Energy C-100 paired with Polk PSW303?

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leetpyro

Limp Gawd
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Aug 14, 2008
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Well Futureshop has an online only sale going on right now that would give me 20% off most Home Audio products:
The Energy C-100s are on sale from $150 to $100, and 20% off makes them $80. With taxes and shipping, this bring it up to $110.
The Polk PSW303 is not on sale, but 20% off of the $180 price bring its down to $145, then taxes and shipping bring it back up to $185.

So, altogether I would be paying $295. Oh yea, and a T-Amp for $57 (if its sufficient enough for these speakers), or maybe $67 if I want air-shipping.

Main Question: Anyway, just wanted to make sure that the C-100s are good for near-field listening (computer desk setup), and would they work well with a T-Amp?

And if someone could go over very briefly how I would go about hooking everything together with my computer, that would be great. :)

Edit: Forgot to add something: Since these are going to be used on my desk, and my desk is right near the wall, I would be placing these speakers towards the back of my desk. Since these are rear ported speakers, how would if affect the sound quality? Should I look into something that is not rear ported, such as the Behringer MS40s? How do these sets compare?

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Edit:

Hey guys,

Just wanted to let you know I've had these speakers since the weekend now, and man, they're amazing. At first I was using the Polk PSW303 sub, but then since I had the subwoofer I bought earlier (and intended to return), the Klipsche Synergy Sub-10, I decided to open it up and try it before returning it. Besides, I have until January anyway. :p

So first thing I noticed was the SIZE. Man, this thing was a beast compared to the tiny PSW303, and it sounded a lot better too. So since about just one day after trying the PSW303, I've had the Klipsch hooked up since. :p I might give the Polk another shot, but I think I might keep the Klipsch sub now. It's really fun taking it to high levels and shaking the house. :D

Anyway, thanks to everyone who helped me decide!

I'm extremely happy with my first non-PC speaker setup. :)
 
Could anyone help me with at least my main question, and the placement of rear ported speakers? That's all I need for now, but I would appreciate if someone could help me soon since the sale ends today.

Thanks.
 
Having them close to the wall doesn't matter enough to change the deal. They will sound great for what you want. Go ahead. For the $$ it is a great nearfield setup.
 
Thanks spaceman. You're always helpful. :p

BTW, if it's not too much trouble, how does the everything connect together (speakers, sub, T-Amp)? I'm not familiar with the ports on the back of the speakers either. Does the wire just go inside, and you twist it to close or something?

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You'd run two lengths of standard speaker wire from the T-amp to the subwoofer's "line level" inputs. You'd then run some speaker wire from the subwoofer's outputs to each speaker.

There are a coupla ways to connect speaker wire to bookshelf speakers but the easiest way is to twist the banana posts counter-clockwise, then slip the speaker wire into the exposed hole, then tighten it back up again.
 
Just use the top two posts on that speaker. It has 4 posts for bi-wire I think. You don't need to bother with that.
 
those are bridged inputs on the back of that speaker. if you use a bi-amp setup you can drive the top speakers and the lower separately allowing for better frequency delivery for the speakers size. i.e. high freq to the tweeters and mid to the mid driver
 
Thanks for all the replies guys. It's helped a lot! Does anyone know how these would compare to the RC-Mini's? If the Minis are better, and I can get them for a good price as well, maybe I'll get those instead.
 
Hmm....

Seems like deja vu....

Anyway, I'm pretty sure Future Shop got the price wrong on those RC-Minis. They are $250....EACH. They don't come in pairs. Even if one model is mysteriously $100 cheaper than the others which only have a different finish, you're still going to pay $339 for a pair.
Then you would pair a superior set of reference quality speakers up with a bargain quality sub? People even complain that the enclosure rattles on that sub...which I wouldn't doubt considering Polk seemed to put more effort into the finish than the actual components. I don't see the sub performing well for long. :confused:

I'm with spaceman, get the C-100s and keep the Klipsch.
 
Nighted said:
Hmm....

Seems like deja vu....

