Athena AS-F2 or JBL E80?

[SangYuP]

I currently have the Athena AS-C1 for my center and I am debating on which speaker to get for my front mains. The Athena AS-F2 or JBL E80? The athenas are $400/pair and the JBLs are $300/pair. I know the Athena F2 will match my center, but will the JBL suffice? Which speaker is better?

 

[SilverMK3]

I think, in the long run, you'll be happier with the AS-F2's. If cost is an issue, have you auditioned the AS-F1's yet? They'll perform just as well as the F2's if you use a subwoofer in your setup.

 

[SangYuP]

Thanks for the advice. Cost isn't really an issue. I just wanted to know if the Athenas were better or if the JBLs are better. If the JBLs are better, then I would prefer to save the extra $100 and get those, but if the Athenas are better, then I don't mind paying the extra $100.

 

[markw]

It's really a little late to be questioning the "better" angle.

If you really want the "better" sound, you'll want the front three speakers (at least) to be "timbre matched". This means the voicing is similar between them. About the only way to assure this is to get them from the same manufacturer and series of each other.

The Athena's are great, IMNSHO. I use F1's with that center and a pair of B2's for the surrounds. with a good sub, you can't really ask for more within the price range. ...or somewhat more for that matter.

 

[SangYuP]

Thanks for the advice. I ask because I just bought the Athena center so if the JBL E80 is better, then I can just return the Athena center and go all JBL. That's why I want to know which ones are better, the Athena AS-F2 or JBL E80. Thank you for your time.

 

[markw]

If they are both so easily available...

...why not just listen and decide for yourself.

"better" is an extremely relative term.

 

[twheeloc]

Pick And Choose

Having worked at Best Buy, where I suspect that you're going to pick these up, I know that the listening environment is not the best (probably the worst possible) and that most store won't let you listen to your own music on them(store policy, stupid, but store policy). That being said I think that the best thing to do is to listen to them carefully at least in the style of music that you're going to be listening to most. I strongly prefer the Athena's the F2's having a little more bass extension than the F1's...I was not a Fan of the Small Athena Sub...Not sure if you're going to be running a sub. I always made people listen...Subjectively I hear a cleaner midrange in the Athena's over the JBL's and a little "fuller" midbass in the JBL's, though that could be distortion.

Final Thought--If the wallet doesn't matter let the ears decide between the two and then match the center to whatever you prefer.

 

[SangYuP]

Thanks for all your help. I decided on the Athena AS-F2. I actually had my mind set on the Athena, but I found the JBLs for only $300 shipped so I just wanted everyone's opinion on it. I just ordered the Athena AS-F2 so I should be getting it in about a week.

One more thing. I currently own a 6.1 receiver, the Onkyo TX-SR502. I will be using the Athena AS-C1 for center, AS-F2 for front L/R, AS-B2 for my L/R surround, and I ordered the AS-R1 for my rear center surround. Was that a mistake to use a bi-pole speaker for my center surround? Should I have used another AS-B2 for my rear center surround? It was a impluse buy and I didn't do much research. Thank you.

 

[slopoke]

Bipole rear

Thanks for all your help. I decided on the Athena AS-F2. I actually had my mind set on the Athena, but I found the JBLs for only $300 shipped so I just wanted everyone's opinion on it. I just ordered the Athena AS-F2 so I should be getting it in about a week.

One more thing. I currently own a 6.1 receiver, the Onkyo TX-SR502. I will be using the Athena AS-C1 for center, AS-F2 for front L/R, AS-B2 for my L/R surround, and I ordered the AS-R1 for my rear center surround. Was that a mistake to use a bi-pole speaker for my center surround? Should I have used another AS-B2 for my rear center surround? It was a impluse buy and I didn't do much research. Thank you.

THX recomends dipole speakers for the left and right surrounds and 2 direct radiators (like the AS-B2) for the rears.

Many people (myself included) seem to prefer bipoles like the AS-R2 to dipoles and some even like direct radiators all around. I've even seen some posts by people who insist on using the exact same speaker all around with seperate subs for the front and rear.

I have recently gone from 4 matched bipole surrounds to bipole left and right with direct radiating rears. What I've found is:
1. They do sound different.
2. Music is better with the direct rears.
3. For HT the directs seem to call more attention to themselves. (I turn them down 2db to aleviate this.)
4. The rear speakers are the least important ones in your set.

What I'd recomend you do is try the AS-R2 and see how you like it. It's possible that since you're only using one speaker in the back the bipole will do a better job than a direct radiator. (The reason THX recomends two speakers is that it takes two slightly different rear sound sources to "fix" the sound to the rear. The bipole just might accomplish this with one speaker.) If it doesn't suit you can always buy a second AS-R2 and switch the sides with the rears.

 

[SangYuP]

Thanks for all your help. I just ordered the AS-F2 and I'll be getting the AS-R1 for my rear center surround. I hope using a bipole for the rear surround will be okay and I'll be using a monopole AS-B2 for my L/R surrounds.