"I've been in this biz for 30 years. The CS2.3 loudspeaker by Emerald Physics is groundbreaking. Controlled directivity, 48dB/oct. digital filters with phase, time and LF compensation and dual 15" dipole woofers combined with our Wyred4Sound 4-channel ICEpower amps and all the necessary interconnects start you out at $6,750. Believe me, this system will frighten competitors at $20,000 for their speakers alone. With our system, you just need to add a source and preamp." - Underwood Wally, Underwood Hifi
CS-2 customer comments:
1) Well, so far, they have lived up to my dream of having something "different". The dynamics can be frightening...literally. I can't tell you how many times I've had 'em cranked up and I was startled upright by a drum wack or the like. These are as close to live music in this regard as I have heard. I hear an almost total lack of compression. The only equals are $100,000+ horn speakers like the Acapella's, etc that take up entire rooms.

Truthfully, I didn't have a lot of hope with these for classical music playback which, for me, wasn't a big deal because while I do sometimes listen to classical, it's not my main interest. Boy, was I wrong. Pro 15-inch drivers, compression tweeter, and classical music. Who would have guessed- these are amazing on well-recorded classical. I am dumbfounded.

The bottom line is that these things can sound spooky-real on good recordings. Speaking of recordings- there is no question which ones are good and which ones aren't. While the so-so ones are easy to listen to through the CS2's because they (the CS2's) sound so natural, good recordings simply jump to new levels. I have a feeling Clayton will be busy for years to come. I can't wait to read what the Absolute Sound has to say about them. Jason

2) Son of a Beeeeaaaach!!!!! Stone cold out of the box (Everything) this system BLOWS away anything I have ever heard!! I can't believe it!!!!!!! Happy ass camper, Bob

3) The Bel Canto sounds glorious on the CS-2's....I was able to borrow a few pairs of Kimber Balanced cables to get running...It all sounds excellent even brand new! The Threshold and Quads are S-O-L-D ! Now to pay off some of the bizillion credit cards i used!! ;-)

Playing with position and dcx to taste, but they set up very easily and sound excellent with minimal fuss. You are correct about the sound of these surpassing the Quads, and in just about every regard! No BS!! -Ken

4) ) I went to Dan Comeau's house today & auditioned his CS2's. Even with mis-matched amps (Ps Audio Trio on bottoms & Mcintosh tube on tops) they sounded fu**in' AWESOME!! I played my K2HD 100khz & 24-bit resolution cd & he played a drum track from a xrcd24 and I was sold!!

5) Further to my initial impressions of the Emerald CS2 as "QUAD ESLs on steroids." The Emerald CS2s are transparent. As I walk about the listening room it is difficult to locate them as part of the soundstage more like they define a very large window on the performers. The articulation of the LF drivers combined with the acoustic output easily reproduces the subtlety and strength of double basses, pipe organs and, not to be that modest, my recordings of a concert Steinway 9' grand.

6) I'm at 250 hours now. The soundstage stretches from wall to wall with every well-recorded song I play. The midrange is oh so perfect. Not sure how to describe it, but all the musicality is in this range. Each note is rich and powerful. The highs and lows of the speakers have wowed me, but the midrange has left me gasping . . . its left me laughing like a school girl at how good the sound is and at times it's just left me wondering if things could possibly get any better.

The lows have become even tighter and more powerful. Listening to Moby Dick by Led Zeppelin is just amazing. The drum solo is like walking through a bomb field in terms of dynamics. The bass sounds so natural and well out of the box . . . it's amazing.

7) I've been trying to describe my CS-2s to friends and other audiophools, and usually end up at a loss for words. Now I can just guide them to JP's review. My only gripe with the review is his reference to "at their price" and the like. Last week I was in El Paso, TX, on business and had the opportunity to listen to the top-of-the-line speakers from B&W and TAD. I spent about three hours with them, and when I got home and gave a listen to the CS-2s with the same music, volume, etc, I was very, very happy with my purchase. To my ears, the CS-2s are cleaner, more dynamic, and just as resolving as either of the well regarded, high priced speakers. I believe the TADs were + $50K and the B&Ws were +/- $24K. By the way, I preferred the TADs over the B&Ws.

8) Wally, So I spent a couple of hours at my local dealer's today,just for fun. Rainy day in Connecticut. He's a good guy, and I've spent some serious change there the last 10 yrs or so. He knows, that I now 'know'. If you know what I mean.

He just became a Magico dealer. I listened to these fed by a ~$40k Krell kit (Diana Krall CD that I also happen to have at home): $25k msrp for speakers. I drove home, about a 3 minute drive, and fired up the same music on the CS2s. You already know the verdict. Love these speakers.

