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Snell Type E-III Dipole Tower Speakers Natural Oak...Rare! - $700 (santa rosa)
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An exceptional boutique speaker for music lovers
One of the best 2-way designs of all time
8" Foam Surround Rear Ported Woofer in new condition
1-1/4" Silk Dome Matched Pair Front Tweeter
3/4" Silk Dome Rear Dipole Tweeter
High Efficiency, High Definition
Deep Bass Extension, Warm Rich Sound
35" Tall
13" Wide
11-1/2" Deep
Here is a definitive reveiw of this rare speaker
Snell Type E/III loudspeaker
By Larry Greenhill
One question posed by John Atkinson at the July 1991 Stereophile Writers Conference had to do with the ease of reviewing: Is it harder to write a bad review of an expensive product than a good review? I find it hardest to write a good review of an inexpensive product. If I admire a less expensive loudspeaker, for example, it may become a recommended component, and can displace a more expensive speaker (that received mixed comments) from our twice-yearly rankings. This can be a big responsibility; even a conditional rave of a low-cost product means that JA may assign another Stereophile reviewer to do an immediate follow-up report. The Snell Type E/III loudspeaker may be a good case in point.

Thomas J. Norton, who had been breaking the speaker in for me, warned me what was coming when he sent along this product's three modest-sized cartons. "I really like this loudspeaker," he said. His tone of voice suggested that the Type E/III is not at all a hobbled or downsized cousin of the Snell Type C/IV that was reviewed positively by Bob Harley (Vol.14 No.4). Later, Kevin Voecks, Snell's chief designer, informed me that Snell sells more Type E/IIIs than any other speaker in their line. Customers and dealers were voting with increasing orders and sales.
The late Peter Snell designed the first Type E as a speaker for the people, to bring some of the sonics of the Type A to the market for a price under $1000. The Type E/III appeared in early 1990 about the same time as the Type C/III (the Type C is now in its fourth version). The speaker's low price and TJN's enthusiasm suggested I might like the speaker on two counts: low price and good sound. As you see, this reports finds the Snell Type E/III meets Peter Snell's criterion all too well.
Technical description
The Snell E/III is a medium-sized, ported, nominally floor-standing system employing an 8" woofer and a 1" textile-dome tweeter. An additional rear-firing 0.75"-dome tweeter is mounted on the enclosure back. The E/III closely resembles the "slim, streamlined, elegant appearance" of the company's more expensive C/IV, but lacks that three-way system's separate midrange driver and its unique diffraction-reducing baffle mounting and grille-cloth arrangement. My review samples were finished in a dark oak veneer. Also supplied were black, boxlike stands, slightly smaller in area than the E/III's dimensions, that raise the E/IIIs 10" off the floor. Kevin Voecks finds that the stands reduce midrange colorations due to floor reflections.
The cabinet is made of ¾" high-density particleboard, the front baffle of 1"-thick particleboard. A number of internal braces are used to make the enclosure more rigid. Low-frequency signals are vented from a 3"-diameter port in the lower rear of the cabinet. As reported for the Snell C/IV, the fit and finish of the Snell Type E/III supplied for review were excellent. The cabinets were matched closely, for their veneers were taken from different depths of the same piece of wood.
The input terminals sit in a cutout well about halfway up the cabinet rear. As with the C/IV, the E/III features two pairs of five-way binding posts for bi-wire operations. Bi-amplification is possible with the E/IIIs by using two stereo amplifiers, one per channel ("vertical" bi-amping). The terminal plate also has a front-tweeter level control. Instructions from Kevin Voecks suggested that this control should be set in the 9–10 o'clock position for the flattest frequency response (all other Snell models are flattest at 12 o'clock). The slightly recessed input terminals did not interfere with speaker-cable connections, including both Monster Cable and Levinson HFC-10 types.
The Type E/III's Vifa tweeter is the same as the HF unit found in the top-of-the-line Snell Type A/III Improved. This tweeter is the major innovation in the latest Type A, and accounts for its much-improved treble response over previous Type A designs (see review in Vol.13 No.3). The 8" woofer is mounted halfway up the front baffle and has a cast basket frame. It was chosen for its flat response both on- and off-axis, and has a particularly low-distortion, controlled response in its upper range. The rear-firing, ¾" dome tweeter is similar to the unit in the Type C/IV, but has greater power handling.
