High Efficiency Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Decware RL-2 Speakers by PaulDB

Model:	RL-2
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$1,500
Description:	Combination of point-source and omni-directional sound. Featuring the 8 inch hand-built radial driver in a 2-way design.
Manufacturer URL:	Decware
Model Picture:	View

Review by PaulDB on February 25, 2002 at 11:57:00
IP Address: 204.160.183.18

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I owned the Radials RL-1s and recently got them upgraded to RL-2s. Both RL-1 and RL-2 are available at different prices. Although they share the same bass signature, the RL-2s have a better tweeter, a passive driver located at the lower part of the cylinder enclosure. They are highly tunable and revealing speakers. They are hand built by Steve and his audio dedicated staff at Decware.com (High Fidelity Engineering), and I'd say both the build and packaging for shipping are very good. I didn't have any complaints about any of them except for the obviously less pleasing sound during the break-in.
Speaking of the sound, letâ€™s talk about the â€œbreak-in bluesâ€. I drive them with either solid state (AVR5700) or SETs; SS was used while the speakers were breaking in as surround speakers in the HT system. Even not broken in yet, they make for very high quality surround channel due to their diffuse design. I have never realized how much bass and ambience are hidden in those channels.
Playing the music 2-channel system, the RL-2s are pretty damn special. It took me a while to appreciate their mellow yet revealing sound quality. I thought they weren't my cup of tea during the first few weeks of their arrival. Bass was abundant but not very deep nor tight. Midrange presence was lacking, and highs seemed closed in. Overall music presentation, while being deep and wide to the extent sometimes I felt even remote, seemed lacking in the integration of components.
Then I was told of the dampening factor of the passive driver and how the speakers would change if a resistor were connected to the terminals at the bottom. So I did and what a difference it made. The break-in accelerated much faster with more pleasing sound. My listening notes are filled with such remarks as, "Bass is phenomenal", "The RL-2s are not shy at all on vocal reproduction when playing Barbara Bonney' The Radiant Voice or Cassandra Wilson's Light Blue 'til Dawn. Through the Radials, their voices are full bodied, fleshed out, texture rich. The same applied to strings especially cellos and contrabass. Even from the next room I could hear how vibrant and nearly free of electronic Ms. Bonney sings (most tracks on her CD), or how rich, tuneful, organic the bass was sailing through my room in Ms. Wilson's CD track #3. Sometimes I was startled by the dynamics of Barbara's voice and recording that I had never heard in my room before.
Another wonderful CD is Dan Peer's UCROSS - I am just hooked to his bass playing against a blacker smooth background. Bass was all over my room, colorful and articulate, tone rich and flying finger technique. Very impressive! All tracks on this CD sound damn good in my room.
The Favorite Chinese Instrumentals disc, FIM XRCD 019, is one of the CD that witnessed the radical improvement the Radials have brought to my room. Track #2 became pleasingly more spacious, meatier sonically, more holographic. In track #3, percussion sounded just more authentic, more vibrant. Although this CD is supposed to sound good due to its higher resolution CD transfer technology, I had started to doubt its sound. Now with the Radials, that CD clearly shows off its superior sonic merits.
Interestingly, the Radials don't sound equally good on mediocre CD's, and that's why I think they are revealing. Perhaps their low distortion gives me the feeling that they lack in the electronic "sheen" that is associated with overdose of brightness or "white" and or "sibilant" sounds. Some of music CDs that had sounded OK or not bad earlier, now just have nowhere to hide. The contrast between the good, bad, and ugly has just become sharper. Strangely, even though I would say the subjective tone color of the Radials is on the darker side of the neutrality, I find them quite detailed and revealing of inner nuances of the recordings. This applies to many vocal CDs that I am now hearing deeper into the performances, enabling me to better discern the artistsâ€™ realistic â€œimperfectionâ€ that helps create a sense of â€œyou are thereâ€.
No component performance can be fairly evaluated without mentioning its synergic interaction with associated components. The following items have contributed to the description that I have come up with: FIM AC Outlet => Hydra (AC power conditioner) => Monarchy audio power cord => CAL Delta (perhaps the weak link) => Illuminati cable => EVS DAC II (recently discontinued) => Homegrown Silver Lace IC => Decware ZEN SV83M monoblocks => Kimber Monocle XL => Decware ZEN RL-2s.
The system is augmented by a stereo pair of REL Storm IIIs plugged in FIM AC Outlets and placed in two diagonal corners across the 24 (L) x 14-17 (W) x 8-9 (H) casually treated room.
Happy listening.

Product Weakness: Still looking...
Product Strengths: Holographic imaging even in un-treated rooms - ideal for lower power amplifiers. Articulate and rich bass. Excellent service and product support.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Decware ZEN SV83M monoblocks
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	EVS Ultimate attenuator
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	CAL Delta transport => EVS DAC II
Speakers:	RL-2
Cables/Interconnects:	Kimber Illuminati and Monocle XL, Howgrown Silver Lace
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Barbara Bonney (classical vocal),
Room Size (LxWxH):	24 x 16 x 9
Room Comments/Treatments:	Casually treated
Time Period/Length of Audition:	3 evenings of listening at the end of a 20 day break-in
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	PowerSnakes Hydra
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	Still looking...
Product Strengths:	Holographic imaging even in un-treated rooms - ideal for lower power amplifiers. Articulate and rich bass. Excellent service and product support.