Energy 5.1 Take Classic System (Set of Six, Black) Reviews
Energy 5.1 Take Classic System (Set of Six, Black)
- 4 appearance black 2-way Energy equipment speakers
- 1 appearance black Energy edifice channel
- 200 watt Energy subwoofer with face onset opening and 8″ utility and patented Ribbed Elliptical Surround(TM)
- Perfect for a super or diminutive expanse touch good solution
- Wall mountable
This occasion Energy 5.1 Take Classic bag recreation grouping flaunts crack MDF cabinets ended in worldly high-gloss black. It includes a coercive 200-watt subwoofer with a front-firing port, 8″ utility and patented Ribbed Elliptical Surround(TM) for well-defined voice reproduction. But the takeover de grâce is the new additional Convergent Source Module (CSM) with its 3″ poly-titanium woofer and .75″ Hyperbolic(TM) aluminum-dome tweeter. This copyrighted technology provides a impulsive freq
Rating: 
(out of 51 reviews)
List Price: $ 599.00
Price: $ 399.00
Samsung HT-AS730ST Home Theater System
- HDMI production + signaling for body of another digital devices
- 5.1 steer bag building frequence system
- iPod connectivity compatible
- Anynet Plus (HDMI-CEC): allows marginal AV devices much as a Home Theater to be dominated by a Samsung TV far control.
Home Theater Receiver
Rating: 
(out of 18 reviews)
List Price: $ 499.99
Price: Too baritone to display
July 3rd, 2010 at 9:05 AM
Review by btgawedz for Energy 5.1 Take Classic System (Set of Six, Black)
Rating:
I have recently purchased this system paired with a Denon AVR1508. And all I can say is WOW!
I originally purchased the POLK RM705 package, and kept them all of 2 days, brought those back and got the Klipsch Quintet III paired with the KSW10 subwoofer, on both systems all the satellites’ did was nothing but scream at you and the subwoofer distorted at low to medium levels regardless of what I threw at it, music or home theater (KSW10 not quite as bad). Needless to say they went back as well, I know I am picky! I was going to give up on the 5.1 package and go get bookshelf speakers or towers.
However ENERGY has changed my view on the 5.1 kit! ENERGY has also made very nice high end speakers for a while now, which have always been very efficient, crisp and clean, and they have done it again! Music and Home Theater purely sound superb! The satellites’ do not scream which helps the subwoofer compliment the overall sound, hence not missing the mid range. This helps in accomplishing the full sound that I believe we all desire.
I do only have one small complaint. I do have to turn the subwoofer down when jamming normal music (stereo 2.1) or there will be slight distortion from the subwoofer, however for the money and the fact the 5.1 systems are pretty much entirely designed for movies… top notch! And a slight turn of the knob once or twice a year when the time calls for really cranking up the volume, not a huge issue!
As far as home theater no subwoofer issues there! The subwoofer produces extremely clean, tight, deep bass, which makes any explosion or thunder shake the couch. The satellites’ in any listening configuration are absolutely unbelievable, clean, clear, crisp, enabling you to hear fingers actually sliding over the guitar strings as they are being strummed, incredible!
Do yourself a favor and go listen to these if you are in the market for a 5.1 system and make sure to bring the check book as you will need it, I did!
I hope this helps as this is a fairly new HT system and there are not a whole lot of reviews out there, but the ones that are, seem to agree with mine!
July 3rd, 2010 at 9:48 AM
Review by Pace Picante for Energy 5.1 Take Classic System (Set of Six, Black)
Rating:
I recently plunged into the HD market — bought a Samsung LCD (A550), a Sony Blu-ray player (350 model), an Onkyo TX-SR606, and these speakers. I did tons of research on TVs, BDPs, receivers, and speakers. I found 3 audio/video websites that had reviewed the Energy speakers. Google “Energy 5.1 Take Classic review” and you’ll find them.
Aside from what the reviews say, I fell in love with these speakers for their elegantly simple design (they look great with my TV). They are nothing flashy, and since I’ve owned them (about 6 months now), none of my friends have commented on my “cool-looking speakers.” But they HAVE commented on the sound. They sound very fresh, alive, and well-rounded. Movies sound terrific — the multi-channels blend seamlessly together and create this living, breathing soundfield. And like the professional reviewers say, music sounds especially good. In 5-channel stereo mode, it is bliss for my ears.