The Type E/III's crossover reflects the work done by Kevin Voecks using Canada's National Research Council speaker test facilities in Ottawa. As detailed by Robert Harley in the introduction of the Snell Type C/IV review (Vol.14 No.4), many NRC-influenced speaker designs feature "steep crossover slopes, wide dispersion, [and] smooth off-axis response." The Type E/III, at half the Type C's price, shares many of its design characteristics. The E/III's 24dB/octave crossover and 2.7kHz crossover frequency can be found in the Type C's tweeter/midrange section. The higher-order filter allows the Type E/III to have fewer driver interactions, higher power handling, improved frequency and off-axis response, and lower distortion.
Why mount a tweeter on the back of the speaker enclosure? The front tweeter becomes more directional at higher frequencies, and contributes less to the reverberant sound field, or total energy in the room. As the tweeter becomes more directional, its dispersion narrows, giving a "flashlight" effect (producing music only directly in front of the driver). The back-mounted ¾" tweeter begins to play when musical information includes frequencies higher than 6kHz, gradually increasing in volume with frequency using a first-order slope. At those frequencies, the rear tweeter contributes to the reverberant soundfield and maintains the total radiated energy from the entire speaker. This maintains, as Harley noted, the speaker's "sense of air and spaciousness" while the front tweeter's dispersion narrows.
The Type E/III's crossover employs high-quality non-polarized electrolytic capacitors, Mylar capacitors, and air-core inductors. The crossover design was created with a computer program after each driver had been measured in the very cabinet used in production. Once designed, the actual manufacturing process involves tuning each speaker's frequency response, with grilles in place, to within 0.5dB of a standard, called the "reference master." This tolerance is far better than the ±4–5dB quoted by the vendors supplying the drivers. Each speaker is trimmed by a "specialist," who spends most of his time at the Snell plant just matching loudspeakers to the reference master. This is done by overwinding inductors, and then pulling turns off, one at a time; starting with smaller capacitor values, and adding trimmers; and finally, adjusting variable resistors. The tweeter-level control is also calibrated against the reference master. These final speaker adjustments require 20 minutes' labor for each Type E/III produced.
Bob Harley's C/IV review emphasized the company's cost-priority design criterion. Expenses and materials are limited to components or labor expenditures that produce audible differences. With the Type E/III, the cost reflects the speaker's high-quality woofer and tweeter, and the time spent in calibration. The stands, which help the unit's midrange, are available à la carte. Other niceties, such as expensive caps, fancy internal wiring, or very thick cabinet walls, are not included. As a result, Voecks was able to keep the price of a pair of Type E/IIIs and stands below $1200.
Listening
The Type E/IIIs were used as my primary loudspeaker for a month. Later, they were compared to the Quad USA Monitors/SW-63 system and to Snell A/III Improved loudspeakers. Anne Kelley, Snell Acoustics' Executive Administrator, provided me with a copy of the Room Analysis Computer Program, CARA, and LEO. These programs analyze room resonance mode distribution and suggest optimal speaker/listener locations for each dimension of the listening room. Following LEO's suggestions for "better" locations ("best" was not convenient!), the E/IIIs were positioned about 32" from the rear wall (middle of woofer to wall) and 36" from each side wall. The speakers were toed-in slightly and were 6' apart. The seated position was 8' away from a center line between the speakers, the seat placing my ears about 34" off the floor (about the level of the E/III's tweeters). All listening was done with the grille cloths in place. In addition, I adjusted the tweeter-level controls to 9:30, as Kevin Voecks had suggested.
The Snell E/IIIs made a definite impression right away, and a good one. Despite their size, the E/IIIs came alive in my listening room, with a big soundstage presentation, a slightly forward quality, and no harshness or roughness. The speaker conveyed the warmth inherently present in music, while being open, fast, and showing considerable deep-bass extension. This warmth added a slight richness to the sound that I found very pleasing, particularly on well-recorded piano music. Chopin's Nocturne, Op.62 No.1, as played by Vladimir Horowitz (Last Recording, Sony SK 45818, DDD), came alive with an unusual richness and beauty that was captivating, almost hypnotic. The piano had the correct power and weight, good dynamic contrasts, and an overall excitement that had been missing before. Some, but not all, of Horowitz's majestic playing could be sensed with the inexpensive Lafayette receiver.
Even with this upper-bass warmth, the midrange of the E/IIIs was tonally neutral. As with the larger Type As, the E/III's midrange did not intrude. Upper instrumental timbres were true, and did not differ whether heard on the Quads, Type As, or Type E/IIIs. There was a natural, if somewhat remote, quality to the midrange.
