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Doug Schroeder spells out the long and short of Eminent Technology's $1,899 LFT-8b loudspeaker system
November, 2007
Reviewer’s Note: This review will not read like most because it will have large segments of parenthetical comments highlighted in bold print. As I was fairly finished with writing the review of the LFT-8A’s, Bruce Thigpen of E.T. shared with me that an upgraded tweeter was in the works, thus launching the “LFT-8B.” Having thoroughly acquainted myself with the speaker, I suggested that I do an in-the-field replacement and finalize the review of the transformed speaker. What has resulted is this review of the two editions of the LFT-8 speaker, versions A and B.
One advantage of this format is that you will see the original review of the LFT-8A in its entirety, while descriptions of my impressions regarding the new version will be close at hand for comparison. An appreciation will be gained hopefully for a reviewer’s caution not to pronounce a technology or product the “ultimate”, since virtually any component can be improved. Finally, it will stand as an example of the benefits of “in the field” upgrades to components.
The primary text, pertaining to the LFT-8A, was written as a distillation of more than six months with the speakers. The post-upgrade impressions are recent as an attempt to capture the essence of the improvement in sound before I utterly forgot the performance of the older model. Since it was not feasible to swap tweeters (re-soldering the old tweeter would be required to reinstall it), I tried to work quickly but thoroughly to make the final comparisons between the two versions of the LFT-8 speaker.
As you read the comments relating to the upgraded speaker, you may feel I’m restating, or in some cases even reversing, my earlier impressions. One of my goals in this format is to express to what extent a driver upgrade effects the totality of a speaker’s performance. Indeed, there was fairly a sea change brought about by the upgrade. I underwent a reassessment of the speaker’s overall capabilities, as I hope to convey below. So, let us begin with the LFT-8A…
I had to beg for this review. I actually groveled before Bruce Thigpen, admitting to him that I’d made a big mistake. I had sold the pair of E.T.’s that I owned and now I wanted to get another pair. To be technically correct, I had owned two pairs which I used in a “stacked” configuration. What got me going on that audio adventure was an article which mentioned that stacking the LFT-8A’s was reminiscent of the reference Infinity IRS V system of the 1980’s. I used 8 channels of amplification to passively biamp the four E.T.’s. It was awe inspiring, some of the biggest sound in two channel home audio I’ve ever heard, including the Magnepan Tympani’s. I had some of my most enjoyable times in audio with the enormity of it all.
It was too much, however - too much hugeness and not enough focus. I began to miss the finesse and detail of a finely tuned system. Looking back, a large part of this was likely due to the moderately priced cdp and amplification, and an inadequate cabling scheme. In one of those fits of audiophile dissatisfaction, I sold the entire system in an effort to rebuild from scratch. I went the opposite direction, from planars to dynamic speakers, from multi-amping to single amp, from solid-state to tubes. In the process, I lost some very good speakers. Later, recalling my enjoyment of them, I called Bruce and asked his forgiveness. I like Bruce; he didn’t hesitate to ship me a pair for review! I already knew a fair bit about the speakers from previous experience, but I was to learn there was much more to them.
“…Eminent Technology has not been relentlessly pressured by a board of officers pushing for changes to be made in order to increase margins.”
I should have known. Bruce is one of those very clever guys. Having produced audiophile components for more than 25 years, he’s proven that his designs have staying power. He’s chosen not to bombard the audiophile community with advertising. According to Bruce, Eminent Technology is, “…heavy on R&D, and light on Advertising.” With the evident quality of the product, I feel he’s largely made the correct choice and avoided some of the pitfalls that have befallen many a fine company (Agreed. Just don’t cancel the entire advertisement budget. –Ed). He’s smart, because when a product is so good that it sells itself largely through word of mouth, it’s enough to keep a small business going and keep the demand manageable. The Eminent Technology products are good enough to do exactly that. The result is a smaller business in which it is possible to speak to the man who designed the very component sold. It’s also very good for the audiophile, since Eminent Technology has not been relentlessly pressured by a board of officers pushing for changes to be made in order to increase margins. The LFT-8A speakers are built the way Bruce wants them, and priced the way Bruce wants, and that’s very good for audiophiles with budget limitations.
