i really like these speakers!
recently i purchased a bose acoustimass 7 series 3 and found them to be extremely flat and lifeless (even after break-in) i returned the bose and picked up the energy speakers.

these speakers are used primarily for music in our house and sound warm with a crisp top end. they seem to be a bit strained through the midrange but sacrifices must be made with a speaker this small...

the universal mount is giving us troubles by drooping. we're going to try a couple of suggestions from this forum tonight. wish us luck!

karl

Purchased the Take 5's with a EX8 sub, paired with a Sony 925 receiver. The sound is awesome considering the price of these speakers. Was considering Bose until I auditioned these at a high end audio store. There is no comparison. Crisp highs, great detail, and plenty of bass.Great system for the money!

I have two words to describe these speakers...AWE...SOME...!! If you are a neophite in the world of home theater or home audio, do not make a mistake of buying Bose until you have listened to these speakers. Just got the Take 5 system with the eXL-s8 sub and it sounds TREMENDOUS!!! (and I'm only running it off a 100W prologic Sony receiver<--I could only imagine how these things will sound when I go to Dolby Digital). By looking at how small these speakers are (they fit in the palm of your hand), you would never think of loudness and clarity (trust me when I tell you that they are loud and clear). And the Sub? Oh my...deep and tight...I think pieces of my house are starting to crumble off. Did I also fail to mention that the speakers have a smooth glossy finish to them? All this for a full set of speakers that total under $1000 ($800 to be exact for the Take 5 and the 8"-Sub) There are also the API HT-1 stands (floor stands) that look exotic ($100) and the Mega Mounts (Wall Mounts - $50?)
Now, if you want an even better deal, give Tony (Pfloor1@aol.com) a call at ARM Innovations. He is the man (Tony, you're the man!) He is a great person to deal with over email (very quick responses and no funny stuff) And his price? Just ask him and you'll see why he's the man. All I gotta say is....TAKE 5 IN DA HOUSE!!

Now, please excuse me, while I finish watching "True Lies"<--Get this movie if you want some great surround sound effects. I think my ears are starting to fall off already.

I recently upgraded my Denon Pro-logic receiver to a Denon AVR-2700, so I moved my old Denon to my den and bought the take 5 system. I must say I really enjoy them on music, but haven't had a chance to really crank them up on movies. I did bring in the DVD player once and in that small room I had plenty of dynamics and volume. It is tough to say how things would be in a large room, but I suspect one would be happy there as well. With all of the hype regarding these speakers, it would be easy to be let down. However, I am very pleased and give them 4 stars for their accuracy and nice sound with jazz music. I know I will be able to use them for years to come in any room of the house and not feel like I am sacrificing sound quality for asthetics or space.

Hooked up my brand new Take 5s with the XL-S8 sub. The receiver is my HK AVR 55. The sound is simply awesome. Very very good Home theater system. Not played much music through it yet. The construction is very detailed and the finish is superlative. Good Canadian speaker workmanship. WOuld recommend it for anybody looking for the best entry level speaker system. blows away many of the mid-range systems I have heard which cost 5 times as much as this system. Got a very good deal from Matt Bourdeau at www.4electronicwarehouse.com.

After falling victim to the hype of Bose, it took me two years of owning the Lifestyle 12 HT system to realize I needed something better. I now have the Take 5s with the eXL-s10 sub (they were sold out of the eights) hooked up to a Denon AVR-2700. I love the speakers. I feel like kicking myself for waiting two years before upgrading.

Well, for $499 there just simply is no competition. This setup is not going to sound like a $2000 dollar system, but it will come damn close to anything below that. Yes, there are systems in the $1000 to $2000 dollar range that will sound better, but it is up to each person whether that difference is worth the money. For me it wasn't. When I can find a full-range system with towers and the whole sheebang with the clarity and neutrality of the Take 5 for $1,500 or less, than I will go for it. I know, I might be waiting a very long time, but the wait isn't that bad when you have the Take 5.

I went with Boston A. Microseries 90 over the Energy:
i bought these to go with my new new Yamaha 795 and Sony DVP6000 5 changer DVD/CD player and am VER happy with sound!! My friends are estonished when they hear the quality, and then I point out the little-bitty front speakers that are almost "hiding" in my bookcase (yes, i got the white as my wife suggested), and they are more estonished. The Cast-aluminum construction is the best on the market, each front speaker must weigh 10-12 pounds. You get the high-end Lynnfield series tweeter to go along with the 3 1/2 midrange, and the speration adn highs are very good. For my room Cr400 is very good, although I have a trade-in agreement to go to the CR500 if i think i need it within 30 days.

