I just purchased these speakers over the weekend along with the e:XL-C. This set up replaces the take fives. Keeping the take two's for the rear & already have the es-12 sub. I can tell you this....For the money this is the best!I first started listening with music & was simply blown away. My fiance was smiling with her eyes closed & was pointing at the sound stage picking out the musicians.
Then came the movies. Using a DSS I againg was blown away. I loved my take 5's but the differance in the soundstage was amazing! Then I fired up the DVD player. WOW!!!
And to think I've only had these babies for two days! I can't wait until they are broken in!!!

I truly do not understand the people who are giving this speaker a bad review. They must have been listening to it on an inferior system (despite what they claim). I had my Denon ARV-3200 driving these speakers using Transparent Wave 100 speaker wire. The sound was very, very good. There is no question, however, that these speakers require a good sub to work well. I'm using an Energy e:XL-12s.
The other day, I picked up some Marantz MA-500 Monoblock amps to drive these using the pre-outs on the AVR-3200. Wow!! The power of the Marantz amps (125 watts) really opened these speakers up. What was good sound quality is now phenomonal sound. Especially for the price. The extra power allows these speakers to extend well below the 80Hz crossover of the AVR-3200. They still require a good sub for movies, but most music is easily reproduced at levels up to and exceding 110 dB. Everything from Schlinder's list and Beethoven to Austin Powers 2 soundtrack and Bullworth's club scene sound amazing. In movies, everything from huge explosions to the gentle hum of flourescent lights and the faint cooling of a catalytic converter in Contact is reproduced with astounding accuracy.

These speakers require a good system to run well. If you don't have the budget for good source equipment and amplification, stick with one of Energy's smaller speakers (e:XL-16). With the Denon DCD-1650AR audiophile CD player, Denon AVR-3200 reciever and Marantz MA-500 amplifiers, these speakers are amazing. Absolute clarity. I've heard thise speakers driven by Krell amps and CD player with similar results.

As a note, they definitely require a lengthy break in period. Unfortunate, because they don't sound that good until the are broken in properly. It's likely that those posting negative reviews listened to a pair that wasn't properly broken in or was being run by a Radio Shack receiver.

I give them 5 stars.

I want to let anyone know who is seeking a pair of tower speakers that sounds like you paid double the price, the e-xl 26's ARE IT!! I have auditioned several other speakers in the $750-1000 price range and the e-xl 26's are TOUGH TO BEAT! The clarity, mid-range and bas response is the best I have heard in years. Try them and you won't be sorry. I also tend to be rather particular in audio components.

These speakers are great. I just recently purchased them to go with my new Pioneer Elite VSX-29tx. They sound extremely good. I bought them from www.4electronicwarehouse.com and they hooked me up with a great deal. I talked to a couple salesmen there. They all seemed to know their stuff and I would highly recommend them if you looking for a great deal and very knowledge audio specialists to talk to. I would recommend these speakers to anyone interested in a great speaker. I am using the E:XL-r and E:xl-c as my center and rears. I am buying the sub tommorrow. either the new Microstar 10.1 or the E:XL-s10. I think these speakers deserve every bit of the 5 star rating. I audition it seemed like about a 100 different speakers before I choose the energy. If anyone has any questions about my system email me. If you are looking for a great place to buy a system check out www.4electronicwarehouse.com. Energy rocks. ***** 5 stars *****

I have just purchased a pair of eXL26s. They do sound rather harsh, but then again they haven't been "broken" in yet.I initially purchased a pair of Paradigm Monitor 7s, and was greatly disappointed with the lack of quality control on the construction of the speaker cabinets. The speakers sounded very bright, but I encountered some rattling in the cabinet on the uprigtht bass sounds from from Patricia Barber's
"What a Shame" and "Inch Worm". I took them back to the Dealer I purchased them from and played the same songs on the store demos - same problem. Apparently they can't handle certain frequencies at given volumes. So far the energys are handling the bass very well - very tight, no matter what voume I play them at, same songs.
I will try to give updates on Energy eXLs26s as time goes by, I hope I won't be disappointed.
For now - 3 stars

Well Being lucky enough to live in Canada where we can buy these speakersfor 700-800$ Canadian, I decided to give them a try. I have them hooked up the
a Yamaha RX-V595 receiver, I also have the e-XL center channel. Wow they are a great speaker set, they are quite small but still produce a wonderful rich sound. I chose the light birch finish, I think they look much more classy, then the black, the black looks like it is painted by a spray bottle.
They sound good at all volume levels, bass is limited until quite loud volumes
I wouldn't recommend these to people who listen primarily to rap or bassy music,
unless you have a sub. If these speakers were 2 or 3 hundred more I think I would still get them.

