These were a very good sounding 2 way 8 inch system from Energy. This pair has been modified. The standard 8 inch woofer has been replaced with the famous stitched surround woofer from the Energy 22. This system really rocks. Energy 22s were the second real high fidelity speakers I owned (the first were Polf Monitor 7s), and I loved them. Unfortunately, many feel that their excellent hyperdome tweeters are prone to deterioration (Frank at The Speaker Shop told me that the adhesives used in their manufacture break down over time).
A company in Halifax bought the original fabrication equipment, and the original tweeters can be shipped there for remanufacturing, at a cost of over $300/pair. Some insist it makes a huge difference, others swear that their untouched 22s still sound great. I haven't had a chance to hear for myself. I do know that these speakers, with their 22 woofers sound more like the 22s I owned than not, and avoid performance anxiety.
The 4.1e's are very interesting. They were actually manufactured using the same 7" driver used in the Energy 22.2, and for all intents and purposes, the same cabinet. The dimensions, and presumably the internal volume and internal bracing are identical. They use a more conventional dome tweeter, perhaps sourced from Vifa or SEAS. The x-over probably has values better suited to the combination of drivers. All in all, probably a similar voicing to the Energy 22, for less money. A good value, with the additional benefit of the tweeters being more robust than the fragile 22 dual hyperdome.
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