Anyway, I'm pretty sure Future Shop got the price wrong on those RC-Minis. They are $250....EACH. They don't come in pairs. Even if one model is mysteriously $100 cheaper than the others which only have a different finish, you're still going to pay $339 for a pair.
Then you would pair a superior set of reference quality speakers up with a bargain quality sub? People even complain that the enclosure rattles on that sub...which I wouldn't doubt considering Polk seemed to put more effort into the finish than the actual components. I don't see the sub performing well for long. :confused:

I'm with spaceman, get the C-100s and keep the Klipsch.
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Well I already ordered the sub. Maybe I'll be able to cancel the order, but if I can't, and want to get a refund, they don't refund the shipping. :( So I pretty much lose like $20. The Polk sub can't be that bad, can it? Where did you hear that the enclosure rattles?

Considering I'm saving $120, which is still quite a bit, and that I was going to pay $200 altogether in the first place (which wouldn't happen with the choices in Canada), not really sure what I should do now.
 
You can fix rattles. Doesn't sound like a good sub but the energy c-100 doesn't really need much help. Just set the sub to 50-55hz and balance its volume with the Energy speakers. It will sound fine.
 
leetpyro said:
Well I already ordered the sub. Maybe I'll be able to cancel the order, but if I can't, and want to get a refund, they don't refund the shipping. :( So I pretty much lose like $20. The Polk sub can't be that bad, can it? Where did you hear that the enclosure rattles?

Considering I'm saving $120, which is still quite a bit, and that I was going to pay $200 altogether in the first place (which wouldn't happen with the choices in Canada), not really sure what I should do now.
Click to expand...

Google PSW303 Rattle: I found a few in seconds:

Gaurav (April 13th, 2006)

STRENGTHS:
Compact.

WEAKNESSES:
Rattle, Durability

REVIEW:
My 303 just blew up after a year of use. While it lasted, the performance was decent except for a small rattle here or there. Then one day at a high but not excessive volume, it just blew up and started croaking like a frog. luckily I had bought extended warranty from a third party vendor. I wont buy the product again.
Polk Response:
We are sorry to hear you had a problem with your PSW303. With any electronic component there is always a chance that failure will occur by no fault of the user. That is why we warranty home speaker parts for 5 years and home amplifiers for three years. The reliability track record has been excellent but from time to time units fail. You did not need an extended store warranty in order to get your Polk speaker repaired for free.
Click to expand...

Chris (March 16th, 2004)

STRENGTHS:
great sounding sub, if you play it low, and dont turn it up

WEAKNESSES:
once you turn this thing up past 50 it starts to rattle, then it wont go away, even at low volumes.

REVIEW:
i gave this sub 3 stars because it sounds awesome when it works. but once i turned mine over 50 percent, it started to rattle inside, and once i turned in back down, it still rattled at low volumes. i took the sub back to Circuit City, and i tryed one that was on the floor, i turned it up to 50, and it started to rattle also. so i just got my money back.
Click to expand...

Jorge Azofeifa (January 19th, 2004)

STRENGTHS:
Nice design and finish in solid wood. Back placed volume and phase controls should make it easy to "tune" it

WEAKNESSES:
Mechanical (rattle) distortion at deep bass, even at low volumes

REVIEW:
Having own Polk speakers (in my home stereo center and in my car) and an until then satifying experience, I decided to buy (eyes well closed, without any concern)a Polk sub to complement my system (Marantz receiver SR-7300, Marantz DVD player DV-4200 and Martin Logan Scenario speakers). Since my room is small, the right option was, according to standards and to the advise of the dealer, the PSW 303. Placement was a matter of a few minutes, however, putting it in phase with the other speakers was almost impossible despite the nice volume and phase controls to be found on the back of the sub. Trying to solve this inconvenience a mechanical distortion was made evident to me. When deep bass is reproduced (for example the one to be heard from "Le temps passe" by Michel Jonasz, CD2 of La Fabuleuse Histoire de Mister Swing, or from "Quand j'ai peur de tout" by Patricia Kaas in "Dans ma Chair"), a rattle noise stays for a while after the note ends. I went with my sub to the dealer's store and there the same songs were now reproduced using a Denon receiver AVR684 and a Denon DVD player DVD900. The distortion was still there, not only from my sub but also from another PSW303, and, suprinsingly, also from a PSW404 and even from a PSW505!!! Is this a design fault of the whole series? It seems as if the air turbulence caused by the movement of the sub's membrane does not find a clean way out.

The PSW303 costs $360 (tax included in my home coutry, Costa Rica). We (the dealer and I) tested another sub from another brand (I keep the name for obviuos reasons) sell at the same store and which costs $326 (tax included) and the sound was clean...

Now I am disappointed, owning a sub that I do not like and which is not taken back even by the dealer... but I guess this is the price I must pay for buying eyes well closed. My fault.
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Default Center and surround speaker advice
I am new to the home theater thing. I recently purchased an Integra DTR 6.5 AV receiver. Currently, I have a pair of older ADS L630 (25 years old) speakers as the front left and right. I have a new Polk Audio PSW303 8" subwoofer. I plan to keep the existing ADS speakers in the system for now since they still sound good to my ear. I am not so thrilled about the subwoofer since it rattles at just about any volume level ( the rattle is not very noticable from the viewing/listening area but very apparent when up close). I am looking to add a new center and surround speakers to the system. I would consider in-wall/ceiling speakers since our viewing/listening room, for all intents and purposes, has only two walls. The room's ceiling slopes up from the TV/receiver to the viewing/listening area approximately 3 feet from 9' to 12' in a horizontal distance of 9-10'. I have listened to Jamo, Energy, PSB and Klispsh speakers. I have also been told that Tannoy should be considered. I would also certainly consider ADS speakers but have not had a chance to listen to their new line. I would appreciate advice/information regarding the above particularly center and surround speakers and possibly a different subwoofer. I am allowing about $1k for a budget. I plan to upgrade other system components in the future but have to set a spending limit for now. Thanks
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VERY surprised at how good this little sub is

I was using a Sony 10" powered sub with my Onkyo home stereo and was annoyed by the plastic rattle you'd get and mushy sound while the sub was even moderately loud. I decided to just get rid of the Sony and buy a new sub and did a lot of research before settling on the Polk PSW303. Combined with a set of Polk R40's, I was AMAZED at how clean and crisp the bass was. I'll never buy another Sony audio component, but I have no reservations about recommending Polk. I thought the 8" sub would be a little small for the room it's in (about 12' X 24'), but the bass is all there and sounds excellent while listening to music and watching movies. Hook-up was super-easy, even on my older reciever, since the Polk had speaker line-level inputs. The sound is HIGHLY adjustable, so it'll suit your tastes, whatever they may be. I'm very happy with this purchase.

EDIT: Okay, it's been about 3 weeks since I got this. I'm now hearing a random popping sound when the sub is otherwise quiet. I tried a different sub and the problem went away. I'm returning the PSW303 and am exchanging it for a PSW404 in the hopes that it's better built.
Click to expand...
 
spaceman said:
You can fix rattles. Doesn't sound like a good sub but the energy c-100 doesn't really need much help. Just set the sub to 50-55hz and balance its volume with the Energy speakers. It will sound fine.
Click to expand...

Once the volume of the sub is set to match the speakers, are the sub and speakers both volume controlled by the amp (i.e. I don't have to set the sub volume every time)?

And how would you fix the rattles?

I wish I knew about this earlier. I'm thinking about cancelling the order now, but the problem is I don't think I can cancel the sub alone, since the sub and speakers are both under the same order. Sigh, what to do... To keep or not to keep. :p I was looking forward to saving about $120, thinking that this sub would be just fine.

Edit: How would the Paradigm PDR-8 compare with the Polk sub? I've heard Paradigms are usually geared more towards home theatres, but would it perform well without sounding too loud in a bedroom setup too? I'm really considering cancelling the order for the sub. If I can do that, but keep the speakers, I could probably get the PDR-8 for $200.

My only concern is what to do if something goes wrong with the sub. I'm always paranoid about buying used electronics :\
 
Eh don't freak out. You probably do not have to turn the sub up much at all. You should control overall sound from the PC in this case. Just match the max good volume of the sub to the max of the t-amp and c-100s. What I mean is, set them both to a level when you crank the pc sound to 75%, it is loud and clear. Do not push anything into distortion.
 
