Features:

  • 4 gloss black 2-way Energy satellite speakers
  • 1 gloss black Energy center channel
  • 200 watt Energy subwoofer with front firing port and 8" driver and patented Ribbed Elliptical Surround(TM)
  • Perfect for a large or small space surround sound solution
  • Wall mountable
Did a ton of research and read a lot of glowing reviews about this set before ordering, and I have to say I'm very impressed!

Did a ton of research and read a lot of glowing reviews about this set before ordering, and I have to say I'm very impressed and happy! This set replaces the 7.1 speakers which came with my Onkyo home theater in a box which you can see here: https://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-SKS-HT540-Channel-Theater-Speaker/dp/B000GU78Z4?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=AKIAJ3NOW7JKGQLTEY4A&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B000GU78Z4&linkCode=xm2&tag=cnet-api-20. My pre-HDMI, 10 year old Onkyo receiver is still doing fine, but I've never really been 100% satisfied with the speakers which were packaged with it. The Energy 5.1 Take Classic 5.1 system is AMAZING to my critical ears! The 4 small satellites are all identical, so you know the sound coming from the rear will be every bit as bright and full as the front. The Onkyo satellites, while larger, and seemingly more capable in appearance, were muddy by comparison. The Onkyo surrounds had only a single speaker, so background sounds were limited to whatever that midrange cone could muster. The center speaker contains the same driver array as the satellites, but has two forward facing ports instead of a single rear facing port like the satellites have. This allows more dynamic range pushing forward where dialog and most of your movie's sound will come from. All the Energy satellites have a clear and bright presence. Although this 5.1 system replaces a 7.1 setup, I don't miss the extra 2 rears one bit. The two Energy surround satellites have much more rear presence than the four larger Onkyo surrounds ever did. I no longer have to walk over to the surrounds to confirm they're doing anything. I'm hearing incidental music and effects from the rear I never heard before! In the beginning in Monsters Inc, where we're first brought into the company's front door, in between the characters' conversations, I can hear the unmistakable sound of the building's air conditioning system in the background! Something I never knew was there before! I have to watch all my old favorite movies and experience them all over again! The bass speaker is the real star of the show here. My living room is about 18 feet by 16 feet and opens into the dining area, which then turns a corner into the kitchen, so the Energy speakers have a lot of floor to cover and air to fill. Don't let the fact that the bass has an eight inch down firing speaker fool you. This baby rocks the entire house! It's smaller than the Onkyo bass it replaced, but never have I had such satisfying, deep tones and surprisingly full rumbles coming from my movies before getting the Energy system! Whether it's the mighty, slow-motion on screen progression of a Star Wars battleship, or the ultimate deep bass of my favorite tunes, this diminutive bass speaker is an absolute delight to have in the home. Deep, deep bass can be heard throughout my 1200 square foot home - again, something I've never had before, and something I thought would require spending 3 times or more the price. It took only a few minutes to set up the Energy speakers since I already had the room wired from the previous set. The Onkyo receiver allows me to manually tune volume for each speaker - no automatic mic system here. The Onkyo receiver's speaker calibration allows speaker settings from 1 to 12. I kept all the smaller cubes at 9 and had to lower the bass from the previous set's setting of 10 down to 9. I then had to lower the treble from 8 to 6 and kept the bass at 4. I then adjusted the Energy bass low pass filter knob between 90 and 100hz. This seemed an optimal balance between the bass and the satellites. Too much higher and vocals start sounding a little boomy. I set the Energy bass level knob to 7 (out of 12 - so I guess Onkyo isn't alone with using "12" as a maximum speaker calibration) which gives me just enough punch and boom without exaggerating the bass. If you wanted to pump this puppy up because you want to rattle the windows, go right ahead and crank it to 12! I tend to like a more balanced setting which only shows its surprising deep ends when the music or the movie calls for it. I keep the bass power on automatic. Its little blue front facing LED light stays on during use, and turns off after about 15 minutes or so of sensing no sound being sensed. I have it sitting about a foot from the left front corner of my living room. It's tucked behind the side couch's end table, so I'm not bothered by the blue light (as some have complained here). I would absolutely recommend the Energy 5.1 Take Classic system to anyone with a receiver and critical ear. Your music will finally satisfy you and your movies will surprise you. Take the time to adjust the setup correctly. There is some crucial knob turning on the bass module to balance with whatever settings your receiver allows. You'll be getting up and down from your couch quite a few times during the first few days to make slight adjustments - this is to be expected with any new system, but the rewards are definitely there. Energy's manual recommends a break-in period where they suggest playing wide dynamic music at normal listening levels throughout the first 50 hours. While I understand the need (speakers are moving objects whose glue, mounts, and foam will change their shape, and thus their sound, somewhat as they loosen up after first being used), I would say you'd be fine just playing them as often as you can in the first few days. If you have a very critical ear, you may find the need to make a few more adjustments during and after the break-in period completes. Again, this is normal. I could not be happier with my purchase, and highly recommend this speaker system to anyone with a love for excellent sound.

