Energy Veritas V-6.3 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review

A

admin

Audioholics Robot
Staff member
The Energy Veritas V-6.3s floorstanding loudspeakers are a well built, well designed, well-voiced product that won't take up much in the way of your floor space. the V-6.3s are a 4-driver, dual-ported, base-reflex passive system, featuring a pair of 6.5" woofers, a single 5.25" midrange driver and a single, 1" aluminum dome tweeter. These speakers have an unusually well developed talent for cleanly portraying musical details across a well focused soundstage. Take the time to audition them; bring your best quality, most demanding CDs when you do. And literally hear what you've been missing. We are happy to see Energy is back in the game and ready to slug it out with other high caliber speaker systems.


Discuss "Energy Veritas V-6.3 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review" here. Read the article.
 
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GO-NAD!

GO-NAD!

Audioholic Spartan
I guess it's my inner cynic speaking, but they look like a warmed over RC-70. Not that the RC-70 is a bad speaker....
 
gene

gene

Audioholics Master Chief
Administrator
Review Addendum added

I added the following to Mark's review upon his request.

Review Addendum

Part way through reviewing the V-6.3s I contacted Klipsch, curious to know just how much of the V-6.3s were "Energy" and how much they're "Klipsch". Overall, the sense I got from their response was that Klipsch weren't interested in re-inventing the wheel and to that end took meaningful steps to ensure Energy stays, well, Energy. I thought Energy fans might find their response both interesting and enlightening. What follows is a bullet-list summary of that response:

1. Development of the Veritas line was done in the US by a design team specifically dedicated to the brand, composed mostly of former Klipsch brand people. Klipsch maintains a very good working relationship with many of the former Canadian design team, who are used occasionally on other Energy projects.

2. The Veritas line was developed using component designs from older Energy products since they were still designed specifically with the Energy design philosophy in mind. The only component change of any real substance was an increase in the magnet strength\weight of the woofers, done with a view to increasing bass definition.

3. In the development process, existing Energy products were used to define the listening & measurement characteristics target profiles in order to maintain the integrity of the product line. For example, in the voicing phase of the Veritas' development other Energy speakers were used as a reference when performing listening tests. Likewise for the measured frequency response profile. The development teams goal was only to ensure the overall smoothness in the response and that there were no obvious problems in the voicing. This was important because otherwise it would be too easy to simply slide down the path of voicing it just like a Klipsch.
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
They do look like the RC70 and the list price is the same too. I hope they have at least kept the same tweeter as the RC's. I went with the Veritas way back mainly because of that convergent module and the fact that it's tweeter was among the few I auditioned at the time including the Paradigm Signature and B&W diamond that could reproduce violin sound quite live like without being grainy. I can see from the picture that Klipsch has kept the convergent source module but not the dome mid driver. The tweeter does look more like the one in the RC.

The list price is now low enough to compete with Paradigm Studios and PSB Image series if they sound as good or better, otherwise I think they may end up having to lower the price to compete with Polks or even Klipsch instead.:D
 
A

alphaiii

Audioholic General
Based on the Audioholics' measurements.... the V-6.3 measure flatter than the RC-70... although the overall response does look similar... mainly with less upper bass/lower mid emphasis.

For some that find the RC-70 a bit too bassy and not controlled enough in that region, the V-6.3 could be a nice improvement.

Even if the new Veritas is just a refreshed RC line... people need to remember that the RC line was no slouch... but many got used to the closeout pricing recently and seem to use that as a measure of where they fall compared to other brands retail pricing...

The Veritas is more in line with the PSB Imagine (above the Image series) and is above anything Polk offers other than maybe the new Lsi line.

I think the biggest disappointment though is Klipsch choosing to use the Veritas name on a speaker line that's in RC territory (perhaps a small step up).... but clearly not on par with the previous Veritas offerings... which were truly flagship offerings and showed what Energy could do with enough money invested.
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
I did mean 'imagine', not 'image' that was a typo.:eek:
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
I added the following to Mark's review upon his request.

