I listened to a pair of Sound Labs back in the mid 90's at my Vandersteen dealer in Dallas, TX.....John Fort Audio.
They were a hybrid model at the lower end of the Sound Lab price range at the time. It had a Stat panel mounted to a woofer box. The Stat panels were quick and clear, but the bass was not as good as a Vandersteen 2Ci that I owned at the time. You could get a new Vandy model 2 with 5-year warranty for about what the used Sound Lab was priced at, and a new Sound Lab of that model was at least twice what the new Vandy cost. I don't think the Sound Lab would play as loud as my 2Ci. Overall, I would just as soon listen to the 2Ci even before considering it cost half as much as the Sound Lab. The fact the Sound Lab was traded in to a Vandersteen dealer tells you something.
I consider my VMPS RM1 as superior to the Vandersteen 2Ci in just about every area. That means I would find it superior to the Sound Lab that I listened to as well. I think the RM1 is just as detailed in the midrange and treble as that Sound Lab was, and there is no doubt it totally blows it away in the bass extension, quality and volume. If you play loud, dynamic music......there is no need to go further......you will prefer the VMPS and you will lose nothing in detail and clarity that electrostatics possess.
If (or rather when) the Sound Lab blows up......and they are far less reliable than electrodynamic speakers and the VMPS neo ribbon drivers......and in a dusty environment such as Montana the electrostatic panels will be dust magnets......then you have to ship those huge speakers back to Sound Lab for repair rather than calling Brian and ordering a driver that you can install yourself in a few minutes of your time. A new tweeter for my RM1 from VMPS cost $28 delivered, and that would pay for about 10% of the one-way cost to Sound Lab for one of their monster sized speakers, before figuring in return shipping and labor/parts cost.
Have you seen the prices of current Sound Lab speakers? They start at over $13K/pair for a decent sized "entry level" model and that model will be inferior to an RM2 in many areas as far as sound capability.
I also listened to Magneplanar speakers at a Dallas dealer, and I was nonplussed as well. It did not beat my Vandersteen speakers overall, much less the VMPS that I now own. I had much the same opinion of "minimum phase" Thiel 2.2 speakers at another Dallas dealer. More money spent, and a better looking wood cabinet, but not a better speaker overall than the Vandy 2Ci because of poorer bass and less efficiency, so also not in the same league as the RM1.
I listened to a Martin-Logan CLS at the Memphis Dealer, Underground Sound, and decided the Vandy 2Ci beat it overall as well, so it is also inferior to the RM1 as far as I am concerned. YMMV, but NONE of the electrostatic or planar electrodynamic or "minimum phase" speakers I have heard are better than VMPS (or even Vandersteen) at anywhere near the price. Those who like them probably do not agree with Beethoven that bass is the basis of western music.
You have to get the biggest Sound Labs to get good bass, you need an expensive powerful amp that is still fast and delicate in the top end (very rare) that can drive a 2-ohm load, you must forget value for money, you must have a huge and treated listening room, you must be comfortable with sending them in for repair and spending even more money while you listen to a backup, and you must be comfortable with the speakers visibly and physically dominating the room, etc. I decided that Sound Labs were overweight and too-demanding poster children for what is wrong with most high end audio equipment.......which means they have a very loyal following among some wealthy audiophiles that can afford to throw common sense and value out the window. They ARE the best electrostatics with patented features to address many electrostatic problem areas, so it only gets worse with other brands of electrostats.
