Please explain why Energy CB-10 is $170 more than Polk T-15....

According to the product page, the T15s have a 3/4" tweeter, a 5-1/4" woofer and extend to 65Hz @ -3dB.

According to the owner's manual (PDF), the CB-10s have a 1" tweeter, a 5-1/2" woofer and extend to 66Hz @ -3dB. And the cabinet is just slightly larger than the T15's cabinet.

Although I'd be tempted to choose the CB-10s for their 1" tweeter (which may handle higher output more gracefully than the T15's 3/4" tweeter), I wouldn't be tempted to pay $70 more for the pair.

Unless, after demo-ing the two speakers, I found that I really preferred the sound of the CB-10s enough to justify the additional cost.
The T15s may be loss-leader speakers or they may be cheaper to manufacture. The Energy speakers may have better-quality components in them. Maybe Energy does better marketing, or offers better incentives to retailers.

I would not put a lot of weight in so-called specs - are you limited to just these 2 brands?

Cambridge Audio S30 - and the bass will go down to 60 hz
http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-Audio-Speakers-Dark-Pair/dp/B004NDN9NK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358194899&sr=8-1&keywords=cambridge+audio+s30

HTD Level Two
http://www.htd.com/Products/level-two-speakers/Level-TWO-Bookshelf-Speakers

^ down 3 decibels at the same frequency with a smaller 4.5" woofer and $50 pricier than the Energy pair. Both the CA & Energy use 1" compression tweeters. What makes the CA worth the premium?

That is not an average 4.5 woofer - from inside the woofer frame to the outside edge
of the surround, it is 5" > Also the box is 9" deep and well built.

Also, I do not put a lot of weight in price - it is all about design and engineering, and
overall sound quality.

It will still come down to individual preference/choice and taste.

In that case we can recommend something a lot better than the Cambridge bookshelf

You may like the Energy - it all comes down to you.

Stereophile was not overall impressed with them
http://www.stereophile.com/content/energy-connoisseur-cb-10-loudspeaker-measurements
Edited by zieglj01 - 1/14/13 at 1:17pm

How about the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR? For $130 at Best Buy.

It has a smaller woofer at 4", but they are spec'd to play lower. I have the 1st edition of these speakers and they sound pretty good. Especially for the price.

You can always try them out and return them if you don't like them.

Will they let you listen to both pairs of speakers? That is the best way to decide. It all will come down to if you like how they sound. I personally like the sound of Energy speakers, but I am not the one purchasing them. Ask if you can have them hooked up so you can decide if you like them.

Jeff

For a tight budget under $150, they would be my preference. They were measured -3db at 63 hz.
And yes, they do sound good - and I own them.

What about Def Tech Sm350 for $179?

They come on sale for that price every other week.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882325059

Polk T15's suck. I've heard them. The Pioneer BS-22 is better. So is the Energy CB-10.

Be carefull about reading specs - Definitive likes to stretch it. I have owned them and,
they are nice sounding speakers - however their -3 db point is 79 hz
http://www.hometheater.com/content/definitive-technology-studiocinema-350-ht-labs-measures

A speaker is said to play "flat" between two frequencies at a given level of output if the output varies no more than 3dB above (+3dB) or 3dB below (-3dB) the given level. The range is described, for example, as 65Hz - 18KHz +/-3dB. Below the bottom frequency and above the top frequency of that range, the speaker's output will continue to drop off to a point where it is too low to be useful / heard.

Re. the DefTech speakers, it would appear that 79Hz is where the speaker's output drops by -3dB (79Hz @ -3dB). That is the bottom end of the range between which it will play "flat" at a given output level. By 26Hz, the speaker may still be generating some minute amount of output, but since the level has likely dropped by 20dB (26Hz @ -20dB) or 30dB (26Hz @ -30dB) or more, it's pretty much useless.

Looks great for marketing purposes, but it's pretty dishonest "specsmanship".

-- Anecdote time! --
My first sub - a DefTech ProSub 200TL - was rated down to 18Hz, with no listed variance (no +/-ndB, where n ideally equals a small number). It sounded pretty good.

Then I had the chance to demo an S10.3 I had bought for a friend. It was rated down to 21Hz @ -3dB. I heard/felt deep bass notes I'd never experienced before with the "18Hz" DefTech sub. How could this be?

So I contacted DefTech and was told that the sub was actually rated to 26Hz @ -3dB. That explained a lot!

- THE END -


Edited by eljaycanuck - 1/14/13 at 5:53pm

You will still hear some bass below 79 hz - however it will be lower in volume,
it will be 6 db down at 60 hz. > At 26 hz, you will need to put your ear next to
the speaker.

lol @ 26hz from a bookshelf....deftech definitely taking some creative license on that spec sheet

The -3dB point is where low frequency response has dropped enough that you can easily hear it. The -6dB point is as low as you want to go before crossing over to the subwoofer. Since the subwoofer and mains outputs will sum in the crossover region you'll end up being no more than a total of 3dB down. The -10dB point is considered the lowest frequency of useful output; no speaker should ever be quoted with having a bandwidth that extends lower, or higher for that matter, than the -10dB point. For the StudioMonitor 350 that would be 50Hz.