RBH Speakers hit the door step today..

[Irvrobinson]

Probably. Some rooms would just need a little EQ, but some rooms may need a lot more help.

But I could easily use DEQ on the SX-T2 or SX-8300 (via active bi-amp). However, I cannot even use DEQ on the Salon2. And that right there is enough reason for me to favor the RBH over all other traditional towers.

I hear you, and understand. I also can't recommend strongly enough getting an OmniMic or equivalent system and measuring in-room response. I was always unhappy with the lower-midbass and bass response in my room, regardless of the speaker, but I never quite understood the remedy until I measured. You're a scientist by training, so it is a bit of mystery to me why you've avoided a measurement system.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I hear you, and understand. I also can't recommend strongly enough getting an OmniMic or equivalent system and measuring in-room response. I was always unhappy with the lower-midbass and bass response in my room, regardless of the speaker, but I never quite understood the remedy until I measured. You're a scientist by training, so it is a bit of mystery to me why you've avoided a measurement system.

I also believe in doing just enough to get the sound I want.

The whole point of audio science is to achieve great sound. I can understand the pursuit of great sound by employing a measurement system, etc. But if I already achieved great sound and I am 100% happy, why do anything else?

IOW, if Dynamic EQ improves my sound 100% and I am utterly happy, why bother doing something else that requires more money and time? I could spend that money elsewhere and spend that time watching movies and TV shows I like.

 

[gene]

I hear you, and understand. I also can't recommend strongly enough getting an OmniMic or equivalent system and measuring in-room response. I was always unhappy with the lower-midbass and bass response in my room, regardless of the speaker, but I never quite understood the remedy until I measured. You're a scientist by training, so it is a bit of mystery to me why you've avoided a measurement system.

The Omnimic is a kinda a toy. I'd instead recommend the recent XTZ System we reviewed.

 

[Irvrobinson]

The Omnimic is a kinda a toy.

How so? Interesting that you list it in the tools you use for speaker measurement. Actually, for my purposes, which are clearly less rigorous than using it for an Audioholics review, I think the OmniMic is a pretty useful tool.

 

[gene]

How so? Interesting that you list it in the tools you use for speaker measurement. Actually, for my purposes, which are clearly less rigorous than using it for an Audioholics review, I think the OmniMic is a pretty useful tool.

I do have the Omnimic and have worked with them to improve it over the last couple of years. It's just not very consistent at lower frequencies and its limited in what it can do with math functions and splicing and combining measurements. The portability is nice and its certainly useful for calibrating a system's bass response and if it works for you great!

 

[fuzz092888]

I do have the Omnimic and have worked with them to improve it over the last couple of years. It's just not very consistent at lower frequencies and its limited in what it can do with math functions and splicing and combining measurements. The portability is nice and its certainly useful for calibrating a system's bass response and if it works for you great!

Gene I'd be curious to know your thoughts on our REW and if you think the software is comparable to what XTZ offers.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I do have the Omnimic and have worked with them to improve it over the last couple of years. It's just not very consistent at lower frequencies and its limited in what it can do with math functions and splicing and combining measurements. The portability is nice and its certainly useful for calibrating a system's bass response and if it works for you great!

I'll buy that. The OmniMic is useful for doing the things I do with it. I admit that the RTA function is actually a toy for me; it is interesting to see the frequency distributions in various recordings. The distortion measurement function is a bit tedious, and I wonder how accurate it is. I'll say one for thing for it, the before and after listening tests on test tones (which is easy to do, since the only things I'm altering are the subwoofer placement and EQ, I just mute the sub) are quite amazing. I'm not necessarily advocating the OmniMic as the best answer, it is just convenient and easy to use for me and Parts Express customer service is awesome, but I am advocating using a measurement system of some kind to tune one's system. For many years I thought I was happy with the sound of my system, just using massive tower speakers placed where I thought they sounded best. Measurements, a sub, and bass EQ showed me that what I was really happy with could be dramatically improved. I would never go back to my old strategy at this point.

 

[jinjuku]

The Omnimic is a kinda a toy. I'd instead recommend the recent XTZ System we reviewed.

Jeff Bagby certainly knows how to dice and slice with it

I picked mine up for $199 and certainly have gotten all my $$ back out of it. REW is nice but I disliked the complexity of the setup so I couldn't resist the Dayton alternate.

 

[ski2xblack]

I also believe in doing just enough to get the sound I want.

The whole point of audio science is to achieve great sound. I can understand the pursuit of great sound by employing a measurement system, etc. But if I already achieved great sound and I am 100% happy, why do anything else?

