Nothing compares to the B&W's. They have a sound that is unique to their line. Either you think it's the best there is for the money or you think; so what?!
Emma will hold her own with the B&W's in terms of bass extension, if not possibly do somewhat better than the B&W's. But Emma is going to be a bit laid back compared to the up front sound of the B&W's. If the B&W's wear you out, cause you to loose interest or just be aware you're listening to a speaker after a while, Emma would be a good choice. If none of those are your reaction to the B&W's, they might be the better choice, if your amplifier is up to the task.
Emma is about clarity and articulation. Not about flash or sounding like a good speaker. Emma is a very steady performer with anything other than high volume oriented comtemporary music. Emma will bring the performers to your room and the performance will capture your attention for its immediacy. You will not be listening to a speaker system but rather to the music. Quite literally, I think you will be hearing new pieces of music with every album you play through Emma. If that's what you are after in sound quality, then the other speakers will probably be a disappointment by comparison.
Emma is also very easy to drive if you are matching her to your amplifier. She doesn't play all that loud (loud enough probably) but will take plenty of clean power and your amplifier will never strain under her load. The B&W's will be far more difficult for your amplifier to deal with.
I've not heard the other speakers enough, or at all in the case of the Epos, to make a truly fair comparison. I think Tim has a unique product that hasn't been designed by a committee to be an "everyman" speaker. Emma reflects what Tim hears in music. To that end, I think not everyone will hear the best qualities Emma possesses simply because they are expecting a more commercial product designed to jump off the shelf or work with cheap receivers. Emma just lets the music come through with clarity. You hear words and phrases that are lost in other designs. Instruments stand apart from one another while following the same musical line. All in all, it's a pretty neat trick.
I would definitely check out the Emma's along with the other speakers. If you look at Emma's quality components, they are a bargained at the price. Worth the hassle of returning it if you don't like them.
I have not heard the Emma's but have owned the Paradigm's, NHT's and have heard the rest. To my ears the Studio 20v3's and the Epos have the best overall sound. The NHT's have a soundstaging and imaging magic but lack midrange detail, The B&W 600 series in my opinion isn't in the same league with the other speakers here. I am a B&W fan but it is my opinion (and only mine) that there lineup works the converse of the typical in that the further up their model lineup you get the better the value. Their 800D series is to die for. The diamond tweeter is without peer. I really like the 600 series, but they have a bass bloat that I find disturbing. I'm think that perhaps I need to hear them again (although I've heard them 20-30 times).
Jan, Sorry I replied on my e-mail rather than here. Anyway, amplifier will be either NAD 7400 (if repairs go well) or the Outlaw 3150. Turntable is a 1975 Pioneer PL12. CD - Onkyo 1800.Tapes are Onkyo TA 2700 and Teac V 430X.
Jan, I have read that NAD and Marantz are two examples of warmer toned amps, while Rotel amps are bright in comparison. Would you agree with this statement?
In what ways does the Outlaw's sound differ from NAD'S?
I hestitate to make subjective judgements regarding any product's perceived quality or quality of sound. There are folks who have posted on this forum that they love their thirty year old Pioneer SX635 and it has never given them a day's worry. I wouldn't disagreee with their personal experience, but I never shared in those warm feelings toward that amplifier. So my opinion is only as good as what I have experienced. Therefore, my opinion is only as good as what I want to hear.
Sound quality is all too often measured in subjective terms such as "warm" or "thin". Neither word can adequately describe what you might hear since there is considerable variance between members on this forum as to the meaning of such words. In many cases a "warm" sounding amplifier line might apply only to certain portions of the manufacturer's equipment, not to all products. And "warm" might mean something totally different to the person describing that sound than it does to you or me. Additionally, pairing a "warm" amplifier with a "bright" speaker is, in my opinion, a poor solution to system matching.
You seem to have read enough to draw some conclusions about certain products. There is undoudbtedly enough opinion about most products. It would be a good time to audition those products and judge for yourself what others claim. I suggest rather than judging whether an amplifier, speaker or source component is "bright", "warm", "forward" or "musical", you judge the sound against live music, not against singular adjectives.
If you haven't heard any live music lately, go to a free concert somewhere. There is almost always the opportunity to hear some music for little, if any, cost other than driving to the location. Lately, I have been attending the free graduate student recitals at a nearby university. Hearing an instrument played in a real space is a far better rule to use to measure a component's quality than anyone else's opinion could ever hope to be. Form some ideas about what you hear in live music and then carry them with you to the shops that sell the equipment. Don't let anyone else suggest to you what you are going to hear. Buy what makes the most realistic portrayal of what you remember in the live performance. If that ends up being Bose and JVC, don't worry about anyone else's opinion. Buy what pleases you and learn what it does well and not so well. You will be following a tried and true path to getting what you want in a music system.
Sorry if that's not the answer you wanted, but that's my opinion of how to go about the whole process.
Just to see what you think; what does the term "warm" mean to you when describing an amplifier's sound?
It will be. I've researched and spoken to repair centers regarding NAD problems, such as noise and channels cutting out. Apparently 90% of the time these issues are caused by bad soldering or poor quality connectors, a relatively cheap and easy fix.
This is in no way meant to imply that NAD suffers from these defects any more than other manufacturers. But, if such symptoms exist, these are most likely the causes.
Late to the party, BUT, what Jan said about Emmas.
I just hooked a friend up with a used NAD C320BEE, the Emmas and a new Cambridge Audio 540C. She is incredibly happy with the improvement over her 15 year old SS receiver and relatively inexpensive speakers.
For the first time in 10 years, she's listening to music and not using it as background noise.
I'll report further after I get a listen to her system this week but she's heard my 2 channel system and felt she was getting most of that sound for a heck of alot less money. Her words, anyway. Good Luck Cap'n. Dave.
I do drink from time to time... but thankfully not to the level that had SUNY Oswego sitting as the #1 party school in the US. I'll have a vodka and coke every now and then, or a glass (or bottle ) of wine, but my preference is long islands and cosmopolitons.