Unbeatable System for the 99%.

I paired this with the Denon AVR-S710W 7.2 Channel Full 4K Ultra HD AV Receiver with Bluetooth and WIFI and am thrilled. When I asked my favorite audiophile about the products that I was considering and their price points he was blown away by the cost of the combination. I had him over and he assures me that it sounds much better than sets he has heard that cost thousands more. It outperforms highly regarded brands that cost much more with ease *cough*Bose*cough*. The combination is also vouched for by Wirecutter and a number of other reputable review sources, which is one of the reasons I pulled the trigger on it. The speakers are easy to install and physically small compared to some other sets. They are a gorgeous piano black, and I've taken the covers off of them to proudly display them. They were easily mounted to my walls and ceilings. Would highly recommend this to any audiophile who doesn't have outrageous gobs of money to spend, or anyone looking to get set up with their first high-quality surround sound experience.

Hi Resolution for any budget. Meant for Medium size rooms.

I've had these speakers since 2014, and I am writing a 2 year review. I have them connecting to a Yamaha RXV575 receiver. I bought them because of all the good reviews both professional and non. They're small and compact enough that they disappear into my book shelves. They sound great, articulate, accurate, warm, balanced, clear (even on high volumes), transparent. The only knock is that I can sometimes push them too hard listening to loud levels which is rare since having a child. When I play good source material, it feels like the musicians are in the room with me. I grew up with an audiofile dad. I don't think I am an audiophile but I know really great sound and I can't stand low res stuff esp from songs I've heard on better equipment. Its like getting use to 1080p or 4k then seeing 720p or standard. You can tell. These are 1080p and a really good 1080p.

Amazing speakers

I purchased 2 sets of these and I am using one with my tv and another in my home theater. They sound amazing. My home theater rocks. I am using it with onkyo with TX -nr646. I have to keep the volume at 30 otherwise it will bring down my house. my home theater was set up by a theater professional. The home theater guy was amazed by the quality of the sound from these speakers. I am not sure why people are complaining about these speakers. These speakers sound better than klipsch ( tried both klipsch and energy). The quality of sound depends on the acoustic of a room, type of floor, carpet, wall panels and insulation in the walls and furniture. Only gripe I have about these speakers is the gloss finish which attracts lots of fingerprints (at least the sub, the other speakers are on the wall)

If you’re sitting on the fence about buying these speakers, let me help you!

