Summary – Energy Take Classic 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers
The Energy 5.1 Take Classic are some of the best surround sound speakers you can find that represent great value for money, and deliver some of the best sound performance you can expect to find from a home theater setup. The entire setup comes with 4 gloss-black 2-way Energy satellite speakers, 1 gloss black Energy center channel speaker and a 200 watt Energy subwoofer with a front firing port and 8” driver with Energy’s’ Ribbed Elliptical Surround for tremendous bass impact. The satellite speakers feature Energy’s Convergent Source Module with a 3” poly-titanium woofer and a 0.75” hyperbolic aluminium-dome tweeter for dynamic frequency range and an expansive soundstage with smooth and realistic sound reproduction. This means that the speaker’s midrange and tweeter are positioned in close proximity to act as a single source to increase overall dispersion and reduce distortion. The Energy 5.1 Take Classic surround sound speakers produce very smooth, realistic sound that make them some of the best speakers for home theater or TV setups. At the time of writing, the Energy 5.1 Take Classic speakers are now selling at a very good price, so don’t forget to check them out!
The Pros & Cons
The Pros. The Energy 5.1 Take Classic speakers are some of the best surround sound speakers you can find that delivers superb sound performance at a very nice price point. The 200 watt subwoofer comes with a front firing port to project the bass out – the bass impact is tremendous and can really vibrate your entire room. The satellite speakers sound crisp and clear, and add a great deal of depth to your movie soundtracks and music with great attention to detail. You can crank up the volume on these speakers without having to worry about them distorting.
The Cons. The satellite speakers can feel slightly bulky which takes up more space during setup. The instruction manual could also be clearer on how to hook up the speakers to the home theater receiver. The audio EQ settings may color the sound to some extent and produce artificial sounding notes; the best sound performance should be achieved by setting them to neutral to get optimal sound output.
Sound Performance
The sound performance of the Energy 5.1 Take Classic speakers is phenomenal – the speakers produce sound in a uniform and balanced manner with wide constant dispersion. The speaker is distortion and resonance free which makes them crystal clear to listen to even at higher volumes. The subwoofer features both front and rear vents which delivers tight and punchy bass response that can easily rock an entire room. These speakers have plenty of volume when paired with a decent sound amplifier and can literally shake your entire home when you crank up the volume – they can get really loud and powerful enough to annoy your neighbors. Vocal performances on these speakers sounded crisp, clear and detailed with the center-front channel speaker delivering very nice dialogue. The highs and midrange on these speakers are crisp and very well defined, and the bass does not muddy into the midrange at all and stays where it should be. We were very impressed by the depth of the sound quality that came from these speakers – watching movies with these speakers sounded like a true cinematic experience with very precise sound effects and well-defined notes. Do note that you should set your audio channels to neutral on your receiver or amplifier as these speakers are well balanced and do not need to be tweaked that much to get optimal sound output.
Design
The Energy 5.1 Take Classic speakers feature a very nice and well thought out design that looks very modern on your TV table or monitor desk. The speakers are housed in high quality MDF cabinets to reduce sound resonance and feel very high quality; there is a certain weight to them that shows the quality of their internal circuitry. To get the best sound performance, the center channel speaker needs to be centrally located so that the dialogue appears to be coming from the center of the screen. Ideally, the satellite speakers should be placed 6 to 8 feet apart at minimum for the best stereo imaging – do not place these speakers against a wall or by the corner as this would affect the sound performance. You should also fix the rear speakers on the rear wall or speaker mounts so that they flank the central listening area and point towards the front of the room. The subwoofer should be placed in a position in your room where the bass response sounds best – ideally you should walk around the room while listening to the sound until you find the sweet spot to place the subwoofer for optimal bass performance. The recommended amplifier power is 50 to 100 watts RMS per channel for this 5.1 system setup. The entire package comes with 4 satellite speakers, 1 center channel speaker and a subwoofer with a user guide for easy reference.
The Verdict?
The Energy 5.1 Take Classic are some of the best surround sound speakers you can find at a reasonable price that delivers phenomenally good sound. They are highly value for money, and represent a great investment if you are looking for speakers to upgrade your home theater listening experience. The speakers produce very crisp and good audio quality, with clear highs and detailed midrange. Watching movies while listening to these speakers was a surreal experience; you can experience deep sound effects with very good stereo imaging and clear dialogue which feels as though you are sitting in a real life cinema. We also liked the fact that these speakers are wall mountable and easily installable which make them great for first time users. Do note that you will also need a good surround amplifier with at least 50 to 100 watts RMS per channel to drive these speakers; we would recommend the Onkyo 700 receiver for 5.1 systems as these speakers sound great when hooked up to it. If you are looking for some of the best surround sound speakers that can deliver optimal sound quality and represent great value for your home, the Energy 5.1 Take Classic speakers are definitely a great investment.
If you are looking for a full-fledged home theater system, be sure to check out our updated list of surround sound speakers that can deliver excellent cinematic sound from the comfort of your home.