EPI · Bookshelf · 1970s (M100, 100V and 100W)

EPI 100

The EPI 100 is the speaker Epicure was founded on. Winslow Burhoe started the company in Newburyport, Massachusetts, in 1970 to build speakers around his module of an 8-inch woofer and a 1-inch tweeter, and the 100 is that module in a box about 21 inches tall. The tweeter is Burhoe's own invention, an inverted dome that dips inward and is driven by a voice coil smaller than the dome. A restorer who sells them gives the crossover point as 1,800 Hz, which is low for a two-way. It came as the M100, 100V and 100W, in walnut veneer or wood-grain vinyl, and a later 100 carried on into the 1980s. EPI's own model list says the M90 looks just like the M100 and 100V, so check the label on the back.

Spec at a glance

Maker: EPI
Type: Bookshelf
Made: 1970s (M100, 100V and 100W)
Made in: USA (Newburyport, Massachusetts)
Design: 2-way
Impedance: 8 ohms
Weight: About 25 lb
Cabinet finish: Oiled walnut veneer or wood-grain vinyl
Also listed as: EPI M100, EPI 100V, EPI 100W, Epicure 100

With the grille off

The drivers

Tweeter: 1" inverted dome
Woofer: 8" paper cone

Ask for a photo of every driver with the grilles off, on both speakers. They should match each other and this list.

What to check

The tweeter is the part to check. One documented repair found the center dome had come loose and broken its wires, and original tweeters are sold as used spares, so a pair can hold mismatched ones.

01Tweeter shape: Look at the tweeters in the grille-off photos. An original dips inward, so a domed-out tweeter means a later model or a replacement.
02Tweeters play: Ask for a short video with an ear or phone near each tweeter at low volume. Both should play cleanly, with no rattle.
03Surrounds: Look closely at the woofer edges. They should be whole and flexible, or replaced neatly on both.
04Model label: Ask for a photo of each back label. Both should read 100, M100, 100V or 100W, not M90 or a later model.
05Cabinets: Ask whether the cabinets are walnut veneer or vinyl, and look at the corners. Both should match and the edges should be tight.

New to old speakers? How to check a used pair walks through every driver, the crossover and the cabinet.

Find one on eBay

We haven’t been through this model’s listings yet. Search eBay and run every listing through the checklist above. Ask for photos of both speakers with the grilles off and the serial labels on the back, and pass on any seller who won’t send them.

Search “EPI 100 speakers” on eBay ↗eBay search

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EPI 100

What to check

The tweeter is the part to check. One documented repair found the center dome had come loose and broken its wires, and original tweeters are sold as used spares, so a pair can hold mismatched ones.

01Tweeter shape: Look at the tweeters in the grille-off photos. An original dips inward, so a domed-out tweeter means a later model or a replacement.

02Tweeters play: Ask for a short video with an ear or phone near each tweeter at low volume. Both should play cleanly, with no rattle.

03Surrounds: Look closely at the woofer edges. They should be whole and flexible, or replaced neatly on both.

04Model label: Ask for a photo of each back label. Both should read 100, M100, 100V or 100W, not M90 or a later model.

05Cabinets: Ask whether the cabinets are walnut veneer or vinyl, and look at the corners. Both should match and the edges should be tight.

New to old speakers? How to check a used pair walks through every driver, the crossover and the cabinet.

Find one on eBay

EPI 100

Spec at a glance

The drivers

What to check

Find one on eBay

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EPI 100

Spec at a glance

The drivers

What to check

Find one on eBay

Compare with

EPI 110

EPI M150

EPI M250

Acoustic Research AR-4x

Keep exploring