Everything

Some people are not going to like the looks the picture is there for everyone to see. I like contempory things.

I am going to try to make this as short as possible because there are so many great reviews of this product below. Also writing is not my forte, music and dance is. I have been playing music and dancing since the 5th grade. I could always feel and hear what was going on and could play by ear from the begining. The reason I am bringing this up is two fold. First is I know what music and instrutments sound like. And second if you have the ability to feel music it brings another level of complexity to the party.
These speakers are in a league all of their own anywhere in there price range and maybe at any price range. I want to make this point extremly clear. Most speakers are just plain speakers reproducing some electronic noise, sometimes almost convenicing you that it is a real instrutment. These speakers reproduce Music!!! Real emotional seamless music!!! To give you an example a friend was over the other day and I was playing Illinois Jacquet Birthday Party (If you are in to jazz this is a must have 180 gram album) I pulled out my trumpet and started playing just to the side of the speaker, he thought I was part of the band. So I was playing a real trumpet in the same room and it sounded like what was coming out the speaker. Here is where I am going out of control. There are plenty of speakers which can give you detail and plenty to give soundstage and this placement thing. But how many can make music sound like real music and do soundstage and be seamless etc... I know the 645's can and out of the hundreds of speakers I have heard it kills the rest.

One of the reasons I decided to give these a try was because of a review below, where he was talking about growing up, with a piano in the house and how the 645 reproduces a piano sound. Man was he right, when you put the right recording on, be prepared for the ride of your life, assuming you like piano. It rings, it sings, it fills the room with sound like a piano does.

I do not want to go on about all the technical things which I am not that well versed at the moment but there is one thing that most larger speakers always had, which bugged me, and that was the bass or midbass seemed separate from the rest of music, there was a gap. Poor speaker matching, crossover design, do not know but I heard it time and time again. Never think about it any more the piano can go the whole range and it sounds like a piano going the whole range.

The others reviewer have touched on all the music these speakers can handle, but I do not remember much on rock. I have Pink Folyd's the Wall on L.P. and Pulse on C.D. Both very dyanmic recordings and the 645's rock. Ok if all you did was rock, maybe a sub, but I would make sure there was not the gap I mentioned earlier. Also if you only do Rush at a 100 db and want to shake the neighbors windows then your search will be easy, studio monitors that is what they use to do rock and roll concerts.

I could go on about what a nice guy John is and how he returns your phone calls and he knows his stuff but did not everyone else already say that!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok John has one flaw he does not have any tube gear and does not own a turntable(does not like background noise). But I can tell you his speakers love tubes and turntables and even my C.D. is making music like never before. Ok I have to admit it I have some C.D.'s now, that I can say, sound better than a lot of albums I have.

I had the 630 first and upgraded to the 645 one more reason to deal with John. Could I have lived with the 630, you bet. Is the 645 better, you bet!! Now all we are talking about is money. In fact as we speak the 630 are arriving at his door, maybe a demo deal call him. Will do a 630 review latter with some of the comparisons between the two!!!

You owe it to yourself to demo these speakers or the 630's if you can not afford the 645's. Worse case you out one way shipping cost.

Equipment:
turntable Sota star with orgin mod rega 250 arm and grado
platinum
C.D. Ah tojeb has tube section
Amp A.E.S super amp kt88 Class A triode zero feedback
Pre Amp Bottle Head foreplay most mods 12 au7 tubes
Phono Amp Anthem Pre 1p tube again

Similar Products Used:

Demo and listen to way to many to list here.

Great sound over all the frequency spectrum for a relatively low cost. Very efficient. Easy to set-up and and very good imaging even in less than ideal rooms. Small footprint. Reputable company. Fantastic customer support.

Few finishes available. Weird look scores low on Spouse Acceptance Factor (SAF) scale.

Ok, now it's time to update my previous preliminary review (see below, dated 1/12/2000). Many people have send me messages asking me if I still liked them so I think this update is in order.

So, for all of you who asked: "Do you still like your R645s after a few months?", the answer is: YES! and I'm building another pair for myself :-)

Everybody (some of them pro musicians, studio engineers and audiophiles) who has come to my house was amazed by what they heard in my less than ideal setting (work will be beginning shortly on a new listening room).

