[sbcgroup1]

Anyone have any good comparison notes between BCSE 40's & RM/Xs?

Initially I was toying with the idea of going w/RM/X's, but because I was putting together a whole HT setup at once, I went with the 40's instead.

From what I am gathering, the RM/X's probably have more of a midrange spectrum to them, and, as a result, the 40's can be a little bassier.

Back when I auditioned the RM/X's, I felt I really didn't get an accurate representation because the room's acoustics were horrible.

-Ed

[ekovalsky]

I would go for the RM/X if you can afford the price of admission.  Setup is more challenging but once dialed in there are improvements across the board.  I feel my upgrade from the RM40 to the RM/X was well worth the price, although factory and dealer cost of the RM/X has increased since then because of higher than expected cabinet production costs.

The innovative design of the RM/X eliminates diffraction from the midrange array, negating the need for the unsightly and potentially finish-marring lapel tweak some have tried with the 40's.  With the FST in its own adjustable pod, tweeter output can be optimized for the listening position's height and distance from the speaker. Radiation pattern of the RM/X has advantages too, since there is a true line array covering the 166hz - 7k band.  The 40's have what basically is a D'Appolito configuration with the tweeter(s) flanked above and below by midrange drivers.    

The RM/X have more powerful bass since two of the three bass drivers in each channel (one active and one passive) are upgraded from 25cm to 30cm.  Internal cabinet volume is higher in the RM/X also.  I have found speaker positioning tougher with the RM/X because of its side firing driver.  It was easier to get more smooth bass response in my smallish room with the 40's, with their front firing top and bottom woofers, at the expense of bottom end extension and impact.  That being said, with the RM/X backed into the corners of my room there is no need for a sub  

The RM/X cabinets are built extraordinarily well, and the very thick front baffle is made not from MDF but HDF.  Internal window braces are standard.  The piano black finish is very nicely done.  My 40's were not a BCSE version but did have upgraded walnut veneer.  Aesthetics were decent, but they weren't exactly non-resonant.  Packaging wasn't great either although they did arrive without damage.  The new Chinese cabinets look great, particularly the African Ebony like Zybar's new pair.  Sonically I'm not sure if the Chinese cabinets will be an improvement.  I seem to remember reading elsewhere on this forum that they were not braced.   If you are interested in piano black, I think upgraded RM-40 cabinets are available from the same American source that builds the RM/X cabinets.  I would expect these to be heavily braced and very high quality from both an aesthetic and sonic standpoint.  

Both my 40's and the RM/X had the TRT cap upgrade.  The 40's had the dual spiral tweeters, as the FST was no available when I purchased them.

Hope this helps.

[zybar]

Nice write up Eric.

I am pretty sure the MLS cabinets are braced.  This was one of the reasons I made the change.

George

[ekovalsky]

One of these days I will do a formal review.  Not much time after work and family responsibilities, house and yard work, listening, and sleep.

Good to hear the MLS cabinets are braced.  I'm sure your new speakers will surpass the performance of the previous pair once they break in and you get the pots and putty adjustments down.  Do you still have them placed in the corners?

Have you tried the 'Zillas yet?  I'm don't even want to try them because of their heinous aesthetics and their heat production.  My room has been very comfortable 76 degrees during the Arizona summer thanks to replacing the PS Powerplant with the BPT, upgrading to the JRDG from the previous A/B solid state amps, and eliminating the SF tube preamp and DAC from my system.  Last summer it was typically 80 at night and 85 during the day.  Had I kept my old gear I would have needed another AC system just for the media room  

them because for their aesthetics (or lack thereof) and heat production, but would like to know if they live up to the hype.  And from another post it seems the Pursang has been dethroned as the cable champ by VH Audio