Epos ES-7N: Compact 2-way bookshelf speakers

The British audio company Epos, in a collaborative effort with loudspeaker developer Karl-Heinz Fink has unveiled the ES-7N compact loudspeaker. This genuine bookshelf speaker is designed with sleek, compact dimensions that seamlessly complement what the manufacturer describes as the “typical Ikea design.” Engineered for versatility, the ES-7N allows for flexible placement options, including on shelves, ensuring that users enjoy consistent tonal balance and high-quality sound performance, regardless of where the speakers are situated.

Smaller speakers in particular are a major headache for developers. This has something to do with the size of the front baffle and the influence of the small baffle on a speaker’s response curve.

A design for a free space should be different from a design that plays close to a wall or on a bookshelf.

In order to be able to work in a semi-free room at some distance from or directly against a wall, the crossover filter on the Epos ES-7N can be changed with a switch on the back.

The housing: light and quiet

The ES-7N’s enclosure is made from 2 x 8mm MDF panels with a lossy damping layer in between to control unwanted resonances from the box. Only a single brace was needed to make the case quiet.

Four inserts on the bottom accept 4mm screws, and the speaker comes with silicone rubber spikes for good isolation between the speaker and the floor. The stand for the Epos ES-7N is approximately 70 cm high.

Switchable crossover

The crossover has the aforementioned switch that allows you to choose between two versions of tonal balance . When the switch is in the up position, the best placement is 30 to 50 cm from a wall. In the lower position, the speaker should play near a wall or on a bookshelf.

Distortions are minimized

The woofer has a new design with polypropylene membranes that are manufactured using an injection molding process. A rubber surround and a high temperature resistant Nomex spider provide a linear suspension with good control over higher excursions.

The 30mm voice coil with fiberglass/epoxy former works in a magnetic system with an impedance control ring to minimize distortion and intermodulation.

A double magnet compensates for the stray field and increases the power of the coil. As with all small speakers of this type, the crossover needs to be close to the driver. And the compensation magnet helps to avoid interactions with the filter’s inductances.

Optimized airflow

The Epos ES-7N’s tweeter is a 28mm voice coil on a ceramic-coated aluminum alloy dome with a powerful ferrite magnet and optimized airflow. The tweeter does not use ferrofluid in the gap to ensure stable temperature and low compression.