Monoprice 5.1 Home Speaker System $160 + ~$40 Shipping (similar if not same as Energy Take Classic 5.1)

Would one really want 200W in a sub for home theater? I have no idea what the sensitivity of a subwoofer generally is and they don't list it in the specs. The sub in Item ID 8247 cranks out 60W (RMS?) although I'm disappointed that it doesn't respond to frequencies under 50hz like the one in this thread...

FYI, though, the incentive code works on ID 8247, bringing it to around $92 shipped for me! Hmmm....

I'm new to the Audio world. Why is this thing so similar to Energy Takes? Any history behind it? Is the similarity only cosmetic or does it sound similar as well?

I was more inclined to the Energy RC Micro 5.0 ($130) + some decent Sub like pioneer SW 8MK2 ($90).

Any suggestions from experts, which one to choose?

Speakers are often just rebranded and sold, this isn't an uncommon thing.

If the sub is identical to the sub from the Take Classic system, then it is pretty much the same as the SW-8, which makes it also similar to the SW-8MK2. The SW-8 has a very similar enclosure and the same amplifier as the Take Classic sub, only the driver looks different.

Whenever I give reps to people who helped me out. and check my profile it says "You gave 0 reputation points to XXXUSER in a thread:"

Speakers are often just rebranded and sold, this isn't an uncommon thing.

If the sub is identical to the sub from the Take Classic system, then it is pretty much the same as the SW-8, which makes it also similar to the SW-8MK2. The SW-8 has a very similar enclosure and the same amplifier as the Take Classic sub, only the driver looks different.

The Denons have some really nice features for the price, but the AVR series apparently has severe QC issues. I bought a factory refurb, and it turned out that (as shipped from the factory) the entire digital output stage didn't work; the decoder was fine, but no audio was getting to the amplifier. When I took it to the warranty service center, the technician told me that he was seeing major failure rates of 10-20% on those receivers, and when I got it back, it still wouldn't work. I replaced it with a Pioneer and have been quite happy since.

That depends very much on how big a setup you have and your home circumstances (e.g., you probably wouldn't want to use a giant subwoofer in an apartment). Home theater subwoofers go all the way up to 1500W, but 200W should be good for most reasonably-sized setups that aren't trying to shake large media rooms.

any proof it is the same as the energys? never heard of this brand.

No proof, but many of the reviewers mention same dimensions and same specs. Also, the pictures look identical. Of course, there is no way to know if it's exactly the same or just a Chinese knock-off.