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Epos ES14's and the search for the Holy Grail

Where's YNWOAN's thread on versions ?

To me the first version has the woofer with no protruding cone.
Then came a protruding cone with silver mesh over tweeter.
Then black mesh.
Then bi-wirable.
MDF came somewhere ??

I have two pairs of the black mesh ones, which I believe that these are early Mordaunt Short built ones.

I think that most of the 14's found in North America are the black mesh ones.

I'd like a no-cone early version in Walnut :-D
 
Leicaron said:
Where's YNWOAN's thread on versions ?

To me the first version has the woofer with no protruding cone.
Then came a protruding cone with silver mesh over tweeter.
Then black mesh.
Then bi-wirable.
MDF came somewhere ??

I have two pairs of the black mesh ones, which I believe that these are early Mordaunt Short built ones.

I think that most of the 14's found in North America are the black mesh ones.

I'd like a no-cone early version in Walnut :-D
Click to expand...


Not sure about this.

MK1 (a)
The VERY first version seems to be the one with the glued in port (like a drain pipe, no "lip" round the outside edge). Mine have shorter yellow bungs which cime out (but may have once been stuck in).
Concave centre to bass unit, obviously chipboard throughout. Cardboard - like gaskets.
Label on back saying "epos ES14 SPEAKER SYSTEM"
Capacitor value 3mF (might be 3.3mF)

MK1 (b)
The later version of the MKI's.
Removable port, glued in bungs which are grey and longer than the earlier version. No label on back. Concave centre to bass unit.
Synthetic material for gaskets (neoprene foam?)
Appear to have thicker chipboard walls to cabinet and finer material for back wall and baffle (could be better grade chipboard or MDF?). These cover the serial no's 2000 I think.
Capacitor Value same as MK1(a)

MKII (a?)
Removable port with removable bung, same as MKI (b).
Convex centre to bass unit
Cabinet walls thicker than MKI (a) similar to MKI (b) but not chipboard (?MDF)
Capacitor Value 2.2mF

All these have black mesh over the Tweeter, and are sitting in my "snug".

There seems to be a later version of the MKII (call it MKII (b)) which is BiWired.

There's photo's higher up the post.

Incidentally, in my system, the MKI (a) has a sibilant top end, the MKI (b) doesn't. The MK11 (a) is generally lighter in sound with punchier (but less) bass. Certainly not sibilant though.

And I know that this all seems a bit pedantic, but it would be really useful to be able to recognize the different versions as I have now bought three pairs which I thought were the same and they are all different. (I wanted to try some - bought a black pair to try, liked them but needed a wood veneer pair. Bought some "Walnut" veneer only to find that they were different (MKII(a), so bought a pair of "Cherry" MKI's only to find that they were different again!!

Hey Ho!

Ian
 
Ian

Thanks. That more or less tallies with my knowledge and experience except for minor things - my MK1(b) does have a sticker - but this could easily have fallen off some examples over time.

The 1(b) is the one to have and it looks like their is a pair with stands on the bay just now. Nothing to do with me I hasten to add.

The serial number is probably inside the port and I suspect the bungs are glued but it might be worth asking the seller if he knows or can find out. G
 
If you really want to be pedantic ... the very earliest models came with an oblong block of yellow foam. Scrunch up and fit as you will. And I don't think any supplied with the round foam plugs ever left the factory with those glued in. Certainly my earliest pair, bought just after they were released and with serial nos. in the 90's, had loose oblong blocks.
 
Serial number 1839, so I'm guessing the good late Mk1?

My Naim's at Les', so no real indication of quality, using a Yamaha AV special, but first thought was 'were's the bass?'

I've now assembled the stands and there it is, already, they're very revealing of recording quality, I'm gonna enjoy these…..

Early days yet, can't wait to get them on the end of my midget 135's :)
 
divedeepdog said:
Serial number 1839, so I'm guessing the good late Mk1?

My Naim's at Les', so no real indication of quality, using a Yamaha AV special, but first thought was 'were's the bass?'

I've now assembled the stands and there it is, already, they're very revealing of recording quality, I'm gonna enjoy these…..

Early days yet, can't wait to get them on the end of my midget 135's :)
Click to expand...

Good period MK1. If the bungs are glued then gently release around the perimiter of the port and remove if you are using them more than 35cm from a rear wall and then tune the bass by moving them back and forward replacing the bungs if things get too boomy.

A pair of 135's should make them really sing.

Enjoy. G
 
Thanks G, I did say Baby 135's, I've got rose tinted glasses, they 're mono 110's ;-)

The 'bungs' are a rolled up piece of foam, not stuck in though, I guess its not original?
I'll experiment with the bungs when I get my Naim back, I haven't got a lot of room to play with.

I was surprised how much difference the stands made, I had them on some original Foundation's while I screwed the original frames together.

Mark
 
Early versions had an oblong of foam that was squashed to fit so might be original.

Make sure they are very firm on the stands with not the slightest movement for best results. G
 
Graeme h - you seem to be the man in the know on this subject!

How come the MKIs I had on the end of an 82/250 set up sounded bass light and thin? Would it have been due to needing a bit of TLC?

I'm tempted to get another pair as I have the bi wire phase plug ones now and think they are just about perfect!
 
Just had a quick peek inside, the tweeter appears to have been siliconed in. I want to replace the cap, but its been positioned so the value can't be read.

Would there be much difference between 3 and 3.3uf value, and any recommendations ? I put Solens in a pair of Celestion SL6's and gained improvement.

Also thinking about filling the stands with sand, might get a couple of extra lbs in there??
 
Ewen1970 said:
Graeme h - you seem to be the man in the know on this subject!

How come the MKIs I had on the end of an 82/250 set up sounded bass light and thin? Would it have been due to needing a bit of TLC?

I'm tempted to get another pair as I have the bi wire phase plug ones now and think they are just about perfect!
Click to expand...

Lots of variables in there.....was the 250 serviced if olive? What PS with the 82?

Position to rear and side walls ......or maybe it was a duff pair. I had a later serial pair like the bi wire phase plug ones you describe as perfect and they sounded thin on my then 250.... But it did need servicing mind.

Have your mk1 been mucked about with do you know? G
 
No Graeme, The Mk1s at the time looked untouched. I have concrete floors and the CB 250 had been serviced.

Took them over to Gaius's and they sounded lovely there (wooden floors I assumed) so he bought them - and the 250!

Subsequently I have got a pair of beautiful 110 monos and had a hankering to try 14s again. This bi wire pair have had the upgrade caps put in them and apparently new tweeters. They are in exactly the same position as the last pair and sound so much fuller and richer, beyond the extra bit I thought I might be getting from the obvious upgrade of the 110s.

I have my eye on this pair of black Mk1s now that are on the bay......
 
graeme h said:
Good period MK1. If the bungs are glued then gently release around the perimiter of the port and remove if you are using them more than 35cm from a rear wall
Click to expand...

Are you using yours bung in?

Seems odd that the opinion on the Mk1s is that it is both flabby and light and also that the treble sweet or sibilant.

I guess the handmade nature of the early pairs wasn't very consistent!

Does anyone know when MS took over? On wiki it says that "In 1998 Epos was sold to Mordaunt-Short who had been bought by the TGI PLC group in 1987." Doesn't that mean almost all ES14s were produced in house?
 
Bungs out but well clear of boundaries on the end of a nap300. I'm also using a BK200 sub from 20-45hz which is very subtle but just enough to round off the bass at the lower register.

I think production ceased in England around '87 and would agree that the earlier Chesham hand built ones might have been prone to variation. G
 
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