deep soundstage, timbrel excellance, dynamic!!!, amazing on female voice. The finest snare crack you'll here.

nothing worth mentioning.

What drew me to these speakers first and foremost were there looks. What sex appeal. Fortunatly as soon as the sales person fired up the music the sex appeal was forgotten , and what I can only describe as an epiphony sealed the deal. With hesitation the sales person suggested I audition a pair of Totem speakers that were just accross the way. I didn't want to but did. They sounded fine but noting like the experience I had just had. When I got home my hands were literally trembling with antisapation as I removed them from the box, dragged the NHT model 2's into the basement ran back up stairs wired them up and sat there for at least 8 hours in total peace, listening, it felt like I was hearing my Lp's and c.d's for the first time.
The e:XL26's are quite simply the complete package. End of storey. 7 stars,*******

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Replaced my NHT model 2's.
Listend with my Bryston 4B amp.

mids and highs

needs power, otherwise you get "muddiness"
problems are most likely receiver-dependant

I have read many of the reviews AFTER I bought the speakers to avoid being "pre-biased". Instead, I went to Good Guys to preview speakers. After an hour of previewing satelite systems (Bose, Polk Audio, Boston Acoustic, Klipsch, Energy), and tower speakers (Klipsch, Polk Audio, Boston Acoustic, Energy), I walked out with with a pair of eXL-26's and the eXL-S8 sub. Plugged 'em in to my JVC RX-707V and they sounded great w/o the sub! No "muddiness" from the mids or bass at all!
The receiver was old, and the surround didn't work...so I replaced it with an Onkyo TX-DS484 (55 high-amp W/ch). All of a sudden, I lost my bass and mid clarity, especially at low volume levels. The sub compensated a little, but the JVC sounded much clearer at lower levels. I also SHOULD NOT be able to have a normal conversation a few feet in front of my speakers when the volume is at 40-50% of max. So, I replaced it with the Onkyo TX-DS575X (70 high-amp W/ch), and saw a little improvement in the low-mid ranges at low volume...I still don't seem to have the clarity and at the low volumes as i did with my higher wattage JVC (but MUCH cleared with high volume.

So...bottom line, without bias towards one brand or another...The speakers are excellent, but seem to be more dependent on the receiver, perhaps because of the slightly lower efficiency (which isn't necessarily bad) of the Energy eXL-26 speaker. I should not be able to type this freely at 10:45 PM w/ my wife sleeping soundly (she's a light sleeper) while listening to Iron Maiden (and Tchaikovsky) at a volume of 30 (out of 80). Volume at 1/3 it's total setting would have at least gotten me a "shut the cr*p off" statement. The eXL-26's DEFINITELY have my thumbs-up for overall rating. I'd give the value rating a 2.5 stars if I could, because it could cause you to buy a receiver w/ more power, but I'll round up to 3 stars because it's plain and simple...the speakers sound great.

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Klipsch KM 4.2, Energy xls8 sub

clarity, sound stage, very musical

none

I bought a pair of eXL26s (along with a set of MIT Terminator 5 cables) to replace some old JBLs that I bought when I got back from Vietnam in 1970 (not kidding). My amp is a generic 100-watt Sony. So, my baseline system was very modest. Nevertheless, I listen to a lot of live music and I can't tell you how good these eXL26 speakers sound. They are utterly clear without being tizzy or fussy. Utterly clear while being utterly musical. By "musical" I mean that these speakers don't leave me amazed (or even thinking about) the speakers themselves... most of the time they simply leave me lost in the music.

The bass is strong, tight, very defined. For music, I definitely won't be looking for a subwoofer anytime soon. I may add one in the future for movies, but (given the bass these speakers emit) a sub is definitely low on the priority list.

Range, Clarity, Imaging and Value

None

I recently purchased the Energy XL 26's (along with the accompanying Energy XL15's for the rear, XLC for the center and XLS10 for the sub-woofer) and needless to say I have been VERY IMPRESSED with its performance.

I have the XL26's connected to an Onkyo Integra DTR-7 and use the speakers for both music and movies (DVD). These speakers can handle EVERYTHING you throw at it. I have listened to rock, jazz, classical & action movies and the range of these speakers continues to be its strength.

Listening to the Eagles, Hell Freezes Over CD, is an eye-opening experience. It literally feels you are right there at the performance. As for movies . . . the Matrix & Saving Private Ryan are sure to elict "nuisance" calls from my neighbors.

I had listened/auditioned several brands of speakers before deciding on the Energy's (i.e. Mirage, Boston Acoustics and Klipsch). I can honestly say that, note for note, these speakers are just as good as those "higher end" models without the high price tag.

If you are looking for an excellent & well-rounded speaker, the XL 26's are a perfect fit. They won't break the bank and will allow you to allocate your funds to other components (i.e. DVD Player and Receiver).

Happy Shopping!!

