# Anybody have Epik Subwoofers?



## Big Worm (Mar 8, 2007)

Does anybody here own any of the Epik subs? Just curious. 

The Conquest looks sick!


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## ssabripo (Nov 2, 2006)

look at the epik thread over at avs....tons of reports.


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## Jawjabill (Aug 9, 2007)

Big Worm said:


> Does anybody here own any of the Epik subs? Just curious.
> 
> The Conquest looks sick!



*Yes !!!* :bigsmile:


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## Big Worm (Mar 8, 2007)

ssabripo said:


> look at the epik thread over at avs....tons of reports.


Seen that. Just wondering if anybody different here.



Very nice Bill!


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

That thing is gargantuan!

I know Ilkka hasn't done any testing on those yet... has anyone else?


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## Ilkka (Jun 8, 2006)

Sonnie said:


> That thing is gargantuan!
> 
> I know Ilkka hasn't done any testing on those yet... has anyone else?


Of course not.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I knew that... :T


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## Big Worm (Mar 8, 2007)

Sonnie said:


> That thing is gargantuan!


Yep. 36H x 22W x 30D inches 

Elemental Designs (ED) is about to sell one just like it. Very nice time for subwoofers! :T


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## warnerwh (Nov 28, 2006)

Now that I know about Epik I've got a better sub to recommend to the non diy friends. Thanks

How long has this company been around?


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## Mike P. (Apr 6, 2007)

They started up this year. The company is owned and run by Chad Kuypers from Ascendant Audio.


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## johnnysamoa (Sep 14, 2007)

*Loving my EPIK Tower*

This thing just keeps getting better and better! Listened to it for a week w/o any EQ and it was great. Tons of extension and phenomenal power. It was absolutely incredible for HT. See unEQd FR. (sorry jpegs don't seem to want to upload.....same prob on AVS forum....?)

Pretty good for music, too.....but some recordings didn't sound quite right.

Then I got my BFD1124 and the SQ opened up this thing to a whole different level. Had it EQd close to flat and was getting in room 105 dB down to roughly 15Hz. I was very impressed and no longer had any doubts about it's musicality. Steely Dan 2 Against Nature in DTS is sick/tight!

Two days ago I read up on house curves. I set up REW with a target FR 8dB boost from 80 down to 30 (see attached)and ever since then all i can say is WOW! Some of my concert DVDs that were good before are incredible now. Some that I thought had low/muffled bass (Dave Matthews Band - Listener Supported) now are very articulate...dude in DMB does go for a very low tune, which is hard to capture without a capable sub. This sub handles ALL forms of music (Jazz, Metal, Techno, Rock, Pop, Rap, etc) i throw at it and it captures the different needs perfectly. Some of my fav concerts with great bass that i've been watching:

Steely -2AN
Ealgles -Hell Freezes Over
UB40 - Home Grown
Sade - Lovers Live
Diana Krall - Live in Paris
JayZ vs Lincoln Park
Earth Wind and Fire Live in Japan
Dave Matthews Band - Listener Supported
Heart - The Long Road Home

Those are just some of my DVDs that have come to NEW life with the Tower. I have to admit though, the TOWER is not magic and can't correct source material. What is recorded poorly still sounds like ****. Good example of this is an old Journey concert i got from Netflix yesterday. No amount of adjustments make this DVD sound good. I can't even watch it because of the mediocre SQ. Same goes for KORN. Their live recordings stink. Too bad, because their studio recordings have some decent bass.

Re CDs - Rediscovered THE CRYSTAL METHOD!!!!!! Rippin good bass lines!

Movies....................WIZZZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!

The people complaining on the BASS DVD thread about Transformers need to buy an EPIK. I haven't even heard the HD soundtracks. Watched it in DolbyDigitalEX yesterday and thought the sound was out of this world and the bass was downright silly! Not HOT FUZZ silly, just wicked silly! The windows in my living room were flexing (seriously).

Sorry so long to respond. I've been enjoying my EPIK and haven't made the time to come up for air!

For those of you who have not tried house curves, I highly recommend you go over to Home Theater Shack and read up and try. The Tower is Great as is.........but i am in HT/Music heaven since EQing with a house curve.

