The Official Energy Speakers Thread

[BigAl87]

Originally Posted by callas01

I owned the Energy C series for a few years, and I still have a fondness for Energy. the veritas line will give you a marked improvement in performance over the C-series, enought to feel the upgrade was justified. Their overall performance should elevate your musical experience well. There is not much of a difference in the 3008 and 5008 in terms of sound. And to power the 5.1V monitors, you don't need the 5008, in that size of room, there isn't going to be a need for any of the extra power. The Oppo 95 has a better analog section then the 93, if you are using multi-channel out from your Oppo for audio, then the 95 will have an advantage, if you are using a digital connection and want to do it all via HDMI, then there will be no difference in the 93 v 95.

Ok, while I really have a fondness for Energy speakers, I have to say that I left them for a reason. I found that for a more musical experience and better overall HT performance that Dynaudio offered ME more. Big Al, found that Totem gave him a better experience. I can say that both brands, having heard both, offer up more then what I have experienced with Energy. That is not to say that Energy is bad, but I would highly recommend going and auditioning a few other brands. Of course if you still love Energy, then get them, I was really unsure about moving away from Energy at the time I did, but it was ultimately the best thing I did. I have no regrets about buying Dynaudio, and if I hadn't of bought Dynaudios, I probably would have bought Totems. Totem has speakers that start at $575/pr called the Dreamcatchers and then the Rainmakers $1200, Dynaudio has the DM 2/6s at $899 and also the Excite X12s at $1200.

My room is 13x16 with a 9x9 opening, I use the X16s. I can say that in all my time with Energys, I was not able to play music as deep on my C-300s as I can on the bookshelfs that I have now. I can play hip-hop without a sub and it sound like there is a sub in the room. Then I can play Classical, Jazz, acoustic, classic rock, heavy metal or alternative rock and get all that there is to experience from it.

Im not saying for you to buy Dynaudio or Totem, but as you decide to purchase something else, start auditioning other speakers and see whats best for you.

One thing I can say is that the Veritas is close to that league and they can clearly play loud with a whole lot of slam. They can take a real 175 WPC on such small bookshelf also using a 5.5 inch driver and I don't think the receiver the OP is looking for is overkill for those.

Now, all that being said, it is true that listening to other brands speakers may lead to a different purchase and truly the Totem Rainmakers and Excites X12from Dynaudio are great speakers, I also auditioned the DM 3/7 tower which I really liked, I will assume that the bookshelves from the same line sound just as great.

[callas01]

Originally Posted by BigAl87

One thing I can say is that the Veritas is close to that league and they can clearly play loud with a whole lot of slam. They can take a real 175 WPC on such small bookshelf also using a 5.5 inch driver and I don't think the receiver the OP is looking for is overkill for those.

Now, all that being said, it is true that listening to other brands speakers may lead to a different purchase and truly the Totem Rainmakers and Excites X12from Dynaudio are great speakers, I also auditioned the DM 3/7 tower which I really liked, I will assume that the bookshelves from the same line sound just as great.

The 3/7s are a little different. They share the same tweeter as the other DMs, similar cabinet build style, finishes, and basic crossover, but the 3/7s have 3" voice coils, and they use the 6.7" drivers found on the DM 2/7, but the 2/7 doesnt have 3" voice coils. That 3" coil is what gives the DMs that incredible bass everyone is raving about.

That said, they should have the same highs and upper mid-bass between the towers and bookshelfs

Oliver, let me ask you something, would you take the Veritas 5.1s instead of the Rainmakers?

[arrt vandelay]

Originally Posted by magnum4ce

My current setup consists of Onkyo TX-sn706 a/v receiver, oppo 981h player( used for SACD & DVD-A only), PS3 (used for bluray, netflix and other streaming media). My speakers setup consists of 2 C-100 bookshelf ( LF&RF), 1 C-C100 ( Center), 2 C-50 book shelf ( LR&RR) and 1 Velodyne VRP-12 sub. My room size is 15x9 with a 10ft opening on one side. Due to room dimensions, ( and preferred appearance) I cannot use floor standing speakers. So, I am limited to Bookshelf. i would also like to stay with the Energy line is possible.

My setup is used for Music AND movies. Fairly equal on both,(slight edge to music listening). However, the audio part for both are my man concern. Music played ranges from metal to classical. I like it loud. I always have the Zone 2 in use when listening to music ( for backyard)

Ok, my shopping upgrade list consists of the Onkyo TX-NR3008 or MAYBE the 5008( to replace current 706). The Oppo BDP93 or MAYBE the 95,(to replace PS3 and oppo 981h). Energy Verita V5.2 C and 4 Verita V5.1's ( to replace C-series).

a few questions and concerns. first, is the Onkyo 3008 and 5008 going to be overkill for the bookshelf speakers i currently have? or for the Veritas?

