[hcsunshine]

i purchased a pair of rear ported, paper coned verita monitors from rick back in jan. these are the ones with the "RAAL" tweeter and the 7 inch scan-speak illuminator woofer (paper cone version). my initial impressions were, wow i didn't know that a monitor could sound that good. the words "mesmerizing" and "inticing" came to mind. it took me a few minutes to wrap my head around the sound as does with all new speakers. now the main strength of the tweeter is its accuracy. the main strength of the woofer is its ability to throw the sound. the imaging is pretty damn good. did i mention that instead of two speakers it sounds like one giant wall of sound. i'd give these monitors 9 and a half out of 10.

[jonbee]

Good review.
I've had at least a couple dozen pairs of speakers with ribbon tweeters of all makes and sizes.  I've always preferred them over domes. All 3 of my current speakers have ribbons- RAAL, LCY-130, and Aurum Cantus G3si.  One thing they all have in common to me is that they have less apparent "body" than many, but not all, good dynamic tweeters, but ribbons usually display more detail, definition, and air. It takes some getting used to. It is a different sound, and personal taste certainly has its' place. The RAALs to me are the smoothest and most transparently musical of all those I've owned, except for the 6' long tweeter in the Apogee Diva, whch are sublime. They are also very self-effacing, which takes a bit of adjustment.

[navin]

All 3 of my current speakers have ribbons- RAAL, LCY-130, and Aurum Cantus G3si. 

The RAALs to me are the smoothest and most transparently musical of all those I've owned, except for the 6' long tweeter in the Apogee Diva, whch are sublime.

How do you compare the LCY-130 vs the G3si (there is now a 130mm version of the G3si as well). What about the Fountek NeoCD and NeoX models used by Rick?

Apparently the longer ribbons have faster roll offs see links below

LCY 12cm ribbon tweeter response
http://www.lcy.com.hk/upload/tdk4882853.jpg

LCY 130 tweeter response
http://www.lcy.com.hk/upload/ken4517321.jpg

[Rick Craig]

How do you compare the LCY-130 vs the G3si (there is now a 130mm version of the G3si as well). What about the Fountek NeoCD and NeoX models used by Rick?

Apparently the longer ribbons have faster roll offs see links below

LCY 12cm ribbon tweeter response
http://www.lcy.com.hk/upload/tdk4882853.jpg

LCY 130 tweeter response
http://www.lcy.com.hk/upload/ken4517321.jpg

The longer ribbons all have a vertical rolloff in the top octaves as the frequency wavelengths become shorter than the ribbon length. This is why the 70-10D used in the Tempesta has the foam guides. Without the foam all of these tweeters (including the 70-10D) have a rising response when measured on-axis. The horizontal off-axis response will depend on the ribbon width and any horn loading effects from the faceplate and front magnets.

[jonbee]

How do you compare the LCY-130 vs the G3si (there is now a 130mm version of the G3si as well).

I can only speak in terms of how they sound to me.
The LCY130 (used in my Volent VL-2) is the widest range ribbon tweeter I've run across, and has better off axis response than most (RAAL excepted). From that standpoint it is more like a dome tweeter replacement than most. That said, its lower range, below 3Khz or so, is shelved down some, which takes some compensation. It also is a bit peaky in the middle part of its range. The net result is a very fast, lively and detailed sound, but with a bit of unevenness and edge. Salk had used the LCY, and their move to the RAAL is understandable.
The G3 as used in my Aurum Cantus Leisure 3 SE is smoother sounding- very nice, really, and more laid back than the LCY, but not as wide range or dispersed. It has a smooth, detailed classic ribbon sound. Sometimes there is a tiny hint of spittiness, but it is only sporadic and not much of an issue. Off axis response is notably worse than the LCY or RAAL, which can make a speaker using it sound too laid back as well.
The RAAL is smoother than either. It simply does not call attention to itself. The high range elements of the sound are just there, with the fewest artifacts to distract from the sound of the instruments. As I stated earlier, after hearing other tweeters it take a little adjustment to come to terms with such a clean, un-hyped articulation. It also has great dispersion, so it energizes the room more broadly.

[pawsman]

Jonbee, I own the ported Veritas (with the aluminum Illuminator), and I'd agree with your assessment of the RAAL tweeter as unhyped and without artifacts. What I think most people are used to hearing is the more aggressive, forward sound of most Domes, with the typical resonance problems they have. The RAAL definitely achieves a more natural, organic sound, especially with Classical music (my primary listening choice). If your source material has extended high frequencies, they will be reproduced very naturally without hype or aggressiveness by the RAAL.   

[navin]

This is why the 70-10D used in the Tempesta has the foam guides. Without the foam all of these tweeters (including the 70-10D) have a rising response when measured on-axis. The horizontal off-axis response will depend on the ribbon width and any horn loading effects from the faceplate and front magnets.

Rick/Jon, How do the Neo tweeters (NeoCD and NeoX) from Fountek compare with the Aurum Cantus G3/G2 and the LCYs. I know the RAAL are in a different league and price point but Aurum, Fountek and LCY are all about the same price point.

[Rick Craig]

Rick/Jon, How do the Neo tweeters (NeoCD and NeoX) from Fountek compare with the Aurum Cantus G3/G2 and the LCYs. I know the RAAL are in a different league and price point but Aurum, Fountek and LCY are all about the same price point.

The NeoX is fairly new so you won't find many that have heard it; however, I just did a design with it for a customer and he really is enjoying the sound. I always have found the crinkled ribbons (LCY/Aurum/earlier Founteks) to be a little too resonant compared to the newer laminated foils. LCY has also had quality issues which has led to some speaker companies switching over to RAAL.

[hcsunshine]

come to find out... for whatever reason, i decided to turn up these speakers louder than i ever have, maybe just to see what they could do and now i can hear the high frequencies really sing. i did hear in another post that the "RAAL" tweeter was power hungry and if you had lots of power feed it to it. now i am so satisfied with these veritas. i would now give a score of 10 out of 10. thank you rick!

[hcsunshine]

associated equiptment with the verita monitors are a music hall mmf 2.2 turntable, to a musical fidelity VLPS 2 phono stage, through tara labs TL-101 RCA cables to an NAD C352 preamp section, through tara labs m3 prime RCA cables to emotiva UPA1's. may get an emotiva xsp preamp next year and an oppo bdp 105 too. also is an NAD C 525BEE cd player via the same type of RCA cables.