 1/3 the price could do a passable
job, that's what I wanted. Well, they've gone way beyond that! They do so much
more than what I expected. First off, they are beautiful to behold. High-end
look and feel at mass-market price. Then, the sound> Open, clean, always
musical and emotionally involving. After a couple of months I found myself
spending more time listening to this little bedroom system. I've been so
impressed that I will probably order a pair of the new Jaguar LE with sub
modules for my main system. Neither the Thiels or the Maggies I use in that
system have completely satisfied me. If ACI can do this at under $700, what can
they do for some real money? |
|
"Some of my friends have liked them better than the $3000 ProAcs I played them
against If I had to compare these to the sound of something else out there, it would
have to be the M&K S-85 mini-monitors, which have a similar driver
compliment and size. The M&K is quite a remarkable speaker in its own right,
but way over-priced. NHT Super Zeros sound thin next to the Emerald, I would
imagine the Super One would be a little more similar due to the larger woofer.
But the quality of the drivers and crossover in the Emerald make this little
speaker a far better investment than the NHT's, in my opinion. |
| Read reviews: http://www.audioc.com/speakers/Reviews/Emeraldr.htm |