Athena AS-F2 Speakers
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New member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 7 Registered: Apr-04 | Anyone have anything to say about the Athena AS-F2 floorstanders? |
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Silver Member Username: Project6Post Number: 468 Registered: Dec-03 | Have 'em and love 'em. One of the best speakers I've owned for the price point, and I've owned a lot of speakers. Excellent detail and clarity. I've compared them with the Axiom M50(tough one), Klipsch RF-3(a little too bright and blaring), Wharfedale 8.4 (sounds muffled). |
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Bronze Member Username: RobertinchicoPost Number: 30 Registered: Apr-04 | Always the adverturing speaker auditioner, the local BestBuy features the Athenas. Having seen some supportive reviews I went and had a listen. If you listen under the "line loss" hell of a typical BestBuy's jungle of wires, switchers, equalizers, jammed pack speaker placement, abused receivers and that wide open warehouse space - Athenas will NEVER sound like that in your living room and it may not represent anything at all as to what some attractive and reasonably priced speakers might do for you. |
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Silver Member Username: Project6Post Number: 469 Registered: Dec-03 | agreed Chicobiker, that's why I don't even bother making an assesment in listening rooms. i take them home and listen to it in my own space, sad part is I tend to keep them as soon as I like what I hear. The one thing I like about the listening room is that you get an idea of which speaker you want to take home and audition, except of course Best Buy. cheers |
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Bronze Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 13 Registered: Apr-04 | I think Best Buy will let you return speakers within 30 days, not sure. Anyway, I did like the Athena AS-F1s I heard today. AS-F2s (Which where disconnected) should be better. AND, since it IS Best Buy, you can bet that at the next holiday they'll knock another $50 or so off the price of each speaker. (yea...thought the Klipch RF-3s are too "in the face" liked them until the Athenas.) |
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Silver Member Username: HawkHighlands Ranch, CO USA Post Number: 523 Registered: Dec-03 | Rick: I like the AS-F2s very much, and they are much better than the AS-F1s. But, what kind of electronics are your running? Please don't say Yamaha as that is one brand that does not work well with Athenas which are a little bright sounding. Not as bright as Klipsch, but bright nevertheless. So make sure you have a receiver/amp that is a little laid back to balance the sound (I always thought Marantz would be a good match). There is no doubt that API (parent of Athena) has a good product in the AS-F2s, but you can never know trying to buy them at Best Buy--you will have to take them home. That has to be one of the worst listening environments I have ever experienced (train stations are better than Best Buy!). API also owns Energy and Mirage, so Athena is their mass market brand and Energy and Mirage sell through more specialized salons. |
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Bronze Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 14 Registered: Apr-04 | I DO have a Yamaha RX-595 stereo receiver, 80 watts per channel of early 90's vintage. Yes, I've heard that AV Yamahas are bright but does that also apply to this ten+ year old stereo only unit? Thanks... |
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Bronze Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 15 Registered: Apr-04 | I listened to the AS-F2s today. They are wonderful even in Best Buy and even powered by their Yamaha RV-905. It wasn't busy there today and the store noise was low. I know that they would sound different in my living room but I don't see how they could be bad. Interestingly they are suprisingly close in sound to the smaller AS-F1s. My Advents have one dome and one eight inch woofer and that is plenty. Maybe the extra woofer in the AS-F2 would be livingroom over kill not to mention the extra bulky cabinet. |
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Bronze Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 17 Registered: Apr-04 | Got the Athena AS-F2s yesterday. They sound great. Transparent highs and bass with authority. Look handsome with their grills off too. My only complaint is that I have a sore arm and shoulder from carting them around and setting them up! |
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Bronze Member Username: TrailerparkkingGrand Rapids, MI Post Number: 23 Registered: Apr-04 | boy all the praise I am seeing for these speakers is making me think I should replace my q50's with them! I would miss the imaging of the Uni-Q driver though....... I do love the way they look and Audio Advisor has them on sale in case anyone is looking! Cheers!!! |
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Bronze Member Username: RobertinchicoPost Number: 39 Registered: Apr-04 | Bruce - having been a proud KEF owner, you'll find that the materials, cabinet improvements and crossover designs these days blow away the rather aging UNI-Q design. KEF is on the fourth Uni-q generation these days, although the lower models still use third gen UNI-Q. The availability of aluminum domed and titanium tweeter driver material makes those older Kef Uni-q modules sound positively HONKY. Just audition a few new speakers these days and you'll find your Uni-q drivers are positively HONKY, horn like and quite "beamy". |
