Call it the invasion of the on-walls. Or just call it a change in the way speaker companies think about design. Either way, the audio world is being overrun these days with speakers made to go with flat-panel TVs. What these systems have in common are shallow, wall-hugging cabinets. But this recent entry from Energy, which takes some obvious style cues from Definitive Technology’s successful Mythos speaker line, also shares that system’s freewheeling use of extruded aluminum for its cabinetry. This rigid material lends itself to being carved into svelte designs that complement futuristic flat screens.
Energy pretty much created the low-price, high-performance niche a few years back with its sub-$1,000 Take 5 system. But even with their exotic looks and cabinet materials (and, consequently, higher prices), the newest members of that family — now simply called the Take Series — follow the earlier lines in delivering maximum bang for the buck. At the heart of the system I listened to was a pair of top-of-the-line Take TWR towers. These were combined with the Take FPS center speaker, two Take SAT surrounds, and an S10.3 subwoofer.
The Take TWR’s slender form, aluminum cabinet, and matching silver grille helped the pair disappear beside my flat-panel TV — though they’d be equally at home alongside a rear projector. Each TWR comes with a tempered-glass base and wall-mounting hardware. The speaker’s dual front-panel vents also help its quadruple woofers deliver deeper bass than other wall-mountable speakers.
The FPS center speaker is an equal mate for the TWR right down to its quartet of cones (two woofers and two passive radiators). Like the TWR, it comes with both wall-mounting hardware and a glass base. But I was most intrigued by the adjustable foot that attaches to the FPS’s back panel and lets you aim the speaker up or down as well as balance it on narrow surfaces — a great solution for slim-topped TVs.
The Take SAT that I used for surrounds is the entry-level speaker in the Take line. A two-way design with a slightly smaller woofer, the tiny SAT can be wall-mounted or placed on a shelf with the supplied glass base. To prop the SATs up for testing, I used Energy’s workably sturdy Take stands ($130 a pair, shown).
Although the TWR pumps out decent bass for a slender speaker, you’ll need a subwoofer to get the most from this system. Energy’s S10.3, a 200-watt model with a 10-inch woofer, fit the bill for my 22 x 16-foot room. The S10.3’s dark-gray cabinet and silver grille was a good match for the rest of the system, and its compact size kept it from overshadowing the other speakers. I especially liked its front-panel volume control, which has tick marks to help compulsive tweakers like me recall bass settings for different recordings or sources. A rear-panel switch lets you completely bypass the sub’s crossover so your receiver can do the honors. And Energy’s patented “ribbed” design for its woofer surround helps the sub play loud without distortion — as our lab tests confirmed (see “in the lab”).
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PLUS MINUS |
SETUP For this test, I used Yamaha’s RX-V1500, a 120-watt, seven-channel receiver whose $850 price makes it a good match for the Take system. The TWRs were set up 21/2 feet out from my front wall, about a foot to either side of the TV, and facing head on. Taking a tip from Energy, I set the Yamaha’s subwoofer crossover to 60 Hz. The FPS sat on the TV stand’s middle shelf, angled up slightly, while the surrounds sat at ear level behind the left and right corners of my couch. Sub setup usually requires experimentation, but after an initial round of listening, I found that the S10.3 was at home in the right front corner of the room.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE Starting out in stereo, I played “Blues Dream” from the CD Bill Frisell with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones. The TWR/S10.3 combination sounded well balanced, conveying the full, rich tones of the trio’s drums, electric guitar, and acoustic bass. The sub reproduced Holland’s low bass notes with a decent amount of heft and blended smoothly with the TWRs — so much so that I couldn’t pick out its location with my eyes closed. While lacking somewhat in image depth compared with my regular speakers — a costlier pair of MartinLogan electrostatics — the TWRs cast a wide yet very precise sonic image. Reverberations from Frisell’s plucked guitar notes emanated from a specific point in space, while Jones’s languid cymbal strokes floated up and out into the room like balloons.
