I want CES 2011 NOW!!!! New Product Rumours

[audio amateur]

So an amp that won't slightly roll off the extremes / emphasize the mid-range is likely to be a poor match to the MA's...

I get confused when people talk about 'rolled off highs' etc. as it's my understanding that modern hi-fi amps all have a frequency response of at least 20-20000 Hz plus or minus 0.5Hz or less.

[JohnMichael]

Adam & JM,

If I'm not mistaken you both purchased the RS6's based on the excellent reviews not because you had done extensive listening sessions with them in a store...

While I also purchase products without a first audition, I think we need to remember that doing so means there is an even stronger chance that you won't really like the product when you take it home....

Also, consider whether you were using gear that complemented the speakers or did you just combine them with gear you already owned at the time? Combining speakers you haven't auditioned with whatever gear you have on hand could easily account for your bad experiences...

Despite all of those issues, you might really just not like metal drivers or Monitor Audio speakers... They are not for everyone (no matter what a review might claim)... Then again no speaker is for everyone...

Ajani

I was missing the bass so I pulled the RS6's out of the closet. The pair I have were the stores demo pair and since The RX6's had been announced I bought thme at a good price. When I have not used speakers in awhile I like to tighten the drivers mounting screws since they tend to loosen with vibrations. This time I also checked the base of the speakers and to my surprise the bases were not that secure with the speakers. I thightened up the screws on everything and between the bases being more solidly affixed the sound has improved.

I am enjoying more bass and better imaging this time around. I will keep you posted if they can become a long term favorite. I cannot stress enough the importance of snugging up the screws for dynamic drivers in boxes. Oh and do not assume your dealer put the bases on the speakers as well as he could have.

[Ajani]

Ajani

I was missing the bass so I pulled the RS6's out of the closet. The pair I have were the stores demo pair and since The RX6's had been announced I bought thme at a good price. When I have not used speakers in awhile I like to tighten the drivers mounting screws since they tend to loosen with vibrations. This time I also checked the base of the speakers and to my surprise the bases were not that secure with the speakers. I thightened up the screws on everything and between the bases being more solidly affixed the sound has improved.

I am enjoying more bass and better imaging this time around. I will keep you posted if they can become a long term favorite. I cannot stress enough the importance of snugging up the screws for dynamic drivers in boxes. Oh and do not assume your dealer put the bases on the speakers as well as he could have.

There is a real advantage to having a spare set of speakers in the closet to pull out and try...

BTW, your setup looks fantastic... I'm seriously jealous, I'd love to compare that Krell to my Emo and see how much I might be missing...

And yeah it can be such a pain judging the sound of speakers, as so many annoying little variables can affect the sound... Maybe, your next set of speakers should be floorstanders with a silk dome tweeter so you get smoother highs but also great bass extension...

[Ajani]

John, I notice the RS6 are back in your Avatar... You must be really liking them again... Have you auditioned the RX6?

[JohnMichael]

John, I notice the RS6 are back in your Avatar... You must be really liking them again... Have you auditioned the RX6?

The local shop has them but since their acquisition I have not had time to give them a listen. This evening I have worked with their positions in the room and have found a nice balance to the sound. Only time will tell.

[JohnMichael]

John, I notice the RS6 are back in your Avatar... You must be really liking them again... Have you auditioned the RX6?

It is too early to say for sure but I think the DNM Reson IC's are part of the reason I am enjoying the RS6 speakers. The tweeter sounds better behaved and there is an edge missing from the music that sent the RS6's into the closet.

[Ajani]

A pic of the full GX line:

[E-Stat]

...as it's my understanding that modern hi-fi amps all have a frequency response of at least 20-20000 Hz plus or minus 0.5Hz or less.

while driving a resistor on the test bench. The real world of amps driving speakers with wide impedance swings and reactive components, however, can change the mix.

rw

[Tarheel_]

As a Revel Performa owner, i'm also excited about their new lineup. My local dealer is very cool to allow demos without being in the market.

I for one was seriously let down by the F32 and F50a..only the F52 was on another plane so I expect this new lineup to mimic the 52 and improve on its' sound quality.

Ahh, to win the lottery

[Ajani]

As a Revel Performa owner, i'm also excited about their new lineup. My local dealer is very cool to allow demos without being in the market.

I for one was seriously let down by the F32 and F50a..only the F52 was on another plane so I expect this new lineup to mimic the 52 and improve on its' sound quality.

Ahh, to win the lottery

What did you dislike about the F32? I'm curious since I know I should be able to get a good deal on one when the new series drops, so it would be an option...

[Tarheel_]

What did you dislike about the F32? I'm curious since I know I should be able to get a good deal on one when the new series drops, so it would be an option...