9) I've had my CS2s for a couple of months and have been runningthem 24/7 - at low levels overnight of course. Just want to say ... I've spent a lot of money ( a lot ) on audio gear over the last 10+ years, but not for the benefit I've enjoyed with the CS2s, not even close.

10) ) I really enjoy the new CS-2 system. I turned the system on this evening. I couldn't believe what I was hearing in the sound stage. It was almost magical.... The sound is substantially better than my Kef 207s in almost every aspect. I find myself enjoying more of my discs and listening longer. I'm really looking forward to the change over the next 300 hours of break in. This system is amazing. To think I contacted you initially for a new player. I'm glad you introduced me to the EP and W4S combo. I'm looking forward to improving my system with more of your recommendations.

11) It's probably nothing new to you. Totally amazing. Sounded better than my old gear ($15,000.00 speakers / $6,000.00 amp) instantly. After a few hours it's already settling in & singing with stock power cords and not plugged into my dedicated power so much improvement is still to come.

Any one who wants / asks you to have a listen you have them call me or whatever arrangements. I'd be glad to show them the giant killers. I was not expecting too much as the system I heard at Bill's was a little better setup and positioned etc, and broken in also, but hey. No kidding these are great.

12) WOW!!! I feel like my "former" system, with its Talon Ravens, may have stretched me into the outer reaches of the Milky Way and I just got teleported to Andromeda (read: another altogether other galaxy). SCOTTY! WE NEED MORE DI-LITHIUM CRYSTALS!!!

I am struck by the openness and clarity of the sound. It's like the entire wall is a speaker. The Ravens, in comparison, feel like the sound was coming from tiny points. I heard stuff I never heard before. And to think they are only going to get better. Man alive, they sound superb.

13) I have been an audio lover for 30 years, and in that time I have enjoyed some pretty excellent gear, but this is the first time I have ever felt compelled to sit down and write a testimonial. As you know, I am referring to the Emerald Physics CS2s. Since 1980 I have owned exclusively planar speakers, including Beveridge 2SW-2, Magnepan 1.6, and Magnepan 3.6. I've listened to many high end conventional speakers in people's homes and audio showrooms, but I kept coming back to the openness and transparency of the panels. But even as much as I loved the sound of my most recent system, I felt there was still a dimension missing, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. The audiophile's curse.

Then I read about these emerald Physics DSP-controlled open baffle directional speakers. Based on the descriptions, it seemed to me that what people were describing was what I was missing. For 6 months I tried to stop thinking about them, because I didn't really want to change out my system, but I finally gave in and called you. You were so candid and generous with your time, so I took the leap and ordered a pair of CS2s, hoping they would actually be that missing link, but knowing that, worst case, I could return them and take a not too horrible loss.

I have now been listening to the CS2s for two weeks. I am driving my wife, who is also an audio lover, a little crazy at times because I can't pull myself away from them. Just one more song-and then just one more song-etc., into the wee hours. (Don't get me wrong - she loves them almost as much as I do!) These speakers are REMARKABLE. I have never heard such a NATURAL, THREE DIMENSIONAL presentation of recorded music. No matter how many words I could add to the description, that is what I keep coming back to. Yes they offer exquisitely fine detail with no hardness or edge. Yes they deliver 20hz bass with no boominess or puffiness. Yes the midrange is full and vast. And yes, they can play surprisingly loud without losing any sense of dynamics or control - and, interestingly, without causing fatigue. But really, it comes down to just sounding more like real music than anything else I have heard. And in that I find pure joy. So Walter, thank you -- and thanks to Clayton -- for bringing this new realm of enjoyment into my life.

14) Walter, the more I listen to these speakers, the more I'm impressed. If I could sum it up in a sentence or two I would say; they have the best qualities of Magnepan's and Klipsch with a good subwoofer to boot. They are dynamic like Klipsch but pure and refined like a Magnepan with a ribbon tweeter. I can't believe how dynamic these things are. You can listen to them really loud without fatigue.

15) I am thoroughly enjoying the speakers. They have around 30 hours on them and they get better all the time. This leaves me wondering how good they can be. I am thrilled with the bass. Also, the soundstage is addictive. I toed the speakers in a bit more and the stage stretches the width of my room. Absolutely remarkable!

