Wow!!! This is truly quite a system. Audioshop called it the audiophile version of the take 5, and it is. I picked up an open box encore system for only 900 from a local retailer. These speakers will dazzle you with the looks alone. I highly recommend displaying the speakers without the grill, they have a sort of futuristic look to them. The sound produced by the speakers are amazing, so clean, clear, and crisp. The subwoofer that comes with it the encore 8 can really kick for an eight inch, and can be compared to much larger subs. The sub has a very nice burmished black gloss finish just like the sats and center. A nice feature of the sub is that the lpf and volume controls are on the front and it has an audio/video switch which kicks in more bass if the acoustics of your room require it. The satellites have very nice and stylish wallmounts included so there is no need to spend extra for wall mounts. This is quite an extraordinary system and you should really consider it when choosing a quality ht setup.

Bass from subwoofer is very tight, Build quality and finish is first class, Sound stage is very coherent, Responsive support from Energy

Manual could have more details about setup and the bracket

I bought the Encore system about 3 months ago, but did not get to really audition them until recently due to the extended burn-in period. The complete system was installed, including mounting the 2 rear satellites in the roof rafters, and burning in process of about 6 - 8 weeks. The rears were initially burned in as the front speakers, about 4 weeks prior to installing them on the roof beams, then putting the fronts in their final location.

For those who are still tying to figure out the one hole vs 2 hole mounting brackets, you do need to remove the swivel mount before you can see the second hole. I used a #10 X 1" wood screw for the visible hole and a #6 X 2.5" screw for the hole inside the swivel mount. This ensures proper support, due to the weight of the speakers, for a roof beam(6" X 6"). But I'm sure this size would work for any 2X4 joints.

I had this system in a side by side comparison with my existing Carver ribbon speakers. The Carvers are very non-traditional speakers, using ribbon technology supplemented by planar woofers, which gives them superb imaging and depth of sound field, with very solid clarity for most music, other than hard rock. There is an obvious difference between the Encore, which were designed to be an integrated HT system, verses the Carvers, which were designed 15 yrs ago for stereo listening. However, I found the Encore to be quite accurate, and had the dynamics, wide sound stage, and bass extension to sound similar to the Carvers for movies and pops. This is quite amazing as the Carvers are probably double, maybe even triple the price, based on present value. The shortfall of the Encore came in during more difficult music, like classical and jazz, where passages had very wide range and require a very deep and transparent sound stage. But many speakers, some costing much more than the Encore, also exhibit this limitation when compared to the Carvers.

When comparing the Encore with other HT systems, I just found nothing which came close to the musicality & sound qualities of the Encore at their price point. There are inherent compromises when it comes to speaker selection, depending on user preference and priority. My priority was price(around $1K), HT & music reproduction, and size. My music preference of classical, jazz, and pop also determines my choice, as I rarely listen to hard rock or heavy metal.

The ARs had the looks, but not the bass extension and price point. The BAs have a similar sound and price point, but not the sweetness or the tight bass. The Def Tech had the dynamics and punch on the 2000 series, but lack the detail and at a higher price point. The NHTs sounded very similar, if not slightly better than the Encore, but inferior bass and at a different price point. And the Energy AC300 was very good, but more difficult to integrate.

In summary, I am very satisfied overall with my Encore. They are perfect for my requirements of a HT system which can be unobtrusive(away from kids), have very good music and HT capabilities, impressive killer looks, and the dynamic punch of HT, at a reasonable price point.

Similar Products Used:

Never used Sat/Sub before, but auditioned Energy AC300 + RVSS, BA 10K, Def Tech 2000 & ProCinema, NHT Super 0s, and AR Phantoms

Clarity, NO DISTORTION, Bass, Looks Great, Price and Warranty.

NONE.

I almost fell into the Bose hype until I listened to the Energy Encore System. I went and listened to the Bose AM 15 connected to a Sony 945 receiver at a local Bose retailer and was impressed at that time until I heard the Encore system. NO HIGHS NO LOWS IT MUST BE BOSE was the phrase that came to mind. I may be downing BOSE but it makes me mad to see that you are paying 70% marketing and 30% product. Energy Encore has a sound that is breathtaking. These speakers in my opinion are the best you can buy for the price and they look great to. My wife even likes them and that my friends is a big plus.

Next I would like to tell you were to go to purchase this.
Greg at Sound Advice Stereo "soundadvicestereo.com" . This man knows his stuff and a great guy to deal with.

Denon 2801 receiver
Sharp 32K-x1000 TV
Pioneer DV414 DVD
Energy Encore
Dish 4000 recever
Sharp Hi-Fi VCR

Similar Products Used:

BOSE AM 15/ JBL / Energy TAKE 5

size, looks, great for HT, mounting hardware included, center channel, excellent sound reproduction!!

none so far

I decided it was time to trade in my Mission loudspeakers and try something a little bit different. I've always been a firm believer that bigger is usually better, which is why I couldn't imagine replacing large floor standing speakers with tiny satellites and a sub woofer.

If I was going to replace the Missions I would have to replace them with something bigger. I headed off to the audio shop with a pretty good idea about what I wanted, that all changed when I was sitting in the home theatre room at this store and had large sound cranking out of these little beauties. I was intrigued and confused all at the same time. I thought there was some sort of magic involved. I started asking questions and got more and more interested in these and finally made a purchase.

Upon bringing it home and setting things up (bought matching stands for the front, and mounted the rears on the walls using the included mounting hardware) I was ready to try it out. I popped in the Matrix (as you do :-) and was blown away. The sub lit up due to the remote power on, and the speakers screamed. I stood there in awe, listening to these tiny little satellites fill a room full of sound.

