I want to thank Hank for allowing me a closer listen to the Rav-6 towers that he built from Al’s kit and Danny’s crossover design (gr-research). I initially heard them at a local Lone Star Bottleheads meet and was impressed with Hanks woodworking and veneer, the speaker is very good looking and would fit right in on a dealers showroom. It is a 2 way rear slot ported tower measuring 40”T 8.5”W and 11”D. It uses the RA104.5 Ribbons and GR M-165X XBL woofers- a good start and the reason why I had to get some more seat time outside of meet conditions. Curiously RAW doesn’t have the RAV-6 on its site anymore and ill say right now that’s a shame as I have been on a speaker auditioning binge as of late and these smoke many of the usual suspects in the below 3K range (commercial).
Hanks system is simple but smart. It starts off with a Sherwood CD980 CD player going coax into an Outlaw 950 Pre/Pro to an Acurus 200X3 SS (3rd channel unused for listening). I have not heard any of these components before so I don’t know their individual character. I suggest we take this little review as much of a total system audition as much as a Rav-6 audition. I suggested to Hank his room is perfect for some big arrays and he agreed, It has hardwood floors, a tall vaulted ceilings and opens into multiple open spaces as well as a foyer. This had an effect on the RAV-6s ability to load the room with lots of low bass, but didn’t keep two goons from constant grins!
I was a bit surprised to see Hanks setup of 11 feet apart with minimal toe in, I was more shocked on the first spin to hear the vast, full and tall soundstage. These speakers image monitor good and while they didn’t completely disappear they were able to project a soundscape past the outside edges of the speakers by a foot or two and even out into the room a bit when the recording had a bit deeper stage with a forward mic’d singer for example. Something I’m not used to experiencing with dynamic cone speakers but find regularly with concentrics and horns. The sound field was not limited at all to between the speakers and on quite a few cuts could easily define a sense of the performance space. We played some cuts from Hanks Austin Symphonic Band, a large Symphonic work that was rendered better than it had any right to for a medium sized two way. The Rav-6s were able to separate individual instruments in the large symphonic works but still render them as a part of the whole. This is in line with my preference as I enjoy good separation but often feel some reference systems do this too much reminding me of a Nextel push to talk experience. I guess most of the time we just simplify this too much and call it musicality. The Rav-6s are musical but also offer great details and tons of air and good low level details though I felt lacked the micro-dynamics to match the excellent snap and detail to guitar strings, horns, and cymbals that are directly mic’d. Maybe it was a bit of this strength of leading edge and detail outshining the micro-details but all are clean, clear, and are presented effortlessly.
I felt the drivers really complimented each other and the crossover was seamless. Bass was tight, punchy, and full despite not being able to fill Hanks large open room with low bass. In a normal sized listening room I have no doubt that the Rav-6s will be able to satisfy most listeners. I also think there is something really special with the 165X woofer with its great bass impact, speed, dynamics and its superbly rich midrange. We played with no toe in at 11 feet and the ribbon tweet couldn’t match the horizontal dispersion, fullness and weight of the 165X. Additional toe in resulted in even greater focus and depth of stage which is what initially made me make the trek to Hanks house from that first Bottlehead meet listen. I might even be able to convince Hank to bring them over to see how deep they can stage without the Big TV behind them.
Without a doubt I think this is a very good speaker and a steal in the kit form or the finished form if we can convince Al to offer them again. Thanks again to Hank for letting me listen and pick his brain on his various DIY projects and musical interests.
