Much like my recent feedback on the excellent e:XL-R surround speakers, the e:XL-28P is a real value.

Although this model has been discontinued since around 2003, and was introduced sometime in 1999, it still performs very well compared to contemporary speakers in its original MSRP price range of $1200. And frankly I still believe that the entire Energy e:XL line compared very favorably with speakers several times their price point.

Now 10 years later, near mint e:XL models can be had for fraction of their original price.

However, it should be noted that the e:XL-28P seems to be a somewhat rarer model than the others in the series and in my experience can command a bit higher premium, even used. But even with that said, these speakers can be had for around $200-400 on a good day, which I think is a pretty low risk bargain.

In our case, we have one pair for our main L&R front home theater setup, and they work very well with our Energy e:XL-C2 and e:XL-R speakers, powered by a Marantz SR8200. I don't claim to have a good enough ear to say conclusively all the speakers blend "seamlessly" but can confidently say they seem to do so, and perform very well together, not noticing any voicing mismatch or other anomalies.

The 8" powered "subwoofer" seems work very well and definitely offers more bottom end than the e:XL-26 towers that we used previously(and also liked very much). We bought the 28P speakers to see if they would be sufficient alone at filling the HT subwoofer role. To be honest, the answer is "sorta". Even though the 28P is specified at producing lows down to 22Hz, I'm not convinced they really go that low before output really falls off. But frankly this isn't a surprise with an 8" driver in a tower speaker cabinet versus a dedicated subwoofer design. But they do a pretty impressive job in the mid to almost low bass that made a noticeable difference in HT and music over the twin 6.5" drivers in the e:XL-26. For the ultimate HT experience, one would probably still want a dedicated subwoofer for those really low frequencies.

With that in mind, are they a real value over the e:XL-26 or even e:XL-25(two 5.25" mid-woofers)? I can't say with regard to the 25 as I've never owned them, but if one already has a high quality musical subwoofer that pairs well with the e:XL-26, the 28P might be superfluous. But on the other hand, if one doesn't have a subwoofer and doesn't care about the lowest lows(say for much Pop music) or simply finds even mid to low bass directional, perhaps the dual 8" woofers in the 28Ps are exactly what you are looking for. One typically can't buy two quality 8" dedicated subs for the price of a pair of 28Ps.

But taken on their own, I find the 28Ps to be great sounding speakers for HT and very good for music. It is tricky to dial(literally and figuratively) in the subwoofers so they sound tight and powerful, but not boomy. But that is true of many subs. So I wouldn't say the 28Ps have poor bottom end control per se. They just need some work to place and adjust to get the best out of them. The top end is basically a bookshelf monitor with 6.5" poly mid and their cloth surrounded aluminum dome tweeter. So if you like the mid/high sounds of the e:XL-16(which has identical mid/tweeter), that is a good comparison for the top end.

Some find the Energy's in this range bright, and I tend to agree. But with the right amplifier, source, and room acoustics, this characteristic may be the right fit, especially if one likes relatively bright and efficient speakers.

At this point, as much as I like Energy products and especially the e:XL line, my jury is still out on long term music listening because of this brightness. But I can unequivocally say the e:XL-28Ps are fantastic for home theater applications.

And I've found the build quality to be well above average for the e:XL line, and the 28P continues that tradition.

So in conclusion, I've given the e:XL-28P speakers a 4 star value rating only because they may be a bit pricier than their peers of a given vintage. Although then again, one may find a set very cheap. Overall I've given them a 4 star rating, primarily because I save "5 stars" for something truly exceptional. So please don't interpret 4 stars as anything less than very very good. Even with their potential brightness and challenges in tuning the bass response, I think when "dialed in" these speakers sound very good.

If one is in the market for a quality and great sounding Canadian made "full range" speaker, with a self powered subwoofer/woofer amplifier, you might give the e:XL-28P a try. At their price, it will be a relatively low risk experiment. But being somewhat rare, it might take a little patience to find a pair.

no need much power amp.

too high, afraid to bump and fall.

I used it with my Harman/Kardon 3550. I love it, I like it. Full Sound, Dynamic and Detail. Sound has power and bright.

