jukeboxtheater

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $150.00 from ebay

Summary:
Ok, I've owned these speakers for about 2 months now and I think I'm ready to write a review. I think you have to live with a product for a while before you can make any judgements since first impressions can often be misleading. Personally speaking, it takes some time for me to really zero in on a products strengths and weaknesses...

Let me just say right off the bat that the Energy C2's are excellent loudspeakers! At first the midrange sounds a little recessed, at least when compared to my Paradigm Studio 40 speakers. However, this has the benefit of presenting a sense of depth to recordings, something the Paradigms struggle to do. Transparency is similar with both speakers, though the Paradigms seem just a tad more "see through" especially with vocals. Bass quality is also similar, despite the Paradigms having a dedicated driver for low frequencies. The main difference between these two excellent pairs of speakers is in their treble quality.

The treble of the Paradigm 40's has always struck me as these speakers' single biggest flaw. The 40's never sound bright per se, ie, you can listen to them for long stretches without suffering listening fatique. But the treble isn't exactly subtle and the tweeters lack the refinement and delicacy of the best. Certainly not a fatal flaw, especially considering the Paradigm's world-class midrange, but there it is. (As an aside, I've always felt that the mid-level and higher end B&W speakers suffer the opposite problem... a world-class treble matched with an unsubtle, shouty midrange. Frankly, I've never understood why these speakers are so popular...)

The Energy C2's are far better than the Paradigms at reproducing the upper frequencies in music. In fact the treble reponse of these speakers is among the best I've heard (and I've owned and listened to a lot of speakers!) On good recordings, strings have a lovely liquidity that sounds wonderful. Cymbals sound like actual cymbals when struck with natual decay. The overall sonic picture is one of delicacy and refinement.

Summing up, these speakers are a steal for what they're selling for on the used market. If you happen to see a pair, don't hesitate!

Strengths:
Excellent treble matched with very good midrange and surprisingly deep bass (no subwoofer necessary!!!!). Great image depth and transparency.

Weaknesses:
I'm not really inclined to nitpick, but if i had to come up with a weakness I'd say that imaging on these speakers is a little vague. In other words, the Energy's favor transparency and tonality over imaging accuracy. Not a problem in my book...

Similar Products Used:
Paradigm Studio 40 v.2, Soliloquy 6.0, Dahlquist DQ-20, and numerous others...

Price Paid:  $500.00 from FM Audio Video

Summary:
I bought the Energy C-2 back when I started my first job. I was only 18 at the time but was, and always have been, into sound and clarity. I wanted the C-4's at the time (mainly because they were bigger) but couldn't afford them. Let me tell you that I am more than glad that I bought the C-2's as they have been an excellent performer for me. Everyone who hears them at my house is quite impressed with the range which these speakers can produce. I have since added Energy rears and a subwoofer which have only improved on their already great sound quality at both soft and loud volume levels. When it comes down to buying new fronts, which I am looking into, Energy will be my first choice. And the old C-2's will probably get used somewhere in my house where I can still enjoy them.

Strengths:
Durability, good price and excellent sound quality

Weaknesses:
Mids could be better but a sub will give you better control of all ranges

Similar Products Used:
Paradyme small home theatre speakers

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
The C2 is one of the best model than I know for the price. I had a simple Nad 314 for the C2. If you try it, enjoy the midrange with the very good phase with the tweeter. (Please, have a decent amp)

Strengths:
Very good phase between mid and high. Good soundstage and impressive result for the price.

Weaknesses:
Could be a bit more dynamic for the bass but forget it and enjoy music.

Similar Products Used:
BW, Kef, Paradigm etc etc etc...

Price Paid:  $250.00 from A&B Sound

Summary:
Got these speakers new at a wholesale price as an insurance claim. After 5 years, these speakers still excel at jazz, classical and any type of music involving smooth vocals and detail. With rock, and dance music, this speaker is just ok. The tweeter is excellent, has great clarity and really is the winner of this speaker. The woofer provides good bass for a bookshelf. I think this speaker has good mids but not great mids, but for the price I paid, not many speakers can compare. I've heard speakers more than double my price and I cannot they sound better than my C-2's, just different. Get a good amp and CD player and you will surely be pleased

Strengths:
Price, build, tweeter, good bass for a bookshelf

Weaknesses:
bindings too close together, missing mid's?

Similar Products Used:
Polk Audio, Paradigm

Price Paid:  $383.00 from http://www.audioshop.on.ca/

Summary:
When I finally received the C-2's I was really excited to hear these superb set of speakers. I had previously (a couple of days prior to receiving the C-2's) purchased a pair of Paradigm Mini Monitors from Hillcrest High Fidelity (http://www.hillcresthifi.com/) and had both pairs in my living room to compare.

When I bought the Mini Monitors (MM), I listened to the B&W 601's in the showroom and was assured by the salesman that the 601's were in a completely different category and they were much better than the MM's. I listened carefully to both pairs and I like the warmth and the presence of the MM's over the more expensive 601's.

I tested the MM's and the C-2's in my carpeted living room which is roughly 14' x 12'. I powered them with the Pioneer Elite VSX-26TX that I paid ($599) for at Tweeter. Once again, I was suprised that the MM's had more warmth and presence than the C-2's. My wife also could notice the difference. I had the MM's hooked up on the B-side using crappy old "lamp cord" type speaker wire and the C-2's were hooked up (bi-wired) to the A-side using AudioQuest Type-2 solid-core copper wire (4 wires). The C-2's sounded reserved but extremely accurate. I had to dig through a ton of classical and vocal music in order to find short pieces of music where the C-2's were noticably better/cleaner than the MM's. Once I switched to Rock, Reagae, or something other than pure vocal or laid back, the MM's clearly sounded better to me (and my wife).

I called Hillcrest and asked if I could bring the C-2's in and try them on several difference A/V receivers. They were more than helpful! We hooked the C-2's up to the new Sony STR-V555ES (replaced the STR-DA777ES) which is extremely powerful, the Pioneer Elite VSX-39TX, the Yamaha RX-V2095, the Marantz SR-7000, the Marantz SR-8000, and the Marantz SR-19. Each receiver had a different sound but the basic results did not change. Even the salesman stated (before I mentioned it) that he thought that the C-2's were very clear in the mid and upper ranges, were laid back, had great imaging, and tighter bass, but lacked the lower bass and "presence" of the MM's. The C-2's just didn't "open up" and jump out at you (or me in this case). The Marantz SR-8000 and SR-19 sounded awesome on both MM's and the C-2's and would be the only receiver I would consider running these C-2's on. I guess it has something to do with the Marantz' ability to provide a lot of current.

Overall, I believe the C-2's are an incredible pair of speakers but the MM's just had the sound I was looking for. The speaker terminals are way too close together to use your fingers effectively and I had to use a socket set to tighten the terminals. Also, the MM's were a lot smaller but provided (I believe) the same sound with a little less imaging. Even though I am returning the C-2's, I am still going to use the AC-300 as the center channel.

If you are considering the C-2's, you will definetly need an amplifier than can deliver a lot of current such as the Marantz, Yamaha, Onkyo, etc.

After testing these on all these receivers, I returned the Pioneer Elite and purchased the Marantz SR-8000 because the sound difference is incredible.

Good luck,

- Wil Bloodworth

Strengths:
Precision, accuracy, solid construction, bi-wire'able.

Weaknesses:
Speaker Terminals are too close together.

Similar Products Used:
Paradigm Mini Monitor, B&W 601