Bruce has his fingers in enough audio components to keep a small army of audiophiles happy. He worked on the Coloney AB-1 air bearing turntable, which was later used by Mapleknoll. Eminent Technology was formed by Bruce to pursue building an air-bearing tone arm, the most popular version of which was the ET-2. It lives on today as the ET-2.5 with an optional carbon fiber arm wand.
Bruce, being familiar with Magneplanar’s single-ended magnetic planar speakers, saw an opportunity to design a push-pull version. Over the years he has produced several variants of this push-pull speaker:
LFT-3/4 Large square-ish panel planars LFT-6 Dipole planar (similar to a skinnier Magneplanar) LFT-8 Progenitor to review model LFT-10 Car speakers LFT-11 Computer speakers! LFT-14 A small full range speaker which never went into production LFT-16 Monitor version of LFT-8
In addition, to the above, he’s worked on the Monsoon brand speakers and designed an intriguing Rotary Woofer, which looks disturbingly like one of those old fans without cages that can cut the fingers off a curious child – named unsurprisingly, the TRW-17. I wonder if Bruce will ever see the “20’s” in naming his products? I think he’s too modest; to break the barrier, I suggest that he cut loose and name his next speaker the “LFT-100,000”!
The Linear Field Transducer (LFT) speakers have stood the test of time as niche favorites among planar fans. Well they should, for at the paltry price of $1,499 (Note: This is the pre-upgrade price; the LFT-8B is $1,899) one may not get more for their money in any speaker purchase under the sun. That almost sounds like a concluding line for a review, so I guess I’d better start backing up my conclusion. How about starting with the build quality?
LFT-8B Comment 1: My feeling regarding price to performance has strengthened, if possible, after the upgrade!
The LFT-8A’s are second generation bipolar planar hybrids, having magnet arrays straddling front and back of the tweeter and midrange drivers. The earliest LFT-8 model had the tweeters at the top, whereas on the 8A’s they are mid-cabinet. Improvements to the 8A’s included an outboard tweeter level jumper, to switch between low, mid, and high settings (on the LFT-8 this was located inside the woofer module – not the most user-friendly location) and an improved woofer.
Encased in industrial strength cross-braced metal frames to freeze the magnet arrays in position, the mids and tweets look more like security bars across a basement window than speaker drivers. In the classic LFT-8A design, eight ceramic magnets are used, but Bruce has developed a new optional tweeter with neodymium magnets. (Little did I know at the time this was written that I would be a recipient of these neodymium wonders…) Below, resides the 8” proprietary woofer, which we’ll return to in a moment. The frequency range of the drivers is: woofer 25 – 180 Hz, mid panel 180 Hz – 10 kHz, and tweeter 10 kHz up.
WIFE ACCEPTANCE FACTOR
From the front with their grills on, the speakers do a passable imitation of a skinny monolith from the movie 2001 A Space Oddyssey – a tall, black obelisk. It’s the sides that get interesting, with pleasant oak (natural or black) trim and the unorthodox rear woofer chamber. It’s both a solution and a problem. It’s the solution to augmenting notoriously deficient planar bass, and it’s the problem with the speaker’s appearance. One might go so far as to say that the sound of these speakers is inversely proportional to their WAF.
On the back woofer box the two pair of binding posts rest atop the box. This is likely a WAF blunder. The cables must rise up off the floor to hang off the speaker whereas in most situations they can be snaked along to a speaker’s bottom edge. One thing’s for sure, if you can get these speakers into a living room, your wife must really love you. (Connie loves Doug. Period. –Ed)
My guess is that scads more ET’s would be sold if something could be done about the appearance of the speakers. I’m sure WAF kills who knows how many purchases of these fine speakers. The fact that they are so utilitarian in appearance is testimony to the determination of Bruce to produce products that are driven by sonic considerations, not aesthetic (Anyone who comes up with a Mother of a Subwoofer capable of well below 10Hz with an appearance of a fan is not a slave to aesthetics!). But not all is lost, as there is also available beige grill cloth.
