grayloop

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $299.00 from Best buy

Summary:
got these after trying to listen to them at a very loud best buy (useless )and after reading all the good reviews they got .Sounded good from the start .I played them with a HK 125 first, then HK 3585 and a Denon 2706 ,an HK 340 and now an Onkyo 805 .The onkyo and the athenas combo is heaven .In the last few years i have tried many speakers ,looking to upgrade to a better one but always return them and stayed with the Athenas Since i got the onkyo i had the polk monitor 60 and 70 and the new athenas ls-500 jbl 880 .All went back .The Athenas Ls-500 need some crossover work .After listening to the F2s the Ls-500 sounded like a 50 dollar speaker Can not find anything to sound as good .I think i will try the KEF IG9 next .So under 1000 dollar a pair so far have not found anything better than the F2s
By the way if you like music and you can find an Onkyo 805 or better please buy it .Thay are sooooooo good

Strengths:
Can not describe sound with text ..A lot of people try but it is so confusing .

Weaknesses:
none

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mike fallon

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $400.00 from audioadvisor

Summary:
I couldn't be more pleased with these speakers. I've tried a lot of speakers, some much more expensive, but I find these hard to beat, especially at the price they sold at. I've tried all the mid-fi brands, and nothing compares. I've learned not to buy any speakers without at least some type of audition unless the reviews and value appears to be overwhelming. That's what led me to these. They sound very smooth, yet clear and musical. The bass is accurate and extended. They do go loud when asked to, but sound good low as well. They also cast a huge soundstage which is very satisfying. I originally bought them for surround sound mains, but are now my primary stereo listening speakers until I find something significantly better.

Strengths:
Smooth, musical, extended bass.
Value off the charts.

Weaknesses:
Some may find a little bright paired with certain amps.

Similar Products Used:
Many Paradigm models
Klipsch RF-7
Klipsch RF-3
Energy RC-30
Klipsch vintage (Forte, KG5.5, KG4.5, KG4)

Price Paid:  $600.00 from Athena direct

Summary:
I bought these when they first came out. You'll find my original review in Jan of 2003 just a few pages back. Now that the honeymoon is over four years later...I still like them. I'm not going to write that they sound as good as Def Tech, B&W or NHT but for the price, they can't be beat. They can take a lot of power. I used to power these with a Parasound 90x5 amp. Now I use a Sunfire Grand Cinema at 500x5. More power (quality power) = better, effortless sound. I noticed that alot of reveiwers used just a receiver. I don't think that will feed these thirsty boys... even if you're using the big Denons or Yamahas. You may not need 500w per channel but these are rated to take up to 300w. It's like this...you drop a 150hp Nissan motor into a Porsche GT chassis and body; guess what...you still got a 150hp Nissan.
These speakers, if powered well, have a big soundstage. The woofers will give you some bass, but let a subwoofer take care of that. The tweeters are bright and they can go loud. Watch Pearl Harbor if you don't believe me. As for the knucklheads that write about the mids and the bass. These speakers are only equipped with (2) - 6.5ish woofers and a tweeter with no bi-amp option. They can't take care of the mids and hi at the same time. You need a sub. Turn the crossover way down and volume about half way up and program all your speakers as "small" on your onscreen set up display. Hi's and mids are taken care of and you have dedicated power for the sub.

Strengths:
Price, power capability, aesthetics, huge soundstage

Weaknesses:
Tweeters can by hissy

longterm

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $400.00 from Audio Advisor

Summary:
I don't make a habit of contributing to forums; however, the Athena F-2 is, in my experience, a special product. I found it a very smooth speaker with a decent soundstage, friendly to quality amplifiers of various manufacturers. Recent audtioning of other products suggest one might need to spend $1,000 or perhaps close to $2,000 to exceed the performance of the F-2's. I can find no weaknesses. I have had no problems with the product. The highs are smooth, the midrange is smooth, and the bass is full without boom or bloating. The drivers are well-integrated. As a stereo store owner from the 70's my employees and I became sensitive to the need to match components. I have been surprised how the F-2's sound essentially the same with the three amps listed below. There were differences. With the Cambridge, the reproduction was on the light side but smooth; with the Musical Fidelity, the reproduction was very smooth and full; with the Outlaw, the reproduction provided more detail, more resolution with good bass...quite a statement for that receiver. Keep in mind my ratings are in the context of a very modestly priced speaker. I doubt one can find a better product at this price point.

Strengths:
No boom, no edginess, no shrillness. Very good octave to octave balance. Very good bass. Friendly to quality ampllifiers.

Weaknesses:
None identified as of this date.

Similar Products Used:
Monitors of various manufacturers including NHT and Mission but no other towers.

Deeezer2010

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $400.00 from AudioAdvisor

Summary:
These Are A Great Pair Of Speakers for the price. My source is Kenwood THX select VR 6070 receiver/preamp. The sound reproduction is phenominal. I also have 4 Athena AS bookshelf Speakers In my 6.1 system (except 3 subs that are not ). Yes these speakers can be very bright. However With that being said that is due to the source material and how well it was Mastered. This occurs mainly on poor quality CD's. With well mastered Audio / DVD Playback. Close your eyes. These speakers will completey disapear, Pulling you into the middle of the experience. They have a decent soundstage are very transparent and in my case the Timbre matching is exellent. Out of box they do need some breaking in. The Bass Reproduction on the built in subwoofer is nice and warm ,enhancing the sound coming out of the Speakers. If you However want the full punch of explosions or Hip Hop, you will want a good sub or 2. These Are Better Then Anything You will Find in a major Retail Store for a lot less the price.

Strengths:
WOW... Value .... Im Hearing Sound in movies that didnt exist with other speakers ive heard.Thay Can Reproduce Life LIke sound wit well mastered Audio (and correct settings)

Weaknesses:
NONE at this price point
well Size for some they are BIG

Similar Products Used:
Polk Klipsch Infinity Bose JBL A few i havent owned B&W Paradigm M&K