From left to right, we have ...

http://gallery.photo.net/photo/4090685-md.jpg

E-VIII, E-V, E-III, E-IV and E-VII. They are all favourites of mine, but I'm interested to know which ones you like or loathe, and why. I won't cry, promise.

James

For pure aesthetics alone, I find E-IV to be cute 'n' cheerful! :)

Tough choice, but E-III is the one I can most easily imagine in my living room. I'd really like to see a variation on your larger designs with a 12" bass driver.

James,

My pick is the smallest Ergo because, all things being equal, I'd rather have small speakers than big ones. But they all look great. Your carpentry skills are amazing.

Joe

P.S. E-VIII looks vaguely like a little 'droid, shuffling its way across the room.

They all look really good, especially your woodworking. I don't want to move the thread away from beauty, but your VIII look very unconventional, what were the motives for that design, and how did it work out?

My faves are the VIII and VII.

Tough choice, but E-III is the one I can most easily imagine in my living room. I'd really like to see a variation on your larger designs with a 12" bass driver.
Stuart,

It's funny you should mention it. Based on the current evolution path, which has taken me from a single 10-inch woofer (E-III) to a pair of 8-inch woofers (E-V) to a pair of 10-inch woofers (E-VIII), I feel the time is ripe for a proper 12-inch based system. There is one ideal woofer for the job (Soniccraft SCC-300), but unfortunately, shipping from the USA costs more than the drivers alone.

I've also run out of room, but if I should come up with a novel storage solution, I'll be looking at an amp-friendly (read 8 ohm nominal) 3-way system featuring the SCC-300 (mounted low right next to the floor), coupled to a 6-inch mid (Seas has a new paper-coned M15CH002) and the Seas Millennium tweeter. Should make for a moderately sensitive (88dB/2.83V) system with almost full range bass extension in a cabinet under 100L in volume.

James

... your VIII look very unconventional, what were the motives for that design, and how did it work out?
My ramblings about the design choices can be found here (http://63.99.108.232/forum/showthread.php?t=16590). They have only recently been given voice and I'm pleasantly surprised by how well they have turned out on the first XO iteration. Key words that come to mind are "dynamic expressiveness", "see-through clarity" and "effortless scale". I'll post a more comprehensive review once I've allowed them time to run in a few more days.

James

I think the 2nd and 3rd along look purposeful but still well styled. Shame to see conventional tweeters in them all though, assuming one could live with them (used to the speed of panels now) they'd have to be covered with a grille.

For me the IV being reasonably compact. Good work though. I wish I had that kind of skill.

Hi James,

I'd go (from an aesthetic point of view) for the E-IV or the smallest, the E-VII.
They look absolutely stunning!

Btw, I remember you picked up an old-style Nait-2 on the s/h market, a while ago.
Are you still using it to drive one of you Ergo's ?

best regards,
Alco

Great looking range, James. Do you think an A21a would drive any? :>) For my taste, the wood colour is a bit hot.

Hi Alco,

You remember well. The NAIT2 drives the E-IVs on a daily basis in the 'family room' system with a Yamaha T-1 tuner as source.

James

Great looking range, James. Do you think an A21a would drive any? :>) For my taste, the wood colour is a bit hot.
Thanks, Alex.

Is the A21 happy driving 4-ohm loudspeakers? If so, then they should all work fine. For best workshop-filling abilities, it shouldn't surprise you that the E-VIII will fulfil that task best. Sapele is a gorgeous wood, but I admit five loudspeakers in the same clothes is a bit OTT.

If you ever get up to Bub's, swing by Mr Tibbs and have a listen to the E-IIIs.

James

I love 'em all... but the E-III's are the best...

http://www.btinternet.com/~david.stewart37/ergo3pics/5.jpg

Well, I would say that, wouldn't I :)

Mr Tibbs

Looks alone,

E-IV

If I were to give them character names from Middle Earth (Tolkein), what should I call them?

James

Personally and from an aesthetic POV I would go for the E-IV as it looks rather simple, purposeful and straightforward.

Thom

The E-IV for me also by quite a margin. From a (hypothetical) customers POV I would want grills on them however.

James, they are all beautiful, but, for me, in my room, the IV is a nice look with its cuteness, NO STOP wait a minute, I like the VIIIs visual dominance and promise of perfection. Aesthetically, the standmounters base could perhaps be a little smaller, other than that they look good. :)

James

If I were to give them character names from Middle Earth (Tolkein), what should I call them?