Powerful, clean bass, biampable, attractive, solid contruction

Stature unstable on thick carpet

Having given away or sold the older speakers years ago, I purchased a pair of Energy C-2s. I was satisfied with all but the bass. After about a year I decided to upgrade to a speaker equally at home with stereo and home theater. I listened extensively to about a dozen models of Polk, Klipsch, Boston Accoustics, Infinity, JBL, and others. I finally settled on the Energy E:xl-28p. None of the others sounded as transparent across the spectrum from male vocal to vibrant jazz cymbals and from pipe organ to piccolo. After breaking in the speakers for a few weeks (24 hours a day playback at low to medium level), I explored room placement (it's a very large room). This brings up my singular complaint. The tall thin profile demands a sturdy footprint. On my extra heavy carpet the 28ps are somewhat wobbly. The speakers sounded very good, but seemed just a bit harsh in the area of female vocal sibilance (Enya). Suspecting biamplification would clear this up (the crossover frequency of 2.2kHz is smack in the middle of female sibilance, "sss" sounds) I added another amp. The difference was immediately apparent and well worth the effort. I moved the C-2s to surround duty, added the Energy AC-300 center channel and biamplified all five speakers as follows: Denon AVR-3300 drives the woofers and Denon AVR-1600 drives the tweeters and is a slave to the 3300 via pre-level interconnects. I set the 1600 to "0dB" and covered its IR sensor with black tape. The 8" subwoofer of the 28p is very agile and clean. In addition to providing wonderful deep bass, the 28p subwoofers profounding improve the 6.5" mid/woofer's transient behavior in the mid bass region by virture of the 90Hz cutoff. This was quite apparent to me when I listened to the E:xl-28p along side the Energy E:xl-16s (they have the same mid/woofer and tweeters). Using a signal generator I have confirmed the 28p bass output to 22Hz, although it is down about 6 dB in my room at that frequency. I have not placed the speakers in nodal positions. I do not feel an additional subwoofer would benefit the musical quality of the 28p; but, in a huge room it might make Tyrannosaurus Rex even more frightening! I would have rated this speaker with a solid overall 5 except for the unsturdy foot. It definitely outperforms the other speakers I auditioned. It is difficult to compare it via memory to my earlier speakers, but on paper it comes out ahead in most respects. I recommend the 28p to all but those with small children who could be seriously injured if they grabbed the tower and pulled it over.

Similar Products Used:

ESS Heil AMT 1D, Dynaco A25, Energy C-2

BASS!!!!, nice solid case

Unbalanced mids/highs,designed with high center of gravity-liable to topple

Heard these speakers for the first time in the store compared to B&W, Boston, Kilp.I just fell in love with that bass and silkky smooth sound. For the genre of music I like (jazz) nothing sounded better. With those sub woofers no need for a separate subwoofer for watching movies. The wifes' music does seem to loose highs and mids but she loves the bass.
First pair of hi end speakers but I think I hit the bullseye first time.
Did I mention the bass on these speakers!!

Similar Products Used:

First time in this league

nice speakers and nice subs..
good looking.

Responding the post below... Dude what are you talking about? Did you even listen to the speakers? By the way the controls for the subwoofer are in the front of the speaker behind a clothe grill just in case you were really looking for it....

Very powerful bass reproduction. Small foot print. Bi-wireable. Very slim and clean design

None

This is the best powered tower speaker pair you can buy for 1200.00 dollars. The tweeter in this speaker is not over powering like some speaker in this price range. It has a very nice blend between the mid and the sub for sound. The mid range speaker which is a 6 1/2" speaker is a Polly cone design with a rubber surround. The tweeter is a 1 inch aluminum design with a cotton surround. The speakers mount to Energy’s patented baffle plate design. The Tweeter and the mid-range can handle 225RMS power. I put that rating to the test. I used a B&K reference 4420 amp on these speakers. The B&K 2-channel amp draws 75amps of current and produces 220 watts into a 8 ohm load. These speakers ate it up I could not get the tweeter or mid range to distort. I played all types of music from rap too classical. Power is proof on any speaker give more power and it will play better. The subwoofer is rated down 22HZ. Which it did with no problem I recorder a 21HZ peak with my digital sound meter! The subwoofer is and 8 incher with a 100watts of power backing it. UN-like a lot of power towers this subs amp is current limited. This is a benefit that many powered speakers lack. A subwoofer can move only so much air before it starts to distort and the speaker takes you right up to its limits before distortion. So when I was testing these speakers with the B&k the sub would hit a point where it would not get any louder. This point is reach very, very high up on the volume knob and is way beyond normal listening. This speaker is awesome and I suggest it to anyone that wants way better that average music reproduction and to anyone that love to have a filling knocked loose during a movie.

