Energy Owners Thread - Page 397

Thanks mrredskin. I did notice that the s10.3 could go a little lower. Would that make a big difference in real world application? I think my room size is considered somewhere between small to medium (approx 1800 cubic ft). And i've read a lot of ppl recommending at least 10" for a medium size room. For WAF factor I really wanted to go with the smaller sub, but didn't know if it would handle that size room and if i would be missing anything if I went with the ESW-V8 in terms of sound quality. I think the price difference would be about $20 - $30 after bing cash back on ebay.

well i dont think there's going to be that big of a difference when u get that low, and not too much of a performance diff overall. keep in mind it still is a bigger sub, costs less, and you would be getting it from a highly regarded electronics supplier if you went with the s10

i too was originally going to go with the v8, but because of the price drop on the s10, it was a no-brainer for me

Tell her your choice was between the JL Audio Fathom 113 and the s10.3. It is all relative!

I definitely want to hear the C-C50's no matter what, so I will be giving them a trial run. Unfortunately I do have to appease the wife, which means the speakers all need to look good, of course!

IPT - things get slow on the weekend, gotta be patient as most people probably waste their time here during the week to avoid doing their REAL job and on the weekend we are actually out enjoying ourselves

I don't have the RC-R's but they are VERY well reviewed. The flexibility to switch modes, and ease of wall-mounting, makes them very versatile.

Tip (for you and everyone): If you use the "Search This Thread" tool at the top (under the page number) and then go to "Advanced Search" you can search for specific posters. Use the search term "RC-R" and look for posts by "Joseph Clark", "knight_40k", "WestCoastD", all of whom use RC-R's and have posted many reviews and pics.

With surround speakers in general, the consensus I have seen is that the further your ears are from the surround speakers, the less important it is to have a bipole/dipole design. If you have a room that allows 5 ft or more of separation between the listening area and surrounds, monopole (direct radiating) speakers will be great as surrounds. But if you (as many) have to place the surrounds pretty close to the couches, you start to get more benefit from bipole/dipole speaker designs as they don't get "localized" firing right by your ears.



The bigger sub will play louder and deeper. It will definitely make a difference for HT use in a medium sized room, filling up the space more easily and adding that "presence" to the low frequency effects.

It's pretty much like this:

S10.3 = bigger, more output, plays deeper, will be better for HT
ESW-V8 = smaller, much better looking and better build quality, will play tighter/cleaner and probably be better for music

Both will satisfy 95% percent of users in the typical "living room HT" setup.

If you want maximum performance for movies, get the bigger sub.

If you just want some nice clean bass and would rather make the wife happy by getting the smaller, better looking sub, as opposed to obsessing about maximizing overall output and extension, get the V8.



See S10.3 vs. ESW-V8 comments above, same deal.

The AVR 1910 will do great with those speakers. The V8 is MUCH MUCH better than the regular ESW-8 so if you can afford it, get it, or else get a bigger sub (like S10.3). The regular ESW-8 will be a little challenged in that room size.

Since your primary focus is 2.0/2.1 music, definitely concentrate your budget there and go with the RC-10's and ESW-V8 (or a bigger sub). If you can, I would rather sacrifice surrounds for now and get the RC-Mini center, so at least your front soundstage is coherent and well-matched. Since movies are a much lower priority, you can do without surrounds for a little while.




How big is your room?

At the current prices I would most certainly jump on a package of RC-50 or RC-70 + RC-LCR if you have a decent sized room and the budget to afford it. Get all three front speakers together as the $299 price for the RC-LCR is tremendous.

Two RC-50's + RC-LCR would be $1000 shipped flat from Vann's. If you want rosenut, you could save a bit by buying from WWStereo's ebay store (they have RC-50 in rosenut for $699 shipped) and then using live.com cashback.

Then $500 is a nice receiver budget. There are many options at that price range.

If you can extend the budget a bit, I'm sure you wouldn't regret going to the RC-70's if you have the space for them.

Are you living in a place where you can't play loud music?

I wouldn't say they lack detail at lower volumes it's just the more [quality] power you give them, you notice their true ability. Since the power handling is higher on the RC70 than the RC30, you need to give them more juice to make them shine in the same way.

