Product Review
 

Boston Acoustics E-Series E60 and E50 Speakers with XB6 Subwoofer

Part I

July, 2007

Piero Gabucci

 

Specifications:

E60 Monitor and E50 Center

● Drivers: One 1" Tweeter, One
   5.25" Woofer (E50) or Two 4.25
   Woofers (E50)
● MFR: 60 Hz - 30 kHz (75 Hz - 20
   kHz for the E-50)
● Power Handling: 250 Watts
● Dimensions: 7.3" H x 12.3" W x 9"
   D (E60); 6" H x 18" W x 6" D (E
   50)
● Weight: 16 Pounds (E60); 18
   Pounds (E50)
● MSRP: $600/Pair USA (E60);
   $500/Each USA (E50)

XB6 Subwoofer

● Driver: One 12"
● Amplifier: 200 Watts RMS
● Dimensions: 13.8" H x 15.5" W x
  14" D
● Weight: 28 Pounds
● MSRP: $479 USA

Boston Acoustics

Introduction

"The Boston Sound™" – perhaps you're familiar with the slogan the Peabody Massachusetts company coined and has been known for since their inception back in 1979.

So what is this "sonic signature"? Simply, it means staying true to the original performance. Sounds admirable and I'm sure most speaker manufacturers hope for the same end result, so what does BA do differently to achieve such lofty goals?

Each and every product BA produces from top to bottom is uniformly approached conceptually from a corporate policy on down – let each speaker designed and manufactured maintain a consistent sound throughout the line. Wide power response, pure, neutral tonal balance, accurate and coloration-free – are all objectives of the Boston Sound™.

By maintaining design standards via computer modeling, BA obtains frequency responses and sensitivity within ± 1 dB, and distortion levels below 0.5% are examples they strive for and achieve all from in-house design and engineering.

Now part of the much larger D&M Holdings which include the likes of McIntosh, Denon, Marantz, and Snell to name a few, Boston Acoustics is one of the latest acquisitions.

The E-Series

Perhaps the merger was the inspiration for Boston Acoustics to step forward and consider a new flagship line. Regardless, born is the E-Series – "the ultimate expression of the Boston Sound"; point being, Boston Acoustics developed this extensive line to impress.

The E-Series is an industrial designer's dream, with the intention of creating a flexible extensive speaker line from consistent housing and drivers to end caps and side panel veneers. The series comes in a variety of sizes; they all use the same extruded aluminum section with some units stretched quite tall. In fact, the first audition I heard was from the six foot tall E100 tower speakers.

Interestingly, not only was it used as left and right mains standing vertically, but it was also turned horizontally and used as the "longest" center channel speaker I've ever seen.

The E-series allows any unit to be used wherever you please: fronts, center, rear, or sides, both in vertical or horizontal configurations.

The series includes five models (subwoofers excluded) from the E-40 with a single 4 ½" woofer and 1" aluminum tweeter on up to the E-100 with six drivers with their propriety 1" VRH.O.™ tweeter and a rear 1" VR tweeter (more on that later). Other models include the E60, E50, and E-70. Note the gap between 70 and 100 - I"m sure more models will fill that void.

All the units have the same aluminum cast end-cap for the top and bottom. Each can be used to mount to a floor stand or a shelf stand. In fact it's delivered with the shelf stand in place. Using the supplied hex wrench, the mounting bracket can be removed for stand-mounting - and the stands are impressive and heavy.

If I had one complaint, it would be the connection between the speaker and stand – I found tightening the three screws just didn't quite feel solid enough considering how substantial the speakers and stands are designed. There is movement in the joint, and the speaker appears to be leaning. I had no worries that either the speaker would fall nor tip over – I was just surprised by this minor detail.

As I said, there is commonality between all the units in the line. Although the enclosure is predominately aluminum, the E-Series still uses an MDF front baffle. The interchangeable side panels currently offered in black and cherry are both stunningly finished. The face grilles are substantial and extremely durable. BA mounts them in the factory and prefers them not to be removed.

Interesting is the little Boston logo that can be swiveled depending how you mount the speakers – vertical or horizontal.

For my review, Boston Acoustics sent the middle range E60 series monitor for the main fronts and surrounds, with a horizontal version the E50 as a center channel, along with the XB6 powered subwoofer.

Go to Part II.

© Copyright 2007 Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity

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