Is the audio difference between the 3008 and 5008 that big? and especially if I will be limited to bookshelf speakers?

is the audio difference between the BDP93 and 95 noticable with bookshelf speakers? ( mainly for SACD & DVD-Audio playback)

would replacing my current Energy setup to the Veritas be a noticeable upgrade in sound quality? ( due to the fact that they are both bookshelf speaker setups being driven by the Onkyo 3008 or 5008)

Thanks

if you want to stick w/ energy, i am reluctantly parting w/ a 3.0 rc-10, rc-lcr combo. they sound great and can play very loudly. i had a c-series set up(c-500s and c-100s), and the rcs are most def a step up from them. i imagine the veritas series would be the same, perhaps even more so. shoot me a pm if you're interested in the rcs...

if you really want some nice bookshelves, look into ascend acoustics. i just bought a pair of sierra-1s(replacing my current deftechs) and am amazed at their build quality and overall sound. so much so, i'm moving my deftech towers into my bedroom and selling off my energy's to complete my seirra set-up...

[BigAl87]

Originally Posted by callas01

The 3/7s are a little different. They share the same tweeter as the other DMs, similar cabinet build style, finishes, and basic crossover, but the 3/7s have 3" voice coils, and they use the 6.7" drivers found on the DM 2/7, but the 2/7 doesnt have 3" voice coils. That 3" coil is what gives the DMs that incredible bass everyone is raving about.

That said, they should have the same highs and upper mid-bass between the towers and bookshelfs

Oliver, let me ask you something, would you take the Veritas 5.1s instead of the Rainmakers?

I would not take the Veritas 5.1 over the Rainmaker due to musical taste, but I will say that they can play extremely loud, it all depends what you wish to achieve. To play loud, the Veritas is extremely impressive, I can assure you of that. You see arrt share the ability of the RC-10 to play super loud which is the same power as the 5.1.

Musicality, I would have to compare side by side but unfortunately I only heard the 175 WPC RC-10 and I know the V5.1 will reveal more details in the mids, I would have to hear them side by side V5.1 vs Rainmaker. I only heard the 6.3.

[BigAl87]

Originally Posted by callas01

The 3/7s are a little different. They share the same tweeter as the other DMs, similar cabinet build style, finishes, and basic crossover, but the 3/7s have 3" voice coils, and they use the 6.7" drivers found on the DM 2/7, but the 2/7 doesnt have 3" voice coils. That 3" coil is what gives the DMs that incredible bass everyone is raving about.

That said, they should have the same highs and upper mid-bass between the towers and bookshelfs

Oliver, let me ask you something, would you take the Veritas 5.1s instead of the Rainmakers?

The size of the voice coil helps generating a strong magnetic field but don't be fooled by the size only, the Element from Totem has tremendous outbut and bass fom a much smaller voice coil but the magnet design is particular and generates a very concentrated magnetic field. I will say that it is true that the driver alone cost 1K .

I have to agree with you the 3/7 reproduces serious amount of bass with an accuracy no often found in speakers of that price range.

[callas01]

metal tweeters are known for playing loud, loud doesn't mean good, look at klipsch. Accurate is more important, tone is also very important, I find that many of the recent metal tweeters I have heard offer up that metallic sibilance. Not my flavor anymore.


If a $7000 cant produce bass, then no one would buy them. No the size of the coil is a part of the puzzel, the DMs use double ferrite magnets to creat that strong magnetic field, it uses the ferrite magnets to keep the cost down, otherwise it would cost much more using Neodyuim magnets like the higher end lines do in their drivers.

Now the Excites have a 1.5" voice coil, they produce excellent levels of bass. There is no built in mid-bass bump at 100 hz like you see in a lot of other drivers to add dynamics. Dynaudio built their dual ferrite magnetic 1.5" voice coil extra long to add improved excursion and added dynamics. This is why they took 2 yrs building the drivers on this line.

[BigAl87]

Originally Posted by callas01

metal tweeters are known for playing loud, loud doesn't mean good, look at klipsch. Accurate is more important, tone is also very important, I find that many of the recent metal tweeters I have heard offer up that metallic sibilance. Not my flavor anymore.


If a $7000 cant produce bass, then no one would buy them. No the size of the coil is a part of the puzzel, the DMs use double ferrite magnets to creat that strong magnetic field, it uses the ferrite magnets to keep the cost down, otherwise it would cost much more using Neodyuim magnets like the higher end lines do in their drivers.