From let to right: Bubba, Leroy, Skillet, Hucklebuck and Rooster. No, wait. Those are the monikers you should pick if they were to be named after the underdog in a '70s TV cop show.

Joe

James,

I see you've switched from Peak Consult to Sonus Faber for your latest inspiration.

Fancy trying Altec or Tannoy next?

My ramblings about the design choices can be found here (http://63.99.108.232/forum/showthread.php?t=16590). They have only recently been given voice and I'm pleasantly surprised by how well they have turned out on the first XO iteration. Key words that come to mind are "dynamic expressiveness", "see-through clarity" and "effortless scale". I'll post a more comprehensive review once I've allowed them time to run in a few more days.

James

Just finished scanning through that thread. Now they are even more impressive!

Definitely looking forward to your review.

I see you've switched from Peak Consult to Sonus Faber for your latest inspiration.

Fancy trying Altec or Tannoy next?
Merlin,

My designs have always been inspired by Sonus Faber. I had never heard of Peak Consult until after the E-Vs were built. I once stated that the Ergos will feature solid wood and leather like SF (together with a midband to die for), the svelte and simple lines of Epos and the bass tunefulness of Naim.

Not sure about Altecs or Tannoys though ...

James

So far, the E-IVs are getting the popular vote, and the E-Vs are not getting the attention I thought they might. More disturbingly, some of you actually like the visual dominance of the E-VIIIs. Good stuff.

So, what should the E-IXs be? A tiny 2-way stand mount/floorstander, mid-sized standmount MTM, a line array featuring four 7-inch midbass (configured as a 2.5-way MTMMM) or something else altogether?

James

So, what should the E-IXs be?

Jamo showed some very interesting open baffle speakers at the Manchester show, details here (http://www.jamo.com/Default.asp?ID=2250&M=Shop&PID=5792&ProductID=17723). Might be an interesting departure from boxes (they certainly work) and would benefit from some nice aesthetic woodworking. Whatever you do next you should use a proper bass driver, i.e. a 12” or preferably 15”, the Jamos have two 15”s, so that’s where the bar is now set ;)

Tony.

James,
what about another modern take on a classic design (similar to the Maxi-Kan approach)? How about an Ergo Isobarik for example?
Maybe something with a ribbon tweeter?
Perhaps a multi-box speaker with separate enclosures for bass, mid and treble a' la Naim SBLs, JM Lab Utopias etc?
Or how about a sub/satellite system with cute little two way standmounts and a stonking sub or two?
I'm sure you'll have fun whatever you decide.
Rich

James,

I'd like to see you using some proper drivers this time

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/airwise/1500al.jpg

Lets get past the old 'classic' designs with old wood, common James lets get modern, time for some piano black I think.

And no skis.

I'd like to see you using some proper drivers this time

You sure that's a driver, Merlin? Looks more like the main deflector dish on a federation starship.

Joe

http://memory-alpha.org/en/images/f/f9/Wolf_359_3.jpg

Jamo showed some very interesting open baffle speakers at the Manchester show, details here (http://www.jamo.com/Default.asp?ID=2250&M=Shop&PID=5792&ProductID=17723). Might be an interesting departure from boxes (they certainly work) and would benefit from some nice aesthetic woodworking. Whatever you do next you should use a proper bass driver, i.e. a 12” or preferably 15”, the Jamos have two 15”s, so that’s where the bar is now set ;)
Hmmmmmm, 15"s eh? Well, part of the reason for going wide baffle is the potential of accommodating larger drivers. It's not for the lack of desire, but more the lack of suitable drivers that I can get without breaking the bank. The idea of open-baffle would certainly save the need for huge boxes in the room, but based on my understanding open-baffle/dipole woofers need significant EQ to work properly. This essentially means active amplification. I now wished I paid attention in tech class.

James

...what about another modern take on a classic design (similar to the Maxi-Kan approach)? How about an Ergo Isobarik for example?
I'm not convinced an isobarik design would bring significant musical benefits. The sole purpose of isobarik loading is to reduce the volume of box required. The penalty is also half the impedance but no gain in sensitivity or efficiency. That said, a smaller box is easier to brace and no doubt domestically more acceptable.