Buy these speakers, put in Fleetwood Mac "the dance", and you think you are at the real thing. Kenny G, Kirk Whalum, and other jazz tunes come through clear. Even Rush - Tom Sawyer - soungs great for jammin rock.

I looked hard for 2-3 months at Paradigm, Energy, B&W, and they are all good. I think the final factor was the high-end tweeter, the rock-solid construction, and the overall sond for the size. Was willing to go for a 12" or so bookshelf, like the CR7, or B&W 302, but could not hear the reason why.

The Energy's were a close second, as was the Paradigm, but please listen to to the BA's before you make a final choice

Although there is a fine line between audio enthusiast and audiophile. Mine being - an audiophile is one who spends money unnecessarily to achieve the same goal and purchases products that don't justify their cost.
Having said that, after going from shop to shop looking for a system to act as a fully functional musical facility as well as an home entertainment center I came to a few conclusions. Simply use your own ears and don't let salespeople sway your opinion. Go in with your own music, ask for pamphlets and tell the sales people to leave you be.

Obviously, certain stores are only going to carry various lines and are not going to include their direct competitors - it's just the way things work. So try to do everything in one day - your hearing fluctuate from day to day so try to eliminate as many factors as you can when performing your comparison.

What I found:
Paradigm mini monitors - nice sound, nice price, a little nasal for me after hearing the Monitor 3's. The monitor 3's had a luscious full sound. Excellent bass response for a mount stand speaker.
Unfortunately, all of the hype of the cc350 and cc175 fell short for me. Due to the fact I was already going to purchase a subwoofer since bookshelves cannot provide the total bottom fill needed for the HT environment I had to rule out the Paradigms. The center channels are too full for my taste coming from a center. They seem to blare when the volume is turned up and take away from the poise of the monitor 3's. The ps1000 on the other hand was outstanding.
Unfortunately, I had already had it set in my mind to buy all the same brands because I didn't feel like dinking around wondering will this center match my fronts? will it blend in well enough with the sub and the rears. So for me it was an all in one store package. Many will go against this but your ears have a selective memory.

Second in line - the b&w. 601, cc6, 301 rear package.
In a word - way too overpriced for what you hear. The monitor 3's keep with the 601's and in my opinion sound much better. Along with the price - see ya b&w.

Third - NHT. I think I blew it by hearing the Paradigms first. I can't believe what some people try to charge for a speaker just because of the name.
They sound super but when you compare to the lesser expensive brands and you can't hear the difference then it just isn't worth it.

Which brings us to the Energy Lineup. Energy being a Canadian company along with Paradigm I had to give them a listen. I went into the showroom for the Take 5 system and I was amazed at the small speaker package and what it threw out. Bose, go take a nap. You are over-prized and do you think you pump enough highs out. If you are in the market for a space convenient system that sounds rich and full - much better than the bose which lacks midrange and deep bass then this bad boy package is for you. If you want to extend the lows change the es8 for the XL10 and it brings the range down to the lows you will want.

Unfortunately when I tried various styles of simple music it just didn't cut it. It had sweet highs and nice lows but it needs the lustre of 5" cones to pump out the mid's. There is a certain thinness about playing music through the take 5.

A step provides the xl15's which are very shallow sounding. I actually prefer the take 2's to these little guys and then I hear what you've been waiting to hear. The xl-16's sound compares to that of the monitor 3's. It doesn't provide the lows that the 3's provide but when a subwoofer is going to be added it just doesn't matter. Go Bill Murray. The 6 1/2" mids are fully capable of sweet sounds from Jewel, Sarah, Rush, Red Hot Chili's - anything you want to throw at them. The ES subs have been replaced this year with the XL line and sound more full than ever. The center XLC provides the perfect range in a subwoofer arrangement, not too boomy - yet just enough midrange to fill in with the xl-16's and the XL10 isn't basically a less snazzy version of Paradigm ps1000. The only difference being the phase control.

Finally, the xl-16 in a subwoofer environment - 5 stars
not in a subwoofer environment - 4 stars
the take 5 system as an ht system - for your buck - 5 stars
as a musical utility - 3 stars

Sorry for the long-windedness - I could have written much more including many more reviews but you've probably heard enough.

I like these speakers. I just built my first mid-fi (?) system from scratch. The system is both for music and home theater and I was on budget. I've listened to several setups and there was nothing even close to these in their price range. Fot about $400 more you can get lowest AR setup, which I liked too, but not for 75% more expensive. Probably with time I'll get some better fronts for stereo, but for now it's very good. Bought for $555 delivered from shop4. Other components: Technics TX30 receiver, Toshiba 3108 DVD/CD, MIT 4 interconnects. Five stars keeping in mind price.