I went to the Montreal Hi-Fi Show a few months ago and didn't find a single dynamic speaker I'd rather have at any price and I've listened to JMLabs Mezzo, Cabasse, Proac, etc.

Since my preliminary review the speakers have evolved in several ways (all good):

1) the initial response of the ribbons has changed very rapidly in the first few hours and then more progressively towards what I consider today as a steady state: very precise and crystal clear highs and mids with no harshness at all.

2) mid/woofers (the incredible Scan-Speak 18W/8545s) have shown to me that size does not really matter. Only performance does :-) The bass is powerful enough to shake the house and yet never boomy. It's fast and clean.

These speakers are capable of high SPLs because of their high efficiency. To test them a little at times I've listened at levels I would begin to consider unsafe (for my ears, not the speakers) for more than a few minutes and they performed beautifully: bass was strong and tight but never boomy, highs and mids were very present but never harsh. All this (still) using one Bryston Powerpac 120 per channel and my preamp set at 30 %.

Imaging is very good even in my room so I can't wait to listen to them in a larger room. I'm glad I've chosen the R645s instead of the smaller R630s because I cannot hear any difference in sound if I listen standing (rare) or (more frequent) I listen sitting in an adjacent room is is a few feet higher than the one where the R645s are located.

Feed the R645s a clean waveform and they will render it perfectly. Feed them bad recordings and they will show no mercy (the GIGO principle) especially for sibilent singers.

Some good recordings I found especially interesting on the R645s:

- Joshua Redman's Timeless Tales... (track 17) for the sax and bass intro
- Patricia Barber's Cafe Blue (track 11) for the VERY dynamic drum solo
- Patricia Berber's ModernCool (track 1 and others) for the deep bass
- Keb' Mo' Just like You (track 4) for hard driving blues
- Jacintha's Autumn Leaves (track 10) for the incredible piano

and any good jazz, blues and rock/pop recording.

I finally got around to listen to some of my classical CDs that to my amazement sounded beautiful on the R645s (given my room size etc.). I especially liked: baroque trumpet concertos (several on Naxos), symphonic music, sonatas for piano & cello, etc.

Have I bi-amped my R645s? Not yet but I'm still seriously looking into it. I've found a marvelous digital electronic crossover, the XTA DP-226 (www.xta.co.uk) but I've decided to go for another pair of R645s before :-)

Have I finished the enclosures? Not yet, that's why I'm building another pair of enclosures. I will veneer these first and when everything is ready install the drivers and break them in. Then I will do the same with the other pair so I don't have to go without speakers even for a single day. I already bought all the necessary veneer: large pieces of beautiful birdseye+quilted maple. I also want to put accents of a different wood. Species being considered: cocobolo, maple burl, zebrano and a few others.

Do I recommend the R645s ? ABSOLUTELY! At that price you simply cannot go wrong (and IMHO you could not regret it even at ten times the price). BTW: you don't see many used R645s being sold which is an indication of their quality and how difficult it is to improve on them at any price, let alone any reasonnable price. Yes, they're that good!

Nemo

Similar Products Used:

Listened to: Martin Logans, Maggies, Cabasse, JMLab, etc.

I have owned my R645's only a few months, and they are the best overall speaker system I have ever owned or heard. I have owned or had extensive listening experiences with Apogee Stages, B&W 801's, Acarian Alon IV's, Legacy Focus, Carver Ribbons, Martin Logan Quests, various Thiel's, Epos, Sonus Fabers,and Mirage M3's. The Newforms excel in most areas and are above average in all others. They have very few compromises. Resolution without harshness, speed and transparency are what these speakers are all about. Not to mention they are very efficient and easy to drive, not only for a ribbon design, but for any type of speaker. They will sound good with a mass-market surround sound receiver, and they will captivate you when driven by good high-end electronics, tube or solid state. When you take into account their $2200 price, it's a no-brainer. They only aspect you might find lacking is deep bass impact in a larger room, but you will need a 'good' sub, not a boom box. Kudo's to Newform Research for a true 'high-end' product without a 'high-end' price.