The science behind all this excitement:
1) Eliminating the Room: Emerald Physics has developed a method to control a speaker's dispersion pattern in order to minimize room interactions and thereby eliminate most of the room's sonic signature. Our patent-pending BDC (Broadband Directivity Control) technology is a turning point in the history of loudspeaker design. Until now, speaker/room interaction has been one of the major problems in home audio systems. Conventional speakers have wide dispersion and an omni directional pattern in the bass range, sending large amounts of sound energy toward the room boundaries, which are reflected back into the listening space with a time delay. These are known as early reflections, which color the sound of the original signal. The omni-directional bass pattern also excites room resonances in all three axis which tends to cause the boomy, ill-defined bass commonly experienced in many systems. The solution is to create a speaker with a more narrow dispersion pattern as well as a more consistent dispersion angle across the frequency spectrum. Listening to mainly the loudspeaker's direct field eliminates most of your room's sound, creating a consistent and natural playback performance even in difficult rooms.

2) Eliminating the Box: Emerald Physics uses a boxless design approach called open-baffle dipole in order to achieve several important improvements over conventional loudspeakers:

  • Eliminates box sound – preserves the pitch and harmonic beauty of instruments.
  • Eliminates deep bass limits – Flat response to 20Hz (CS2.3) with 2.75 inch thick baffle.
  • Eliminates impedance swings – Maintains same impedance curve as raw woofer.
  • Eliminates large expense of box enclosure – typically the most expensive component in the speaker.

3) Eliminates the peaks & troughs in frequency response: Most loudspeaker systems are rated at plus or minus 3dB. This equates to a 6dB range at any give area in the frequency response as measured in an anechoic chamber. Once placed in a listening room, it is not uncommon to see 20dB variations. The CS2.3 & CS3 exhibit an extremely accurate response of plus or minus ½ dB from 100 Hz to 20,000 Hz. This high level of accuracy is achieved through the use of the included signal processor, which provides equalization via our custom software. Multiple preset files allow configurations to be chosen for specific room placement locations for optimum performance in most any room.

4) Eliminating Intermodulation & EMF Distortion Products: When a speaker system uses just one channel of amplification to drive multiple speaker devices, additional distortion is produced in the audio reproduction chain. Some of this distortion is due to the amplifier trying to produce a wide bandwidth of information and some of the distortion is a by-product of the electro-motive force (EMF) produced by the speaker cone which is sent back to the amplifier. The CS2.3 uses bi-amplification to substantially reduce both the EMF distortion and the IM distortion produced in most systems. The use of a digital electronic crossover in the bi-amping path, allows the speaker driver and amplifier dedicated to that driver to only amplify the frequencies needed for that driver. By having one amplifier responsible for the low frequencies and one amplifier responsible for the high frequencies, the amplifier for the tweeters does not reproduce low frequencies and the low frequency amplifier does not try and reproduce high frequencies. This makes both the tweeter and woofer amplifiers cleaner and more efficient in reproducing music.

5) Eliminating Dynamic Compression: In a perfect world, a speaker would be able to play as loud as required with totally accurate tracking of the musical information as it gets louder. Unfortunately, in the quest for low frequency performance, many speaker designs sacrifice dynamics and efficiency for low bass response. This lack of efficiency creates a sound field that does not always reproduce each bit of musical information correctly. It is one of the reasons that many speaker systems sound out of balance when they play loud or the speaker is required to reproduce a large musical peak. By using several techniques including very efficient professional speaker components, multiple 15" woofers (CS2.3) (CS3 uses a single 12"), coaxial midrange/ compression tweeters and bi-amping, efficiency is maximized. This not only makes the speaker system efficient, it also maximizes the use of power from the amplifiers by requiring each amplification channel to only amplify those signals needed by the speaker driver it is connected to.

6) Eliminating the Need for Expensive Electronics & Cables: Both the CS3 & CS2.3 are very accurate reproducers of sound. Many speakers, due to their designs, require the need for very expensive electronics to achieve satisfactory performance. Conventional designs have problems with the impedance of the drivers due to mechanical and electrical resonances and the passive crossovers used. As mentioned earlier, passive crossovers are power-robbing components. The CS2.3 maximizes power transfer. With bi-amping in the CS2.3 and the 48 B slope of the digital crossover, the listener utilizes all of the power available from the amplifier in a 100dB efficient design. (The CS3 is a single amp speaker and is still 95dB efficient). The high frequencies are not harsh or strident and therefore, the need for a softer sounding tube amplifier is not required for the tweeters. The need for expensive cables that filter out high frequency information is also not required. The need for 200 pound amplifiers with huge power transformers is not necessary since the CS2.3 & CS3 are both very efficient and do not require the large amounts of power that expensive amplifiers offer into low impedances. In fact, you may find that you will spend hundreds of dollars per channel rather than thousands of dollars per channel to drive the CS2.3.

