Fast Facts

	TAKE 2.2	TAKE 1.2	S8.2
	(L/R satellites)	(center)	(subwoofer)
TWEETER	1-inch aluminum dome	1-inch aluminum dome	--
WOOFER	3 1/2-inch cone	two 3 1/2-inch cones	8-inch cone
POWER	--	--	100 watts
ENCLOSURE	vented	vented	vented
DIMENSIONS (WxHxD)	4 x 7 x 7 1/4 inches	11 x 4 1/4 x 6 7/8 inches	9 7/8 x 16 1/2 x 12 1/4 inches
WEIGHT	3 1/2 pounds	5 1/2 pounds	24 pounds
FINISH	gloss black	gloss black	black ash vinyl
PRICE (Total: $900)	$220 a pair	$160	$300

MANUFACTURER Energy Loudspeakers, Audio Products International, Dept. S&V, 3641 McNicoll Ave., Toronto, Ontario M1X 1G5; www.energy-speakers.com; 416-321-1800

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In The Lab

by Tom Nousaine

FREQUENCY RESPONSE (at 2 meters)
front left/right	110 Hz to 16.3 kHz ±4.5 dB
center	110 Hz to 17.4 kHz ±4.5 dB
surround	110 Hz to 13.2 kHz ±3.2 dB
subwoofer	32 Hz to 100 Hz ±2.6 dB

SENSITIVITY (SPL at 1 meter with 2.8 volts of pink-noise input)
front left/right	89 dB
center	90 dB
surround	89 dB

IMPEDANCE (minimum/nominal)
front left/right	4.3/9 ohms
center	6.7/8 ohms
surround	4.3/9 ohms

BASS LIMITS (lowest frequency and maximum SPL with limit of 10% distortion at 2 meters in a large room)
front left/right	80 Hz at 77 dB SPL
center	80 Hz at 81 dB SPL
surround	80 Hz at 77 dB SPL
subwoofer	25 Hz at 82 dB SPL
97 dB average SPL from 25 to 62 Hz
104.0 dB maximum SPL at 62 Hz

All of the response curves in the graph are weighted to reflect how sound arrives at a listener’s ears with normal speaker placement. Because the Take 2.2 is used for both the front left/right and surround channels, the differences in the curves primarily reflect the different weightings.

The Take 2.2 had a buildup of energy between 1 and 5 kHz followed by some roughness at higher frequencies. The Take 1.2 center speaker had a similar character but was smoother at high frequencies. While the vertically oriented Take 2.2’s frequency response became smoother off-axis, the horizontally oriented Take 1.2 developed a wide, 3-dB trough between 1.5 and 7 kHz at 22.5° off-axis, and its response became even more irregular at larger angles.

Bass limits for the S8.2 subwoofer were measured with it set to maximum bandwidth and placed in the optimal corner of a 7,500-cubic foot room. In a smaller room users can expect 2 to 3 Hz deeper extension and up to 3-dB higher sound-pressure level (SPL). The S8.2 had relatively limited low-frequency SPL capability, as you’d expect from a subwoofer that has an 8-inch driver, but respectable extension -- down to about 30 Hz. The unmarked crossover-frequency dial had a turnover frequency of 100 Hz at the upper end of its rotation, 75 Hz at noon, and 60 Hz at the bottom end, with an approximate slope of 18 dB per octave.

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