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Grimani Systems Rixos-L Review (Active DSP Speaker)

Rate this speaker:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 13 7.4%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 51 29.1%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 90 51.4%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 21 12.0%

  • Total voters
    175

GXAlan

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Here's the background:

A crowdfunded start-up by a home cinema designer/installer, a speaker techie and a high-end audiophile entrepreneur. The latter may account for the apparent sky-high price, but think again - their launch product "Alpha" speaker was priced at $30,000 per unit.

If home cinema rocks your boat, you live in or near California and want a good bespoke installation, these might be your guys, and I would expect the prices to be highly negotiable. I have a home cinema installation, cost a fraction of this, easy to install, entirely wireless and goes a lot deeper.

I have to wonder if it’s really better than a JBL Synthesis system. In southern CA, there are a lot of experienced Synthesis dealers and once you combine the speaker specific EQ for all of the SCL line in the SDP-75 and ARCOS for the subwoofers, it seems like there isn’t a lot of room for improvement, especially since you will have the customer service of a global juggernaut.

At least for 2 channel audio, there is a lot of room for subjectivity.
 

hansik

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Anthony Grimani seems to be a nice guy and is quite active on different Youtube channels such as Audioholics talking about room acoustics. Always eating chocolate, so if you need him in Belgium, I´m sure you´ll get a discount )).
Personally I would rather put some relatively cheap JBL 4722´s (or QSC SC-1155´s) in a newly made (baffle) wall and connect to a relatively cheap Audophonics MPA-S250NC hypex amps (insert the better minidsp´s if needed).
 

sarumbear

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I wonder why they haven’t tamed the woofer brake up when they have a DSP on each channel.
 

nothingman

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Allow me to stress that one (pretty damn great for its purpose) speaker doesn’t tell the whole story here. Anthony Grimani comes in and designs the whole room acoustically (then built by a trusted construction/installer partner), specs a full array of active speakers, processors, and multiple subs, does all the measurements himself, and then fine tunes the whole package sometimes over the course of multiple long days in the room. I‘ve spent considerable time in two Grimani theater rooms (a close relation has been a client) and Grimani himself and his rooms are impeccable.
 

Ericglo

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Looks a good speaker, but way overpriced. The parts are stock B&C drivers (woofer is the 8MDN51, tweeter probally a B&C also), a CSA horn that is nothing special (but probally works well) and the Powersoft standard modules for smaller systems that are sold as OEM to builders. That is not worth that price i think.
,,,
I know a guy in the region of Brussels, Belgium, who makes a diy system like that (exact the same config with the same dsp and amp modules) that sell it on small scale for about 3K + taxes for a stereo setup. It's not on the official market, but hand build on order for those who know it (not advertised) as custom garden system by a woodworker who is also a speaker builder as sidejob. He uses the DE250 compression driver in a very similar horn made OEM for him by B&C. It does sound very good altough with a subwoofer (he builds a sub with 12" B&C drivers for it, not included in the price, but running from the same amplifier module). And it's very popular down here for garden parties with electronic dance music and so...

It depends on your point of view. I understand where you are coming from, as I immediately do a cost analysis on the parts when I see a speaker. The difference in this case is these speakers and system are aimed at a totally different market. Usually the extreme upscale market is looking at price further down the list. They want butt kissing level of service and support.

I remember at Cedia a couple of years ago. I and some others were at the Wisdom booth. The rep told us that their living room system was a modest $250k compared to their all out system. He quickly followed the comment with a joke about being the same cost as a house. I like Wisdom, but I doubt there was more than $20k or $30k in speakers and electronics in the system,

I have mentioned this before. My friend Mike Garrett of AVscience built his own system with Beyma TPH150 tweeter and AE woofers. Total cost for front baffle wall was in the $5k range IIRC. Every year at Cedia he says he hears systems that are as good as his but nothing that surpasses his. This is despite the many times cost of his system.
 

Ericglo

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I have to wonder if it’s really better than a JBL Synthesis system. In southern CA, there are a lot of experienced Synthesis dealers and once you combine the speaker specific EQ for all of the SCL line in the SDP-75 and ARCOS for the subwoofers, it seems like there isn’t a lot of room for improvement, especially since you will have the customer service of a global juggernaut.

At least for 2 channel audio, there is a lot of room for subjectivity.

Maybe maybe not. It is good to have options.

I have heard the system at Cedia a couple of times. The last time at Cedia '18 it wasn't that great.

Funny story. My friend Nigel (Arrow AV) was walking by Sean Olive and said loudly "It sounds like shit!". I laughed and said you know that is Sean don't you. He went back and talked to him about it a couple of minutes later.
 