Back to listening/feeling bass bliss.......

and CHAD, Thank you from the bottom of my chart!!!!!


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Now that's a glowing review! I was reading the thread at AVS and had to stop because it was 50% bickering and insults, I forget how lucky we are over here sometimes. But Epik looks like they're making quite an impact so far, and they certainly have some impressive looking subs.


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## warnerwh (Nov 28, 2006)

Mike P. said:


> They started up this year. The company is owned and run by Chad Kuypers from Ascendant Audio.


Thanks for this information. And to think I saw this Epik thread listed a few times and thought it was some newbie asking about a sub that is in the Best Buy category.:yikes: I'll have to say that my guess had been wrong and I'm glad I finally read it. I'm very impressed to say the least. My best wishes for the success of this company.


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## johnnysamoa (Sep 14, 2007)

Here's the graphs (un-EQd and House curve EQd) I was trying to post with my review of Tower.


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Bill, I just took another look at the Epik website, and I seem to have confused myself. It looks like the only one on their page with 2 ports is the Conquest. Is there a version of the Tower with 2 ports, or do you have the Conquest? Oh, and how does it look with the grille on?


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## Big Worm (Mar 8, 2007)

Owen Bartley said:


> Bill, I just took another look at the Epik website, and I seem to have confused myself. It looks like the only one on their page with 2 ports is the Conquest. Is there a version of the Tower with 2 ports, or do you have the Conquest? Oh, and how does it look with the grille on?


Bill did say he has the Conquest. His pictures are of the Conquest. John just posted his results of the Tower.


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Ah, my fault, I get excited around big subwoofers and I confuse myself. :duh:

Didn't even look to see if there was more than 1 poster with an Epic.


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## spyboy (Jul 23, 2006)

Check this out:

http://epiksubwoofers.com/blog/?p=17

The Conquest seriously outperformed the $15,000 Velodyne DD-1812, and the Genelec HTS6. I wonder how the Conquest would compare to the Gotham g213?


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## Ron Temple (Oct 16, 2007)

Scores are up on craigsub's thread for the Conquest...60HT, 50Music = 110. Excellent score...agree?, disagree?...it's worth a discussion. I haven't heard the Epik product line, but have talked to several owners of the Conquest...all are pretty much floored by the product, but then they bought it :bigsmile:.


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## spyboy (Jul 23, 2006)

I think that 110 points is an excellent score. For the additional $400, the Ed A7-900, (having scored 116 points), would be my preference. I understand that the Ed A7-900 is too big and too heavy for most users. 

The review of the Conquest by Tom Nousaine put the Conquest pretty much at the top of the heap for subs that are manageable by most people. 

The movie vs. HT score is not of much importance IMHO. I have not heard any of the Epik subs or anything by Ed.

I hope others will post their thoughts.


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## Jawjabill (Aug 9, 2007)

My first choice was the A7-900 but it was just too big to deal with in my opinion. I settled on the Conquest because of grassroots reports of its prowess in both music and HT. The comment that really got me was that "it pressurizes the room with bass." It replaced the "original" SVS Dual CS Ultra setup that was no slouch but also no match for the Conquest. 

Some have concerns about new companies with new products but that has never been a concern of mine when it comes to subs. I will not hesitate to dance with a seasoned DIYer with a business license. When I bought the Ultras, SVS was not the company you see today ... nowhere near it actually.

I am extremely happy with my purchase. :bigsmile:


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## spyboy (Jul 23, 2006)

Jawjabill said:


> My first choice was the A7-900 but it was just too big to deal with in my opinion. I settled on the Conquest because of grassroots reports of its prowess in both music and HT. The comment that really got me was that "it pressurizes the room with bass." It replaced the "original" SVS Dual CS Ultra setup that was no slouch but also no match for the Conquest.
> 
> Some have concerns about new companies with new products but that has never been a concern of mine when it comes to subs. I will not hesitate to dance with a seasoned DIYer with a business license. When I bought the Ultras, SVS was not the company you see today ... nowhere near it actually.
> 
> I am extremely happy with my purchase. :bigsmile:



I understand that the A7-900 is too big to deal with. The review by Tom Nousaine convinced me that the Conquest is the best monster sub out there for anywhere near $1,600. I am glad you like your Conquest. I found out about new internet direct companies about 10 years ago, when I read a great review of the HSU TN 1220HO in Audio magazine. Don Keele tested the TN 1220 and he got 101db at 12.5Hz. I thought that gettting 101db at 12.5Hz with a $450 sub + power amp was very impressive. 

