Price Paid:  $399.00 from toma audio

Summary:
I bought the RTS 5s on sale for AUS $399 at toma audio on the gold coast. The speakers sounded great in their accoustically deadened audition room. I took them home and set them up with my AMC amp and sony SACD player. MAN! these things sound BAD!. I hoped they would improve once i had broken them in, and they did but they still sound wierd. I'll agree with the other reviews and say that the sound staging in quite good for speakers of this price, but the heavy midbass and overall flat sound just doesnt do it for me.The highs at times got spitty and sharp. in long listening sessions, my ears to get tired and strained trying to listen to some details that are drowned by the midbass. Overall, i would say that if you primarily listen to rock or pieces of music with synth bass, i would go for these because they will blow you away. If you like music with detail, steer clear.

Strengths:
great sound staging awesome for heavy rock and synth music tiny footprint nice plain design the spikes supplied are great

Weaknesses:
too much bass drowns out fine details Tweeter delivers well, but after ling listening periods gets realy charp flat not musical sound

Similar Products Used:
B&W 602s3, Dali axs3000, Dali blue2002, Dali axs 5000

Price Paid:  $199.00 from Audio Advisor

Summary:
As the satisfied owner of a pair of RTS 3's, I jumped at the RTS 5's on blowout. This may have been a mistake. The bass presence is immediately noticed (and felt)but is muddy; excessive midbass interferes with the overall sound clarity,which is not as good as the RTS 3. The latter has much more "black" around each instrument. Hopefully, after a complete burn-in the faults will disappear -- but i doubt completely.

Strengths:
Price, bass response, small footprint. Good speaker for heavy rock music and home theater movies.

Weaknesses:
Excessive midbass, disappointing sound clarity, bland cabinet.

Similar Products Used:
Clements 207 di, Sound Dynamics RTS 3, Mirage 290, Polk Audio (several bookshelf models), DCM Timeframe 600, Platinum Audio, Energy

Price Paid:  $215.00 from Sound Advice

Summary:
I helped my father pick these out in his quest to "upgrade" his stereo from the 70's. He only wanted to spend $200 CDN ($125 U.S)on speakers. This is an outgoing model so the speakers were on sale for $300 CDN, down from $550. I decided to give them a listen.
I was quite surprised at how nice they sounded. They're not as nice as my Paradigm monitor 9's, but for the money I don't think you can find a better tower speaker for this price.
The high's were crisp and clear, the midrange was a little staticy, reasonable bass for a 5" driver, and the soundstage was big. This speaker will sound alot better (the static would disappear with a better amp) when my pops replaces his solid state Sansui 70's receiver.
My dad was impressed enough to pry open his wallet for $345 CDN with taxes, now for an amplifier!

Strengths:
Excellent value for the money

Weaknesses:
for the money I would say none

Similar Products Used:
Paradigm, B&W

Summary:
bought these used to stick in my bedroom system - some may laugh - these big guys in a bedroom? I had previously had Paradigms with a subwoofer in this system, and I have to say, the Paradigms sounded nicer. But what blew me away with these speakers, and where they beat the Paradigms is with the sound staging! No matter where my head is while laying down and rolling around on my bed, the sound-staging is ever present! Unbelievable! Unfortunately, the soundstaging and imaging are the only good things about this speaker. If I hadn't gotten them for so cheap, I'd sell them and go back to the Paradigms. The Paradigms are much more natural sounding, though with a compressed sound stage compared to these.

Strengths:
gorgeous wide soundstage and imaging, decent high-end

Weaknesses:
tonality is on the "lifeless" side, not hearing much bass extention at all

Similar Products Used:
Paradigm Titan and Atoms, JBL studio monitors

Price Paid:  $370.00 from Sound Advice

Summary:
Efficient speaker. Not finicky about what powers it, used both a light weight Denon DRA-275 to a hefty vintage Pioneer sx-880. Sounds great listening to music ranging from live jazz recordings (lots of detail) to Rough Trade's Avoid Freud (Canadian content requirement applies to our review of audio equipment). They pound! Best sound I got out of them was from vinyl (no suprise). Sexy profile too (flair out moderately).
Good value.

Strengths:
Solid bass, full balanced sound, very natural.

Weaknesses:
None obvious.

Similar Products Used:
B&W 501's