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Rude 'n' ruddy awakening. To turn any of their satellite models into actively powered 3-ways, EBTB offer the 26kg 100cm tall Europa [€6.999/pr], a cast-frame Neodymium motor 10-inch downfiring pedestal subwoofer with onboard 400-watt amplifier for the woofer and 100 watts for the satellite (shown here with Terra III but Luna II or Venus D would work just as well).


For my mono version of the Europa I'd use my trusty Zu Submission whilst the Luna II would squat on my British Track Audio stands. In this scheme the satellites would run wide open and the sub—fed line level from the same preamp—sneak in below.


Amphion's foam plugs factored again and also delayed roll-off a bit by going sealed, paid for by reduced LF output to enable a slightly lower filter hinge for less directionality on the sub. Now why rude and ruddy awakening? That answer first wants an indelicate personal question.

With Crayon Audio CFA-1.2 integrated
When was the last time you had a really good compact monitor mated to a true sub? If you chased glory from full-bandwidth towers for years, it could mean embarrassment were you to give the lowly sub/sat concept another go. You could sit there very verklemmt when the 3some combo fills your room with better linearity, no room-issue aggravation nor real handicaps but does so for mere slices of the bread. Yes one could eventually overdrive the sats if run unfiltered. For most that's simply theoretical. Monitors of this pedigree are enough with a sub of properly fine-tunable settings.


When fronted by the superb ultra-bandwidth Austrian Crayon amp, the EBTB in this setting eclipsed the prior desk top showing. A few thing became obvious. In no special sequence and at the higher volumes required now there still was no discernable cabinet talk. This manifested as a very particular clarity or cleanliness. That aspect wasn't antiseptic or sterile. It was simply the opposite of fuzzy, blurry, hollow or thick. Instrumental tone wasn't lean, whitish or pinched. With the Submission set to a 4th-order 50Hz, upper and most midbass were covered by Luna II stereo power. I frankly didn't anticipate such grippy color. Then I thought back on Dobromir's claim. Their new mid/woofer had noticeably lowered the acoustic center of gravity he said. And so it was. Clearly no tipped-up balance, no hollowness in the gut. Baritone sax was properly gritty. Guttural in fact.
Ports plugged with foam inserts.

It seems antithetical but the small black speakers were full-bodied. I'm not referring to the obvious weighting of the sub-covered band. I'm pointing at the upper-bass/lower-mid range as the musical hara. Where the Gallos are the speaker equivalent of the Bakoon AMP-12R—lit up, incisive, fast, super direct—the Luna II was a pair of SIT1; mellower and fuller but still very resolved. Needless to say soundstaging was exceptionally free as it tends to be with small 'point sources'. No box stickum, no identifiable acoustic sources, no visual clash by physically taken up stage space. But the master virtue was that admirable very unexpected tonefulness. The Luna II loved nay coddled acoustic instruments. Though I noted in passing that the top-most air of my Raal ribbons had clouded over a tad, this mattered naught. What mattered was how the curvy aluminators with their synthetic stone baffles had better tone than seemed conceivable. Piano reinforced that notion. Too many little speakers steal its substance to leave behind a tinkly lightweight facsimile. Not here. Baroque music on period instruments tends to the more nasal and pinched. This betrayed no thieving either. The audiophile police should have been very upset to be denied writing this ticket. I'd simply petition EBTB to include foam plugs. With two different subs the benefits were very audible/beneficial and the 'fix' cost nearly nothing.

From designer concept to sonic deliverance, Bulgaria's EBTB Luna II walks its talk. Unless you listen in a small space or to less bass-endowed music in the nearfield of the work desk, you'll want an eventual subwoofer to complete the set. EBTB's multiple choices on that score indicate they'd agree. What you won't need a sub for is to center the tonal balance. Whilst the first 1.5 octaves are missing, their absence doesn't upshift things to any distracting degree. That's a pretty mean feat. It's why you won't feel incomplete. This speaks to clever tuning. It also avoids sizzle and splashiness by not overexposing its tweeter. Accomplished tone mass and color depth speak to high-quality drivers and filter parts. Form factor and enclosure materials undercut typical box talk. That gives the Luna II a high degree of articulate clarity and sorting power. Physical time alignment plays further to that.


From an audiophile perspective the endless finish customization options are pure bling. Seeing how well sonics are ticked off, the same custom options simply compound appeal. Marina Petrova was right thinking that "for the price, build materials and sound quality the Luna II is one of the best speakers in its class." After 10 years in the biz, team EBTB are clearly more than an industrial design atelier with high style. They've also got their sonic priorities straight. That's the sort of end to apartheid we want. Fashion and performance can and should coexist. The Luna II is a lovely how-to example!
Quality of packing: Very good.
Reusability of packing: A few times.
Ease of unpacking/repacking: A cinch.
Condition of component received: Flawless. Includes deep-dish spike protectors with non-slip pads.
Completeness of delivery: Perfect.
Human interactions: Good.
Pricing: Good value.
Special features: Practically endless finish options including matte and gloss plus two-tone colors. Floor and wall stands available. Ditto for columnar active subwoofers doubling as stands with power to drive the satellites.
Final comments & suggestions: Include port plugs for sub use. Otherwise this is a clearly mature finely tweaked product.
EBTB website