# Epik Conquest Orientation



## hjones4841 (Jan 21, 2009)

I am considering adding a Conquest to my system. Picking a location in the room due to its size is an issue. 

I saw a post either here or on AVS about laying it on its side, but did not understand why that would make a difference. Does having the driver closer to the floor extend LF output, or is it related to the distance of the ports to the floor?

Has anyone placed a Conquest with the side of the cabinet up next to a side wall of the room, out away from a corner? Any ill sonic effects from doing so?


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## bone215 (Dec 15, 2006)

it could just be that the woofer loads into the room just different enough that it sounds different on its side as opposed to straight up. Hard to predict what would sound best in your room, just have to buy it and try it!!


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## hjones4841 (Jan 21, 2009)

bone215 said:


> just have to buy it and try it!!


That is what I am trying to convince myself to do:bigsmile: Having to pay $300 shipping is a turnoff, tho.

I have a Velodyne FSR-18 in the room that goes low enough to be sure, but does not quite have enough output to satisfy me. It is 11 years old and already has been hit by lightning once (and repaired by Velodyne). 

I am thinking that if I buy another sub, I might as well get one that will fill the room by itself in case the Velo quits on me. I like the idea of the Conquest, just have not decided where it will fit into the room. On its side on the floor opens up another location.


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## hjones4841 (Jan 21, 2009)

There are some posts over at AVS about the Conquest being removed from the order page and speculation about a possible replacement. Or perhaps Epik tired of boxing this thing up in a crate for shipping. Anyone here have any news?


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## Mike P. (Apr 6, 2007)

You can read about the new product line in the Epik News Blog:

http://epiksubwoofers.com/blog/


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## hjones4841 (Jan 21, 2009)

Thanks, Mike P. That page does not mention the status of or a planned replacement for the Conquest. The order status page for it says it is currently out of stock. Speculation at AVS is that a replacement design is in the works. It could also be that they are simply out of parts for a while.


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## Mike P. (Apr 6, 2007)

Contact Chad at Epik and ask him if something is in the works. He's a great guy to deal with.


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## lalakersfan34 (Oct 31, 2007)

Mike P. said:


> Contact Chad at Epik and ask him if something is in the works. He's a great guy to deal with.


Agreed, Chad is a very friendly guy. That said, he might not divulge too much information. For the last couple of months of 2008 and the first couple of months of 2009, Epik's page had every sub but the Conquest listed as "Out of Stock". All Epik took orders for and shipped during that time was Conquests. People speculated that Epik was going through hard times, etc, when suddenly out of the blue this year he launches a brand new lineup. _Nobody_ knew about this, even though I'm sure a lot of people asked him what was going on during that 3-4 months span. The Conquest appears to be going through the same "Out of Stock", unable-to-be-ordered phase that the rest of Epik's old subs went through before they were discontinued and replaced, but it's hard to know for sure. It's worth a shot asking Chad what he's up to, but don't be surprised if you don't get a comprehensive answer. I think he enjoyed springing the new lineup on a completely unsuspecting crowd - he may just do it again 

At any rate, being an Epik Castle (one of the discontinued models) owner, I can give Epik my highest recommendation. Outstanding performance at very low prices. Good luck with your subwoofer decision.


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## hjones4841 (Jan 21, 2009)

I sent an e-mail to Epik sales today and got a non-answer. Yes, it is out of stock. Check back later in the year to see if it is back in stock or if the Conquest design has been replaced - a decision has not been reached.

I could see that due to size the Conquest likely was not a big seller. Perhaps the volume was too low to justify maintaining it as the flagship. Or, as others speculate, a replacement is in the works.


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## spyboy (Jul 23, 2006)

hjones4841 said:


> I sent an e-mail to Epik sales today and got a non-answer. Yes, it is out of stock. Check back later in the year to see if it is back in stock or if the Conquest design has been replaced - a decision has not been reached.
> 
> I could see that due to size the Conquest likely was not a big seller. Perhaps the volume was too low to justify maintaining it as the flagship. Or, as others speculate, a replacement is in the works.


When I called Epik, the woman I spoke to said that at present, Epik does not have a 1,000 watt amp for the Conquest. 

Epik had been using BASH amps but has stopped using BASH amps. What is surprising is that now, ALL of the new Epik subs are using a 600 watt amp. 

My sense is that the Dynasty is big enough and loud enough for most people, and that the odds of the Conquest re-appearing are less than 50-50.


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## Ricci (May 23, 2007)

Hopefully Epik is developing or sourcing a better high power plate amp for the Conquest. There has been some mention of a few different mfgr's working on better plate amps. Perhaps they'll come out with a new 1200w for a revamped Conquest.:dunno:


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## spyboy (Jul 23, 2006)

Ricci said:


> Hopefully Epik is developing or sourcing a better high power plate amp for the Conquest. There has been some mention of a few different mfgr's working on better plate amps. Perhaps they'll come out with a new 1200w for a revamped Conquest.:dunno:



Since Elemental Design revamped the A7-900 and raised the price to at least $2,500, Epik may indeed bring back the Conquest. Sourcing a ~1,000 watt plate amp shouldn't be a deal breaker.

I was disappointed when I read that the A7-900 had been decontented. In other words it doesn't weigh as much as the original. Other changes have been made. I hope they are really for the better. 

At the original price of the Conquest, the Seation Submersive may be one of the top choices. Then again, companies like JTR and Danley have some real beasts, especially the tapped horns.