Review Addendum

Part way through reviewing the V-6.3s I contacted Klipsch, curious to know just how much of the V-6.3s were "Energy" and how much they're "Klipsch". Overall, the sense I got from their response was that Klipsch weren't interested in re-inventing the wheel and to that end took meaningful steps to ensure Energy stays, well, Energy. I thought Energy fans might find their response both interesting and enlightening. What follows is a bullet-list summary of that response: .
1. Development of the Veritas line was done in the US by a design team specifically dedicated to the brand, composed mostly of former Klipsch brand people. Klipsch maintains a very good working relationship with many of the former Canadian design team, who are used occasionally on other Energy projects.
Thats why I'll stay clear of Energy from here on in. It will just be a matter of time before the Klpispch engineers ruin a great sounding speaker company. :mad:

2. The Veritas line was developed using component designs from older Energy products since they were still designed specifically with the Energy design philosophy in mind. The only component change of any real substance was an increase in the magnet strength\weight of the woofers, done with a view to increasing bass definition.
They couldn't come with something new on their own? :rolleyes:

3. In the development process, existing Energy products were used to define the listening & measurement characteristics target profiles in order to maintain the integrity of the product line. For example, in the voicing phase of the Veritas' development other Energy speakers were used as a reference when performing listening tests. Likewise for the measured frequency response profile. The development teams goal was only to ensure the overall smoothness in the response and that there were no obvious problems in the voicing. This was important because otherwise it would be too easy to simply slide down the path of voicing it just like a Klipsch.

Why don't they simply use the original designers of Energy to improve on the sound? As you can see, I very skeptical of Klipsch making Energy a better product. Time will tell and I hope I'll be proven wrong.
 
gene

gene

Audioholics Master Chief
Administrator
Why don't they simply use the original designers of Energy to improve on the sound? As you can see, I very skeptical of Klipsch making Energy a better product. Time will tell and I hope I'll be proven wrong.
I agree with you as Klipsch has less than a good track record of "improving" brands after acquisition. Look how they treated the coveted Acurus/Aragon brands :( Only time will tell hence why it's important to sample their products in review every so often :)
 
zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
I respect the reviewer - however, nothing about the new speaker
draws my interest - nothing really stands out to me.
 
3

34powerquest

Audiophyte
I guess it's my inner cynic speaking, but they look like a warmed over RC-70. Not that the RC-70 is a bad speaker....
I understand some of the similarities between the RC-70 and the V6.3, but is the v6.3 that much better (worth an extra $200 per speaker)?

I am considering buying the rc70, v6.3 or the boston vs 336. I am including the boston in my search because I currently own boston vr975 which i really enjoy. I currently purchased the energy CB-20 for a small 2.1 system in my house and I love the sound of them. For the money I do not think there would be many speakers that can beat its performance(especially if you get them on sale).

If anyone can provide some insight to which speaker you would choose and why please feel free to share. I have spent the past month reading reviews and forums and cannot seem to make up my mind.

any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
avnetguy

avnetguy

Audioholic Chief
Given the deals available on the RC70 right now I'd say it's pretty hard to justify the additional cost to get the V6.3s. I have not auditioned the 6.3s but have had the RC70s for some time now and am very pleased with their performance, by far the best bang for the buck for higher end listening.

Steve
 
L

landrum

Audiophyte
$699 on amazon... Seems like a good deal

Thoughts?

Why discount $900 per speaker? Is there something I'm missing?
 
caper26

caper26

Full Audioholic
Energy is now owned by another company so the economics and business strategies aren't the same as before, which seems to be in our benefit. If I had the coin, I would get the rosenut's in a heartbeat.
 
M

Mark 471

Enthusiast
New Energy Veritas 6.3 review

Hi everyone,

I am somewhat new to this fascinating hobby and feel like I have buried my nose in every piece of information I could get my hands on over the past few months regarding home audio.