An incredibly emotional speaker. Capable of bringing you direct in contact with the artist. Easy to listen to; absolutely no fatigue. Imaging, sound stage, detail, dynamics are all at reference level. I am still stunned at how good the 645s are!

Really none. Perhaps SAF. My wife wants me to build a listening room in the basement. :-)

Since I'm only back in the listening game for a while now I'll leave the more technical reviews to the more experienced. I can say that I agree with everything else the reviewers on this site have said.

Mostly I want to report to you my emotional reaction to the 645s. To me, listening to music is an escape from the stresses of everyday life. It's the ability to sit for a while and listen to some of the world's most creative people. I wanted a system that would allow me to "feel" things and not have to concentrate on technical details.

I see the Newform 645s as the center piece of that system. They are very realistic. I feel as though I have my favorite performers right in the room with me. For example, I am a great fan of Sarah Brightman. The first song I played on the 645s was "A whiter shade of pale" from her La Luna CD. Nothing is my new system was broken in yet, and I hadn't yet placed the speakers according to John Meyer's suggestions. But what an amazing experience. I have never heard her sound so good! I was, to use an overused phrase, swept away. Even my sometimes doubting wife felt that what she was hearing was remarkable. High praise indeed.

I listen nightly now. I've bought more CDs. All I wnated from a system is there. If you're loking for speakers in the mid $2000 range please give Mr John Meyer a call. I don't think you can go wrong.

P.S. John Meyer is not only a brilliant speaker designer - he's also a helpful, dedicated human being. We need more people like him.

Similar Products Used:

Back in the market after a 20 year hiatus. I auditioned so many speakers in this price range. There are some really good alternatives out there, but the 645s have them beat hands down. Everything else sounded boxy and constrained.

Soundstaging, purity, warmth

Height, dynamics. Packing.

I had the Newforms in my system for a short time (I was actually the one who sold Brad from below his pair, sorry again about the shipping damage).

The biggest problem for me was the height of the ribbon and the very narrow vertical dispersion. Because I sit low the highs were noticeable rolled off. I suspect this is what caused the problems for the reviewer two down.

Apart from that I thought the speaker was very nice, although I am not as in love with it as some here, mainly because I thought it lacked the dynamics I like.

For me, it would have been better (and shorter) as a true satellite system. I find the bass extension it has, while very good, unecessary as I have very good subs.

Still, the fact that the speakers I prefer to the Newforms retailed at between 2 times and 8 times their cost speaks volumes for their value.

Similar Products Used:

Martin-Logan CLS, Magnepan MG10, Gallo Nucleus Reference, Genesis V, Infinity Prelude MTS. Currently a Wilson WATT/Entec system

None sonically speakeing. Physical appearance may be a problem for some. Minor ergonomic flaws.

Before I convey my opinion of the 645s, I must address Mel's review. No one supports the 1st Amendment more than I but that said, I must question the legitimacy of his rating, if not his opinion. IMHO, the build quality of 645s alone make a value rating of 1 non-sequetor. As for Mel's overall rating, I define a "2" as sub-average performance. I could even understand, if not agree with a "3" given Mel's views, but when you see 44 other 5-star overall ratings in stark contrast to Mel's, one must, again, question the legitimacy of score, but I'll leave that to the site host to decide; nuff said.

Much postive ink has already been shed on the sonic virtues of this speaker and I concur with all of them, so I will speak to an important property that has not been discussed much: The 645's ability to effectively produce tall acoustic soundstages and images.

Once I listened to my first tall planar speakers at home (ML Sequel IIs') a few years ago, I made the decision to employ this class of loudspeaker exclusively. I made this decision because, IMHO, tall planars reproduce soundstages more realistically than any dynamic model that does not employ a tall driver array. At one time or another, I have listened to some of the finest dynamic speakers on the planet but regardless of how good they sounded, I always knew I was listening to an imperfect simulation of a live event because of small soundstage size. Put another way, in my mind, I was listening to a really superb pair of loudspeakers as opposed to the actual event. Planars that are sonically accurate and capable of producing tall images are unique in their ability to acoustically suspend disbelief in the same way that movies do visually (when viewed in properly equiped spaces, but that's another story). The effective suspension of disbelief is, at the end of the day, the Holy Grail of the audiophile hobby; it is the "point" of the hobby. If you think I'm "flapping" about this, buy the 645s and listen to them exclusively for two to three weeks; then replace them with any typical dynamic loudspeaker (no tall dynamic driver array) and listen to the same music: You'll see what I mean...