I live in an apartment in New York City, so my living room isn’t exactly huge. These speakers fill my space wonderfully. I’m not sure how far you could push the volume in a bigger room, but I have yet to push these too far, and I’ve listened to many movies at a pretty loud volume (my poor neighbors…).
After living with these for half a year, I couldn’t be happier. This just might be your best bet at getting amazing 5.1-channel sound without buying large expensive speakers.
July 3rd, 2010 at 10:01 AM
Review by Juniorverse1 for Energy 5.1 Take Classic System (Set of Six, Black)
Rating:
Paired with the inexpensive, high-quality Monoprice 16 gauge speaker wires, these speakers provide amazing sound at a price that can’t be beat.
I recently installed an entirely new media center consisting of the Samsung LN46B650 LCD TV, an Onkyo TX-SR606 AV Receiver, these speakers (with the Monoprice 16 gauge speaker wires), these inexpensive speaker mounts, HDMI cables that cost less than a dollar each, and a PS3. All I can say is “WOW”!
I am so glad I didn’t buy more expensive speakers than these, because these sound awesome. I was a little hesitant at first because I had never heard of the Energy brand, but after reading the reviews here and on CNET, I gave it a shot and I’m so glad that I did!
Crisp sound, powerful bass… I couldn’t ask for anything more. The only complaint I have about these speakers is that the positioning, size, and angle of the 5-way speaker wire connections on the back makes it difficult to use regular sized banana plugs. But I didn’t even deduct a star for that because the sound was excellent when I just twisted the wire ends and inserted them bare.
Regular TV sounds awesome. Movies sound awesome. PS3 games like Rock Band sound awesome. Music streamed from my PC to my PS3 sounds awesome.
I recommend these speakers to everyone!
Additional specs you may find useful:
- Satellite speakers weigh 2.9 lbs. each, center speaker weighs 3.2 lbs.
- Speakers are all magnetically shielded
- Recommended crossover frequency on receivers is 100Hz-120Hz. Satellite speakers have frequency response of 115Hz-20kHz, and center speaker 110Hz-20kHz
- Speakers rated at 8 ohms, 100 watts
- Speakers have 1/4″-20 TPI threaded inserts AND old school keyholes for mounting
- Tweeters in all speakers are 3/4 inch Hyperbolic aluminum-dome
- Woofers in all speakers are 3 inch poly-titanium
- Crossover points are 2.9kHz, efficiency room rated 89dB
- Subwoofer has separate volume level, low-pass filter 40Hz-150Hz @ 18dB/octive, Phase setting 0 degrees to 180 degrees, and a power mode switch for ON/OFF/Auto-Off
- Subwoofer is 200 watts with an 8″ MPP Cone
July 3rd, 2010 at 10:34 AM
Review by R. Reilley for Energy 5.1 Take Classic System (Set of Six, Black)
Rating:
I bought this with an Onkyo TX-SR606 reciever. I could not be more pleased. I am not an audio expert, but I listen to enough music to know the difference between bad and good speakers. These are excellent.
Pros: Nice looking black piano finish, perfect sound, easy to setup and install, nice clean bass. The speakers are so clear my dog thinks the doorbell is ringing for real when I am watching TV.
Cons: None
July 3rd, 2010 at 11:21 AM
Review by J. A. Smith for Energy 5.1 Take Classic System (Set of Six, Black)
Rating:
I have been a home theater hobbyist/enthusiast since 1989. In that time, I have setup over a dozen systems for myself, friends, and family with budgets ranging from $500 to $20,000. I have seen a lot of speakers come and go over the years. I personally prefer full-range speakers, but have always admired the sound that the Energy Take series has put in a sat/sub package. However, I never felt that the price/performance was right – until they came out with this Take Classic 5.1 package with the subwoofer now bundled in at one low system price.
I currently have these setup in my 10′ x 11′ home office, serving their duty in a computer media and gaming sound system. They are being driven by an old Yamaha RX-V 995 5.1 receiver and the combo sounds shockingly good given the relatively small investment. It has totally exceeded my expectations. For a smaller room (10′x10′ to 12′x15′), I have to say that this Energy Take Classic combo produces the best sound for the money of the many speakers I’ve installed and used over the years.