THE OTHER FACTOR
Allow me to suggest an outlandish proposition for those desperate to own LFT-8A’s in the face of “Wife Antagonism Factor.” There exists in this world a myriad of fabrics. I found out when I built my own home theater screen, but that’s another story… Some of these materials are both acoustically thin and sonically transparent, displaying interesting colors or prints. They live at the nearest fabric store, and I’m guessing that if one searched enough, a suitable printed and acoustically transparent fabric could be found to cover the grills. The fabric on E.T. grill covers is held in place by a “rail and spline” system similar to screens on your windows (– go look at them now. What? You never analyzed how your screens stay in your windows!?) If the right replacement material could be found you just might be able to make them somewhat décor friendly and sway the significant other into foster parenting this speaker.
To anyone who is somewhat familiar with planar speakers, there is an unavoidable similarity between Magneplanar brand speakers and the Eminent Technology products. Bruce has tremendous respect for Magneplanar, so much so that he declined to discuss the advantages of his push-pull design over that company’s products. However, I can offer my impressions of the differences and will do so freely in this article.
“The use of a dynamic woofer and attendant cabinet takes the LFT-8A to depths that similarly priced planars just can’t go.”
Accept appearance of the LFT-8A and you will be rewarded with superior magnetic planar performance. The use of a dynamic woofer and attendant cabinet takes the LFT-8A to depths that similarly priced planars just can’t go. I have owned the Magnepan 1.6’s and compared them directly with the LFT-8A’s in my current listening room. While each has its lovely aspects (the Maggies, for one thing, are more aesthetically appealing) there’s no contest as to which speaker does low-end better. Below 40 Hz the LFT’s are king. The proprietary 8” woofer has a free air resonance at about 15 Hz, and in the sealed cabinet is flat in some rooms down to almost 25 Hz. I always found it necessary to utilize a subwoofer with the 1.6’s to round out the low-end, but the LFT-8A’s get me much closer to the bottom sans subs.
Though the appearance is tough, the fabrication is good. Having put together three pairs, I can attest that they are solid and that all the screws which anchor the metal frame to the woofer box fit into their holes. The manual asserts it’s a two person job to assemble them, but simply apply a bit of logic and one person can do the job easily. Place the woofer module on its side on top of a couple of paperback books of roughly the same thickness as the wooden trim, and you will be able to sidle up the planar element to the woofer box. The floor will act as your second set of hands to hold the planar portion of the speaker in place while you screw the pieces together. Take your time to line up the screws properly and all will go fine.
The LFT-8A comes with copper Price Edison binding posts. They are hefty and consistent with Bruce’s philosophy that sonics trump aesthetics. I usually tighten cables only by hand, as use of tools can break binding posts. I found a couple of these hard to tighten completely by finger. A large screwdriver or piece of scrap metal inserted into the slotted opening at the top of the post did the trick. The copper posts are not impervious to over-tightening, so one should guard against zealous cranking on them.
Also included are pre-fitted jumpers consisting of stranded copper wire. They are easy to remove prior to bi-wiring the speakers. The bugaboo is returning them to their position for single-wiring at a later point. The narrow slot they slip into requires the wires to be finagled and finessed to be positioned. I urge anyone using these speakers to eschew the jumpers and bi-wire if at all possible as the rewards are substantial.
The speakers were packaged quite well from E.T., yet one woofer suffered a pushed-in dust cap from the bass module parcel being dropped. This may be the most annoying relatively harmless damage to audio equipment. I detest pushed in dust caps; it looks so obnoxiously ugly! While sonically it doesn’t debilitate speakers, it’s aggravating to know that you’ve spent so much on a component to have such a glaring flaw staring you in the face. (Of course, the true audiophile must listen with the grills off, thus suffering the humiliation every listening session!) And everyone who sees will think, “Oh, my! He is an abusive audiophile!”
