Energy Take 5.2 surround speaker system:
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According to the manual, the EQ switch's Video position "adds more punch to the frequency response," while the Audio position bypasses this equalizer. According to Energy, this means a +3dB boost around 50Hz, with a steeper rolloff at the extreme bottom end to conserve amp power and allow a higher level setting. The only other indicator on the front is a very-bright-blue LED that illuminates when the sub is active. (Like many subs, the S8.2 has an auto-on/off circuit that turns the amp on when it detects a signal. However, unlike most such subs, this one does not offer the option of simply leaving it on.) The grille covers the driver only, leaving the controls and port exposed, and it bulges out slightly to match the look of the other speakers.

On the S8.2's back are two line-level RCA inputs, as well as four pairs of speaker-level binding posts (two inputs, two outputs) for use with stereo systems that have no line-level subwoofer output. All connectors are mounted on angled shelves, making it very easy to attach cables. Finally, the rear panel holds the main power switch.

The two RCA connectors are labeled Input and Xover, but these labels are somewhat misleading. The Xover input actually bypasses the internal crossover and level controls, while Input does not. According to the manual, Xover should be used if you have an external crossover, while the other input should be used with an A/V receiver or processor. However, I would say that Xover should be used whenever the source (receiver, processor, or crossover) includes bass management with a crossover at or below 100Hz; that way, the sub's level and input-frequency range are controlled from the source. Besides, you should avoid having two filters in the signal path, if possible. (There are receivers with bass-management crossovers as high as 200Hz; in this case, the other input should be used to limit the frequencies sent to the sub's amp.) I really like the flexibility offered by these two inputs.

All five satellites can be mounted on the wall with included mounting kits, or can be mounted on optional Take 5.2ST stands. The stands consist of a triangular base with detachable spike feet and three lengths of cylindrical tubing (threaded at both ends), one of which has a bolt protruding from one end through a plastic gasket and a large nut on the bolt; this is the top pole, on which the speaker is mounted. Using two or three of the poles, the stand can be assembled to 29, 33, or 46 inches in height.

Setup & Performance
I began by assembling four stands to a height of 46 inches with all three poles, which was no trouble at all. They're designed to allow a speaker cable to be snaked through the tubes, but the hole in the gasket at the top is not large enough to accommodate my AudioQuest cables with spade lugs. On the bright side, the Take 2.2's binding posts are small enough to accommodate the spade lugs, which can't be said of all speakers I've tried in my system. Once the satellites are mounted on the stands, they can be angled up or down as desired before being fixed in place with the large nut using the supplied wrench. All in all, the mounting system is quite ingenious.

I placed the Take 1.2 center-channel atop my main monitor and angled it downward toward the listening position. Like the Take 2.2 satellites, the 1.2's binding posts are in a recessed niche at the back; however, unlike the 2.2, the 1.2 doesn't leave enough room in the niche to easily fit spade lugs. The sub occupied its standard position in my room: along a side wall one-quarter of the room's length from the front. My receiver's bass-management crossover frequency is 100Hz, so I connected the line-level subwoofer output from my receiver to the sub's Xover jack. As you might guess, the receiver's speaker control was set to Small all around.

Once everything was set up, I played a wide variety of music and movie material, and was uniformly pleased with the results. Dialogue intelligibility from the Take 1.2 was excellent from both main seats in the room, and the tonal balance from the front left and right satellites was right on. At the bottom end, the bass was amazingly good for such a small sub—fairly tight, with reasonable pitch definition and surprising extension, and well-integrated with the satellites. This was particularly evident while listening to The Blue Man Group's Audio DVD, which is one of my favorite surround-sound test discs—its massive amounts of content from the low bass through the upper midrange form a wall of mostly percussive sound. The 5.1-channel mix is compelling, and was communicated beautifully by the Take 5.2 system.