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Bronze Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 18 Registered: Apr-04 | Yes, You real owe it to yourself to go listen to the new technology. I used to think my Advents sounded good but they were VERY easily blown away. I just didn't realize that speakers had improved like they have. Also, I never thought that I wanted floorstanders but the volume of the cabinet allows bass to develop to the point that it can slam into the floor if the material calls for it (The Athenas AS-F2s do this very well). I suppose that the quality of sound that I speak of is "Authority". You won't get that with a bookshelf speaker. If you do decide on the Athenas, Best Buy does give good deals. Plus, they have an extended four year warranty plan for $30 (each spkr) that covers just about everything that could go wrong. That's 9 Years! 5 years of the Athena warranty followed by 4 years of the Best Buy warranty. 30 day refund policy too. |
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Bronze Member Username: TrailerparkkingGrand Rapids, MI Post Number: 24 Registered: Apr-04 | Well, maybe i owe it to myself to go listen to them... maybe I will stop down to Best buy and check them out...... you guys have me thinking LOL Honky? gee I guess I must be too used to them.... i will report back after I have listened |
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Bronze Member Username: TrailerparkkingGrand Rapids, MI Post Number: 25 Registered: Apr-04 | Rick and chicobiker, Well i stopped by BB and took a look at the Athena, as well as a lengthy listen. All i can say is that I wasn't impressed. I will chalk it up to the fact that it was BB and they had a cheesy Yamaha receiver driving them. Here is what I heard. -lacking in low end. -Mids were very flat and dry, sounding almost... dusty.. -Highs were nice but harsh. -imaging was quite good but the quality of what I was hearing was turning me off. Again, i am chalking this up to the cheap-O Yammie that was powering everything so they didn't get a fair shake. If I can find someone else who sells them in town I will have to go listen to them with quality equipment. In The mean time though, my Q50's shouldn't feel threatened. Thanks for the input guys and take care!! |
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Bronze Member Username: RobertinchicoPost Number: 44 Registered: Apr-04 | Bruce - the horrendous equipment setup BB offers on to audition those Athenas (and everything else) doesn't give them a fair shake. For the money they are decent for sure. By HONKY KEF uni-q I meant horn like, exxagerated and sometimes piercing. I didn't mean it to represent "street-talk" or "jive"! |
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Bronze Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 23 Registered: Apr-04 | I ordered a NAD-C370 Amp to replace my Yamaha. Let you know what the NAD/Athena set up sounds like next week. |
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Bronze Member Username: TrailerparkkingGrand Rapids, MI Post Number: 26 Registered: Apr-04 | Chico, LOL I understand completely. I guess I haven't experienced that. My Sansui is overly warm so I don't hear that, in fact they seem remarkably transparent when watvhing movies and listening to music. Again I am sure it is due to equipment. Take care. Rick, looking forward to hearing the verdict! |
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swampcat Unregistered guest | Check out the klipsch sf-3 In my opinion they blow the Athena away. The jbl's also sound better. At Best Buy the klipsch synergy series floor speakers are the best in the store. Listen for yourself. The Klipsch sf-2 (Smaller brother) also sounds much better. |
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Unregistered guest | Looking at the graphs from the Stereophile article, two things come to mind about the Athena speakers. 1) Like most speakers in their price range, the cabinets resonate and 2) Like most multi-way speakers, the crossover creates phase problems, noted in the reviewers remarks and waterfall plot. Having said that, for the money, thats not so bad. Many speakers are much worse in those 2 areas. I would suggest listening to a really hi-end speaker thats phase/time coherent and with non resonant cabinets for a reference though. In short, you could do a lot worse than these speakers for more money. |
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Unregistered guest | Hate to beat a dead horse, but I cannot stress to my fellow music lovers enough to search out the Green Mountain Audio Europa's and give them a listen. Once you pick your jaw up off the floor, you'll be happy as a dog with two tails. No speaker I have heard does human voice as well as these jewels. Highs are sweet, detailed and spot on pitch. Bass is fine but nothing earth shattering. Amazing speakers. Can't say enough about them. Check out http://www.audiogon.com On the right side of the main page click on "discussion forums" then in the search bar, type "europa" and see what the hi end community is saying about them. Best deal in all of audio hands down. |
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Bronze Member Username: RobertinchicoPost Number: 67 Registered: Apr-04 | Mauimusicman makes a good observation in noting that the cabinets resonate on the Athenas. AFter looking at PC's at Best Buy I wandered over to the stereo section as usual for some auditions. I would remark that the in-home audition policy of 'try before you buy' is especially appropriate with the Athenas. Those cabinets are none-too-solid, quite large and the cabinet finish (fake) will not be to everyones taste. The Best Buy had a pair with minor blems marked down to $155. At the $600 price point one could do better. |