Bruce and I tried to think of everything to pop the dust cap out. The two most effective strategies, tape and vacuum, failed. Tape lifted fibers off the cone, the amount of fibers being stripped proportionate to the adhesive properties of the tape. Even a shop vac with the quarter-sized narrow nozzle couldn’t pull out the indentation. Those dust caps are tough! Another option is to remove the driver from the cabinet and pop the dent out from behind, which I opted not to pursue since it would be a major project - the drivers are glued and bolted into place. It can be done, but both Bruce and I felt that it was not worth introducing the potential problems associated with removal of the driver. I have never been able to detect the slightest distortion or error in my listening; the dent remains as testimony to the fact that we live in a Fallen (yeah, as in courier dropped my package, fallen!) world.
LFT-8B comment 2: The replacement of the tweeter did not alter the appearance of the woofer. If you are nearly asleep as you read this, you will nod vacantly, failing to recognize the inanity of it, and move on.
E.T. POSITIONING
I recently reviewed the Von Schweikert VR4 SR MKII speakers. A similar off-axis effect is built into their top M/T module. The locus of the high-end is about 20” above my head when I listen to them. When I stand I can center my ears inside it, but when I sit the slightest degree of detail is lost. Thankfully, they’ve designed their speakers with a rear firing “ambience driver” which recovers much of this. With the LFT-8A’s, a similar loss of precision happens when the speakers are heard off-axis. The correction for this is simple, just turn them inward. The sound stage is plenty wide for me even with them toed-in. I might go so far as to say the sound stage teeters on abnormally wide and begins to splay the center image focus when they are not toed-in. With them in my favored position, I could move my head about without concern of losing the sweet spot.
Similarly, use your freedom to experiment with the tweeters to the inside versus the outside. In the case of both the LFT-8A’s and the Magnepans I have at times listened with the midrange to the middle and tweeters on the outside. Bruce tests the speakers with the tweeters inward and suggests this setup if the room is wide enough. There is a slightly higher emphasis on the treble and a more compressed center image in that configuration. Conversely, a gently emphasized midrange and spread center image results from the tweeters on the outside.
LFT-8B Comment 3: One reason I experimented with the tweeters on the outside was to see if I could ameliorate what I felt was a sharpness in the tweeters when they occupied the inside position. I finally settled on the inside position prior to the upgrade, having accepted the bit more edgy treble. However, with the improved tweeters I have lost all desire to shift the speakers around. The inside position for the tweeters sounds excellent.
Eminent Technology recommends use of the Sound Anchor stands designed specifically for this model. I concur, as the bass is muddier when the speakers rest on the skinny metal rod “stands” supplied with the speakers. This really should get fixed. It’s the only element of the speakers that looks ghastly and performs marginally. Such a shabby appearance would only foment negative WAF. I cheated and used hard rubber hockey pucks under the skinny supplied rails. They worked well; as they lifted the speakers up off the thick carpeting in my listening room, the low-end sharpened up immediately. If you really want to tick off the significant other, get some hockey pucks. If you have any mercy for your spouse, tell her you’ll get the real stands. Or, you can build a dedicated sound room. Let’s see…$10k for a room versus $230 for stands. Not a tough decision.
LFT-8B Comment 4: It would be much to E.T.’s advantage to get together with Sound Anchors to offer the option of a pair of them with LFT-8B’s. I believe the earlier LFT-8A was offered in a package with the Sound Anchor stands for $1,699, but I do not currently see information or links to Sound Anchors on E.T.’s website.
I have always enjoyed the sound of the ET’s. They combine technical precision and audiophile sensibility. I especially appreciate their speed. The planar elements having Mylar with etched aluminum sandwiched between two arrays of magnets are to my ear faster than the Magnepan 1.6 drivers with aluminum wires glued to the Mylar in front of one set of magnets. I know that’s a subjective observation, but in continuous listening tests the ET’s were exceptionally vibrant, reflexive, taut, fast sounding, which is a quality planar people like. They will easily sound like they can keep up with whatever upstream components you use.
“Do not skimp on amplification for the LFT-8A’s or you will be shortchanging your listening experience.”
This is not to say that the E.T.’s are the most energetic speakers on the planet. They will not play as loud or with as much force as larger dynamic speakers, but for all but the most hard-boiled listeners they will be plenty involving. At 83db sensitivity they are tougher to drive than most, and the manual suggests a minimum of 75 wpc. I adjure you to spend money on plenty of quality watts for these speakers. Do not skimp on amplification for the LFT-8A’s or you will be shortchanging your listening experience. Bruce indicates that with 225 watts the speaker’s limits can be reached on some program material.
