The Official Epik Subwoofer Owners Thread

[soundwave628]

I know these have fallen out of favor lately but I just recalibrated and have been enjoying my Epik Legend. I've checked out their site lately and thought they were out of business but I just noticed they're coming out with a new 18" sub!?

[dolsey01]

Yep lots of Epik hate lately but it sounds like they are starting to come back to life. Someone over on AVS was able to get a Empire amp replaced in the last week or two so hopefully they will get their act together. I also have a Legend and after the amp failed and was replaced under warranty last year, it's been working and sounding great. I actually have it listed along with a Polk PSW1000 on Craigslist and have not had one single bite. I have been downsizing my home theater to fund my 2ch system and decided I didn't need two subs anymore and would keep which ever sold but it seems there is no interest in either and I priced them to sell.

I think if Epik can deliver on the 18" sub and actually answer the phone and emails, they might bounce back from all the negative vibe that's been going on.

[red_5ive]

I have a Legend in my 2nd setup, small room about 10x12. It's a little over 3 years old and still on the original amp. It hasn't been sounding great lately so I was having thoughts of getting something else from HSU. But, I also recalibrated and set it +3db hot, and I'm back in business. That mid sub bass I was missing is back. I'm happy again.

[soundwave628]

I'm still enjoying my legend from 2 years ago especially paired with a similar sub I got used on Craigslist. I'm sure I'm missing some of the really low stuff but I get some good slam and when I put music on it sounds really tight.

[theJman]

Originally Posted by soundwave628

I know these have fallen out of favor lately but I just recalibrated and have been enjoying my Epik Legend. I've checked out their site lately and thought they were out of business but I just noticed they're coming out with a new 18" sub!?

And you should continue to enjoy it, for as long as you feasibly can. For all intents and purposes though, Epik is out of business. I can't imagine any plausible scenario where they could pull a phoenix and resurrect themselves after what's transpired this past year or so. Chad may actually be planning to release new subwoofers, but it's not likely he'll be able to use the Epik name any longer. It's been stained badly at this point, and has become the punchline to a 100 jokes. It's a shame too, because he had a good thing going for a while there; a lot of people - the ones who didn't have amp issues at least - really liked their subs.

[soundwave628]

It's a shame too because now some of the best subs seem to going for multiple drivers in sealed enclosures. Seems like epik was ahead of the game.

[chadwick537]

Anyone looking to get rid of one (preferably two) Empires or Legends at a reasonable price? I live in Wisconsin. Send me a PM if interested.

[RocShemp]

Just got an e-mail from Epik that they're going out of business. The e-mail contained the following link regarding a Going Out Of Business Sale. I truly feel sorry for Chad.

[JJ]

Originally Posted by RocShemp

Just got an e-mail from Epik that they're going out of business. The e-mail contained the following link regarding a Going Out Of Business Sale. I truly feel sorry for Chad.

Same here, and noticed their Facebook post. Bought a shirt. If they had any Epik amps left, I would've scooped one up, but alas - none.

[theJman]

Originally Posted by RocShemp

Just got an e-mail from Epik that they're going out of business. The e-mail contained the following link regarding a Going Out Of Business Sale. I truly feel sorry for Chad.

I feel more sorry for all the people he hosed on their warranties, especially in light of the fact that it appears he's been sitting on parts for quite some time. That's pretty low.

[dolsey01]

Helps justify my decision of why I sold my Legend. It's really too bad. Another ID sub company bites the dust.

[red_5ive]

I got the email as well. Truly sad news, even if the writing was on the wall. I feel for Chad. Great guy. I talked with him several times before and after purchasing my Legend in early 2011. It's still running strong, and if the amp ever does go out, a simple mod to a pro amp and I'm good. I've learned to dislike plate amps anyway, and I'm using external amplification now for one of my other subs. If I had the cash (still recovering from Christmas), I wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of another Legend or 2, or even an Empire, at the blowout prices.

[RocShemp]

A guy over at AVS posted how he just repaired his Empire and I thought it'd be of interest to those here, should they ever need it:

Originally Posted by bek1973

I fixed my Empire!!! - see below or read my story - I too have been trying to contact Epik via email and phone for the last month due to what I thought was an amp issue. I wouldn't attempt to work on it either worried about voiding my faux warranty.
Anyway - after I got the disturbing email from Chad about "Business is closing - oh btw buy all this old stock while I don't honor my warranty" I was furious.
I thought about buying the replacement amp and then contesting on the credit card - then Chad would have to talk to someone.
Anyway - I decided I wasn't going to gamble on Chad or the amp - I was going to take my Empire apart as soon as I got home.