I was very interested in listening to these after reading all of the good reviews and finding many good prices after looking around. However, when I finally auditioned them, I realized why they were being sold at the seemingly low price. The bass was not only inadequate, it seemed to be loose and would be boomy if the drivers were powerful enough. The highs were ok, but nothing special. One could easily find a speaker in the same price range that is much more pleasing to the ear. I ended up buying a pair of C-6's and couldn't be happier. MUCH better speaker and can be had for just a little more of an investment. If the C-6 is not in your price range, then try out the C-4 or C-2's, they are much more advanced and you will forget completely about the eXL line after giving them a listen. Happy shopping. Oh, I highly recommend talking with Matt at Your Electronic Warehouse (www.4electronicwarehouse.com) around Chicago. He was very helpful and sold me my gear for a very good price.

Another great story about Energy Loudspeakers. I've posted a previous review here about my 26's and have an interesting story to add. The the front left foot of my left 26 snapped on its own one day and my speaker toppled over. Luckily didn't damage anything. I contacted Energy though their web site and told them what happened and asked if I should claim through my warranty for a new foot. juliep@audioprods.com responded the very next day and told me that the feet had been redesigned and manufacured out of a harder plastic, and she would send me 8 new feet immediately, free of charge and not to worry about the warranty.
This is by far the most decisive, timely, customer oriented responce I have ever received by ANY company through their web site, and is the best experience I could have hoped for. Energy rocks.

I just picked up a set of eXL 26 speakers for my fronts in my home theater. These were a dealer demo, with about 50 hours of break in on them. They sound phenomenal. Extremely smooth with great bass. It could use a 12" sub in the 5.1 configuration, but they can hold their own for most Dolby Digital content. The rest of the system is also eXL (center and rears).
I am using a digital coaxial connection Sony DVP-S7700 with Sony 555ES, and S-Video to a 27" Panasonic TV. The TV is the weakest link, followed by the 555ES.

Those that have given bad reviews probably:

a) Auditioned speakers that weren't broken in, or were poorly set up (it took me a good hour angling them and distancing them from the wall to aim the front image) A lot of good speakers will open up and even out after 50-100 hours of listening time. Most will sound thin out of the box with a biased image.

b) Auditioned with poor equipment. A high end system with 1 weak component will show glaring problems with that component, and make the entire system sound like crap -- ie. a Meridian system with Bose speakers will show glaring flaws in the speakers.

c) Didn't audition at a hifi shop. Local chain stores can carry high end equipment, but my bets are that they use cheap cables, have terrible auditioning rooms (if they have rooms at all), and use cheap equipment. And, a lot of them won't tolerate you hanging out there for an hour while you move their speakers around. They're after volume, and the quick sale.

I visited my hifi shop on 4 different occasions to preview speakers, test side by side, test with different amps, and moved them around dozens of times. And even after I bought them, I still have a chance to bring these back if they didn't sound great at home. I got plenty of good advice, and walked out feeling good about my purchase. You can't buy a speaker and feel good by listening to them with 1 CD for 10 minutes. It could be 1 of a million things, including the CD you're listening to.

Anyway, extremely happy with my purchase. I would recommend them highly, but you should go out and listen for yourself. Play around with it. Most reputable shops will let you borrow a set to try at home. Make sure you take a demo set, and not a new-in-box one.

Whatever you buy, take your time choosing it. Speakers are very subjective things.

Clarity, imaging, transparency

none

As a symphony musician and music teacher, I was looking for a speaker that would accurately reproduce the wide variety of orchestral sounds and timbres. Being exposed to live performances as part of my job whether in rehearsal or performance situations enables me to make an accurate judgement as to whether a speaker does in fact do this very difficult job. I listened to as well as researched at least 30 pairs of speakers in the $500 to $1000 area and came to choose the Energy e:XL 26 model. This speaker comes very close (the closest in this price range) to the sound of a live symphony performance. As to some of the negative reviews of these speakers, I concur with a previous writer about placement, equipment and so on. All of that is important if you are looking to accurately reproduce a live performance. If all you are looking to do is to play head-banging "music" or other "musical" tripe such as rap, these are probably not the speakers for you. But if you are looking for a speaker that will allow your music to sound the way it was intended whether it be classical, jazz or crap, these are an excellent choice. Outstanding speaker, especially for the price of $600 for the pair.

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