[ajzepp]

Okay, quick update for the crickets and non-crickets out there...

You may think that if I said that I missed the FedEx delivery of the CG24s then there wouldn't be much chance of tonight being another positive step forward in my evaluation of the RSL CG4s...well, you'd be wrong! 

The truth is, I did in fact miss the delivery. The fedEx guy almost always comes between 4-6pm, so I worked a half day and was home by 330. Sure enough, when I go back to my apartment there was a door tag waiting for me. So I called to arrange them to be dropped off at a FedEx/Kinkos tomorrow so I can pick them up after work. BUT, that wasn't going to stop me from spending more time with the CG4s.

My approach to HT is pretty simple: If speakers sound great for music, they'll be great for HT. Now that's not true for those who value massive SPL's and the loudest, baddest HT system on the planet. My goals are a bit different. My idea of great home theater is exactly like what the Magnepans bring you. Sure they can play plenty loud, and there are dynamics to be had in spades when you give them a proper amp and some space....but what I want is to be transported into the movie. I want the dialogue to sound as if I'm standing next to the actors. I want everything from water dripping to the roar of Steve McQueen's Mustang Fastback GT in the movie "Bullitt" to sound not as loud as possible, but as REAL as possible. I want immersion. This is MY standard for HT, so when I find speakers that are great with my music, they're all but certain to be great for what I want out of my HT.

Well, I had taken delivery today of some 31" Sanus speaker stands so that I could give the RSLs a little more of an opportunity to shine. Here is the way I had them set up for tonight's listening session:



I gave them a little distance off the back wall, turned up the Onkyo to 12:00, sat back on the couch, and....AWFUL!!!! Just pure awful..garbage, like I've never heard in a speaker! Oh, wait a minute...not only did I forget to turn the TV sound off, I hadn't even turned on the receiver    I know, this is the second time in a week that I've had a major brain fart...I would offer an explanation to save face, but...well...never mind. So anyway, *mute* to the tv sound, on goes the receiver, Norah Jones loaded into the Sony bluray player and...

....wow....are these really the same speakers? 

Just a huge sound stage...Norah's beautiful voice front and center, almost ethereal in nature just floating right in between the speakers where it should be. Excellent tonality. Really, really amazing considering all I did was put them on stands, in a slightly more audio friendly room and configuration, and, yes, actually turn ON the receiver. This was the *moment* that I was hoping to have with these speakers. The moment that proved that, yes, my research WAS correct...all the testimonials and reviews I had read about these speakers WASN'T hogwash. Finally, these little CG4s and I connected and shared out first *moment*. The idea of a first moment is very important to me. It happened with Magnepan MMGs the first time I knew I had a love for Jim Winey's amazing creation. It happened last January when I heard my first pair of Grado headphones. And yes, it did happen - though on a smaller scale - with the RSL's tonight. Tonight it was clear to me that I could live very happily with these speakers, and Howard and his son over at Rogersound Labs probably won't be getting them back.

So now the main question pertains to the showdown looming between the CG4s and the CG24s. AFter tonight, can the 24s provide me that same experience, but with even a touch more presence? Will the M-T-M design that I've had a love/hate relationship with over the years edge out the design I love most outside of planars - the diminutive 2-way stand mount? Well, the bell for round 1 goes off tomorrow night around 9pm! I'll be sure to report back, as always.

But for the first time since being introduced to my first RSL speakers one week ago, I can very confidently say that if you are in the market for some little speakers that can hit well above their price point, consider taking Howard at RSL up on his offer to try them out for yourselves. And then once you do, post your impressions - positive and negative - here in this thread so we can keep 'er goin!

 

[satfrat]

I gave them a little distance off the back wall, turned up the Onkyo to 12:00, sat back on the couch, and....AWFUL!!!! Just pure awful..garbage, like I've never heard in a speaker! Oh, wait a minute...not only did I forget to turn the TV sound off, I hadn't even turned on the receiver

  Thanks for the Friday night chuckle AJ. I've never heard my Sony XBR TV speakers myself but I'll take your word for it that they'd sound like shit too. 

Cheers,
Robin

[ajzepp]

  Thanks for the Friday night chuckle AJ. I've never heard my Sony XBR TV speakers myself but I'll take your word for it that they'd sound like shit too. 

Cheers,
Robin

LOL...i hated to admit that, but I guess you can never say I don't have some self-deprecation skills! 

[satfrat]

LOL...i hated to admit that, but I guess you can never say I don't have some self-deprecation skills! 

Hey,,, I'm not alone anymore. 

[ajzepp]

Hey,,, I'm not alone anymore. 

 

[ajzepp]

So I have to give FedEx some props...I think whenever I have something of value shipped, I'm just going to have them divert the delivery to one of their outpost things for pick up. They're open until 11p during the week and 9p on Saturdays, and they do a great job of checking ID at pick-up. Being an apartment dweller, this gives added peace of  mind and the pick-up is right on the way home. They got my CG24s diverted quickly so that they would be there the following day and all is well.