You simply will not get the best from these speakers if you use weak or lower quality amplification. Moving to clean, powerful watts will give you a wholly different experience with the E.T.’s. I have used Monarchy Audio’s SM-70Pro mono blocks as well as the Pathos Classic One MkII, both sporting approximately 70 wpc. They did the job, but the E.T.’s were not opened up full throttle. It took twin bridged Classic One’s at 270 wpc into 4 ohms, or Channel Islands D-200 mono blocks at 325wpc in 4 ohms to make the speakers sound authoritative.
What’s amazing is how the hybrid design is so seamless in the bass. Mating a magnetic planar midrange to a dynamic bass driver is tricky business, fraught with potential for distortion. Bruce explained that it is much more difficult to achieve a good transition between a cone woofer and planar driver if the crossover frequency is above a few hundred Hertz. In the LFT-8A the midrange panel has a very low resonance frequency – 90 Hz – so that the transition is smoothed. In disc after disc, I strained to hear a fault line, a demarcation of division between the planar and dynamic drivers.
At times I felt it existed, not so much a breach between frequency blending of the two drivers but a manifestation of the different ways in which the two drivers produce sound waves. Especially on acoustic bass such as Brian Bromberg’s 2006 reissue of Wood, as the higher and lower notes cascaded, I could hear the sound oscillate ever so slightly between the planar and dynamic driver. This was not a wholesale jumping of the sound from one to the other, but a hair’s breadth of a physical shift in the emanation of the sound waves from lower or higher. Chalk up one advantage of the Magneplanar design, which uses the full sheet of Mylar to reproduce the bass frequencies. However low the 1.6 does go, the elevation of the image will not waver.
Is this issue significant enough to concern the average listener? Likely not; for most program material is not solo bass loaded, and it’s neigh unto impossible to detect this effect when an orchestra is in full swing or while listening to contemporary jazz, pop, or rock music. Even when I could isolate it, I still enjoyed the overall sound of the E.T.’s hybrid bass. Acoustic Jazz fans may want to audition the LFT-8A’s on trial from the company prior to purchase, but for most this will be a non-issue.
LFT-8B Comment 5: One of the remarkable effects of introducing the advanced tweeter has been the disappearance of this lower/higher bass phenomenon. The vertical vacillation between planar and dynamic drivers had virtually disappeared! I attribute this to reduced high end emphasis, allowing me to more easily focus on the lower mid frequencies critical to blending the two drivers.
Still, it is uncanny how seamless the LFT-8A’s are! On Bromberg’s afore mentioned Wood, turn up track 3, “Come Together” (yeah, the Beatles song) and your speakers will divulge if they can or can’t do bass well. The woofers speed along with the planars so well that if you put the grills on the front you’d never think that there was a dynamic driver inside. With every flick of Bromberg’s fingers on track 8, “Straight, No Chaser,” my head bobbed intuitively while the piano and acoustic bass had excellent pace, weight and flow.
“… I’m amazed at the strength of the bass output from the twin 8” drivers. At higher listening levels they are capable of producing waves which are felt.”
That’s not to say a sub(s) wouldn’t enhance the low-end of the LFT-8A’s, but it’s not necessary for individuals who listen at lower levels, play mostly chamber or solo instrumental, or are in a smaller room. The low-end is definitely not weak. In fact, I’m amazed at the strength of the bass output from the twin 8” drivers. At higher listening levels they are capable of producing waves which are felt. This does not mean that LFT-8A’s are ideal for reproducing live concert levels. These speakers are not built to recreate a night club sound. With sensible decibels they can sound more substantial than most small floor standers.
