newbie help: athena b1.2 versus epos els-3

[jdkoola]

Hi,

I was wondering for some opinions on a pair of Athena B1.2 versus the Epos ELS 3. I got the Athena's for ~$100, and the Epos for around $200 (I might be able to push them a little lower). It seems that's a great price for the Epos.

In listening to them, I see what other people say about the clarity of the midrange on the Epos. Also, in line with reviews, it *seems* like the Athena's have better base. I should mention that I have not done a blind A/B comparison.

I'm just starting a home theatre/music setup. I'm listening primarily to music, some movies (80/20). I don't know if that matters because I am currently not investing in a 5.1 setup. Because I am just starting out, I am trying to constrain costs.

Any comments on the ease of matching a center to the Athena's versus the Epos? (just thinking about the future) Or any opinions from others that have auditioned these two.

Also, I am using a Harman Kardon 335 to power the speakers. I know the Epos are rated at 4 ohms, but according to stereophile they never really dip that low. They sound plenty loud, so I don't see any problem with the 335 driving the speakers, but I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't a risk of damaging the equipment.

Thanks,

JD

[David Meek]

Hi Jd. No, I don't think you'll damage the HK. Pushing a heavy 4-ohm load for a sustained period it may shut itself down, but once it cools down it'll be ready to go again.

If you are 80% music and only 20% movies, why not run your system with it set to "phantom" center channel? That way you don't have to worry about tone-matching a center, and consequently can save that money until you are ready to take the 5.1 plunge.

[jdkoola]

Hi David,

Thank you for the reply. I just thought I'd mention a few things for others who might be looking into these speakers:

1. So far I have had no problem driving the Epos with the HK 335 for ~ 20 hours, at chunks of time that range from 1 hour to 3 hours.

2. The athenas don't necessarily have a better bass response. The Epos does a pretty good job once a little break-in time is allowed. I should note that I do not have a sub yet, and in both cases a sub is truly necessary.

3. The athenas seem to be a little more laid back, whereas the Epos seems to be a little more forward, though not intrusively so.

4. The clarity of the athenas is really astounding given the price.

Overall, I think I'm closer to getting the athenas and spending the money I save on an entry level sub.