Cerwin Vega CLS-215 Floorstanding Speakers

Cerwin Vega CLS-215 Floorstanding Speakers 

DESCRIPTION

Simply the biggest, baddest tower on the market, the CLS-215 features two cast frame high excursion 15-inch woofers and delivers earth-shaking bass down to 24 Hz. With guaranteed “eviction notice” performance, the CLS-215 also features a 6.5-inch mid-range speaker and a 1-inch soft dome tweeter coupled to a proprietary waveguide.

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-7 of 7  
[Mar 17, 2013]
Brad Pentecost
Audio Enthusiast

Bought these online directly from CV. You can't find these in stores anymore. All they want to sell now is small stuff. Pushing them from a 150W integrated amp. The sound quality is very good. The bass comes all the way from the cellar. Does not boom at all but goes very deep and they do it effortlessly. Downright sensual. The waveguides for the tweeter and midrange provide a very good sound stage. Placement for these does not seem to be as critical as with other floorstanding speakers I have owned. (Just make sure you allow for some space behind them. The reflex ports aim out of the back of the cabinet.)
I have a wide latitude into what types of music I listen to. Classical, Jazz, Rock, R&B, Old School Soul, etal. I don't find myself wanting another type of speaker when I switch genres. They just deliver decent quality no matter what I listen to. You do need some distance from the speakers to get the full effect of the bass. (Around 12 feet.) Any closer and you seem to lose some of the low end. Guess it takes that distance for the lower registers to couple the air. The most striking thing about them is not when they are played loud, at which they excel, but when you listen to them at low levels so as to allow for normal conversation. The lows and highs are still "all there" without any need for equalization enhancement. You literally don't need any tone controls for these speakers. Just an amp. with a volume knob will suffice.
Many advances have been made in speaker design to get them smaller and in the process provide good sound. I haven't heard anything even remotely close to these speakers in this price class as far as room filling sound is concerned. Even with a subwoofer the sensuality of the bass just isn't there with the others. I have some friends who have spent a lot more money than I have on stereo/surround systems and when I visit them, they have to show the gear off and blast it to impress me. (They have to blast it because at normal conversational levels, there is nothing there.) So here we are listening to these things with tweeters that are bleating, midrange that is honking, and bass that sounds extremely boomy, but not on all the notes. Then yelling, they ask me "how do they sound?" I just answer them, not as loudly, "they're, ahem, er, very nice." Then I go home, turn mine on, relax, and say "aaaaah."

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 30, 2010]
bobbby2679
Audio Enthusiast

First off, I should mention that I live in a 150+ year old solid stone building, on the second floor above a bar/restaurant. What I'm saying is that I live in a VERY solid building that doesn't let much noise through to the neighbors and I have a bar below me that is playing pretty loud music late at night-that is the type of situation you need to truly enjoy these speakers! If you live in a regular wooden frame house with neighbors anywhere near in any direction, it will be like owning a Ferrari you can only drive under 25 MPH. These speakers play so loud and so clear, it is amazing. The bass response and the ability to "feel the music" you are playing is like a whole new dimension to many songs. I listen to a lot of rock, electronica and music like that and these speakers blow me away every time.

I bought them from an electronics wholesaler I do business with that carries them and got a great deal. Luckily, they have a warehouse a few miles from my home, because it would cost a LOT of money to ship them anywhere, they are huge and very heavy (100+ lbs) I have a full-size car and there wasn't a chance of fitting them in the car or the trunk, I had to use a truck to carry them home-one at a time! I have them running off of a "no-name" 800 watt DJ amp, which is hooked up to my PC, via a USB DAC. The bar below me has a very nice sound system, EV and JBL speakers and about 4,000 watts worth of Crown amps, but if I crank up the Vegas during their business hours, I will get a call because I'm interfering with their sound! That's how powerful they are and it is amazing how clear the sound is, even at incredible volumes.

I know, Cerwin Vega has a name that some "audiophiles" sneer at a bit, calling them things like "frat house speakers". I'd urge you to google "CLS-215" and read some of the reviews that several audio writers have given them, people who are used to reviewing some very high-end stereo equipment. I haven't found a bad review yet! Are they a match for say the, Marten Coltrane Supreme? No, of course not, you could buy hundreds of them for the cost of one of those, but for what most normal people with normal supplies of cash can afford, they are awesome. I have owned quite a few different "excellent speakers" over the years and I have never found a pair so addictive and yet sensibly priced.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 30, 2010]
Robert Taylor
Audio Enthusiast

First off, I should mention that I live in a 150+ year old solid stone building, on the second floor above a bar/restaurant. What I'm saying is that I live in a VERY solid building that doesn't let much noise through to the neighbors and I have a bar below me that is playing pretty loud music late at night-that is the type of situation you need to truly enjoy these speakers! If you live in a regular wooden frame house with neighbors anywhere near in any direction, it will be like owning a Ferrari you can only drive under 25 MPH. These speakers play so loud and so clear, it is amazing. The bass response and the ability to "feel the music" you are playing is like a whole new dimension to many songs. I listen to a lot of rock, electronica and music like that and these speakers blow me away every time.

I bought them from an electronics wholesaler I do business with that carries them and got a great deal. Luckily, they have a warehouse a few miles from my home, because it would cost a LOT of money to ship them anywhere, they are huge and very heavy (100+ lbs) I have a full-size car and there wasn't a chance of fitting them in the car or the trunk, I had to use a truck to carry them home-one at a time! I have them running off of a "no-name" 800 watt DJ amp, which is hooked up to my PC, via a USB DAC. The bar below me has a very nice sound system, EV and JBL speakers and about 4,000 watts worth of Crown amps, but if I crank up the Vegas during their business hours, I will get a call because I'm interfering with their sound! That's how powerful they are and it is amazing how clear the sound is, even at incredible volumes.