The bass is strong, but it is not completely effortless. I would describe it as earnest, not in the sense of a 5” driver bottoming out with lower frequencies, but an intensity which multiple bass drivers avoid. The LFT-8A’s low-end is not subdued, but rather “in your face, dude!” It’s clean and powerful, but not laid back. Push them to higher levels than conversation permits and you’ll hear them working to produce the bass demanded. On program material with intense low-end at higher levels you’ll hear the effect, “POW, POW, POW!” of the woofer as it punches out the notes. Some people love this slam effect, while others like a completely effortless “pow” effect. At moderate volume this punchy quality is greatly reduced and I did not find it distracting but rather displaying the same “intensity level” as the rest of the drivers.
LFT-8B Comment 6: Here lies one of the most intriguing aspects of the upgraded speaker – the perceived improvement of the bass due to a tweeter replacement. The tweeter was the only element replaced. I should point out that the at-home repairs and upgrades for these speakers are designed to be downright simple (another thing that makes Bruce clever!). Predominantly screwed and bolted together, the woofer box and metal components of the planar framework are elementary. Absolutely clear instructions and visuals on the replacement of the tweeter pretty well make the job a no-brainer. In making the tweeter exchange, aside from using screws and nuts to mount it, one only has to snip a single wire - no soldering is required! Even the most non-technically oriented person can do this upgrade.
Continuing, the perception of the bass was one of the most mystifying and satisfying aspects of the upgrade. With the new tweeter, the punchy “POW” effect all but vanished! In a rather unintuitive turn, the bass now retained every bit the authority and gained a velvet-like texture previously unheard. Indeed, both the midrange and the bass seemed as though they had been upgraded as well. This is testament to the policy of speaker makers offering upgrade drivers and the overall gain in satisfaction.
I’m about to say something that sounds contradictory, but isn’t. Let’s just call it an audiophile quasi-heretical truth. Here it is: These speakers will pound with the best of them. They are capable of plenty of “storm surge” pounding waves of sound. Though I am well aware that planar elements cannot pressurize a room like dynamic speakers, I still experienced plenty of presence from them in my 13’x23’ room. The waves created by the LFT-8A were every bit as powerful to my ear as, say, the Von Schweikerts. Remember, I’m listening with the aim of keeping my hearing well into retirement. If your goal is to recreate “live event” sound, all bets are off.
Straight line wind is every bit as powerful as a tornado, only spread over a wider area. Similarly, the more “spread out” form of planar sound is no less gripping or moving to me. If you crank these speakers up, you’ll get presence a’plenty. It’s just the sonic equivalent of a wall of water hitting you, not a fire hose.
MAGGIEVANDY EMERGING
Two of the most popular speakers in the under $2k category are the Maggie 1.6’s and the ever popular Vandersteen 2CE. Having owned both in the past, I have appreciated their virtues and value. They are contenders for the poor man’s Holy Grail of audio, since they have so much quality with a reasonable price tag. The 1.6’s sport large soundstage and coherency, while the Vandy’s bring a palpable bass and smooth non-fatiguing sound. Having spent extensive time with both, I often pined for a speaker which could combine their merits. I never thought such speaker existed…until the LFT-8A (And Oh, so much more the LFT-8B!). What a magical thing it was when I heard it!
After searching for that particular sound for almost a decade, I finally heard what my mind had pieced together as the sonic melding of the “MaggieVandy” speaker. The epiphany came though the Rega Saturn as transport into Monarchy Audio M24 DAC and the Monarchy SM70Pro mono block amps (Yeah, I know, the 70 watt ones). That was the ticket – the E.T.’s in that moment became the “MaggieVandy” I had dreamed of. I have spent a lot of time with E.T.’s. and had not heard the ideal blend I sought. But with the particular synergy of these components I realized Bruce had done it, made a speaker combining the best characteristics of Maggies and Vandys. This is what I heard:
*Excellent bass, midrange, treble integration *Smooth highs, non-fatiguing like the Vandy *Sweeping orchestral presentation in a large sound field like a Maggie *Unexpectedly focused treble with only a glint of edge *Strong bass without bloat
LFT-8B Comment 7: I recreated this rig with the 8B’s and my feeling of the E.T.’s being “MaggyVandies” was strengthened. The LFT’s meld the best of both into a very desirable package. Confirmation came from my audiophile friend, Dave, who sat listening to a similar setup (with the Rogue Perseus replacing the M24) and who is heavily into vinyl. Our intent was to move out the E.T.’s to listen to a prodigiously large pair of review speakers that had just come in. However, I suggested he hear the improved E.T.’s as he had experience with the originals. We never moved them. We sat for three hours satisfied with the sound and his comment repeatedly was, “This is nice sound!” With the new tweeters they softened and were uncannily like better dynamic speakers in the high-end!