I recently scored a pair of unopened energy veritas 2.2i's for $600 bucks and fell in love with them. In an effort to round out the system I went on a quest for the matching 2.3i or 2.4i towers. As anyone who has previously looked for them would know they are almost impossible to find. As a result of not having any luck on my search for 2.4i's I decided to research the new veritas 6.3.s. I purchased them last week from Vanns for 699 each (delivered - no tax.)

For the price the speakers weren't bad. However, even to my untrained ear (and my fiancee's) they were definitely no where close to even my bookshelf 2.2i's.

The speakers came in a very impressive package including a pair if white butler glove (not kidding) to handle the speakers during set up. The high gloss piano black finish was very very nice. Unfortunately, the cabinet was the best part of the speaker. Once again the speakers didn't sound bad for the price. However, when I began to play the speaker at even conservative levels the tweeters wanted to overplay the rest of the speaker. I even tried the speaker with both ports open for some extra bass extension. It helped a little but not much. In a disappointing fashion the terminal on the bottom of the speaker were nickel plated and felt extremely cheap.

Since I was looking for something to match the sound and quality of the 2.2i's I decided to send the speakers back. Upon repackaging the speakers I could not believe the sticker at the bottom. You guessed it, "Made in China." Unbelievable.

Everyone's suspicions and reviews about Klipsch stripping the cost out of this iconic speaker while trying to maintain the high end brand image were confirmed.

In the end, the speakers sounded good for $699 delivered and they looked even better. If I didn't have the 2.2's to compare I am not sure I would have even noticed so many of the acoustic limitations of the 6.3's.

If your looking for a transparent speaker that is consistent with the energy name of the past, the new veritas 6.3i is not it.

Mark
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
I predicted that the 2.2i would impress you. Back in 2004 (or 05) I auditioned the Arcam AVR300 driving a pair of 2.2 (not 2.2i) as well as some big PSB. I ended up buying the 2.3i thinking that my next step would be to trade in my Denon 3805 for the Arcam. I was wrong, it was the 2.2 that produced the sweet sound so I gave up on those so call high end warm sounding electronics myths. Back to the 6.3, I listened to them in Futureshops a few times and I thought they sounded similar to the RC70 and much better than any Klipsch they had on the floor. Futureshop is not the right place for any sort of listening tests but I would think that if they sounded as bad as you described them I should have noticed. The fact that they are made in China is actually good news, in the sense that it can explain why the dealers can offer such deep discounts for them. Many made in China products today, such as Apple's, Marantz, PSB are actually quite solid, most likely due to tight quality control systems implemented and monitored by the owners here in North America. Even some higher end speakers such as the Paradigm Signatures had some of their components made in China and assembled in Canada. Give it another 10-15 years, if and when the labor costs catch up with us here (Think Japan), you will see that people will move manufacturing to other developing countries, or back home. Anyway, good luck to your search for the 2.3/2.4i, but you can always go for plan B by simply adding a quality sub and be done with it.
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
Hi everyone,

I am somewhat new to this fascinating hobby and feel like I have buried my nose in every piece of information I could get my hands on over the past few months regarding home audio.

I recently scored a pair of unopened energy veritas 2.2i's for $600 bucks and fell in love with them. In an effort to round out the system I went on a quest for the matching 2.3i or 2.4i towers. As anyone who has previously looked for them would know they are almost impossible to find. As a result of not having any luck on my search for 2.4i's I decided to research the new veritas 6.3.s. I purchased them last week from Vanns for 699 each (delivered - no tax.)

For the price the speakers weren't bad. However, even to my untrained ear (and my fiancee's) they were definitely no where close to even my bookshelf 2.2i's.

