Epicure M201 Value?

[Rhetor]

I scored some great looking (and heavy ) Epicure M201 speakers today in excellent shape. Beautiful walnut veneer!

I have never seen them before . . . In fact, all I own are a klipsch . . . But these were beautiful and look well built, and were cheap, so I bought them.

Anyone have an idea of their quality and value?

No, I do not plan to sell them; just trying to figure out what I have and if I got my money's worth.

 

[Unabubba]

Good quality.

Epicure built a lot of great sounding speakers, they should sound considerably cleaner than your Klipsch speakers. That said, you will want to look over the surrounds, if foam will likely need refoamed, if rubber may need replaced too as with age they can dry out. They may also need recapped.

They will be power hungry, as they are nowhere near as efficient as Klipsch, but properly powered, should sound great.

 

[Vintageman1]

Sold them in the store I used to work at in 74. Early ones had rubber surrounds. The 201's were my favorite.....even over the 500's (Mini Towers).

 

[mynameisphun]

I would love to own a pair of these. I have a number of Genesis/EPI speakers - Genesis V6's for $4 at a yard sale rekindled my love for vintage audio. Since then, I've added 3 pairs of EPI 100's, a pair of 150's, and a pair of Epicure 400+...but the 201's are high on my list of speakers I'd like to add to that collection.

Post some pics, please!

 

[mynameisphun]

And as to quality - quality is excellent. My 150's have the rubber surrounds, and while they're probably a bit stiff, they still sound wonderful. The other EPI/Genesis speakers that I have have all needed refoaming. I've used the cheap MAT Electronics surrounds with good results.

As far as value...I paid $50 for my very, very nice 150's with brass inlays and rubber surrounds. I've paid $20 for another set of 100's in need of a refoam. The most I've spent on EPI/Genesis speakers was $100 for a set of one-owner Epicure 400+ that I have yet to even hook up, as I don't want to run them until I've checked the condition of the foam on the 8 woofers. I'd spend $100 on a set of well-sorted 201's, maybe/probably more if they were recapped as well. Possibly up to $150.

I'd buy them without question in need of a refoam for $50 or less. I do think they are worth more for the sound they put out, but I have too many speaker projects and there are too many deals out there to be had to spend more.

 

[EddyFranner]

Great speakers!!

 

[bobaloniny]

Listening to mine as I type. Mine were cheap enough to buy ($40), but I need to do the veneer over and build grills, that being said they sound great. I cant wait to get them gussied up and recapped.

 

[Rhetor]

Epicure built a lot of great sounding speakers, they should sound considerably cleaner than your Klipsch speakers. That said, you will want to look over the surrounds, if foam will likely need refoamed, if rubber may need replaced too as with age they can dry out. They may also need recapped.

They will be power hungry, as they are nowhere near as efficient as Klipsch, but properly powered, should sound great.

Cleaner than Klipsch Heritage?!?! I think that would be an overstatement, but I do appreciate the enthusiasm. :thmbsp: Unless there was something wrong with the Klipsch speaker or the amp driving them, no way that is possible. My Klipsch speakers are dead quiet and crystal clear in the highs and lows, and in the mids too.

But, I am looking forward to hooking them up to some vintage solid state equipment I have. Just have to figure out what I have that will safely run 4 or 16 ohm, the only two possibilities for the M201s.

The veneer and grills are in outstanding condition, and the tweets and woofers look serviceable too. I will listen before I recap them, but I am sure I will have to do that once it is sure the drivers all, well, drive. Could be the best $23 I have ever,spent on speakers.

 

[Bostown]

Listening to mine as I type. Mine were cheap enough to buy ($40), but I need to do the veneer over and build grills, that being said they sound great. I cant wait to get them gussied up and recapped.

Fire up some pics. I'd be interested in seeing what a refurbed set can look like.

 

[Putterman]

I have a pair of 201's. I paid $60 for them from a local flipper although I suspect they sell on the bay for more. They are either 4 or 16 ohm speakers depending on whether the switch put the woofers in series or parallel. I think they sound best in the 4 ohm position. They have a distinctive airy sound no doubt due to the upward facing woofer and of course the tweeter. There is more info on the Human website.

 

[bobaloniny]

Cleaner than Klipsch Heritage?!?! I think that would be an overstatement, but I do appreciate the enthusiasm. :thmbsp: Unless there was something wrong with the Klipsch speaker or the amp driving them, no way that is possible. My Klipsch speakers are dead quiet and crystal clear in the highs and lows, and in the mids too.

But, I am looking forward to hooking them up to some vintage solid state equipment I have. Just have to figure out what I have that will safely run 4 or 16 ohm, the only two possibilities for the M201s.

The veneer and grills are in outstanding condition, and the tweets and woofers look serviceable too. I will listen before I recap them, but I am sure I will have to do that once it is sure the drivers all, well, drive. Could be the best $23 I have ever,spent on speakers.

Right now these are hooked up to my sansui 5500 set on 16 ohms. These are very easy to drive I was running them behind a Sansui AU 2200 (10? 12?wpc) and I certainly didnt have to crank the volume knob to get large volume, at 4 ohms. Im thinking I will take them downstairs to the Fisher tube amp (30wpc ish) and run them at 16 from that and see how that does. What I would recommend is popping the woofer on top to gain access to the xover/tweeter control and give that control a shot of deoxit. At least on mine these controls aren't in a casing, they are open in there, with a great view of the wiper and coil. As a result mine were fairly oxidized and the response from the tweeters greatly benefitted from the cleaning.