Nice dilema

[True Blue]

Have heard and pretty much settled on Rega RS3's (£698), however can get a pair of brand new R5's (piano black) for £518 delivered.

Amp nait 5i.

Any views?????

 

[d_a_n1979]

R5's all the way IMO

The RS3's are very good but the R5's are bigger and offer a better, overall soundstage, not to mention the bass weight as well!

 

[chebby]

RS3's

I will quote from a write-up on the Rega RS range by a dealer whose word I respect in these matters...

"The RS3 might have grown slightly in height but this is nothing compared to the enormous increase in its sonic 'size'. It really is a stunner with proper snappy deep bass, a potentially vast sound-stage and plenty of refinement and resolution. More importantly, it is really hard to stop playing music on them. Hell, they even go respectably loud without audible compression. In our larger listening room they are a better speaker than the outgoing R5 with which they share the retail price (£698). I keep being amazed that speakers this small can sound so large, composed and be so well-rounded in their abilities. These are something special."

They even go on to say they prefer the RS3's to the RS5's.

Having having said that, you are going to save some cash with the R5's so will need to factor that in too.

And there is that limited edition piano gloss black finish that will need dusting every day! (Get Maple, dust does not show on it

)

 

[True Blue]

, really confused now

 

[Anonymous]

Most importantly you've heard the RS3s and you like them; I'd go for those if I were you.

Can you describe what you heard and what they were played with (out of interest)?

 

[True Blue]

Heard them with Naim Nait 5i + CD5i, Naim Nait 5i + Rega Apollo, Naim Nait 5i + Rega Saturn, Rega Brio 3 + all aforementioned CDP's

Sound was beautifully defined and crisp, fantastic soundstage with bass ports outwards facing, the speakers dissapeared. Great bass without being overblown,treble was sweet and not harsh, very controlled. Handled everything I threw at them rock, jazz, piano's, strings.

Ok thats it, think I have answered my own question really, just like a bargain thats all. RS3's it is

 

[chebby]

True Blue:
Heard them with Naim Nait 5i + CD5i, Naim Nait 5i + Rega Apollo, Naim Nait 5i + Rega Saturn, Rega Brio 3 + all aforementioned CDP's

I heard the Rega RS3's with Nait 5i + CD5i, Nait XS + CD5X, Arcam Solo-Mini. Ironically this is what decided me upon getting the Nait 5i/CD5i instead of upgrading my speakers from R3 to RS3. No reflection at all on the qualities of the RS3's (they are superb) it's just that the upgrade from Solo-Mini to Naim was so profound that it outweighed getting better speakers and I could not afford to get the Naim kit and the RS3's.

(That was a very expensive 'speaker upgrade' for me considering I never ended up with them!)

I have also heard Rega RS1's with Nait XS + CD5X (and possibly Flatcap 2 though I did not ask at the time if it was connected because it was brilliant enough already!)