Great full spectrum speaker, excellent base, nice looking. Compared with various others in price range I liked these the best. I would recommend them to anyone.

Unmatched bass reproduction, distinguished looking, auto power on / off

Unbalanced reproduction of mid / treble

Trying to improve the reproduction from the bass side of my classic Altec Lansing L100 towers (2 x 8" woof, 1 x 4.5" mid, 1 x 1" tweet, 125 W rms, 200 W peak, 38-20000 Hz), from the limited supply available down here I just had to try the eXL28P. I borrowed one pair, set them right besides my Lansings and spent over two days in a face-to-face comparison.

I tryed the following music: Beethoven's 5th, 6th and 9th (Karajan/Berlin), Van Halen, Boston, Paco de Lucia, Pat Metheny, Patrick O'Hearn, Systers of Mercy, My Bloody Valentine, Frank Sinatra, etc - a lot of styles, covering a wide range of sounds. Again, I just wanted a better response on the bass side, say reaching frequencies on the 20+ Hz, better than the 40- Hz I presently enjoy.

My gears are a Yamaha AX1090 integrated amplifier, SAE 2922 premain amplifier plus SAE 3100 power amplifier, Yamaha CDX993 CD player, Carver TD1200 cassette deck, Yamaha KX690 cassette deck.

The bass I've got from the Energies is terrific, superior. I don't mean a loud, uncontrolled bass noise, but a deep and clear bass sound. For sure these speakers reach the 22 Hz claimed. But when it comes to reproduce the full range of sounds from Beethoven's 5th, it is simply too much for the Energies. The old, classic, cheap Lansings reproduce both the bass and flutes and the breading of the musicians from the 2nd movement of Beethoven's 5th at the same time, this is not nearly approached by the Energies. O'Hearn's textural guitar is not reproduced properly. Boston's Hammond organ sounds great, but "More Than a Feeling" sounds distortioned. The sound from the eXL:28P is not balanced, the response from the bass exceeds the mid and treble portion of music. I do not believe these deficiencies are a matter of breking period.

I can't consider the eXL28P as a speaker, but as a superior subwoofer with a little of satellite attached to it. Certainly for A&V purposes (where fidelity does not really matter), these are a must, but regarding musical fidelity...my old pair of L100 Altec Lansing can proudly stand for a long time in my living room.

I give the eXL:28P 4 starts as a value rating (for being a superior subwoofer they are not expensive as other brands), and 3 stars as overall rating (Superior bass, distinguished looking, finishing, and inferior mid/treble side).

Energy has done it again! Creating speakers with great bass management and accuracy! The E:XL 28P is one the the best tower speakers I have listened to. I am a person who is an expert on sound and these speakers are mainly the best. The tweeter hits those highs without distortion. The midrange is accurate and soothing. The best thing about these speakers are the 8" subs on each speaker. These literally shake the place. These speakers are great because you don't even need an external sub woofer, cause you already have them built in. Some people may say that it is better to get an external sub woofer but with these speakers you surely won't need an external sub. I have a Yamaha V-1105 (which is an awesome receiver), and when I hooked these speakers up it sounded like if it were natural sound! Especially with my energy XL C center and my Jamo surround speakers, the sound is incredible. I watched Apollo 13 with DTS digital sound and I literaly thought I was in the movie. So for those who are sound fanatics and enthusiasts go with the energy 28P's. And for those looking for high end, good sounding, and good quality speakers go with the energy 28P's