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Mirage OM10's

AFTER A FEW MONTHS OF AUDITIONING TOWER SPEAKERS CONSIDERING PERFORMANCE AND PRICE, I NARROWED IT DOWN TO 3. FINALLY, I DECIDED TO GO FOR THE ENERGY EXL26 SPEAKERS. FOR ME THE POLK TOWERS WERE BOOMY, WHILE THE KLIPSCH WERE TOO BRIGHT. WITH THE ENERGY, I GOT THE CLARITY, AND TIGHT BASS I WAS LOOKING FOR, FROM TOWERS WITH REASONABLE PRICES. I WAS REALLY AMAZED WITH THE QUALITY (SOUND AND MAKE) WHICH I HAVE ONLY SEEN AND HEARD FROM VERY EXPENSIVE SPEAKERS. I HAVE THEM HOOKED UP TO MY ONKYO TXDS575 RECEIVER, AND HAVE BEEN ENJOYING MUSIC AND MOVIES ALIKE. I DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT SUPERB SOUND CAN BE SO AFFORDABLE!!!! CAN'T ASK FOR MORE...

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POLK AUDIO, KLIPSCH

The Energy eXL 26 is a beautiful speaker. I recently was speaker shoppingwith my friend, who incidently had a problem with money burning a hole
in his pocket. We auditioned the eXL 26 first using some jazz cd and it
didn't sound too bad. We then tried Dave Matthews Band song "stay" and
the real speaker began to show. The sound was very harsh and very muddy.
The fact that the salesman cranked up the music halfway through the song
made it sound worse. I was shocked that such a beautiful speaker, (it had
a cherry wood finish, and spikes for use with carpet), could sound so
terrible. The song "stay" seemed to be too fast for the speakers. The
highs seemed to get behind the actual music. The midrange did terrible too.
I can't blame the receiver for the terrible performance, it was the top of the
line Marantz digital receiver. In my own opinion the Boston Acoustic offers
a much better value and quality sound. As for my friend who was doing the
buying, he bought the speaker simply because everyone one else in town had
their speaker prices too high. I can't believe he paid $550 for these speakers.
(Which happens to be list price according to the offical Energy website.
If you don't believe this posting, take DMB "stay" to your local Energy
dealer and find out the truth yourself. I for one am not impressed by
Energy.

Finish of speaker(overall look)= 4
midrange= 1
tweets=1
bass=1

Clarity, soundstage, bass, efficiency

fatiguing at higher volumes

I've had the XL-26s for about 7 months. I auditioned the above listed NHT and Paradigm speakers before deciding on the Energies. However, I was NOT able to audition side-by-side with the other brands. It was a tough call between the NHT SuperOnes, used with a Paradigm PS-1000 sub, and the XL-26s. The NHTs are also excellent speakers, but slightly more expensive when you add a good pair of stands. I was not overly impressed with the NHT SuperTwo.

I power them with a Yamaha HTR-5150 (essentially same as the 595a), which has a high-current 70 watt amp. My listening area is used for music and movies and is very large at 30x20 with a vaulted ceiling. The setup has no trouble filling this room with all the distortion-free dBs I want. I find the speakers to be quite accurate--showing the flaws of bad recordings. I found that bi-wiring made a surprising difference in sound. I listen mostly to Pop (leaning toward accoustical), Progressive Rock, and New Age music. The speakers are a good match for this music, bringing out voices and instruments quite well on a large soundstage. Some of the noisier Rock songs I have aren't reproduced quite as nice and can be a bit fatiguing to listen to cranked-up. Heavy Metal and most Alternative Rock may not be a great match for these speakers, Paradigms may be a better choice.

I also purchased an Energy AC300 center and 2 XLR for the rears for movies. For the money the AC300 has got to be one of the very best if not the best. For movies, I feel this system has a surprising amount of bass. I haven't been compelled to look into adding a sub, which I thought I might need to do.

Great speaker for the price!

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NHT: SuperOne, SuperTwo; Paradigm: MiniMonitor, Monitor 5, Monitor 7

My wife and I decided to retire our front speaker array consisting of Polk RT11T Towers and a Polk CS225 Center Chanel. We fully intended on replacing them with newer model Polks or a pair of B&W towers that we listened to last year at a home theatre show. But, we stumbled upon the e:XL 26s and were completely blown away by their performance. They compared favorably with the B&Ws at almost half the cost. On music, the clarity and detail of the midranges and highs were even better than the B&Ws. Neither the newer Polk speakers or models from Boston and Klipsch that we auditioned could rival these high tech marvels. Needless to say, these speakers along with the Energy e:XL-C center and an ES-12 subwoofer now anchor the front line of our home theatre system.

great speaker! i own boston 960s (w/ built in 8" powered subs) so the 26s dont compare on the sub level, but great mids and wonderful sound stage. for serious home theater you need a good sub (may i recommend the defintive pf15tl).
oh, and www.costsheets.com has them for $236 each (~$500/pair) just thot i'd let you know.
stephen

5 for mid range
5 for price
4 for bass

Crystal clear highs

Weak mid-range and muddy bass

What attracted me to these speakers was their crystal clear highs. Some people might consider the sound too harsh but I believe the highs are very accurate. Hearing the speakers play classical music, the trumpets sound just like when my son's trumpet teacher plays in my living room.

Unfortunately, the mid-range is weak. One reviewer (below) said the that vocals seemed recessed. I agree and I believe the reason that the bright highs overpower the weaker and muddier mid-range.

Worst of all, the bass is very muddy. While there is tons of booming bass, it lacks definition. It's like it's not really musical notes but just deep rumbling noise. My first impression hearing these speakers was that they had lots of bass. But the more I listen to them, the more hate what I'm hearing.

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