Impressions of Rega RS3

[chebby]

I had the pleasure of listening to the Rega RS3 compact floorstanders on Friday afternoon.

My local dealer had a loan pair from Rega and phoned me last week to see if I was interested.

They set-up a demo with an Arcam Solo-Mini (like my own) and I took along my laptop and Beresford TC-7520 DAC (with my Chord Crimson interconnects to keep things as consistent as possible.)

I asked to have the RS3's side facing speakers pointing inwards and to have the toeing-in corrected so they were facing straight ahead and they were about a metre from the rear wall. (My own R3's are about 05.m from a rear wall and face across the width of my living room.)

The pair they had on loan from Rega were a 'special' finish. Gloss piano black. This looked great but looked better on the RS1's I heard a fortnight earlier. (My wife and I prefer the Maple finish we have already.) There was a touch of the "2001 Black Monolith" about them!

I had put together a 'demo' playlist on iTunes consisting of a mixture of rock/pop/jazz/classical/acoustic/speech etc.

The sound of the Rega RS3's was immediately familiar to me. Very open, good space and detail and tremendously musical. I would say that (compared to my R3's) the RS3's sounded a little more 'gritty' and had slightly more bass (bordering on boom until the speakers were faced inwards and the toe-in removed when the 'focus' gelled.) In a larger dem room having the side speakers facing out may have worked better, but in the smaller dem room there was a little too much interaction with the side walls. Happily the RS3's allow for such flexibility of positioning and correction of such problems is the work of seconds.

I was able to give these speakers almost an hour going through everything from Frank Sinatra (live at The Sands) to The Shamen and Primal Scream and some BBC spoken word (from their Eyewitness series) and The Hilliard Ensemble doing Bach Motets. These RS3's are happy with everything it seems. (I should not be suprised.)

However, even making allowances for the dem-room and the brand new speakers (I would like to hear them after a few weeks of daily use), they are too close in sound to my own Rega R3's to tempt me into a £684 purchase right now.

I would say though to anyone who has never heard the RS3's (or the R3's) that they are incredibly good speakers.

I did hear a better 3D soundstage from their smaller Rega RS1 standmount speakers on a previous visit (and on my own speakers at home) but I think this tends to be the case when there is far less baffle/cabinet to get in the way and was not a fault of the RS3's but just a fact of life/physics and - to a certain extent - the dem room itself. Maybe in a different/better space and when run-in it would improve.

So far then; my own R3's (at home) 4.5/5, RS1's 5/5 (for their price and size). RS3's 4/5 (but probably 4.8/5 when run in and taken out of the dem-room setting.) And not enough improvement over my R3's to make me want to reach for the plastic as a reflex action!

 

[Anonymous]

nice review there. i do like it when folks do this other than just an 'it's great'.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for sharing the audition. With a sensitivity of 89dB I think you have some excellent contenders to be matched with the Musical Fidelity A1

 

[chebby]

igglebert:Thanks for sharing the audition. With a sensitivity of 89dB I think you have some excellent contenders to be matched with the Musical Fidelity A1

After that RS1 / Nait XS demo 2 weeks ago I think my plans may have to be revised.

 

[True Blue]

Very interesting Chebby, as you are probably aware I too auditioned that set of speakers. My experience was slightly different to yours by the sound of things (albeit only slightly)

Initially the speakers were toed in and side ports facing. Using Rega Apollo , Naim 5i and Chord Crimson interconnect. Whilst the sound was crystal clear and the seperation between the intruments was amazing there seemed to be something lacking.

As I was interested in upgrading interconnects at the same time I asked for a Chord Chameleon to be fitted, it was almost as if someone had released a level of detail in the lower frequencies that was not present before. The rega's sounded like a totally different speaker and handled everything I threw at them with ease.

I was slightly worried due to the lack of apparent width / soundstage and asked for the side ports to be swapped to be facing away from each other, and the toe in removed. To my ears this had a dramatic effect not tonally, but it was as if the actual distance between the speakers had just doubled and the music was all encompassing with plenty of depth and detail.