The treble range was smooth, seeming to roll off gradually and unobtrusively. The Type E/IIIs passed the walk-around, stand-up, sit-down pink noise test for evenness of coverage described by Keele in his Audio review of the B&W 801 Matrix Series Two loudspeakers (Audio, Vol.74 No.11, p.112). My pink-noise source was the Stereophile Test CD, track 4. There was a treble "familial resemblance" shared by Types A and E, despite the fourfold difference in price. This was not surprising, considering that the two speakers use the same tweeter. Yet the E/III's upper-bass emphasis made the treble less prominent than heard over the Type As. The rear tweeter gave the Type E/IIIs a sense of air, although its top extension and sense of openness was not the equal of the dipole Quad electrostat.
Most of the Snell speakers I've owned or auditioned—three versions of Type As, an all-too-short two-day session with the Type Bs, the Type C/IV, and now the Type E—have had superior dynamic range. Whether played at high or low volume levels, the Type E/IIIs transmitted the full impact of percussion, bass drum, or electronic synthesizer, with no sense of strain or compression. This was revealed by the electronic synthesizer transients on Telarc's Time Warp CD (CD-80106), particularly on Don Dorsey's "Ascent." The power of Stravinsky's orchestral colors, woodwind timbres, and dynamics were revealed on the Lorin Maazel recording of Le Sacre du printemps, particularly the opening of "L'Adoration de la terre" (Telarc CD-80054). My listening notes on this recording suggest that the dynamic range only enhances the sonics, as I wrote, "Here is great instrumental definition, wonderful woodwind timbre, that is not lost at either high volumes or low...This speaker has no right being this good!"
The Type E/III's bass response was stunning. I had to remind myself over and over that I was listening to a ported, two-way, $1100 speaker system with stands. There was complete control, no overhang, and no peakiness in the mid- and low-bass musical spectrum. Yes, the Type E's pitch definition was bettered by the $3000 Quad SW-63 subwoofers, but not by much. But at their best, the SW-63s could only go down to 40Hz; the Type E/III had no difficulty playing 30Hz organ notes with power and clarity. Keith Johnson's new Reference Recording, the Dallas Wind Symphony's Fiesta! (RR-38CD), provided a wonderful opportunity for the Type E/IIIs to show their abilities to convey the warmth, weight, and power of a woodwind orchestra. In particular, H. Owen Reed's Prelude and Aztec Dance, with its opening soft chimes suddenly interrupted by bass drum, hits like a stun gun. The explosive percussion notes have a cliff-wall transient attack, and the Type E/IIIs gave me no preliminary clue of their power and impact. In contrast, the Gradient SW-63s just bottomed out at similar volume levels.
I'm very fond of organ music; the Type E/IIIs did not disappoint. Jean Guillou's organ transcription of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition (Dorian DOR-90117) was reproduced with excellent deep-pitch definition, while delivering two of my favorite subwoofer effects—room "lock" and "shudder"—on "Gnomus" (track 2). Track 15, the thunderous "Great Gate of Kiev," played with impressive dynamics, showing no intermodulation of the high notes by the all-out use of bass pedal. Richard Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra, as recorded for Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (on Telarc's Time Warp, CD-80106), reveals the Type E/III's ability to reproduce the organ's 32Hz C-major fundamental in my listening room with superb pitch definition, air, and power.
But there were limitations to the E/III's 8" ported woofer, as the laws of physics for such small systems would suggest. The E's ability to convey the power and pitch of the very lowest, subterranean bass—such as the harmonics of the 25Hz bass-drum whack in David Wilson's "Liberty Fanfare" on the Wilson Audio Sounds of War and Peace—was easily bettered by a dedicated subwoofer such as the ULD-18. The big Velodyne shook the room, made the earth move, while the Type E/III produced a deep, somewhat muddy note, with about 25% of the ULD's power.
Of course, the Type E/III's tonal balance, great dynamic range, deep-bass response without overhang, and relatively uncolored treble and midrange response all depend upon use of the optional stands. The $120/pair square wooden stands are musts, and a small price for tapping the potential of these fine two-way speakers.
Well, so far this report is a boldfaced rave. The reader and other manufacturers may wonder what I use to sweeten my coffee. This review's considerable enthusiasm is the prelude to suggesting that the Snell Type E/III, even at its $1110-with-stands price, should join the ranks of more expensive high-end gear. After all, the Type E/III does meet JA's criteria for membership, recently applied to the el cheapo ($850/pair) Epos ES11 speakers (Vol.14 No.6). Both speakers convey "the musical values inherent in recordings with the minimum editorial influence." The little Snells communicate music's warmth and body, with a powerful bass response, great dynamic range, and a good rendition of midrange and treble timbres. In my listening room, the Type E/IIIs reproduced 95% of the musical information conveyed over the more expensive Type As and Quad systems. What could possibly be missing?
