Summary:
Came across these speakers by accident.
Had already purchased Paradigm Mon 9 after
shopping around alot. Mon 9 speakers are
GREAT sounding speakers. An area HiFi store
played Snells and I really liking them.
They have a very spacious open, musical sound.
Clear, tight, and NATURAL. Very sensitive to
the sound you feed it. The rear fire
tweeter makes a BIG difference.
GET A PAIR!!!

I bought them off the floor for $800.00,
the sales guy's price was about $1450.00
new in box. Now I have four REALLY GOOD
sounding speakers in the 8 to 12 hundred
price range. This speaker will love a
blue collar guy or a white collar gal
equally.

Here is something for to ask yourself-
1 Take a cd in to the store YOU like and
listen to it. Close your eyes and
concentrate on that mis-mash of SOUNDS
you know and love. The speaker will
talk to you if your in LOVE.
2 It doesn't matter what you spend, shopping
patiently and listening to ALOT of
speakers.....will put you in front of
one that will "blow your subjective mind"
3 Train your ears to hear nuances in music
passages.

My system is modest
Pioneer Elite 24tx rec
Thorens TD320 turntable
Onkyo dvd/cd DV-s525

Strengths:
Very open, clear, clean to every instrument

Weaknesses:
none that I can tell

Similar Products Used:
Paradigm Monitor 9, Klipsch KLF -20, JBL L150
Bose 901 ser 5

Summary:
I've auditioned this pair of speakers and liked them very much. On home theater, they were a storm to listen to. But my priority was stereo, which they did well too. The Snells gave very lifelike imaging and soundstage to music on my test CDs from Harleigh Cole, Laura Fygi, Orbital and Seal. Bass was tight and showed good extension down the low frequencies. You could hear the individual whack of the drumsticks and separation of different instruments were pinpoint. On rock CDs like Seal and Orbital, the Snells delivered with force and authority, yet it was not all wham and thump -- it was forceful, dynamic and vivid; yet musicality was maintained throughout.
If they're any weakness, the speakers seem to get a bit lost when John Coltrane was put on. Instruments and voices tend to get mixed and become colored. The pace of the music seemed to be slightly slow. However these I feel were minor flaws at this price. I suspect the weaknesses mentioned may not make the Snells ideal for classical music where the music arrangement tends to be more fast and complex.
I think the Snells will do really well with most other music and if driven with amps with strong muscle, they will excel. Five stars for sure.

Strengths:
Good sturdy build. Excellent bass at the low-frequencies and good soundstaging. Very versatile, makes good speakers for both music and home theater.

Weaknesses:
Loses control and gets a bit muddled when music gets complex. May not go well with classical music. Not as pacy as some speakers.

Summary:
Overall, an excellent choice in its price range. When compared to the aforementioned speakers, the E.5's came out on top, IMHO. Very balanced sound with little or no coloration and virtually no cabinet resonance. Outstanding bass response (down to about 32Hz). Although the treble can be a little bright on some CD recordings, this can be toned down with treble and boundary switches, or the right selection of cables (MIT for example). The company which is now a subsidiary of Boston Acoustics, has very good customer support. Highly recommended. Overall, for value and quality I'd rate them a 4.5.

Strengths:
Deep tight bass, good soundstaging, very neutral and uncolored

Weaknesses:
Can sound a little bright on some recordings

Similar Products Used:
Vandersteen 1c's, Paradigm Studio 60's, B&W 603's, Magnepan MG-12's, PSB Stratus Silver

Summary:
I have just upgraded from the Snell K.5 bookshelf speakers. I was considering the Paradigm Studio 60's, but then listened to the E.5's. I already had the other Snell speakers [CR5 center and the SR5 surrounds]. I use the Velodyne HGS-12 as my Sub.
Rather than change the entire system around, I was urged to consider the Snell E5's. All I can say is UNBELIEVABLE!.
Very tight and smooth with excellent bass, even though for movies I set me Denon 5700 to the THX mode.
These E.5 towers are very dynamic and powerful, giving a huge sound stage.
Don't hesitate to give these a serious listen. They are an excellent value.
If you are interested in an excellent dealer for these speakers in the NY-NJ area, email me.

Mitchell
milesgrp@injersey.com

Strengths:
GREAT FOR BOTH HT AND MUSIC

Weaknesses:
NONE

Similar Products Used:
NONE

Summary:
I've had these speakers for nearly six months and I can't praise them enough! I auditioned them against Paradigm refernce studio 80's and was blown away. The sound is so clean, airy... It's almost like removing a veil from what I've been hearing. The soundstage is HUGE compared to the more expensive Paradigms. Part of that is due to the rearward facing tweeter. If you have a forward sounding system (my damn carver amp..) the sound may be a little tiring, but that's simple to correct. Bass response is slightly lacking compared the the 80's but it beats even the $1K more expense Infinity Overture 3's and looks cooler, too.I damaged the tweeter (nearly cried,too) - Snell customer service to the rescue!
These guys fixed it (for free) and ZERO hassles! Overall, I'd recommend these guys to anyone looking in the $1400 range. I don't think anything I've heard compares. Get out there and at least audition them before you buy anything else. You owe yourself that much.