I consider myself as a veteran home theater enthusiast. Having worked for 5 years part time for Circuit City before they went under as a Home Theater Sales Associate. I’ve had the unique opportunity to review and test a wide range of speakers. I owned high end Infinity Kappa speakers for the longest time, but ended up giving them to my brother-in-law when we moved to a new house. I went for over 2 years suffering with a cheap Sony home Theater-in-a-box that sounded muddy and downright….well….cheap. I finally saw Amazon put these speakers on sale for $299 so I bought 2 sets of them (I’ll explain why in a moment). A little about my system. I watch a lot of Blu-ray movies in hi-def surround formats and we have a PS3, Xbox One, and a Wii-U integrated into my system as well. There is also a Grand Videoke TKR371MP as a top of the line wireless Karaoke system that my wife uses that also outputs hi-def audio on certain song choices. I use Verizon Fios as my cable provider. I purchased 2 of these Energy systems because I wanted to do a 7.2 setup in my man cave. The extra speakers left over will hopefully someday be integrated into a 9.2 Dolby Atmos setup down the road. Here is my unbiased review of these speakers: PROS: a. The sound quality is much better than I had expected them to be. I have a slight hearing disability so dialog from the center channel is difficult sometime for me to hear, especially on cable TV. The Energy’s center speaker is crystal clear on all sources and I have yet to struggle with any dialog. Even my Infinity’s were not this clear and they cost thousands more! b. The blend between the subs and the satellites is the best I’ve encountered for a system in this class. I’ve tested similar sized systems from Polk, Infinity (TSS Series), Definitive, and JBL. None blended so seamlessly as this Energy system does. You must set your volume on the sub to the mid-way point and set the cutoff frequency to 110hz, then do the auto calibration with your receiver. I have an older Sony STR-DH-810 and I hate the auto calibration DCAC that Sony uses. I much prefer Audyssey, but had to use what I got for now. With the Sony DCAC I still had to do a few minor manual tweaks here and there, especially on surround levels (there was a bias of too much volume on the left side). I fully intend on getting a new Denon next year once they finally work out the HDCP 2.2 issues for 4K, so I can calibrate these with the Audyssey XT32 calibration system instead. c. The two 8 inch subs put out cleaner and tighter bass than my 12 inch infinity sub ever did. Put the new Godzilla in during the Honolulu airport scene and you will know exactly what I am talking about. d. The satellites are small and easy to position around the room. I recommend putting them on dedicated wall mounts so that the bass tube on the back of the speakers can breathe. You can wall mount them flush with a nail as there is a key hole slot on each speaker including the center, but for best performance, let them breathe a little away from the wall. e. They work very well for both music and movies! Something that many speakers can’t do (it’s either one or the other). I listen to a lot of 80’s metal so guitar work is the focus when listening to music. I listen more for the guitar work from the likes of Randy Rhoades, Zakk Wylde, Jake E. Lee, and especially George Lynch, so I wanted speakers that could handle this type of music. The Energy’s did not disappoint! f. If you’re into the karaoke thing, they will pleasantly surprise you. We had my Karaoke system hooked up to an Onkyo system and a Bose Lifestyle system at two different friend's houses and my Energy’s smoked the competition on voice clarity and overall sound quality from both the background music and the singers voice (disclaimer: They will not make you a better singer. If you can’t sing, there is no speaker on earth that will help you….trust me, this is me! I don’t sing, remember, it’s my wife’s system not mine….see autotune for help on that). g. If you want that IMAX feeling in your man cave. Definitely do the 7.2 setup if your receiver will allow, you will be totally blown away! The 2 subs combined with the processing of the extra back channels of the 7.2 system will put you right in the movie, literally. h. Construction of the actual speaker modules (tweeter and the midrange) are superb and look and feel like they would last forever. The housing is ok but nothing to wright home about. It is durable enough that you don’t have to worry too much about scratches or peeling, but it is a laminate/pressboard finish so definitely not indestructible. My infinities were real wood so I guess I got spoiled a little. Energy does make higher end speakers with better material but you will pay an arm and a leg for them. Keep in mind these were only $299 for me on sale with Amazon! CONS: a. Fingerprint magnets. The high gloss finish will need to be cleaned after you handle them or anytime you touch them. This is a very minor gripe by the way. b. As other reviewers have noted, there is a break in period for these speakers due to the type of material they are made of so out of the box they may sound a little bright at first but will gradually become warmer sounding after a few days of using them. The manufacturer recommends 50 hours of use to properly break them in. Mine are already sounding much better than day one when I first hooked them up. Just be patient. Summary: I highly recommend this system to anyone wanting smaller speakers for a surround system. The performance of these speakers greatly, and I mean GREATLY outweighs the cost. It is money well spent because they perform like high end speakers allowing you to use the rest of your home theater budget on better equipment such as a higher grade receiver or that overly comfortable man cave couch. I would buy these again for another room without hesitation and I have already recommended this system to a good friend of mine who is currently in the process of hooking up his own new home theater system. Again, it is money not wasted….enjoy!