Maybe something with a ribbon tweeter?
There is a Fountek or Arum Cantus ribbon that I'd like to try. The trouble with ribbons is they like to be crossed reasonably high and with steep slopes, and most of the mid drivers I've tried sound better crossed around 2-3kHz. Obviously I haven't tried them all, but give me time. ;)

Perhaps a multi-box speaker with separate enclosures for bass, mid and treble a' la Naim SBLs, JM Lab Utopias etc?
High mass reduces the need for mechanical isolation. Presently, the E-VIIIs are not yet spiked to the ground and yet I can feel no vibration on the tweeter sub-baffle at stupidly loud volumes. I attribute this to the fact each box weighs well over 100lbs.

Or how about a sub/satellite system with cute little two way standmounts and a stonking sub or two?
Not a fan of sat/sub solutions simply because proper integration depends entirely on correct physical separation. I'm also convinced that music enjoyment is not critically dependant on the last octave as long as the rest of the frequency spectrum is present and balanced.

James

James,

I'd like to see you using some proper drivers this time

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y225/airwise/1500al.jpg
Merlin,

Interesting looking device. What is it specifically?

James

Hmmmmmm, 15"s eh? Well, part of the reason for going wide baffle is the potential of accommodating larger drivers. It's not for the lack of desire, but more the lack of suitable drivers that I can get without breaking the bank. The idea of open-baffle would certainly save the need for huge boxes in the room, but based on my understanding open-baffle/dipole woofers need significant EQ to work properly. This essentially means active amplification. I now wished I paid attention in tech class.

James

These (http://www.hawthorneaudio.com/drivers.htm) any use?

They look like JBL drivers out of a K2 :)

Merlin,

Interesting looking device. What is it specifically?

James

High mass reduces the need for mechanical isolation. Presently, the E-VIIIs are not yet spiked to the ground and yet I can feel no vibration on the tweeter sub-baffle at stupidly loud volumes. I attribute this to the fact each box weighs well over 100lbs.

Hmmmm not sure if I agree here - I can clearly hear the difference when I get any speakers properly grounded and working well with the floor - even my 45kg Isobariks need to be very carefully coupled to the floor to work at their best - you might be missing a trick here by not looking harder at how the speakers interface with the floor. Doesn't have to be just spikes either - there's loads of fun to be had with ball bearing / cup type devices etc.


Not a fan of sat/sub solutions simply because proper integration depends entirely on correct physical separation. I'm also convinced that music enjoyment is not critically dependant on the last octave as long as the rest of the frequency spectrum is present and balanced.
James

Interesting you say that about the last octave - the better subwoofer installations I've heard benefit the upper registers most.... Same story with super-tweeters, I haven't heard these but I understand the benfits extend much lower than you would have thought.
With you on the placement thing though - the devil's in the detail.
Thanks,
Rich

I prefer the E-IV by a wide margin.

The E-VIII looks like something a lonely audiophile nerd would have in their living room. With amps on special stands near the speakers etc.

I think they all look shite. I'll get me coat.

If you ever make a dialogue centre channel, you could call it the Wormtongue.

What was the big evil eye called? Being non directional, you could call your sub that.

The E-IV, being the slimmest are the Legolas and the short monitors are called the Gimli.

I like the 8's but I'd go with Black skiis to take the eye away from them altogether, and lighter wood to contrast the leather ...

http://www.mickeys.plus.com/Ergo8BlackSki.jpg

Or I'd even add a plinth of sorts ...

http://www.mickeys.plus.com/Ergo8plinth.jpg

However I'd have any of them in my lounge in an instant, theyre all stunning!

Just say the word James and I will of course remove these pictures, they are edited on my computer and hence dont look as good as the real thing!
Sorry if they offend!

I think they all look shite. I'll get me coat.
Love and kisses.

James

The E-IV, being the slimmest are the Legolas and the short monitors are called the Gimli.
Mike, you and Stevea must have like minds. He's called the IVs Legolas as well. Lithe, nimble and oh-so-agile. I hadn't thought about Gimbli for the little one, but that's quite apt. Short, squat and broadfooted, but so is Frodo. I was thinking that maybe the Vs could be Aragon, but I might reserve that name for the E-X. Perhaps Sauron for the Vs, and Gandalf for the venerable IIIs? Still don't know what to call the VIIIs.

