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Do you stream hi-res music or download hi-res tracks? We want your opinions!
Rega RX speakers
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matthewpiano
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Don't know, they aren't even on Rega's website yet so I reckon it will be a while. Going for the existing RS1s myself.
I have been considering a change of speaker myself. Just tried the KEF R300. It was a nice speaker but I was not 100% sure. Might now just wait for this new range to hit and then see what these offer.
I saw them at the Bristol show and if the finish is carried through to production will be very nice. Real veneer and a very cleaver round magnetic speaker grille just to cover the bass driver. Did not hear them though! Personelly I'm not a fan of there speakers though these looked very nice. Going to copy the grille idea!
I sort of know waht you mean. I think the RS range particularly the larger floor standers don't look all that great. The new range to me certainly looks more appealing but as we know looks are not what this hobby is all about.
Just one more point. Would I be correct in saying the new RX 1 looks slightly bigger than the existing RS1.
The enclosure seems to look like a bigger box to my eye. I have only seen the photos though.
The enclosure seems to look like a bigger box to my eye. I have only seen the photos though.
yani said:
There are other speakers than the usual and often mentioned suspects.
Have you considered speakers from Guru or Cabasse?
Not long ago I hear a terrific system comprising MAD's 1920, a compact bookshelf with equipment from Projects more upmarket series. Lovely if perhaps over budget.
Then there's QAcoustics new 3000 series, some reported favorably from the Bristol where the standmount was powered by a £3000 Arcam amplifier to very good effect ...
Frank Harvey
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The new speakers certainly look to be a big improvement on the old ones for build/finish. We'll have a pair here for Record Store Day which will be used in an all Rega system. I'd need to double check, but I think you'll be looking around May time for release.
drummerman said:
Hi Drummerman
There are so many candidates out there, its just trying to find the one that fits the bill. The R300 was sorely tempting but I think I will have look around first. I was thinking system synergy when mentioning the new RX range. I not in a rush to change though as the Celestions are still pretty nice.
matthewpiano
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A Bristol Show report in the new issue of Hi-Fi News indicates that the new RX1 will be around 750.00, so substantially more expensive than the RS1.
Hi Mathew.
I seem to prefer stand mounts myself. The new RX1 did catch my attention as it looked a decent sized cabinet. The current Celestions are pretty large (very deep) and I believe this is what gives them such a full sound. The scale they produce is superb and as I discovered, even larger that the KEF R300 I tried which are no slouches in themselves.
I know you are getting the RS1's so how did you feel on seeing the RX1. What I am asking is did the RX1 look like a larger speaker or basically about the same ?
I seem to prefer stand mounts myself. The new RX1 did catch my attention as it looked a decent sized cabinet. The current Celestions are pretty large (very deep) and I believe this is what gives them such a full sound. The scale they produce is superb and as I discovered, even larger that the KEF R300 I tried which are no slouches in themselves.
I know you are getting the RS1's so how did you feel on seeing the RX1. What I am asking is did the RX1 look like a larger speaker or basically about the same ?
matthewpiano
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Hi Yani
I haven't seen the RX1 in the flesh but from the pictures I've seen it does look to be a slightly larger cabinet. Apparently they use a new bass/mid driver and have thicker cabinets than the RS1. They retain the reversed river arrangement with the bass/mid driver above the tweeter (ala Mission 760/780 models from the early 90s) but Rega have also gone to a circular grille cover for the bass/mid but semingly no grille for the tweeter. The latter would put me off as I like to keep my drive units fully protected.
I was aware of the imminent launch of the RX1 and have been since WHFS&V's reports from the Bristol Show. Given the pricing of the new models I wonder whether Rega will continue with the RS range alongside as the more affordable alternative. The RS1 is known for its clarity, refinement, and a great sense of timing and when I've heard them in the past I've enjoyed them. I'm not a fan of lots of bass and would much rather be able to hear right into the crucial mid-range of a recording, but also get a sense of the timbre of low strings etc without that being obscured. I'm confident the RS1 will give me everything I want, essentially being a modern take on the classic small monitor approach which I like. They probably wouldn't suit you, though I think it would be worth you giving the new RX1s a try to see how different they might be.
