Monitor Audio RS6

[atomicAdam]

What do you think about this speakers. I've read descriptions or concerns that they could be a little bright, airy, but are other wise great.

Robert J. Reina of Stereophile calls these speakers "flawless", which is kind of hard to believe for a sub $1k speaker, but over all these seem to get a lot of positive feedback so long as you don't match them with bright gear.

Comments?

[Ajani]

The RS6 are my favourite speakers in the sub $2K price range. That said, speakers are probably the most personal choice in all of audio... so while the RS6 has received rave reviews and has legions of loyal fans, it also has many naysayers.... Your best bet is to audition a pair, preferably with complementary gear such as Musical Fidelity, NAD, Arcam, Creek (basically anything that is not bright).....

[JoeE SP9]

If you haven't heard them yourself take any review with a grain of salt. You may agree with the reviewer (very small chance) and you may not. Trust your own ears. Others can direct you to a given speaker and you can listen to them. Ultimately it's your ears, taste and wallet that determine everything.

[atomicAdam]

jah...they be very nice.

[Ajani]

jah...they be very nice.

Is that your setup?

[atomicAdam]

Is that your setup?

It is my start. Over the next few years I've got a couple other things i'd like to get. But no money at this time. The polk bookshelf speakers are now going to the wife's room.

[basite]

place them on the ground if you can :)

can't honestly say anything 'bad' about the RS6's, some do say they sound a little 'commercial', but I don't think any other speaker in that price range will not sound commercial...

for their money, they are excellent speakers, with an excellent finish, and great sound.
I heard the gold signature series too, amazing what you get for the money...


Keep them spinning,
Bert.

[atomicAdam]

place them on the ground if you can :)


yes you are right. this was the quick set up from last night. i've got to move some stuff around the apt before i have floor space. project for this weekend.

-adam

[Ajani]

It is my start. Over the next few years I've got a couple other things i'd like to get. But no money at this time. The polk bookshelf speakers are now going to the wife's room.

That's a very nice start! The RS6 are easily my favourite speakers in their price range.... You should be able to build a very satisfying setup around them....

[atomicAdam]

That's a very nice start! The RS6 are easily my favourite speakers in their price range.... You should be able to build a very satisfying setup around them....


Thanks. I've got a Golden Audio Tube SE-40 on the way.

It was cheap and I am curious of the sound from what I've read.

But over the next year I am going to plan to demo for a colorless amp, leaning toward Van Alstine to match the pre-amp, and a new CD player. After an amp upgrade I'll look into better speakers sometime next year.

[mlsstl]

Basite wrote: ...RS6's, some do say they sound a little 'commercial'...
Could you translate that? I form no mental image whatsoever as to how "commercial" might sound.

[atomicAdam]

Could you translate that? I form no mental image whatsoever as to how "commercial" might sound.

Maybe he means there are no major characteristics that make them stand out. Nothing characteristically noticable that they are the monitor audio rs6 speakers. Other than a lot of reviewers saying they are the best speaker you can get in their price group or even a tad hirer. They appeal to a lot of people without have any distinquiting characteristics other than just being damn good for their price but not so damn 'perfect' as to make 15000 speakers only 'bling bling'.

Yeah I just said bling bling and I'm not michael steal so deal! ;-p

[blackraven]

Nice speakers AA! I have a pair of the S1's. They took a long time to break in before I liked the sound. I think the RS line has upgraded tweeters compared to the older S series.

[mlsstl]

Maybe he means there are no major characteristics that make them stand out. Nothing characteristically noticable...
I think I might use the word "neutral" for that description.

It is interesting how different people respond to the same word. "Commercial" (for me) has a slight negative overtone that suggests it is just a commodity, like a bushel of corn.

I happen to be quite fond of "neutrality" in audio equipment. It is unfortunately a bit more of a rarity than perhaps it should be. ;-)

[basite]

I think I might use the word "neutral" for that description.

It is interesting how different people respond to the same word. "Commercial" (for me) has a slight negative overtone that suggests it is just a commodity, like a bushel of corn.

I happen to be quite fond of "neutrality" in audio equipment. It is unfortunately a bit more of a rarity than perhaps it should be. ;-)


commercial sound is not the same as neutrality, proof to this, is that the most commercial brands (like Bose, or the like), sound far from neutral.

But compare it with movies. An extreme example would be to compare a hollywood film to a movie made by the Dogma laws. The hollywood film is bombastic, everything is a little, well, made. Exaggerated. while the dogma film is kept really simple, no totally overwhelming special effects, most of the time, handheld cameras (good ones though...), etc. Everything is real. This wouldn't appeal to most people (as I said, it was an extreme comparison.), but, the Dogma movies do have one great advantage, since everything is kept simple, the focus only lies on the actual story, emotions will be more 'true', it involves you in the actual story.

this is somewhat the same with speakers. You have speakers that can sound AMAZINGLY good. Very detailed, big sounds, great, tight, bass, silky smooth mids, crisp highs,... but they don't 'touch' you. They don't involve you, there's less magic to it... I think this is what 'commercial' means to me...
note that these aren't bad speakers, not at all, most listeners will be pleased with what they hear, but it's different...

I always said that a really good speaker can make it sound as if the artists are there with you, in your living/listening/bedroom, whatever. But only few can make it sound as if you are 'on-set' with the artists. When I play a Miles Davis album, I don't want to close my eyes and see him in my listening room. I want to close my eyes, and be with him, see him standing there, doing his thing on the stage...



Keep them spinning,
Bert.