Okay, now for some quick impressions....I spent about an hour listening to them up on the same 31" stands. First thing that crossed my mind was that if I ever needed to run RSLs w/out a subwoofer, the 24s would be much more satisfying than the 4s would. These seem to have just a bit more of a bottom end on them to where you could be very happy using them as a single pair and no augmentation. The next thing I thought to myself was that, thankfully, the information on the RSL website, and what Howard reiterated on the phone last week, was true. The mids were just a bit more "there" on the 24s, and that was one area where I felt I wanted just a bit more from the 4s. On top of that - and once again the pics on the RSL website just do NOT do these speakers justice at all - the 24s are more impressive looking than the 4s. Odd to say since the styling is nearly identical. But even my lady friends daughter commented with a "wow, those are very nice!" as she walked by, whereas the night before she hadn't commented on the 4s at all. The tonality is nearly identical, of course, and I was surprised that the overall sound stage really wasn't any bigger than with the 4s. I sort of expected a slightly larger presentation, but I haven't noticed it thus far. Imaging is also exactly the same (an area of strength). My favorite instrument is the human voice, however, and with the slightly more palpable midrange presence I really was enjoying Norah's voice tonight. Each note was just a TAD more "breathy" and full, which was beautiful. There was still excellent balance and cohesion from the top of the FR to the bottom, but the mids were just a touch more present...very nice indeed.

So those are my first impressions. Mostly positive, with only a few very small issues, which I'll get into when I follow-up again tomorrow.

Thanks for reading!

[ajzepp]

Hello again!

Day 14 in my evaluation of RSL speakers...

Where we left off, I had taken delivery of the larger stand mount model, the CG24s. This was a pair that already had some burn-in and it certainly seemed to show from the first time I fired them up. They've continued to impress over the last week, to the point where I had enough confidence in the likelihood of keeping them that I picked up some nicer quality stands that were also a little lower to account for the taller profile of these vs the CG4s. I also needed to account for the future presence of a projection screen and I had a 40-42" height ceiling to work with. The 24s on these Plateau stands comes in at a total height of 39" so it works great. Not only that, but the top plate on the Plateau stands ended up being the exact same width and depth of the 24s...that was kind of funny in a good way.

Anyway, enough babbling....here is a pic I took tonight of the 24s on their new stands, the Plateau ST-23s:





I'll be making my final decision on these impressive speakers in another week or so. At that time, whether I keep them or not, I'll write-up a conclusion of sorts that will summarize my time with the RSLs and the basis for the decision I've made. Clearly at this point you can probably gather that I like these speakers quite a lot, but I'll save those thoughts for later.

Happy listening!

[ajzepp]

PS. I found this a really interesting read....gives a better idea of what RSL focused on in terms of materials and quality of construction...

http://rslspeakers.com/CG4_CG24_construction_materials.html

[rslspeakers]

The link in the above post does not work on our site. On Saturday, we launched a new website that we've been working on for the past several months. As with any new site, there are kinks to be worked out. This is one of them and we should have it fixed shortly.

Howard
RSL Speakers

[rslspeakers]

We fixed the link. Please use http://rslspeakers.com/cg4cg24-construction-features/.
Thanks,
Howard

[ajzepp]

We fixed the link. Please use http://rslspeakers.com/cg4cg24-construction-features/.
Thanks,
Howard

Thanks Howard...reading about the materials used and the approach you took during the build process was very impressive.

Working on getting the little HT room up and running this week, so hope to have some new pics of the RSLs new home in the coming days....looking forward to hearing a full 5-channel RSL rig!

[ajzepp]

Just for fun, since the whole purpose of this thread was to audition the RSLs for use in converting a small bedroom into a theater room, I'm going to post some pics as I get the room together. Here is a quick preview....more to follow!

(and again, sorry for the crap quality of the pics...all I have is my iPhone)

[ajzepp]

Couple more pics of the room I'm working with...nothing but a few pieces of furniture in, so will change a lot over the next few days.

[ajzepp]

Got the surround brackets and speakers mounted...not sure why the iPhone camera lens makes it look tilted, but they're square as they can be!

[ajzepp]

Projector mount...check!

Check back tomorrow to see pics of this fully armed and op-er-A-tion-al BATT-le STA-tion. 

[ajzepp]

[ajzepp]

Not sure if anyone is still tuning in...but here is a lovely CG24 center on a newly arrived Emotiva center speaker pedestal 
(please excuse the clutter and tools...still a work in progress!)

[Bob in St. Louis]

Not sure if anyone is still tuning in...

Present, and accounted for. 

[lonewolfny42]

Coming along....  

[ajzepp]

Happy New Year to you guys! 

And Happy New Year to Howard and company at RSL!

I'm installing the screen as we speak, and then tonight I'll just about have everything together...will take a few more pics and share a few thoughts about how the RSLs perform in a full 5.1 configuration (Hint: really damn well!!) after the ball drops