Does anyone else have RtR Speakers?
- Thread starter huntingskeet
- Start date
DrumminDaddy
Hit it, Baby !!
DrumminDaddy
Hit it, Baby !!
oldbikedude
New Member
Wow Drummin1, thats a great collection of RTR's. Great shape, bet they sound great too.
janikphoto
Lunatic Member
I have a thread floating around on my rtr G-20's, which documents the purchase and re-foaming. Mine are more rare, as they retain the original flat passive radiators. It seems that all the threads I've seen on these speakers discusses replacement options, as the cardboard and foam discs tended to disappear when the surrounds rotted.
DrumminDaddy
Hit it, Baby !!
Thanks. I'm the original owner of the Model 4's and the IIIE's. Around 1980- vintage IIRC. I smoked the woofers along with my Technics SU-V8X some time in the early '90's.
The IIF's are a recent acquisition from a fellow AK'er. I don't know of any specs on these but I would imagine they are pretty sensitive. I'm currently running them with a Technics SU-V8 and I can't turn that amp much past 2-1/2 on the volume knob and it will about drive you out of the room. I can't listen too loud anymore these days anyhow. I've thrashed my poor ears over the years. But I still like to feel the low end when I listen. These have a nice low end that can punch without being boomy. I can feel that beat without cranking them too loud. I know they're not an audiophile grade speaker. But they are kick-ass rockers capable of some pleasantly surprising finesse.
The IIF's are a recent acquisition from a fellow AK'er. I don't know of any specs on these but I would imagine they are pretty sensitive. I'm currently running them with a Technics SU-V8 and I can't turn that amp much past 2-1/2 on the volume knob and it will about drive you out of the room. I can't listen too loud anymore these days anyhow. I've thrashed my poor ears over the years. But I still like to feel the low end when I listen. These have a nice low end that can punch without being boomy. I can feel that beat without cranking them too loud. I know they're not an audiophile grade speaker. But they are kick-ass rockers capable of some pleasantly surprising finesse.
DrumminDaddy
Hit it, Baby !!
I was able to acquire a set of RtR 10" woofers. I believe the model they were pulled from was equipped with dual tens because the seller had four for sale, although I wasn't able to acertain the exact model.
I replaced one and fired up the stereo and listened to both with the original in one and the replacement Pyramid in the other. I could hear a difference, mainly in the midrange. The RtR drivers sound much smoother in the midrange, as the replacements always were fatiguing to my ears. I couldn't listen to them at louder volumes very long.
I can't be certain if these are the exact drivers that came with this model, but they sound better to me now, and that's a good thing.
I replaced one and fired up the stereo and listened to both with the original in one and the replacement Pyramid in the other. I could hear a difference, mainly in the midrange. The RtR drivers sound much smoother in the midrange, as the replacements always were fatiguing to my ears. I couldn't listen to them at louder volumes very long.
I can't be certain if these are the exact drivers that came with this model, but they sound better to me now, and that's a good thing.
Grbluen
Super Member
I just have to contribute to this...
My first speakers were series three and this is while I was in high school. These speakers were absolutely awful! Everything happened so fast, college, work, and kids. I powered the speakers with a Sansui G series. I don't know what happened to the receiver or the speakers. But I'm absolutely sure that I had to have been running the speakers out of phase! I wish that I could have heard what they were capable of. Sad story...
My first speakers were series three and this is while I was in high school. These speakers were absolutely awful! Everything happened so fast, college, work, and kids. I powered the speakers with a Sansui G series. I don't know what happened to the receiver or the speakers. But I'm absolutely sure that I had to have been running the speakers out of phase! I wish that I could have heard what they were capable of. Sad story...
DrumminDaddy
Hit it, Baby !!
You're not missing out. I realize now why the mids were grating on me. These speakers have some cheap ass crossovers in them. The original woofers I installed have some stiffening agent sprayed on the back of the cone. As far as I can ascertain, a bandaid approach for an inadequate crossover design. I don't really know too much about crossovers, but these things only have a couple capacitors and the adjustable resistors. It would be interesting to know what they sounded like with a crossover that was designed better. They have some beefy cabinets. They could probably be tweaked to sound better. But I'll likely never know. That being said, they sound ok at moderate levels. Decent party speakers...
The IIF' s sound a bit better, definitely tighter bass. I haven't peaked inside them to see if the crossover is more substantial.
I'm not married to any of them. I'm relishing the notion of auditioning better speakers now that I have some better gear to push them.
If you have the older round badge models, that may be a different story. I just dunno.
DrumminDaddy
Hit it, Baby !!
^^^ back in the 70s would have been the round badges...
The newer ones have the tombstone shapes badges. FWIW, my drivers say made in Taiwan.
The newer ones have the tombstone shapes badges. FWIW, my drivers say made in Taiwan.
relaximus
Consoles 'Я' Us
DrumminDaddy
Hit it, Baby !!
Hehe, actually I did pick them up in CT.
Mine have darker foam over the drivers, though.
Mine have darker foam over the drivers, though.
DrumminDaddy
Hit it, Baby !!
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I'm willing to set these on the curb. (Although I did give the SeriesIII Model 4's to my son.)
Just saying I think there's some lost potential there. I don't think these early 80's one's I have here are quite the same as the white van-ish looking one's they sell now. But I am at the point in my audio journey where I've got my eyes (and ears) open to moving up the food chain.