All in all a pretty amazing speaker. I was surprised how forgiving they were to the varying amplifiers I also auditioned (and music fed to them, plenty of piano, guitar, solid rock beats and some strings) nothing phased Rega's and I am thoroughly impressed.

Loved thepianoblack finish, however, cant justify the extra outlay for it.

Will be purchasing the Rs 3's , the Naim and the chameleon as soon as funds permit.

 

[manicm]

From Chebby and TrueBlue it seems the RS3 is a brilliant speaker but is not for small rooms and needs decent space. Trueblue your comments about the side drivers facing outward just seems common sense to me - and therein lies the rub - it would need to be well clear from side walls.

So realistically you need a room at least 4x5m for this little beast.

 

[respe]

You should hear then with an elicit as well--

 

[chebby]

I listen across the width of a 13 ft x 19 ft room (8.5 ft ceilings)

The speakers are about 18 inches from the wall and about 7 feet apart - with no toe-in - and listened to from about 9 ft distance. Both are quite a distance from 'side' walls so there is no necessity to have them facing in or out.

I simply prefer them facing inwards having tried both.

I would say these are an ideal compact floorstander for a small - medium room and can be used against walls or away from them.

 

[Anonymous]

I tried the R5s in a smaller room than that and they were superb. Problem is, as with subs, such speakers have to be placed very carefully in said rooms else they will fail. Sometimes this isn't possible, as with many domestic circumstances. Hence I use mini-monitors in a room 7.7m x 3.4m!

(Chebby, you might see a link here with mini-monitors and the need for high power

)

 

[chebby]

igglebert:Hence I use mini-monitors in a room 7.7m x 3.4m!

Old railway carriage/houseboat/Elizabethan gallery?

Please don't tell me you listen from 7 metres away!

 

[Anonymous]

chebby:
igglebert:Hence I use mini-monitors in a room 7.7m x 3.4m!

Old railway carriage/houseboat/Elizabethan gallery?

Please don't tell me you listen from 7 metres away!

No

 

[Alp]

I know this post is fairly old but given the lack of reviews for the RS3 online and the amount of information I have read off this forum I thought I would add my modest contribution. First of all, I am not too much of an HiFi expert, and I come from MA BX2 linked to Cambridge Audio 351A, using a Creative X-Fi USB card as DAC. I was looking for a more open sound for my new living room (4.8x3.5 metres, 2.8 ceiling), and I mostly listen to classical, but I have old blues and rock FLACs as well. My original budget was around £1500 including a new DAC, and the plan was to upgrade only if my ears, that are not that trained, could tell the difference.

My requirements were to find detailed sound (I think the BX2s spoiled me there) but with a less overbearing and more open base; very keen to try floorstanders but keeping in mind the size of the room and the fact that I live in a converted flat. I auditioned the MA BX5, the Tannoy DC6, DC6T and DC6T SE (they were set up for another customer!)

 

[Alp]

I know this post is fairly old but given the lack of reviews for the RS3 online and the amount of information I have read off this forum and website I thought I would add my modest contribution. I auditioned the RS3 ten days ago, initially with Rega Brio-R amp and Apollo CD player. Before the RS3, I auditioned the Monitor Audio BX5, the Tannoy V4, DC6, DC6T and DC6T SE (these were set up for another customer!) To keep it consistent I tried to make sure I always listened to:

Shostakovich 3rd String Quartet, 1st movement

Beethoven 6th, 3rd Movement

Mozart's Requiem, Dies Irae

Elgar's Cello Concerto

Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of The Moon

I thought that the full Rega setup was amazing for chamber music: so open, so much detail and precision, much more three-dimensional soundstage that I am used to (from MA BX2 and Cambridge Audio 351A) or that I could feel in any of the other speakers I auditioned. So engaging and exciting, I just sat and listened: I think that the RS3's high-mid-low transition is very smooth, and with all the detail and precision that they were able to send around me, it was a joy. The midrange wasn't as clear as the treble, and the base was not the heaviest. But that's fine for me, especially because I live in a Victorian converted flat and my living room is 4.8x3.5 metres. I thought choral music also sounded very engaging, even though maybe not as stunning – perhaps I was getting used to it. Unfortunately though orchestral music sounded bright to my ears, and so did “Money”, and after careful consideration I sadly had to admit defeat. It was just bright enough to be annoying sometimes.

