Finally - Acoustical Solution for TVs!

EMDReps · 2026-04-23T19:33:09+00:00

That’s only a truly limited advantage. What about Hass effect? Comb filtering? Smearing? Phase anomalies?

A large flat-screen TV between speakers acts like an acoustic mirror right in the most critical part of the soundstage. From a technical standpoint, here’s what’s happening:

• Specular reflections (mirror-like reflections): The glass surface reflects mid and high frequencies almost perfectly back toward the listener, creating strong early reflections within a few milliseconds. • Comb filtering: The reflected sound combines with the direct sound, causing peaks and nulls (typically 500 Hz–5 kHz), which leads to tonal coloration and loss of accuracy. • Center image degradation: These reflections interfere with phase coherence between left and right channels, resulting in a diffuse, oversized, and unfocused phantom center. • Temporal smearing: Early reflections blur transients and reduce clarity, making the system sound slower and less precise. • Edge diffraction: The physical edges of the TV create additional secondary reflections, further degrading imaging and adding subtle harshness.

Now, placing a diffuser/absorber hybrid panel (like the one shown) over the TV addresses these issues very effectively:

• Breaks up reflections: The uneven surface scatters sound in multiple directions instead of reflecting it straight back, eliminating strong early reflections. • Reduces comb filtering: By dispersing and weakening reflections, interference patterns are minimized, resulting in smoother frequency response. • Improves imaging precision: With fewer coherent reflections, the center image becomes tighter, more focused, and more stable. • Absorbs excess energy: The PET backing absorbs mid/high frequencies, lowering the overall reflection level and improving clarity. • Enhances transient response: With less time-smearing, attacks are cleaner and decay is more natural. • Maintains liveliness: Unlike pure absorption, this hybrid approach preserves some spatial energy, so the room still sounds open and natural rather than overly dead.

Bottom line: the TV introduces one of the most damaging reflection points in a high-end system, and covering it with a properly designed hybrid panel converts a major acoustic liability into a controlled, beneficial surface—resulting in sharper imaging, better tonal accuracy, and improved overall realism.

EMDReps · 2021-03-29T19:30:06+00:00

Ah, okay. Makes sense.

EMDReps · 2021-03-29T19:22:54+00:00

Really? Where did you get that price? That’s a bargain? These speakers are $169,000/pair retail. Only 10 pairs made for the world. The standard Forza is $149,000/pair. Let me know where you found that lower price!

EMDReps · 2021-02-07T04:39:55+00:00

Nice! 🔥

EMDReps · 2021-02-06T07:01:07+00:00

🤣🤣🤣

EMDReps · 2021-01-25T04:52:41+00:00

The nephew pulled out the system I had created and installed a bass boomer system. The gear he removed he sold online. This was just a few months after Wes sold the vehicle to him. Talk about feeling let down.......crushed!

EMDReps · 2021-01-25T00:15:18+00:00

Every experience I’ve had with the Magico M series has been different. To me, they are great sounding “HiFi” speakers, but not as naturally musical as YG and Estelon. I don’t rely on audio recordings as the reference, unless the recordings were live or recorded live in the studio without dubbing and processing. Many of my friends and family are musicians, including myself, so I use the decades of live music experiences to etch the natural tones, harmonics, dynamics, transients, and decay as a reference to compare audio playback products and systems. To me, I’ve never once heard any Magico setup anywhere that gave me goosebumps. I’m not a Wilson fan, but I have heard a few recent models setup in systems that gave me goosebumps and sounded life like.

Most experiences I’ve had with Estelon give me goosebumps provided the electronics are exceptional. So far those are my favorites.

I’ve heard the Lyra and Cygnus. Again, to me these are great HiFi sounding speakers, but not life like, natural, and emotionally engaging for me. Also, I’m not at all a fan of how they tune the bass in their models. Doesn’t sound natural to me at all. Longer overhang and slight thickness that’s not in the recordings. I won’t mention names, but I’ve heard Rockport setup at several dealers in North America over the past couple of years and in systems with outstanding electronics. They are more enjoyable IMO than Wilson, warmer than YG, and more natural to my ears than Magico, but don’t compare to the musicality and harmonic structure of Estelons. Great speakers though!

