…the speakers
exemplify the metaphor “an iron hand in a velvet glove,” as I discovered with
Xavier Caféïne. Listening to a rock instrumentation at high volume, the presence
of the bass is convincing enough and very
pleasant.
In this modest room, tucked away at the end of a corridor, we got our first
taste of the most impressive speaker setup of the show. To our absolute
amazement, it was also the cheapest speaker at the show. It was the Era Design
5.
I know what you’re thinking. It’s folly, you might say, to even begin to equate
a relatively inexpensive bookshelf speaker with, say, that monstrous $50,000
behemoth downstairs that made Louis Armstrong sound alive and well and right
beside us, singing lovingly just for the benefit of our ears. And I’ll admit
that knowing the pricing structure of the Era Design 5 system influenced my
judgment. How could it not? I’d spent the day in dreamland, listening to
speakers that I knew I would never own or even think about owning. My day at the
festival was supposed to be only a lark, a way to fantasize and, at most, check
out where we were in the evolution of speaker technology. I never would have
imagined that the show would feature a system that not only incorporated
top-tier engineering and craftsmanship but also fit in my budget.
Design 5 - This is not a small speaker trying to sound big in a small room. It's a small speaker designed to sound big in larger rooms.
Bass hounds on a budget take note - this in all likelihood is your magic speaker. n other words, while the added dose of bass does provide a lot more meat on them bones, the bones themselves are essentially unchanged. The excellent imaging and high degree of focus I'd observed with its smaller sibling remained unchanged with the D5.The D5 sounds fuller and more robust and much more satisfying than any speaker I know of at low volumes, making it a fantastic choice for apartment dwellers or anybody who must restrict volume levels.
Design 4, Stereophile Recommended Component April 2007
...even without the subwoofers, the Era Design 4s offered much better sound quality than you have a right to expect for just $600/pair. Their extraordinary stereo imaging, grain-free treble, and clean, detailed midrange deserve to be heard by those wanting to spend more than this on a pair of floorstanders. No, this is not a speaker that will blow people out of a room with party-level sound, but for the audiophile with a small room, or who is setting up a high-quality desktop system, the Design 4 is definitely a speaker to check out.
The era Design 4’s deserve every bit of the kudos the audio press has given them. Once again, it proves that many of the best affordable speakers are coming from young, upstart companies.
The 4’s are intoxicating, the warmth from the forward bass creates a wonderfully deep soundstage. Just as surprising is the outstanding smooth highs that maintain control even at the upper at the upper reaches of listening volume. Whether you’re looking for home theater or a simple two-channel setup for limited space, don’t buy until you’ve auditioned the Era Design 4’s.
Design 5, Connected Home Media
Design 5 - This is not a small speaker trying to sound big in a small room. It's a small speaker designed to sound big in larger rooms.
Design 4, Stereophile Recommended Component April 2007
The era Design 4’s deserve every bit of the kudos the audio press has given them. Once again, it proves that many of the best affordable speakers are coming from young, upstart companies.