As I stated previously, the beauty of the 645 lies in its ability to give the listener all of the sonic advantages of the best tall dipoles (Maggies, MLs, Soundlabs, etc.) without their ergonomic baggage such as:

* 2-3 ft. minimal rear wall spacing requirements
(645s' can work well with as little as 12 inches)

* The power cords required for electrostatics
(No power cords for the 645s')

* Large physical width (Maggies, Soundlabs, some MLs)
requiring a larger listening room so the speaker is not
in your face at 10 feet from the listening position
(645s' are less than 9 inches wide at their widest point)

* Significant amplification requirements (Maggies,
Soundlabs, some MLs)
(645s' can play fairly loud in a 18X25 ft. room with 25WPC)

* The potential for somewhat nebulous soundstaging and imaging
(Because 645s' are monopolar with physically narrow baffles, they can (and do in my room) image like good mini-monitors)

* Price
(You'll be hard-pressed to find any planar offering comparable performance anywhere near the 645's price)

Please do not misinterpret my comments about the aforementioned loudspeakers as they are, for the most part, wonderful products. The point I am trying to make is that the 645s' can give you all of their sonic benefits in a much more flexible design.

Final Thoughts and Tertiary Information

I did note some minor ergonomic flaws with the 645s:

* Spikes are provided but footing suitable for hard
floors are not.
(Fix: Call ML parts dept. and ask for SL-3 threaded glides. They fit the 645s perfectly and cost $12)

* The ribbons were not visibly plumb when bolted to its brace
(Fix: Five thin washers (2 on one speaker, 3 on the other) inserted between the ribbons and their respective braces

* Wire terminals are located toward the top of the bass enclosure
(I would recommend re-location to bottom of enclosure to save on the cost of expensive wire and improve appearance if the speakers are well out into a room and visible from the rear.

I repeat, these are minor quibbles, not noteworthy issues.

I've owned a fair number of respected loudspeakers in my day, but the 645s' are the best I have ever owned in terms of aggregate performance. They have no real sonic flaws to speak of and are a joy to listen to. I highly recommened them.

Ancilliary Equipment:

* Theta Casablanca Surround Controller with Standard DACs
* Sunfire Cinema Grand Pwr Amp (highly underrated)
* (2X)Onkyo M301 DVD/CD Megachangers via coax digital out
* Carver TX-8R Tuner
* (2X)Definitive Technology PF15+ Subwoofers (Movies only)
* Straightwire analog and digital interconnects
* Goertz Alphacore MI-1 speaker wire

Similar Products Used:

Martin Logan Sequel II, Thiel CS 2.2, Carver ALIII+

Everything

May prompt you to upgrade your other components :)

In brief, the R645's are probably the most enriching purchase I've ever made. I love them.

I too have very little to add to the excellent reviews below, which helped me to accurately 'picture' the sound of these speakers before ordering them from half way across the world without actually hearing them first (many thanks to those reviewers!).

I was initially looking for 'regular' magnetostatic speakers because of their lively, transparent sound. Planar speakers also have drawbacks though, and after a lot of reading up, I picked the Newforms ribbon speakers instead because they're easier to drive, easier to position (no backwave), have better bass, a much larger sweet spot, even better transparancy, and they're indifferent to my wooden floor and rather low ceilings. And they look nicer, too! (they're big, but they have a friendly look and they don't obscure the look through my windows like planar speakers would).