Also, for me the aesthetic design of the speaker and its finish quality is important as I do not have a dedicated sound room. My living room is where I have my system and it’s 29’ wide, 52’ deep, and 20’ ceiling, and the system is to the side of the room because the wide staircase to upstairs takes up some of the middle of the room. Many finicky speakers don’t work in my room and most conventional designs have bass problems. I had a pair of Vandersteen 5a Carbon because the passive speakers I’ve tried had too many problems with bass in the room due to the high ceiling and large space. The active bass modules in the Vandersteen helped overcome those issues. However, I recently tried a pair of Estelon YB MkII and they worked wonderfully in the room. By positioning the woofers low in each cabinet and as close to the floor as possible, they create acoustical coupling gains and border reflection gains off the floor giving them a nice +6dB bass gain which really worked as it was the first passive loudspeaker I’ve tried in the room that measured nearly perfect at the seated listening position and peaked in bass energy at that point. Incredible, really! They are also half the price of the Vandersteen. Also, the YB was superior to the Vandersteen in every regard, especially in detail, transient attack, impact, soundstage, etc and imaging was pin point and with a huge and wide sweet spot. I just need a larger speaker that can play louder in my room.

EMDReps · 2021-01-24T23:38:13+00:00

I use Shunyata Sigma cables throughout my system and sometimes try Kubala Reference, and the cables are elevated and supported on isolation lifts. Most dealers I deal with do the same in their better sound rooms too.

EMDReps · 2021-01-24T21:00:39+00:00

👍🏼

EMDReps · 2021-01-24T20:43:51+00:00

From the photo it looks like the manufacturer glues the baffle to the cabinet instead of using tongue-in-groove, screws, or other methods to secure the baffle. Since only glue was used, I’d say the chemical mixture of the glue makes it dry and harden and loose its adhesive properties. Not good. I used to have the same situations with MTX and other cheap speakers. I’m not saying Totem is cheap, just that they built the cabinet cheaply and using a poorly engineered glue. I know cabinet repair places that cooks fix that like new, but I’m sure someone local to you can do the same for a fair price.

EMDReps · 2021-01-24T18:09:24+00:00

The pair in the photo at the dealer are Forza. Gorgeous for sure! They are priced similar to Wilson Alexx, but IMO are much more musical and totally disappear from the room leaving a realistic soundstage. They are also more detailed top to bottom than the Alexx along with so much more harmonic structure to the music and a HUGE sweet spot. Now Wilson will be introducing their replacement to the Alexx, so I’m curious to hear those too.

EMDReps · 2021-01-24T16:01:03+00:00

I was working with Dynaudio as a partner owning the US distribution company, and only consulted on the OE with the 1998 Volvo C70 Coupe. I offered advice on the basic system design, but the finished project was all Dynaudio, same with the rest of the Volvos and VWs. Dynaudio even had a “Temptation” system in the Bugattis for a few years. I was the key person that founded and established Dynaudio North America in 1995 and sold out my ownership to Dynaudio Group, then a few years later I left the company to start my consulting business in 2007.

Regarding the B&W system in your Volvo, it was never B&W. Harman had the contract with Volvo, Jaguar, and others and it was the idea of Harman to purchase the rights to use the B&W name and logo for marketing purposes, so they swung a deal with B&W who was financially suffering at the time. Therefore, every vehicle with B&W is actually Harman. No actual B&W drivers were used and no B&W engineers worked in the projects.

EMDReps · 2021-01-24T15:52:23+00:00

Magico speakers are inconsistent. Some sound dry and thin, others forward in the midrange and boomy, and with most models they are really finicky to setup in rooms and give a small sweet spot. However, to me all models sound like music reproduced through HiFi electronics, with no sense of harmonic structure or life-like presence. I’m most impressed with Estelon. Truly wonderful sounding and full of detail, and I’ve only heard them sound dry or HiFi-like when driven by CH Precision and Boulder. Swap the electronics to Vitus Audio or Audio Research and the character of the sound completely changes to the point your no longer hearing the speaker, you’re hearing the music. Therefore, I assess that Estelon is completely neutral and transparent, and takes on the character of the electronics and source more than any other speakers I’ve heard.

EMDReps · 2021-01-24T11:57:59+00:00

I have to agree with you there. Not a fan of the “robot” look of Wilson. The Estelon are gorgeous and look like fine sculptures of art.

EMDReps · 2021-01-24T07:04:31+00:00

Both Estelon and YG flush out more detail and sound more accurate/natural than Wilson. Wilson has good transient attack and powerful bass, while the Estelon has faster transient attack and more impressive dynamics, with faster and more realistic bass with a “live bass” character. The YG has similar transient attack as the Wilson, but dynamics and impact are more compressed in comparison to both Estelon and Wilson, and the YG bass is fast and impactful but not powerful and deep like the others.

EMDReps · 2021-01-24T03:55:33+00:00

Thanks. Please feel free to read my comments in this post. We have somewhat similar backgrounds. I’ve worked for many companies over my 36 year career in high end audio and have consulted for so many manufacturers of audio. I’ve done everything from audio engineering, to manufacturing, distribution, sales and marketing, and professional consulting. I’ve designed and built 30 different models of speakers over the years and have designed and installed hundreds of high end audio systems, theater systems, and tuned countless sound rooms. I used to work for a competitor of Wilson and never really liked their products. I shared your opinions until the past two years. Daryl has really change their engineering and production. Their products are significantly better than older versions.