James

Ah James. They are far better than I could do, and far worse than big, black ATCs. They just look a bit "polite". Make some big ones.

I like the 8's but I'd go with Black skiis to take the eye away from them altogether, and lighter wood to contrast the leather ...

http://www.mickeys.plus.com/Ergo8BlackSki.jpg

Or I'd even add a plinth of sorts ...

http://www.mickeys.plus.com/Ergo8plinth.jpg

However I'd have any of them in my lounge in an instant, theyre all stunning!

Just say the word James and I will of course remove these pictures, they are edited on my computer and hence dont look as good as the real thing!
Sorry if they offend!
No offence at all. I wish I could modify pictures like that. The black skis look very effective against a lighter wood, but I'm not so sure about the plinth. I welcome all ideas.

James

Ah James. They are far better than I could do, and far worse than big, black ATCs. They just look a bit "polite". Make some big ones.
Bub, I think you'll find the VIIIs will make the ATC100s look positively small. They sound anything but polite too. Rectangular boxes are too easy to build.

James

From left to right, we have ...

http://gallery.photo.net/photo/4090685-md.jpg

E-VIII, E-V, E-III, E-IV and E-VII. They are all favourites of mine, but I'm interested to know which ones you like or loathe, and why. I won't cry, promise.

James

James, they all look bloody great, my only minor criticism would be perhaps that the colour of the wood is a little dark for my taste. Have you considered a lighter shade? maple for example? the lighter colours seem to be all the rage these days..

These (http://www.hawthorneaudio.com/drivers.htm) any use?
The total Q of these drivers seem excessively high. Also, for open-baffle use, Xmax, which refers to maximum linear travel, should be at least 10mm each way. With total Q of around 0.9, these drivers will have less than ideal transient response in infinite baffle. The target Q for sealed drivers is around 0.4-0.5, and a somewhat lower figure for open baffle with Linkwitz-Tranform EQ.

James

James, they all look bloody great, my only minor criticism would be perhaps that the colour of the wood is a little dark for my taste. Have you considered a lighter shade? maple for example? the lighter colours seem to be all the rage these days..
Thanks, aquapiranha. Colour is very much a personal thing. I did try to get a variety of different woods for the different models, but each time I went out to buy a fresh batch of wood, the other stuff invariable isn't in stock or are of a poor quality. Maybe there is a Sapele conspiracy going on here.

On my list to try are:

Swiss Pear - lovely light and slightly pink wood. Very fine grain.

Rewarewa - a native New Zealand timber with a very distinctive quartersawn grain.

American Black Walnut - the E-I was made from this lovely hardwood.

Bubinga - rich, dark and oh-so-heavy. Might be on endangered list though.

James

Thanks, aquapiranha. Colour is very much a personal thing. I did try to get a variety of different woods for the different models, but each time I went out to buy a fresh batch of wood, the other stuff invariable isn't in stock or are of a poor quality. Maybe there is a Sapele conspiracy going on here.

On my list to try are:

Swiss Pear - lovely light and slightly pink wood. Very fine grain.

Rewarewa - a native New Zealand timber with a very distinctive quartersawn grain.

American Black Walnut - the E-I was made from this lovely hardwood.

Bubinga - rich, dark and oh-so-heavy. Might be on endangered list though.

James

I await with baited breath, however I could never buy any, since you use leather and to me as a vegan, that just won't do! - sorry. However, if you use it for sonic reasons, I would commend you on your attention to detail, if for aesthetic reasons, there are alternatives, such as lorica and vegetan..

I used Sapele for my E-III's, but the timber has hardly any of the red tone that James' have. They are a little darker now than in the pic below, and almost identical in shade (and grain) to the Afro of the LP12 plinth. I suppose it all depends where the timber originates from.

Of course, I'm sure James would be happy to build you a set of speakers in whatever timber takes your fancy - at a price ;)

http://www.btinternet.com/~david.stewart37/ergo3pics/9.jpg

Mr Tibbs

Has to be E-III's.

E-v

<anorak>
One of the names has got to be "Shadowfax" James - the "fastest" one, perhaps?

Was wondering about naming the VIII something along the lines of gates/doors - due to the proportions. A bit of Googling suggests that the Argonath are also known as the Gates of Argonath - so what about Argonath? Statuesque enough for you?
</anorak>

Please, please, no Tolkien names. Too naff for words.