A case of not knowing what you're missing...see Irv's post:

...For many years I thought I was happy with the sound of my system, just using massive tower speakers placed where I thought they sounded best. Measurements, a sub, and bass EQ showed me that what I was really happy with could be dramatically improved. I would never go back to my old strategy at this point.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

A case of not knowing what you're missing...see Irv's post:

Possible. It's okay to me, though. If the sound is crystal clear, dynamic, lifelike and the bass is awesome, I am peachy without a quantum of regret.

No matter how good the on-axis looks after tweaking, it will not sound better than real life sound. So if the sound of the speakers sound like real life sound, it's good enough for me.

 

[whitey019]

I like the look of the black drivers much better. How do they sound? What did you have previously for comparison?

 

[ematthews]

I like the look of the black drivers much better. How do they sound? What did you have previously for comparison?

Loving the speakers so far. They are replacing a set of Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2's. Well the Sierra's aren't going anywhere...Just taking a break for a while. It's hard to compare the two. Look back in the thread a bit. Like comparing two different types of cars. Sound..... Huge. Detailed. Clear. Strong.

 

[Ricardojoa]

You refered details , do you mean on the treble or mid range or borth?
I wonder if it could be the material of the drivers and the dome tweeter. We are comparing ribbon to dome , and some type of polypropelene to aluminum.

 

[walter duque]

This thread is getting me going. I have to find a dealer to demo these RBH speakers. My cousin is a RBH dealer but can't get some of them, he mostly sells inwalls to installers. I just turned my system on for the 1st time in about a month and it sounds great to me. I wonder if the RBH would come close or (who knows) even sound better than what I have now. I am running a complete set of these http://www.cinepro.com/reviews/HTM-EVO2-May05Review.pdf with 15" not 12" isobaric subs (all speakers are powered by Cinepro except the subs are powered by AB International 800.2. This is an old review and the design is a little nicer on the new Evo's which I own now. Should I go out and demo the RBH or what??

 

[ematthews]

You refered details , do you mean on the treble or mid range or borth?
I wonder if it could be the material of the drivers and the dome tweeter. We are comparing ribbon to dome , and some type of polypropelene to aluminum.

Both.. I really can't compare either speaker. Just totally different. And yes the material for all items are different. both are super. Just different.

 

[ematthews]

This thread is getting me going. I have to find a dealer to demo these RBH speakers. My cousin is a RBH dealer but can't get some of them, he mostly sells inwalls to installers. I just turned my system on for the 1st time in about a month and it sounds great to me. I wonder if the RBH would come close or (who knows) even sound better than what I have now. I am running a complete set of these http://www.cinepro.com/reviews/HTM-EVO2-May05Review.pdf with 15" not 12" isobaric subs (all speakers are powered by Cinepro except the subs are powered by AB International 800.2. This is an old review and the design is a little nicer on the new Evo's which I own now. Should I go out and demo the RBH or what??

Yes you should.

 

[walter duque]

Yes you should.

ADTG selling all his speakers and going for RBH might be worth looking into.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

ADTG selling all his speakers and going for RBH might be worth looking into.

Walter, you know it's just a preference thing. And you know my crazy system. Too insane. Too expensive. Too risible.

It was only natural for me to return to normal.

There are many speakers that will make people happy. I do not think the speakers need to be $22,000 or $15,000, dipole or bipolar or whatever design, beryllium or diamond or whatever, passive or active, etc.

Everyone has a different sense of what constitutes a reasonable or worthwhile system. It could be a PSB system, Paradigm system, DT or GE system, Klipsch system, Revel, KEF, RBH, or any other systems.

 

[gene]

This thread is getting me going. I have to find a dealer to demo these RBH speakers. My cousin is a RBH dealer but can't get some of them, he mostly sells inwalls to installers. I just turned my system on for the 1st time in about a month and it sounds great to me. I wonder if the RBH would come close or (who knows) even sound better than what I have now. I am running a complete set of these http://www.cinepro.com/reviews/HTM-EVO2-May05Review.pdf with 15" not 12" isobaric subs (all speakers are powered by Cinepro except the subs are powered by AB International 800.2. This is an old review and the design is a little nicer on the new Evo's which I own now. Should I go out and demo the RBH or what??

If your current system sounds great to you and you listen to it that infrequently, why change anything? Enjoy what you have and avoid the upgraditis...though I don't always practice what I preach

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Of course, if you can get the RBH SX-8300 for 80% off, that means it would only cost $1,000 per pair (MSRP $5,000). Then you could use them to trade for other speakers such as my red speakers that you like.