Your Celestions are no slouch. Sadly the name has disappeared from hi-fi speakers these days, though it is under the same foreign ownership as KEF if I remember rightly. They made some great speakers and for the level of depth and sense of scale you are talking about, a 7" bass/mid driver is going to be difficult to match with something smaller. You might well find the Monitor Audio Silver 2 worth trying with it's 8" bass/mid driver, though I suspect any 500 pound-ish speaker is going to have a fight on its hands to supplant your Celestions. The larger MA stand mounts usually require plenty of space to ensure they don't lose clarity, though this latest range is much less prone to muddling than the previous RX2 so it might just suit your needs as long as you feel there is a genuine step forward from the A1s.
The other speakers worthy of your attention are the Dynaudio DM2/7s. Dyns have a weighty, substantial sound (ultimately a bit too weighty for my tastes, and I prefer my DM2/6s with the port bungs in place, even 50cm from the rear wall) and the 2/7s are a decent sized speaker with very high quality drive units.
Otherwise, if you want a real balance between a sense of scale and the rhythmic and spatial qualities of smaller stand mount monitors it might be time for you to up the ante and look into the PMC range. DB1i isn't made any more but you might be able to pick up a nice 2nd hand pair, and these are beautifully balanced speakers and the transmission line design really helps with the sense of scale. Alternatively there are the current models the Twenty:21 and Twenty:22, though these will shift your budget much more skywards compared to the other speakers we have discussed.
Keep us updated with how you get on, and I'll report back on the RS1s once they've arrived and I've spent some time with them.
I haven't seen the RX1 in the flesh but from the pictures I've seen it does look to be a slightly larger cabinet. Apparently they use a new bass/mid driver and have thicker cabinets than the RS1. They retain the reversed river arrangement with the bass/mid driver above the tweeter (ala Mission 760/780 models from the early 90s) but Rega have also gone to a circular grille cover for the bass/mid but semingly no grille for the tweeter. The latter would put me off as I like to keep my drive units fully protected.
I was aware of the imminent launch of the RX1 and have been since WHFS&V's reports from the Bristol Show. Given the pricing of the new models I wonder whether Rega will continue with the RS range alongside as the more affordable alternative. The RS1 is known for its clarity, refinement, and a great sense of timing and when I've heard them in the past I've enjoyed them. I'm not a fan of lots of bass and would much rather be able to hear right into the crucial mid-range of a recording, but also get a sense of the timbre of low strings etc without that being obscured. I'm confident the RS1 will give me everything I want, essentially being a modern take on the classic small monitor approach which I like. They probably wouldn't suit you, though I think it would be worth you giving the new RX1s a try to see how different they might be.
Your Celestions are no slouch. Sadly the name has disappeared from hi-fi speakers these days, though it is under the same foreign ownership as KEF if I remember rightly. They made some great speakers and for the level of depth and sense of scale you are talking about, a 7" bass/mid driver is going to be difficult to match with something smaller. You might well find the Monitor Audio Silver 2 worth trying with it's 8" bass/mid driver, though I suspect any 500 pound-ish speaker is going to have a fight on its hands to supplant your Celestions. The larger MA stand mounts usually require plenty of space to ensure they don't lose clarity, though this latest range is much less prone to muddling than the previous RX2 so it might just suit your needs as long as you feel there is a genuine step forward from the A1s.
The other speakers worthy of your attention are the Dynaudio DM2/7s. Dyns have a weighty, substantial sound (ultimately a bit too weighty for my tastes, and I prefer my DM2/6s with the port bungs in place, even 50cm from the rear wall) and the 2/7s are a decent sized speaker with very high quality drive units.
Otherwise, if you want a real balance between a sense of scale and the rhythmic and spatial qualities of smaller stand mount monitors it might be time for you to up the ante and look into the PMC range. DB1i isn't made any more but you might be able to pick up a nice 2nd hand pair, and these are beautifully balanced speakers and the transmission line design really helps with the sense of scale. Alternatively there are the current models the Twenty:21 and Twenty:22, though these will shift your budget much more skywards compared to the other speakers we have discussed.
Keep us updated with how you get on, and I'll report back on the RS1s once they've arrived and I've spent some time with them.
Thank you Matthew for a very detailed reply. You are giving me some other options which I may just look into. The pmc's and the monitor audio would be worth having a listen to. My only gripe with the PMC's is their price. I do feel your are now paying a premium for a name. I must say I myself have never heard any PMC speaker but by all that has been said about them they appear to be a very nice (if expensive) option.
