Horning Eufrodite Ellipse PM 65 speakers Review

A question that many will ask, looking at the three different types of drivers used in the Horning Eufrodites, two of them horn/transmission line loaded and one not, and the way the handover between them is implemented, is do the Eufrodites sound coherent in the time domain or does the bottom end feel like it needs to play catch-up with the mids and highs?

Horning Eufrodite Ellipse PM65 speaker

That’s a tough one for me to answer in a way that’s fair to the manufacturer and which doesn’t mislead potential purchasers. It’s tough to answer because what I heard on some material was a bass that did feel to me like it could have done with arriving at the party a little more promptly. Side two of Jean Luc Ponty’s 1989 recording Storytelling opens with a track in which bassist Baron Browne plays the first few bars slightly behind the beat against a backdrop of snare drum, shaken tambourine bells and simple keyboard figure. Through my Es, and indeed other speakers I’ve had in my listening room this slack timing is evident, but not glaring. However, the Horning Eufrodite Ellipse PM 65 made it very plain and actually quite discomfiting to listen to.

The question is did the Horning Eufrodites unfairly highlight it, or did they tell it like it is? And if they highlighted it, did they do so because the positioning in my listening room meant the horn in each Eufrodite was insufficiently loaded to perform as Tommy Horning intends? Certainly, there were no apparent issues when I listened to the Eufrodites at Whittlebury, and nothing else I played in my listening room led me to focus on the timing in quite such an acute way. My overall listening impression was of a well-developed speaker that combines speed and directness in the presence region with good tonality and an almost forensic presentation of the sound stage. That’s a package that I know will appeal strongly to a lot of potential buyers.

UK distributor Iain Borthwick describes the Eufrodites as the most musical speaker he has heard, and, despite their undoubted efficiency, he says they give of their best when driven with some Watts. As companion amplification he rates very highly the Audio Music 833 monoblocks that he sells, and also uses at his home.

In contrast U.S. distributor Jeffrey Catalano of High Water Sound has demonstrated Horning Eufrodites driven by 2A3 flea-power – and been awarded best sound in show for his troubles.

So what does all the foregoing tell prospective purchasers that might be useful about the Horning Eufrodite Ellipse PM 65? Well, I think it is pretty safe to conclude that they deliver of their best when placed in a corner as their designer and maker Tommy Horning intended. But they also need room to breathe, and in particular they like a high ceiling.

It’s probable that if the listening space has proved difficult with other large speakers, particularly ported and transmission line designs, then it is going to trouble the Eufrodites, too.

However, if the room ratios are more benign, then teamed with quality SET amplification – from 2A3 to 833 – the Horning Eufrodite Ellipse PM 65 are undoubtedly capable of performing at a level of sophistication that will delight many buyers.

This has for me been a mightily frustrating review. While much of what I heard was very positive, my enjoyment of some aspects of the Horning Eufrodites’ performance was always tempered by the feeling that they are capable of more than they could achieve in my room. I can’t therefore give them 10/10. But then, dear reader, you’d never buy a component on my say-so alone, and neither would you dismiss one either, would you? Good!

If you’re in the market for a €20,000+ pair of speakers,  then do get a listen to Tommy Horning’s Eufrodite Ellipse PM 65. You may find that in your listening space, with your equipment, that you simply can’t contemplate life without them.