Great Improvement to Home Speaker System

I have had a 2.0 Soundbar for about 2 years for all music and movie watching needs, while I thought this sounded ok i never really thought about setting up a true surround system. I bought this set on sale for about $250 and bought a Yamaha Receiver to go with it. Setup took about 1 hour (trying to hide the wires behind couches and such), but the effort was worth it. The sound is incredible! It is clear and full sounding, with just the right amount of pop. I understand that these aren't audiophile grade, but as someone who has not grown up around high quality sound equipment, I decided to walk into a Magnolia Store (in Best Buy), and asked the store clerk to put on some $2,000+ sound equipment so I could hear "Good" sounding speakers, just to get an idea on the options. To be honest, these sound just as good as the setup he showed me, but cost a quarter the price. Basically if you are thinking of an upgrade, on a low budget, and need something to spice up your movie and music listening, this a very friendly option.

Great Sound for Great Price and Easy Mounting

I am no audiophile but my wife is ;) She really loved the clarity of the sound the way the music comes alive though these speakers. I like the booms from the subwoofer, but the part that I liked the most about these speakers is the price (vs performance)and the easy mounting options on them. I liked the fact they included the M4 threaded slot on the back apart from the key hole. This gave a really secure and firm grip when mounted on the VideoSecu speaker mounts. I use it with Sony STR-DN1040 receiver and I am very happy with these speakers. Since I have not used a lot of other speakers I wont say much about the comparative performance of this speaker set. But I can say that the sound is great, real nice style and very nice finish all at amazing price. You have many more reviews on amazon from experienced guys that give these speakers a high five. The reason I bought these speakers was because of the CNET review and couple of other online reviews. These speakers have stayed on top for more than 4yrs so I guessed they should be great anyway and no regrets. One note is if you are planning to put them on a wall then i think it is best to use wall speaker mounts for the 4 satellites because they have the bass port in the back. My Setup:- Speakers: Energy 5.1 Take Classic Home Theater System (Set of Six, Black) (I Paid 299$ on Amazon) Receiver: Sony STR-DN1040 7.2 Channel 1050-Watt A/V Receiver (Paid $449 on rakuten/buy) Speaker Wire: RCA AH16100SR 100 Ft. 16-Gauge Speaker Wire Banana Plugs: Sewell Direct SW-29863-12 Deadbolt Banana Plugs, 12-Pair(26$ NOTE: Cannot use banana plugs on the speaker side without Speaker mounts) Speaker Mounts: Videosecu 6 Black Satellite Studio Speaker Mounts / Brackets for Walls and Ceilings 1UP(19$) (needed some grinding to fit the speaker but works great for the price) Some amazon reviewers mentioned break in period but i think the sound is great already out of the box have to see how it sounds in a few weeks or months. The Speakers very much accept banana plugs unlike some reviewers believe on amazon. Just need to pop the red and black plastic stubs on one end of the metal caps of the tightening post . I use them and I have uploaded a pic showing how to do it(i think it is the 26th picture of 27) http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/permalink/mo2IOD0AM3WK9WL/B001202C44 A special note here anyone looking for mounts for this speaker in a small budget. I have used VideoSecu Mount on Amazon and I really liked it. It is not the best mount or greatest or finest but it is the best at the price(6 for 19$). If you are interested in this mount I would recommend you read my below review for the mounts this might be helpful because there are a couple things you need to know about these cheap and good mounts. http://www.amazon.com/review/R2GPNDBZ7HSVSV/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B002WNAFSU&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag= Product Link is above in My Setup Section

