Energy Owners Thread - Page 1393

^^^
Hank Mardukous, are those V1.8's or V2.8's in that pic?

I always loved the original Veritas line. Truly great speakers.

The subsequent lines, not as much. I felt the glory days for Energy and Mirage were before API was purchased, back when John Tchilinguirian was designing for them. They've made plenty of good speakers since, but none that grabbed me in quite the same way.

If size is an issue the NHT Superzero 2.0 is larger than the Takes but not too big. 9" x 5.5" x 5"
Weekend sale knocks $64 off total price if you buy 5 speakers, so cost would be $430 total. Code SHORT-UNKNOWN-SALE
http://www.nhthifi.com/Bookshelf-speaker-SuperZero-2-0.

Now if size doesn't matter and you can go larger, look at the Pioneers BS-21 speakers. On sale for $50/pr for a couple more days.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882117405
center
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882117404

You'd only spend $150 for five speakers. CNET review vs Take Classics
http://reviews.cnet.com/surround-speaker-systems/pioneer-sp-pk21bs/4505-7868_7-34654855.html

Key Excerpt
Pioneer has come out with the new BS22 speakers which are even better than the BS-21 and have removable grilles which is more appealing than the metal grilles on the BS-21.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Pioneer+-+4%26%2334%3B+Bookshelf+Speakers+(Pair)/5086955.p;jsessionid=548441D25297D0718C75C81409EDDFE5.bbolsp-app01-55?id=1218610014045&skuId=5086955&st=pioneer speakers&cp=1&lp=1
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Pioneer+-+Dual+4%26%2334%3B+Center-Channel+Speaker/5086891.p?id=1218610015437&skuId=5086891&st=pioneer speakers&cp=1&lp=6

So two pair of BS22's and one CS22 center will run you $300. Should pair nicely with your JBL 10" sub.

Hank, thanks for the input on those V6.3's. How do you like them compared to your RC-70's?

These are the 1.8s, and I agree, they are truly great speakers. I also agree that the glory days for Energy are long gone.
I will keep my current model RC speakers for mostly home theatre use, but I don't think I will ever seriously audition another new Energy speaker again. Energy's new treble cranked sound signature, cheap computer speakers and soundbars have me not caring at all about the brand. It makes me very disappointed, and it is time for me to move on. Luckily, I have a ton of older speakers from Energy that were produced in their early years, so I am very fortunate to have speakers that produce Energy's intended signature sound, before they were tuned to crank out the treble and sound louder than the competitor's speaker in the store. As I said, it is time for me to move on, and time to look around for a speaker and not just a marketing machine.

Wheres the new "go to" place for Energy stuff? I wanted to grab a LCR and some RC-10 while on the cheap at Vanns, but now with the going bye-bye, the cheap deals seem to be gone too.

To tell you the honest truth, I didn't even bother to directly compare them. I don't care enough to go through the trouble. The 6.3s have a lot more treble, but the rest of their sound was very familiar to me, because I have owned the RC-70s for a long time now. For low listening levels, I think the 6.3s are really great, but I could never use them for loud, long listening periods. The finish on the 6.3s is incredible compared to the black ash and cherry finish of the RC-70s.

I have V6.2's for one of my H/T setups. I like them for that a lot but prefer my RC-70's for 2 channel music on a good older amplifier.

I just switched around a 2 channel system last night after we were done with comparing the different Veritas models at about 4 in the morning. I figured it was time to get rid of the equipment that I don't love and clean house after I embraced the fact that the new Energy is no longer a brand that I care about. I switched out a receiver that I put about $700 altogether into, and replaced it with a Luxman that I put $30 altogether into. Everyone that has heard the Luxman has picked it as the all around hands down preferred sound when paired with the RC-70s.
You prefer the RC-70s over the V6.2s for music listening, what type of music do you listen to and what volumes is it usually played at?