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Bronze Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 26 Registered: Apr-04 | Hmmmmm. I'll reserve my ultimate comments until I get my NAD-C370. I will tell you that the Athenas have a bright edge on some voices with my Yamaha. Sound is open and transparent. Midrange is great and bass is tight and slams. I LOVE the modern look of them with and without the grills. They sound sweet with clasical music but can really ROCK with authority too. As far as those Klipsch Synergy SF3s...They are Ok but not the least bit attractive and the sound is too "in your face" and not airy. My Best Buy had them bi-amped too. That's not playing fair. |
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Bronze Member Username: RobertinchicoPost Number: 68 Registered: Apr-04 | Did you get a good deal on a C370? I believe the C372 is available and I"m getting it this summer. What matters is how you like the Athena's with YOUR system and your music. Your NAD may be just the source to make those speakers kick. If you get them at BB, you do have the return policy in any event. |
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Bronze Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 29 Registered: Apr-04 | $399 at Saturday Audio in Chicago on close out. The NAD is fine with the Athenas. My Yamaha was metallic and thin. Much more fullness and smoothness with the NAD. Disappointed that I need a phono pre-amp with the NAD. |
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mr athena Unregistered guest | to whom it may concern - last week i puchased the athena as-f2's for my front stage, as-f1's for my rears and athena center channel and the asw-400 sub. for all of those interested in athenas i am very pleased with this system. the sub isn't as boomy as most, but it doesn't lack in tightness and control as so many do. the receiver i am currently running is the yamaha htr-5790 980 watt 7.1, also a very good choice. i purchased all of my equipment at best buy and have had excellent customer support. Best Buy includes a 30 day money back guarantee |
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mr athena Unregistered guest | i thought i would write back for all of you who don't like yamaha and athena , try throwing in the eagles when hell freezes over, eric clapton mtv unplugged, or linkin park frat party at the pancake festival DVD. all of these sound fantastic with this combination. |
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Bronze Member Username: RobertinchicoPost Number: 73 Registered: Apr-04 | When choosing a loudspeaker system, the ONLY thing that ultimately matters is that the purchaser is satisfied with the speaker. No one else will be routinely listening to the speaker and related equipment. While people on this board typically try to steer people away from disaster equipment, in the spirit of good will in an open forum, what YOU buy, is your business and you don't have to justify it to anyone else. So rock on! |
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Silver Member Username: Project6Post Number: 560 Registered: Dec-03 | rock on indeed! The ultimate judge of speakers is always the enduser. If you like your purchase, that's great. |
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Bronze Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 30 Registered: Apr-04 | I don't think we're here to knock Yamaha. While I didn't like it with my Athenas, it's good with my Polks. Yes, it's what ever sounds good to the listener. To THIS listener... The more I listen to the NAD/Athena combination the more I like it. |
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New member Username: MaximoPost Number: 14 Registered: Jan-04 | The Athenas are excellent speakers. I have the as-f2s, as-c1s, and as-b1s. For a sub, I currently have the as-p300. It's ok; I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless it can be found at a steal of a deal. For a short period of time, Bestbuy dropped the price to 199.99 with a $100 instant rebate making the price 99 bucks. It's well worth 99 but not a lot more. I plan to buy a HSU vtf-2 later on or a larger Hsu sub depending on the size of house I end up buying. Currently, my neighbors can't even handle the vibration of my current system so an upgrade will have to wait. Anyways, back to the athenas. I have them paired with a hk 525 and they sound superb with movies and music. I only have one complaint. The center channel could match the as-f2s better. Anyone on this forum can tell you that the best way to decide what is the right speaker is to test them out. However, I honestly believe the athenas are the best deal on the market; of course, this is my opinion and will vary from person to person. I'm looking at this from a budget perspective. They can compete with about anything for under $1500. But, for the most part, you can't go wrong with these speakers. The as-f2s are full range towers that are able to poduce a great sound field. The rears demonstrate good bass. The 1" teteron dome tweeters that accompany each of the speakers help them produce crisp highs. In my opinon, a bright receiver such as a Yahmaha would not suit these speakers best. Then again, in stereo mode while playing music, my hk almost seems too warm. Hawk has described the hk sound as being cloudy. I now see what he's saying. But, the hk's all in all make a great match for the athenas. |