Turning to a track with vocals, I found that the Take speakers did an exemplary job with the Shins’ ballad “Pink Bullets” from their CD Chutes Too Narrow. James Mercer’s pained, sensitive-guy tenor came across as completely natural, and when the track faded out on a harmonica solo, the instrument sounded sweet but retained a brassy bite. Bob Dylan would be pleased. Moving to something a bit less bursting with sincerity, I played “Heart of the Sunrise” from the DVD-Audio remix of Yes’s Fragile. Bill Bruford’s drumming sounded snappy on the Takes, which accurately captured the crisp attack of his snare drum and the rapid-fire sound of his kick-drum. The SAT surrounds also blended fairly seamlessly with the fronts on this multichannel track, with Rick Wakeman’s analog synth noodlings sounding liquid and smooth as they snaked from the front to the rear speakers.
MOVIE PERFORMANCE It’s a tough job, but someone had to watch Blade: Trinity on DVD, if only to appreciate the awesomeness of its soundtrack. From the first scene, the Take system did a convincing job of rendering the cavernous spaces where the film is set, including traffic tunnels, warehouses, and what looked like an ancient Sumerian crypt. Dialogue coming from the FPS center speaker was consistently clear and sounded natural with both Wesley Snipes’s deep, growling voice and Parker Posey’s urbane, nasal whine. And even though the system easily conveyed thunderous sound effects — like the slam of steel doors when Posey visited an imprisoned vampire — it was also capable of delivering fine sonic detail, like the soft bleeps and blips of the prison’s high-tech security system (a must-have prop for any action film).
BOTTOM LINE Energy’s newest Take speakers are designed to fit seamlessly into the new world of flat-panel TVs and high-tech rear projectors, and to do so without making substantial compromises in sound quality. Energy has succeeded in its quest — this system looks and sounds great. Best of all, it’s gentle on the wallet compared with many similar, tower-based speaker packages. In that sense, the new Takes carry on the high-performance, high-value mission of the company’s original Take system, but with a new twist this time around: high style.
| In the Lab | |
| Sensitivity (SPL at 1 meter) front left/right: 92 dB center: 89 dB surround: 86 dB Impedance (minimum/nominal) front left/right 4.1/5 ohms center 4.1/6 ohms surround 4.7/12 ohms |
Bass limits (lowest frequency and maximum SPL with limit of 10% distortion in a large room) front left/right 62 Hz at 74 dB center 80 Hz at 86 dB surround 80 Hz at 71 dB subwoofer 20 Hz at 84 dB SPL 104 dB average SPL from 25 to 62 Hz 108 dB maximum SPL at 62 Hz bandwidth uniformity 97% |
 All of the curves in the frequency-response graph are weighted to reflect how sound arrives at a listener’s ears with normal speaker placement. The curve for the Take TWR left/right front speaker shows a mild floor-bounce dip centered at 250 Hz, a 3-dB depression between 7 and 12 kHz, and a sharp, narrow peak at 14 kHz. Sensitivity was above average. Off-axis lobing of the Take FPS center speaker began at 15°, which can be seen in the 3.3-kHz notch in its curve. The effect worsened further off-axis. The Take SAT had drooping low-frequency response but relatively extended highs for a surround speaker. Bass limits for the S10.3 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, you can expect 2 to 3 Hz deeper extension and up to 3 dB higher sound-pressure level (SPL). The S10.3 had above average dynamic capability, and the acoustical crossover points matched the dial markings closely. — Tom Nousaine |
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| Fast Facts | ||||
| Take TWR (front L/R) |
Take FPS (center) |
Take SAT (surrounds) |
S10.3 (subwoofer) |
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| Tweeter | 1-in aluminum dome | 1-in aluminum dome | 1-in aluminum dome | — |
| Midrange | four 4.5-in cones | two 4.5-in cones | 3.5-in cone | — |
| Woofer | — | — | — | 10-in cone |
| Enclosure | ported | ported by two 4.5-in passive radiators | ported | ported |
| Power | — | — | — | 200 watts |
| Inputs/ Outputs |
multiway spring connectors | multiway spring connectors | multiway spring connectors | speaker- and line-level inputs |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) and Weights | 6.5 x 44.25 x 4.25 in; 23 pounds | 24.75 x 6.5 x 4.25 in; 11 pounds | 6.5 x 8.5 x 4.25 in; 3.5 pounds | 14.125 x 17.25 x 18.375 in; 24 pounds |
| Finish | silver or black | silver or black | silver, black, white | black or dark gray |
| Price $2,225 | $500 each | $375 | $175 each | $500 |
| Manufacturer Audio Products International, www.energy-speakers.com, 416-321-1800 | ||||