What I have discovered so far on my quest for a speaker upgrade having tried thr R300 and Focal 906 is that it tends to end up a bit of a trade off. What I gained one awy I lossed out on another. This is what I discovered on setting my Celestions back up after the week with the R300's. There was a warmth and greater scale but less refinement in the highs. Just have to keep looking and listening but thats what all the fun is about.....................isn't it !!
What I have discovered so far on my quest for a speaker upgrade having tried thr R300 and Focal 906 is that it tends to end up a bit of a trade off. What I gained one awy I lossed out on another. This is what I discovered on setting my Celestions back up after the week with the R300's. There was a warmth and greater scale but less refinement in the highs. Just have to keep looking and listening but thats what all the fun is about.....................isn't it !!
Frank Harvey
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Frank Harvey
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The forum lets us down again !!
I had a look on the internet at the photos this morning. They do look very nice. More so than the current range in my opinion. Just hope they sound as good as they look.
I had a look on the internet at the photos this morning. They do look very nice. More so than the current range in my opinion. Just hope they sound as good as they look.
David as you are the man in the know, do you know if Rega will offer different cabinet finishes?
Saw them at the show did not hear them. the smaller floorstander is very attractive. Good finish, slim but deep.
Side firing woofers suggest positioning could be an issue.
They do resemble the Mission 78 series, if they sound similar they'll image great
Well worth a look So if you have space - they'll struggle in an 'over furnished' room .
Side firing woofers suggest positioning could be an issue.
They do resemble the Mission 78 series, if they sound similar they'll image great
Well worth a look So if you have space - they'll struggle in an 'over furnished' room .
matthewpiano
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Yes, this whole hi-fi thing is about trade-offs and finding the right balance of priorities for the music you enjoy, your listening environment, and your own preferences. With speakers, as you go further and further up the price tree there are big improvements available as cabinets are often made out of better materials and are more acoustically inert. This is one reason why budget floorstanders are usually flawed. When you hear higher quality floorstanders such as the PMC Twenty:26, KEF Reference 5, VA Beethoven Grand, certain Focal models and most Opera and Sonus Faber models, there are still differences in overall sonic signature but the resonances of the enclosure are so much better controlled and allow them to handle things like imaging and clarity as well as most stand mounters. I would have to be in this sort of league before I would consider floorstanders over compact monitors mounted on stands.yani said:
Over a year ago i was comparing r300 v dynaudio 2/7 at frank harvey with David swaping over the speakers for me.
To my ears i could not notice much difference between the two regards bass and scale etc but the r300s won me over with the emotion on the voices. I would recommend very strongly that you arrange a side by side comparison with the rega/kefs/dynaudios at frank harvey.
If none of the speakers dont do it for you they have loads of different makes/models for you to try and you wont feel pressure to choose a certain make model. Also make sure you ask for David hes a great guy to deal with.
To my ears i could not notice much difference between the two regards bass and scale etc but the r300s won me over with the emotion on the voices. I would recommend very strongly that you arrange a side by side comparison with the rega/kefs/dynaudios at frank harvey.
If none of the speakers dont do it for you they have loads of different makes/models for you to try and you wont feel pressure to choose a certain make model. Also make sure you ask for David hes a great guy to deal with.
Andrewjvt said:
Hi Andrew.
I totally get where you are coming from with this. The r300's impressed me greatly with their vocals and separation. Overall I actually found them excellent speakers, particularly for the money (not that £1k is cheap). On returning them I really swithered on taking out my credit card. I decided I would leave them and set my Celestions back up on getting home. What I discovered was the Celestions where not a million miles away in tone from the R300 but I admit they were no where as smooth in the top end (still nice though). What I did get with the Celestions was a larger scale and a warmer presentation. Hence my decision to hold fire for now.
I have to say i found this thread really informative some great insight mathew. lets hope it does not turn into a bicker!
Frank Harvey
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chebby said:
That's the badger. They look much better in the flesh too.
I found out (sadly) yesterday that the RX range won't be making an appearance on Record Store Day as Rega are still working on them. I believe the standmounts were the only working model at Bristol, and the others were "mock ups".
Frank Harvey
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stevebrock said:
I have to be honest, I can't remember now! I've slept since Bristol...
If I find anything out I'll post it up.
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