I won't bore you with more comments about the wonderful, lively and lifelike sound.. just see the other reviews. My only criticism is that there's sometimes a slight difference in character and positioning between the low and high tones, but I've only noticed that in a few accoustic recordings where bass seemed to 'stick' to the speakers a little more than the other instruments, which just seem to float in the room, completely detached from the speakers. That being said, I have yet to hear better speakers, both for classical as well as jazz, rock, blues, etc.

Equipment used:

-AH!Tjoeb 99 CD-player with Siemens E288CC SQ tubes
-Electrocompaniet ECI-2 2x50W integrated amp
(I'm looking for a faster amp that really does the R645s justice)
-JPS labs ultraconductor IC and LS cables
-32 yr old ears, 440 sqr feet room.

Similar Products Used:

Eminent Technology LFT VIII, Magnepan

Look much better than the web picture; very visually unobtrusive.

Get extremely bright at some point above the crossover point. Cost nearly $200 shipping to hear.

Great imaging out of the box. Unbearably bright with a peak above the 1kHz crossover point confirmed with a sound lever meter. After 240 hours burn-in, the brightness started to become almost bearable, but my wife still preferred the sound of the MMGs to these. She could not even give them a good listen. I tried to listen a lot, but suffered from much listening fatigue and exacerbation of slight tinnitus. The music never became enjoyable in that time, but after the 240 hours, it did start to approach listenable and almost enjoyable and some people say that at twice that time, they really change their character, but that may take longer than the allowed trial period.
The Maggie 1.6s were clearly better even with only a few seconds of listening in the store for us even w/ Rotel electronics.
Equipment: NAD CD 512, Transparent premium digital cable, Golden Theater GTX1 crossed over at 40Hz, Transparent Music Link ICs, Monarchy SE100 deluxe monoblocks, Nordost Solar Wind speaker cables.

Similar Products Used:

Magnepan 1.6 QRs, MMGs.

Soundstaging
Excellent Dynamics
Low Listening Fatigue
Very musical

High Tech look may not match all decors

Recently I completed an update of my stereo only system including a new, larger listening room (13x23x8ft high). After a few months of experimenting with my existing speakers(Energy C2) I was not happy with the sound. When the C2's were positioned for a good stereo image they were thin in the octave between 80 and 160 Hz. This robbed music of it's impact and made integration with a sub. difficult. I also found them to be too bright in the new room, with it's hardwood floors and more reflective acoustics. I began to search for new speakers at local dealers.
After auditioning the speakers listed above and not being able to find a suitable candidate for a home audition, I decided to call John Meyer at Newform Research and discuss my room, equipment and listening preferences with him. I ordered a set of 645's and they were delivered to my door by UPS.
The speakers arrived in substantial packaging that was up to the task of protecting them from the bruises of shipping. It took about an hour to unpack the ribbons and mid bass enclosures, attach the bases to the enclosures, position them and attach the ribbons. The base and cabinet of the 645's are sturdily constructed of 1 inch MDF and with the ribbons attached weighs over 100 lbs, so it is a good idea to wait and install the spikes after you have them in the preferred position. I set them up about 7 ft. apart and about 7 ft. from the wall behind them.
After about 10 hours of break in, I began to hear the reasons for the stellar reviews that these speakers have received. The soundstage is easily the best I have heard. On well recorded material the soundstage extends behond the speakers and has excellent depth with well defined, tactile instrumental and vocal images. This depth is completely natural and real and is not vague or exaggerated as sometimes happens with dipoles. With some recordings it feels as though you can get up and walk right onto the stage!
The treble reproduced by the 45 inch ribbon is delicate and refined, with excellent transient speed and bite when required. There is a total lack of glare and grit. Dynamics are first rate. The ribbon has excellent dynamic linearity, being able to reproduce the tiniest sounds in a natural way, while being capable of ear splitting volume levels without breakup of harshness. This is a truely impressive tweeter.
John Meyer has used 2 of the excellent Scan Speak 7 inch drivers for mid bass duties. Are they up to the task of blending with the ribbon driver? The answer is an unqualified yes. For a 7 inch driver these can move a lot of air. They are capable of sorting out the most demanding material without getting congested. The midrange is warm and natural and low level detail is excellent. Bass is fast with excellent pitch definition and rhythmic drive. Installing the spikes seemed to tighten up the mid bass and made integration with a subwoofer easier.
The 645's to my ear, are a very natural sounding speaker. They allow me to relax and enjoy the music, revealing to me what the artist has to say. This is the goal of all HiFi equipment. Listening fatigue is very low and the 645's sound involving and natural at lower volume levels. The excellent dynamic abilities allow them to reproduce high level percussion, massed woodwinds and brass, or synthesizer with stunning clarity and lack of distortion or compression. No matter what the listening level, the soundstage produced is exceptional.
In designing the 645, John Meyer has blended his exceptional 45 inch ribbon tweeter with the best mid bass drivers available, to produce a wonderfully musical speaker of outstanding value. His customer service is first rate. John quickly returns calls and is very knowledgeable about his products and how they interact with different room acoustics and equipment.
Highly Recommended!