"If I was shopping within this price class I can't think of any speakers that I could audition along side of the CS2s that would outshine them when it comes to immediacy, clarity, articulation and full frequency response."

"So yes, if full-frequency extension, transparency, real-world dynamics and, most of all, truth are what you are looking for in a speaker system, then yeah, you owe it to yourself to hear these giant killers." - review

"My thoughts quickly turned to the speaker I'd most want in that space. After three months with the CS2, I knew that they would be my first choice without question. With their ability to create the highly desired 'wall of sound', and the capability of taking difficult sound spaces out of play (large window-filled walls, etc.) at a price that belies their sonic capabilities it was an easy choice." - review

The Revolution continues. I am very happy to introduce the new Emerald Physics CS-2.3 digitally controlled open baffle loudspeaker. The CS-2.3 continues the revolution in high performance loudspeakers started by the original CS-2. Reviews and user comments on the CS-2 were superb. Now the bar is raised with improved sonics as well as much upgraded cosmetics. The average audiophile can now listen to a speaker system that they never thought possible at even close to this price. See the Emerald Physics website for more info.

I heard the original CS-1 prototypes at the Rocky Mountain Hifi Show and they were the best sounding speakers there bar none. At $8,000 a pair they were 1/10th the price of other highly regarded speakers. The new CS-2.3 is half of that price and a better speaker. It easily outperforms the discontinued CS-2 in all sonic areas. It offers more coherent midrange, better imaging, improved bass extension and even more dynamics than the CS-2. Cosmetics are also dramatically upgraded.

The CS-2.3 is a completely optimized, digitally bi-amplified, open baffle loudspeaker system that generates a hugely realistic sonic picture, while operating mostly independent of the room's acoustics. The power of the above synergy is evident in the final product. A speaker system that is untouched at anywhere near its price.

The finished product is a 2.5 inch deep, 48 inch high speaker that is 18.5 inches wide. It is flat from 20Hz-22Khz +/-1.5 db. From 100Hz to 20Khz it is flat plus or minus 1/2 of a dB! Oh, by the way, it is 100dB efficient. It portrays an open out-of-the-box sound that you have to hear to believe. Once you listen to open baffle "boxless" bass, you may never want to listen to a box speaker again. The new Aperture Bass Propagation loading technology used gets us over 4dBmore bass output than the CS-2. The coincident point source midrange tweeter is a major upgrade over the CS-2. The new speaker is a 3-way biamped design with crossovers at 100Hz, from subs to midrange and 900Hz from mid to tweeter.

In addition, the new cosmetics are a major upgrade from the original CS-2. CS-2.3s are $4795 a pair in Black. The optional wood finish is $600 a pair and available in Cherry, Maple and Mahogany. They are only sold Internet Direct and come with a 30 day in home trial. We also offer discounts for full system purchases if you need amps and associated components as well as speakers. We will ship worldwide into countries without a local distributor.

CS2.3 Specifications:
System Type: Active 3-way Dynamic Dipole w/DSP crossover
Frequency Range: 20Hz–22kHz +.5/-1.5dB (In room w/ eq)
Frequency Linearity: +/- 0.50 dB from 100Hz-20kHz
Impedance: 4 ohms bass/8 Ohms mid-tweeter
Max Power input: 1000W Bass, 150w Mid tweeter
Sensitivity: 100dB 1.83V @1M @ 1kHz
Drivers: High Freq: 1 inch exit compression driver
Midrange: 12" paper cone driver
Low Freq: Two x 15 inch paper cone woofers
Crossover: 3rd order acoustic Butterworth filter at 900Hz
Frequency Contour: Digital equalization - Behringer DCX2496
Standard Finishes: Black
Optional Finishes: Mahogany, Cherry and Maple Veneers
Dimensions: 48”H x 18.5W x 3”D, 8" at bass
Weight: Net: 70 lbs each
Shipping: 190 lbs a Pair in two shipping cartons

The new Emerald Physics CS3 is a digitally controlled open baffle point source loudspeaker designed for smaller rooms. It can be run with one amplifier and placed as close as 2 feet from the rear wall. The CS-3 continues the revolution in high performance loudspeakers started by the original CS-2.

The CS-3 is a completely optimized, digitally equalized, open baffle 12-inch two way design with a point source 12-inch coaxial driver that runs from 32Hz-22Khz. It generates a realistic sonic picture, while operating mostly independent of the room's acoustics.

The CS-3 was designed for listeners in rooms under 2000 cubic feet who want a smaller room solution than the new CS-2.3. The CS3 can also be run with a single amp versus the need to biamp the larger and more powerful CS-2.3. It can be placed as close as 2 feet from the rear wall so it can work in very small rooms and very close to side walls.