Over extended listening sessions, I became aware that the E/IIIs may have a slight frequency-response emphasis in the 80–200Hz range. I am not offended by this coloration, but some may be. After all, the E/III's 8" woofer has to handle all signals below 3kHz. Listening to station announcers with the Day Sequerra FM Reference, the E/III's upper-bass emphasis was not enough to markedly deepen male voices or make them tubby or nasal. The added warmth made the overall upper-bass sound closer to the slight warmth I heard over the newest Snells, the Type Bs, auditioned briefly in Stereophile's Santa Fe listening room during the 1991 Writers' Conference. Both the Quad USA Monitors and the Type As were free of this effect; I missed this warmth when switching to those more expensive systems.
Despite the Type E/III's other strengths, it just cannot image as well as the Quads, and lacks the transparency of a Type A/III Improved or the Quads. The Type E/IIIs can't disappear, or paint the holographic musical image that more expensive loudspeakers can. Their sonic soundstage can't be easily defined, despite a number of attempts to adjust the enclosure's toe-in angles. Instruments did not seem distinctly separated, and their positions relative to one another can't be easily determined. The Type E/IIIs produced only a limited sense of soundstage depth.
Switching between Type E/IIIs and Quad USA Monitors was the most revealing. Although the Type E/IIIs did not commit major errors in the mids and highs, their errors of omission made the more expensive electrostatics the overall winner in this region. Sure, the Type E/IIIs have great focus, snap, and transient speed playing the "L'Daddy" cut on James Newton Howard and Friends (Sheffield Lab 35); switching to the Quad USA Monitor revealed the depth and reverberation ("wetness") inherent in the recording. At almost four times the price, the Quad USA Monitors are just more transparent, open, detailed, and fast.
Conclusions and perspective
The Snell Type E/III is a "find," a real value: high-end sound for under $1200, stands included. Their bass response alone competes with more than one loudspeaker that has been nominated for Class A ratings in our "Recommended Components" feature. Some, but not all, of the strengths of this speaker can be heard with inexpensive electronics. The Type E's high efficiency means that it can be included in many budget systems, where more money can be spent on the loudspeaker and less on power amplification. If low-powered, substandard amplifiers like the ca-1970 Lafayette Criterion can make the Type E/IIIs play, then powerful, high-end, solid-state amplifiers really make them sing. The ease of setup and upper-bass warmth, coupled with a clear midrange and smooth, if unobtrusive highs make the Snell Type E/IIIs one of my favorite loudspeakers.
The speaker's weaknesses—its midbass emphasis, its tendency to provide a diffuse image and a shallow, weakly defined soundstage—reminded me that design tradeoffs are necessary to produce a relatively inexpensive speaker. These shortcomings will be problems for some listeners. They may prefer the other low-budget, high-end "find," the Epos ES11, whose ability to image and produce a well-defined soundstage was shown in TJN's extensive listening tests in July. Yet the Epos may not match the Type E/III's dynamic range and bass extension [and has a somewhat colored lower midrange region—JA]. With these limitations, the Type E/IIIs will probably end up at the very top of our newly revised, Class C "Recommended Components" ranking, but below the Type A/III Improved. For those who favor a full midbass response, great dynamic range, and deep bass, careful auditioning of these speakers is in order. Like me, these listeners may find that the Type E/IIIs have a richness and soul found in few audio products. No wonder Kevin Voecks describes this two-way system as a Vox Populi; it truly offers the wonder and excitement of recorded music at a modest price.
Description:
Two-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Driver complement: one 8" cone woofer, one 1" treated textile-dome tweeter, one 0.75" soft-dome, rear-firing tweeter. Crossover frequency: 2.7kHz, 24dB/octave slope. Frequency response: 39Hz–20kHz, ±1.75dB anechoic (response specified on-axis or up to 15° off the horizontal axis). Nominal impedance: 6 ohms. Sensitivity: 91dB at 1W (2.83V) at 1m, anechoic (sensitivity higher in a normal environment). Power requirements: suitable for use with amplifiers rated from 20Wpc to 100Wpc.
Dimensions: 13" W by 35" H by 11" D. Shipping weight: 50 lbs each.
Finishes available: matched-grain, hand-sanded and -oiled pairs in oak, dark oak, walnut, or black veneers, or black-finished veneer.
Price: $990/pair (1991); no longer available (2008). Optional stands: $120/pair, available in black veneer.