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Review 1 of 1
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This is the new RS3, not the R3. The RS3 has different cabinet size and tweeter than the now discontinued R3. I tried the R1 and liked it well enough (I reviewed it here too) to try RS3 which I got right when they came out in the US. The RS3 is an affordable floorstanding speaker, the finish is very nice, the speaker is very light for the size by design (even the reference R9 is light for its size). Rega takes a view that less mass is better than more mass when it comes to resonance, they apply that view to their turntables and speakers regardless of price point. Relative to R1, the RS3 presents a bigger stage, deeper bass, better treble. All of the Rega speaker attributes remain- fleet of foot and engaging without offending. This is the only speaker I have owned and used in my house where the term "uncoloured" applies in the very best sense. The bass has impecable timing, the midrange is beautifully open, maybe just a hair sweet which I like, and the treble is "informative". I understand exactly what the stereotimes internet reveiwer means when he mentiones the R1 telling you "how each cymbal was played". I put on Keith Jarrett trio "Out of towners" and that is really true with the RS3 too, Jack dejohnettes tasteful cymbal work is brought out in a very musical way. Also I played- The Feelies "Only Life" cd (the first four songs) bass was tight and punchy as were the drums and lets you know this band has a good rhythm section, the multitracked acoustic and electric guitars were really 3 D with good seperation yet integrated with the whole, The Feelies were a very involving listen on RS3. Next was Dire Straits Love over gold title track- OMG this track never sounded better, gargantuan sound stage, detailed, acoustic guitar sounding great and the time changes before and during the chorus were captivating. Next was Stan Getz "I wish I knew" and "Come rain or come shine" from Pure Getz cd. I'll be brief- Jazz music excels on the RS3 (and as mentioned they absolutely love Keith Jarrett trio). Now we come to Schmann piano concerto Kissin/Vienna Philharmonic, hey classical music has rhythm too!, the Rega speaker does classical in a way that I have'nt heard before, though there was a slight sharpness to the string tone and a slight overall lightness of the orchestra than say a B&W, the time changes and dynamic shading of the Orchestra are brought to the fore. It's hard to describe but the Regas are involving despite their being a different kettle of fish tonally, I find nothing offensive about their overall tonality, this is because they are truly exceptional in the areas of timing and coherence. In short, the Regas will make plenty of other speakers sound jumbled.
I dont realy know why so few US dealers carry the Rega speakers because they are pretty darn good. Over in England the R3 is a cult product. I can sure see the RS3 carrying on that following. A few notes: make certain thay are rock steady and even on the spikes (which takes some time), and I got the best results with woofers facing out. They have one terminal per speaker instead of 2 or 3, and so are not bi-wirable, which I consider a plus. To conclude The RS3 is a very good speaker, try and listen to a pair if you can. Reveiwed in home with Rega Elicit integrated amp, Jupiter cdp, P5, wires were Supra 3.4S and audioquest quartz interconnect.
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