Energy 22 Reference Connoisseur VS Monitor 7

percivilla
percivilla Posts: 18
in Vintage Speakers
Long shot here, but I've got a line on a clean pair of Energy 22 Reference Connoisseur's with recently redone tweeters. I know the tweets on these were both their greatest strength but also their Achilles heel due to frying after a few decades. This pair has had them professionally redone by ABI in 2017.

My current main speakers are 7c's with RD0194 tweeters and redone crossovers with Clarity and Mundorf caps.

Signal chain is a recapped Marantz 2240 as pre-amp feeding a recapped Nikko Alpha 450 (benched at 249 watts).

Are any of you able to say if the Energy's would be a noticable upgrade? I'm going to go audition them but it's always hard to judge in someone else's house on their system.

Thanks!
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Comments

  • percivilla
    percivilla Posts: 18
    We'll, I can answer my own question now because I bought them...

    They're better than the Polks. Not mind blowingly better but definitely better. And by rights they should be based on price point. The energy tweeters are something special and all frequencies all they way down to the very lowest are just a bit clearer and livelier. Incredible soundstage and depth. Both are very satisfying, I'd say the energies have more snap while the Polks are more relaxed. Not bad, just different. Those energy tweeters are sooo clear without being harsh, wow.

    I'll likely be redoing the crossovers in these too after how much of a difference it made for the Polks.

    iufvtbr93d5k.jpg
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  • maxward
    maxward Posts: 1,577
    Congrats on your new speakers. I never heard the Energy 22s, but I have been curious since I like some of the Canadian speakers I’ve heard. Enjoy them.
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  • DaveHo
    DaveHo Posts: 3,515
    Nice looking rig.
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  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,459
    edited August 2020
    Interesting! When you did the Xovers in your Polks, did you also do the internal wiring with Cardas Litz or Neotech UPOCC and Copper Binding Posts? Just curious. There's so many quality speakers out there. Glad you found some.

    PS: Might be fairer to compare to the SRS because those speakers sold for around $2500 ($5000 for the superior build piano black). I feel better now :D

    Here's one piano black one that apparently sold (or seller came to senses) and was reduced from $1895 that had over $1000 worth of mods done to it.

    https://www.audiogon.com/listings/energy-22-reference-connoisseur-piano-black-rebuilt
    Post edited by Gardenstater on
    George / NJ

    Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
    Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
    Onkyo A-8017 integrated
    Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
    iFi nano iDSD DAC
    iPurifier3
    iDefender w/ iPower PS
    Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
    iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
    Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
    Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform
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  • percivilla
    percivilla Posts: 18
    maxward wrote: »
    Congrats on your new speakers. I never heard the Energy 22s, but I have been curious since I like some of the Canadian speakers I’ve heard. Enjoy them.

    Thanks! There's quite a story on the development of the 22's. Apparently the tweeters cost around $1m to develop...
    DaveHo wrote: »
    Nice looking rig.

    Thanks! It makes me happy :)
    Gardenstater wrote: »
    Interesting! When you did the Xovers in your Polks, did you also do the internal wiring with Cardas Litz or Neotech UPOCC and Copper Binding Posts? Just curious. There's so many quality speakers out there. Glad you found some.

    PS: Might be fairer to compare to the SRS because those speakers sold for around $2500 ($5000 for the superior build piano black). I feel better now :D

    Here's one piano black one that apparently sold (or seller came to senses) and was reduced from $1895 that had over $1000 worth of mods done to it.

    https://www.audiogon.com/listings/energy-22-reference-connoisseur-piano-black-rebuilt

    Yeah, from what I've been able to learn, the rosewood ones like mine would have retailed new for around $2500 or more, so definitely not fair competition for the Monitor 7's. This pair is Mint aside from a couple shrinkage cracks in the veneer thanks to our dry climate. The tweeters were professionally rebuilt in 2017.

    When I redid my Polks I just did the caps and resistors, not the wiring.

    I've got about double into these compared to the Polks, and they're not twice as good, so the polks are definitely a great value. But, like anything in audio, money spent to sound quality is anything but linear...
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  • aprazer402
    aprazer402 Posts: 3,147
    Here's a brochure on them. Nice speakers!
    From; https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/energy/22.shtml
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