The review mirrors my own experience to a large degree. When you start to talk about the strong points of the speakers , you can just go on and on.
Jared said they were open, detailed, transparent, smooth, punchy,and well balanced. Also good seperation between instruments, with a room-filling soundstage that is wide and deep, and has a large sweet spot . They were easy to set up, with non-critical placement. Even your wife will hear the difference, and you will want to re-listen to old cd's again.
Did I miss anything?
I would add that they sound great at low volumes, and you will find yourself listening to the music instead of analyzing your system. And no listener fatigue, just very enjoyable for long periods.
I really like the large, tall, "wall of sound" they produce, and wonderful vocals.Oh, and they are very dynamic.
But, I'm starting to go on and on...
A couple of nit-picks:
The "8 to 100 watt" rating should not lead you to believe that 100 watts is their limit. I'm sure they can handle much more if you want to go deaf.
The "8 midbass speakers" is really 2 midranges and 6 bass speakers ( by the way, what can be a better, more coherant crossover that to transition between identical drivers? And the mids are spared trying to reproduce bass notes).
Finally, I would say what I always do. Although these sound great by themselves, I think of them as the ideal satelite speakers. Put them with a decent subwoofer crossed over low, and run them full range, and then you really have it all. But you don't need the sub right away if your budget won't allow.
I hope the review drums up some business for Al and helps spread the word about these excellant and yet affordable speakers.
P.S. The RA8's are also good for impressing your friends. And not just "normal" people, but your audiophile friends too.
