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EPITOME Tower

"Very few loudspeakers at any price can match the transparency, detail, dynamics, weight and sheer power of this combination". 

Direct Price:  Epitome Tower - $10,630: | Epitome Tower Reference- $14,250 |Epitome Tower Reference Elite - $17,490 Per pair. (Gloss or Piano finish adds $1,000)


"Very few loudspeakers at any price can match the transparency, detail, dynamics, weight and sheer power of this combination". 

     

The Osborn Epitome has been one of our biggest sellers for over 20m years, and has consistently outperformed speakers costing 20 times as much. Because of the extraordinary improvement in sound quality, when the optional Bass Units were added, around 75% of customers opted for them. The only people, who did not, did so for either financial, spousal, or space problems. Because of this, and because of the enthusiasm that has greeted the Eclipse Tower and the Pinnacle, we decided to finish of the Tower range by introducing the Epitome Tower. The Epitome Tower is pretty well a slightly scaled down Monument, to accommodate the 10" bass drivers, instead of the 13" drivers used in the Monument. This results in a slimmer and elegant piece of cabinetry, which is actually 2cm slimmer than the Epitome, whist retaining the same height as the Eclipse Tower. This gives it the performance of the Epitome and Bass Unit combination, whist only taking up the same floor space as the Epitome alone.

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The Osborn Epitome is one of the finest speakers in the world, with unmatched speed and transient attack. But in the tower version the performance becomes extraordinary. The dynamics, bass, transparency and sheer power becomes unmatched by virtually any other speaker at any price. Very few other speakers can deliver the whole weight, power and authority of a full symphony orchestra. From the tinkle of the tiniest bell to the blast of a brass cannon, to the depth of a giant 32 foot pipe organ, like this speaker can. Transparency, dynamic contrasts, and detail are transformed over the Epitome alone, and of course the bass becomes unsurpassed in speed, power, depth and detail. The sound stage is also greatly enhanced in both width and depth and in the pin point imaging.

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Several of the world's best speakers were used as references in the design of these speakers. We believe that the sound quality of these speakers is superior to all the references. The drive units were chosen from the best available from around the world for unrivalled speed and accuracy. As a result, a level of transparency comparable to the best Electrostatic speakers has been achieved.

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The crossovers use the best components attainable. The capacitors are imported from America and the inductors are wound in-house as none are available commercially which meet our criteria. Each crossover is hard wired with specially selected ultra wide bandwidth, ultra high speed data transfer cable and weighs about 9 kilograms.

Only the best quality Turntable/CD Player and Amplifiers were used in the design of these speakers. High quality timber veneers are used on these speakers. Standard finishes are Jarrah and Bubinga. The cabinets are shaped using high precision, computer controlled milling equipment. All models are constructed from 32 mm Customwood and are heavily braced. The Grand Epitome Tower is also fully lined with a felt/lead/felt sandwich as used on the Grand Monument Reference. Both models are exceptionally heavy, solid and are acoustically inert. High quality natural timber veneers are used, and every cabinet is carefully hand finished to ensure a superb quality finish which will grace any living room.

These speakers have a number of outstanding features - the ability to separate instruments and place them firmly and accurately on a sound stage of uncanny width and depth: The instruments retain their correct pitch, tone and shimmer: Dynamic range and speed unmatched by any speaker in any price range and the ability for drums to retain their impact and depth.

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Epitome Tower Specifications:

 

Tweeter (For Reference Epitome Tower)

29mm soft dome tweeter with a high efficiency ring magnet consisting of 6 radial neodymium magnets.

Tweeter (For Epitome Tower)

25mm fabric dome with an optimally shaped dome and a wide SONOMEX surround. Low viscosity magnetic fluid which provides excellent cooling while maintaining a low resonance frequency. 6 mm solid metal front plate with a slight loading characteristic which ensures linear frequency response, and a stiff and stable connection to the cabinet. A double magnet system, with a substantial injection-moulded rear chamber, with complex internal shape and reinforcing ribs, which eliminate unwanted chamber resonances and reflections.

Mid Range

180mm Patented Sandwich Paper Cone. 42mm voice coil with Neodymium magnet.

Bass

2 of 260 mm Nextel coated paper.  51 mm   voice coil.  Moving mass 51.5 g.   Driver weight  4.5Kg. Resonant Frequency  31 Hz.

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SPEAKER DIMENSIONS:   36 x 49 x 156 cm

WEIGHT: 
Epitome Tower - 80kg each.

Reference Epitome Tower - 105kg each 

EFFICIENCY:   91db for 1 watt at 1  meter.

  

FREQUENCY RESPONSE:  Reference Epitome Towers - 20 to 25000 Hz. Tweeter accuracy throughout operating  range +0/-1db.  Usable bass to 8 Hz.
 

Epitome Towers: 20 to 18000 Hz +/- 3 db. -10 db points 15 Hz  and 21000Hz. Usable bass to 8 Hz.

  

CROSSOVER POINTS  125 Hz and 3500 Hz @ 12 db/Octave. 
 

MINIMUM IMPEDANCE: 4 Ohm. 
 

