RSL C34E MKII In-Ceiling Speaker Review

[amirm]

It would seem logical to test these types of speakers with the grill in place...no user is going to run in-ceiling speakers without the grills, so we might as well see what the real response is.

I have tested others with and without grill and difference is very slight in higher frequencies. It doesn't change the overall picture at all. Testing without the grill removes one variable from the equation, no matter how minor and hence the reason I have started doing them this way.

 

[amirm]

Since in practice, they are fed by longish speaker wires, of possibly questionable quality, perhaps test them with a simulated long cabling, i.e. series resistances of up to few ohms, and some inductance.

If you have such long runs, then you need to use other solutions (like 70 volts). These speakers are usually pretty close to an AV cabinet and impedance does not at all reach in ohms (assuming proper 12 gauge wire is used).

 

[ocinn]

In a vacuum, nothing special. When factoring price, pretty unreal IMO.

- $150 speakers generally suck.
- In-ceiling speakers also generally suck.

This particular combination of both sucks far less than it remotely has a right to, and therefore I am a fan.

Kudos to RSL. The target market for these will be very pleased vs it’s competitors in the price bracket.

 

[musicforcities]

I voted poor because the dual woofer setup seems inherently a bad idea if one wants even off axis response. And I would argue that even off axis response and wide dispersion at 6-8ft is a primary performance criteria for ceiling speakers due to indeed uses and positioning limitations. Better off with a proper three way design.

 

[musicforcities]

wish Monolith would take this one but use the coax from their new little mini-speaker set in a closed chamber, and add a decent black-coned woofer.

My experience with the caliber line has not been good. Very hollowed out sound. The crossover is very poorly implemented. But maybe this three way is better because a three way doesn’t need to make the same compromises on crossover frequency. Don’t be so sure about a closed back…ceiling speakers are typically designed as infinite baffle types. You can, btw, get back can enclosures for the 2way caibre speakers. They may fit these. I tried them, btw. Just made them worse: I just had the same boosted mids just with less low end. Btw, the yellow Kevlar is not very visible behind the grill in practice.

 

[ROOSKIE]

Don’t be so sure about a closed back…ceiling speakers are typically designed as infinite baffle types. You can, btw, get back can enclosures for the 2way caibre speakers.

@jhaider was talking about a closed back on the midrange/tweeter combo not on the woofer. No reason not to seal the midrange on a 3 way as the required enclosure is small and the benefits are tangible.
Sealing the bass woofer would make no sense unless it is designed for a smaller enclosure. Most in-walls use high Q bass woofers, the woofer should be in the large enclosure of the wall. There is no performance gain when sealing a high Q woofer.

You can, btw, get back can enclosures for the 2way caibre speakers. They may fit these. I tried them, btw. Just made them worse: I just had the same boosted mids just with less low end.

Yes, if the enclosure is way too small the lower mids and upper bass get boosted while the roll off is severe and high in frequency. I would suspect Monoprice is using appropriate woofers for a very large enclosure(the space in your wall). I think the only reason to seal them in the wrong sized box would be in an unusual circumstance, maybe where there is an opening into the room like in an unfinished garage or other oddity.

 

[renaudrenaud]

Ok, thanks. Now we want more test and not immediately another in celling speaker. I understand anyway it's better for Amir than an heavy class A amplifier.

Ha, here we are https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...uckeye-nc252mp-stereo-amplifier-review.48196/

 

[dustinyo]

Given the variables in what is actually in the ceiling behind it, is it better to have a small enclosed speaker that you just hang from the ceiling rather than an in ceiling speaker? I set up a 5.1.4 Atmos setup at my parents house using Klipsch speakers that were mounted to the ceiling for height speakers, these were previously being used as the mains in a standard 5.1 setup. Just wondering if this is ultimately the better way to go when I setup Atmos at my own house.

 

[ROOSKIE]

Given the variables in what is actually in the ceiling behind it, is it better to have a small enclosed speaker that you just hang from the ceiling rather than an in ceiling speaker?

No, both are roughly equal in trade offs from 'hifi'.
What is behind the wall doesn't matter in 99% of cases. Wires, plumbing,most types of insulation, wasps nests - none of this matters. The inwall speaker just need enough breathing room, ie, the enclosure size(wall/ceiling cavity) is correct for the woofers T/S parameters(should be large in the case of most in walls). So if the cavity is small or say filled nearly full with some sort of closed cell foam it would not be a great match in the bass and mid-bass ranges.

Speakers mounted near the wall suffer from SBIR(speaker boundary interference reflections) in the midrange and comb filtering in the midrange. This is possibly the worst spot in the frequency range to have these issues. While such a small speaker may measure well on the klipple, put it in that location and it will not.

I think the choice comes down to what is easiest for you, looks the best and costs the right amount. The height speakers are simply going to have issues, but they are not 'hifi' speakers they are height channels.

 

[Lttlwing16]

For someone who has these in a 7.1.2 setup, they are outstanding. I have a sloped ceiling in my living room and the slope of the mid drivers and adjustable tweeter allowed me to essentially place these directly overhead as is indicated in the Dolby Atmos guidelines. With Audyssey involved, I get a very very satisfying sound bubble in our room. Spatial placement of sound is great, and these essentially disappear in the room. I'd highly recommend!

After Painting grills

DIY acoustic foam enclosure in the attic space

 

[Lekha]

This is a review and detailed measurements of the RSL C34E MKII architectural, home theater speaker. I purchased it for testing and costs US $149.
View attachment 314168
Please excuse the stock picture. Speaker is still on an ugly baffle on Klippel NFS. As this type of speaker goes, the C34E MKII is lighter than others I have tested. Instead of one large and heavy woofer, two smaller mid-woofers are deployed at an angle. I was not a fan of the rotating tabs in the back as they did not extend past the edge of the rim. This means if you cut your hole a bit too big, they won't bite. There is a diagram that I think shows you can rotate them but I did not mess with that.

I know I am replying to an old post, but I am new here and exploring the site. Looking at the stock picture, I feel that this speaker would have been much better positioned on a sideboard and firing upwards, similar to those Stig Carlsson speakers.