Monitor Audio R45, please help?

[admin_exported]

Hi Gents,

Need some help here. I am looking for satellite speakers for the surround job and found this. Any owners care to share their experience with this? I did some googling and seems it is a fine little cube.

Another question is my only option is buying them online and couldn't find them in Superfi, RS or Sevenoaks website. Are there any reliable websites that I can make my purchase? I prefer them to be white finish.

Please help? Thanks.

 

[Frank Harvey]

The R45's are now discontinued, and have been replaced by the R45HD, hich is sld by many retailers.

 

[Anonymous]

Just realize that there are non-HD and HD version, I assume the R45-HD is much better?

 

[Frank Harvey]

I wouldn't say 'much better', but improved, and not too much more than the standard R45's you have linked to.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Frank much appreciated. My bad, I shouldn't put "much better" as it sounds silly...

Well, for my second doubt anyone care to share any reputable websites that carry them? Fyi I am not from UK hence this information from you guys will be handy, my colleagues in the UK now for business trip and will help me to bring home. I came across this HD version and what you guys think although the price is close to its RRP.

 

[Anonymous]

Look on the Peter Tyson site, you can get the R45s for £75. as the HD version isn't 'that much better', £75 seems a bargain.

 

[Frank Harvey]

winyip: Thanks Frank much appreciated. David

 

[tj27]

Hi There

I own the R45/R360 5.1 package from a peter tyson, i can give both the speakers & dealer a huge thumbs up. Only cost £299.

They are very compact & available in various finishes - i got the walnut. Overall, they are well built with a good finish with either black or silver grill to suit your decor/taste, complete with discreet brackets & have either screw or banana plug fixings to suit.

The only thing to bare in mind is the tweeter is on the back so they use the wall to 'bounce' the sound around to give a good surround sound image. I personally would not use them as front mains left & rights due to the tweeter being on the rear (also lack of bass) - i think a little bit of the precise detail is lost due to that. Hence why i use them a surrounds only & my BR2's as main fronts & the 5 R45s to make my 7.1 system. As surrounds, they are spot on for my requirements & a great bit of kit, even at higher volumes.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi tj27,

TBH, I discovered MA R45 through your signature earlier today hence I went to do some googling. Great deal on your MA but too bad my colleagues can't carry the whole package as it is huge

Have you heard the 45HD? No idea whether HD version worth the extra money. So, is it safe to buy from Peter Tyson? Sorry if I am asking stupid question as my past experience only with amazon.co.uk and RS.

Please refer link from here, Peter Tyson and it seems that 75 pound per pair is a steal compared to the HD version at 180 pound / pair. I can have 2 pairs with 150 pound although not white finish. Am I making sense??? Can't believe my eyes with the price difference!

 

[Anonymous]

winyip:

So, is it safe to buy from Peter Tyson? Sorry if I am asking stupid question as my past experience only with amazon.co.uk and RS.

I've bought the components for two complete home cinema systems from Peter Tyson; one about four and a half years ago and one within the last few months. The service that I got from them first time round was the reason I went back to them again for the second system components. They are knowledgeable and offer excellent service.

 

[tj27]

Peter tyson are perfectly good to deal with , as mentioned by others, very friendly & knowledgeable staff - i have used them numerous times through telephone, internet & via fleabay. Have not had any bad issues at all with them. I deal with a guy called Matthew.

As a cherry on the top for them, they even arranged for a delivery to me to me at the holiday home i was staying at the time in anglesey so i did not have to wait for delivery or have an attempted delivery note left for me. Now thats service!

Edit to say i have not heard the HD ones, but could not justify the extra at the time for them. Have a look at MA website & just get both pages up & see what the specs are, i dont think they are that different at all to be honest.

Just checked on MA website, they have the same set-up & frequency responce, same woofer & tweeter & power handling, it looks like just abit of a make over really. I'm sure someone in the know will have a better answer, but i would save your money & get the normal R45 speakers!!!!

 

[Anonymous]

Wow tj27 you sounded very satisfied with your MA. Have not heard of them, not even the BR2. Anyway it is such a good deal & I just got confirmation from my colleagues that they can help me bring home so gonna take the plunge and order on Monday since office off on the weekends. (they are not running out of stock right?)

Sad thing is that they only back here on 25th Dec, yeah you heard me on Christmas day & it is a long wait for me. On extra note does this little MA sounds great? Please describe them as I am gona place them for surround & back surround.

 

[tj27]

Regards stock - you would have to check, as mentioned they are discontinued so they may/may not have the finish your after. As far as i can tell Peter Tyson website only lets you pick Rose or Cherry finish. Best to call & get a definite answer. If they are not suitable ask if they have any recommendations to go with your set-up & price range & see what they have to offer.