[blackraven]

I'm not sure what commercial sound means either. Every speaker has its own unique sound.
If by commercial you mean unrefined sound, less detail etc., then that can be said about most lower quality speakers. Monitor Audio speakers tend to have a more forward sound with a prominent midrange. Treble is less refined but I think that they have improved that on the new RS line compared to the older S line. I would not classify the RS6's as low quality speakers.

[basite]

I would not classify the RS6's as low quality speakers.


absolutely not, and that's also not what I ment...

[mlsstl]

absolutely not, and that's also not what I ment...
This is a good illustration of what happens when we use a word for its implied meaning instead of the dictionary definition.

Webster's New World Dictionary says commercial means "of commerce or business... made or done for profit...a paid advertisement." The first two thirds of that applies to any speaker that made and sold, other than DIY for your own use. (I'm not aware of any speaker companies that were intentionally started as charitable non-profits.... ;-) )

When one starts with imputed meanings, there is no standard response. Different people have different reactions. In my case, the word seemed to imply negative overtones but it gave me no basis as to why that is the case. Your expanded description and movie examples clarified what you originally meant but I still don't correlate that with the word commercial.

Sometimes English makes it very hard to say what you mean!

[audio amateur]

This is a good illustration of what happens when we use a word for its implied meaning instead of the dictionary definition.

Webster's New World Dictionary says commercial means "of commerce or business... made or done for profit...a paid advertisement." The first two thirds of that applies to any speaker that made and sold, other than DIY for your own use. (I'm not aware of any speaker companies that were intentionally started as charitable non-profits.... ;-) )

When one starts with imputed meanings, there is no standard response. Different people have different reactions. In my case, the word seemed to imply negative overtones but it gave me no basis as to why that is the case. Your expanded description and movie examples clarified what you originally meant but I still don't correlate that with the word commercial.

Sometimes English makes it very hard to say what you mean!
In this hobby a lot of words are used that are not very fitting, and sometimes very off-track. You get used to it after a while but it's not really proper use of the language.

[Ajani]

I understand Basite's explanation....

I think the word "Commercial" has a negative connotation in Hi-Fi because it sounds a lot like "Mass Market"... and Mass Market is generally a term audio-snobs use to insult "lower fidelity" equipment....

[mlsstl]

In this hobby a lot of words are used that are not very fitting, and sometimes very off-track.
I'd just comment that I've been active in this hobby for close to 40 years. While its been many years since I managed an audio store (and was also active on the professional sound side of things) I've followed things as an avid hobbyist since. I don't think I've ever heard the word "commercial" used in this context before. Guess there is a first time for everything.

[atomicAdam]

I'd just comment that I've been active in this hobby for close to 40 years. While its been many years since I managed an audio store (and was also active on the professional sound side of things) I've followed things as an avid hobbyist since. I don't think I've ever heard the word "commercial" used in this context before. Guess there is a first time for everything.

Does that mean we can teach an old dog new tricks? :devil:

[blackraven]

Adam, those speakers should mate well with one of Van Alstine's amps. His Solid State amps are very tube like in sound and his FET Valve amps are even better. If you go with a tube preamp, I would consider going with one of his SS amps.

[audio amateur]

Adam, those speakers should mate well with one of Van Alstine's amps. His Solid State amps are very tube like in sound and his FET Valve amps are even better. If you go with a tube preamp, I would consider going with one of his SS amps.
I swear Frank pays you to do this:ciappa:

[atomicAdam]

I swear Frank pays you to do this:ciappa:

I think he is just a fan boy. :thumbsup:

I plan to head up to Oregon in Oct to hear some more of his gear. I've been reading this old underground mag which has given me some good laughs and probably a good idea of his personality/sound ideology.

[atomicAdam]

..... came in the mail today - a day early! Thanks FedEX.

Now my set consist of

PS1 cd-player
Van Alstine Omega III pre-amp
Golden Tube SE-40 amp
Monitor Audio RS6 speakers

playing My Bloody Valentine - Loveless as my first pick on the new amp and I do like the warm sound though I feel the base has been accentuated a bit.

[JoeE SP9]

Nice amp!!!!

[blackraven]

Very nice system AA! I like the amp and I'm sure that VA preamp is a good match with that tube amp. His preamps are made to go with tube amps. How's the treble sound on those RS6's?

[audio amateur]

playing My Bloody Valentine - Loveless as my first pick on the new amp and I do like the warm sound though I feel the base has been accentuated a bit.
That would be bass...
Pardon the correction but it's been a recurring error.

[atomicAdam]

That would be bass...
Pardon the correction but it's been a recurring error.

lol - it sure has - i'm still stuck on 'all your base are belong to us'

[atomicAdam]

Very nice system AA! I like the amp and I'm sure that VA preamp is a good match with that tube amp. His preamps are made to go with tube amps. How's the treble sound on those RS6's?

Thanks -

The treble seems good for me. The new amp has helped push the treble out a bit more than the Onkyo M-282. Listened to Kind of Blue last night and the horns really popped this time. Just to the point of over doing it at the extreme peaks. Which is fine with me cause that is something i've heard horns do in real life, imho.

So far I'm very happy with the set up. Hopefully it will sound good in a larger room when I get the chance to move the system to one. I am sure it will. As for right now, the bass is a bit boom boom and not too detailed, which either has to do with the room or some amp, or the combo of both. With the Onkyo M-282 the base was here, and sometimes too much there on certain CDs, but now it is always just bordering too much there. So I've got both bass ports plugged and that seems to be working, as well, it seems to add more detail to the low end with the bass ports plugged.

[blackraven]

AA, I keep the port plugged on my MA S1's as well. It tightens up the bass quite a bit. It may not be deep but it definitely sounds better with the plugs in.