This 5.1 system is like a day spa for your ears

It has been a long time since I have been inspired enough to actually sit down a write an Amazon review for anything and I feel like I spend half of my life buying stuff on here. Also seems kind of pointless to chime in when there are 800+ essentially glowing reviews. But this system is just that good. I am compelled to write this review by the silky smooth buttery warmth that emanates from these bad boys. I am not gonna sit here and list some silly amount of gear that I have owned or systems that I have heard. I have been a DJ for 12+ years and am obsessed with audio technology, whether it's speakers or headphones or receivers or DJ gear. I'm not a rich man so I am always on the lookout for the best bang for your buck. I had this Energy 5.1 system sitting in my "Saved for Later" bin for about 5 years, no joke. That's when I first read the review and was intrigued and as I have monitored, they still have not lost CNET's recommendation as the best budget sound system that was first given in 2009 and the positive reviews are still pouring in here at Amazon and elsewhere. Decided to take the plunge on a Samsung 4K TV with some Best Buy financing and that led me to replace my ancient Onkyo with a Yamaha RX-V675. All of a sudden my Tannoy bookshelf speakers I've had since 1998 lost a bit of their sheen knowing what kind of power I was sitting on with the new Yamaha. So, as one thing tends to lead to another with audio gear purchases, I waited until I saw another of the seemingly regular $299 price drops on the Take Classic (down from $399) and decided to take the plunge. Like a good Amazon fanboy, I went ahead and got the RCA 16 gauge speaker wire and whatever mounting system Amazon says are "frequently bought" with this system. So, if you've made it this far, $350 Yamaha receiver + $300 Take Classic system = $650 that sounds like $5,000. And this is without a proper subwoofer cable (in the mail, using a janky RCA in the meantime), no YPAO mic calibration (accidentally tossed it with the box) and only a few hours of break in. As soon as I played a song with all of the settings on the receiver punched in correctly, my jaw (and those of three friends who were there who helped me install, more on that later) hit the floor. We were all stunned. I never knew music could sound so good. A little background on my listening environment: I live in an old 1920s Los Angeles hotel that has been converted into apartments. I have 9 foot ceilings and concrete walls in a living room that is about 12 x 18 feet. My couch is up against the short wall with the TV opposite so no way to put the surround satellites behind. I remembered a friend with a Polk 5.1 system who had mounted them in the upper corners of his living room and it sounded phenomenal so I decided to go the same route, angling the fronts down and toward the couch pretty much at 45 degrees in the corner. The rear satellites I mounted probably more at 70 degrees toward the couch so they have that rear channel position but still are angled enough toward the rest of the room to compliment the fronts when listening to music. The center channel is mounted at the same height...but in the center (duh). I measured 4 inches out from the wall on all them before drilling in the mounts to give the speakers some breathing room as others have suggested. About the mounting: the VideoSecu Universal Satellite Speaker Mounts / Brackets for Walls and Ceilings are the one thing I would take back in this whole setup. They don't mount completely flush with the speaker (despite some reviewers saying so), they're plastic and they do not come with the alligator wall brackets they claim to in the instructions. I had to hit Home Depot to get some for a dry wall ceiling. I can verify that the 5/16" drill bit they say to use is the correct size, so make sure you get brackets sized for that bit if you go this route. All things considered, they're fine, they seem like they will hold. In hindsight, I maybe would have sprung a little more for something else, but this really isn't the point of the review. What you absolutely must do is mount your speakers in this fashion if you are able to. There is a reason why clubs do it this way: so that people are IN the sound instead of jockeying to find a sweet spot. The way that this system fills the room with such superbly warm sound is something that anyone who enjoys music or movies needs to hear. It's one of those transcendental "wow I have never heard this song sound like THIS" experiences. I know the Yamaha receivers have a great reputation for surround sound processing so this may be contributing, but we just sat there picking different favorite songs of ours from all genres and listening in awe with big goofy smiles on our faces. In Pusherman by Curtis Mayfield for example, the percussion was crisp and clear out the back channels while the guitar was sparkling from the fronts. The bassline...THAT bassline sounded so fresh and so clean. Played a few tracks off of Puffy's (criminally under-appreciated) Last Train to Paris album as I know the mastering is top notch on that one and it sounded fantastic. Then went for what is my de facto audition album of late for anything that reproduces audio: DARKSIDE. Listening to the songs "Heart" and "Paper Trails" was sublime. If you haven't heard these guys (they only put out one album) and you're looking for what Pink Floyd would sound like if they were a band now, do yourself a favor. The mastering is impeccable and the Take Classics did not disappoint. I then threw on the end of the Portland/Golden State game to get a feel for sports and both the surround stage in the arena and the announcers were both pronounced without interfering with each other. Then went for Pacific Rim on Netflix and the opening fight scene really had nice spatial depth to it. People weren't kidding: this system really does handle movies and music equally well. I have read that this is an impressive feat for a 5.1 satellite system. I've never been disappointed by others that I have heard, but I have never been blown away as I was by the Take Classic. So there you have it, a review 5 years in the making. It was worth the wait. If you're a normal Joe with a normal sized living room and you like knowing you're getting the best sound that $300 (and probably $1500 or $2000) could buy, don't think about it anymore. I can't recommend these paired with the Yamaha RX-V675 enough, although it sounds like they have been doing any receiver with enough discrete wattage justice for years now. I had my Tannoy/Onkyo combo for a solid 10 years, pretty sure I'll have this one for at least that long.

