As the ethereal synths of a certain 1989 Phil Collins hit emanate from the loudspeakers, I am taken aback at just how rich and full such a gentle, ambient recording sounds through just one speaker and sub. When the vocals come in it’s almost eerie just how much it sounds like Phil is standing right next to me with the crisp clarity of the mid and high frequencies. The full audial spectrum sounds so well- covered to the point of being almost hyper-real, and even when the subwoofer is switched off it would be impossible to say the song sounds anything resembling tinny. But when the subwoofer returns, paired with some immense modern electro production, the full ‘bassy’ powers of the EKX are more than illustrated – tangibly present though warm, never booming – and I am bathed in low-end bliss. The sound carries astoundingly well and even at high volumes the music never sounds crowded, retaining its dulcet smoothness throughout extent of the speakers’ huge response. There is such an abundance of intensity throughout the human hearing range I doubt that there is anyone who would be unable to EQ the EKXs to their sonic preference.
Beyond the 134dB peak SPL of their high-efficiency Class D power amps and reliable quality controlled electronics (backed by a 3 year warranty), the EKX series are replete with easily- controlled helpful features like the QuickSmartDSP. Through a simple single-knob user interface located on the back of the speaker you can access four self-explanatory pre-sets that instantly maximise your sonic possibilities – Music, Live, Speech and Club – as well as having the option to program five pre-sets of your own to take into account different environmental factors like room size and speaker placement. With in-built room delay up to 100 metres and 8 M10 fly points for mounting the speaker, there is a lot of room to play with filling your acoustic environment just the way you like it.
Structurally and aesthetically the EKX series excels too, with well-engineered 15mm wood enclosures further assisting their reverberant capabilities with a much warmer resonance than plastic models. This is finished with scratch-resistant EVCoat ensuring years of presentable display, and the full-size front grills afford a much more subtle look than an exposed speaker cone. Electro-Voice really seem to have thought of everything, with even the small power light on the front of the speaker able to be switched off for dark performance spaces, corporate events and the like.With the sonority and power of speakers four times their price, if you’re after something in the EKX’s price range it’d be truly imprudent not to give them a listen.