Now the Excites have a 1.5" voice coil, they produce excellent levels of bass. There is no built in mid-bass bump at 100 hz like you see in a lot of other drivers to add dynamics. Dynaudio built their dual ferrite magnetic 1.5" voice coil extra long to add improved excursion and added dynamics. This is why they took 2 yrs building the drivers on this line.

The 5.5 inch driver is what is truly phenomenal on the Veritas.

Agreed with that fact but this does not happen with Totem speakers using metal dome tweeters, I have heard this kind of metallic sound in more expensive speakers actually and this I really don't enjoy.

[donaldsonjune]

hello all,

last week i switched the settings on my rotel rsp-1066 processor from large speakers to small. i wanted to hear some music with the sub. after 7 days, i switched back to large. the rc-30 did not need the sub. smooth jazz is my choice of music.

[callas01]

Originally Posted by donaldsonjune

hello all,

last week i switched the settings on my rotel rsp-1066 processor from large speakers to small. i wanted to hear some music with the sub. after 7 days, i switched back to large. the rc-30 did not need the sub. smooth jazz is my choice of music.

sweet, if you are using them for movies, you should consider them with a crossover at around 60 hz

[broganreynik]

Originally Posted by BigAl87

Nice pictures and nice setup, just concern about the position of the CB-5 inthe first picture.

I had it set up with regular 7.1 for awhile, but it was much too close to the tv, and there's a huge opening on the left side of the room to go into the dining room, so if we wanted to move the couch back (which we went ahead and did) we wouldn't have had space to put the rears. so I set it up as 5.1 with front wides. I wasn't sure what else to do, as I didn't want to have them go to waste, so i set it up that way (which I realize isn't utilizing them that much, but it's better than nothing).

[callas01]

Today, my sales guy and I went out to BB and we just wanted to do something other then work.... lol.... so we went and listened to speakers there, and we first heard the CM8s, and he said, they sound nasally, I said they sounded a bit congested. Then we went and watched parts of Inception on the Energy CF-70s (1k) and then Hulk on the CM9s (3k). He knew the 9s were more expensive, but when I told him they were 3 times the price, he was in shock, he was like, there is no way they are worth that much, they aren't that much better, he said they sound almost similar except with maybe a little more, then he said, I would have thought you were gonna say they were like $1500, maybe $2000.

I think he wants to buy Energys.

I had to bring this up because I thought it was very interesting from the perspective of a person thats new to HT and looking for a pair of speakers for HT. He has spent time with me at my dealers place listening to the $7k Dynaudio C1s, the $10k Revel Gems, and he has been to my place a few times to hear the Dynaudio X16s, so he knows what high-end speakers sound like.

For those of you here that still own Energys, I thought you guys would like to hear this. Continue to enjoy your speakers.

[adept777]

Hey guys,

Can someone please tell me if the CF-70's are a very noticeable step up from the 30's. I currently have CF 30's for my front left and right and I am wondering if I should step up to CF 70s. Thanks!

[BigAl87]

Originally Posted by adept777

Hey guys,

Can someone please tell me if the CF-70's are a very noticeable step up from the 30's. I currently have CF 30's for my front left and right and I am wondering if I should step up to CF 70s. Thanks!

would defenately open the sound even more and you would get more lows for sure, the sound stage will feel bigger but that depends on your room size if you want really loud then yes but I recommend a serious power amp to drive the CF-70 to their best.

[adept777]

Originally Posted by BigAl87

would defenately open the sound even more and you would get more lows for sure, the sound stage will feel bigger but that depends on your room size if you want really loud then yes but I recommend a serious power amp to drive the CF-70 to their best.

Thanks for your input.. I appreciate it! If you don't mind here are the next set of questions I have: btw, I am sorry for I am a real rook when it comes to HT setup as this is my first time.
First my setup:
Onkyo HT RC270
Definitive Tech Pro Center 1000 - Center
Definitive Tech Pro Monitor 800 - Front Left and Right
Definitive Tech Pro Monitor 800 - Surround
Polk Audio RM 7 - Surround Back
Polk Audio PSW10 - Subwoofer

So, I went ahead and bought the CF70s to replace my small DT Pro Monitor 800s with a floor standing CF70s. Now do you think the Onkyo HT RC270 is good enough to fire up the energy speakers?? What do you think of this setup? Should swap change or remove anything? Thanks for your help.

