Energy Take Classic 5.1

Pros: Audio quality, craftsmanship, and size. For such small speakers, the Take Classics can play loud without distorting. Sound clarity is excellent. Center channel reproduces dialogue clearly. Subwoofer plays "bigger" than it's stated size.

Cons: None...for the price, this is one of the best deals around.

Summary: I am not a hi fi snob, nor an audiophile. But, I do consider myself an electronics and gadget junkie. My "home theater" consisted of a 46" LCD, a PS3 as my video source and a Onkyo TX SR-605 A/V receiver (which I purchased after reading about it here on CNET) hooked up to Paradigm Atom v.5 bookshelf speakers in a stereo configuration. I had been running this set up for more than a year but always felt something was missing, like a center channel speaker and a subwoofer. But, I wasn't motived to complete the home theater setup due to cost and the state of our economy.

But that all changed when I recently came across Steve Guttenberg's review of the Take Classic 5.1 system. Having read his articles in the past, I knew that he was very knowledgeable. I figured I can trust a guy who used to sell speakers for a living and who auditions speakers that cost more than some people's homes.

But, due to my OCD, I couldn't rely on his review alone. I needed to make sure that I was getting the best product for my money. So, I began my research. All the reviews I read about Energy and the Take Classics were positive. After doing some comparison shopping, I made my purchase from WWStereo.Com for $349.99 shipped (no tax, no shipping).

Unlike the 5.1 system reviewed here on CNET, the set that I purchased consisted of the Take Classics along with the S8.3 subwoofer rather than the ESW-8 in CNET's review. It is my understanding the S8.3 is a better sub. But, both systems should be comparable.

The Take Classics are miniature versions of bookshelf speakers. They do not look cheap like most HTIB speakers made of plastic. These little guys are made from MDF and finished in piano laquer. They look very nice and blend nicely with my LCD display. I read in some reviews that the speaker terminals were cheaply made, but considering how small these speakers are, I thought they were more than sufficient. In fact, I am using banna plugs connected to 12 guage wires.

I must say that I am impressed with these speakers and they quickly made me forget about my Paradigm Atoms.

My 4 and 3 year old have watched Wall-E multiple times on Blu ray, but they were being short changed due to a 2 speaker set up. Once I hooked up the Take Classic 5.1 system I noticed how attentive they were and they sat through the entire movie mesmorized by the added sound effects that hadn't heard before.

In conclusion, the Take Classic 5.1 system is a great buy. You are getting a quality product for a great price. I bought quite a few gadgets and electronics in the last couple years (i.e. PS3, Wii, Onkyo TX SR-605, Paradigm Atom Monitor v.5, Samsung LNT-4665 LCD, Cown D2, Shure SE310, BlueAnt M1 Stereo Bluetooth speaker, iPod Touch, Apple in-ear headphones w/ mic, Asus Aspire One netbook) and the Take Classic 5.1 speaker system has to be the best bang for your buck, a close second to the PS3.