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## brandonnash (Sep 11, 2006)

I can vouch for the danley horns being crazy nice. I had a th50 in my house for my sub shootout and it is an spl beast. It can handle 16 hz but really 20 is about as low as it will get with mega output. By itself it was doing nearly 130 db in my room with only a couple hundred watts to it. It only has a single 15" driver.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## thebuckaman (Jan 16, 2009)

I'm selling my TH-50 for what its worth...


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## Ron Temple (Oct 16, 2007)

There's a reason that SVS stopped making /2s and have no plans for anything bigger than the Ultra13. It's hard to put large boxes in most living/family rooms. The market segment that doesn't care is fairly small and crowded with some excellent performers and DIY enthusiasts. Except for a few bassheads, most don't play their rigs at reference level anyway. The Dynasty is big (maybe too big) and bad enough for most rooms and surely a pair will be. Chad redesigned his line to get better performance/sound quality in a smaller package. To sell units, I think that's the way to go. To keep the lights on he needs to sell x number of subs a month. He did sell quite a few Conquests (I believe), but it also represented larger expense and quite a bit more time and effort to assemble. I think the ID companies that are going to make it for the long haul are going to stay within reasonable production models and sizes. eD is doing all right on the build to order model, but bread and butter are their lower and mid lines. The Conquest was a great sub, but shipping was from $240-$300, the crate probably cost north of $100 and 30" deep is really hard to accomodate if you're not in a dedicated theater...all for 2-3db of headroom at certain frequencies.


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## spyboy (Jul 23, 2006)

Ron

How did you get the information about SVS dual driver model discontinuation? Did someone from SVS tell you what you posted? It may be true, but I've not seen anything from SVS on it.

Also, the Dynasty is 30 inches deep, so it seems safe to say that there are enough buyers who can find a place for a 30 inch sub. This would seem to negate your statement about the 30 inch depth of the Conquest being a significant contributor to its current status.

When I spoke to staff at Epik they mentioned the 1,000 watt amp as a signficant contributor. Epik was using BASH amps and will no longer be doing business with BASH.

I think there is an issue with the new amps from Epik. Not a quality control issue like with the MFW-15, but it is counter-intuitive that all 5 of the new models just happen to be perfect matches for a 600 watt amp. This is especially true of the Dynasty. As it was, the Conquest was amp limited. The Dynasty is probably amp limited as well.

I think the Conquest used a very expensive driver, with an expensive 1,000 watt BASH amp, in a huge but well braced box that cost a lot to ship. 

But, it did serve a purpose. They got a glowing review from Tom Nousaine, and along with the Ed A7-900 set some new benchmarks for internet direct subs. 

I agree that these are not the biggest sellers. The mid-priced subs sell more units. I know for a fact that 3-4 years ago the biggest seller at SVS was the 20-39PCi.


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## Ron Temple (Oct 16, 2007)

spyboy said:


> Ron
> 
> How did you get the information about SVS dual driver model discontinuation? Did someone from SVS tell you what you posted? It may be true, but I've not seen anything from SVS on it.


 Yeah, I've had many conversations with various SVS guys except Ron on box size, shipping weight, etc. However, may statement isn't the whole story about the /2s. They occupied a niche and pricepoint that offered great value until the Ultra 13 came out. They kicked the tires about a U13/2 for awhile, but last word was that it just wasn't practical.



> Also, the Dynasty is 30 inches deep, so it seems safe to say that there are enough buyers who can find a place for a 30 inch sub. This would seem to negate your statement about the 30 inch depth of the Conquest being a significant contributor to its current status.


You're right there...I didn't check the dims on depth, though the box is still significantly shorter and slightly narrower and much lighter. He seems to be selling quite a few Dynastys too. However, I *think* that's as big as he wants to go based on conversations we've had. That's not the nail in the coffin for the Conquest or another statement design...he's keeping his options open.



> When I spoke to staff at Epik they mentioned the 1,000 watt amp as a signficant contributor. Epik was using BASH amps and will no longer be doing business with BASH.


Yeah, Indigo couldn't keep up with his demand last year and he found another supplier. The problem with powerful plate amps is cost. Finding a 1K plus amp for his subs would have bumped his price. The new amps he's using seem to be working well. The single platform can be adapted for each of his designs. This kind of leaves the Conquest out in the cold.



> I think there is an issue with the new amps from Epik. Not a quality control issue like with the MFW-15, but it is counter-intuitive that all 5 of the new models just happen to be perfect matches for a 600 watt amp. This is especially true of the Dynasty. As it was, the Conquest was amp limited. The Dynasty is probably amp limited as well.


 I couldn't say. I agree on the Conquest, but even if he could have found a 2K amp, the price would have been greater and it would have only acheived another 3db at best. It was already a reference sub. I'm sure the new amps have separate eq curves for each model to maximize performance in each box. Maybe, an internal damping adjustment similar to the external tuning of the Rythmik amps. 



> *I think the Conquest used a very expensive driver, with an expensive 1,000 watt BASH amp, in a huge but well braced box that cost a lot to ship. *
> But, it did serve a purpose. They got a glowing review from Tom Nousaine, and along with the Ed A7-900 set some new benchmarks for internet direct subs.
> 
> I agree that these are not the biggest sellers. The mid-priced subs sell more units. I know for a fact that 3-4 years ago the biggest seller at SVS was the 20-39PCi.


...and it was a bitch to build :bigsmile:

Your points are excellent. Mine are based on several conversations. There are many specific reasons that contribute to the Conquest's status. Reducing the size of the entire product line was a major goal for Epik. If they start making the Conquest again, I'm sure it will sell in about the same volumes, but maybe not at the same price (that's speculation). I kind of doubt Epik is in a big hurry to introduce anything new or old right now. They need to get the existing lines established.


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## bone215 (Dec 15, 2006)

what a great time to be a sub enthusiast.


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