Why the Take 5 (& Take 5.2 see below) is not the price vs. performance Leader

Before deciding to buy the Take 5 HT speakers, please add the JBL NSP1 HT Speakers to your audition list. Today, the Take 5's price vs. performance (sub excluded) can't compete with . . .

JBL NSP1 (MSRP $549) HT Speaker package

Click CNET graphics of the latest Internet price:

Why? Because of the laws of physics.

Before upgrading my JBL "J" series (those speakers went to my vacation house) Feb. last year, I did a lot of research concerning the highly regarded Energy Take 5's.  Let me say, that the Take 5 "was" the HT System to get, . . .Back in 1997***! A little research last year revealed that the Energy Take 5's will not sound like your local Cinema DD/DTS/SDDS neighborhood Theater. My JBL NSP1's does!! (Actually, the Mountain View Century 16 uses JBL's - almost as good as home!) So, here's what I've found. . . .

***1997 Stereo Review article "Baby Grands" by Corey Greenberg (pg. 80)       . . .I have to point out that the Energy system doesn't sound much like a movie theater, . . .

(To read the entire review - click the audiorevolution website graphics above)

Reviewed by Greg Petan The Downside The Take 5's are not going to re-write the laws of physics. This is a small scale system designed for a small-to-medium sized room. No matter what, they will not give you the presence of a larger rig with larger woofers, moving more air. The other problem I had was with the center channel speaker. While it was as dynamically capable as its brothers, I noted a slightly closed in quality that gave voices a muted rolled off coloration that was absent in the left and right channels."

Digital Vortex Energy Take 5 Review by Mark Knight (click on the Take5 speaker left graphics to read the entire review) Drawbacks: As with all small speakers you must watch how hard you drive the speakers (crank up the volume). My Sherwood Newcastle R945 is rated at 100 watts per channel and after driving the speakers to around 80% of full volume I have already gone through one bass/mid driver on one of the TAKE 2 speakers and a tweeter on the TAKE 1. So be careful not to crank up the volume to high or something could go up in smoke in the speakers.

With all the latest Blockbuster DVD's out today (Star Wars - The Phantom Menace; Independance Day; Armageddon; X-Men; Tomorrow Never Dies; etc.), replaying those DVD's up to REFERENCE SPL Level without the fear of blowing them up and sounding like a real Cinema Theater (not a home theater) was very critical to me!!

Brent Butterworth** has documented (**for etown) JBL's 1999/2000 model NSP1 That excellent timbre matching lends coherence to the sound of the entire system, making movies seem more like I was hearing them in a real theater, not a home theater.

For more JBL INFO - click the bottom right blue arrow

The latest review is by Daniel Kumin: ===Quote highlights from Jan. 2001 Sound & Vision Magazine: - Dynamic potential. The sound was solid up to a loud volume - the satellites 4-inch (nominally 5-inch) woofers and slightly larger cabinet give them a dynamic edge over most micro satellites with 3-inch drivers - . . ." (NOTE: The Energy Take 5 has 3-inch drivers)

Does the NEW Take 5.2 (still more costly) outperform the JBL NSP1?

The newer Take 5.2 System addressed some of the problems that the Take 5 originally had, but based on the Sound & Vision Standard Speaker Frequency Response Test, the more costly Take 5.2 still does not have usable lower frequency below 110 Hz and above 16.3 kHz front / 13.2 kHz surround.. The � dB variation thru-out the Take 5.2 frequency spectrum is still not as wide or flat as the overachieving, lower street priced JBL NSP1's.

Energy Take 5.2 System

JBL N-Series/PB10 System

Frequency Response Take 2.2 front left/right.. 110 Hz to 16.3 kHz �4.5 dB Take 1.2 center............. 110 Hz to 17.4 kHz �4.5 dB Take 2.2 surround......... 110 Hz to 13.2 kHz �3.2 dB S8.2 subwoofer............... 32 Hz to 100 Hz �2.6 dB

Frequency Response N24 front left/right..... 89 Hz to 18.9 kHz �2.7 dB N-Center................... 89 Hz to 20 kHz �5.5 dB N24 surround............ 89 Hz to 18.4 kHz �3.2 dB PB-10 subwoofer........... 43 to 124 Hz �2.1 dB

So, today, I recommend the BEST price vs. performance HT System package - JBL NSP1's.

Compare the JBL NSP1's Frequency Response with other equivalent and more expensive speakers

"Timbre matching; sound was superb; Imaging was excellent; smooth, uniform response; rich and clear; pleasingly natural with stereo music; articulate, focused, and well balanced."; - why all the accolades?? It seems that JBL's sophisticated design, engineering and measurement tools accomplised it's goal with the Northridge N-24 Speakers!  Read the dba newsline announcement below. . .

Read JBL's 1999 Speaker Lineup by dba newsline - Aug. 19, 1999

You can use any powered-sub with the JBL NSP1's because, good ole' Brent Butterworth** said: "The added fullness makes for a good trade-off, though -- unlike the SuperZero XU or the ProMonitor 80, this speaker is very easy to match up with practically any subwoofer."

PI - Mach 03, 2001

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