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Silver Member Username: Project6Post Number: 564 Registered: Dec-03 | maximo, the hsu is an excellent sub and really complements the Athena's very well. I have to agree with you on the Athena subs, I honestly think that they are the weak link on an otherwise superb HT speakers. |
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Unregistered guest | My opinion, based upon 3 decades in this business is that when you hear people say certian amp's don't "mesh" well with certian speakers, it's almost always a phase problem or a crossover glitch in the speaker causing the problem. One notable exemption to that would be electrostatic speakers which are very hard to drive. Easy to blame the amp cause another amp sounded fine on the same speaker. Why do so many speakers have phase/time problems? Time domain math is the most difficult of all physics. Isn't audio a peck of fun? Also have to disagree somewhat with monitors vs floorstanders. Monitors will almost always image better and sound less boxy. Low low bass will be sacrificed, but thats all. In some small monitors, a subwoofer isn't missed (like mine) |
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Bronze Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 32 Registered: Apr-04 | You can't discount the fact that amps bring their own sound to the party. |
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New member Username: JohnqleMV, CA USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Jun-04 | Question to the experts: I am a happy owner of a Athena S.5 MKII HT set in a 6.1 configuration (Onkyo HTR-510 6.1 6x100w) and really want to get the AS-F2 towers to enhance the HT sound experience. Now, if I get the AS-F2 for the front speakers, how could I re-use or hook-up the two remaining old S.5 front satellite ones? Or should I just save these for some other purposes (bummer)? |
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Silver Member Username: Project6Post Number: 600 Registered: Dec-03 | You can always hook it up to the B speaker side. But you probably won't use it, though.  |
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Bronze Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 33 Registered: Apr-04 | Have to say that after having the Athena AS-F2s for about a month now that they definitely have to be broken in. They are not as bright now, still crisp though. Bass is fuller but tight as the woofers are loosening up. Great detail. Really fine with my NAD-C370. Happy camper here! |
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Silver Member Username: Project6Post Number: 604 Registered: Dec-03 | Rick, Have you put any thoughts into surround sound yet? 4 ASF-2s and a nice DVD-Audio is something to behold ;) I tease... |
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Bronze Member Username: TwebbzAnn Arbor, Michigan USA Post Number: 34 Registered: Apr-04 | No...not surround...But the thought of adding another NAD amp and two more Athenas does make my head spin! Don't have the room for that....yet! |
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MARK AUDIO4KICKS Unregistered guest | i just recieved my athena as-b1`s today, there beautifully made, have nice drivers, and are very solid, i bought them on ebay, got them for $99 dollars and $29 for the s&h, i would say thats a great deal and they were NIB, there not broken in yet but never the less they still sounded good right out of the box, i just read that joseph audio won best sound at the show with a bookshelf speaker costing $4000 dollars, im wondering how much better could these speakers really sound, im very happy with my new purchase and feel as though i got a great sounding speaker for such little money, does a person feel as though they got a great deal when buying a pair of monitors for $4000, i guess so when theres speakers out there costing $80,000 |
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MARK AUDIO4KICKS Unregistered guest | FORGOT TO MENTION,,,in case anyone is thinking about purchasing these speakers, i have always had seperates but just recently purchased a a/v receiver made by Onkyo, the Athena AS-B1`s are being used as my main speakers and seem to be a very good match with the Onkyo, the music is detailed, wide open, has good pace, very musical with great instrument placement. |
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Silver Member Username: RobertinchicoPost Number: 142 Registered: Apr-04 | $4K is a good chunk of change for a bookshelf speaker, and seems to infringe on the idea of efficiency for money. Perhaps JAudio is cost recovering their R&D! $80K is also a HEFTY wad of cash for some speakers. Considering what else could be purchased for $80K, this idea also seems to infringe on the notion of efficiency for money. Do they sound better than your Athenas? The answer to that question depends on what objective and subjective criteria you apply to speakers. Individuals who spend $4k on a bookshelf speaker must want them in a big way for some reason. Individuals who spend/lease/obtain/write-off $80K speakers must have some cogent reason for doing so. But for the money YOU saved, you can afford some upgraded cables and interconnects and your Athenas will sound even better! |
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MARK AUDIO4KICKS Unregistered guest | as human beings i don`t think were ever satisfied, i wish i had all the money back i spent on speakers cd players, outboard converters, pre-amps and power amps, i`d go to the nearest crysler dealership and buy myself a new crossfire in gunmetal grey, but then like a idiot i`d stop at the local hi-fi store and let a salesmen try to sell me something new. |
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