The store manager suggested I tried different speakers: Neat Motive 3 and B&W CM5, but even though the brightness was gone I missed the detail and soundstage much more. So we put the RS3 back, and changed the amp instead, for a Creek Evolution 50A. Brightness gone, much fuller low range and so so smooth! Rock sounded really good through this amp, but some of the fine detail was lost in the chamber music. And I thought the soundstage was much flatter, still engaging but not as much as with the Brio-R. This said, I would have picked the Creek over the Brio-R if I had to. Finally, we set up the Arcam FMJ A19...and that was it. Bliss! To my ears, the RS3 sounded perfect with this amp: the low range was fuller, the midrange a little more detailed and the brightness gone! The soundstage was even more spacious; perhaps a little excitement was gone with the Brio-R, the Arcam sounded less forward. But in Elgar's concerto the soloist sounded as if she was playing several metres in front of the orchestra. I also thought that the Pink Floyd's CD sounded smoother and less left-right.

All in all, three hours well spent. Once home, I read the Arcam review on What HiFi, and they suggest KEF speakers, so that could have been another audition...but I followed my heart and ordered the RS3 and the Arcam, and will upgrade the DAC later on when funds suffice.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

When i was on the market for my new AMP and speakers i demo the RS3 with Rega Brio R. I iniciate the demo of Rega Brio R and DAC with the RS3 speakers, and after 1 min or so i said to my Rega dealer, sorry but can do the demo with this set of spekers...! He asked me why. ( I've just left my home and my Rega dealer is a 10 min drive, and i was listening to music at home through my NAD 3020i and MA B4)
The sound some how is muffled, flat, poor in low frequences, boxed i could hear the resonance from the speakers box, that never happend with my MA B4 or other speaker set that i've demo befor. Somehow i find the RS3 fragile, don't like the paper woofers and i think that they are expensive for the quality that Rega offers. And my Rega dealer connected the RS5, much better that the RS3, but then again not my cup of tea, but some of the problems that i had with the RS3 were gone, like the resonance of the speaker box, and the low frequences responce. Last week i went to my Rega dealer and a costumer was doing a demo with the RS3, and again i felt exacly the same, and my reference is now Rega Brio R and Dynaudio Excite X12, stakes are much higher, my Dyns offer so much more detail, much more flavou. Don't take me rong, i'm a Rega fan, as you can see in my sig. I think Rega can do many thing right, they have timeless TT, amps, CD player...

 

[plastic penguin]

When i was on the market for my new AMP and speakers i demo the RS3 with Rega Brio R. I iniciate the demo of Rega Brio R and DAC with the RS3 speakers, and after 1 min or so i said to my Rega dealer, sorry but can do the demo with this set of spekers...! He asked me why. ( I've just left my home and my Rega dealer is a 10 min drive, and i was listening to music at home through my NAD 3020i and MA B4)
The sound some how is muffled, flat, poor in low frequences, boxed i could hear the resonance from the speakers box, that never happend with my MA B4 or other speaker set that i've demo befor. Somehow i find the RS3 fragile, don't like the paper woofers and i think that they are expensive for the quality that Rega offers. And my Rega dealer connected the RS5, much better that the RS3, but then again not my cup of tea, but some of the problems that i had with the RS3 were gone, like the resonance of the speaker box, and the low frequences responce. Last week i went to my Rega dealer and a costumer was doing a demo with the RS3, and again i felt exacly the same, and my reference is now Rega Brio R and Dynaudio Excite X12, stakes are much higher, my Dins offer so much more detail, much more flavou. Dn't take me rong, i'm a Rega fan, as you can see in my sig. I think Rega can do many thing right, they have timeless TT, amps, CD player...