 

[Anonymous]

I have bought my speakers from a Polish "official" dealer (there are 5-6 in my area) and I paid, roughly, the equivalent of the UK price quoted above. My original choice were MA Bronze or Silver (more expensive). Eventually, the best combination of price and (subjective) performance was offered by the very elegant piano-black Radius HD, particularly that this series included "R-one-HD" the three-in-one soundbar - exactly what suited my wife and our home cinema room. The "R-one-HD" houses separate Left and Right (each with 1x100 mm driver and a 25 mm tweeter) and a Centre (2x100 mm drivers and a 25 mm tweeter). It is more or less an equivalent of two R90HD and one R225HD, respectively. My surrounds are two minute R45HD (1x75 mm driver and a 20 mm tweeter). The reviews (including one from What Hi-Fi?) I was able to read were enthusiastic and recommended MA Radius series as ideal for home cinema. The series also had a couple of important awards (EISA). I was able to audition my set against the MA Silver, and had a choice of exchanging the Radius HD speakers (and the R-one-HD bar in particular) if not satisfied. At the end, I decided to add original MA stands for the surrounds. I got one for free

We had several audiophile friends inspecting the whole setup and they passed a verdit "very good for home cinema". This is what we expected, and noted the novelty of R-one-HD bar.

I have no opinion about the previous (plain Radius) model but I am very happy with the HD set I have. As with all audio/video electronics there are subjective but wise rules about all the components to be more or less "equal". I also realised that the our speakers will last longer than, for example, our Blu-Ray player.

The manufactures also recommend five R45HD with a R360HD subwoofer as a viable 5.1 combination. All MA products have here a very good opinion/reviews and I would buy an old, non-HD set if it were substantially discounted.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi hnery,

Thanks for your clarification, as much as I would like to get my hands on the R45HD, I just couldn't resist the price tag difference between 2 of them which are 75 pound against 180 pound. Not being arrogant but I think the HD won't be better by 2 times than normal 45...

Unless anyone out there that could justify the extra money worth it? I am buying 2 pairs for the usage of surround...

 

[Messiah]

Certainly a great price and if you need 2 pairs then you might as well get these. I don't think the HD versions offer enough improvement to justify the extra outlay.

Do you already have a subwoofer though 'cause you'll need one......

 

[Anonymous]

At the moment I have Wharfedale 9.1s as front, WH2 center & surround and REL Q50 sub. Initial thought I was thinking to swap the WH2 surround with the R45 & since now there is a good deal I thought of making it 7.1...

I am still inclined towards the HD version, perhaps a pair of each version would be better bet? Budget is an issue to me & don't want spend 360 pound for 2 pairs.

 

[Anonymous]

Rather than buying the HD version of the R45s, if physically you can fit the R90s, I'd buy the non HD R90s. The R45s will only go down to 120 HZ, the R90s will go down to about 85HZ. The R90s are a far better speaker. I'm not sure wheather you're running or planning to run a 7.1 system as you mention buying a pair of each version of the 45s, but I would prefer a 5.1 system with the better R90s than a 7.1 system with two pairs of R45s. Just my opinion.

 

[Anonymous]

As much as I would like to get my hands on the R90s, I checked their size and alot bigger compared with the R45. I hate to trouble my colleagues... My only option is small satellites & initially I was eyeing the Mission M-Cube so you can guess what I could afford at the moment.

 

[Anonymous]

Was the Sliver significantly better?

 

[Anonymous]

I am sorry but I don't get you? Are you comparing between the Radius & Silver?

 

[Anonymous]

Just a quick question. Is the dimension for R45 same as R45HD, which is 100 x 100 x 100mm? I am keen to know the dimension for the packaging as my colleagues are asking.

 

[bigboss]

As far as I'm aware, both the R45 & R45HD are same dimensions.

I really didn't understand your logic of not going for the R90/R90HD speakers. Your colleagues won't be disturbed by the size of the speakers, rather the volume you're playing them on.

Isn't it better to go for speakers that sound better on low volumes, rather than go for tiny speakers which tend to distort the sound quality at higher volumes?

 

[Anonymous]

Hi bigboss,

My colleagues are helping me to carry them back home, there are 4 persons and each person only allow me such space to carry them 🙂 I can't go for bigger size speaker. The luggage allowed are only 20kgs and the R90 weighs 2.1kg each, I hate to trouble them.

 

[bigboss]

Why don't you speak to them first? You're actually compromising on your speaker & thereby audio quality (for many years) just because of the weight restrictions! I wouldn't mind paying extra to the airline company to allow extra weight for better speakers. Most of the times, the airline companies allow extra weight for free.