Much Improved Eminent Technology LFT-8C Loudspeakers REVIEW : An Truly Remarkable BARGAIN In High-End Audio !

[Audio_Karma]

I can't wait for the up coming Bigger Eminent Technology 18 LS Loudspeakers to come on the market now !!

Eminent Technology LFT8c Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review Dipole done well. Review By Jules Coleman

Eminent Technology LFT8c Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review Dipole done well. Review By Jules Coleman Of Enjoy the Music.com

www.enjoythemusic.com

 

[Audiohertz2]

That model has been around for a longtime first seen and heard them in the early 90’s or so , Ask Thigpen to make a new linear tracking arm instead of another speaker ..!

 

[Audio_Karma]

Up coming Eminent Technology 18 LS !

 

[AudioLibertarian]

I have the special edition. no-longer made LFT 6. Still can't justify buying any other speaker, planar or other, below 60-70 grand, and even then, will just get a different flavor , not outright "better" sound.

Both 8B and 8C can go toe to toe with the most planars, save for top of the line Alsyxox& Clarisys. Just need best power amps to show their best.

 

[Audio_Karma]

Eminent Technology LFT-8C (latest version) - impressions.

I agree that the price-point for the 8b/8c is reasonable and even attractive. Still north of what I can justify at this point. I hope you are having lots of fun with yours. Where can I satisfy my curiosity about the 18LS? I did't see anything on the ET website. 18LS is still a prototype. It...

www.audiokarma.org

" Up coming $15K Eminent Technology 18LS System will cause shock waves through the $50K to $800K speaker world "

 

[theophile]

Yet still no word on the LFT-18LS.

 

[jeffreybehr]

Ah yes, the E.T. LFT-8 brings back many memories for me, as I've have versions of the '8, '8A, and '8B.. They were always interesting and I always loved their spaciousness, and I improved...or may be just changed...all of them in various ways, but eventually I just couldn't makle them good enough, so off I went on another of my many sonic quests.. The last one, speaker-wise, involved a pair of the sonically magnificent Sound Lab Majestic 745s...

...that I loved and lived with for around 1-1/2 years (shown above with the third-best Pass X260.8 and second-best PS Audio BHK600 amplifiers--the winner was a pair of '60-Watt' Pass XA60.8s!).. But after falling on my left shoulder almost a year ago and deciding I had to make my musicroom safer to walk about, these M745s* disappeared this week and are now on their way to The Music Room in CO...https://tmraudio.com ...for sale to some lucky audiofile looking for state-of-the-artistry in speakers.

My next pair of speakers will be the newish Eminent Tech. LFT-8Cs purchased from ET.. Bruce Thigpen agreed to build mine with external (panel) crossovers so that the filters are easy to improve with better parts.. They should arrive in about 10 days, and I'm really looking forward to them.. I'll have the X60.8s, my Atma-Sphere MA-1 Mk.3-somethings, and my PS Audio class-D/vacuumtube hydrid M1200s to drive them.. I'm hoping that the M1200s will sound close enough to the other-two pairs that their very low powerdraw will win that contest...but we'll see...or hear.

* being very special Sound Lab M745s because each includes 24 microFarads of Sonic Craft's Platinum-and-tin capacitors in the treble section of that mysterious machinery; they cost me some-$4K and I never regretted spending that.

 

[ledoux1238]

@jeffreybehr Did you receive the 8c’s? I am curious what you think of them?

 

[jeffreybehr]

@jeffreybehr Did you receive the 8c’s? I am curious what you think of them?

Yes indeed! Here's a pic with the PS Audio BHK600s...

I've been tuning the bass using the DSPs and have balanced the system very well (to my ears, of course).. These speakers sound EXCELLENT thru 9 octaves, lacking only in the bottom octave; after all, it's quite difficult to get much energy below around 40Hz from an 8"-driver system.

The music is VERY well resolved and spacious without being 'bigger than real'.. I love the sounds of these so much that I talked Bruce into making a pair of the discontinued-years-ago LFT-6s...

The LFT-6 Planar Magnetic Reference Loudspeaker

...with improved parts and an exterior x-over board.. These should be here by Thankgiving.

Will be rearranging/remodeling the musicroom this fall.

More later.

 

[AudioLibertarian]

Yes indeed! Here's a pic with the PS Audio BHK600s...
View attachment 160172
I've been tuning the bass using the DSPs and have balanced the system very well (to my ears, of course).. These speakers sound VERY thru 9 octaves, lacking only in thebottom octave, and, after all, it's quite difficult to get much energy below around 40Hx from an 8"-driver system.