Reviews and user comments on the CS-2 were superb. Now the bar is raised with improved sonics as well as much upgraded cosmetics. In the right room the CS-3 will outperform the older CS-2 with its better midrange coherency and superb imaging. The CS-3 is like a mini monitor with high efficiency (95dB) and bass extension to 32Hz.

The average audiophile can now listen to a small, full range, open baffle speaker system that they never thought possible at even close to this price. In addition, the new cosmetics are a major upgrade from the original CS-2. CS-3s are $2995 a pair in Black. The optional wood finish is $450 a pair and available in Cherry, Maple and Mahogany. They are only sold Internet Direct and come with a 30 day in home trial. We also offer discounts for full system purchases if you need amps and associated components as well as speakers.

CS3 Specifications:
System Type: Passive 2-way Dynamic Dipole - DSP equalized
Frequency Range: 32Hz–22kHz -3dB (In room with equalization)
Frequency Linearity: +/- 0.50 dB from 100Hz-20kHz
Impedance: 8 Ohms nominal
Max Power input: 150W RMS, 300W program
Sensitivity: 95dB 1.83V @ 1M @ 1kHz
Drivers: High Freq: 1 inch exit compression driver
Low Freq: 12 inch paper cone coaxial
Crossover: 3rd order acoustic Butterworth filter at 900Hz
Frequency Contour: Digital equalization - Behringer DCX2496
Standard Finishes: Black
Optional Finishes: Mahogany, Cherry and Maple Veneers
Dimensions: 41"H x 16"W x 8"D
Weight: Net: 40 lbs each
Shipping: 100 lbs (Pair in single shipping carton)

The Emerald Physics CS1 was designed to establish a modern reference standard for music playback and home cinema. Emerald Physics has effectively broken through most of the barriers inherent in conventional loudspeaker design. The CS1 represents the next generation of thinking for speaker design in the 21st century.

The CS-1 is the larger version of the CS-2 that has received all the spectacular reviews. It is a major step up over the CS-2 and an all-out attempt to make a speaker that will compare to anything made at any reasonable price. The CS1 is a boxless, open-baffle dipole speaker whose sole purpose is to be a perfect monitor of the incoming signal. Not only is the CS1 superbly accurate in its response, it delivers this accuracy to the listener intact by minimizing room interaction through its patent-pending directivity control technology.

High performance professional transducer components are used throughout providing commanding authority and speed across the music spectrum. High efficiency and ultra-wide dynamic range eliminate signal compression. allowing a view into the original event. The CS1's open-baffle, dipole bass system is powered by four 15-inch bass drivers per speaker (8 per pair) which generate powerful yet articulate reproduction of music's lower registers while greatly reducing the room interaction common to box speakers. A state of the art Italian made compression tweeter loaded into a hand-made waveguide finish the design.

Sophisticated DSP control of the CS1 optimizes performance with precision equalization, electronic crossovers and time-alignment of transducers. Frequency linearity is unprecedented at +/- 0.50 dB. A beautifully clear and natural picture of the recorded music event is made possible by the integration of many forward thinking solutions into one precision instrument. These solutions are:

  • Controlled Directivity: Eliminates most room interaction. Provides outstanding soundstage reproduction.
  • Open-Baffle Bass: Unmasks the bass range to uncover the real instrument with real pitch accuracy. Eliminates most room mode excitation.
  • DSP Signal Processing: The brains of the system controls frequency and phase linearity, crossovers and driver time-alignment functions. Multiple preset files for installation flexibility.
  • High Efficiency Transducers: The CS1's 102 dB sensitivity provides effortless, low distortion reproduction of music's dynamic scale.
  • The CS-1 is 102dB efficient and has frequency response of 15Hz-22Khz. From 100Hz thru 20Khz it is +/- 1/2dB.

The crossover even has 5 different files for placement from 3-7 feet from the rear wall to help optimize the bass performance in most rooms. Dynamics are extraordinary and imaging is wall to wall and as deep as it gets. Tonal balance is exceptionally accurate and the CS-1 sounds like live music. I know of no speaker at anywhere close in price that is even in the same league. At three or four times its price and I would say the same thing.

The CS-1 is easy to drive and can sound great with even reasonably priced electronics. The CS-1 sells for $9995.00 a pair with stock dual crossovers in black fabric cover.
Dual modified crossovers are an $800.00 option.
The beautiful wood finishes are $2000.00 for the pair.
Wood finishes are Cherry, Rosewood, Walnut, Maple & Mahogany.