Overall build quality is top-notch which was completely unexpected for me given the low price. I can’t see where Energy has cut any corners – if they did, they hid it well. The system has, by far, the nicest fit and finish of any speaker I’ve seen anywhere close to this price range. The system comes carefully boxed in styrofoam cut-outs, with the speakers individually wrapped with foam sheets and then again in thick plastic. The result is a high-gloss black finish that is FLAWLESS.
As far as installation goes, the speaker binding posts are quality, gold-plated, all-metal screw-type. Home Theater mag review says bananas are accepted but mine were too big so YMMV on that. Wall or ceiling-mount options are plentiful with each speaker supporting both key hole and threaded insert style brackets. I used the threaded insert to mount mine and it worked perfectly and securely. The subwoofer has the typical L/R line level RCA inputs, variable volume control and crossover adjustments. There is also a two-way phase toggle (0, 180 degrees) and a three-way power toggle (on, off, auto). Speaker level input (but no high-pass output) is also supported.
Overall the sound is impressive given the small size. As expected with any micro/sub system the mid-bass region of the frequency spectrum is a little thin. However, the midrange performance of the 3.5″ titanium mid-driver makes up for a lot of that with velvety clear vocals. Center channel dialog comes through very clearly – a feat that not many speakers in this price range can claim. The satellites do an equally excellent job with music and sound effects. While the 8″ sub will not shake your home’s foundation, it is more than enough to fill a small room with rich (not boomy) bass. The clarity and smoothness of the 3/4″ aluminum tweeter is most impressive and is on par with systems costing 3-4x more in my opinion. The speakers all have the same drivers in the same arrangement which yields a totally seamless sound field (the THX demo DVD really highlights this capability). I was also impressed with how well these speakers perform with all types of music from Jazz to New Age, to Pop, to Rock. These speakers make it all sound fantastic, which is indicative of what they are: an extremely well-designed, highly refined speaker system.
In summary, this is not your Mom’s home-theater-in-a-box, folks. This is the real deal! This system is capable of putting out a good deal of high-quality sound in a high-quality package for a very small price.
July 3rd, 2010 at 11:31 AM
Review by B. Lamb for Samsung HT-AS730ST Home Theater System
Rating:
Sorry, this is going to be a book…. If I could give this review a MINUS five stars I would. I ordered this unit as I have a LOT of other Samsung products (two flatscreens, Blueray player, monitors, washer/dryer, etc.) and have previously been happy with their products. I wish some of the other reviews had been posted when I ordered, I would have run far and fast.
First, I get the unit, what a nightmare to install, instructions are vague, and non-existent in certain areas, as others have stated, the setup procedure is flawed and isn’t all in the manual to begin with. After numerous calls to tech support (in India, I assume from the accents and lack of understanding) I finally got sound out of the unit when watching cable (I had successfully figured out the Blue Ray player and my DVD recorder).
Second, the input choices and radio station presets don’t stay when you power down…. I hope you enjoy or get darn good at programming that thing every time you turn it off. It takes three or four pushes and choices to get the sound working again from the cable box. The display is also dim, so if you are at all visually challenged, hang it up, put the glasses on and get real close to see what you are doing. I had this silly notion that because it was a Samsung unit, it would have onscreen display with the TV, shoot, my SONY DVD recorder does….
Third, when I ordered the unit, the Samsung website said under “specifications” that is was “wireless ready-yes” and “wireless module included-yes”, well, they LIED, no wireless module in the box. I called them on this and they would supposedly send me a wireless module…. that was back in mid-May and now, over halfway through June, I get a call today that “forget it, we are out of stock on wireless modules and tough cookies, no refunds, no compensation, just tough”. Oh, by the way, they changed their website now, but I have printed copies and screenshots of the website stating the wireless module was included.
