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Geithain RL 901K vs Neumann KH420

I don’t believe they are huge sellers, the U.K. disti offered me 4%, pro stuff is usually around 20-25% .
Keith
 
prestigetone said:
Shocking but not. The distributor take a big part of the total I would guess.
Click to expand...
I was told by the distributor that he the ‘distributor’ only receives 20%, make of that what you will.
Keith
 
drdredd said:
All in all, i will try to hear these other models if possible. Im sure a lot has happened in speaker technology since the RL901K was released. But it is difficult to keep the auditory memory. Not being able to compare the best speakers side by side makes this decision process even more difficult. Honestly though, the Geithains made such a deep emotional impression. I could bring those home to the USA and have nothing but a big ole smile on my face :D
Thanks again for the insights!
Click to expand...

At this point, I think you will compare everything to your fond memories of how much you loved the sound of the Geithains, so you run the risk of being disappointed if you settle for something else. :)

But are you prepared for the possible hassle of buying a pair of loudspeakers from a company that doesn't seem to be interested at all in expanding outside their domestic market, and are you prepared for the possible lack of support if something goes wrong?

The best peace-of-mind choices (mentioned in the thread as possible alternatives) when it comes to after-sales service are probably Neumann, Genelec, and ATC. They will likely solve things fast if any problems occur with your loudspeakers as they are well-established in your country.
 
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I don’t disbelieve the distributor, it would explain why there is/was only a couple of pairs in the U.K. in KMR.
Keith
 
kemmler3D said:
Offering a retailer / dealer 4% is like offering a taxi $0.85 to take you to the airport... no wonder you can't find them anywhere outside of Germany...
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That’s is OP’s answer about support and wanting a pair. They care almost zero percent about markets outside of Germany and probably Europe. Vintage King tried because, and I’m guessing, they got the whole 20-25% for being the seller and distributor. Just had no idea the hassle.

@drdredd I know how alluring that sound can be and was seduced by it.
 
JustJones said:
I noticed these for sale. Must have been a custom job. Really nice finish, no idea if they would meet the OP's needs.

retrogearshop.com

Geithain RL906 Studio Monitor Pair and Basis 11K Subwoofer with Stands in Zebrawood

Geithain RL906 Pair and Basis 11K Zebrawood Studio Speakers Subwoofer Plus Stands
retrogearshop.com retrogearshop.com
Click to expand...
That is a nice finish, but the price is astronomical and they are dinged from shipping. They retail for 9K new without stands, but I have never got anything for stands on resale. Used I don't see how they are worth much more than 60% of that. A veneer is more but they all cost the same charge.
 
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Geithain is the Illuminati of loudspeakers.
They're secretive and mysterious.

There is almost no information about dispersion behaviour, frequency response etc., especially about the 901.
Especially not the first model with waveguide.

The bridge, where the midrange and tweeter are mounted, causes a lot of interference.
Nobody can really explain why they should sound so good despite this.
The cardioid alone can't be the reason for this unusual sound, can it?
I'm guessing that it's due to the Blauert bands.
As they are relatively expensive, I personally don't fancy experimenting.

I recently measured an early work by Kiessler, the RFT BR25.
They are good, but nothing to be canonised.
A cheap Behringer B2031 (not B2031A) or LSR305/308 is better in all respects.
The same goes for the Heco Interior 30, which is fitted with RFT and is much sought after.
Impressive at first, but after a while it becomes annoying.
Also justifiable in terms of measurement technology.

So Amir & Co, if you're reading along, it would be really great if you could get something like this to analyse.
Don't let us die stupid.
 
+1

A Geithain RL 901K measured on a Klippel system would be awesome. How will it compare to a Sigberg Manta?

Also, the spinorama of the larger models using three tweeters to control vertical dispersion would be very interesting.

I guess, however, this will not happen soon as these speakers are so rare in the US...
 
What is more interesting is that according to that Wikipedia article, around 600,000 (!!) units were made. I had no idea ME Geithan is (or were) that big, assuming the numbers are correct.
 
puffreis said:
The bridge, where the midrange and tweeter are mounted, causes a lot of interference.
Click to expand...
How do you know?

puffreis said:
As they are relatively expensive, I personally don't fancy experimenting.
Click to expand...
Compared to the ATC speakers I have owned and listened to they are cheap... ;) Apart from the sound quality, ATC can't even match the quality of the veneer.
 
sigbergaudio said:
What is more interesting is that according to that Wikipedia article, around 600,000 (!!) units were made. I had no idea ME Geithan is (or were) that big, assuming the numbers are correct.
Click to expand...
The company was expropriated and nationalized if I remember correctly. The former GDR raised foreign currency by selling these loudspeakers in West Germany. After reunification, ME Geithain is once again in the private hands of the former founder and has fewer than 20 employees (if I am correctly informed)...
 
markstein said:
+1

A Geithain RL 901K measured on a Klippel system would be awesome. How will it compare to a Sigberg Manta?

Also, the spinorama of the larger models using three tweeters to control vertical dispersion would be very interesting.

I guess, however, this will not happen soon as these speakers are so rare in the US...
Click to expand...
Yes, this would be interesting keeping in mind that the RL 901K is a rather old design. The company is providing some data on its website...

https://www.me-geithain.de/en/rl-901k2.html

1725469520929.png
 
Berlin said:
ATC can't even match the quality of the veneer.
Click to expand...

In what way do you mean ATC can't match the veneer?
The veneer of the two pairs of ATC speakers I have perfectly matched.

ATC are great at matching things, the frequency response pair matching is outstanding for passive speakers with no more than about 0.5 dB deviation between the speakers. :)
 
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