LFT-8A treble is a curious thing. In the past I had heard it sound edgy when I used lower-end products as source and transport. Recently, it’s been more subdued with tubed equipment and a change in cabling. The speaker sports three settings for the tweeter: “High” setting has the tweeter flat at 20 kHz, “Mid” is down 3 dB at 20 kHz, and “Low” is down 6 dB at 20 kHz. The tweeter attenuation switch allows one to augment or diminish the high frequencies. I found myself continuously circling back to the mid setting, the high setting being too strident. Between cable selection and these settings most audiophile’s preference for treble can be accommodated.
One of the very few criticisms of the LFT-8A’s is that they have a rolled-off high-end. Bruce acknowledged that the tweeters are -3dB at 20 kHz and -10dB at 36 kHz. Over the years some users have wanted more extended treble. Some dome tweeters have a sweeter, less terse sound than the E.T. tweeter, but this distinction is not detrimental to the enjoyment of the LFT-8A. I certainly felt the upper-end of the speaker was every bit as good, if not better, than the Magnepan 1.6.
LFT-8B Comment 8: The new tweeter on the B version is according to Bruce, “…almost flat to 50 kHz.” This is superb news for individuals who love economical magnetic planar speakers, but have been less than enthused about the treble!
A bit of tweakery can make a meaningful contribution to the enjoyment of the upper frequencies. Initially I listened with both the front and rear sets of grills removed from the planar elements. I was hearing indistinctness to the treble which wasn’t corrected by moving the tweeter attenuation switch to the high position. In the past I have heard the improvement in clarity that removal of grills brings especially to the higher frequencies. I speculated that the addition of the grills to the back would diffuse the rear, reflected waves better and allow for a cleaner primary wave front. The aesthetic bonus was that blacking out the see-through spaces of the panel made the speaker look far better, like a gigantic novelty circuit board.
Sonically, it was an improvement as resolution increased while yielding a hint more delicacy. My wife enjoys Kate Bush, so we spent an evening hearing The Hounds of Love. On “Running Up that Hill”, we got a kick out of the clarity such that one could hear her British enunciation, “…make a deal with Gode..” The deal was that she, as well as the Cocteau Twins (another of my wife’s favorites), was listenable. Not as much “hissy-tissy” happening in the high-end.
LFT-8B Comment 9: Here, dear reader, is where I hope this review gets interesting. I find it uncanny that I was trying to tweak the speakers to correct what I heard as a deficiency, not knowing that Bruce Thigpen had seemingly been addressing similar aspects of the tweeter. I knew nothing of the new tweeters prior to laying eyes on them. I was content to open first and ask questions later. I discovered several small but cumulatively important changes.
While the actual driver element had remained identical, nearly everything else about the tweeter had changed. The dual magnet array, now neodymium, had shrunk in size, allowing approximately twice the width of the ribbon to be exposed. The ribbon previously floated in an open front/back configuration, now it was nestled in a completely closed back housing. Further, a white material not unlike the looped fabric portion of a Velcro fastener had been placed directly behind the Mylar driver, which according to Bruce, “…loaded the tweeter diaphragm.” All else to the eye remained the same. The crossover was not altered.
These are not inconsequential changes, as the tweeter is no longer rear firing, has been damped substantially, and has double the radiating area. In effect, Bruce has changed what I was attempting to improve through positioning and use of the grills. My futzing could not begin to accomplish what the new tweeter does. While the housing has been rearranged, the identical ribbon element sounds much more relaxed, fluid, effortless and tactile. Bruce has successfully kept the lightning speed of the Mylar driver without the metallic snap sound of the typical planar tweeter. As you follow the original review below, you will see my suggestion to use tubes in the amplification, “…a warm sounding amplification scheme.” This recommendation was to keep from exacerbating the emphasis in treble. The newer tweeter fairly eliminates the need for such measures.