The F32...mostly the mid-range suffered, it just cannot reproduce the sweet airy range the F30 could....plus, the more obvious...bass output. The F32 cannot go nearly as deep or clean as the F30 before it. Bear in mind, with the new- more friendly (WAF) cabinets and the move to smaller woofers on the F32, comprises had to be made.

The F50a is a mess. I never liked either version and was quite surprised by the sound quality when considering their price. For a comparison, this dealer had a new pair of PSB Stratus Silver i's or Gold (cannot remember) which i thought sounded as good or even better overall.

Both were driven with Marantz/Lexicon.

Given a choice I would pass on both and save the funds for a used pair of F52s. A world apart and much, much superior to the F30.

[Ajani]

The F32...mostly the mid-range suffered, it just cannot reproduce the sweet airy range the F30 could....plus, the more obvious...bass output. The F32 cannot go nearly as deep or clean as the F30 before it. Bear in mind, with the new- more friendly (WAF) cabinets and the move to smaller woofers on the F32, comprises had to be made.

The F50a is a mess. I never liked either version and was quite surprised by the sound quality when considering their price. For a comparison, this dealer had a new pair of PSB Stratus Silver i's or Gold (cannot remember) which i thought sounded as good or even better overall.

Both were driven with Marantz/Lexicon.

Given a choice I would pass on both and save the funds for a used pair of F52s. A world apart and much, much superior to the F30.

The bass output I understand... The choice to go for WAF cabinets meant ditching the awesome 10" woofers of the F30... I am surprised to hear that you felt that the midrange suffered, as I've generally read that the midrange on the F32 is better than the F30, and so bass was traded partially for a more refined mid-range...

Anyway, I hope the new series replaces the F32 with a Performa Studio... in other words; dual 8 inch woofers (like the Ultima Studio and Concerta F12) instead of the dual 6.5" of the F32... That should make the Speakers just slightly less thin than the F32 but restore the potent bass of the F30....

[Tarheel_]

The bass output I understand... The choice to go for WAF cabinets meant ditching the awesome 10" woofers of the F30... I am surprised to hear that you felt that the midrange suffered, as I've generally read that the midrange on the F32 is better than the F30, and so bass was traded partially for a more refined mid-range...

Anyway, I hope the new series replaces the F32 with a Performa Studio... in other words; dual 8 inch woofers (like the Ultima Studio and Concerta F12) instead of the dual 6.5" of the F32... That should make the Speakers just slightly less thin than the F32 but restore the potent bass of the F30....

read what you want to read, but i heard quite a difference....the F32 cannot compete with the F30 on most levels....being new doesn't mean better. Somehow the F52 was a break through for the Performa line and dare i say better than the 1st gen studio/salon speakers.
Outside the new upper line, the F52 is the one.

[Ajani]

read what you want to read, but i heard quite a difference....the F32 cannot compete with the F30 on most levels....being new doesn't mean better. Somehow the F52 was a break through for the Performa line and dare i say better than the 1st gen studio/salon speakers.
Outside the new upper line, the F52 is the one.

I really do find it surprising that you found no advantages to the F32... I get that newer doesn't mean better, but considering the approach at Revel for releasing new speakers (it has to definitetively beat the old model in their DBTs) I would have expected the F32 to be an improvement in many areas (other than bass)...

But all that really matters is what you've heard... I've never made the comparison between the F30 and F32, so I can't argue whether one is better than the other... I do know that even if I was to audition the 2 and find the F32 better in the midrange/treble, I'd still be dissapointed by the decision to reduce the bass output... A major part of what made the F30 so special was the full range ability of the speaker... WAF shouldn't be an excuse to lose that special appeal...

[JohnMichael]

John, I notice the RS6 are back in your Avatar... You must be really liking them again... Have you auditioned the RX6?

The RS6's are back in the closet. I think now I can say I have tried just about any placement and toe-in or lack of toe-in. I think it is time they are sold. I think I have finally figured out what I do not like about the sound. The instruments do not sound full bodied but thinner than how they sound on other speakers or in a concert. Bright and thin is what has always began to get on my nerves. It takes a while but I do get tired of them. Of course I do miss the bass reach they have over the OML 1's but there is more to music than bass.

[Ajani]

The RS6's are back in the closet. I think now I can say I have tried just about any placement and toe-in or lack of toe-in. I think it is time they are sold. I think I have finally figured out what I do not like about the sound. The instruments do not sound full bodied but thinner than how they sound on other speakers or in a concert. Bright and thin is what has always began to get on my nerves. It takes a while but I do get tired of them. Of course I do miss the bass reach they have over the OML 1's but there is more to music than bass.

I think you may want to sell both the RS6 and the OML's and get some different floorstanders... As it seems the RS6 sound just isn't to your liking and the lack of bass in a bookshelf isn't quite enough for you either....