RTR speakers

gtx580

gtx580

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I,ve seen a few older posts on RTR speakers and am wondering if anyone has any experience with these speakers and what they thought of them. I am watching a pair on the local CL,but they have no model #...they are 2 ways with a 10" woofer and 4"tweeter and have been re-foamed with re-finished cabinets. They look interesting though when I google RTR speakers it appears they made some higher end speakers...any thoughts?
 
RtR made a wide range of speakers, but they were all at least "good" within their price range, IMO. Just for background, RtR stood for "Reel to Real", and they are still in business as "Legacy Audio". RtR came out with the "Legacy" model range years ago, and for what ever reason (maybe embarrassment over the inane "Reel to Real" name), a few years later they changed the brand to Legacy. Legacy has moved more "upscale", but they still offer particularly good speakers for the money.
 
I have a pair of big RtR's; the Model II F's but that's about it. They do bedroom duty for my best friends 17 year old son along with a Carver preamp and power amp. They use (2) 10" woofers and a 12" passive per cabinet. To say they "rock" with some power behind them would be an understatement.
 
I had a pair of 3-way floor speakers (Model IV I think) which were okay speakers that opened my eyes to the possibility of building a vintage stereo system via Thrift stores. Very early RtR's electrostats are highly desirable. The pre-BIC speakers were decent for Rock.
 
frommerstop said:
RtR made a wide range of speakers, but they were all at least "good" within their price range, IMO. Just for background, RtR stood for "Reel to Real", and they are still in business as "Legacy Audio". RtR came out with the "Legacy" model range years ago, and for what ever reason (maybe embarrassment over the inane "Reel to Real" name), a few years later they changed the brand to Legacy. Legacy has moved more "upscale", but they still offer particularly good speakers for the money.
Click to expand...

Yes, Legacy Audio is what you can define as an upscale manufacturer. Their products are not only aesthetically beautiful, but some of the best sounding speakers within their price range. Have never heard of RTR, but if anything like the current Legacy, they should be very good speakers.
 
I have a pair of rTr speakers that I enjoy quite a bit. They are 10" two ways but the surrounds are rubber. The model number is EXP-10c. They like 50 watts or more and sound quite good. I will say I like them more than the pair of Energy 22 ref cons I auditioned for two weeks. They are warm rich and the build quality is incredible. The cabinets are beautiful. If the price is right I say get them. I do not have any experience with the later rTr speaks. These are killer. I use them in my home theatre as front and I use no sub. These things get low yet stay balanced in the mids and highs The drivers are solid...Here are some pics..
 

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frommerstop said:
RtR made a wide range of speakers, but they were all at least "good" within their price range, IMO. Just for background, RtR stood for "Reel to Real", and they are still in business as "Legacy Audio". RtR came out with the "Legacy" model range years ago, and for what ever reason (maybe embarrassment over the inane "Reel to Real" name), a few years later they changed the brand to Legacy. Legacy has moved more "upscale", but they still offer particularly good speakers for the money.
Click to expand...

I think you are thinking of something else. RtR was a speaker company the RtR stood for the name of the 2 guys that started the company in the early 70's. The were mainly an oem manufacturer of well regarded electrostats. They also made their own speakers which were pretty good. I used to own the 280 dr's they were huge monsters with 4 10 inch woofers in each cabinet and 5 peerless cones and a piezo. They made electrostatic add on boxes that you could run with these or other speakers.

Later BIC america bought them out and the quality wasn't so good.
 
bryblob said:
I think you are thinking of something else. RtR was a speaker company the RtR stood for the name of the 2 guys that started the company in the early 70's. The were mainly an oem manufacturer of well regarded electrostats. They also made their own speakers which were pretty good. I used to own the 280 dr's they were huge monsters with 4 10 inch woofers in each cabinet and 5 peerless cones and a piezo. They made electrostatic add on boxes that you could run with these or other speakers.

Later BIC america bought them out and the quality wasn't so good.
Click to expand...

RtR did indeed supply drivers for some very fine speakers... not the least of which are my Crown ES-224s, and the Infinity Servo Statics!

As far as their name, I only know they used "Real to Reel" in add copy, so I assumed that's what their initials stood for, but that is only an assumption on my part. I know that RtR marketed a line of "Legacy" branded speakers from the late seventies, but again the connection with the current Legacy Audio was another assumption. The time line is unusually close, and the look of the early speakers from Legacy Audio of the eighties is similar, if they are not related, it's quite a coincidence.

...I just found this, maybe it was Legacy Audio that started out as Reel to Real?
http://www.audiocircuit.com/Home-Audio/Reel-To-Real-Designs

And this is what the "original" Reel to Real speakers looked like... before they changed the name to Legacy - the seller seems to have "the scoop" on their history.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Reel-To-Rea...h=item19d1fbe3f3&ssPageName=RSS:B:SHOP:US:101
 
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Had RTR ESR-6 electrostatic modules on top of my JBL L88+12s...I unhooked the JBL midrange and tweeter..they were special:thmbsp:
 
gtx580 said:
I,ve seen a few older posts on RTR speakers and am wondering if anyone has any experience with these speakers and what they thought of them. I am watching a pair on the local CL,but they have no model #...they are 2 ways with a 10" woofer and 4"tweeter and have been re-foamed with re-finished cabinets. They look interesting though when I google RTR speakers it appears they made some higher end speakers...any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Own a pair of G-200. 2-way, 8" with 10" passive and Philips dome tweeter. They deliver good sound and serious bass. Used in my HT system till I got a pair of HPM-100 speakers and HPM-40 for rears. I have an orphan RTR speaker, don't recall the model now, but it and the G-200 have incredible cabinets. Heavy, and very sturdy construction. If you ever toast the drivers and can't find replacements I'd find drivers to fit. Would hate to waste such well constructed cabinets.
 
I own a pair of RTR HPR-12Ms that I picked up off local CL for $40. Cabinets need to be refinished and grilles are toast so I didn't expect much but the electronics and drivers are all original still. When I hooked them up, to say they surprised me would be an extreme understatement.

Overall, a very well built, great sounding speaker. I doubt I will part with them especially considering what I paid for them. (worth alot more IMO)
 
BruenoB said:
I own a pair of RTR HPR-12Ms that I picked up off local CL for $40. Cabinets need to be refinished and grilles are toast so I didn't expect much but the electronics and drivers are all original still. When I hooked them up, to say they surprised me would be an extreme understatement.

Overall, a very well built, great sounding speaker. I doubt I will part with them especially considering what I paid for them. (worth alot more IMO)
Click to expand...

Brueno, I also had a pair of HPR-12M's that I restored extensively. I liked them a lot, not as much as the 280's though. A few tweeters in mine went out so I took out the piezo and put a morel in. It sounded a lot better.
 
Thanks for the great information..and of course I missed them by about an hour. I talked to the seller and was going to run over and look at them and he called me back and said he had just sold them! well,you win some and you lose some! But now that I know the history of these speakers I think i will keep and eye out for a pair and hopefully be able to add a pair to my small vintage set-up. Not only does it sound like they have a great sound,some of the higher end models really have great character. Thanks again!
 
Bevador...those look exactly like the ones I was interested in...and unfortunatly I just missed out on them...and yes,they really are beautiful speakers!
 
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