Never realised the X-12 were so small. Same dimensions (approx) as PMC DB1is. Would be interesting to hear how the two compare.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

Indid PP, they are small, and i was frighten by that fact as my living room is 40-42m2 and my MA B4 were some big girls...

But nothing like a home demo, the Dyns fill my living room, some time i do wonder is the sub is on or off, and i've got up more then once to check it out.

I've never heard PMC speakers before, but did demo ATC SCM 11 and find them so close to the Dyns, the price tag between them was a factor! And my wife... :shifty:

 

[Alp]

I didn't consider Dynaudio...sounds like they're worth a try. I have just got news that Rega are unable to ship my pair of RS3 for at least another two weeks, so that should buy a bit more time. I liked them the most, compared to all the others I listened to, so it will be interesting indeed. I have to say though that even if midrange in orchestral music was not as crisp as it could have been, I would trade that for a less clinical sound overall. How would they compare to say PMC DB1? A friend has a pair of "Gold" and they are excellent but very dry (he's a musician and used to monitors).

Any other suggestion is more than welcome, I am a newbie...

 

[Alp]

Finally managed to demo the Excite X12, but in the end decided to go for the Rega. The main reasons are that in my opinion the Rega just sound more natural and the soundstage is much more precise.

The Dynaudio sound very open, there's a lot of detail and the base is definitely more powerful. Also, voices sound amazing at mid/high volumes (for me). But in orchestral music I felt that all the instruments were all on the same level, very forward, which is more exciting to listen to, but I think that in the long run I'd rather have a more precise imaging. Finally, I have found some heavy bass (Spotify quality) tracks that do upset the Rega's low end, it sounds like the whole speaker vibrates for an instant and that's a shame. I'm sure the Excite would deal with them much better, but it's a compromise I can live with. 99.9% of the times they're perfect for me, composed, detailed but never too forward.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

Finally managed to demo the Excite X12, but in the end decided to go for the Rega. The main reasons are that in my opinion the Rega just sound more natural and the soundstage is much more precise.

The Dynaudio sound very open, there's a lot of detail and the base is definitely more powerful. Also, voices sound amazing at mid/high volumes (for me). But in orchestral music I felt that all the instruments were all on the same level, very forward, which is more exciting to listen to, but I think that in the long run I'd rather have a more precise imaging. Finally, I have found some heavy bass (Spotify quality) tracks that do upset the Rega's low end, it sounds like the whole speaker vibrates for an instant and that's a shame. I'm sure the Excite would deal with them much better, but it's a compromise I can live with. 99.9% of the times they're perfect for me, composed, detailed but never too forward.

Glad you liked the Dyns, they sure sound bigger that they actualy are!

At the end there is always personal taste, and I like a bit crisp and detail in a speaker, mainly because I was used to Monitor Audio metal dome twiter.

Enjoy you purchase as you system as a ALL!

:cheers:

 

[stevebrock]

Alp,

You demoed speakers - you liked the RS3 the best!

HiFi Outlaw likes the Dyns.....thats fine......they are all good speakers....however seems you prefer the RS3 over the MA

Stick to the RS3 they will be superb with the Brio R even better when you get the DAC

I know the WHF forumites are tired about Rega and all the praise heaped on it but its well justified!

I was a bit anti-Rega a year or so ago, thought it looked ugly but I like the asthetics of it all now, but the sound!!! The Rega sound sold it for me! Yes the Rega synergy is definately there just look at the kit in peoples signatures tells a story.

Go have a listen to an RP3 TT sometime, but only if you have £550 to spare as I guarantee you will come out of the shop with one under your arm!