REC. MAXIMUM POWER:  200 Watts R.M.S per Channel.

REC. MINIMUM POWER: 10 Watts R.M.S per Channel.

  
The above specifications show why these speakers are capable of such extraordinary transient performance and yet reveal such intimate detail in the music. This fidelity is possible due to the fine tolerances and light weight of the driver weight and voice coils.

    

The Grand Epitome Tower Reference features heavy lead lining to all exterior surfaces. The same heavy bracing is used, but all areas between the bracing are covered by a unique sandwich lining. Heavy acoustic felt is used to separate the heavy lead sheet from the cabinetry. A further layer of heavy acoustic felt is placed over the lead and the entire sandwich is stapled to the walls of the cabinet. This result is what is effectively a box within a box. Wrapping the outside of the speaker is similar to knocking on a brick. This totally inert cabinet construction results in the ultimate sound reproduction.

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The Warranty on all Osborn Loudspeakers is 5 years for parts and Labour.

Typical Owners Feedback. (We have never had a negative feedback)

 

 

Ian Lock (Upgrade from Reference Epitome Towers to Elite)

East Brisbane

 

It has been a few months now of living with my new Epitome Tower Reference Elites. What a wonderful pair of speakers these are.  The midrange purity, soundstaging and imaging are fantastic.

 

As I commented during the audition, I really noticed the increased air in the sound, particularly the way reverb in the recordings is much more noticeable and natural.  This is an example of the increase in subtle cues that I did not notice before with my 17 year old Eclipse References.

 

Strings and vocals sound particularly lifelike and “in the room”.  I am sure the sound is in part due to the “elite” upgrades and these new midrange drivers you are using.

 

I am still experimenting a little with speaker placement, although these are not that easy to maneuver given their weight.  However it is worth commenting how such a large pair of speakers can “work” in a domestic environment.  The quality of finish and physical construction is outstanding.  My wife did not attend the audition process and had not seen these speakers in the flesh.  Her initial impression when they were delivered on their pallet was concern (the delivery driver struggled a bit.)  However once unpacked and inside the living room they have easily achieved spousal acceptance.

 

Thanks again for your time and customer service during the audition (including dropping me at the train station afterwards).

 

 

"The best sounding speakers I have heard anywhere. I keep upgrading components of my audio system, but these components still can not match almost unlimited capability of Osborn's speakers.
- Vladas, Melbourne"

(Epitome Tower Elite)

Paul Harrison

Emerald, Vic

Greg, its been a four months now since you delivered two quite large and absolutely stunning pieces of furniture to my home. Their presence in my lounge is only overshadowed by the sound that comes out of these beauties. Unlike some other pieces of furniture in my home, you won’t find theses speakers on eBay in years to come when the wife wants to change the decor. She will upgrade me before I upgrade them.  

10 years of waiting patiently to be able to afford a pair of your speakers saw me initially auditioning the Eclipse. Just out of curiosity I then listened to others in your range to form a comparison, that saw me walking out with an order for a pair of Epitome Towers. The Eclipse were strong on their own, but I just couldn’t ignore the difference when compared to the Epitome Towers.

Now I’m no audiofile, I just enjoy listening to music and I know what I like. The detail and presence that these speaker deliver at all volumes puts a grin on my face every time I turn them on. I’m hearing detail and sounds for the first time, in music that I have been listening to for several decades. It was a little strange at first, looking around to see where a particular sound was coming from, only to realise it’s part of the original music. After a little further listening, the strangeness disappeared as I started to appreciate the music the way it was intended to be heard, as opposed to what my numerous systems have only been allowing me to hear all these years.

These speakers give another dimension to all of my music that I didn’t know was missing. Thanks Paul.

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Iain Cullen

Mansfield. Victoria.

 

Dear Greg,

 

This review doesn't do your creations justice. What I was worried would be the case. If you like I can nibble away at it as I still have not been able to convey, what is essentially an unworldly experience.

Yours, Iain.

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The Epitome Tower Reference is without a doubt the most superb speaker I have heard, which includes speakers at multiples of the Epitome's price.

To me it is not superb because it imparts a particular sound but rather because it doesn't seem to add or detract anything at all.

The Epitomes are physically imposing and I admit to being a little overwhelmed originally by their physical presence. But with lights low and/or eyes closed the speakers, as part of the music reproduction process, simply disappear. And the music is there, in its own little "ball".

Or not so little ball; with ferreting-out of albums or tracks resplendent in their soundstage you soon realise that the soundstage is capable of being far wider and deeper than one would think it should be - many meters to the left of the left speaker to many meters to the right of the right speaker. A truly goose-bump sensation.

Greg offered these speakers with a month's grace - should I be in any way disappointed they could be returned for a full refund. A no-brainer as I wanted my next pair of speakers to be auditioned as an insitu affair, the speakers to do their job in the environment in which they would live. And despite glass galore and tiled floors the Epitomes excel.

Not a hint of harshness in the treble, midrange delivering the music without accent, bass sharp, no woolly wooomph at all.

Perhaps my daughter summed it up best when she described the sensation of "being in the music".

If you are wishing to own a pair of outstanding speakers, then you should audition these.

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