Hello,
Shipping may well could have been behind the OP's issues. That being said, with the EM-ESL costing less than half as much as the Vista, it would not be altogether surprising if the QC is not quite as stringent. Still, like the Vista, the Cabinet is made in ROC with the Panel and Final Assembly taking place in North America.
Provided this is an isolated instance, the EM-ESL represents fantastic value with all of the latest improvements (Xstat, Air Frame) and yet costing under $2000 Dollars. For a Summit, Spire, Ethos, Vantage, Theos, and Vista Owner, they make for fantastic Surround Speakers. I got really lucky when I was able to get the Vistas I use for Surrounds when Sound Advice went OOB for even less than what the EM-ESL costs. Considering they cost $4295 I think when they were discontinued, it has a fantastic deal. Having Vantages, Stage, Vistas, Descent i, and Depth has truly given me the best sounding HT I have ever owned. Just fantastic for both Music and HT.
Cheers,
JJ