Spkrdctr

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Definitely interesting, alas the budget for my whole theater (including electronics) would be completely busted on the front 3 channels - so definitely only for those with much deeper pockets than mine.
My budget would be busted in getting one third of a speaker!
 

Robbo99999

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If you've got loads of money then why not get these guys to do your speakers for you! I liked the included DSP and the directivity, and the low distortion....along with no glaring faults in the frequency response (which could be tuned in brightness via the included EQ system). I wonder how these speakers would fare if you removed the 80Hz High Pass?? Might have been interesting to have seen that. I suppose you wouldn't skimp on subs if you're going to the trouble & expense of this kind of custom theatre "service".
 

Ra1zel

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I wonder why they haven’t tamed the woofer brake up when they have a DSP on each channel.
I'm even more curious why they cross it like that if they know(?) It has a break up, it's just bad design from the very start imo.
 

Robbo99999

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@amirm
Gain at LF?, the EQ plot you shared is missing something compared to the biquads listed?
I know about the notch because of your listening environment.


Here is my take on the EQ.

Please report your findings, positive or negative!

The following EQs are “anechoic” EQs to get the speaker right before room integration. If you able to implement these EQs you must add EQ at LF for room integration, that is usually not optional… see hints there: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...helf-speaker-review.11144/page-26#post-800725
Probably need professional tuning....

The raw data with corrected ER and PIR:

Score no EQ: 1.9
With Sub: 5.1

Spinorama with no EQ:
  • With on board DSP, there is no excuse to not make the speaker exactly as the designer intended...
  • Jagged response
  • Vertical directivity issue (double LF driver?)
  • great H directivity
  • PIR too flat?
View attachment 214193
Directivity:

Better stay at tweeter height
Horizontally, up to 20/30deg
View attachment 214198


View attachment 214194
EQ design:

I have generated one EQ. The APO config file is attached.
  • The EQs are designed in the context of regular stereo use i.e. domestic environment, no warranty is provided for a near field use in a studio environment although the LW might be better suited for this purpose.
  • No attempt was made for LF, it is suposed to be paired with an array of subs.

Score EQ Score: 4.3
with sub: 7.4

Spinorama EQ Score
View attachment 214191

Zoom PIR-LW-ON
View attachment 214189

Regression - Tonal
View attachment 214188

Radar no EQ vs EQ score
Nice improvements
View attachment 214190


The rest of the plots is attached.

Amirm's EQ:
Score: 3.1
with sub: 6.1
View attachment 214210
View attachment 214211
The Tonal Regression Curves are very telling, but I guess these speakers would be installed by the company, and they can easily put in parametric EQ filters to mimic near perfectly a linear tone control which I'm thinking they might tune with the customer present.
 
Last edited:

ROOSKIE

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They want butt kissing level of service and support.
Exactly.
The oft forgotten component.
The most expensive "part".

How much does one charge to butt kiss? I've had to deal with this just a little and a lot of money is not even enough for me. Kudos to anyone with the skills to handle that aspect of the engagement and for knowing what to charge for the privilege.
 

sarumbear

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I'm even more curious why they cross it like that if they know(?) It has a break up, it's just bad design from the very start imo.
Crossing is linked to the tweeter’s capability. They may not lower the Xoom er frequency but with a DSP you can cut that resonance to the level that it will no longer appear on the charts.
 

Toni Mas

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Made to play loud in large rooms, but too expensive and not especially refined... For my taste, another giant killer...:facepalm:
 

Toni Mas

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Btw I have a problem with active speakers reviews: they are tested and measured exactly as passive speakers... While their electronics good bad or whatever are never put onto the bench...:rolleyes:
 

jbrown

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The 40 times cheaper IKEA scores a bit higher and goes in the bass deeper :p

Seriously now, I find it for $8k not good enough, FR shows too large wiggles, vertical directivity isn't also optimal and it has the mentioned distortion issue. In a $1k loudspeaker I could overlook these but not at that price region.
Vertical directivity IS OPTIMAL bc it is optimized for a 10* downward angle. This is not a stereo speaker designed for the middle of your living room. It is an inwall speaker designed to be a little higher up on the front wall behind a perforated projection screen or on a side wall, also above ear level .
 

Toni Mas

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Vertical directivity IS OPTIMAL bc it is optimized for a 10* downward angle. This is not a stereo speaker designed for the middle of your living room. It is an inwall speaker designed to be a little higher up on the front wall behind a perforated projection screen or on a side wall, also above ear level .
8000$ to watch movies?:eek:
 

sarumbear

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Doodski

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These are speakers for one that desires a comprehensive collection of surround sound gear and not for the faint of heart. :D $8K is a lot of money though I agree for surround speakers but people are buying and installing these systems as @amirm has mentioned in a previous thread. I would love a system like this but it's far far too expensive for me.
 
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