I'm no receiver expert. I'm running an Onkyo 705 (100wpc x7) but I used to have (had to sell ) an Adcom GFA 7700 (175wpc x5) powering all but my rears. A lot of people in this thread say Energy/Denon is an excellent mix so you shouldn't have any problems.

this 8% ebay cash back is a pretty good deal - screw it, I'm pulling the trigger on RC-50 - neighbors be damned.

Yeah, I LOVE the Denon/Energy sound - buttery smooth. I also enjoy the RC-10s in my bedroom with a much more entry level Yamaha AVR. When I was auditioning Energy speakers at American, I was able to compare different receivers with RC-70s, RC-10s and RC-LCRs. I consistently liked the Denon's warm, full sound. I found the Onkyo a little "dryer," not quite as rich, but I did end up buying an Onkyo 606 for my computer speaker system (Orb globes), because I got a great price on it. Yamaha sat somewhere in the middle between Denon and Onkyo for me, and I ended up with a Yamaha 465 for my RC-10s in the bedroom.

If you asked 10 people what they thought about the AVR issue, you'd probably get 10 different answers. Opinions on AVRs are probably more subjective than those on speakers.

My room is 15x20 and vaulted. I have covered tile floor with area rug (10x13). I like rosenut color. Do you think having 70 or 50 set as front may compensate lack of sub? I'm not big fan of rumbling sound though. Or i better save some money by going with 50, and get a sub?

that's a big enough room for the 70's. While the RC-70's have more bass than the RC-50's, the biggest difference will be the separation/clarity as the 70 has a "true" 3-way design with dedicated midrange driver. so while there is no question a 2.1 setup of RC-50 + subwoofer will have more bass than a 2.0 setup with just RC-70's, that doesn't mean the RC-70's won't be better for your situation.

if you don't like the big bass rumble, I would think a 5.0 system anchored by RC-70's would sound wonderful. you can always add a sub later if you want a little more "fill" in the low end.

Thanks everyone for your inputs. I think I'll probably go with the ESW-V8 even though s10.3 is cheaper right now. It seems from your inputs and searching through this forum that ppl have used in similar size rooms and even bigger rooms and were very satisfied with it. As mentioned before I didn't need the loud bass just wanted to make sure it would be adequate for the room. Plus with little ones around, it seems the only time I get to enjoy my HT is when they are asleep and I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate their rooms shaking while they are sleeping.

Would you suggest that I get 2 of RC70 as front, 1 of RC-LCR and 2 or RC-10 for rear?
In that case, can you also suggest receiver to match? Yes, it would go over my initial budget (as usual)

Again, I can't speak from direct experience about the RC-50 vs. RC-70, but I can say without hesitation that the RC-70 is a wonderful speaker. Even with my small (almost claustrophobic) room (17'x11'), the separation the 3-way design allows is worth every extra penny to me. I paid over $700 each for demo RC-70s just a few months before they went on sale for $500 new. The $500 price is a tremendous bargain for speakers of this quality. No shipping and no tax? Call the cops. It's a ridiculous steal.

Sounds like a plan to me. Add a receiver of your choice in the $400-$500 range and you have a main home theater system that's going to keep you happy for many, many years - for around $2,000. Denon, Yamaha, Onkyo, Pioneer - you should be able to find a lot of receivers in that range that will drive that system.

Much less of an issue with mismatched rears vs fronts. Let your ears be the judge, you may well be satisfied.

just to reinforce what I was saying earlier about RC-50 vs RC-70.... I just checked the specs comparison on energy's website:
http://www.energy-speakers.com/na-en...ids=22%3b44%3b

notice the RC-50 and RC-70 have the identical footprint (15" deep, 7-3/4" wide), identical dual 6.5" woofers for bass duties, the only physical difference is the RC-70 is 2-1/4" taller and a little heavier, but with that dedicated 5.5" mid-woofer. The bass response is almost identical -- 31Hz for the RC-70, 33Hz for the RC-50.

So, again, it's less about the bass response than it is about the extra height / clarity / separation. The big step up in bass is RC-30 to RC-50, the RC-50 is larger physically and has dual 6.5" woofers instead of dual 5.5-inchers.

