elguapo123

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $690.00 from EFE Technology

Summary:
My dad and I had taken our test CD's to the Magnolia home theater and a much higher end store in Scottsdale , where we listened to Polk, Vienna Acoustic, Def Tec, Klipsch, Martin Logan,and JM Lab's Utopia and Electra's to name a few, before we were lucky enough to go to Ed Frias's house. When Ed first tuned on the B-15's I actually had to get up and put my hand over all the other speakers and the sub to make sure the sound was really coming from them. We were amazed with the clarity, sound stage, and bass those little bookshelf speakers put out! I would take them over all the $1500 towers we heard at the other places we'd been.

We brought them home but I was hesitant to set them up next to the Von Schweikert Vortex Screens, which are a 4 way loudspeaker that retailed for about $5-6,000 and my dad's pride and joy because I thought they would diminish our new found appreciation for the little bookshelf's. While the B-15 obviously couldn't handle the bass or mass of music the huge towers could we were both utterly dumb founded by how well the $690/pair book shelf compared. Female vocals were just as clear and enjoyable and midrange was just as tight. I couldn't recommend these speakers enough.

What I don't get is how does Ed make something so well for so inexpensive from his garage when the big name companies can't with all their equipment?

Strengths:
Strengths:
Soundstage is huge. Bass is very impressive for the size of the speaker. Beautiful cabinets, breath taking highs, and great price make it an amazing little speaker. Sounds better then most towers twice it's price.

Price Paid:  $890.00 from from Ed Frias (EFE T

Summary:
I believe I now represent Ed Frias's "New Jersey connection," and I'm certainly glad I decided to order a pair of his B-15 minimonitors. They are remarkably fine speakers at a remarkably reasonable price. In my case, they replaced a pair of floor-standing Alon IIs in a primary listening system in a smallish 11x15 study. Powered by fairly upscale electronics (McCormack DNA-1 amp; Steve McCormack modified TLC-1 preamp), they provide a wonderfully enveloping sound. The B-15s do not sound like minimonitors. They sound quite big: a warmly inviting, robust sound with midrange that is particularly "liquid" and three-dimensional. The speakers are impressively full-range, and the tweeter can be fine tuned to the room via the replacement resistors that Ed thoughtfully provides. In the case of my acoustically dead study, replacing the stock 1.8 ohm resistors with 1.5 ohm resistors (a five-minute procedure)provided exactly the amount of high frequency delineation and sparkle I was after.

Strengths:
A wonderfully musical transducer that, along with Danny Richie's impressive GR Paradox 1s, is perhaps the outstanding value among high end minimonitors. Among the strengths of these beautifully constructed, handsomely designed, and unfailingly musical speakers must be counted the great pleasure of buying them from Ed Frias -- a true gentleman.

Weaknesses:
None at the price.

Similar Products Used:
Minimonitors by Castle, Dynaudio, Tannoy, GR Research, NHT, NEAR, and others.

Price Paid:  $890.00 from EFE

Summary:
Imagine a bank of speakers in front of you, all shapes and sizes. The music comes on and you are transported. The sound is phenomenal: big, clear, deep, totally engaging. When asked to pick out which speakers are on, you point right away to the large, floorstanding ones in front of you. Wrong. Well, then it has to be those tall bookshelf monitors. Wrong again. Diana Krall's velvet voice and tinkling piano was coming from none other than the smallest speakers in view: EFE B-15s. I was amazed. So was my friend. These babies are unbelievable. Though somewhat biased about the EFE line (I own every model: T-60, T-36, T-22), I never thought Ed could weave such magic from this tiny footprint. His B-15s may actually be the best speaker he makes, all things considered (price, size, looks, quality of sound, etc.) I'm listening to them in my office as I write. Still shaking my head. Just a marvelous pair of speakers. If you're in the market for a dynammic pair of bookshelf speakers, look no further. The EFE B-15s are a steal at under $1000.

Strengths:
Imaging, depth, clarity, looks, price

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
T-60, T-36, T-22

Summary:
This speaker is a tremendous value, at
under $1000 per pair, I have not heard
anything that can match it for
dynamics, tonal neutralty, soundstage
and imaging.
The 1 inch Titainium dome tweeter,
offers very wide, extended, and smooth
high frequincies.
The 6 or 6.5 inch bass driver delivers
solid, tight bass down into the 40Hrtz
region (measured in my lstening room).
The fit and finish (High gloss black)
are superb.
Unless you live in the San Diego area,
you have probably not heard of the EFE
Technoloy speakers. You can contact
them, as I did, at EFEspeakers@aol.com

These are very acurate, dynamic, and
above all, affordable speakers.

Strengths:
Dynamics, Sound stage(depth and width)

Weaknesses:
None that I have encountered

Similar Products Used:
B&W 805's

Summary:
Just an incredible sound that is rich and soothing from such a small speaker. If you put them on top of the T-36 floor standing speaker you would for sure think it was the bigger speaker that you were listening to. A must have!! If you are in the market for that size and class of speaker.

Strengths:
Incredible sound from such a small speaker.