One Week Reference Fidelity Rhapsody Loudspeaker Review

[User211]

Double post due to dodgy tethered phone connection....

[clap]

Sounds like you need some cable lifters :-).

[User211]

Yeah Tristan, and some decent power amp mains cables LOL.

This speaker is pretty sensitive, at 91DB and 6Ohm load. So any noise is picked up and you'll easily hear it if it is there. Driving them with huge valve monos is over the top, really, and I think they'd do well with a far less powerful integrated amp, though the headroom doesn't hurt, it just isn't required practically.

I'll try them with a solid state integrated this w/e, but again that has more power than required. Be good to hear them with a 20-30 Watt amp to see what they make of it. I don't know what Paul feels is the minimum recommended power required for these, so if he wants to chip in?

I heard Paul's Harbeth SHL5s a while ago (long gone now). Is this a better speaker than the SHL5 you ask? Well, I'm pretty sure I prefer it, from what I can remember. So it is definitely competitive price wise with at least something out there

[Reffc]

Yeah Tristan, and some decent power amp mains cables LOL.

This speaker is pretty sensitive, at 91DB and 6Ohm load. So any noise is picked up and you'll easily hear it if it is there. Driving them with huge valve monos is over the top, really, and I think they'd do well with a far less powerful integrated amp, though the headroom doesn't hurt, it just isn't required practically.

I'll try them with a solid state integrated this w/e, but again that has more power than required. Be good to hear them with a 20-30 Watt amp to see what they make of it. I don't know what Paul feels is the minimum recommended power required for these, so if he wants to chip in?

I heard Paul's Harbeth SHL5s a while ago (long gone now). Is this a better speaker than the SHL5 you ask? Well, I'm pretty sure I prefer it, from what I can remember. So it is definitely competitive price wise with at least something out there

Hi Justin

I'd recommend a SS integrated of around 25-30wpc minimum to drive them cleanly. I use a 60 watt SS amp and that allows plenty of headroom. Power handling is 100 Watts, but as you are aware, less than half that amount fed into them is liable to render you permanently deaf, even in a large room!

Minimum recommended valve amplification is around 15 watts (as they wont clip horribly but will give you that warm glow of even order distortion instead). Single Ended amps will have no problems whatsoever driving these either due to the relatively flat impedance curve. Best results would be with something like a 40 watt Push-Pull valve amp though.

[User211]

For anyone who'd like to come round and hear these speakers and confirm I am not talking rubbish you can PM me. It'll have to be this coming Sunday, though.

[User211]

Restek Challenger currently pounding the f*^k out of my ear drums with some NIN and doing a fine job

If I was Paul I think I'd feel pretty proud of the job I'd done. These things need to get out there and be heard. People will like them

[gordy]

Well i like the sound they made, when i dropped my speakers off at Paul's for the full RFC treatment we had a listen to both his Fidelios and the rhapsody's, for a start i couldnt believe the low down controlled bass from the Fidelios, he then swapped over to the rhapsody's, bass again very low and controlled, when the piano started playing it could have been in the room with us, the drummer was playing a high hat to the left of and behind the left speaker, excellent sound staging, and the singer was sat slightly to the right of centre,
i was very much enjoying the music they were making, the speakers just disappeared and we had the performers in the room with us.

you need to hear these, Gordy.

[jandl100]

Restek Challenger currently pounding the f*^k out of my ear drums with some NIN and doing a fine job

Ha! - it's arrived in fine fettle. Great.

damn - I wish I could have got over to you for a listen to these speakers last sunday.

[User211]

It is very good with the Rhapsodys, Jerry. I was thinking it was a better match than the 211s, both pricewise and sonically. The combo is an absolute peach.

Experience tells me it won't be the same with the Duettas - I'm sure I'll prefer the 211s with those.

[User211]

Actually longer term listening revealed that whilst the Restek is very good, I became rather tired with its more sterile presentation after a while. Considering the s/h cost of this amp, not half bad, though.

More pics and thoughts tomorrow.