Athena F2.2, C1.2, R1.2

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Has anyone listened to Athena speakers?

Fronts 42" Towers: F2.2 = 35Hz-20kHz +/-3dB = $200 ea
Center 18" Wide: C1.2 = 60Hz-20kHz +/-3dB = $100 ea
Rears Dipole 12" Wide: R1.2 = 80Hz-20kHz +/-3dB = $80 ea
10-inch Sub 100-watt RMS (18"x17"x12") = 23Hz-120Hz +/-3dB = $200

Total 5.1 System = $860
Total 7.1 System = $1,020

Specs & Prices LOOK great, but how do they actually really sound?

 

[mazersteven]

Has anyone listened to Athena speakers?

Fronts 42" Towers: F2.2 = 35Hz-20kHz +/-3dB = $200 ea

From my limited experience with Athena's. I would recommend other before I'd recommend the Athena towers.

Good speakers if your in college and want to blast Van Halen for a party.

 

[markw]

Check out my system in the sig line.

Recommendations:

1) If you're going for a sub anyway, the F2.2 is overkill. The F1.2 ($250/pr @ Audioadvisor) with a sub is an equally effective alternative.

1.5) If you want to forgo a sub, then the F2.2's might be a workable solution.

2) Don't buy an Athena sub. It will be the weak point of your system, guaranteed. There are much, much better alternatives out there.

3) After almost five years with my system I don't have any regrets even after having heard other systems.

 

[3db]

Recommendations:

1) If you're going for a sub anyway, the F2.2 is overkill. The F1.2 ($250/pr @ Audioadvisor) with a sub is an equally effective alternative.

1.5) If you want to forgo a sub, then the F2.2's might be a workable solution.

2) Don't buy an Athena sub. It will be the weak point of your system, guaranteed. There are much, much better alternatives out there.

3) After almost five years with my system I don't have any regrets even after having heard other systems.

Hi Mark.. My work place has blocked yourr equipment list. Can you tell me what you have?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

From my limited experience with Athena's. I would recommend other before I'd recommend the Athena towers.

Good speakers if your in college and want to blast Van Halen for a party.

So they are not as good as PSB or AV123 speakers?

Better than Bose, right?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Recommendations:

1) If you're going for a sub anyway, the F2.2 is overkill. The F1.2 ($250/pr @ Audioadvisor) with a sub is an equally effective alternative.

1.5) If you want to forgo a sub, then the F2.2's might be a workable solution.

2) Don't buy an Athena sub. It will be the weak point of your system, guaranteed. There are much, much better alternatives out there.

3) After almost five years with my system I don't have any regrets even after having heard other systems.

So you don't really approve of Athena speakers, either?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Yeah, actually Athena is still not that great of a deal considering I could get a Def Tech BP8B for $300 and the Athena LS500 is $350. NO WAY.

 

[mazersteven]

So you don't really approve of Athena speakers, either?

I would say MarkW approves of Athena's. He's running Athena in his home rig.

Speakers (Center, Surrounds, Sub): Athena Audition AS F-1 mains, AS B-2 rears and the matching AS-C1 center channel. Velodyne VA 1012.

 

[mazersteven]

So they are not as good as PSB or AV123 speakers?

Better than Bose, right?

I did like the AV123 MTM towers better then the Athena sound. Plus it just didn't seem like the build quality of the Athena's was anywhere near what the AV123 are. That is JMO.

 

[markw]

Thanks. I've been away for a few days.

I would say MarkW approves of Athena's. He's running Athena in his home rig.

Speakers (Center, Surrounds, Sub): Athena Audition AS F-1 mains, AS B-2 rears and the matching AS-C1 center channel. Velodyne VA 1012.

Aside from their subs, I think the Athena Audition series offers great value and sound that more than justifies their cost.

Of course, everyone has their own favorites, though.

 

[markw]

So you don't really approve of Athena speakers, either?

If that's what you got out of my post, have at it.

 

[Seth=L]

If that's what you got out of my post, have at it.

LOL

About the Athena Audition series speakers.

The speakers are good bang for buck, I like their bookshelf speakers more than the towers. I had a pair of 1.1s or something that I got for $30 and they sounded very good to my elementary ears. The aren't harsh, they had ample bass given their size, and where pretty efficient near as I could tell.

The subwoofers sound alright until they start making port noise, which is very very often. The amplifier is inadequate for the drivers they use in the subwoofers as well as the cabinet.

 

[markw]

Are people too lazy to shop for a subwoofer?

LOL

About the Athena Audition series speakers.