Surprisingly good sound for their size!

I have a rather small living room space- about 11' x 12' 8.5' ceiling- and wanted matched speakers to upgrade my surround sound experience. While looking on-line for better (financial) values I bought this surround sound "kit" based on published reviews, which I am skeptical of. I have a deep background as a musician and commercial audio/sound equipment sales. My ear is trained and I know what sounds good or "right" and what "needs work". After I replaced a dying TV with a new better than average model I then replaced an older Denon HT receiver that was also showing age and probably some abuse by the former owner. I shopped and bought a good, basic reconditioned Sony 5.1/7.1 HT Receiver with 90 watts per channel. O.K., took the time to lay out proper distance and spacing of the speaker positions, installed wall brackets and mounted the "smallish" speakers plus added 2 Def Tech surround speaker models to the L & R rear corners of my space. Ran 16 gauge speaker cable and labeled each one in good installation practice. Then took the time to use the Sony HT receiver speaker-measurement routine several times after some adjustments and accuracy. The receiver calculated the results which were then saved to it's memory. It was now time to see and hear the initial results of all this time, expense and effort. The speaker manufacturer instructs users to not over-use or over-drive the speakers at first- that they needed to be "exercised" initially to "break them in". O.K., fair warning while an interesting consideration. I do have lots of good CD audio material and a few good Blu-Ray choices but it was just easier to nose around Amazon Prime and YouTube for material to test the system. Once you find some nice, well produced choices in modern Dolby processes you will easily become very satisfied and gratified for all that added effort. This surround speaker "kit" is a testament to the speaker designer(s) and those that then take that final design into manufacturing. Are they world-class audiophile quality? No. But, an amazingly good value and really good sound considering their smaller unit size. They further prove that speakers don't have to have a super visual appeal to, ah hem, sound great. Note: I have dialed back both the sub-woofer level AND the filter frequency as that tiny box was surprising me with LF energy. Also note, that in a "smaller room" a smaller sub-woofer speaker design is preferable since the speaker cone has less mass, and LF energy is clearer, more distinct without a heavy acoustic build-up in the corners of most surround sound spaces. I still need to add some acoustic control in my tiny LR to adjust short reverb issues. Whether it is better, well recorded music, movie soundtracks or live sports- this surround sound system-in-a-box is impressive, especially for the value. Did I over do this report? Addendum: It has occurred to me that they advise user to "break-in" the system at first because the flexible speaker driver surround material is a type of synthetic that needs to gain a degree of flex to fully perform. I think this is a good guess- and probably the case. In any case, take your time at first and savor what so many have worked hard to achieve.

Quality product

I've had this surround system for several years now and I'm still impressed with the sound quality for the money spent. I even recommended it to my dad and he loves his too. It seems to manage all the channels in a very balanced way, which is of course more to do with the AV receiver amp, my older Denon. The sub-woofer is just the right amount of bass and all channels come through clean and clear. Dialogue comes through really well. I like the small speaker size but wish they came with a choice of finishes other than just lacquer black. Music sounds pretty good too.

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