I'll make this short (much like these speakers are) :)
The sound is good, the bass isn't that deep (but at least its not boomy). I found that some of my classical music made the speakers resonate which caused me to return them. Other than that though, these speakers offer good voice reproduction, snappy bass, clear crisp treble, and stylish looks. Audition these in your home and give them good time to break in (60 hours continuous playing at low-med volume). The detail is fairly good with instrumental work as well. I give them a 4/5 considering the price.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good pair of floorstanding speakers that will play like a concert hall? :)

I purchased these speakers about two weeks ago and am very happy with them. They are rplacing a pair of Klipsch KSB1.1's I was using. I mainly listen to music on my system and am quite impressed with the difference these made. They ar very airy sounding and have a good soundstage. They do lack bass, but I'll take the higher output ala the 2 drivers over that. I'm using an Energy exl s10 sub with them and it sounds superb. If you listen to music with a lot of bass or watch a lot of action flicks, I suggest you go with a sub. List at $550, got them delivered for $380 (Netmarket). Took 2 and a half weeks though. Great deal.

everything

none

this is an okay upgrade from the e:XL16's. i couldnt find better speakers for the money but the NHT supertwos came close. worth the extra money from the 16's.

Similar Products Used:

e:xl16

Looks great.

Harsh highs.

When I first auditioned these, it was against the Mirage FRx-5. I (and the dealer) thought the Mirages had a more musical high end than the Energys, with all the bass response and the same price. Then I listened to the Paradigm Monitor 3 and 5... both a step up from the Mirage, and the Monitor 3 is even $150 less. Still, something was missing. Six months later I heard the PSB 4T. I took out my checkbook and bought their only pair (demos).

Obviously, listen to as many different speakers as you can, but here's what I listened to and how I ranked them.

PSB 4T
Paradigm Monitor 5
Paradigm Monitor 3
Mirage FRx-5
Energy e:xl-26
Paradigm Phantom
Energy e:xl-25

Not sure about the others, but if you're looking at the PSBs, I suggest bi-wiring. I re-terminated a 15' pair of Audioquest Indigo (thank you Progressive Audio!) into a 7.5' double bi-wire and oh, what a difference.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Monitor 3, Mirage FRx-5, PSB 4T

Very well-made, nice-looking speakers from the outside.
Compared to a set of old Cambridge SoundWorks Ensemble IIs, a pair of these speakers had better bass response and a very accurate, spacious soundstage when used with CD audio. In a home theater setup, these speakers more than held their own as excellent front left- and right- speakers.

The eXL25 is the smaller brother of the eXL26, with 1" smaller drivers, about 3" shorter, and about 1" thinner. Retail priced at $550, but I got mine for $365/pair online. A great deal, IMHO!

Sound clarity and stereo imagery. Small footprint. Bi-wire capable.

None so far.

I bought my first Energy speakers about 7 years ago and was impressed with the sound quality right away. Their speakers are bright sounding out of the box, but once they have gone through their "warm up" period, that all changes. The speakers always keep very crisp highs, but when the mid-range and low-end sounds start to mellow....wow! I have listened to similar spec'd speakers from Mission and PSB and I find the Energy speakers have a more natural sound that fills the room. I will be adding these 25s to a HT system and I will be using the Energy line for all my speakers. Luckily, Energy has speakers to fit most budget levels, and I think even their entry level lines will move your listening experience to a new plateau.

Similar Products Used:

Energy Pro 3.5

Great mid to high range clarity. Terrific sound for the size... and the price.

Drops off sharply at about 60Hz.

When looking for the best performance/price combination, I found the XL25 speakers to be the hands down winner. I was amazed at the sound, especially the mid to high range clarity and transparency. Before buying the speakers I have consulted many reviews, mostly right here at Audio Review. Most reviewers here remarked about low end shortcomings of the XL25's. These remarks, I must admit, are very valid. I have noticed the lack of depth beyond 60-70Hz, the same day I brought them home. It was a little disappointing at first but then... I decided to complement the pair with one XLs10 sub. The combo is just amazing. The deal cost me slightly more than budgeted for, but the Visa is all payed off now and I could not be happier with the purchase. Contrary to some suggestions, I think this combo outperforms the XL26s duo, simply because it offers greater physical arrangement flexibility. GREAT FOR JAZZ!

Similar Products Used:

none

Good sound-stage, clear, and pretty outlook. Slim suitable for small room, easy drive (93db)

Bass is not enough esp below 60Hz

Pretty outlook, good sound stage and clear and smooth at Mid to High range. Its weakness is bass not enough but can improve when place near the wall. It is prefectly match with my MF A 1.3 Amp.

