Anyone ever heard of RSL speakers?

[BTBuck1]

My Uncle has a set of Roger Sound Labs speakers, he says they are expensive (they look old) and they are HUGE...but in great shape. Are these any good? Each tower is like 4 1/2 ft. tall!

[AV_Integrated]

Looks like some tweaky electrostatic speakers - very likely of some pretty solid quality with no low end, so a subwoofer is almost always a requirement for this type of speaker.

Comparible to something like Martin Logans.

Yeah, I would consider those to be good.

[BTBuck1]

Originally Posted by AV_Integrated

Looks like some tweaky electrostatic speakers - very likely of some pretty solid quality with no low end, so a subwoofer is almost always a requirement for this type of speaker.

Comparible to something like Martin Logans.

Yeah, I would consider those to be good.

I know each one contains atleast 1, 12" woofer. the logo looks like a horn, don't know if they have Horn tweaters though. They want to set up a Home theater and incorporate them, Just trying to see if it is worth retaining them...they sounded awesome played through his Ancient Nikko receiver.

[red_5ive]

RSL was a retail chain that went defunct in the early 90's. I remember they sold consumer mid-level audio/video gear including receivers, carver and nakamichi amps/separates, and various speaker brands - but nothing more high-end like mcintosh amps or anything. They also made their own speakers and had somewhat built a name for themselves. I didn't know much about speakers at the time, but I owned a pair of their bookshelves and they sounded good to me. I don't remember if they made electrostats, but if they're comparable to ML's then they have to be good.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by red_5ive

RSL was a retail chain that went defunct in the early 90's. I remember they sold consumer mid-level audio/video gear including receivers, carver and nakamichi amps/separates, and various speaker brands - but nothing more high-end like mcintosh amps or anything. They also made their own speakers and had somewhat built a name for themselves. I didn't know much about speakers at the time, but I owned a pair of their bookshelves and they sounded good to me. I don't remember if they made electrostats, but if they're comparable to ML's then they have to be good.

its funny you say nakamichi's...I actually have two for my rear surrounds! got em from my father...and believe they are from around the mid 90's

...had never heard of em before, and didnt know anyone knew what they were...cool, at least someone does

[red_5ive]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

its funny you say nakamichi's...I actually have two for my rear surrounds! got em from my father...and believe they are from around the mid 90's

...had never heard of em before, and didnt know anyone knew what they were...cool, at least someone does

Yeah, Nakamichi was my first introduction to separates back in 1990. I was floored when I first heard them, making me feel inferior with my then top of the line Pioneer pro-logic receiver. I haven't heard anything about them in maybe the last 10 years or so. I wonder if they're still around?

[Brandon B]

Looks like hey're not completely dead and gone:

http://www.rslspeakers.com/dev/Suppo...eOlderProducts

BB

[Ernie Gilman]

Contact the owner of RSL. He might be interested in buying those speakers. If I remember correctly, every crossover plate had the model name on it.

Are those the ones with a bottom section, then a sort of smaller "neck" with about a ten inch high section at the top?

I built their demo rooms, antenna systems, car stereo demos, etc at all their locations, so I know them well. Will see the owner Saturday at THE Show in Newport Beach, CA where he has new product on display.

(My only financial interest in this is that I still occasionally do wiring work for him, only now it's custom installation and A/V system design. Other than that we trade jokes and puns via email. Known him since 1970.)

[BTBuck1]

No these just look like tall squared towers (probably at least 4 ft tall iirc)

[rpatt]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

its funny you say nakamichi's...I actually have two for my rear surrounds! got em from my father...and believe they are from around the mid 90's

...had never heard of em before, and didnt know anyone knew what they were...cool, at least someone does

Haven't heard that name in a while. It makes me think of the coveted Nakamichi Dragon tape deck & turntable.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Brandon B

Looks like hey're not completely dead and gone:

http://www.rslspeakers.com/dev/Suppo...eOlderProducts

BB

Your link does not work. They are in the process of upgrading their site. In the meantime, these are their products. I find it very odd that they refer to their subwoofer as speedwoofer.

http://rslspeakers.com/discover-our-products.php

I used to be a regular customer/visitor of several of the Roger Sound Labs stores in Southern California. I owned a pair of RSL booksshelf speakers. I may have given them to a friend. I still have several of their catalogs from the late 1980s. Perhaps, I should trade the old catalogs with their speedwoofer.

[red_5ive]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Your link does not work. They are in the process of upgrading their site. In the meantime, these are their products. I find it very odd that they refer to their subwoofer as speedwoofer.

http://rslspeakers.com/discover-our-products.php

I used to be a regular customer/visitor of several of the Roger Sound Labs stores in Southern California. I owned a pair of RSL booksshelf speakers. I may have given them to a friend. I still have several of their catalogs from the late 1980s. Perhaps, I should trade the old catalogs with their speedwoofer.

I used to live 3 miles from their La Habra store. I was a struggling college student at the time who got his first taste of separates from them. Then they approved me for credit. It was dangerous having them so close. I was a couple k in debt in not time.

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by BTBuck1

My Uncle has a set of Roger Sound Labs speakers, he says they are expensive (they look old) and they are HUGE...but in great shape. Are these any good? Each tower is like 4 1/2 ft. tall!

It's Roger Sound Labs (the source of the RSL name). They had an excellent line of low-priced speakers tagged as the Studio Monitor line, which definitely outperformed the major manufacturers at the time (Kenwood, Sansui, etc.) which were all more expensive. Better sound, better power handling, but pretty generic cabinet quality.

I frequented their store in Van Nuys, CA, for a while. Their Studio Monitors came in bookshelf two-way units, a nice three-way floorstander set, and some really large floorstanders with 15" woofers that sounded terrific.