Epos History
Originally founded in 1983, Epos continues to be one of those loudspeaker brands people aspire to own.
In 1999, Michael Creek purchased the brand and having had the opportunity to work closely with Robin Marshall for several years beforehand; it became apparent to Michael that there was a great synergy between Creek electronics and Epos loudspeakers. The underlying philosophies of both company founders were undoubtedly similar.
In understanding how the company had started, Michael was able to develop a true understanding of the Epos brand and all it stood for. He became acutely aware of its strengths, but also had an insight into its weaknesses and areas where improvements were possible.
On its release, audiophile journalists described the M12 as “a thoroughbred, with such fine communication skills it simply sucks you into the music”. Couple this with comments such as “The M12 is a fabulous design that does so much well and nothing badly...” and it is easy to understand why the transition to the new series was so smooth. Of the M15 it was said “resolution is superb, precision is the order of the day, superb timing ensures a fine grip of rhythms...the speaker’s responsive nature means that dynamics are delivered with verve...” It is no wonder then that both the M12 and M15 became recipients of awards the world over.
2003 saw the introduction of several new Epos models. The first to be released was the ELS 3 mini monitor, which moved slightly away from the traditional Epos image. Rather than utilising a real wood veneered cabinet, in order to achieve a lower price point, this speaker featured a vinyl wrap finish. Designed not only for high performance two channel operation, the new competitively priced Epos ELS 3 speaker further satisfied a requirement in the home cinema market. The ELS 3 Centre Channel immediately followed it. This ensured there was no need to compromise audio quality in a home entertainment system. Since its introduction, the ELS 3 has received nothing but praise from all corners of the globe.
The development of the new M series saw the M12 and M15 replaced by the M12.2 and M15.2 late in 2003. The M series expanded to include an M5 with matching M8 centre channel and a new flagship model, the M22. The range has expanded from just two models early in 2003 to 7 early in 2004. Custom support stands for all bookshelf models and plinths for the floor standing models are also readily available.
2005 saw the introduction of the first Epos subwoofer and within weeks the first 5.1 system featuring ELS products won a Group Test in the U.K. magazine What Hi-Fi, with the remark that this would be the system to beat during 2005. Indeed, it was not to be beaten – it won the best Speaker Package under £1,000 in the 2005 What Hi Fi awards. In 2006, it repeated the feat, winning the award once more – but this time as the Best Speaker Package up to £1,500. In 2005 – the ELS 303 floor-standing model was added to the range to provide yet another front speaker choice for this winning cinema system.
Expansion did not slow through 2006 and two further models were introduced late in the year – the M16 floor-standing speaker and the M subwoofer.
Whilst retaining its reputation building one the finest ranges of two channel hi-fi loudspeaker systems available today, the introduction of centre channels, rear speakers and subwoofers guarantees that Epos is now equally sought after in the fast expanding world of home cinema.