My musical taste are all over the board, 60's, 70's & 80's rock. Blues, Jazz, some country.Modern day FM contemporary. My listening volumes are not as load these days.
All my listening for 2 channel are done on 70's pioneer & Kenwood amplifiers, or my Pioneer SX1080 reciever and also I have a late 70's Sony
STR-V5

Been thinking about upgrading my HTiB to the Take 5.0 for sometime now - found them at newegg for $149.99 (w/ promocode NEMKTCHOME5) until 10/27. Figured I'd share in case anyone else was lurking like me

Just picked up a pair of RC-50s and RC-10s! Excited to be part of the Energy owner's community. Pairing it with a Marantz SR6003 and hopefully getting the LCR Center and a Velodyne Impact when funds allow!

I assume it would be best to use one RC-10 as a center and wait until I get the LCR to then use the RC-10s as surrounds?

The RC-10 could work very well as a center. And if you like it, you could always buy another pair of them while they are available.

Just a suggestion, but unless you are getting a great bargain on the Velodyne Impact off MSRP, you should also look into Internet direct subs from HSU, SVS and Outlaw Audio. You'll generally get your best bang for your buck from them. For example, I have an Outlaw EX, and it's an awesome pairing with my RC-50s.

I can get an Impact 10" for $160 shipped to my door - what do you think about that?

I also picked up the last pair of RC-10s from Vanns - no more available. Will keep my eye out, however. The LCR Center seems quite expensive.

Sounds like a pretty good price. Just make sure that's enough sub for your room size.

So I just talked to a Vanns sales rep and they said that they will not be getting any more energy speakers. They also said they were inclined to believe that the company may be getting completely out of the speaker business, based on new information about their new owners. Sadface.

not Energy related, but Energy owner. Here is my 2nd DIY sub in progress:

^ Details on your 2nd DIY sub? I have really been thinking about trying this.

I am actually happy to hear that Energy may be zipped up, at least they can go out on a mostly very high regarded note, they definitely deserve it. The sooner the better.

Nice. Do you have any late 80s inyour collection? Some G N' R? I love those guys.
I almost tried out a STR-V5 a couple of weeks ago. I have tried a STR-6800 HD. It is pretty and boasts a nice build, but no head room and not enough aggression for my tastes paired with the RC-70s.
I am still deciding what will happen to my Pioneer SX-950.
I do want to try a decent Kenwood amp.

I'd prefer to see them sold off to a company that may actually do something with the brand. Klipsch sold off Aragon and Acurus, maybe Energy and Mirage could go the same path.

I agree. I would also like to see Audiovox progress technology and sound to the standards that Energy built their ideas on, but I don't expect it to happen. It more appears to be a buy up the competition type thing. Years ago, Energy produced awesome products and their passion was evident in the speakers they put out to the market. I am unable to see that with their newer offerings.

TRIO12 with 15" passive radiator. [ Build thread ]


Appetite for Destruction: One of the best albums ever!! My fave is "It's So Easy"

It's a bummer, but a good run for me with the RC generation from Energy. I've got two bedroom systems and living room system out of the last four or five years, should serve well for years:

living room 7.1 - RC-LCR, 2 RC-50, RC-10 surrounds, RC-mini's, subs : 2X Energy S10.3

my bedroom 5.1 - RC-LCR, 2 RC 10's, RC mini CC's surrounds, sub Energy ESW-V8

daughter's bedroom - RC-mini CC, 4 rc mini's. Mirage Omni S8 sub.

Spare speakers - V mini CC, 2 V mini speakers, Mirage Omnisat V2 CC.

All for way below cost, excellent sound for a long time. We use them for a large mix of music and HD-DVD, bluray sources. Can't really complain, but would have liked to get upgradeitis to an Energy speaker with the quality of the old veritas.

They made some good gear, and who knows, they may still be making it going forward. I haven't seen anything official yet.

I still enjoy my A3+2's and A2+2's. I'll probably pick up another AC-300 and give the system to my brother when I move back to CA. He's been wanting them for years.

