RBH Sound Owner's Thread

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Giggity!

If RBH shifts from SEAS Be tweeters to RAAL ribbons, it would be the coup of the century and you'd have to buy new speakers .

I used to own the Phil3, so RAAL or ribbons are no big deal to me.

No single tweeter is any big deal to me.

 

[TheWarrior]

I used to own the Phil3, so RAAL or ribbons are no big deal to me.

No single tweeter is any big deal to me.

This is the big question KEW and I keep asking ourselves. We want to get our hands on a ScanSpeak Be, and even the SEAS 29mm dome, and then directly compare to any similarly priced ribbon. I have yet to hear a ribbon(I need to get over to his house to hear his Phils), but what I love most about the Focal and even the Paradigm (I think is a budget ScanSpeak Be tweeter) is Berylliums ability to put any number of instruments on a perfectly equal and balanced sound stage. By design, I wonder how ribbons would be capable of that... I think of the analogy of folding a blade of grass over between your thumbs and blowing...

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

This is the big question KEW and I keep asking ourselves. We want to get our hands on a ScanSpeak Be, and even the SEAS 29mm dome, and then directly compare to any similarly priced ribbon. I have yet to hear a ribbon(I need to get over to his house to hear his Phils), but what I love most about the Focal and even the Paradigm (I think is a budget ScanSpeak Be tweeter) is Berylliums ability to put any number of instruments on a perfectly equal and balanced sound stage. By design, I wonder how ribbons would be capable of that... I think of the analogy of folding a blade of grass over between your thumbs and blowing...

To me it doesn't matter if they are domes or ribbons, Be or Diamond, etc. Great speakers just sound great. Period. Especially after you have lived with all of them for years.

 

[TheWarrior]

To me it doesn't matter if they are domes or ribbons, Be or Diamond, etc. Great speakers just sound great. Period. Especially after you have lived with all of them for years.

My highly sensitive ears love the ScanSpeak silk. It's great for everything but brass and stratospheric highs. But completely non fatiguing. I see the 'need' for multiple speakers, and thankfully, my wife does too!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

My highly sensitive ears love the ScanSpeak silk. It's great for everything but brass and stratospheric highs. But completely non fatiguing. I see the 'need' for multiple speakers, and thankfully, my wife does too!

Wait. Your wife wants you to have multiple speakers ? That's a little unusual.

When I concurrently owned 11 pairs of speakers, my wife thought I was crazy.

Of course, having multiple rooms calls for multiple speakers.

 

[TheWarrior]

Hence why I'll be building a separate unit in the back yard...

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Hence why I'll be building a separate unit in the back yard...

Oh that's right. Good stuff.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Tested out the RBH MC-6AW (6" woofer) Outdoor, RBH A815 (8" woofer) in-ceiling, and RBH VA-815 (8" woofer) in-ceiling speakers. Used Denon X3100 and tested 2nd Zone + Main Zone with Bluetooth audio.

The speakers all sound very clear like high quality bookshelf speakers.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Just got the new RBH Sept 2015 price list. The new SV-Series speakers aren't listed yet; only the current models are listed. Good for RBH fans that the prices didn't seem to increase.

MSRP:
SX-6300/R $3279.95/pair
SX-6300 $2749.95/pair
SX-61/R $1899.95/pair
SX-61 $1199.95/pair
SX-661C/R $1349.95 each
SX-661C $899.95 each
SX-8300/R $5899.95/pair
SX-8300 $4999.95/pair
SX-T1/R $7499.95 each
SX-T1 $5199.95 each
SX-T2N/R $11999.95/pair
SX-T2N $7999.95/pair
SX-1010N/R $1999.95 each
SX-1010N $1199.95 each
SX-1012N/R $2429.95 each
SX-1212N $1449.95 each

Looks like some components got the price increase (seems like in-wall, in-ceiling, amps).

Examples:
SI-760 increased from $770 to $902
VA-815 increased from $480 to $505
MC-6AW increased from $478 to $625
SA-250DSP increased from $759 to $828
SA-500DSP increased from $969 to $1,058

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I just got word that the RBH SV-831/SV-1212 & SV-831/SV-1212NR should be available in a couple of months.

SV-831 $2520 each MSRP
SV-1212N $1610 each MSRP
SV-1212NR $2590 each MSRP

SV-831/1212N = $8,260 per pair MSRP
SV-831/1212NR = $10,220 per pair MSRP

Also, the SV-6500 & SV-6500R will be the only other towers available. There will NOT be a "SV-8500" to replace the SX-8300.

SV-6500 $3500 per pair MSRP
SV-6500R $4400 per pair MSRP

 

[TheWarrior]

There will NOT be a "SV-8500" to replace the SX-8300.

Too competitive with the 8T's?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Too competitive with the 8T's?

I don't think so.

Maybe the SX-6300 was a better seller than the SX-8300; so perhaps the market for a "SV-8500" isn't strong enough right now to justify it.

I'm still hoping somebody LOCALLY would buy my Linkwitz Orion 3.2.1 for only $4K so I can buy more RBH towers.

 

[KEW]

I don't think so.