I know, Cerwin Vega has a name that some "audiophiles" sneer at a bit, calling them things like "frat house speakers". I'd urge you to google "CLS-215" and read some of the reviews that several audio writers have given them, people who are used to reviewing some very high-end stereo equipment. I haven't found a bad review yet! Are they a match for say the, Marten Coltrane Supreme? No, of course not, you could buy hundreds of them for the cost of one of those, but for what most normal people with normal supplies of cash can afford, they are awesome. I have owned quite a few different "excellent speakers" over the years and I have never found a pair so addictive and yet sensibly priced.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 30, 2009]
bmw528e
AudioPhile

I have to start out by saying i have heard a lot people that say there system shake the house or you will have the cops called on you for how loud they get but i gaurentee that these speakers will make pictures fall off walls the people five house down will call the cops on you now what i have is two cls 215 and two clsc 215 all running with there own adcom gfa 555 mono for each speaker at about 680 watts per speakers running threw adcom home theater reciever with three klipsch 12 synegry speakers . I can not believe how loud and clean these speakers sound when i am pushing them 75 percent of the people cant stand to be in the room when i am useing them for souround sound the sound stage is un real way better than any movie theater when bombs go off it feels like you lose your breath it hits so hard i have had many other speakers but i will never go back to bose or speaker lab or carver speakers again i am cv fan threw and threw

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jul 30, 2009]
CLS 215
Audio Enthusiast

I can't pretend to have listened to high-end gear but spent some time listening to speakers in the £500-£2000 range for over a year before making this decision. I listended to various Dalis, Mordaunt Short, Polks, KEF, the list goes on. It was only after deciding to forego a sound system for other expenditure that I heard these at a DJ store, wired into an awful PA amplifier. They commanded attention straight away, and not because of their brash presentation. Always controlled, incisive and musical, they were, frankly, a revelation. I had a mid-range Sony amp hooked up (can't remember what model; a 1990s one before Sony gave up on decent hifi amps) that they had in store and my goodness, the sound just became all-enveloping. I started listening to the music and not just hearing it. Huge soundstage, both front/back and left/right, an effortless grace with classical music, driving brilliance with rock and pop with impeccable timing...just what I wanted. So, I now have these puppies and am contemplating adding some monoblocks as each change of amplifier so far has pulled more and more out of the Cerwin Vegas. I respect my ears and don't listen at high volumes and don't need to with these as the detail retrieval at low volumes is like no other speaker I have heard. Stunning with DVD sound (I don't run a surround system any more.) So, ignore all the comments about frat parties and beer swilling louts only buying these, They are a serious speaker and worth of consideration by anyone that has the space. A very fair review can be found here: http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/cerwinvega_cls215.htm although I disagree with having to listen on the tweeter axis; to me the speaker works best listening on mid range which makes it fine for sitting in a sofa of reasonable height. Highly recommended without hesitation. Oh, and they just sound better and better as time goes by and they loosen up. I look forward to better and better things from them.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Nov 25, 2007]
dcadence
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Bass as always. But even though CV has always been known for bass, it's more than just punchy or boomy. The low frequencies will send "Shock Waves" through anything nearby or not. And unlike some other CV models, the tweeter/midrange combination is incredibly clear, crisp, and accurate.

Weakness:

Most people today seem to steer away from larger speakers. But sometimes to achieve the right sound, you need size. They are big, but you'll hear sound like never before heard in the home if powered right.

I have to start out by saying that these are amazing. Now for those out there who have disrespected the name of Cerwin Vega haven't heard these as well as the previous model (CLSC-215). These cover all ground for sound. They have an incredible, accurate sound. All frequencies that are thrown at them are met. I am a huge Cerwin Vega fan and even I have to admit that some of the earlier speakers may have lacked some of the soundstage that other brands offer( except for the bass department). These will run best if amplified properly. These speakers come equipped with two speaker terminals, one for the tweeter/midrange, and the other for the 2 15's. I run my pair with the highs running right off the receiver and then I run the lows through the receiver into an EQ where ONLY the low freqency bands are active. Then from the EQ into a 400 watt amp. Now I ran into the EQ first because my amp is full range. So both EQ and amp together give me a very strong low frequency running into my 15's. You can run more than a 400 watt amp, but that's I need for satisfation for these. So it's almost like getting what you would get out of a very good car stereo into your house but with use of house equipment. These are good for amazing stereo or dominating home theater. And unlike all other HT's, if powered right, you will not need a separate powered sub, there is no need. The sound will be exceptable with just a receiver, but "out of this world" with the proper amplification. You will not be disappointed.

Similar Products Used:

Cerwin Vega CLSC-215 (highly reccomend these if you could still find them)

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Aug 26, 2007]
Adrain
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Excellent Highs and Bass.

Weakness:

They are very heavy but if you are looking for 80"s sound it's worth it.

I like 80's music I tried other speakers like Polk but only the CV can reproduce the bass I want. I had to add a parametric EQ to acomodate highs and Mids.
Last itme I hear loud 2 pictures fall off the wall due to extreme bass. I also had the police knocking on my door they play loud and the quality is fair even at low volume,
Overall the speakers are excellent for the price paid.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

N/A

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 1-7 of 7  

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