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RTR speakers

Those look like the RTR 1200 I think. There’s next to nothing on them online. Maybe the guy who bought all the old RTR stock might know some technical specs?
 
I believe they were built in the early days of RTR as they were transitioning from tweeter arrays to standard speakers. They have extensive crossovers and plug into 110 volt outlets. I believe the black panels in the one with no serial number are Janzen which they acquired the rights from Janzen to build their blue panels. I also think the one with black panels and no serial were experimental. I bought the blue panels from the guy in South Dakota and he called me stating he thought he was the only one to have set and his were new in the box out in his trailer. When I called him back a few weeks later asking about model # he stated he had no idea what I was talking about and he was the same guy. Even with the aftermarket drives the electrostatic panels run on their own power and are currently running on a 1962 Pioneer receiver with EL84 tubes at 17 watts and play perfect. I have ran them on multiple amplifiers up to 100 watt and my Mc275 but I like them right where they are.
 
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I can definitely see the appeal for tubes. I tend to run my ESR-6 with a Sherwood S5000, but the 180D’s are powered by a Citation 22.
The black panel looks like the ones they sold to Crown for their electrostatics. The Crown ones were the standard blue though.
 
A23gt said:
I can definitely see the appeal for tubes. I tend to run my ESR-6 with a Sherwood S5000, but the 180D’s are powered by a Citation 22.
The black panel looks like the ones they sold to Crown for their electrostatics. The Crown ones were the standard blue though.
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Russell Case said:
I believe they were built in the early days of RTR as they were transitioning from tweeter arrays to standard speakers. They have extensive crossovers and plug into 110 volt outlets. I believe the black panels in the one with no serial number are Janzen which they acquired the rights from Janzen to build their blue panels. I also think the one with black panels and no serial were experimental. I bought the blue panels from the guy in South Dakota and he called me stating he thought he was the only one to have set and his were new in the box out in his trailer. When I called him back a few weeks later asking about model # he stated he had no idea what I was talking about and he was the same guy. Even with the aftermarket drives the electrostatic panels run on their own power and are currently running on a 1962 Pioneer receiver with EL84 tubes at 17 watts and play perfect. I have ran them on multiple amplifiers up to 100 watt and my Mc275 but I like them right where they are.
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I sold 2 pair of RTR ESR15s to that guy in S. Dakota. Put them on eBay and he drove from there to my home in WI to pick them up. He got a good deal on them so I imagine it was worth the drive. I offered to power them up so he could hear them but he said no, that's OK. I don't recall what I sold them for but I suspect it was about 1/2 of what they were worth to the right buyer. I just needed them gone.
 
Bill S said:
I sold 2 pair of RTR ESR15s to that guy in S. Dakota. Put them on eBay and he drove from there to my home in WI to pick them up. He got a good deal on them so I imagine it was worth the drive. I offered to power them up so he could hear them but he said no, that's OK. I don't recall what I sold them for but I suspect it was about 1/2 of what they were worth to the right buyer. I just needed them gone.
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Hope he didn’t part them out. Panels and transformers are worth more that 5he speakers sell for.
 
When I was in the commercial photography business my partner and I had a studio in Canoga Park Ca. This was the late 70s early 80s. One of our accounts was the company that made RTR speakers. We did the speaker photography for their advertising. I accumulated a few pairs of some off the different models that are now long gone.I always that the speakers they sold were fair.
 
I recently bought a RTR Digital V model 500 speakers. To my ear they sound awesome. I initially went to buy a pair of RSL 6600H speakers that was listed on Craigslist, but the seller also has a pair of RTR model 500 speaker with better condition and slightly cheaper. I listened at his place. The RSL 6600H has stronger bass compared to the RTR, but the high frequency is little too harsh to my ear. Besides the harsh high of RSL 6600H, both speakers sounds wonderful. I personally like the sound of the RTR slightly better than the RSL 6600H mainly because I don’t like the harsh high of RSL 6600H, besides the RTR speaker has better cosmetic condition, slightly smaller and cheaper, I eventually bought the RTR speaker without any knowledge of RTR brand.


I have a pair of JBL4410 that I like a lot. I compared the RTR to JBL4410 although this is not a fair comparison because these two speakers are significantly different in size. The RTR model 500 speakers sound a lot better than JBL 4410 to my ear. Overall, I am very happy with the purchase.20220116_161344.jpg
 
I have the RTR ESR-15 pictured in my avatar. One of the AUDIO transformers has gone out and I need a replacement. Dealing with a former, well-known source has not been fruitful. If anyone knows where I can get the AUDIO transformer (NOT power transformer) for these speakers, please let me know. Thanks.
 
freemone233 said:
I have the RTR ESR-15 pictured in my avatar. One of the AUDIO transformers has gone out and I need a replacement. Dealing with a former, well-known source has not been fruitful. If anyone knows where I can get the AUDIO transformer (NOT power transformer) for these speakers, please let me know. Thanks.
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That’s a real tough find. You might be able to send the functional one to someone who winds transformers and have them make a couple. Might be costly, but they are great mid/tweeters. I really like my ESR-6 a lot.
 
I picked up a pair of their conventional floor standers for $100 for a friend who trusts my critical listening abilities.
They lasted about a year until ADS L810's bested them in his opinion.
Seems like there is always a pair listed on Denver's CL.
 
Dr. Ears said:
I picked up a pair of their conventional floor standers for $100 for a friend who trusts my critical listening abilities.
They lasted about a year until ADS L810's bested them in his opinion.
Seems like there is always a pair listed on Denver's CL.
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Lol, you weren’t kidding. There’s a pair of 180D on there right now. The little brother to the 280-DR. That’s pretty hard to find in my neck of the woods.
 
Dr. Ears said:
I picked up a pair of their conventional floor standers for $100 for a friend who trusts my critical listening abilities.
They lasted about a year until ADS L810's bested them in his opinion.
Seems like there is always a pair listed on Denver's CL.
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I'll bet I have that same pair you had.Digital V Model 500.
 
As a commercial industrial photographer in the 70s and 80s my partner and I had the RTR account to photograph their speakers for advertisement, I still have a pair I commandeered. Use them occasionally but not my favorites. Series III
Active woofer, passive woofer, midrange and tweeter
 
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