I wanted to graduate from minimonitors to full-range speakers, and also give home theater a try, without investing too much in case I later became dissatisfied. I ended up with the E-5's, a Snell C-5 center speaker, and a Snell PS-10 sub (using my old mini's in the rear). These speakers have served my purposes very well for over a year, such that I feel no compulsion to upgrade further. One great advantage that they have is flexibility - if you enjoy home theater, they are magnetically shielded. More importantly, the E-5's have three switches to control tweeter response, bass response, and a rear-firing tweeter (a Snell tradition and now also incorporated in the very expensive Revel speakers). If you have a particularly live listening room, you can adjust the tweeter response. If your speakers are placed close to wall surfaces or a large TV, you can adjust the bass response. The rear tweeter provides a remarkable amount of air and openness to the music, but you can turn it off if you please. These switches might offend purists, but most purists are deluded and don't want to account for real-world listening conditions. Additionally, these speakers are built like tanks and come with a very long warranty. The drivers are mounted in a special non-diffracting baffle, and there are actually heat sinks on the back - these are serious speakers for the money. They use metal grilles instead of cloth - I find them to be more attractive than cloth, not to mention more durable. No sagging, no lint. Of course, if you're so inclined you can remove the grills for serious listening, although I don't hear a significant difference. For the money, the speakers are attractive and distinctive in a minimalist sort of way - well-proportioned and free of pointless ornament. The most important thing is sound, of course. All speakers, including the most expensive ones, reflect design trade-offs, and I feel that the Snells are as well-balanced a set of speakers as you will find. I enjoy them immensely and have yet to feel that I'm missing anything with either music or home theater. Imaging seems particularly outstanding. Diane Krall sounds like she's right there in front of you, and you don't have to turn out the lights or close your eyes to experience the effect of having the speakers disappear. Bass and treble extension are as you would expect from a speaker of this size and type, but what's more important is balance and smoothness, and I feel that the Snells are particularly well-balanced, smooth and non-fatiguing, and this is enhanced by the availability of the aforementioned switches. Of course, like any speaker, these speakers are enhanced by a powered sub, but they nonetheless do very well on their own. There have been many occasions where I forgot to turn the sub on and failed to notice until I played some particularly bass-heavy material.
Snell itself makes more expensive and elaborate speakers, and there are excellent speakers available from other manufacturers in all price ranges. I think it's pointless to say that the Snells are "better" than, say, the B&W's, the Paradigms, or vice versa - these are all excellent makes and evaluating them is largely a matter of taste and budget and placement in a particular listening environment. However, as a practical matter, I think that the performance returns above this price range diminish very quickly. If you're looking for an outstanding value, and the advantage of tonal response flexibility in your listening environment, definitely audition the Snells. Five stars considering the price.

I am also using the E.5's mated w/ the PS10 sub.True, these are considered entry level floor standing speakers, but I'm hooked. The E5's perform wonderfully in my environment (approx. 15x20 w/ cathedral ceiling). I auditioned many speakers before selecting the Snells including B&W,Energy,Theil and Van's. I listen to everything from 311 to L'estro Armonico and sometimes Xtremly loud. These speakers have never let me down. I beleive for the money, not only the speakers but the combo also would be a wise consideration for most any listener....AudioEgoPhiles excluded.

looks good

not enuogh bass definition, sounded a bit grainy in the hi end,too bright

I was looking to upgrade my old Snell E/III's. Needless to say by my comments about their weaknesses,I was not to imprest. My old Snells had a much better bass, in the sense that you could hear it with much more definition. They also seemed a tad bright. With music that was a bit high they seemed grainy. Over all I just did not like them. My system consists of McCormick DNA 0.5 amp,Rega planet CD player.old Denon preamp,Snell E/III speakers, Audio Quest Ruby interconnects. Nordost superflatline speaker cables.

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snell E/III