Who can identify the model on these Rogers Sound Lab 2 ways

[Ric Harris]

I bought these RSL's and am having the darnedest time finding any info on the model number. They are identical to a pair of MK's I sold a couple years ago. I also have a black pair of these sitting in the garage just waiting for me to haul them inside and put the drivers back in them.
I am posting the ebay picks as there still in the box they arrived in waiting their turn for refoam and recap.
These are some of the beefiest built speakers I've ever come across. Any opinions on their performance?

 

[stickman]

These are the RSL "Magnificent" model and although made for many years never had that name listed anywhere on the speaker. They are a very good sounding speaker for a medium priced 8" two way system and the cabinets are well built with real wood veneer on the outside. Although they are a sealed box air suspension configuration they are still quite efficient. The tweeters are from SEAS but I do not know which company made the woofers used. These appear on Craigslist around the LA area frequently since so many were sold and usually fetch about $ 100 a pair which is very good sonic value for the money.

 

[Ric Harris]

These are the RSL "Magnificent" model and although made for many years never had that name listed anywhere on the speaker. They are a very good sounding speaker for a medium priced 8" two way system and the cabinets are well built with real wood veneer on the outside. Although they are a sealed box air suspension configuration they are still quite efficient. The tweeters are from SEAS but I do not know which company made the woofers used. These appear on Craigslist around the LA area frequently since so many were sold and usually fetch about $ 100 a pair which is very good sonic value for the money.

I've seen that "Magnificent" name used on them before but thought there might actually be a model #. You are correct the tweeters and the drivers are super heavy duty but like you I have no clue who built them. My guess is their Danish or from the UK as that's were these were built. Like I stated I had some MK's that were identical cabinet wise but the guts differed slightly. Tweeter was the same but the driver and crossovers were a little lighter duty if memory serves.
Here some pics of the driver if anyone can ID them.
I will say that these may be worth more in parts than as a whole. The tweeters might fetch 50.00 for the pair or more. Big bad SEAS tweeters are most desirable.

 

[stickman]

The EIA Manufacturer's code on the woofer shows these were made by Fisher (1056) during the 35th week of 1989. RSL used sealed back midrange drivers from Fisher as well, some models of which have remained functional over the intervening years and some that have not (like those in my RSL 3600's)! (lol)

I've always been confounded by the use of this 1056 EIA Code for Fisher speaker drivers in the 1970's and beyond when Fisher stereo gear was for the most part manufactured in Japan during that time frame. This was long after the name had been purchased from the American company started by Avery Fisher that made such great gear in the 1950's and 1960's. Japanese manufacturers never typically used an EIA code as those were for audio manufacturers in North America, but could a Japanese manufacturer operating under the Fisher name use that code to make people think the drivers were being made in North America? I have a pair of BIC-Fisher "pincushion" open back midrange drivers used in some later Wharfedale W-60 and W-70 models which confuses matters further as BIC stood for "British Industries Coucil" although BIC did have an American speaker manufacturing facility.

If anyone in AudioKarma Land knows where EIA Code 1056 "Fisher" drivers were manufactured in the 1970's and later, I'd love to know!

 

[JimPA]

They appear to be the Madisound brand budget polypropylene cone woofers that were popular in the 1980-90's .
Gefco labeled all their woofers 1056 in red.
Gefco closed their doors because the owner retired then the woofers were no longer available.

 

[Ric Harris]

The EIA Manufacturer's code on the woofer shows these were made by Fisher (1056) during the 35th week of 1989. RSL used sealed back midrange drivers from Fisher as well, some models of which have remained functional over the intervening years and some that have not (like those in my RSL 3600's)! (lol)

I've always been confounded by the use of this 1056 EIA Code for Fisher speaker drivers in the 1970's and beyond when Fisher stereo gear was for the most part manufactured in Japan during that time frame. This was long after the name had been purchased from the American company started by Avery Fisher that made such great gear in the 1950's and 1960's. Japanese manufacturers never typically used an EIA code as those were for audio manufacturers in North America, but could a Japanese manufacturer operating under the Fisher name use that code to make people think the drivers were being made in North America? I have a pair of BIC-Fisher "pincushion" open back midrange drivers used in some later Wharfedale W-60 and W-70 models which confuses matters further as BIC stood for "British Industries Coucil" although BIC did have an American speaker manufacturing facility.