The total Q of these drivers seem excessively high. Also, for open-baffle use, Xmax, which refers to maximum linear travel, should be at least 10mm each way. With total Q of around 0.9, these drivers will have less than ideal transient response in infinite baffle. The target Q for sealed drivers is around 0.4-0.5, and a somewhat lower figure for open baffle with Linkwitz-Tranform EQ.

James,

Please explain further... In a new thread... The R909s did catch my eye, if not my wallet! £7500.

Are the Jamo R909's filtered for the bass then? (passive / active?)
I did a couple of sums and maybe a line array of 4 x 300mm drivers would have the same XS area as the 2 x 380mm drivers (or x3 for smaller room). I read, a line array also has better 'projection' due cylindrical sound field (rather than spherical).

I also like the idea of making a one sided box ;-) probably well within my carpentry skills with metal skeleton rear.

Thoughts?

John

Please, please, no Tolkien names. Too naff for words
Tend to agree - but he did ask.... (Probably all sorts of horrid copyright stuff anyway).

I used Sapele for my E-III's, but the timber has hardly any of the red tone that James' have. They are a little darker now than in the pic below, and almost identical in shade (and grain) to the Afro of the LP12 plinth. I suppose it all depends where the timber originates from.
Maybe you got a batch of Afro instead of Sapele. ;)

Of course, I'm sure James would be happy to build you a set of speakers in whatever timber takes your fancy - at a price ;)
I'm not so sure about that. I'm certain Balsa won't do, and neither would any endangered species. Any timber choice left will then be subject to minimum standards for stiffness, stability and working properties.

http://www.btinternet.com/~david.stewart37/ergo3pics/9.jpg

Nice loudspeaker !! :D

James

... so what about Argonath? Statuesque enough for you?

Hmmmm, yes. Argonath is quite apt. But ...

Please, please, no Tolkien names. Too naff for words.
... perhaps Markus has a point. I'm trying to come up with a nomenclature that doesn't revolve around numbers or modern day names/terms. But whatever I chose has have meaning and consistency in theme. Since I live in Middle Earth, what better choice than Middle Earth names? I'm open to ideas.

James

Are the Jamo R909's filtered for the bass then? (passive / active?)
John,

According to the Jamo technical blurb, the R909s are a passive design with a heavily filtered Low Pass woofer section to overcome 'acoustic short-circuiting' below 200Hz. They contend that this acoustic short-circuiting accounts for a progressive 6dB loss for each octave below 200Hz. This means an unfiltered woofer would have 18dB more amplitude at 200Hz than it would at 25Hz. It's easy enough to apply a single inductor to start rolling off the woofer at 6dB/oct from 25Hz, but I wonder how well damped this filter would be because the natural resonance/impedance peak of the woofer would misterminate the filter. But assuming it all works splendidly, they would need a combined woofer sensitivity of 110dB/2.83V (or 104dB/2.83V each) to achieve a sensitivity of 92dB/2.83V if linearity to 25Hz is claimed. I believe it is a tough ask, but as I haven't heard the Jamos, I cannot really comment. I believe it is technically more elegant to use the Linkwitz Transform in an active filter to drive those woofers, and maybe retain the passive set-up for the mid and tweeter.

I read, a line array also has better 'projection' due cylindrical sound field (rather than spherical).
I also understand this to be the case, but I wonder if it might also create odd spatial effects, like ten-feet tall mouths. I'm tempted to build a line-array to find out, but the thought of shelling out 8-12x the cost of my favourite drivers seems extravagant.

I also like the idea of making a one sided box ;-) probably well within my carpentry skills with metal skeleton rear.
Making the box is actually very easy once you have cut all the pieces correctly to size. Cutting the driver holes and rebating the flange correctly to depth is a bit trickier. Should I mention finishing? That's a bitch. ;)

James

Since I live in Middle Earth, what better choice than Middle Earth names? I'm open to ideas.

Naming stuff after towns / places has worked ok for Tannoy, Castle etc, why not apply a similar logic to places in NZ?

Tony.

What about Maori place names?

Naming stuff after Tolkein would just make you look like a knob, IMO.

-- Ian

So, what should the E-IXs be? A tiny 2-way stand mount/floorstander, mid-sized standmount MTM, a line array featuring four 7-inch midbass (configured as a 2.5-way MTMMM) or something else altogether?
The time is clearly nigh for the Ergo iDock (not an opthalmologist by any chance, are you?) multimedia sound center (iPod not included).

