I've bought mine second hand for £200 in 1989 and have never looked back. they were hooked up to naim 20pre and 120 power amp in those days and fronted with technics 150 with grace g707 arm/moving coil cartridge. For last twenty years they've been hooked up to talk electronics storm 2 amplifier pink triangle combo.
I have been thinking about selling them lately but unless I can afford to spend a lot of money (£1000-2000?) I doubt I can better them.
After 28 years they are still very impressive with anything I throw at them.

I remember listening to these a long time ago on the end of a Naim Nait and LP12 and thinking they had something. Over the years I have had many speakers my current ones being Yamaha NS1000 s. I was toying with the idea of a second system and spotted a mint pair of ES14 s on E bay. That was three months ago, they are still on the end of my main system. The NS1000's are remarkable speakers but I'm honestly not missing them. Fed by an Inspire LP12 Ekos Lingo, Pioneer transport, lampizator DAC, EE Minimax pre and Forte 1A power and augmented by a REL Strata 111 sub woofer the ES 14's sound astoundingly musical. They absolutely deserve their cult status. Talking about budget esoterica if you ever see a Forte amp up for sale don't let it slip through your fingers. The 1A is a 50w class A design. It sounds sweet, powerful and dynamic. I have owned Naims, Audio Research, Audio Innovation and many other amplifiers. Like Robin Marshall, Nelson Pass was clearly a man who knew his onions...

On a post note, for anyone out there who still thinks digital cannot rival good analogue they should have a listen to a Lampizator DAC. Previous digital equipment I have owned or borrowed includes Wadia, DCS, Meridian, Weiss, Metrum and many others. They always lacked that real believability factor that good vinyl set ups provide. In my view the Lampizator is a game changer to the extent Iv'e hardly listened to vinyl since I bought it which makes me wonder if i should just sell my turntable, its really that good. It is more transparent than anything I have heard, but what it does do that is so remarkable for digital is it preserves all the character of the instruments being played together with huge dynamics. The net effect is something that leaves little to the imagination.

My father introduced me to the Epos ES14 Loudspeakers when he purchased them in 1994.

Initially I wasn't a fan because I found them a little boxey sounding for my tastes and even considered not having them when he offered to give them to me once he upgraded.

How wrong was I, he used to listen to them with the foam plugs in, but when I removed them (yes I know Robin Marshall would be disappointed) they seemed to come alive.

I initially used them with an Exposure XVII pre and Exposure XVII combo and then added an additional Exposure XVIII and bi-wire them.

Wow, these speakers are so easy to listen to with a great tone and they certainly have the PRAT factor...

I have considered upgrading them on a number of occasions but haven't been able to find anything under £3,000 that provide a significant advancement.

Would I recommend them, hell yeah... A true classic and shows that Robin Marshall knew what he was doing!!

Ive had a pair of second hand 14s longer than my youngest daughter and shes just gone of to University..... The ES14s wont be going anywhere.. I drive them hard with monoblocked Audio Labs sadly deceased (the firm) power amps.... true not roof lifting bass but amazingly controlled and subtle.... get them at home in the "right spot" they are without the dogs genitalia.

Dont mess about with all this surround rubish good gear always shines.

Frankly a bargan... would never get rid of them....

If you are one of those who loves music for what it is, love to spend hours listening to all genres and being sure worth the money spent.......Epos es14 has to be on your list!

Getting the right position for this speakers is going to take you years. But that's the best part, how it will surprise you with what each positioning has to offer your audiophile ears.

I am a proud owner. I will surely move on and spend more money buying more speaker. But I can assure the es14 stays.

I have these speakers for a long time now. the rubber surrounds are disintegrating so i bought second hand epos m15.2
I thought it was time to give my review about the epos ES14.
Its hard to stay oblective after more than 10 years of use of these speakers. I still haven't found better speakers for the price( i paid e450 a pair second hand).
They do do not have it all. The bass is to smouth to give a real punch, but it still is good enough. Mids are the best i ever heared from these relatively cheap speakers. the highs are very good also.
They give a great detailed and airy sound to the music. They are dynamic and able to fill a big room.
You can play all styles of music on them.
They are better than the epos m15.2 only the highs are a bit more detailed than the epos es14.
Because there are better speakers around(for much more money!!!!) and the bass isn't that punchy and detailed my overall rating is a 4 star.
Too bad the surroundings couldn't be repaired. So i have to settle with the lesser epos m15.2

I've owned a pair of these fine loudspeakers for a couple of years now. My purchase was based on very positive reviews on this site and in Stereophile magazine. In that time, I've also had a few other quality monitor speakers in my system, all of which can be had for about the same amount of money as the Eposes on the used market. I thought a comparison would be beneficial to potential puchasers.