Fourth, I got the unit May 13th, took me a couple days to install it and it quit working on May 19th, even with the unit completely powered off, the subwoofer had a large amount of feedback hum coming through it. Called Technical service and they said send back the amplifier and the subwoofer, keep all the rest of the stuff there and they would repair it. It takes the slow boat to Samsung in NJ, and they finally receive it on May 28th… according to UPS, because Samsung can’t find it, doesn’t know where it is, and isn’t fixing it. After numerous calls and emails, all of which have to be initiated by me, they decide they will send me out a new unit, this is as of June 9th. I am told I will hear from Customer Executive Service within 48 hours as to what the status is. I call again on June 15th to find out what the heck… only to hear they are holding the new unit hostage until I send back their stupid speakers and remote control THEY told me not to put in the box when I sent the amp and sub back. After umpteen calls to their service, which they won’t give you a supervisor, they tell me as soon as UPS shows the box in their system coming back, they will ship the new unit. Today (June 18th), after UPS shows the item in transit, they now state they won’t ship the new unit until they get the old parts!!!!! Oh how I love being lied to and held hostage!
I am so sorry I spent my money on another Samsung product, I can’t express how amazed I am at their utter lack of professionalism and concern for their customer. Their idea of “customer service” is to have some lackey on the phone going “I’m sorry sir, yes, that isn’t right, but there is nothing I can do about it, and no, I can’t transfer you to my supervisor….” So, before you spend your hard earned cash, save yourself some grief and go buy another brand, any brand, doesn’t matter, can’t be as bad as these folks.
July 3rd, 2010 at 11:33 AM
Review by Chris Boylan for Samsung HT-AS730ST Home Theater System
Rating:
If you’re looking to add surround sound to your HDTV, the HT-AS730ST offers some nice features but is also lacking in a few areas. This should probably be expected given its relatively low price. First off, the system does not include a Blu-ray player or DVD. You’ll have to supply that on your own. If you add a Blu-ray, then be sure to connect it to the 730 with an HDMI cable and set its digital audio HDMI output to PCM mode (not bitstream). This is required because the AS730 does not decode the new HD audio codecs (DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD). However, if your player *does* decode these to PCM then you can enjoy these new surround formats on the AS730 in all their lossless beauty.
The set-up (assigning HDMI inputs, etc.) is not entirely intuitive. It took me a little while to find out how to do it, and I’ve been doing this stuff (professionally) for a long time. Also, the AS730 does not transcode analog inputs (component, S-Video, composite) to digital HDMI outputs, so if you hook up things like a Wii or your iPod, you will also need to hook up a composite video and/or component video cable between the AS730 and your TV. I say “and/or” because for the iPod dock, it definitely requires a composite video cable to your TV but for a Wii, if you are using the component video cable adapter for the Wii then you will need a component video cable from receiver to TV as well.
As for its iPod support, this is really more limited than I expected. Yes, it is compatible with iPhones, and most iPods (except the Shuffle with its non-standard pin outs) but there was no on-screen interface while navigating through content. The Samsung remote does operate the iPod but you have to look at the little iPod display to see what’s happening. And by the way, you *CAN* output video from the iPod to your TV, but to do so, you need to turn the external TV display ON in your iPod *and* you need to connect the afore-mentioned composite video cable from the AS730 receiver to your TV.
In terms of sound quality, the AS730 system is a little better than OK. It’s certainly *much* better than the sound from virtually any TV and it does create a nice discrete surround sound field when watching movies or other surround-encoded content. But the subwoofer is a little boomy and not terribly extended and its integration with the small satellite speakers leaves a bit of a gap in the mid to upper bass. Also, fine details in the mix can be a bit muddy when compared to 5.1 speaker systems from known dedicated speaker brands (e.g., Polk, Boston Acoustics, Energy, Aperion Audio, NHT, etc.).
As others have pointed out, there is nothing especially “wireless” about this system. The speaker outputs are all standard speaker wire outs, and adding wireless speaker capability can be done via Samsung kits (hard to find) or 3rd party wireless speaker modules. The AS730 system comes with 5 speakers and a powered subwoofer (5.1) but the amplifier itself does support 7.1 channel output with the addition of rear channel speakers (not included). You’d be best off using 4 ohm speakers to match the impedance of the included satellite speakers.
The AS730 does have some nice features — 3 HDMI inputs, auto-speaker calibration, 7.1-channel support, iPod integration — and offers decent value for money, but it falls a bit short in the area of performance and usability. Prospective buyers might want to check out Panasonic’s SC-BT200 instead which sells for about the same price but includes 7 speakers plus subwoofer (7.1 right out of the box) as well as better iPod integration *and* a built-in BD-Live-enabled Blu-ray player.