If anyone in AudioKarma Land knows where EIA Code 1056 "Fisher" drivers were manufactured in the 1970's and later, I'd love to know!

I kind of had a hunch about the Wharfedale using that driver. I did some surrounds for a guy some time ago and he had W-60's and was impressed with the mass of those drivers. When I pull those drivers out that was my first thought but I am wrong as often as right. The Fisher connection I wouldn't have considered. I sold HiFi back in the mid 80's and by then Fisher was well into their decline in quality. By the mid 80's too many brands had declined in quality, died or should have.
RSL's seemed to be a brand that was primarily found on the west coast. I never even heard of them until maybe 10 years ago. I sure would like to know who built those cabinets as they are solid as they get. As I had mentioned originally I had some Miller and Kressel's that used that same cabinet and grill. Their unmistakable because the veneer goes the wrong way. Obviously the cabinet maker used "fall off" from bookcases or wall units. I built furniture and you'd chop or crosscut the plywood to the desired length say 80" then rip the 48 x 80 into the desired width's. The 48 x 16 falloff isn't good for much so it had to be a win win for both parties.

Sadly I thing the parts are worth more than the sum as those tweeters are SWWEEETT!

 

[GordonW]

They appear to be the Madisound brand budget polypropylene cone woofers that were popular in the 1980-90's .
Gefco labeled all their woofers 1056 in red.
Gefco closed their doors because the owner retired then the woofers were no longer available.

Those are Gefco, absolutely, no question, full stop. NOT Fisher. FIsher DID NOT manufacture a SINGLE driver with the number "1056" after the buyout by Sanyo in the 1970s. Those drivers have a 35th week of 1989 date code- more than a decade after the last Fisher driver was built with the number "1056" on it, was made.

That said- those may be very similar to the Madisound Sledgehammer driver- but it doesn't say "6102" on it, which was the model number of the driver Madisound sold. All Madisound-sold drivers had their model numbers on them- and the number on that driver does not have a number that matches any Madisound driver. So, it's likely made by Gefco for a different client than Madisound...

EDIT: Oops, I thought that was a 6" driver (hence the reference to "6102" as the Madisound driver similar to it). If it's an 8", the comparable Madisound driver would have been the 8152 or 8154 or the like. It would have been first digit "8", in other words. The driver above doesn't fit any of the Madisound driver numbering conventions, for their drivers built by Gefco.

Regards,
Gordon.

 

[JimPA]

Those are Gefco, absolutely, no question, full stop. NOT Fisher. FIsher DID NOT manufacture a SINGLE driver with the number "1056" after the buyout by Sanyo in the 1970s. Those drivers have a 35th week of 1989 date code- more than a decade after the last Fisher driver was built with the number "1056" on it, was made.

That said- those may be very similar to the Madisound Sledgehammer driver- but it doesn't say "6102" on it, which was the model number of the driver Madisound sold. All Madisound-sold drivers had their model numbers on them- and the number on that driver does not have a number that matches any Madisound driver. So, it's likely made by Gefco for a different client than Madisound...

Regards,
Gordon.

Gefco made a lot drivers over the years.
After Carboneau was sold Gefco gained some of their former customers.
Now Misco has acquired some of the former Gefco customers.

I can't tell by the photo if the tweeters are 1" or 3/4" domes?

BTW Gefco used a fairly thick gauge of metal for their stamped frames.
Some of the stamped frames from the PE buyout drivers I have used have a much thinner gauge of metal then some of my Gefco woofers.

 

[GordonW]

Yes, once Peerless/Precision, Becker and Rola closed up shop, Cleveland Speakers was sued out of existence by the EPA, Pyle was bought out by the group formerly known as Pyramid Sound Corp., and Carbonneau was bought and folded into the Rockford Fosgate organization (and stopped making OEM driver for anyone else), etc, etc... Gefco picked up a lot of the demand for OEM hi-fi drivers in the USA, along with Credence and Eminence.