Seems to me that the RC-50 vs RC-70 decisions is really about how finicky you are as a listener, e.g. are you willing to pay that extra $300-350 to extract those last few drops of audio quality? If you aren't a critical "audiophile" type and are on a budget, but love the looks of the RC's, that savings buys you the RC-LCR or a pair of RC-10's for surrounds. As with all these things, it's about your personal equation of budget vs. needs vs. wants.

Of course, I'm sure few RC-70 owners are out there regretting the extra money they spent, right Joseph, k-40k, et al?

so how do you think the Pioneer VSX 919 will do with the Energy Take Classics and the ESW-V8 sub????

Thanks for the help i really appreciate it.

the new Pio's have been getting wonderful reviews, the 919 gives you a bunch of features for the money (especially the ipod USB port with included cable) so if that tickles your fancy, it should do great.

Recently purchased RC-50s, RC-LCR and RC-Minis. I am trying to make a decision on the Energy S10.3. I know it is at a great price right now but I am concerned about my room. About 14x22 with 8ft ceilings and hardwood floors. I know the S10.3 might be a little small for this environment but the thought of spending $200 instead of $500/$600 is very appealing.

Any S10.3 owners who have it in a medium/large room? My main concern is HT. I really want feel the thump/rumble in movies. I already love the RC-50s and they go plenty loud for me.

Feedback?

well, go with TWO of the S10.3's then and you are only at $400

14x22 isn't THAT big but a single 10" sub will not be able to really pressurize the room for big HT rumble. I don't think you will be disappointed if you step the budget up to the $350-400 mark and get something like the eD A2-350.

you definitely hit the nail on the head in terms of decision parameters with this post batpig.

For those of us who are taking the 'in-phases' approach (re: fronts then center, sub, rears) at a 1.25k+ budget, that extra $300 does allow for the LCR now instead of later, which might be the right call considering the possible supply shortages.

The energy price/deal game certainly has a pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered quality to it

Forgot to mention I also have the WAF factor. (Nice looking is a plus but not required) Did you mean the A2-300? I don't see an A2-350 on their site.

Do you think the eD is that much better than the S10.3? (My thinking was based on general MSRP/Specs they were in the same category that they would be pretty close with the S10.3 being a steal at $200). I am going on vacation for a couple of weeks and was planning on buying a sub sometime in the future (having just dropped cash on the other components) but the S10.3 deal is calling me (my guess is I won't see that deal again). I can wait a while and buy something like the eD at around $400. That is probably my upper limit though.

I would rather spend $400 and have my jaw drop then $200 and think the sub was just ok. Of course, I am coming from no sub so I am expecting to be super excited whatever I end up with.

I think the huge 72lb eD A2-300 will get you more jaw dropping excitement than the 34lb s10.3

Having followed Speedracer's advice I bought a set of those stands. Overall very good quality and the adjustable height is a plus. Be sure to use something to keep the speakers from sliding/falling if bumped and you're in good shape.

There is a big difference in performance from the $200-250 sub category versus the $400-500 subs. It's difficult to compare msrp from a major brand versus internet direct brands.

The eD is flat to 20Hz or below, whereas the S10.3 is really only going to 25Hz. The eD is also capable of a lot more output -- you can't really compete with the increase in enclosure size and woofer size, physics is physics.

That being said, the eD subs are just about the WORST for WAF reasons, being huge and ugly. It should make your jaw drop though

Yeah, from reading up it looks like eD has the performance I am looking for at the right price. I guess it is unreasonable to want that with good looks at my pricepoint.

other subs in that price range which may be a little more palatable looks-wise are the SVS PB10-NSD and the HSU STF-2, both of which are excellent performers.

Or go with two S10.3's

just a side note on vertical vs horizontal center performance, since it's much discussed. I was browsing around look for bench tests on energy subs and I stumbled upon this old RC system review (RC-70 / RC-LCR / RC-R / S12.3). They didn't post measurements of the S12.3 unfortunately, but I thought these measurements were revealing.


RC-LCR horizontal off-axis performance:





RC-LCR vertical off-axis performance:




Their quote (with my bolded emphasis):



First off, it's cool that the RC-LCR is basically RULER FLAT down to 60Hz. But notice how much better the off-axis performance is when you are measuring perpendicular to the axis of the drivers. There is a reason the majority of speakers are made with a VERTICAL array of drivers.

Another thing that I found interesting was that the measured performance suffered with the grills on.

on the RC-70:


on the RC-LCR: