Athena LS-100B Bookshelf Speakers, Pair (Black Ash)
By: Athena Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 2
More Information
 On: 2008-07-18
Excellent speakers,bought to complete my Athena setup. They were a little smaller than what I expected though.
 On: 2008-04-21
I got in the LS-100s a few weeks ago and I have to say that these are really good for the money if you need a pair of attractive-looking speakers for a small to medium sized room. It turns out that Klipsch is jettisoning the Athena line so they will only be available as a clearance item for a short time from Amazon (through Audio Advisor) but they will continue to pop up used on Ebay, Craiglist or Audiogon, Im sure. Anyway, the LS series replaces the very popular AS line that Best Buy used to carry. Driver quality is very good and though they dont have the build quality of some minis out there that cost $500+, they look and sound just fine. Running them full-range the bass is OK, but may seem a bit bloated if placed too close to a wall or a corner due to the rear port. If youre not planning to use a subwoofer with them, theyll do, just experiment with positioning to get the amount of bass you want.
I set the Athenas up in my 12 X 17 foot living room and ran them full range first and they did quite well on their own with the exception of the bass which though ample was fairly loose and indistinct. With the sub and the Athenas set to small on my Dolby Digital Sherwood they sounded much better and tightened up some. The upper range was very clear. Bright but not harsh with enough mid-bass to give the sound some body. Vocals did seem a little on the warm side of neutral and they lack a bit in the presence region, so drums, guitar and horns come off somewhat subdued. Good if you want a non-fatiguing speaker, bad if you like a more forward presentation of these instruments.
For 100 dollars Id say you cant go wrong with these. Theyre smooth, airy, clear and refined sound is very easy to live with and they image nicely. Of course their are other ultra-budget speakers out there from Sony, Yamaha, Pioneer, Insignia, BIC, etc. you may like better. I find the Athenas to be unobtrusive and their attractive curved shape is a refreshing breakaway from some of the clunkier-looking standard-fare black bookshelves out there. Athenas also have that Canadian Audio Products International pedigree so you know youre buying a quality speaker.
|
|
