Energy Owners Thread - Page 1409

LOL.....I have enough skin in my own game!

What do you think about putting the center channel under the TV where the 3311 currently is? The V5.2C is 19.5" w x 7.6" h.

I've been reading back through your posts. I've never listened to polk speakers except for the base models in best buy. From that, and from what i have read others say, polk tends to be on the bright side and can be quite fatiguing to the ears when listening to music for any length of time.

The energy brand is known more for the smooth, well balanced sound. I have the RC-10's and the V5.1 bookshelf speakers. The RC-10's in my opinion are too laid back for music. The V5.1's are slightly brighter than the RC-10's and in my opinion have a very good balance of smoothness and dynamics. That being said....you stated that these will be used for 75% music which leads be to believe that the veritas would be a better match for your needs than the polks.

The 75t has a msrp of $500 where the V6.2 have a MSRP of $1200. The 75t's are approximately $200 each in the Newegg package, and the V6.2's are $300 at wwstereo. So I think the bang for the buck advantage goes to the energy's.

Regarding the subwoofer, I live in a condo as well. I have RC-30 fronts (play down to 40hz) and no subwoofer. In my condo, just the towers provide plenty of bass. I have a S10.3 sub which sits unplugged in my spare room because I would disturb the neighbors. My point here is that you may find that the V6.2's (play down to 33 hz) may provide enough bass that you dont need a subwoofer in your condo setup.

So there's my spiel.....I think you would be happier with the veritas and I think they are a better bang for the buck. But if you are happy with the sound of your current polks and you cant find a way to fit the V5.2C in your entertainment center, then go for the polks.

Good luck!
Edited by kgallerie - 11/28/12 at 6:38am

Brilliant! I was immediately impressed by your creativity; it also shows that you closely examined the photo I posted. And you correctly surmised that that compartment has enough clearance (8") for the V5.2C.

Unfortunately, the V5.2C, at 19.5", is too wide by about 1/2". Also, you could not know from a casual look at my set-up that it would be impractical and probably physically impossible space-wise, to move the components around as you suggested. If push came to shove, there is probably a way I could accommodate the arrangement you suggest--after all, that lower center compartment would really be the ideal place to put the center channel. I could make it work if, for example, I were willing to give up my turntable (32-year-old Sansui P-L95R automatic with dual tone arms), but i am not ready to relinquish my collection of jazz and classical LP's. Color me ancient.

I think the only practical solution, if I really wanted the CF-70's, would be to stick with the CC-5, and it seems that's not a very desirable pairing and perhaps too much of a compromise.

So I've decided, based on all the input, to go with newegg's combo package of the Polk Audio Monitor 75t's together with the PSW505 SW for about $580. I like the improved styling of the 75t's over the Monitor 70's, and I didn't want to miss out on the price break, with the 75t's selling alone for $320 each (reduced from $500). After discussing pairing issues with three different Polk rep's, I've also purchased the Polk Blackstone series TL250 5.0 system, which has a much beefier center (TL2C) than my current RM7C. I'll use two of the TL250's four satellites in place of my RM7's as FH's and use the two remaining TL2's in my dining room (zone 2) in place of my current Kenwood KL-333D bookshelf speakers. That leaves the last two RM7's for surrounds. This allows me to sell cheaply my now unneeded but still fully functional Technics SB-5000's (2), Kenwood KL-333D's (2), as well as the superfluous Polk RM705 set (as a 3.1) on craigslist.

My total cost for the eight speakers is about $900.

Here's how my total A/V set-up will look once the new products arrive:


Denon AVR-3311CI
AudioSource AMP100 (powering zones 2 and 3)
Polk Audio Monitor 75t (2) FL/R
Polk Audio TL2C Center
Polk Audio RM7 SL/R
Polk Audio TL2 FHL/R
Polk PSW505 SW
Polk Audio TL2 (2) zone 2 (dining room)
BIC MSR-PRO6 (2) zone 3 (master bath)

Sony KDL-46XBR5 (soon to be replaced with KDL-55HX850)
TiVo Premiere Elite
Sony BDP-S570
Samsung DVD-VR375 VCR/DVD recorder
Sony SCD-CE595 CD changer


Many, many thanks to you, neutro, and the omnipresent batpig for your very helpful responses. I really appreciate the time you took to provide thoughtful feedback. For what it's worth, I also posted my query on the Polkies' thread with zero response.

