Short answer: the MoFi SourcePoint 8. It ranks #17 of 105 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $2200; the Epos ES14N ranks #19 and costs $3750, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The case for the Epos ES14N: A revival of Epos’s classic 1980s ES-14, re-engineered by Karl-Heinz Fink’s FinkTeam with a chamfered, backward sloping baffle to time align a 28mm ceramic coated dome tweeter with a 7 inch mica filled polypropylene woofer. Watch for: The sound power directivity index has the widest standard deviation of any speaker added to this catalog from spinorama.org’s current measurement set, 5.18, meaning off axis energy tracks the on axis response less consistently than the rest of this batch as frequency rises.
On the MoFi SourcePoint 8 side: 8” twin-drive concentric driver paired with a 1.25” soft dome tweeter, in a diffraction-reducing baffle design; rated 47Hz-30kHz. Set against that: Like other coincident designs, produces diffraction dips around 4kHz and 7kHz when pointed directly on-axis; needs about 10-15° of toe-out to smooth those out.
Buy the MoFi SourcePoint 8. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Epos ES14N and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Epos ES14N | MoFi SourcePoint 8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 3750-4400 GBP/pair | $2200 |
| Ranked | #19 of 105 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #17 of 105 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Enclosure | ported | - |
| Drivers | 28mm aluminum/ceramic compound dome tweeter, 7" mica filled polypropylene cone woofer | 8" woofer, 1.25-inch soft-dome tweeter |
| Dimensions | 19.3"H x 9.8"W x 15.2"D (491 x 250 x 385 mm) (19.3 x 9.8 x 15.2 in) | 18"H x 11.4"W x 13.2"D (457.2 x 289.6 x 335.3 mm) |
| Weight | 35.3 lbs / 16 kg (35.3 lbs) each | 28 lbs / 12.7 kg each |
| Sensitivity | 87dB @ 2.823V/1m | 86.3dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 4.3 ohms minimum | 8 ohms nominal (8 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 51.2Hz (measured, spinorama.org data) | 52Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35.3Hz (measured, spinorama.org data) | 43Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Points | 2.7kHz | - |
| Country | Germany | - |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | ported, rear |
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The Two Speakers In Full
Epos ES14N: 3750-4400 GBP/pair Audio Venue (UK)
Pros: A revival of Epos’s classic 1980s ES-14, re-engineered by Karl-Heinz Fink’s FinkTeam with a chamfered, backward sloping baffle to time align a 28mm ceramic coated dome tweeter with a 7 inch mica filled polypropylene woofer. On axis deviation measures a clean 0.216dB average and listening window smoothness reaches 0.53, both among the better figures in this batch, and the larger woofer reaches a measured 51.2Hz at -3dB with a low 0.2% THD at 1W.
Cons: The sound power directivity index has the widest standard deviation of any speaker added to this catalog from spinorama.org’s current measurement set, 5.18, meaning off axis energy tracks the on axis response less consistently than the rest of this batch as frequency rises. The bass alignment also measures a higher Q of 1.10, hinting at a mild bump near the port tuning frequency. At £3,750 to £4,400/pair depending on finish it is a serious investment, and dealer availability is limited outside the UK and Canada.
Full Epos ES14N review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35.3Hz (measured, spinorama.org data) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 51.2Hz (measured, spinorama.org data) |
| Country | Germany |
| Crossover Points | 2.7kHz |
| Dimensions | 19.3"H x 9.8"W x 15.2"D (491 x 250 x 385 mm) (19.3 x 9.8 x 15.2 in) |
| Drivers | 28mm aluminum/ceramic compound dome tweeter, 7" mica filled polypropylene cone woofer |
| Enclosure | ported |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 4.3 ohms minimum |
| Sensitivity | 87dB @ 2.823V/1m |
| Weight | 35.3 lbs / 16 kg (35.3 lbs) each |
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- Head-to-Head Comparisons
MoFi SourcePoint 8: $2200 Crutchfield
Pros: 8” twin-drive concentric driver paired with a 1.25” soft dome tweeter, in a diffraction-reducing baffle design; rated 47Hz-30kHz. Notably more neutral and true-to-source than its sibling SourcePoint 10, which the reviewer found a bit too bright in the treble by comparison - measured about 4-5dB less high-frequency output. Excellent imaging: passed multiple stereo-panning and depth tests, including smooth continuous left-to-right pans without wobble and correct front-to-back layering of vocals versus percussion. Wide horizontal dispersion of about ±60°, broader than the reviewer expected from a coaxial design, and forgiving enough in placement that about 10° of toe-out variance and moving above or below the tweeter axis both still sound good. Excellent dynamic range and compression linearity - about 26dB of headroom up to 102dB/1m equivalent, with issues only appearing below about 60Hz. 8-ohm nominal impedance made it easy to drive on everything from a budget Denon AVR to a high-end Macintosh amplifier. No significant evidence of woofer-cone modulation distortion affecting the tweeter, even at 96dB/1m.
Cons: Like other coincident designs, produces diffraction dips around 4kHz and 7kHz when pointed directly on-axis; needs about 10-15° of toe-out to smooth those out. The rear-ported cabinet (two ports) means it can’t be placed too close to a wall without the bass becoming overblown - the reviewer settled on about 2 feet of clearance. F3 of 52Hz and F10 of 43Hz mean genuine deep bass tops out in the mid-40s Hz in-room - a subwoofer is still needed for true low-end extension. Harmonic distortion crosses the reviewer’s 3% threshold at 96dB (though it’s second-order and less audibly significant), and multitone distortion becomes noticeably more audible at that same output level. Vertical response doesn’t perfectly mirror horizontal, since the cabinet is a rectangle rather than a perfect square around the driver.
Full MoFi SourcePoint 8 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 52Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 18"H x 11.4"W x 13.2"D (457.2 x 289.6 x 335.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 8" woofer, 1.25-inch soft-dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (8 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.3dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 28 lbs / 12.7 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: Why Do People Love the MoFi SourcePoint 8?
- Erin’s Audio Corner Website MoFi SourcePoint 8
- Erin’s Audio Corner: Upgrade Your Sound with These 6 Surprisingly Affordable Speakers!
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Personal Favorite Speakers Under $2500
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Top Picks of 2023: Must-Haves Under $3000
- GR-Research: Danny Tackles Andrews Jones: The Source Point 8! Spoiler Alert (It’s Really Good)
- Erin’s Audio Corner Measurements (spinorama.org)
- Reddit Search for MoFi SourcePoint 8 Review
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