Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Royd Doublet Speakers by botrytis

Model:	Doublet
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$1700 CDN
Description:	Small floor Standing speaker
Manufacturer URL:	Not Available
Manufacturer URL:	Not Available

Review by botrytis ( A ) on July 22, 2002 at 11:26:10
IP Address: 65.169.111.2

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for the Doublet

I never heard of Royd speakers before I sat and listened to them. They were very clean, some would say too clean, but they did have a dynamic capability that was short of amazing. I have been looking for a new pair of speakers for 3 months and have listened to so many, some of them were starting to blurr together. I was visiting Toronto (up from the States)and walked into to this unassuming stereo shoppe and was talking to the owner and he suggested we listen to the Royd Doublets (he had one pair). He admitted to us that he was playing them through very high end equipment and that it would not sound the same on our system. Fast forward two weeks and I brought our receiver up to see if it would work well with the speakers - all I could say was 'WOW'. The bass was tight and fairly deep, but it was the voices that were the amazing part - so full. We played Remy Shand's CD - The Way I Like It, which is fairly complex and the bass could overwhelm some of the other instruments, like the guitar or piano parts. The speaker has a very precise delivery, which lets you hear it all. We ended up buying the speakers and brought them home (I drove up - it is nice being close to Canada).
I am currently adjusting the placement of the speakers. For their size, the bass is great and the highs are not tinny but stil crisp. Currently, my latest toture test for speakers is Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Outbound. The first track on the CD is a killer - the bass can overwhelm everything else so it ends up sounding like a rubbery mess. With the Doublets, the delivery was crisp and the bass while there, did not overwhelm. I could actually pick out all of the instruments and more. I will be adjusting the placement of these speakers but, if you want to hear a wonderful set of speakers - try Royd - only the name is obscure.

Product Weakness: Not made anymore!! Less than 6 ohm impedence (closer to 5.6)
Product Strengths: Great sound - fairly efficient. Smaller size. More amenable to placement in corners

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	H/K 795i Receiver 70watts/channel
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	none
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Dual 714Q Turntable/Denon DCD-820 CD Player
Speakers:	Royd Doublets
Cables/Interconnects:	Naim cables
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Varied - jazz to rock to classical
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	Not made anymore!! Less than 6 ohm impedence (closer to 5.6)
Product Strengths:	Great sound - fairly efficient. Smaller size. More amenable to placement in corners