the original es14 was designed by Robin Marshall (PHD in Physics) so that the drive units would mechanically roll off, to blend with each other WITHOUT the need of any cross over components. Only one cap is used to protect the tweeter. Also the drive units are integrated onto a METAL baffle for max stiffness. - - The drive units cost SEVEN times more to produce, than the drivers in the NAIM SBL speakers of the same era. The cabinet was veneered outside AND inside, and uses a metal tension rod, to tune the wall resonance to a specific freq.. ... .. now lets compare that to the modern Es14n, that has drivers that need a crossover network ( so all fine detail is now lost ) , drivers that screw into a wooden baffle , a cabinet that has standard wooden bracing. (Ive read that the drivers look like modified scan speak units) ...........so is that 40 years of ' progress ' ? looks very much the other way around to me......... the fact is, its very difficult to design drivers like Robin did, and hardly anyone else has attempted to do it since, simply because they are unable to , they lack the talent or desire , so create basic drivers like everyone else, and then correct them using large crossover networks, thus losing all the fine details and super clarity that made the ES14 reference speakers as soon as they were released, with most of the hifi press using them as a reference........ did this happen with the new Es14n ? No, its not a reference + its not ground breaking like the original was , and you could say , still is. Ive not heard the new 14n , no doubt its a fine speaker, however, is it as good as the original ? looking at its design and drivers used, complex crossover needed, wooden baffle, tells me that its extremely unlikely it will be as good, you could say impossible to be so .
Yep all of that and the fact Robin Marshall was “inspired” by Boaz Eli Eli’s work on metal dome tweeters at Celestion. Interesting fact, the inspiration came after he was shown around Celestion’s R&D department.
the original es14 was designed by Robin Marshall (PHD in Physics) so that the drive units would mechanically roll off, to blend with each other WITHOUT the need of any cross over components. Only one cap is used to protect the tweeter. Also the drive units are integrated onto a METAL baffle for max stiffness. - - The drive units cost SEVEN times more to produce, than the drivers in the NAIM SBL speakers of the same era. The cabinet was veneered outside AND inside, and uses a metal tension rod, to tune the wall resonance to a specific freq..
... .. now lets compare that to the modern Es14n, that has drivers that need a crossover network ( so all fine detail is now lost ) , drivers that screw into a wooden baffle , a cabinet that has standard wooden bracing. (Ive read that the drivers look like modified scan speak units)
...........so is that 40 years of ' progress ' ? looks very much the other way around to me......... the fact is, its very difficult to design drivers like Robin did, and hardly anyone else has attempted to do it since, simply because they are unable to , they lack the talent or desire , so create basic drivers like everyone else, and then correct them using large crossover networks, thus losing all the fine details and super clarity that made the ES14 reference speakers as soon as they were released, with most of the hifi press using them as a reference........ did this happen with the new Es14n ? No, its not a reference + its not ground breaking like the original was , and you could say , still is.
Ive not heard the new 14n , no doubt its a fine speaker, however, is it as good as the original ? looking at its design and drivers used, complex crossover needed, wooden baffle, tells me that its extremely unlikely it will be as good, you could say impossible to be so .
Yep all of that and the fact Robin Marshall was “inspired” by Boaz Eli Eli’s work on metal dome tweeters at Celestion. Interesting fact, the inspiration came after he was shown around Celestion’s R&D department.
v interesting to hear, plus i think he copied the look of the Celestions, metal baffle etc@@dittonworks
@@Dee-iy4ot indeed
Love the bttf soundtrack! 👍🏻
Thought it was only fitting to use on the return of the ES14 😉
The original ES14s were designed on the end of a NAP 250
actually he used a krell ks50, for class A purity of sound
What’s the cost on those?
What did I think of these?