First, I need to thank Howard Creech, Category Lead, who found the link available for me to write this review. This review is based on three months of use with this speaker that I bought used and is being used in home theater and 5.1 surround music applications.

Background: This speaker uses what Eminent Technology calls, "Linear Field Transducer" technology to obtain a push-pull planar magnetic equivalent of an electrostatic speaker which is what Martin Logans are known for. This means that the transducer, in this case, a thin sheet of aluminized mylar, is sandwiched between a set of strong magnets which then "push-pull" on the aluminized mylar to create sound.

Build Quality: It is first-rate. It definitely exudes a high-end or high-priced quality about itself. The cabinetry is made of real wood and the grill cloth is of high quality as well.

Features: Uses one set of their own proprietary 5-way binding posts called the Edison Price Music Post. It provides a very secure binding of either spade or banana plugs very easily. The only downside is that the knob of the post has an edge which is somewhat sharp and can cut you if you are not careful. This speaker is not bi-wireable or bi-ampable. Included is a small allen wrench to adjust the three spiked feet. It is difficult to adjust because the space to adjust is tight. I would strongly recommend that the spikes rest on coins instead of on top of your TV or your shelf or you will have three impressions in it dug into by the pointed spiked feet. Lastly, this speaker is magnetically shielded so as to not affect your TV picture.

Specifications:

Frequency Response: 70Hz - 20 Khz + or - 4dB

Efficiency: 85 dB @ 1 watt

Dimensions: 26"w X 5.5"d X 10.5"h

Weight: 19.5 lbs

Impedance: 8 ohms

MSRP: $950.00

Available Finishes: Oak, Walnut, Black Oak

As shown from the specifications, this is one of the smallest push-pull planar speakers available on the market today. Both Magnepan and Martin Logan currently have center channel speakers at are almost one foot wider than the LFT-XII.

Warranty: Five years for parts and three years for labor and one of the few manufacturers with a transferable warranty. You only need the original owner to contact the manufacturer in writing to transfer the warranty.

Sound: Again, this is the most subjective area of this review. I will try to do my best to describe my findings. Listening and watching to Jumanji on DVD, this speaker is capable of keeping up with all of the complex sounds of voice and animal noises throughout the movie. Even during the scene where all the animals and the hunter are sucked back into the game, this speaker easily kept everything in focus and intelligible. Next, listening to the Hotel Califonia DTS DVD, the title track, "Hotel California", lead vocals coming out of the LFT-XII had a very natural sound to them. No sibilance, chestiness or constraints to male vocals. Instruments such as drums and cymbals were rendered with a "you are there" experience. Lastly, listening and watching Shanghai Noon where the scene of the gunfight in the church, bullets "felt" like they were really coming at you or through you. The echoing of voices within that scene were easily captured and reproduced with clarity.

This speaker would be described as an extremely accurate speaker that represents the planar or electrostatic experience. Also with this same experience, when compared to conventional box speakers, it is less dynamic. This dynamic level can be easily compensated with a good subwoofer. This speaker works but with amps rated with at least 75 watts/channel. I would not recommend using 35 watts/channel as the minimum requirements suggest from the manufacturer. This is one of the least efficient center channel speakers on the market. Most others are at least 89dBs or greater. This one is rated at 85dBs.
Comparing this speaker to what Magnepan and Martin Logan offers, I would say that the LFT-XII is similar in sound to the Martin Logan Theater I, a center channel almost twice as expensive as the Eminent Technology. Both capture details extremely fast and render them with extremely accuracy. That is not to say that Magnepan's offering is bad, it is just as fast to render detail as the other two. Maximum volume of the Eminent Technology is not that high so I would recommend the speaker be used in small to medium sized rooms.

Unlike the Martin Logan offering, I noticed that the LFT-XII, even though it is advertised as a speaker with a narrow directivity for sound, it seems more forgiving than the Martin Logan and is similar to the Magnepan in sound directivity.

In terms of sound volumes, this speaker can be delicate at low volumes but at the same time handle high volumes. To test this, I had my amp feeding it over 140 watts without the LFT-XII exhibit a hiccup. Again, the linear field transducer not only can render sound with accuracy but handle loads of clean power.

Conclusions: If you are planar or electrostatic owner and are looking for an alternative to the larger, higher-priced Magnepans or Martin Logans, you need to give this center channel speaker a try. The manufacturer also advertises this center channel speaker to mate with many other speakers out there. I wouldn't be surprised that it could but I do not have the facility to prove that. All in all, an excellent buy which better "fits" my wallet as well as my wall unit's shelf. I hope the information I shared proved to be useful for you. Happy listening!

Associated Test Equipment:
Parasound HCA-1205A 5-Channel Amp
Parasound AVC-1800 Pre-amp
Eminent Technology LFT-IV speakers
Eminent Tehcnology LFT-XII center channel speaker
Martin Logan Scenario speakers
Velodyne HGS-12 Series II subwoofer
Sony CDP-CX240 CD Player
Panasonic RP56 DVD Player
Cobalt Cable Interconnects and Speaker Cables

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 400.00