The music is VERY well resolved and spacious without being 'bigger than real'.. I love the sounds of these so much that I talked Bruce into making a pair of the discontinued-years-ago LFT-6s...

The LFT-6 Planar Magnetic Reference Loudspeaker

...with improved parts and an exterior x-over board.. These should be here by Thankgiving.

Will be rearranging/remodeling the musicroom this fall.

More later.

I have the LFT 6, and these are AMAZING, to my ears easily top 10 best speakers of all times, regardless of price! Need powerful amps, but I see you have that part covered. They also sound amazing with relatively powerful EL 34, or 845 based tube amplifiers. I ve also used Goldmund amps, Symphonic Line monoblocks , and JMF stereo unit from France. Just fantastic sounding. These LFT 6 will make you want to experiment with amps like no others, so chameleon like, every small & large component change is obvious. Having said that, both the LFT 8C and even 8B are fantastic as well. Closest ones in sound to my ears have been the Clarisys Studio Plus, at 69 Grand.

 

[Paul1960]

Yes indeed! Here's a pic with the PS Audio BHK600s...
View attachment 160172
I've been tuning the bass using the DSPs and have balanced the system very well (to my ears, of course).. These speakers sound EXCELLENT thru 9 octaves, lacking only in the bottom octave; after all, it's quite difficult to get much energy below around 40Hz from an 8"-driver system.

The music is VERY well resolved and spacious without being 'bigger than real'.. I love the sounds of these so much that I talked Bruce into making a pair of the discontinued-years-ago LFT-6s...

The LFT-6 Planar Magnetic Reference Loudspeaker

...with improved parts and an exterior x-over board.. These should be here by Thankgiving.

Will be rearranging/remodeling the musicroom this fall.

More later.

Did you have any thoughts about how the LFT 8Cs compare to your Sound Labs?

 

[jeffreybehr]

Did you have any thoughts about how the LFT 8Cs compare to your Sound Labs?

Well....

The SLs:
1. Had more appropriate-size image height, of course, having about 6-1/2 feet of driver height instead the ET-8C's maybe-four feet;
2. PERHAPS were slightly better resolving of all-10 octaves of music;
3. Had plenty-enough energy in the bottom octave so that I never used subwoofers with them(1);
4. Sounded slightly more all-together...cohesive...all-of-one-piece...than the ETs; and
5. Have a continuously-variable treble-level control and a three-notch bass-level control.

The SLs' negatives for me are their size, cost, and fussyness for amplifiers**, and had my room been at least four feet wider, probably I'd still have them.

The '8Cs have plenty-enough (= excellent) rez, at least in the top-8 octaves, are plenty spacious, occupy MUCH less room in the room, are easier to move about, are NOT fussy about amplifiers(2), and cost about one-seventh that of the SLs.

I LOVED listening to music thru the SLs, and I now LOVE listening to music thru the LFT-8Cs.

I DO NOT miss the Sound Labs.. Here...

Sound Lab Majestic 745 Floorstanding Speakers; Walnut Pair

Buy, sell, and trade thousands of pre-owned audio gear. All tested, certified, and backed by our 100% Happiness Guarantee, with expert HiFi guides to help you at every step.

tmraudio.com

...are my pair.. I forgot to mention that each of these has 24 microFarads of super-hi-quality SoniCap Platinum Teflon-alloy/tinfoil caps, factory installed by SL, in the hi-frequency section of the electronics; these cost me well over $4K.

Paul, I think YOU should buy these, and I'll quote you a hell-of-an affordable price on the PSA BHK600 monoamps (or the more-affordable A-S MA-1s)!!!!

FWIW, I've just ordered my second-ever pair of Atma-Sphere Class D monoamps.. I had a pair two or three years ago and before the SLs and for whatever reason found them to be competent but boring.. I believe they'll sound excellent driving the '8Cs (and the Eminent Tech. LFT-6s)

The LFT-6 Planar Magnetic Reference Loudspeaker

Eminent LFT 6s - bald2 - Planar Speaker Asylum

Eminent LFT 6s - bald2 - Planar Speaker Asylum

www.audioasylum.com

..that Ralph is building for me).