1) Monitor Audio Studio 6- The MAs have an overall more refined treble, superior imaging, and are more open and transparent than the Eposes which have a tendency to sound rather boxy. The Eposes produce a much bigger apparent sound source, important for realism, and lack the MAs irritating mid-treble peakiness. The Eposes also go much lower in the bass (courtesy of their much bigger cabinets). More importantly, the Eposes have an almost indefinable muscial "rightness" about them which I believe is due to their lack of a passive crossover. The MAs, despite their considerable virtues, sound somewhat artificial by comparison.

2) Energy Reference Connoisseur RC-10- The Energy's have one of the best tweeters I've ever heard, easily besting the Eposes, with none of the treble peakiness of the MAs. Transparency thoughout the midrange and treble also favors the Energys which reproduce very realistic sonic textures. Musical textures through the Eposes sound gray in comparison. Again, the Eposes produce a much bigger sound source and have the edge in bass.

3) JBL L-1s- I haven't owned the JBLs as long as the other speakers so I can only relate my first impressions. Once again the JBLs, with their pure titanium tweeter win the treble stakes (though to my ears they still fall slightly behind the Energys). The JBLs midrange is more problematic in that it sounds rather forward. I know some listeners prefer this type of sound and would undoubtedly rate the JBLs over the Eposes. To my ears, the Eposes sound considerably better balanced and more refined (not that the JBLs are crude). Both the JBLs and Eposes produce a big, bold sonic picture.

Overall, the Epos ES-14s are very good loudspeakers but I don't know if they deserve the rave reviews they have received on this site and elsewhere. How much you appreciate their virtues depends largely on your sonic priorities.

I'm also still(for 10 years now...) totally satisfied with my Epos ES 14, I bought them 1999 in Germany, I visit a Reson Dealer who sells DNM, Rhedeko, Resolution Audio, Creek and even Epos, I fall in love with the epos "head over hills"...
I have upgrade my equipment a lot in those last 10 years since I had the ES 14 and yes, like all the other reviewer's said it, the speakers grow and grow(in a little listening-room), now I'm "bi-amping" them with a Heed Obelisk+xps+Obelisk Poweramp, on frontend is a cult cd-player, the CD-50 from Resolution Audio, all DNM/Reson cable connected...and yes there's all the "shimmering glow&glory" in the reproduction of my favorite and diverse music I love to liston to...anything by Doctor L and Tony Allen&Fela, Deep funk and classic soul/rare grooves and jazz(from ecm stuff to free jazz..).

Yes this speaker IS an absolute "music-maestro" and will always get you in da mood 2 listen on and on...to any kind of material...there's always the right swing and timing(groove!) in the reproduction, you never hear analytical to a special part of the performance...instead U can use these speaker like an instrument to explore your record collection and stuff...I mean I NEVER miss anything in their performance, no deep bass or whatever...they even can get real loud man...!

As long I can not buy me a real expensive alternative speaker like Avalon, Merlin or Verity or somthin' like this, I stay kool and let them take me into the heart of any kind of good music...U know?!

If you R looking for a serious and "cheap" loudspeaker, try to find a good used pair of Epos Es-14, at times U can find them all over europe.

So finally, match them with good equipment and they will shine on a lifetime...

It's good to know that so many peolple worlwide honor what Robin Marshall is givin' us all...BIG THANX Robin! WORD!!

Middle and high frequencies are simply unmatched by other speakers in its class.

Requires proper placement and good sturdy stand. Bass isn't that deep but good enough for a knock-out punch.

Epos ES14 was better than average when I first heard it in mid '95. But the funny thing about it is you don't get tired listening to it as it gets older. When compared with the new speakers of the same price, you'd realize you own an extraordinary speaker and almost without peer in its class. It gets even better as you upgrade your amplifier. It sounds best when used with British- and New England-made amps. The only Japanese brand that could make it sing, in my experience, is Sansui (the old models from 717 or 707 not the new Alpha series).

Similar Products Used:

(within same price range) Rogers LS8, B&W Matrix 2, Monitor Audio S6, JBL 4311, Bose 901V

Accurate and revealing

None really

Picked these up with stands in the UK, condition was wanting so I restored the cabinets. Also replaced the capacitors. Sound is good more base than my Spendor SP2/2, but not as tight as my old ES12's.

Similar Products Used:

Spendor, Rogers, ES12's, Proac etc