Maybe the SX-6300 was a better seller than the SX-8300; so perhaps the market for a "SV-8500" isn't strong enough right now to justify it.

I'm still hoping somebody LOCALLY would buy my Linkwitz Orion 3.2.1 for only $4K so I can buy more RBH towers.

If you are going to have the same equipment in both rooms (RBH-Denon_ATI), what is the point of having two rooms? Just nail the door shut to the second room and call it good!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

If you are going to have the same equipment in both rooms (RBH-Denon_ATI), what is the point of having two rooms? Just nail the door shut to the second room and call it good!

One room is a 22'W x 26'L x 14'H Theater Room and one room is a 22'W x 23'L x 13'H Living Room.

The HT room is for my wife, daughters, and me. The Living room is for everyone else and for parties.

The electronics and speakers may be the same brand, but the electronics and speakers won't be the same model. But only if I can sell the Orion. The way it's looking, the Linwitz Orion will be in the Living Room.

 

[KEW]

Well, I still say it is a lost opportunity. It is refreshing to switch between systems and have a different (but still great) sound character! Each system is usually slightly better with a particular type of music, but both are great. Maybe set up a JTR system for the Home Theater for a substantially different sound! Contrast is a beautiful thing!

Think of it as cars... switching between a Mustang Cobra and a Mazda Miata (a muscle car and a sports car) makes for a fun new experience driving the same roads and makes more sense than owning a Mustang Cobra and a Mustang GT, IMHO.

OTOH, I guess you get a good price break on the RBH's as a dealer...maybe even a tax deduction if it is considered demonstration gear for your dealership, and I certainly won't fault you for taking advantage of that!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Well, I still say it is a lost opportunity. It is refreshing to switch between systems and have a different (but still great) sound character! Each system is usually slightly better with a particular type of music, but both are great. Maybe set up a JTR system for the Home Theater for a substantially different sound! Contrast is a beautiful thing!

Think of it as cars... switching between a Mustang Cobra and a Mazda Miata (a muscle car and a sports car) makes for a fun new experience driving the same roads and makes more sense than owning a Mustang Cobra and a Mustang GT, IMHO.

OTOH, I guess you get a good price break on the RBH's as a dealer...maybe even a tax deduction if it is considered demonstration gear for your dealership, and I certainly won't fault you for taking advantage of that!

I used to own over 12 pairs of speakers like Revel Salon2, B&W 802 Diamond, KEF Reference 201/2, Philharmonic 3, Linkwitz Orion 3.2.1, Focal, Dynaudio, ATC, TAD, Definitive Technology, NHT, JBL Pro, etc.

Been there, done it with "refreshing to switch between different speaker systems".

I bought the five RBH SX-T2/R before I was a dealer. So even if I were not a dealer now, if I could sell the Orion, I would still get the SX-8300/R (this was my original plan before I became a dealer).

Besides the sound quality, the SX-8300/R's function fits my need. It is a lot more dynamic than the Orion and most speakers. Actively bi-amping the bass produces a lot more bass than the Orion and most speakers. It's functionality fits my need. I will not be using any subwoofers in the Living room or Theater room.

I can definitely understand having different cars. I drive a Jeep Commander to work. It's my workhorse. But my leisure car is my Lexus LX 570. Maybe one day I'll drive a used Range Rover to work and keep my LX 570 as my leisure car.

Notice how I only like SUVs. I have no desires for speedy cars or sedans. In this sense, I think cars are like speakers. It is all about personal preference. What fits your needs best. I need 4x4 Full-time 4-wheel-drive where I live. It is guaranteed to have at least 2 ice storms per year.

 

[KEW]

Yeah well, I guess "different strokes"!

Which Focals did you have? Did you get into their higher level with the Be tweeters? I don't remember those for some reason. From reading your other comments, I'm betting you generally would like warmer bass than the Focals have.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Yeah well, I guess "different strokes"!

Which Focals did you have? Did you get into their higher level with the Be tweeters? I don't remember those for some reason. From reading your other comments, I'm betting you generally would like warmer bass than the Focals have.

Not the Be Focal. Figured the Be in the Revel Salon2 was enough.

What's "warmer bass" ?

The bass I like is tight, punchy, snappy, impactful.

 

[KEW]

What's "warmer bass" ?

LOL! Let's not go there!

No worries on the Focal, it wasn't about the Be tweeter so much as the overall package. If it were Electra Be, Utopia or Diablo, I would dig up your comments on it. Since I have pro-audio variants, I am curious about their consumer-audio counterparts.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

LOL! Let's not go there!

No worries on the Focal, it wasn't about the Be tweeter so much as the overall package. If it were Electra Be, Utopia or Diablo, I would dig up your comments on it. Since I have pro-audio variants, I am curious about their consumer-audio counterparts.

Funny story. I had another forum member over. He owned Magnepan & Revel speakers. I gave him a blinded test between the Focal & Dynaudio towers (side by side) via a Adcom speaker switcher and level matched on the Denon. He could not even tell the difference one bit between the Focal and Dynaudio. He was like, "Are you playing me? Are you sure you even switched the speakers?"