Bookshelf Speaker Reviews

Satellite Sensitivity: 87 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz

Center Sensitivity: 89 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz

This graph shows the quasi-anechoic (employing close-miking of all woofers) frequency response of the ES20 satellites (purple trace), ES250P subwoofer (blue trace), and ES25C center channel (green trace). All passive loudspeakers were measured with grilles at a distance of 1 meter with a 2.83-volt input and scaled for display purposes.

The ES20’s listening-window response (a five-point average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal and vertical responses) measures +2.44/–4.67 deci-

bels from 200 hertz to 10 kilohertz. The –3-dB point is at 84 Hz, and the –6-dB point is at 65 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 5.59 ohms at 351 Hz and a phase angle of –59.35 degrees at 136 Hz.

The ES25C’s listening-window response measures +4.31/–5.38 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. An average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal responses measures +3.62/–6.47 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. The –3-dB point is at 82 Hz, and the –6-dB point is at 64 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 3.89 ohms at 14.4 kHz and a phase angle of –48.98 degrees at 4.2 kHz.

The ES250P’s close-miked response, normalized to the level at 80 Hz, indicates that the lower –3-dB point is at 24 Hz and the –6-dB point is at 22 Hz. The upper –3-dB point is at 113 Hz using the LFE input.—MJP