(1) and I LOVE bottom-octave bass!
(2) For the SoundLabs, I bought, listened thru at some length, and rejected maybe ten pairs of expensive monoamps(3) to find the excellent-sounding PS Audio BHK600s and then the even-better-sounding Pass XA60.8s, which I kept as long as I had the SLs. I did not possess my Atma-Sphere (OTL) MA-1 poweramps while I had the SLs.
(3) I HATE the term 'monoblock' and I'm really sorry Harry Peason ever thought of and promulgated it.

 

[Paul1960]

Well....

The SLs:
1. Had more appropriate-size image height, of course, having about 6-1/2 feet of driver height instead the ET-8C's maybe-four feet;
2. PERHAPS were better resolving of all-10 octaves of music;
3. Had plenty-enough energy in the bottom octave so that I never used subwoofers with them(1);
4. Sounded more all-together...cohesive...all-of-one-piece...than the ETs; and
5. Have a continuously-variable treble-level control and a three-notch bass-level control.

The SLs' negatives for me are their size, cost, and fussyness for amplifiers**, and had my room been at least four feet wider, probably I'd still have them.

The '8Cs have plenty-enough (= excellent) rez, at least in the top-8 octaves, are plenty spacious, occupy MUCH less room in the room, are easier to move about, are NOT fussy about amplifiers(2), and cost about one-seventh that of the SLs.

I LOVED listening to music thru the SLs, and I now LOVE listening to music thru the LFT-8Cs.

I DO NOT miss the Sound Labs.. Here...

Sound Lab Majestic 745 Floorstanding Speakers; Walnut Pair

Buy, sell, and trade thousands of pre-owned audio gear. All tested, certified, and backed by our 100% Happiness Guarantee, with expert HiFi guides to help you at every step.

tmraudio.com

...are my pair.. I forgot to mention that ech of these has 24 microFarads of super-hi-quailty SoniCap Platinum Teflon-alloy/tinfoil caps, factory installed by SL, in the hi-frequency section of the electronics; these cost me well over $4K.

Paul, I think YOU should buy these, and I'll quote you a hell-of-an affordable price on the PSA BHK600 monoamps (or the more-affordable A-S MA-1s)!!!!

FWIW, I've just ordered my second-ever pair of Atma-Sphere Class D monoamps.. I had a pair two or three years ago and before the SLs and for whatever reason found them to be competent but boring.. I believe they'll sound excellent driving the '8Cs (and the Eminent Tech. LFT-6s)

The LFT-6 Planar Magnetic Reference Loudspeaker

Eminent LFT 6s - bald2 - Planar Speaker Asylum

Eminent LFT 6s - bald2 - Planar Speaker Asylum

www.audioasylum.com

..that Ralph is building for me).

(1) and I LOVE bottom-octave bass!
(2) For the SoundLabs, I bought, listened thru at some length, and rejected maybe ten pairs of expensive monoamps(3) to find the excellent-sounding PS Audio BHK600s and then the even-better-sounding Pass XA60.8s, which I kept as long as I had the SLs. I did not possess my Atma-Sphere (OTL) MA-1 poweramps while I had the SLs.
(3) I HATE the term 'monoblock' and I'm really sorry Harry Peason ever thought of and promulgated it.

Thanks for that detailed reply. Sadly the Sound Labs at TMR are beyond my budget. I do own the PSA BHK300s which I may sell. I'm currently using Krell FPB 650Ms which were the winners of an amp shoot out I did with the Final Audio M35 electrostatic speakers. It is possible different tubes in the BHK300s might have elevated it further. You can send me a private message if you want to talk about selling the BHK600s but I am probably done with amps for a while.

I did have a chance to hear a pair of Sound Lab Millennium 2 speakers this weekend in a carefully treated room driven by the most extraordinary DIY amps and preamps I have ever seen. 200 watt OTL monoblocks and a 801 DHT preamp with separate power supply. The system sounded very good with huge scale and a warm enveloping sound but perhaps lacking a bit in slam and transient attack if you wanted to be fussy. For the kind of music the owner liked I can't imagine anything sounding much better.

I also picked up a pair of Eminent LFT 8Bs on Friday that I am looking forward to trying. Obviously, they seem to be a favorite of a lot of people and the used price was very affordable so even if they don't earn a spot in the main room listening to them will scratch an itch for me.

Right now I have quite the stable of speakers with the M35s, Quad 2912s, Magnepan 20.7s, Klipsch La Scalas and now the LFT 8Bs. All sound different of course. The M35s are probably the closest to the kind of sound I prefer although the 2912s are more resolving.