Great to see someone else who has the Audissey line on here -- for a while I thought I was the only one! :O
Aside from about a 10-minute audition (recent post on here), I haven't really been able to hear the older Veritas speakers, so I don't know "how much I'm missing" -- but hopefully I'll get a chance to do so soon.
I really do love the soundstage the Audissey speakers can produce though!
Will be interesting to see if the difference is night-and-day, at least to my ears.

speaking of old school Energy, from the OLDEST school... a pair of the true "Reference Connoisseur" 22's just popped up on San Diego craigslist: http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/ele/3367429767.html

$1000 list price and one tweeter is dead, so obviously I'm not going to buy them, but if some afficionado in SoCal is willing to bargain with the guy and get a real rarity there they are!

There is a pair of the plain Pro 22's in San Diego for only $150 so you could use the tweeter from one of them for a spare: http://sandiego.craigslist.org/ssd/ele/3357930422.html

Hank (or anyone) do you know if the tweeters are the same on the Pro 22 and the Ref Con 22?

WOW do those things look old, lol!
BUT -- I bet they sound good!
(if a new tweeter is located!)

I had honestly never even seen a picture of those before; fun to see where Energy started.
Anyone here ever heard them?

I know how you feel. The audio hobby seems to move on to the latest/greatest with a pretty remorseless attitude. But good speakers are good speakers. I've had the Audissey's since '98, and just haven't quite been willing to part with them (hence giving to my brother so I can still visit them). The soundstage is huge, I agree. Humorously, the new DefTech Bipolar series uses a similar design concept as the Audissey's did with the asymmetrical bipolar layout. What is old is new again, right?

In comparison to the original Veritas line, well, the V1.8's and V2.8's are substantially better, as they should be with the cost difference. Much more power hungry speakers, especially the V2.8's. But man, I always loved those speakers, and especially V1.8's. A very good friend of mine, who actually used to rep for API in the late 90's, recently found and bought a pristine set of V1.8's. They still sound great. A shame they went in a different direction with the line.

I suppose the nice part of the audio hobby moving on so quickly...is the ability for some of us (like myself) to grab speakers that, if it were the other way around, would never even remotely have the opportunity to own. I've bought way more speakers than I have needed over the last few years, but I've bought all of them used, and I consider all of them an amazing bargain for the sound/price ratio, even if there's been some tweeter swapping needed (the case with the APS 5+2's, and my C-6 surrounds).

I've had a considerable attachment to the Audissey speakers, as they're the first Energy speakers I heard, back in 1998. I don't think they were the APS 5+2's, but I very vividly remember the impact they had on me. Once I was in a life-situation where I could afford / enjoy them, I searched for about 4-5 years before I found mine -- which ended up with me making a trip up to SF to purchase them (something I had fun documenting on here).

You're definitely right -- I've certainly noted & smiled at the DefTech's 'bringing it back'. A student of mine actually has a pair of the high-end ones (he works at best buy, so got a beefy discount) that he loves...I wonder how the older Audissey's stack up to the DefTech's? The higher end models have much bigger powered subwoofers built-in, from what I've seen / read. I don't know much about their driver / tweeter quality though.

The older veritas line, however, have always seemed elusive for me -- and out of price range, even on the stellar "used" market.

I think the most expensive Veritas speakers I could afford would be the 2.2's. I need to do some measuring of my main listening room and see if the 2.2's would be large enough to fill the space. I'd love some 2.4's or 2.8's (or, of course, the v1 equivalents) -- but they're pretty high up there in cost, and despite my having [what I'm told] a nice receiver in the Denon 4311, I don't know if I could even properly power speakers of that size / demand? Batpig and torht just about had me considering $1,800 on that full set of 2.xi's -- but that would have just killed my pockets...as much as I wanted to!

Of course, if I hadn't spent all I have over the years leading up to now, I'd be able to buy them without problem.
But then again...I've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of my speakers along the way -- heck, I'm in my office listening to my 5.1e's as I type.

How much did your friend end up spending on his V1.8's?

As I mentioned a local dealer had the Energy Take 5 Classic (5.0) for $299 but they had none setup to evaluate. So late friday night I checked Newegg and found they had them for $199 plus a promo code for an additional $50 off (that was to expire the next day) plus free shipping! So I decided to buy them and hope they perform well.