I have had good luck with my subs from SVS and HSU. No replacement drivers or amps.


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## Guest (Nov 28, 2007)

Hey guys. I was pointed to this thread by some customers and decided to stop by. 

Johnny,

Thanks again for posting those graphs of your in-room measurements. The Tower has a low tune with a cabinet that gives it plenty of room to breath. It is nice to see how low it manages to go in your room. You are definitely getting some powerful subsonics and it sounds like the performance has been great for music too. I know your subwoofer had a long trip to get to you, so I am just happy it arrived safe and sound. :whew:



> The Conquest seriously outperformed the $15,000 Velodyne DD-1812, and the Genelec HTS6. I wonder how the Conquest would compare to the Gotham g213?


That would be a nice comparison. Most dealers aren't thrilled with me lugging a Conquest into their store or borrowing a Gotham for testing. So far no luck on a direct comparison measurement.  I probably shouldn't even say this yet, but it is worth noting that we are working on a Gotham-esque subwoofer as we speak. (I say that as a CNC router is blazing in the background here making some prototype curved panels) 



> And to think I saw this Epik thread listed a few times and thought it was some newbie asking about a sub that is in the Best Buy category.


I receive this same exact email dozens of times a day.  When you are brand new it takes a while for people to take a look.


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## Big Worm (Mar 8, 2007)

Thanks for joining Chad. :wave:


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## Guest (Nov 28, 2007)

> Thanks for joining Chad.


It is great to be here! I stop by to read posts here often and should have "officially" joined a long time ago.


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Chad Kuypers said:


> it is worth noting that we are working on a Gotham-esque subwoofer as we speak. (I say that as a CNC router is blazing in the background here making some prototype curved panels)


Very cool! As far as I know that would make you a rarity for offering something other than the regular box and tube subs - not that there's anything wrong with wither of those enclosures, I love well made boxes! But sometimes it's nice to see a really original and identifiable shape that makes a speaker stand out from the crowd.


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## Ricci (May 23, 2007)

Chad Kuypers said:


> I probably shouldn't even say this yet, but it is worth noting that we are working on a Gotham-esque subwoofer as we speak. (I say that as a CNC router is blazing in the background here making some prototype curved panels)
> .


Could this be the dual sealed 15" perhaps? Don't worry we'll keep it:shh:. Any plans for a sealed 18 using the Conquest driver, possibly an un-amplified version? Maybe even a passive version of the Conquest in Rosewoodraying:


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## John N (Jan 2, 2007)

Ricci said:


> Could this be the dual sealed 15" perhaps? ::


:daydream:


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## Ron Temple (Oct 16, 2007)

Ricci said:


> Could this be the dual sealed 15" perhaps? Don't worry we'll keep it:shh:. Any plans for a sealed 18 using the Conquest driver, possibly an un-amplified version? Maybe even a passive version of the Conquest in Rosewoodraying:


I think it's going to be a surprise, different driver platform, different amp...then again I could be wrong :1eye:


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## croseiv (Nov 9, 2007)

These subs look like the real deal. The Conquest is WAY too big for me, but the Epik tower or castle looks good. Any one here know how the tower sounds or how it would compare to the PB13-Ultra? I wish I could see a photo of the driver used but can't see one on the Epik website.


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## warpdrive (May 6, 2007)

I'm really interested in the smaller sealed subs Epik are coming out with. I already have a SB12Plus and was thinking of getting a second one but if Epik has something better for slightly more, I want to wait a bit.

The SB12 is an amazing sub don't get me wrong but I'm always willing to wait and see if anything can beat it for the money or size


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## Ron Temple (Oct 16, 2007)

croseiv said:


> These subs look like the real deal. The Conquest is WAY too big for me, but the Epik tower or castle looks good. Any one here know how the tower sounds or how it would compare to the PB13-Ultra? I wish I could see a photo of the driver used but can't see one on the Epik website.


I think both the Castle and Tower have the advantage in pure SPL. After that it get's to be subjective...SQ will be close, but the Ultra has more WAF and flexibility. If I weren't an Ultra owner, I'd have to consider the Epiks for sure.


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## Ilkka (Jun 8, 2006)

Ron Temple said:


> *I think both the Castle and Tower have the advantage in pure SPL.* After that it get's to be subjective...SQ will be close, but the Ultra has more WAF and flexibility. If I weren't an Ultra owner, I'd have to consider the Epiks for sure.


Without accurate measurements and subjective tests, I wouldn't necessarily say that. The new Ultra is incredibly strong compared to any other commercial subwoofer I have ever measured. Then again I haven't measured any of the Epiks...

Hopefully Chad gets some 230V amps ready for the spring...


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## Ron Temple (Oct 16, 2007)

Ilkka said:


> Without accurate measurements and subjective tests, I wouldn't necessarily say that. The new Ultra is incredibly strong compared to any other commercial subwoofer I have ever measured. Then again I haven't measured any of the Epiks...
> 
> Hopefully Chad gets some 230V amps ready for the spring...


I was baseing my statment on supposed cabinet volume, driver size and Brian's GP measurement of the Tower. Granted, I'm not ready to anoint Epik as the Ultra 13 killer either, especially on SQ, but they have something close over there from talking with those that have the Conquest (not the Castle or Tower) offline.


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## mike c (Apr 25, 2006)

ilkka, is Chad actually preparing 220v versions? timeframe?


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## Ilkka (Jun 8, 2006)

Ron Temple said:


> I was baseing my statment on supposed cabinet volume, driver size and Brian's GP measurement of the Tower. Granted, I'm not ready to anoint Epik as the Ultra 13 killer either, especially on SQ, but they have something close over there from talking with those that have the Conquest (not the Castle or Tower) offline.


Surely the Conquest should be much stronger - it has much larger enclosure and more Vd.


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## Ilkka (Jun 8, 2006)

mike c said:


> ilkka, is Chad actually preparing 220v versions? timeframe?


I don't know. I'm hoping he is.


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## mike c (Apr 25, 2006)

Ilkka said:


> I don't know. I'm hoping he is.


who invented different voltages anyway?! :hissyfit:

too bad for us 220v users. :foottap:

if Epik had a 220v Conquest, I'd probably order one just to compare it to my eD ported single 18's :spend:


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## Guest (Jan 29, 2008)

mike c said:


> who invented different voltages anyway?! :hissyfit:
> 
> too bad for us 220v users. :foottap:
> 
> if Epik had a 220v Conquest, I'd probably order one just to compare it to my eD ported single 18's :spend:


Umm, all you need is a simple cheap converter - http://www.voltageconverters.com/voltage_converters.html


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## mike c (Apr 25, 2006)

blake18 said:


> Umm, all you need is a simple cheap converter - http://www.voltageconverters.com/voltage_converters.html


two reasons why I don't like voltage converters:

1) I always move things around ... the risk of plugging into a 220v outlet is too great.

2) the voltage regulator COULD hamper the wattage draw of the amp ... that's why I'm ok to buy players and tv's but NOT amps and subs.


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## Ilkka (Jun 8, 2006)

mike c said:


> two reasons why I don't like voltage converters:
> 
> 1) I always move things around ... the risk of plugging into a 220v outlet is too great.
> 
> 2) the voltage regulator COULD hamper the wattage draw of the amp ... that's why I'm ok to buy players and tv's but NOT amps and subs.


Also AFAIK those converters won't change the frequency, which it not a good thing. 50 Hz can cause some problems if the product is supposed to work with 60 Hz.


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## Guest (Jan 30, 2008)

Ilkka said:


> Also AFAIK those converters won't change the frequency, which it not a good thing. 50 Hz can cause some problems if the product is supposed to work with 60 Hz.


Hmm, didn't consider that... good points both of you. Well, that sucks. :S


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2008)

anyone have any idea what the max inroom output of the Tower would be in a average 2500cuft room would be?


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## johnnysamoa (Sep 14, 2007)

Listening position (12ft) in @3,000 ft cubed (with openings)

Gain set at 12 o'clock position, sub calibrated 3dB hot, Emotiva DMR (125wpc receiver) MV set at -10, with Sub at -1.

I get:

104 dB @14hz
116 dB +/- 5dB from 25 to 70hz

Can push sub harder with more gain, but don't gain much signifcant SPL w/o risk of amp shutting down on challenging scenes (continuous LF effects ala Pulse, FOTF, etc).

Numbers listed are peaks from program material (HDDVDs) and represent dynamics (not continuous sine wave testing). System can comfortably handle these without compression or amp shutdown.


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## Guest (Mar 1, 2008)

I am still deciding between the mfw 15 or epik knight. Looks like both subs are on backorder.


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## jaysonbarnett (May 4, 2008)

Well i just ordered an epik caliber and i am just wondering if 350 watts is enough because my velodyne dls5000 has 600 watts but chad has told me the caliber will go louder and cleaner. How is this possible besides it having a bigger driver. I am confused and just wondering if someone can explain amp power to me.


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## Mike P. (Apr 6, 2007)

The sub driver would have a higher efficiency rating.


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## spyboy (Jul 23, 2006)

jaysonbarnett said:


> Well i just ordered an epik caliber and i am just wondering if 350 watts is enough because my velodyne dls5000 has 600 watts but chad has told me the caliber will go louder and cleaner. How is this possible besides it having a bigger driver. I am confused and just wondering if someone can explain amp power to me.



Amplifier power in subwoofers does not correspond to amplifier power in receivers or power amps. 

You have to look at the whole design, including the size of the cabinet, size and mass of the driver, efficiency of the whole design, and low end extension. 

You may be interested in Hoffman's Iron Law that basically says that:

"you can have low end extension, high efficiency, or small enclosure size. Pick two."

The big Velo is very powerful from 30Hz on up, but it does not extend as deep as the Epik caliber. In this case Velodyne chose high efficiency, and fairly large cabinet, at the expense of low end extension.

Another good example of a sub that can really deliver pretty well in both maximum output and low end extension is the AV123 MFW-15. It uses a pretty large cabinet and a very high efficiency design and only has a 350 watt amplifier.


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## jaysonbarnett (May 4, 2008)

Hey spyboy So will there be an improvment in the quality from velo to the caliber or did i just waste 700.00 dollars? The velo craps out on alot of movies ( having to turn the volume up and down) I know this question is realitive but just curious of your idea of this


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## spyboy (Jul 23, 2006)

jaysonbarnett said:


> Hey spyboy So will there be an improvment in the quality from velo to the caliber or did i just waste 700.00 dollars? The velo craps out on alot of movies ( having to turn the volume up and down) I know this question is realitive but just curious of your idea of this


I have an older subwoofer that has a remote volume (control). When I play different movies or different CDs, I have to adjust the volume because of the way that the bass is mixed by the sound engineers who produced the sound track.

If you have to change the volume between movies, that is one thing. If you have to change the volume during one particular movie that is different. 

Even so, if you can get enough output by turning up the volume, you may not need a new sub. 

I don't really know what you mean by "quality" but the Epik should go deeper. The biggest difference is in the 15-30Hz range. That is where the Velo is relatively weak. 

If you are trying to get more output from your Velo in that bottom octave by turning the volume up, then a better sub will make a difference. 

Have you spoken to Curt at Velodyne about your sub "crapping out"? 

Have you read this:

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/speakers/2316/shootout-five-mid-price-subwoofers.html

The HSU 3.3 with Turbo will perform more like the Epik in the lowest ocatve. 

I hope that this makes some sense.


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## Ron Temple (Oct 16, 2007)

You shouldn't being stressing the Velo if you're calibrated correctly. It's got plenty of oomph. It's not made to handle the real low stuff, but it's got headroom galore above 35hz. That being said, the calibre is going to make the Velo look small and get you clean output into the teens. 

Go get that SPL meter...;^)


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## jaysonbarnett (May 4, 2008)

Cool thanx guys and ron temple if you want to compare or listen to the caliber let me know. I think you said for me to come listen to the ultra on the polk forum. I think you said you live in san jose or something. i have another question...what if i wanted to run both subs (mostly for music) will that make the caliber sound bad? The velo craps out on some movies but for music it sounds nice at around 50 hrtz.:blink:


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