 

[jonathanRD]

About a year and a half ago I demoed in-store at Audio T, the RS3's, Tannory DC6T's and Kef Q500's.

I then demoed at home (each set for a full weekend) the RS3's and DC6T's. With an amp upgrade in mind (probably the Brio-R) I was aware that my older Brio might not get the best out of the DC6T's in particular. I think the DC6T's might well have been more exciting with a better amp, but I just liked listening to the RS3's - they seemed more engaging and more musical. Out of the two I would have chosen the RS3's. My wife thought they looked lovely!

I then decided to put together a home cinema system, so maybe next year I will be back to this dilema of an amp/speaker upgrade, with the Brio R and RS3's as a reference point.

For now though I am expecting a delivery on Monday of the BK XXLS400 DF sub :bounce:

 

[Alp]

On the MA, bear in mind I only have experience of the BX2. I do like them - I just find that the base is overpowering for classical music and sometimes feels a bit "boxy". Compared to the Rega, the mid-low (cellos for instance) steal the show in the MA, but are nowhere as detailed as in the Rega; for instance very deep notes (tubas, double base, piano) get lost easily, or are not as defined. The Regas are brilliant on that: every note has its place it seems, even though they will never deliver base to shake the room. On the MA, there is a lot of crisp high frequency detail but it doesn't sound as natural and smooth as on the Rega; I find it impressive but a little dry. Also, the soundstage is much flatter and I think this detracts from "musicality" or engagement - but they cost less than a third than the Rega!

Also, I decided to go for the Arcam A19 amp over the Brio-R. So no synergy for me! I was set on the Brio-R given all the raving reviews, but it did sound bright with the RS3s. Even changed source, from my cheap (upsampling) Creative DAC to Apollo CD. Maybe the cables? Not sure what the demo room had, but they were very revealing, I remember listening to Elgar's cello Concerto and thinking that I could hear the high freq of the strings touching the wood enoguh to be distracting. I am now using Chord Sarsen cables, as advised by the shop. Perhaps they would make a difference for the Brio/Rega too. On the Arcam though, it has a stronger low end than the Brio-R, that's what you notice straight away, and even more defined soundstage. Particularly with good quality recordings, like 24bit FLAC or some DECCA recordings. It is a bit warmer which I like, but voices don't jump out and make you want to sing as much as with the Brio . It feels like everything is under control, effortless, smooth with lots of detail - even my old BX2 sound much more composed and refined, and very warm. I always feel I'm not pushing it enough in a way.

Finally on looks: I have to say, I still don't like the way the Regas look at all. But they're incospicuous enough to blend in the room and go unnoticed. They look a bit DIY, so my friends are surprised by their sound rather than being impressed by how cool my system is . They are getting more and more open as the time passes - or it is just a subjective impression, but it's the same thing for me in a way!

 

[stevebrock]

Judge Rega Speakers on there looks at your peril!

My Rega RS1 sound excellent, some comments on another thrread that they sound boxy because they are a closed box design - they are not they are rear ported!

I imagine the RS3 have the same signature as the RS1, which is a defined mid range, sweet treble - never found wanting for more bass even on some of Massive Attack/Orbital LPs.

Dont get me wrong they are not for everyone - but in my system/room they beat the Neat Motive 3 and MA RX1.

 

[chebby]

I prefer the look of my Rega R3s. (Real Maple veneer.)

The front grilles meet the side and top edges of the cabinets and are curved at the bottom.

The side grilles have radiused corners.

Clicky

The R3s are also shorter and thinner than the RS3s and appear more compact.

I don't like the angular front grilles on the RS3 and they don't meet the edges of the cabinet, so they look a bit weird to my eye. The RS3 side grilles don't have radiused corners and have two corners 'lopped off'.

Clicky

 

[plastic penguin]

It's probably been asked before but how does the side speaker differ, purely in sonic terms, from a conventional forward firing one?