Emphaser presents a brand-new top model: the ECP-M6X comes with sophisticated components and elaborate solutions to delight even the most demanding sound freaks.
The new ECP-M6X joins Emphaser's top series of universal loudspeakers called Monolith. It is positioned above the Monolith M4, M5 and M6 composite systems. Featuring the typical black and red Emphaser design, both the woofer and tweeter make an excellent impression. The manufacturing quality is excellent down to the last detail, and the loudspeakers are comfortable to hold. You immediately get the impression that the development department was allowed to let off steam here without any ifs and buts. This starts with the aluminum basket of the bass-midrange driver, which was specially developed for the M6X, even though the M6 woofer already has a cast basket. The M6X basket is not only prettier, but also more airy with its thin double struts, and the M6X also has more working travel, i.e. cone excursion.
The cone is made of aluminium, a high-quality rubber surround on the outside provides some damping, while the inside has a narrow collar for stabilization instead of a dust cap. This is because the M6X has been fitted with a phase plug on the pole piece, which acts as a heat sink and also functions as a short-circuit cap to prevent eddy currents. The voice coil, which is very large at 38 millimetres, is correspondingly resilient. It is wound on a perforated titanium carrier - a real treat. Although a titanium carrier is somewhat heavier than an aluminum carrier, it offers advantages. It is more stable than aluminum and titanium is a very poor electrical conductor for a metal, with a conductivity 15 times lower than that of aluminum. This is an advantage here, as harmful eddy currents are at least strongly attenuated.
The tweeter is also something special, with Emphaser taking a different approach than usual. Because hardly anyone dares to use a metal tweeter in a top system. Here in the ECP-MX6 tweeter, a 25 millimetre aluminium dome tweeter is used, which has been anodized black for visual reasons. There is also a small coupling volume, which helps the tweeter to reproduce low frequencies. All in all, you can say that Emphaser really lets it rip with the M6X, it has everything that is good and expensive.
Measurements and sound
The bass-midrange driver works perfectly up to 2 kHz, then after a small disturbance it goes up to over 4 kHz, where the onset of cone resonances ends the operating range. Both drivers work very cleanly up to high levels, which is certainly also thanks to the development of the Klippel system, which is also used by Emphaser. We can only find one certainly inaudible K2 peak, while the more unpleasant K3 is not present. All in all, a great result for the ECP-M6X.
In the listening test, the developers' courage is rewarded and it becomes clear why Emphaser calls the M6X tweeter a hi-res tweeter. The system elicits an extra dose of brilliant detail from the music program - without any undue hiss in the high frequencies, mind you. The system is one of the most dynamic sounding representatives of its kind, percussive sounds are reproduced ultra-precisely and the bass retains full contour even at high volumes. The M6X is a loudspeaker system that not only sounds good, but above all is a lot of fun! The icing on the cake is the spatial separation, which can once again be described as precise - hats off!
Conclusion
The ECP-M6X is a great speaker set. Instead of just reaching for the shelf, a lot of development work has been put into it - and it pays off.
Source: Hifitest