VACUUM TUBE ON ET
Regarding the mid to upper response of the LFT-8A’s, I strongly urge the prospective owner to consider a warm-sounding amplification scheme. A tube line stage would be an excellent choice. With all solid-state gear, it becomes much more difficult to make the ET’s completely non-fatiguing. It would not be a mistake to go all tubed with the ET’s providing one has enough power to do them justice. If you can’t afford massive tube watts, then reserve the power amp as solid-state.
In my experience with the LFT-8A’s, stranded cabling such as Jena Labs has tended to veil the speaker more while solid-core conductors have brought out more detail – and more edge. The MIT series of cables had the effect of making the E.T.’s sound closer to dynamic speakers in terms of intensity and clarity. I thoroughly enjoyed the Pathos Classic One’s in bridged mode with the MIT AVt MA cabling.
LFT-8B Comment 10: With the improvement of the tweeter I would not hesitate to recommend revealing speaker cables. I have recently added additional MIT cabling and power conditioning products to my system, which bring out yet more detail. The 8B’s have responded positively to this change.
The decision to purchase a planar speaker when you have not heard one can be tantalizing. The planar mystique, like mythical Sirens, lures you until it can no longer be resisted. Go ahead, give in. The sound of the E.T.’s is alluring and they have the capacity to captivate you for countless hours. Earlier I commented that at the paltry price of $1,499 one may not get more for their money in any speaker purchase under the sun. Not only does that sound like a concluding line for a review, it’s the truth.
LFT-8B Comment 11: Ok, so it turned out not to be the concluding line. Here’s another bit of truth; the enjoyment of the upgraded speaker has broken yet another threshold. The speaker sounds like it’s been redesigned and should be jacked up $1k, not four hundred bucks. It sounds richer, more involving and more sensual than I thought a magnetic planar design could.
I was in St. Louis a while back, when I had my stacked E.T.’s running, and took in a system sporting T&A components and Martin Logan Summit speakers. I recall returning home to my stacked E.T.’s and thinking the Summits had an edge on the “Gossamer Effect,” that butterfly light quickness and airiness of the treble. Now, hearing the advance in the E.T.’s, it took me right back to that same Gossamer feeling - lighter than air delicacy and ephemeral ease. I’ll say this, with the upper-end treatment the 8B received, it should now be considered a speaker capable of performance more in the league of the Magnepan 3.6 than the 1.6. You may say, “It’s no Maggie 3.6,” to which I reply, “Maybe not, but with this upgrade it’s the better part of a 3.6 at only 43% of the price!”
For all you E.T. lovers out there, this upgrade IS mandatory, that is if for a very affordable $400, you want to juice the performance of your LFT-8’s well beyond what you thought was possible. I believe the percentage of individuals who do the upgrade and yet be dissatisfied would hover around the .00003% mark. I can’t conceive of someone not being enthralled by it.
I remember learning a principle as a young man: Be quick to admit your mistakes. That advice has been a blessing over time. I didn’t think it would apply so directly to component selection. However, in this particular case I am elated that I relented and “remarried” the LFT-8A. I got a bonus, too; with her makeover to become LFT-8B, she’s turned into quite the “hottie!”
Manufacturer’s Comment:
Dagogo,
I wanted to thank Doug for putting in the effort to write this thorough review and then take additional time to supplement the review to add the updated tweeter which appeared during his tenure with the speakers.
We do still try to keep Sound Anchor stands in stock for the LFT-8b's and can ship them directly to dealers or customers. The retail price of the LFT-8b with the stands should be about $2100.00.
If a woofer dust dome gets damaged it would be best to replace the driver. Unfortunately the dust dome on the LFT-8 woofer could not be pushed out from the back side of the speaker. In this driver there is a mass loading "puck" glued underneath the dust dome. Even though there is a vented pole piece, the backside of the dust dome cannot be seen through the vent because of the presence of the puck.
I also wanted to thank Constantine for publishing the review and for creating a very informative site for those interested in audio.
Bruce Thigpen Eminent Technology
Other reviews by Doug Schroeder
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