[BigAl87]

Originally Posted by adept777

Thanks for your input.. I appreciate it! If you don't mind here are the next set of questions I have: btw, I am sorry for I am a real rook when it comes to HT setup as this is my first time.
First my setup:
Onkyo HT RC270
Definitive Tech Pro Center 1000 - Center
Definitive Tech Pro Monitor 800 - Front Left and Right
Definitive Tech Pro Monitor 800 - Surround
Polk Audio RM 7 - Surround Back
Polk Audio PSW10 - Subwoofer

So, I went ahead and bought the CF70s to replace my small DT Pro Monitor 800s with a floor standing CF70s. Now do you think the Onkyo HT RC270 is good enough to fire up the energy speakers?? What do you think of this setup? Should swap change or remove anything? Thanks for your help.

For now your Onkyo Receiver should be just fine to drive the CF-70, it's not bad at all, your receiver also has what we call preouts which will alllow you to connect it to a power amp which would help the CF-70 since they can take alot of power. My next up grade in your case would be the center, I would get the CC-10 to match my front sound stage.

After you can slowly replace the rest of the components in your system. Just let us know when you get to the sub since there is so many options out there better than the Energy sub specially their entry level, maybe just a lttle better than the current Polk you own but not much. If you are satisfied with the Polk sub for now don't change it yet.

A Center first to have seemless transition across the fronts from left to right and vice versa.

[callas01]

Originally Posted by adept777

Thanks for your input.. I appreciate it! If you don't mind here are the next set of questions I have: btw, I am sorry for I am a real rook when it comes to HT setup as this is my first time.
First my setup:
Onkyo HT RC270
Definitive Tech Pro Center 1000 - Center
Definitive Tech Pro Monitor 800 - Front Left and Right
Definitive Tech Pro Monitor 800 - Surround
Polk Audio RM 7 - Surround Back
Polk Audio PSW10 - Subwoofer

So, I went ahead and bought the CF70s to replace my small DT Pro Monitor 800s with a floor standing CF70s. Now do you think the Onkyo HT RC270 is good enough to fire up the energy speakers?? What do you think of this setup? Should swap change or remove anything? Thanks for your help.

you receiver is on the same level as say the Onkyo 708, which will do a good job at powering the CF-70s. Big Al is right in that they will enjoy even more power later down the road.

If i could suggest, when you get the CF-70s, just remove the def tect center channel and run the speakers in what is called Phantom mode. The fronts will play in Stereo and the surrounds will play like normal. Then yes, and the center channel and them get a sub after that.

[BigAl87]

Originally Posted by callas01

you receiver is on the same level as say the Onkyo 708, which will do a good job at powering the CF-70s. Big Al is right in that they will enjoy even more power later down the road.

If i could suggest, when you get the CF-70s, just remove the def tect center channel and run the speakers in what is called Phantom mode. The fronts will play in Stereo and the surrounds will play like normal. Then yes, and the center channel and them get a sub after that.

The OP has to setup his speakers to tell the receiver he has no center anymore or else he will lose his speech.

He should run audissey after.

[callas01]

Originally Posted by BigAl87

The OP has to setup his speakers to tell the receiver he has no center anymore or else he will lose his speech.

He should run audissey after.

no he doesn't, at least i didn't on my Integra, audyssey measures for the center and all of the speakers in general, but it will not detect a center channel and will automatically adjust to there not being a center channel.

[BigAl87]

Originally Posted by callas01

no he doesn't, at least i didn't on my Integra, audyssey measures for the center and all of the speakers in general, but it will not detect a center channel and will automatically adjust to there not being a center channel.

Ok that makes sense.

Would also work my way

[adept777]

Originally Posted by BigAl87

For now your Onkyo Receiver should be just fine to drive the CF-70, it's not bad at all, your receiver also has what we call preouts which will alllow you to connect it to a power amp which would help the CF-70 since they can take alot of power. My next up grade in your case would be the center, I would get the CC-10 to match my front sound stage.

After you can slowly replace the rest of the components in your system. Just let us know when you get to the sub since there is so many options out there better than the Energy sub specially their entry level, maybe just a lttle better than the current Polk you own but not much. If you are satisfied with the Polk sub for now don't change it yet.

A Center first to have seemless transition across the fronts from left to right and vice versa.

Originally Posted by callas01

you receiver is on the same level as say the Onkyo 708, which will do a good job at powering the CF-70s. Big Al is right in that they will enjoy even more power later down the road.

If i could suggest, when you get the CF-70s, just remove the def tect center channel and run the speakers in what is called Phantom mode. The fronts will play in Stereo and the surrounds will play like normal. Then yes, and the center channel and them get a sub after that.

Thank a lot guys!! It was very insightful indeed. So, do you guys think that Energy is better than Def Tech? I ask cause I was thinking maybe I should go from my pro center 1000 to 2000. Or do you guys suggest the CC 10 cause its better to have speakers from the same maker?