Review: Energy Loudspeakers Veritas 2.3 Speaker


Category: Speakers

Let me start of with one word...WOW..I have been a B&W owner for over 15 years..Had a pair of M/803's that I wanted to sell and started looking at other speakers...time for an upgrade. Went to the local Speciality stores and started looked into the B&W N/803's and 804's..they sounded great..looked at other speakers as well..finally got the chance to listen to the E/2.3's...jaw dropping sound stage and clarity.. the speakers just blew me away..yes, I was shocked..and for the price, there is no competition. I have been building speakers and have been a music enthusiast for over 20 years. My electronics are top rate and are better that what was hooked to the speakers in the stores...I am just in heaven with the way the sound at home.
Having been building speakers and reading books on crossovers, speaker design, and driver manufacturing for years, these speakers are built with what I consider the best overall design on the market. The sound is the proof. These speakers are top rate as far as the manufacturing and quality construction goes, there is no better on the market.
The overall design is truly state of the art. Highly recommended after 3 months of heavy pursuit into looking for my next set of speakers. Do not pass up the chance to give these speaker a good listening to if you are in the market. I also have spoken w/Energy corp. and find them to be extremely helpful when it came to answering any questions I had. These speakers need good amplification, as all speakers do, but they come alive w/ the proper power supplied to them

Strengths:
Fantastic sound stage, super detail, and very musical. Can hear thing I never could on other speakers. Easy to set up. Beautiful finish

Associated gear
Aragon 200 watt amp /Aragon pre-amp /
Denon DVD 3300 / custom interconnects /
MIT speaker hose

Similar products
Paradigm, B&W, Boston,Triangle,Infinity,
Mirage
djw
I have never heard these, but am always intrigued by any speaker that employs a dome midrange driver. I don't know if they provide a wider dispersion or what, but ever since my father bought his original Allison One's back in the '70's, speakers I've heard using this type of mid seem to have a "certain something" that you don't necessarily get from a cone midrange. However, very few manufacturers have ever used this type of driver, since they don't seem to be available as OEM units, so they must make their own. One thing that would seem to have to be true about dome mids is that their voice coils must be of a larger diameter than in conventional design cones. The overall driver size may be smaller than that of a mid cone in some cases, but being driven at the edge may reduce the distortion from a normal cone's less pistonic motion out near the surround. Also, in theory, the physical design could more closely match that of a dome tweeter, perhaps promoting more uniform sonic integration around the crossover point. It could just be a psychological reaction on my part when I see one of these in a speaker, but I would like to check this model out sometime all the same. (What I'm really waiting for is when someone comes out with a coaxial dome mid/tweeter - or does the big Cabasse already have that? Never seen one in the flesh.) Were you influenced to look into this speaker by the TAS review, or did you stumble onto it before that came out?
I also have the energy V2.3 and really like them. In fact, I also have the Dennon dvd3300. I find that this combo is a little too bright. How have you faired? The Dennon is really new. Did your need a long break in period?

Thanks
Andrew
It's somewhat sad that Energy speakers are often overlooked by audiophiles. I have owned Klipsch, Thiels, NHT, and numerous others, and Energy Veritas speakers are so far better than all these its astounding.
I too am a Veritas convert. Been into this hobby for over 30 years and couldn't start to list all the speakers I've been through. Like the author of this review, I went to audition a pair of B&W N803's and came home with a pair of 2.3i's.

These speakers image like there's no tomorrow. Bass is extended, fast and detailed, soundstage width and depth are as good as I've heard from any speaker (dome mid?), verticle and horizontal dispersion is excellent (no 2" sweet spot with these speakers), and they are extremely well balanced throughout the spectrum.

As I try to think of their weakness the only thing that comes to mind is perhaps a little more bass extension. Don't get me wrong, even in this area they are very good and have a very deep bass for their cabinet and driver sizes. But, I can't help but wonder how the much better the 2.4i's are in this regard. I've not had a chance to hear these, but hope to some day. Probably the icing on the cake.

IMO there are very few speakers in their price range that can do so much so well. They do jazz, rock, classical, what ever you throw at them. The only other speaker I've run across recently that caught my attention is the Usher line. I'd love to compare the two side by side.

In closing I'll add that for these speakers to sound their best they need good amplification. Don't think a receiver would work. They're not an inefficient speaker, but they sound best and like good power. Also, they are very revealing so the quality of what you have upstream will show through.

If your in the market for a speaker in the $2500 range give these a listen.
I too am a Veritas convert. Been into this hobby for over 30 years and couldn't start to list all the speakers I've been through. Like the author of this review, I went to audition a pair of B&W N803's and came home with a pair of 2.3i's.

These speakers image like there's no tomorrow. Bass is extended, fast and detailed, soundstage width and depth are as good as I've heard from any speaker (dome mid?), verticle and horizontal dispersion is excellent (no 2" sweet spot with these speakers), and they are extremely well balanced throughout the spectrum.

As I try to think of their weakness the only thing that comes to mind is perhaps a little more bass extension. Don't get me wrong, even in this area they are very good and have a very deep bass for their cabinet and driver sizes. But, I can't help but wonder how the much better the 2.4i's are in this regard. I've not had a chance to hear these, but hope to some day. Probably the icing on the cake.

IMO there are very few speakers in their price range that can do so much so well. They do jazz, rock, classical, what ever you throw at them. The only other speaker I've run across recently that caught my attention is the Usher line. I'd love to compare the two side by side.

In closing I'll add that for these speakers to sound their best they need good amplification. Don't think a receiver would work. They're not an inefficient speaker, but they sound best and like good power. Also, they are very revealing so the quality of what you have upstream will show through.

If your in the market for a speaker in the $2500 range give these a listen.