A full review of the AS730 system is available on Big Picture Big Sound dot com.
July 3rd, 2010 at 12:21 PM
Review by Roger L. Williams for Samsung HT-AS730ST Home Theater System
Rating:
As other reviews of this product have indicated, the unit is defective. Here’s my story – I bought my original unit on 24 October 2009 and hooked it up. It turns out that the unit will not retain the speaker volume and distance settings after the power is turned off. This problem is noted on the Samsung website, but it requires that the unit be sent back for repair. My first step was to simply exchange the unit for another one which I did, only to find that the second unit had the same problem. I returned the second unit for repair, only to find that it wasn’t fixed and sent it back again and was advised that it could not be repaired. So Samsung sent me a third unit which I hooked up last night, only to find that it had the same problem as the previous two units.
I am now returning my current unit for a full refund.
I am putting this review on here so as to alert other potential buyers to the problem that they may experience. I don’t believe that Samsung, or any other distributor for Samsung, like Amazon should be even selling the unit, knowing about the defect.
If you search other websites, you will find quite a history of the same problems with this particular model.
July 3rd, 2010 at 12:35 PM
Review by Gerald E. Gebhart for Samsung HT-AS730ST Home Theater System
Rating:
This hone theater looks nice, sounds pretty good, but operation is not quite logical or easy to decipher.
I bought this to go with my new samsung led hd tv. The tv has lots of hdmi inputs but it’s surprising weakness is that the digital optical audio output does not pass through the various surround sound signals from the hdmi inputs. It just puts out an enhanced 2 speaker signal. I found this surprising for their top of the line tv. Even the salesmen did not believe me when samsung’s customer support finally figured this out for me. So, I found I needed a home theater that could switch audio sources. This system seemed to be the answer.
It does perform this function, however, I found that the system did not save the settings I was using to get the best sound. I found I had to select the sound source and input slot every time I turned it on. Samsung’s customer support, level 2, were incredulous that this was the case, but could not tell me how to make it work as one might expect, keep the same freaking settings when you turn it off and on again.
Also, I needed to read the manual multiple times to even figure out the settings and I had to play with it a bit when the manual did not have sufficient directions. Customer support was not really much better than the manual. In fact, some of their instructions did not work as they described, but I managed to figure the settings I needed with experimentation.
This was my second try at a samsung home theater. The first try revealed the weakness the tv audio output and samsung design and customer service. This try reinforced my disappointment in samsung design and customer service. I finally decided that the operation was too complex and I just could not accept the weakness of samsung engineering and customer service.
I returned the system. Amazon made the return easy, but they did take their cut.
If you are willing to buy an expensive remote to perform a chain of instructions with one button push, or are willing to go through a process each time you turn it on, you would probably be happy with this system.
July 3rd, 2010 at 1:29 PM
Review by JK for Samsung HT-AS730ST Home Theater System
Rating:
I already have a PS3 and was irked by the idea of paying for a product that already included a DVD or blu-ray player. One day, I found myself browsing the selection at Best Buy and decided that today was the day. While I tried each of the speaker systems, only this and a Sony system at $600 really caught my attention, and the difference between this and the Sony was marginal despite being significantly cheaper. It sounded incredibly smooth, looks great, and the combo earned it the coveted wife seal of approval. In fact, I came into this buying process with the full realization that a large system with a lot of buttons and knobs was not going to cut it. I did some comparison shopping before taking the plunge and ended up getting it on Amazon.com.
The system arrived the very next day (I had ordered two-day shipping with my Prime account, so this was a pleasant surprise), and given the reviews I was terrified of the setup. Fortunately, it was significantly easier than I expected. Within 30 minutes I was done. Admittedly, I have an easy setup with a PS3 with a set of composites going to a projector and an HDMI cable going to the Samsung.
The sound quality is fantastic. Is it a $2000 system? Of course not. But for the price, it sounds more than acceptable for both movie and music use. I would recommend playing with the DSP settings to find your preferred settings – a bit of tweaking significantly increased our enjoyment. Power and volume are more than sufficient for us, though I note that our home theater room is relatively small. For a large room you will need a more powerful system.
My only wish is that the rear speakers were wireless. I also cannot comment on reliability since I acquired this system only recently.