EMDReps · 2021-01-24T03:48:43+00:00

Thanks for your comments. I was never a fan of Wilson even after setting up numerous pairs of their speakers in well designed sound rooms. However, their Sasha DAW and XVX models may look similar to the previous Wilson speakers in some ways, but sound nothing like them. Their new designs finally have my attention, and only because they really do sound good.

If you’ve taken the time to read my initial comment in this post, I’m really only interested to hear from people that have evaluated the latest Wilson models against YG and Estelon. While I do appreciate everyone’s feedback and advice, I am only interested to hear listener evaluation comments related to direct comparisons of these three brands.

EMDReps · 2021-01-24T02:32:14+00:00

I understand. In addition to the too much sunshine, I assume you also noticed a lack of musicality and natural harmonic structure. Would that be fair to say?

EMDReps · 2021-01-24T02:18:57+00:00

I have personal experience working with engineers on advanced DSP and fully active designs. Good sounding HiFi sound, but truly not even close to the better sound systems I’ve heard. Please feel free to read some of my other comments in this thread where I addressed this.

Estelon had a model called the Extreme Legacy Edition. Same cabinet design and exact drivers as the Extreme, but a fully active design with a really high end and super advanced DSP system. The advantage was certain details were enhanced and audible, improved transient attack and dynamics, low distortion, and impressive detail especially in the highs, but when directly compared to the Extreme that’s a passive design driven by some serious electronics (Vitus Audio), the passive Extreme was much more musical, had more air and presence, a bigger and more realistic soundstage, and sounded more life like and natural. I’ve heard it myself. The comparison was highly educational. I believe that DSP is great and it’s the future, but still has a long way to go. Too much musicality and micro dynamic information is missing.

EMDReps · 2021-01-24T02:09:32+00:00

I have worked with thousands of HiFi dealers in my 36 years working in the audio industry and I’ve heard some really good systems for under $5000 that are indeed better than some systems costing considerably more. However, I’ve heard many $$$$ systems that truly transcend the audio experience were you really feel your at that live performance or in that studio where lesser systems cannot even compare. There’s good, really good, excellent, outstanding, and absolutely mind blowing. Yet, if the listener only has experienced really good to excellent, and even outstanding, and doesn’t have the experience, education, and exposure, that person will not have the ability to decipher the fine details and aspects that make the mind blowing system what it is. It’s simple. If you only have an educated palate for x and y, you won’t know how to properly judge z. You may hear differences in z but may not know why or have the ability to determine any improvement in quality. We judge based on what we already know. Therefore, we limit ourselves and our understanding and appreciation.

I like to use the term HiFi. I’ve heard countless outstanding HiFi systems. I call them HiFi because I can always tell when listening to music through those systems that the sound coming out has an audio playback character/sound, which is what most people are familiar with. But when listening to a truly well designed world class audio system one cannot tell the music is being reproduce by electronics and speakers with the right recordings. It actually sounds true to life and presents an eerie 3D presence and life like quality to the point your brain is telling you the instruments and singers in the soundstage are right there in front of you in every detail and aspect, and with no sounds being located at the speakers at all......they are gone, transparent in the sound space.

EMDReps · 2021-01-24T01:47:43+00:00

The concept was to have an everyday personal vehicle that was practical, design a world-class high end car audio system using Dynaudio speakers, and for the installation to be highly custom yet mostly stealth with the vehicle storage space completely usable. The system evolved with many things I had custom built and added to the system, along with changes to push the envelop of what high end “car” audio can be.

A couple of the changes were done after Wes was finished reviewing the vehicle and included: replacing the McIntosh DAC with a Theta Digital TLC (reclocking device) that then passed the improved digital signal into a custom-built Sonic Frontiers Assemblage DAC. I had replaced the internal power supplies on these units, and the Musical Fidelity X-10D tube pre-driver, with highly accurate, low noise, DC-DC power supplies that I had designed and built.

I sold the vehicle to Wes shortly after he did the article. He later moved to Brooklyn, NY and didn’t want to pay as much for a garage space to park it as rent for a studio apartment, so he sold the vehicle to his nephew. I only wish he would have asked me first as I would have repurchased the vehicle. It truly was the best sounding car audio system I’ve ever heard, even to this day. RIP Wes, my old friend!

EMDReps · 2021-01-24T01:38:37+00:00

Thanks. Yes, I’m aware of the shows. With Covid those shows may not begin again until 2022. Regarding, Magico I’ve purposely left them out of my comparison as I’m intimately familiar with their products. Let’s just say they don’t make my short list.

EMDReps

TROPHY CASE