Wow, great thoughts! I had already posted my previous reply before I saw the expanded comments that you appended to your last post. I generally like the sound of Polk speakers but admit that I have yet to hear the 75t's (not even Polk's regional sales rep has seen them yet in person). Unless I am willing to get the T6.2's as well and listen to them side by side with the 75t's in my condo, I guess I will never know which I prefer. If it were just a question of fronts, I agree that the T6.2's probably represent better value but I am concerned about the overall surround speaker system package and am confident that all the new Polk's will be complementary and at a terrific total cost. We also like their looks, although the Veritas line is sexier IMO.

Thanks again, from the bottom of my heart, for your helpful suggestions. I will keep your plan in mind (although I would have to substitute the V-Mini-C due to space considerations) in case I am not happy with the Polks.
Edited by chi_guy50 - 11/28/12 at 8:03am

Quality asside... from what I read, the Veritas line is much better than the Polk Monitor line... the 75T's are 3.-way vs the Veritas 6.2 are 2.5-way. So, it's not really apples to apples. But, even the Polk forums I read say that, when owners of the Monitors jump to the higher line Polks, like the RTi, the difference is really noticeable.

I believe you are right. I was really aiming for the TSi line (with Tsi500 fronts) but couldn't match the center. The new 75t and its smaller brethren seem to be a cross between the Monitor II and TSi lines. The RTi and even higher LSi lines are better but at a much greater cost; and then, for my living room application, it becomes an issue of accommodating the beefy matching centers.

No problem at all. Like I said, it was fun playing with your setup since I have no $ involved and wouldnt have to do any of the work moving everything around!

Congrats on the purchases! I hope you like them. I was actually going to respond mentioning the v-mini center, but looks like you beat me to it. Its definitely not as good compared to the V5.2C, but it may suit your needs since you said you do mostly music listening and your space requirements.

This energy thread is probably the most helpful and friendly thread that I have come across on the multiple forums I am on, so it doesnt surprise me that they helped you out here and not in the polk thread.

Good luck with your set up. Once you get it set up, check in and let us know what you think........or cancel your order now and get the energy's!

edit: Also, IIRC, you have some def tech speakers, maybe your heights? Those typically work pretty well with energy speakers as surrounds or heights.

No, I was originally thinking of getting the DT ProMonitor 800's as FH's to match with the CF-70's.

And I will remember to check back in with my feedback (FWIW) once the new speakers are set up.

I was just playing around on wwstereo and it looks like the V6.2's are sold out. They are listed as discontinued.

I know this is the Energy forum, but I'll take the hit continuing the post here, since you're question was how it related to the Energy. Again, from what I've read... the Polk Monitor line and the TSi line are just about, if not exactly, the same. Certainly there's no difference between the Monitor Series II and XXT's. Take a look at the specs. So, going with the TSi over the Monitors... no difference. Going to the Energy... big improvement.

Right. I was referring to both sound and styling. We much prefer the appearance of the TSi (and now the XXt's) over the Monitor II.

Back to Energy-related issues: I wanted to ask how the V6.2's compare sonically to the CF-70's. I've listened to and was impressed by the latter but have not auditioned the former. Even if they are discontinued, I can always hope to find them available on the secondary market.

I can't comment on the V6.2's compare to the CF-70's, as I don't have either. However, I do not believe that the Veritas 6.2's are discontinued. Perhaps the seller posted their webpage incorrectly. A post to the Energy Facebook page will get you an answer, from Energy.

Good idea; I'll do that.

I was hoping that perhaps kgallerie would chime in since it was he who first suggested the V6.2's to me.

chi_guy50 is that a screen protector on your tv?also what you have under the tv?is that to protect the entertainment center?looks like you are a very cautious person.You just miss a excellent and hard to beat deal for been too cautious.veritas 6.2 are now out of stock.
Edited by losservatore - 11/28/12 at 10:46am

no offense... but are you kidding me? You obviously are aware of my website right, and the gazillion links and FAQ's available?

start here and get reading: http://batpigworld.com/wp/?page_id=37

chi_guy... I've heard the entry-level Polk stuff (e.g. TSi) and honestly they are not even in the same league as the Veritas line. It's simply a MUCH higher end speaker. The TSi / Monitor are entry-level products that are fairly comparable to the current Energy Connoisseur line, although I still prefer the Energy stuff as I think entry level Polk sounds like garbage. To be fair I haven't hear their higher end RTi and LSi lines which get very good reviews, but I've been utterly unimpressed with the stuff I've heard from the low end lines.

Sorry....I've never heard the CF/CB series. From what I've read, they are brighter and more forward than the veritas, and too bright for many on here. They are probably closer to the sound of the polks, but I cant really confirm that since I havent heard them.