The speakers came in a very impressive package including a pair if white butler glove (not kidding) to handle the speakers during set up. The high gloss piano black finish was very very nice. Unfortunately, the cabinet was the best part of the speaker. Once again the speakers didn't sound bad for the price. However, when I began to play the speaker at even conservative levels the tweeters wanted to overplay the rest of the speaker. I even tried the speaker with both ports open for some extra bass extension. It helped a little but not much. In a disappointing fashion the terminal on the bottom of the speaker were nickel plated and felt extremely cheap.

Since I was looking for something to match the sound and quality of the 2.2i's I decided to send the speakers back. Upon repackaging the speakers I could not believe the sticker at the bottom. You guessed it, "Made in China." Unbelievable.

Everyone's suspicions and reviews about Klipsch stripping the cost out of this iconic speaker while trying to maintain the high end brand image were confirmed.

In the end, the speakers sounded good for $699 delivered and they looked even better. If I didn't have the 2.2's to compare I am not sure I would have even noticed so many of the acoustic limitations of the 6.3's.

If your looking for a transparent speaker that is consistent with the energy name of the past, the new veritas 6.3i is not it.

Mark
Thanks Mark. This just confirms my suspicions that Klipsch has disemboweled Energy and that any thing coming out of Energy now has the just the name association but no way associated with their past products.


Thank you Klipsch for ruining yet another great speaker brand. Go back to designing loudspeakers for PA systems. That's what you are good at. :mad:
 
A

ack_bak

Audioholic
FYI, Klipsch is owned by Audiovox now. That sale completed last year. So Auiovox is now the parent company for Energy as well.
 
P

Plexihead

Audiophyte
I predicted that the 2.2i would impress you. Back in 2004 (or 05) I auditioned the Arcam AVR300 driving a pair of 2.2 (not 2.2i) as well as some big PSB. I ended up buying the 2.3i thinking that my next step would be to trade in my Denon 3805 for the Arcam. I was wrong, it was the 2.2 that produced the sweet sound so I gave up on those so call high end warm sounding electronics myths. Back to the 6.3, I listened to them in Futureshops a few times and I thought they sounded similar to the RC70 and much better than any Klipsch they had on the floor. Futureshop is not the right place for any sort of listening tests but I would think that if they sounded as bad as you described them I should have noticed. The fact that they are made in China is actually good news, in the sense that it can explain why the dealers can offer such deep discounts for them. Many made in China products today, such as Apple's, Marantz, PSB are actually quite solid, most likely due to tight quality control systems implemented and monitored by the owners here in North America. Even some higher end speakers such as the Paradigm Signatures had some of their components made in China and assembled in Canada. Give it another 10-15 years, if and when the labor costs catch up with us here (Think Japan), you will see that people will move manufacturing to other developing countries, or back home. Anyway, good luck to your search for the 2.3/2.4i, but you can always go for plan B by simply adding a quality sub and be done with it.
Unfortunately they do sound as bad as Mark 471 stated, actually in my time with them I felt they were even worse ;)

In already owning the RC-70's I thought I'd upgrade to the 6.3's. Purchased a pair and put my 70's up for sale, well that would've been a mistake. The 6.3's look amazing, the gloss over rosenut and their dimensions made them visually stand out over that of my black ash 70's... but I did not like their sound. Since I had 30 days, I tried to break them in as much as possible to hopefully get them sounding right. They were wayyyy too bright and fatiguing, the sibilance was very noticeable. They also have no where near the amount of bass response as the 70's, there was no low end punch, very disappointing. They might be ok for movie surround with a couple of good subs, but for 2-channel music listening they were terrible... if you wanted to crank up the tunes ear fatigue would quickly set in, they were actually irritating for 2-channel music (which is what I would use them for the most).

In the end I regrettably (looks wise) took them back, hooked my 70's back up and immediately thought, now that's better. Are the 6.3's revealing, absolutely, but to a fault, and the low end was strangely subdued, I found the 6.3's to be not a pleasant listening experience.
 

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