The speakers are good bang for buck, I like their bookshelf speakers more than the towers. I had a pair of 1.1s or something that I got for $30 and they sounded very good to my elementary ears. The aren't harsh, they had ample bass given their size, and where pretty efficient near as I could tell.

The subwoofers sound alright until they start making port noise, which is very very often. The amplifier is inadequate for the drivers they use in the subwoofers as well as the cabinet.

As I've stated from since the beginning of time, their subs suck. For a kick a$$ bang-for-the-buck system I'd suggest a pair of F1.2's, a pair of B1.2's and the C1.2 center. all for a whopping $450 and take the rest of the budget go for a real sub. HSU, SVS, Velo, or whatever.

 

[supervij]

Agreed on the Athena subs. Mine started making the most horrible sounds (like crinkling tin foil) during the very low frequency sounds of Hot Fuzz. Athena told me that it's the voice coil being slowly destroyed and that I should turn down the sub level in my receiver. I replied that the sub was level-matched to the rest of the system, and they had nothing to say to that. In retrospect, I wish I had gone with a different sub, but I was pretty green then, and thought that it was a good idea to match the sub to the rest of the system.

I do like my other Athenas, though. The F2s sound terrific on their own, and the B2s handle surround duties very well. The C1s occasionally sound a bit harsh, but I don't know if that's due to the source material. Overall, I'm very happy with my Athenas. But I might have to replace that sub soon.

cheers,
supervij

 

[Seth=L]

As I've stated from since the beginning of time, their subs suck. For a kick a$$ bang-for-the-buck system I'd suggest a pair of F1.2's, a pair of B1.2's and the C1.2 center. all for a whopping $450 and take the rest of the budget go for a real sub. HSU, SVS, Velo, or whatever.

Mine where the 1.1s, and I thing the 1.2s had some cutbacks in build quality.

 

[markw]

You thing?

Mine where the 1.1s, and I thing the 1.2s had some cutbacks in build quality.

So, you haven't heard. They say their changes didn't affect the sound quality and were only to make them more cost efficient to manufacture. Who to believe?

There were no 1.1's

 

[markw]

Yeah, go for a new sub. You won't regret it.

Agreed on the Athena subs. Mine started making the most horrible sounds (like crinkling tin foil) during the very low frequency sounds of Hot Fuzz. Athena told me that it's the voice coil being slowly destroyed and that I should turn down the sub level in my receiver. I replied that the sub was level-matched to the rest of the system, and they had nothing to say to that. In retrospect, I wish I had gone with a different sub, but I was pretty green then, and thought that it was a good idea to match the sub to the rest of the system.

I do like my other Athenas, though. The F2s sound terrific on their own, and the B2s handle surround duties very well. The C1s occasionally sound a bit harsh, but I don't know if that's due to the source material. Overall, I'm very happy with my Athenas. But I might have to replace that sub soon.

cheers,
supervij

I was lucky in that when I went for my setup they hadn't released their subs yet. Otherwise I might have fallen prey to the "all one brand" syndrome too.

FWIW, I find I don't need the sub for most music, only HT.

P.S.. you might want to check out Dayton Sub kits from Parts Express. ...good performance, good prices.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I was lucky in that when I went for my setup they hadn't released their subs yet. Otherwise I might have fallen prey to the "all one brand" syndrome too.

FWIW, I find I don't need the sub for most music, only HT.

P.S.. you might want to check out Dayton Sub kits from Parts Express. ...good performance, good prices.

Okay, okay, case CLOSED: Athena speakers are not exactly audiophile quality.

 

[markw]

Well, if you wantto start deopping that "audiophile" label,...

Okay, okay, case CLOSED: Athena speakers are not exactly audiophile quality.

...neither are the others discussed here, either. And that includes your pictures.

Face it, you want an HT system, not an "audiophile" quality system. Big difference.

Check out my main system if you want an "audiophile" system.

 

[supervij]

markw, thanks for that recco for the Dayton Sub kits. I'll look into it. I had previously thought that I'll just replace the sub with an Hsu or SVS or something, but these kits look interesting. And a fair bit less expensive too.

I do integrate my sub with my mains when listening to 2-channel music. I have no idea why, since the mains go down to 35 Hz and music rarely goes that low. The sub I have goes down to 23 Hz, which seems impressive, but then I think about that darn voice coil getting destroyed during Hot Fuzz.

And no one ever claimed that Athena speakers are audiophile quality. But they do sound pretty good, and are so much less expensive than other speakers in the same audio quality range, no? At least, that's what all the reviews have said. So I'm always to see a lack of love for Athena speakers on forums (fora?) such as AH.

cheers,
supervij