Now that, AFAIK, Credence is no more- and Eminence is doing mostly pro-audio drivers now- Misco is virtually the "last man standing" in the small-volume US driver manufacturing segment. They have upped their game considerably in the last decade...

Regards,
Gordon.

 

[stickman]

Gordon, thank you for the information on the Gefco woofer used in the RSL Magnificent. Did Gefco assume the 1056 early Fisher EIA Code after Sanyo bought them out? Also, did Gefco ever have their own EIA Code as a speaker manufacturer in the US? I had heard once that Gefco was somehow associated with North American Philips (Norelco), but I do not know if there is any truth to that.

Every EIA Manufacturers Code list I have even looked at for loudspeaker manufacturers list only Fisher as the brand associated with the 1056 code, so you can understand the cause of my confusion. Did any other manufacturers assume/borrow/adopt the EIA codes from earlier US speaker manufacturers that had fallen by the wayside? Enquiring minds want to know! (lol)

 

[Ric Harris]

Gefco made a lot drivers over the years.
After Carboneau was sold Gefco gained some of their former customers.
Now Misco has acquired some of the former Gefco customers.

I can't tell by the photo if the tweeters are 1" or 3/4" domes?

BTW Gefco used a fairly thick gauge of metal for their stamped frames.
Some of the stamped frames from the PE buyout drivers I have used have a much thinner gauge of metal then some of my Gefco woofers.

Those domes are slightly better than 1" my guess without a calipers handy is they're 30 mm being Danish made and all. They weigh more than the 5 1/4 infinity driver I just refoamed. They're serious tweeters.

 

[c-atle-79bay]

Did Phase Tech make the cabinets for these?

 

[stickman]

From at least the late 1970's through RSL's folding in 1992 the better quality speaker cabinets with real wood veneers were made by a company owned by one of the brothers of RSL's number 2 in command under Howard. That company made both the RSL speaker cabinets and also a variety of top quality wood A/V racks and speaker stands sold by RSL exclusively. I was always impressed by the quality of the woodworking and construction involved in their products while I was employed there in the mid to late 1980's.

 

[c-atle-79bay]

Unfortunately the ones I found have replacement drivers.

 

[Go Giants]

Sorry to resurrect this post. I found a pair of RSL Magnificent's a while back at my local Goodwill. No markings to indicate what they were. Heavy and well built...so I grabbed them.They sound great. I have them in a spare bedroom powered by a Sansui Eight Deluxe receiver. RSL was/is direct to consumer company. Didn't need them...but glad I grabbed them. Does anyone know if they sold kits too...like Speakerlab did?

 

[stickman]

The answer to your question is NO! RSL never sold any speaker kits. They had their own speaker assembly plant in LA's San Fernando Valley and they were delivered to the various RSL retail store locations as ordered.

The Magnificent was a long lived and good selling model as the price and size were reasonable for a lot of applications and offered really good sound quality for their price point.

 

[Go Giants]

The answer to your question is NO! RSL never sold any speaker kits. They had their own speaker assembly plant in LA's San Fernando Valley and they were delivered to the various RSL retail store locations as ordered.

The Magnificent was a long lived and good selling model as the price and size were reasonable for a lot of applications and offered really good sound quality for their price point.

Ok...thanks. Yes.. these are quality speakers for sure. One of the better sounding bookshelf speakers I've heard. They reminded me a bit of Speakerlab's I've owned....especially the grill frame.

 

[audiodudeIE]

Talk about reopening a thread, I just picked up this pair of RSL Magnificent's from Goodwill 2 days ago , I have not tested them yet, I do know the Tweeters are Seas the same model I have in my GNP model 201 speakers. The woofers I don't know, I am thinking about using them with my 8-9 wpc tube amp which should do okay since the speakers are 91db. We will see how it goes I think I am going to refresh the black, front and rear and may give the cabinets another coat of Clear. I am happy with them for just $70 all in.