Visually, they are stunning. Both the satellites, center and sub woofer have a high gloss black finish and look awesome. They are super small and can fit into the most difficult locations because of there sheer size. The center channel fits perfectly on top of my t.v. and doesn't intrude (I find that with the mission center I used to have, I was watching it more than the t.v., simply because it was there).

Sonically, these things are really accurate for movies and casual listening. I noticed things in movies I had not noticed previously. I listen to a lot of different styles of music and have no trouble dropping in some Sublime, or LTJ Bukem and giving it a good hard listen. Although I'm probably not as "tuned" in as an Audiophile, I do know what sounds good and what sounds bad. These things sound fantastic. If movies are the primary focus, then I'd highly recommend Energy Encore hands down against anything else out there. If you listen to music more than watch movies, then keep looking. You will be disapointed.

All in all I'm totally stoked with my Energy's.

Similar Products Used:

mission

I auditioned this system today against the Boston 9000 and X10. I thought the Encore was best, followed by the 9000, then the X10. Interestingly, the X10 and the Encore are the same price ($1500).

smooth sound

none maybe a little heavy

I had a previous old mismatched set of speakers using a prologic surrouind with a computer subwoofer for the sub-
upgraded to Sonydb930 receiver and suddenly needed new speakers- was ready to buy Klipsch surrounds, then read
reviews and though Take 5 might be good continued reading and researching and decided to bite the bullet-(at least I let my wife bite the bullet-she got for me for Christmas-
Beautiful sound- I am still playing with placement and Angles- but Surround does surround-the most noticeable for me was what I can only describe as smoothness!!-Dialogue from movies is very crisp and clean-

These should last a while- worth the difference and effort to get-

Similar Products Used:

old mismatched set- compared kipsch-boston

Bass, Clarity

"Little" gap in mids

At one point I was undecided as to what speakers would "produce" good quality sound. I tried Bose; wasn't too satisfied. I looked up these Energy Encore-2 satellite speakers and found a retailer who sales them here in New York. I went to Harveys Electronics to hear them in their show room; compared to Bose showroom as well. No competition! These speakers have an outstanding sound quality throughout the entire spectrum. I was convinced and bought them on the fly. Easy setup. Excellent subwoofer - has a manual frequency cutover knob to filter thundering lows. Satellites are just perfect. Home theater sounds superb. Suggestions: Make sure you use optical (digital) outputs from CD/DVD players. There is no comparison with BOSE....don't think about it.........and just buy them...you'll see....I mean hear!!!!
As for mids, it's just the nature of bookshelf/satellite speakers. As for Encores they handle it more than well. Paid $1350 - Harveys Electronics, N.Y.

Similar Products Used:

Bose Acoustimass 10 series II, Acoustimass 15

Sound, Size, Appearance

Mounts

Dennon 1800 reciever
Pioneer 525 DVD
Monster XP HP Speaker Wire
Monster sub cable

(note: I am woefully ignorant of the technical terms used in describing sound quality. I appologize if the terms used are inaccurate or improperly used.)

I thought the speakers sounded flat when I first set them up but I read all the reviews about break in and used the patience that raising children has taught me. (Knew it would come in handy for something.)

I was watching Amadeus on DVD (it has been remixed in 5.1) and about halfway through I realized that I was listening to fuller, clearer sound then I have ever heard in any theater.

My cheap sony HiFi VCR sounds very, very good with this system. The newest star war movie on VCR rivals 5.1 in sound quality. (It's not that good a movie, but my kids like it and anyway I don't suppose you tuned in here for a movie review.)

Even broadcast TV sounds great (I don't have cable). Star Trek next Generation has some good sound effects that really surprised me. These speakers are so accurate(if that's the right word), I can listen at a moderate volume and hear everything without disturbing anyone in other parts of the house. You can get a very full effect with these speakers without having to push a lot of volume through them. If you buy these, expect to be getting out of your chair to answer the door, the phone and see if it is raining and lightning outside. If they are background noises in the movie, and not in context, you will not be able to tell if they are real or a part of the movie.

I bought the Dennon so I could get 5 channel stereo and I'm glad I did. I don't know how that works, but it works well with these speakers.

I have to say I'm amazed and pleased. I'm not really qualified to make a quantitative assesment of these speakers but I'll give them 5 stars so as not to screw up the numbers.

One final word on the mounting plates. Each plate actually does have two holes. The shaft on which the ball attaches will accomodate a long dry wall screw. If you are attaching to a stud your problems are over. If you need to attach with some type of dry wall anchor, a long bolt should work.

Size, Sound and quality finish

Wall mounting brackets

The trouble with home theatre is space. If you live in an average sized house- you don't have room for 6 speakers in a family room. If you have a rec room in the basement - they may fit. The Encore speakers solve the family room space problem while giving you excellent sound. I am delighted with these speakers for both movies and music. They are also very attractive.
I bought mine at Audio Shop here in Ottawa. They are great people and very knowledgeable

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm, B&O, Tannoy

Great HT experience. Subwoofer fills the room nicely. Music is great.

Paired with the Yamaha RX-V995 receiver and Panasonic A-120U DVD player. Great HT sound delivery. The subwoofer packs plenty of punch for a 15x25 room. Music sounds great, but without appropriate speaker stands I haven't been able to get the full effect. Energy speaker stands for this set are apparently not yet available. Haven't found other stands that fit the style and work well with the speakers.

I did quite a bit of research before I decided on this setup. Believe it or not, I thought I wanted a set of the tiny Bose cubes and their powered subwoofer. This all changed when I started really listening to all the other options in the same price range.

If I had it to do over, I'd buy the same setup again. I don't believe that I could have done better for the money.

Similar Products Used:

Klipsch Quintet and Bose auditioned