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These are an amazing pair of little speakers. I paid CDN$320+tax new from my local store (they have good prices).

There is absolutely nothing to fault with the sound at this price. From the bottom up - in my mid-sized bedroom about 2 feet from walls, the bass response is admirably tight and deep for a speaker this size. The front port allows close placing to walls / corners without sounding boomy. They are very smooth with a touch of warmth in the mids, and the metal tweeters provide surprisingly smooth highs that are never abrasive (though not the last word in extension, but pretty respectable). I would describe the sound as very balanced and neutral, if leaning slightly on the warm side of neutral.

I currently have them on sand-filled Target stands that cost almost as much as the speakers themselves, driven by an Integre DT, and I don't feel the urge to upgrade the Energys. Previously I had a much more sensible Cambridge A540 driving them quite succesfully, but with the Integre, the Energys show that they are capable of amazing neutrality, balance, detail and soundstaging. The YBA also quickened/tightened things up a little, adding more focus to the sound.

I think the C-1's should be at the top of the audition list for anyone looking for budget monitors and who are commonly recommended entry-level Axioms, NHTs, B&Ws, Missions, and the like. They are very easy to drive compared to NHTs and even B&Ws so they are likely to sound better when driven by reasonbly priced amps which don't have 100wpc and weigh 50 pounds. I know that (at the dealer's) the Cambridge A540 certainly did a much better job at bringing out the bass and detail on the Energy C-1's than on some NHT's (SuperOnes, or the new S1 series). Used with lesser sources, the Energys are also more forgiving and won't fatigue you over time.

Fit an finish are very nice, especially the light maple veneer (also available in black); though not everyone might agree with the silver front baffles. The magnetic grills (available in black or silver) are a great idea, they come off and re-attach simply and quickly. There is only one set of binding posts so bi-wiring is not possible, but the posts provided are of pretty good quality. On the whole, very highly recommended!

Product Weakness:	A little lacking in 'bite' in the highs if you like that. Some people call it harshness :)
Product Strengths:	See above

• Energy Loudspeakers C-1 Speakers - young-chang 17:11:51 11/22/03 (0)
  In Reply to: Energy Loudspeakers C-1 Speakers posted by james22 on November 17, 2003 at 13:51:07:

  I would agree with your impressions. I think they are a great value in the budget speaker category. it really doesn't do anything bad and does most things right. I find that its really neutral and the treble is quite nice for the price.

  young-chang
  
  

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• Energy Loudspeakers C-1 Speakers - Jim 16:20:32 11/17/03 (0)
  In Reply to: Energy Loudspeakers C-1 Speakers posted by james22 on November 17, 2003 at 13:51:07:

  I am glad you are happy with your speakers. I agree that Energy C-series are pretty decent for the price. I have a pair of C-2's that I bought a few years ago and I really enjoyed them for quite some time.

  Then one day I decided to try some Magnepan MMG's on their 30 day trial period. In my listening room and with the music I listen to, the change absolutely floored me. This was not just an upgrade but a whole new transformation for me. I have subsequently upgraded to Maggie 1.6's.

  I actually bought a 2nd pair of C-2's and use four of them in a home theater room. Maggies are not everyone's cup of tea but I just thought I would share my experience.
  
  

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