I have a pair of these wonderful speakers, and you can't beat the price! I am powering them by a yamaha receiver. Together they make an excellent combination. After a lot of research i chose these speakers i am very pleased an easy five stars

Energy e:XL 25 Speakers: I purchase these new speakers in August 98, paying only
$638.00 Canadian. I was just amased at the excellent sound they reproduced on my
Pioneer VSX-D602S amp. In A@B sound room we listen to all different makes up to
$1500.00 range, these sleek little speakers out did them all. There was not enough difference in sound quility to pay $295.00 more the flagship e:XL26 speakers, I think you would have to pay double this amount (1500.00+) to improve
quility. Im looking to uograde my pioneer amp, any suggestons? Pioneer amps have been crape for the last 3 years.

My local dealer reccommends these as the best sub-$1000 speaker he carries, and, you know, I agree with him. (He carries several other top brands, such as Paradigm, Mirage, Ruark, Platinum, Aerial, so this is no faint praise). I compared these head-to-head with the Energy C-6, which is a similar speaker - same sized mid/low cones, but bigger tweeter, different cone material, bigger cabinet, but basically the same design. Anyway, there are definate differences, but to tell you the truth, I didn't walk away feeling that the C-6 was a better speaker. Just different. And the EXL-26 is $500 less! The treble is smooth, the midrange is full and fairly warm, the soundstage is very large for a small room. If I had to pick one area in which the -26 is a little inferior, it is the bass - it is deep and loud, but has the tendency to bloat all over the rest of the music and can be a little "one-notey." I will note that this most recent audition was in combination with a Jolida SJ502 integrated tube amp, so some of the bass bloat could be from the tubes. I heard the -26 with a solid-state amp earlier and it didn't bloat as much (although the mid's weren't as nice, either.) At any rate, if you're looking for a sub-$1000 speaker with a big, clear sound, have a listen to these. In an overall context, these are probably 3.5 speakers, but I'll give them a 4 for the price. Nice work, Energy!

I recently purchased a pair of Energy XL26 speakers. In fact, I like them so much, I bought a second pair for my office. They are incredibly natural sounding speakers that image clearly. They are sensitive in presenting overtones and make harmonics smile. The low end is wonderful. No need for a sub here. I have compared them to B&W speakers for more than twice the price and they surpass any speaker that I have auditioned for less $1,700 a pair or less. For $750.00 a pair they are an incredible bargain.

I totally agree with stee about Energy e:xl 26 speakers. I first purchased a pair of Def Techs BP 8s and was given a demo pair while waiting for my new pair to arrive. when in my home I found that the BP 8 sounds a bit unnatural and a tad bright on the highs, but the bass extention is fantastic. I went back to audition more speakers like Mission, Celestion, Kef and finally set eyes on the little known e:xl which I was told a brand new model from Energy. The imaging and soundstage was so natural that it sounds like it's been connected out of phase. I have own this speakers for about 2 months and it seems to sound better each day. Right now I am driving this speakers with a Teac AC 3 receiver. I believe if driven from a better receiver it will even sound better. I am hoping to see this speakers review by audio magazine soon and see what they had to say.Of course 5 stars from me.

I've heard these and I'm not sure why they have gotten the mixed reactions. Joe Hageman of Home Theater Magazine declared this the best audio value of 1998! How could this be? Anyway, I was going to get the NHT 1.5 and then this caught my eye. Which is better for me? I'll use them mostly for home theater.

I bought a pair about a month ago, and they sound pretty good to me. Very clear highs, nice mids, but bass can be boomy. I replaced a set of Cerwin-Vega AT10s,which had muddy mids and sloppy bass.

I have long been listening to the reviews on the site and was puzzled by the vast mixing of opinions on this speaker pair. There is no vendor in my area to audition. This Christmas, I visited my parents in California. I jumped at the chance to audition the Energy e:XL tower series (25/26). I was suprised that the 26's were on sale for $327, and the 25's for $267. I was sure I was going to be walking out of the store with a pair. Boy, was I wrong.
The 26's were noticeably clearer and more sensitive than the 25's. The bass was fairly tight and fast and the extension was decent. I found the highs very smooth and relaxed. But the midrange was horrible. I always judge speakers with music first and then with home theater. Guitar plucks sounded like a Casio synthesizer on the Energys. The midrange was more than muddled, female vocals were very unnatural. The Klipsch Synergy KSF 10.5 towers put these speakers to shame. The same CD tracks (played on the same Yamaha receiver) sounded "live" on the Klipsch, making the Energys sound like FM. The only advantage the Energy had was a smoother high frequency response. The Energys sounded so bad on music tracks, it never got any play on movies. Sorry, 3 stars for the sale price value, 2 stars for performance.

I purchased my e:XL-26s, e:XL-C and ES-8 a couple of months ago and have been very pleased with their performance. I spent a couple of months listening to various speakers from JBL, Polk, Infinity, Paradigm, Cerwin-Vega, Bose...to name a few. The Energys have no problems with mid-range and offer great base when used in a mid-sized room. I think these speakers are best described as being "smooth", the highs and mids are clearly defined without being harsh and loud. I'm not one who likes "cranking-up" my movies or music, I expect my sound to be just as clear at low volumes as it is when it's loud and these speakers deliver on that note. If you want great looking and full sounding speakers without blowing the entire wad, you can't beat the e:XLs. Listen for yourself.

I have to agree with the previos post. Break these speakers in before passing judgement on them. I have just recently brought these into my home and in the beginning they sounded to harsh. But as time passed by, they got better and better. The sound they produce now, compared to the first couple of days, is totally astonishing. Clean, precise, everything you would want from a pair of speakers. Get these when you can.