Avoid space-related themes, such as names of rocketships, moon missions, and planets.

Naming stuff after towns / places has worked ok for Tannoy, Castle etc, why not apply a similar logic to places in NZ?
Good thinking, Tony. I'll go bury my face in the local maps.

Naming stuff after Tolkein would just make you look like a knob, IMO.
I'm coming to that viewpoint too.

Avoid space-related themes, such as names of rocketships, moon missions, and planets.
Aye, aye, Capt'n.

James

Avoid space-related themes, such as names of rocketships, moon missions, and planets.
Words to live by, really.

I like rivers, so I'd probably name my collection of DIY speakers after rivers.

What about Maori place names?

Naming stuff after Tolkein would just make you look like a knob, IMO.

-- Ian

That is a fact, but it's entirely possible that those hi-fi loving, buying brown trousers types are the very same no-girlfriend-AD&D types that would love it.

Words to live by, really.
You're full of piss n' vinegar today kasper. Sunny where you are, too?

Aye, and I'm off work as well. And eating a really, really good sandwich.

Very sunny here too. I'm home too and just enjoyed some eggs with greeen tabasco! Need to get out for fresh air later... :-)

I like rivers, so I'd probably name my collection of DIY speakers after rivers.
How about mountains and lakes, which dominate the New Zealand landscape?

Mountains

Aoraki (Mt. Cook - tallest in the land)
Rarakiroa (Mt Tasman - second tallest)
Ruapehu
Tongariro
Taranaki (Mt Egmont)
Ngauruhoe

Lakes

Hawea
Tekapo
Taupo (largest and an crater lake)
Wakatipu
Wanaka (also town name)
Rotorua (another popular tourist city)
Te Anau

James

Punter; Hello salesperson, I'd like to dem a pair of those Whackytapos...

Salesperson; Pardon?

Punter; Er.. never mind... I'll just take those old 'briks.

James, you'll need to help with the pronunciation :o

Mr Tibbs

It's no different to Irish names, Mr Tibbs. You'll soon get the hang of it.

James

How many loudspeaker lines with Irish names do you know? Succesful ones, so we can discount the O'Heocha?

Alex has an unerring nose for failing companies.

Fair point, Markus. Perhaps the English name equivalents? Or maybe Middle Earth suburbs like:

Seatoun
Miramar
Woburn
Khandallah
Plimmerton
Brooklyn
Whitby

?

James

It's no different to Irish names, Mr Tibbs. You'll soon get the hang of it

I'm not good with Irish, - I'm an Ulster Scot ;)

OK, a test for you James - how is the well known Irish girl's name Siobhan pronounced? (no googling!)

Mr Tibbs

I'm not good with Irish, - I'm an Ulster Scot ;)

OK, a test for you James - how is the well known Irish girl's name Siobhan pronounced? (no googling!)

Mr Tibbs
Chevon, but I knew that because I considered that name for one of my daughters. ;)

James

James, do yourself a favour and give your speakers names/designations that help the public place them in a hierarchy. Is the Plimmerton situated above or below the Khandalla in your line-up? And do you think a Plimmerton Mk II, a Plimmerton Signature or Plimmerton Reference will cause anybody to part with their money?

A large company like Linn or Wilson can get away with silly naming, but a small company with limited exposure should avoid confusion of the buying public, not add to it.

Pagan deities are easy to market to the average hifi buyer.

James, do yourself a favour and give your speakers names/designations that help the public place them in a hierarchy. Is the Plimmerton situated above or below the Khandalla in your line-up? And do you think a Plimmerton Mk II, a Plimmerton Signature or Plimmerton Reference will cause anybody to part with their money?
TBH, I hadn't thought about hierarchy at all, but only because in my mind there is none. Each and every Ergo has strengths and weaknesses that makes it difficult to determine a performance hierarchy. But in terms of size, well, that's easy. How does the casual observer determine hierarchy just from the model name alone e.g. Shahinian's Hawk, Obelisk, Diapason? None of the usual Sig or Ref add-on monikers for me.

A large company like Linn or Wilson can get away with silly naming, but a small company with limited exposure should avoid confusion of the buying public, not add to it.
Indeedy.