Other equipment used:
Rotel 971cd, 995 preamp, 990 power amp- 200wpc.
DH labs speaker and interconnect cables.

Similar Products Used:

Other Speakers Auditioned- B&W N804,805 CDM7, Monitor Audio Silver9, Totem Forest, Martin Logan Request, Meadowlark Shearwater

transparency, wide soundstage, unique design
lots of bass, a very musical speaker

wish I'd found these speakers earlier!

I have had my Newform Research R645's since May/00 and
it has made a big difference in my system (previously used
Swan Cygnas). The Swans are a very rich sounding speaker,
have a very tight, controlled bass, and I was very happy with
how they portrayed instruments – but listening to the R645s
for the first time I knew it was different. The bass on the
R645 is not just bass – it's very tuneful bass. While it is also
very tight and controlled, it does a much better job on kick drum,
and other forms of bass. I am very happy with that area. There
is enough bass for me.

I am equally pleased with the highs and mids. The music I listen
to has a wide variety of instruments: lots of guitar work, cymbals,
horns – everything. The R645 is so transparent and neutral.
I have never heard a speaker quite like it before. Both female
and male voices are life-like, sounding as if they are in the room
with you. Instruments have realism – you can hear the pluck of
guitar strings and the strike of piano keys. I have noticed that some
speakers (depending on the recording) play horns as rather harsh
& hard on the ear. On the R645 horns are clean and authentic-sounding.
Intimate details in some of my favourite music are now noticeable where
they were not before. I am amazed at this technology and what that
45" ribbon can do compared to conventional tweeters.

My stereo room is 24'x15' and I have the speakers out 4' from the back wall
and 8' centre to centre. The front of the speaker to my sitting area is
approx. 11-12'. The speakers are straight ahead -- not toed in.
This setup seems perfect for this room. Setup was
very straight forward & easy, but the ribbon was a heavy little unit
and both required careful handling. Very rewarding once set up. When I go
into my room to turn on my gear to warm it up, when I'm ready to play
my music, the big soundstage you get from these speakers is unbelievable.
They also have great depth. It does not seem to matter how loud you go
with these speakers, they stay clean and never harsh. It is an amazing
speaker. I love spending hours and hours listening to these speakers.

I also love the radical design of these speakers! I am thrilled to
own the only pair of high-gloss black piano finish R645s, and am very
impressed with the workmanship and overall results. Gorgeous!

I also think John at Newform deserves a bit of praise – he is extremely
helpful and puts you at ease from the first conversation. A real gentleman.

My system consists of the following:
Sonic Frontier Power 2 Tube Power Amp
Sonic Frontier Line 3 Tube Pre Amp
Enlightened Audio Design 2000 Ultradisc CD Player
Chang Lightspeed Powerline Filter
Siltech Generation 3 Design Speaker Cable
Siltech Generation 3 Design Interconnects
2 pairs of Gutwire G Clef Power Cord
1 pair of Gutwire Power Clef Power Cord
and, of course, one pair of fantastic Newform Research R645 speakers.

In my opinion, these speakers deserve high marks. I think the "R"
in R645 could very well stand for "Reference".

Similar Products Used:

owned Swan Cygnas, and have also auditioned B&W, Martin Logan SL3 & Request, Proac 2.5, Reference 3A Integrals