Description of problem - I would turn my Empire on - light would come on Green and as soon as a low signal came on sub would make slight low crackle noise on one side and green light would fade out and it would not power on for 10-15 min. It would power on later but would repeat problem.

I first removed amp - upon removal I looked it over for any burns or melts and it looked fine - the only thing that was concerning was the very small heat sink. The enclosure was jammed with polyfill - I mean jammed!


I then removed the speaker on the side that made the crackle - I immediately noticed the two leads going to woofer had fused together! I instinctively touched them and gently rolled them between my fingers breaking the bond before I took pic - sorry. Anyway - it looks like the leads may have been angled at each other when soldered to terminal causing them to touch during excursion. Anyway - here is pic right after - you can see how they were shaped as if they had mated.


With this being the secondary sub in the series I turned the amp on and it worked driving the one woofer. I then reinstalled secondary sub and it seems to be working fine. I may re-solder that woofer at the terminal and reverse the angle of the leads but I reinstalled both subs in a way where I can view the leads by removing the amp. This amp must have some decent protection?

I hope this helps some -
Kiser

[RocShemp]

Another user at AVS just posted his experience fixing his Epik Legend and then later getting the amp fixed:

Originally Posted by Coopaw

Legend failure / repair update:

Like many, my Legend failed. right before the holidays. I spent very little effort trying to contact Chad even though mine was in warranty. Why waste time and energy, I decided to move on. So my approach was to pull the amp and have a friend look at it. His comment was that it appeared fairly well built and he could see no obvious mode of failure but we quickly isolated the problem to the power output board by unplugging the control board and seeing that the fuse no longer blew.

He was going away for the holidays so I knew it would be a while before he could get back to it and then no guarantee he could fix is so I did some measuring and being impatient decided to order a Bash 500 from Parts express. I modified the cabinet to take the larger plate amp and was up and running in a matter of hours after the amp arrived. I enlarged the hole, routed a lip for the amp to sit flush but you wouldn't have to do that. I repurposed the material from the "box" inside so the poly fill would not work it's way into the amp area and smother the new amp causing heat issues.
see pics:





Works just fine and is always cool to the touch.

Now that my friend is back he diagnosed the problem with the Epik amp, in my case to one bad output transistor see pic. (I'm pointing to it with the screw driver.) There are two but only the one under the capacitor was bad.



The part is an obsolete Toshiba FET so he found a replacement for about $3 and bought a tube of heat sink grease and replaced the part and put new grease under all the devices as well as the heat sink where it joins the back plate. This job requires removing the heat sink from the plate, the clamps that hold the FET's to the heat sinks and unsoldering the FET and replacing everything. ( I will ask my friend what the replacement part number was for anyone interested.)

So it's all back together and working fine. I have it for sale if anyone is interested PM me. I'll guarantee it for 30day but after that you are on your own. Since I enlarged the hole in the cabinet, I can't put it back in mine.

We also ran some tests on the Epik amp to figure out if there was a boost programmed into it or not. There is a 6 to 9db boost at 22 hz. So anyone looking to buy a replacement amp and modify the cabinet can keep that in mind. The Bash I bought allows me to change two resistors and mimic this curve so we did that this afternoon. Parts express also sells a 300 watt plate amp with a 6db boost at 25hz which should work well also.

Repairing the amp is not difficult for anyone familiar with soldering and working on electronics but your amp might have a different mode of failure.

I'll be glad to try to answer any question. Hope this is helpful to those out there with dead subs.

[soundwave628]

So I finally finished my attic and go to set everything up and my Epik Legend subwoofer doesn't turn on!? It has been sitting unplugged for about 8 months, what gives? I've read there were amp issues and they keep blowing fuses (which I didn't have a chance to check) but would that happen while it's just sitting unused?

I really didn't have money planned to purchase a new sub, I do have an older one I can use but damn. Power Sound audio seems to be getting more and more expensive too

[Dreamliner330]

Originally Posted by soundwave628

So I finally finished my attic and go to set everything up and my Epik Legend subwoofer doesn't turn on!? It has been sitting unplugged for about 8 months, what gives? I've read there were amp issues and they keep blowing fuses (which I didn't have a chance to check) but would that happen while it's just sitting unused?

I really didn't have money planned to purchase a new sub, I do have an older one I can use but damn. Power Sound audio seems to be getting more and more expensive too

If you just have the one sub, get a Behringer iNUKE NU3000 or NU3000DSP. I bought a NU6000DSP (from Sweetwater) for my two Empires. I couldn't be happier. The amps are seriously good stuff and way cheaper than buying another sub. Epik made good subs, their amps...not so much.