James

A large company like Linn or Wilson can get away with silly naming, but a small company with limited exposure should avoid confusion of the buying public, not add to it.

I think the mountain / lake thing is really good – any promo literature could easily explain the naming concept and there is no comparison to Linn style made-up silliness IMHO. It highlights brand’s geographical location and gives it a unique identity.

Tony.

Pagan deities are easy to market to the average hifi buyer.

I'll buy the one that shags goats!

If it's good enough for DV's Te Kaitora, perhaps Maori names meaningful chosen (i.e. not impossible to pronounce) and used isn't so bad. I'm sure I could even find the Maori translation of 'goat shagger', though I'm certain there isn't a mountain or lake with such a name.

Can't please them all, eh? I'll sleep on it tonight.

James

You can go round in circles thinking of names...best is just to get them on the market asap and get people buying them. Names can appear stupid at first but if your speakers succeed then the names will just be linked to your brand and sound...becoming everyday accepted words.

Naming can depend on your marketing strategy...most firms want to kindle some kind of emotion with the names...others take a more technical route (see cars like BMW for example...and then Naim).

Mountains and lakes of england seem nice...hasnt that been done?

Just get them to market and get people buying and trying....just my 2 cents given i just did the same with a telecomms product.

Richard

I think the mountain / lake thing is really good – any promo literature could easily explain the naming concept and there is no comparison to Linn style made-up silliness IMHO. It highlights brand’s geographical location and gives it a unique identity.

Tony.

Those French speakers made from glass are named after waterfalls. I thought that was quite neat and it fitted in with the ethos of the speakers as well so it meant something.

Jay

Those French speakers made from glass are named after waterfalls. I thought that was quite neat and it fitted in with the ethos of the speakers as well so it meant something.

There aren’t too many options for naming hi-fi kit, I’d hazard a guess at four:

Logical numerical, eg. NAP250 (Naim Audio Power 250 watts both channels combined into 4 Ohms).


Instantly forgettable numerical stupidity, eg. BN4352.74BX/4 (I made this up, but I sure you can find a Japanese AV amp with a similar name).


Sensible memorable names, eg. Tannoy Lancaster, Royd Coniston etc.


Names that make you want to punch the salesman, eg. Super-Pavarotti, Ikemi, Solar Wind.

I’d choose option three every time.

Tony.

You can go round in circles thinking of names...best is just to get them on the market asap and get people buying them. Names can appear stupid at first but if your speakers succeed then the names will just be linked to your brand and sound...becoming everyday accepted words.
It's the 'going to market' bit that I'm still deliberating. I design and build loudspeakers purely as a hobby, and though a couple of PFMers have been delighted (well, that's what they have told me) with their replications of my designs, I'm not sure I'm ready for commercial reality just yet. My local market is 'untested' and the global market is just a bit scary without someone backing such a venture financially. For now, I'm very content making little piles of sawdust in the garage, and getting wiffs of solder fumes every now and then.

Mountains and lakes of england seem nice...hasnt that been done?
Possibly, but I'm not aware of any hifi product other than the DV Te Kaitora that has New Zealand names. And therein lies my challenge, I'm half a world away from my target market.

James

Names that make you want to punch the salesman, eg. Super-Pavarotti, Ikemi, Solar Wind.
That almost made me spill my coffee laughing out loud.

James

How about naming them after drugs:

1. Heroin Harmony Standmounts
2. Crack Attack Floorstanders
3. Ecstasy Hugmonsters
4. Mushroom Mongtronics

Wicked...wheres the Floyd.

Richard

James,
any chances for a full familly foto including PFM Special? Not ergo series but still, they have the same father :)

I'm a bit torn.. I love the slim IV and mighty III so they both gets my votes :)

AeoN

I love the slim IV and mighty III so they both gets my votes

Yeah, to me the III always had that kick-ass look about it...

http://www.btinternet.com/~david.stewart37/ergo3pics/MightyIII.JPG


Mr Tibbs

VIII because it's different - the rest just look like other speakers*, but the design of the VIII is quite distinctive.

* albeit quite nice looking ones.

James,
any chances for a full familly foto including PFM Special? Not ergo series but still, they have the same father :)
Not a chance, AeoN, I'm afraid. The Vifa M26 woofers have been recycled into the E-VIIIs. I still have the bass bins, though, but they are a bit dusty and scratched serving duty as my drill press stand. :o

James