I have the CF-70's, and they sound better then the Polks mentioned here. The CF-70's comapred to the V6.2's, I give the V6.2's the top spot there. Keep in mind this is for 2 channel listening. Your amplifier or reciever also is going to make a difference. The CF-70's were not bad with my newer recievers, but once I hooked them up to my old old Sony STR V-5 it was a good match for my expectations. Dont know if that will help but thought I would throw that out there.

Anyone know if the CB-20's are discontinued?

Based on a response I received, from a post to the Energy Facebook page...

"The current Connoisseur line is the replacement of the RC line and you would definitely be a fan of the CF-70s: http://www.energy-speakers.com/tower-speakers/?sku=CF-70""

The answer should be "no, they are not". But, it won't hurt to ask them.

Pair of CF-70s here on AVS classifieds for $370 shipped....

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1441944/pair-of-energy-cf-70-like-new-free-shipping

Yes the connoisseur the reference connoisseur and veritas v series are discontinued product.

I would expect the Energy Veritas line to be superior--though at a considerable premium in cost. My wife and I are big music lovers but no audiophiles and I am not sure that we would fully appreciate the difference. As far as the Polks being "garbage" well, this IS an Energy thread and I would expect folks here to be partial to their sound. Personally, I have been very happy with the performance of my RM7 surrounds. And the user ratings for the Polks are generally sky-high on Amazon and newegg. For example, the Monitor70 II has 288 reviews at newegg and 91% are 4 or 5 out of 5 eggs; at Amazon it's 85 out of 87 reviews at 4 or 5. That's some impressive customer satisfaction.

But your comments are significant to me nonetheless because I came here to ask for the relative merits of the CF-70 (Connoisseur line) to the Polk Audio (Monitor line) 75t. So you are confirming that for you the two are comparable although you prefer the former. And you state unequivocally that the Veritas is a big step up. So if I decide I want to spend a lot more and IF I can either settle for the V-Mini-C or find a place for the V5.2C, that is the way to go, yes?



Thanks again, guys. That's all good input. It's sincerely appreciated!

Probably not. But as always Energy products suffer from a bizarre distribution problem. In Canada, FutureShop is probably the more prominent retailer who carry the brand. But they don't have the CF-70s nor the CB-5 and CC-5, and they recently abandoned the CB-20 and replaced them with the CB-10, which they didn't offer before.

Seems like we have conflicting information.

AdamITR...
Nothing wrong with posting to the Energy Facebook page, though. That way you'll get it from the horses mouth.

The Sony XBR4 and XBR5 series LCD TV's (model year 2007) featured a unique bezel style. That's the glass bezel you see surrounding the screen. As a result, the most recent 55" Sony's, which have the currently stylish narrow bezel, are almost exactly the same width as my 46" XBR5.

The TV sits on a black glass topped swivel since the TV's stand does not itself rotate.


Didn't really miss out since I would have to resolve the center channel issue. Besides, as a dedicated and assiduous comparison shopper I can reassure you of one general principal: There will always be another sale!

I'm sorry I'm just trying to figuring out why you didn't get the veritas,Is practicably a gift.

Lots of factors to consider besides sound, among which are cost, space, reliability, system compatibility, and aesthetics. I'm looking for the best all-around solution and the good folks here have been kind enough to provide me with much useful information and opinion.

BTW, I see that the V6.2's are still available new from an eBay reseller for $900 a pair. And WW has the V-mini-C listed for $180 and the V-5.2C for $250 (also on eBay). So the door is still open, you see--although we ARE talking two to three times the cost of my current 7.1 speaker set-up!

nothing special needed, just USE them


-10dB is fine, the important thing to remember about power is that the decibel scale is logarithmic, so at -10dB you are using ONE TENTH of the power of reference level. At -15dB you are using about one thirtieth the power.... so nothing that would come remotely close to damaging the speakers.

this is also the reason it takes a long time to get audible, and then gets louder very fast as you approach reference level (0). The volume growth looks kinda like this:




did you not see my post above? There is so much information out there for you to use, just read it

Chi-guy.....you are right to assume that there would be a bias toward energy in an energy owners thread.....so take any thing here with a little grain of salt. Batpig (a very, very well respected member on here, you should check out his denon site if you havent yet......batpigworld.com) didnt say that the monitors are garbage, he said that he thinks they sound like garbage. So it was just his opinion on how they sound.......probably one of the many that feels they are overly bright like I was talking about earlier. Some people like that type of sound....so you might be one of them.

As for the veritas being way more expensive, the V6.2's were only $299 and the V5.2C was only $219. Thats $817 total. Less than the $9XX that you paid. But to get a sub and matching surrounds would have cost you more.

Again, good luck with the polks! We are always happy to provide input if you decide you dont like them.
Edited by kgallerie - 11/28/12 at 1:52pm