I can't help you with the sub issue, but I can talk a bit about near field listening. I have Paradigm Atoms, similar to the C100's. I found it important to raise the speakers up off the desk to get the tweeters close to ear-height. When the speakers were on the desk and I was sitting close to them (approx 18 inches), the highs were overly muted (to my ear, ymmv). I used paradigm wall mounts that have a fair range of motion, and have my speakers raised up about 6 inches off the desk, toed in approx 30 degrees. Again, my ears may be different than yours, but this sounds the "best" to me. There is approx 3 feet between the speakers. This places my soundstage directly behind my monitor when listening to voices on a podcast, but is still fairly enveloping when gaming. I spent about a week with books and stacks of paper messing with it to get it to where I wanted it. I would suggest trying a bunch of temporary mounting locations before you start drilling holes in anything.

Hope this helps.
 
Inspect your newer Polk stuff. Quality has gone to shit since the Directed buyout (remember Orion, a/d/s, Precision Power? :( )
 
Bocephus said:
I can't help you with the sub issue, but I can talk a bit about near field listening. I have Paradigm Atoms, similar to the C100's. I found it important to raise the speakers up off the desk to get the tweeters close to ear-height. When the speakers were on the desk and I was sitting close to them (approx 18 inches), the highs were overly muted (to my ear, ymmv). I used paradigm wall mounts that have a fair range of motion, and have my speakers raised up about 6 inches off the desk, toed in approx 30 degrees. Again, my ears may be different than yours, but this sounds the "best" to me. There is approx 3 feet between the speakers. This places my soundstage directly behind my monitor when listening to voices on a podcast, but is still fairly enveloping when gaming. I spent about a week with books and stacks of paper messing with it to get it to where I wanted it. I would suggest trying a bunch of temporary mounting locations before you start drilling holes in anything.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Thank you, this does help. As my desk is right now, the speakers may be a bit too high, but I was hoping to get a new desk (hopefully Ikea Galant) soon, and if I place everything correctly, it should be at a fairly decent height.

Kil4Thril said:
Inspect your newer Polk stuff. Quality has gone to shit since the Directed buyout (remember Orion, a/d/s, Precision Power? :( )
Click to expand...

I just got my speakers and sub yesterday. Haven't hooked them up yet since I forgot to get speaker cables. Doh! :p

But anyway, what kind of inspection are you talking about? Like just listening to it?

Thanks. :)
 
Visually look for cracks and miscut/aligned panels. Plug it in and let it rip- listen for leaks and check for vibrating panels. You're likely fine, but there has been a drop in the craftsmanship. IDK when Polk switched to Chinese-sourced drivers, but they don't seem to have any issues. There are some good Chinese buildhouses.
 
Kil4Thril said:
Visually look for cracks and miscut/aligned panels. Plug it in and let it rip- listen for leaks and check for vibrating panels. You're likely fine, but there has been a drop in the craftsmanship. IDK when Polk switched to Chinese-sourced drivers, but they don't seem to have any issues. There are some good Chinese buildhouses.
Click to expand...

Alrighty then. Thanks for the help. I'll post here about my first impressions when I hook them up. Although, my setup right now may not be that great with my current desk.
 
Hey guys,

Just wanted to let you know I've had these speakers since the weekend now, and man, they're amazing. At first I was using the Polk PSW303 sub, but then since I had the subwoofer I bought earlier (and intended to return), the Klipsche Synergy Sub-10, I decided to open it up and try it before returning it. Besides, I have until January anyway. :p

So first thing I noticed was the SIZE. Man, this thing was a beast compared to the tiny PSW303, and it sounded a lot better too. So since about just one day after trying the PSW303, I've had the Klipsch hooked up since. :p I might give the Polk another shot, but I think I might keep the Klipsch sub now. It's really fun taking it to high levels and shaking the house. :D

Anyway, thanks to everyone who helped me decide!

I'm extremely happy with my first non-PC speaker setup. :)
 
lol, and you still haven't made up your mind. :p

I'm betting you end up keeping the Klipsh. ;)
 
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