Similar Products Used:

AE 100, Moduant-short 40i

Amazing sound staging and clarity

Careful with placement

After listening, listening and listening some more for a set of speakers to replace my B&Ws, I had virtually given up, until I heard the XL28. I was completely enamoured by the stoud staging, tightness and clarity - after then asking to listen to the 25's I knew I had a real deal and I would not be able to tell the difference unless both sets were side by side.

The most impressive sound I heard in the price range (the only thing to come close were a pair of MS 18s).

Pay attention to placement though - the speaker is forgiving but it hates to have anything placed at its side - I had a side board within 18 inches of each speaker and I could not beleive the poor sound (rather like the dull mission 701 sound) - but when I moved the speakers further appart by a yard (combined) the flarity came gushing back.

I would wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone (now- only if I could fins a cheap CD to match these speakers bang for buck!)

Similar Products Used:

B&W 602

Clarity & detail on music, mid-bass and up, mid-range and up, highs, appearance (mostly), flexibility with placement, great complementary center, price-performance ratio.

Deep bass, height.

I bought a pair of eXL-25s in February of this year and have waited awhile to review them, after trying them with an integrated amp and two receivers, and different wires. I can now say that these are excellent speakers and I love them. To my ear they combine the outstanding clarity and detail of more expensive but comparable NHTs (1.5, 2) without so much brightness, while at the same time having some, but not all, of the rock n' roll warmth and resonance of comparable Paradigms (mini monitors, monitor 3s). (These are the hi-fi brands in my price range that I can listen to readily in Austin.)

Right now I run these off a 1970s-era Pioneer integrated amp to listen to CDs and records. I use AudioQuest 4 cables, which cost only a bit more than zip cord but sound much better. I am extremely satisfied with this set-up. I listen to lots of classical and jazz, often at moderate levels because of our infant daughter, and they perform very well at low levels, and extremely well with the volume up. I also listen to lots of vocalists like Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, Kelly Willis, and old records. Usually I prefer to listen to music with neutral tone, and here these excel and I think outperform the NHTs, which have been too bright when I've heard them. My wife likes to crank up some bass (also "loudness" on the amp, whatever that is), and these do admirably there as well. The deeper bass lines do get boomy with accentuated bass. Moving the speakers away from the side wall helps this some, but it's never a problem with my neutral listening setup, and never a big problem either way, the music still sounds good.

Before repairing my integrated amp I was running these strictly off a Yamaha RV 1105, a 5.1 Home Theater receiver. The results were mixed, due I now know to the receiver, not the speakers. In home theater mode, the Yamaha kicks ass, and the eXL-25s provide enough "effect" style bass that I feel comfortable waiting to get a subwoofer, though eventually I will. Music in movie soundtracks also sounds outstanding in the home theater set up, and the eXLs have a great counterpart in the energy center channel eXL-C. (I just use my old infinity bookshelves for rear surrounds, which work fine.)

Oddly, however -- or not so oddly to true audiophiles -- the Yamaha A/V receiver does not perform well on stereo play. Until I got my integrated amp out of the shop, I thought the problem might have been the speakers, which seemed to lose a lot of mid-range and detail in stereo mode, and which even seemed weak or fatiguing when I was listening to them. Once I switched to the amp, however, and let it warm up, the speakers came to life and revealed the true source of my problem: trying to use a home theater receiver for music. I now believe that this is total folly. Don't purchase a massively expensive HT receiver. Just run two systems. It's not that expensive. Go for a $400-$700 reliable name like Yamaha or Denon for a HT receiver (or even get a cheaper one -- these things aren't for great music), then use your old amp, or even your old stereo receiver if it's reliable, or buy a NAD 340 for about $300-$350. This is my new plan. I'm going to purchase a pair of energy eXL16s or 15s to use as satellites/mains for the HT set up and keep my 25s strictly for music.

A couple weaknesses:

Height -- I wish these had the same height as the eXL-26s, since the 25s are not quite at my ear level when I'm seated, and you can't raise them up on stands.

Binding posts -- they're plastic and not the greatest.

Price vs. eXL 16s -- be sure and check out the 16s when you're shopping; they're excellent, and depending on your configuration, you may prefer these less expensive but well performing book shelf speakers. If you can, take home a pair of each before you decide on one or the other.

Conclusion: I feel lucky that I landed these, following blindly the recc of a local hi-fi rep at Audio By Design in Austin. They outperform the other audiophile speakers I've heard in this price range, at least for my tastes. I'll give them a 5 for value, 4 overall since there are always superior speakers out there.

Similar Products Used:

NHT, Paradigm, Infinity.