RBH Sound Reference 815 In-Ceiling Speaker Review

Watching movies is a favorite past time for so many of us. And it’s that much nicer to be able to do it from the comfort of our own homes. There are many different levels of audio, starting with just stereo speakers in our TV, to the current best format being Dolby Atmos or DTS X. The best format now uses height speakers to increase the surround sound effect. One of the best manufacturers for home surround sound systems is RBH Sound. And up for review today is their top of the line in-ceiling speakers, it’s their RBH Sound Reference 815. Also included is their optional BC-8R steel back can.

 

Features and specs:

Recommended Power:              50W - 200W

Woofer:             1 x 8" (200mm) (133.35mm) Anodized Aluminum Cone

Tweeter:            1 x 1.38" x 1" (36mm x 26mm) AMT tweeter

Frequency Response (±3dB):  45Hz - 40kHz

Sensitivity:        91dB

Impedance:      8 Ohms

Crossover Frequency: 2.7kHz

Dimensions:     10.6" Dia x D 5.1" (270mm Dia x D 130mm)

Weight:              6.4 lbs (2.9kg)

 

The RBH Sound Reference 815 came in a standard white box. Opening the box revealed a well-protected speaker held in place by custom cardboard. Materials used in the construction was mostly metal and plastic, with some rubber. Quality of materials used, as well as fit and finish, was excellent. Materials such as manual and installation are found online.

 

I love the design of the RBH Sound Reference 815, but we must first cover what they were designed for. Since its first format Dolby Stereo was introduced back in 1975, there have been advancements to Dolby Surround, to Dolby Pro Logic. Dolby Digital was the first surround format that utilized full range to all channels. Now we have Dolby Atmos, which includes height channels, which are also full range.

 

RBH Sound, being the premium manufacturer they are, designed the Reference 815 in-ceiling to take full advantage of Dolby Atmos. They are a two-way design, featuring an 8-inch woofer and a separate tweeter. So if the sound track provides it, these speakers can provide deep bass. They can even handle a lot of power, up to 200 watts RMS worth.

 

What makes these RBH Sound Reference 815 really special, is they are part of their top-of-the-line Reference Series. They use the same high quality aluminum woofer that is used in the rest of their Reference Series. It’s a stiff cone that provides excellent dynamics thanks to its great responsiveness and control from the beefy magnet. It also employs the same amazing AMT tweeter, that is also utilized in all of the other Reference Series speakers. The AMT tweeter is fast, provides excellent detail and transients with a huge soundstage, wide frequency response, and an airy transparent sound.

I also love the overall design and build quality of the RBH Sound Reference 815. They employ a solid stamped steel basket, beefy magnet with a vented back plate.   The wire is a sufficiently thick 16-gauge wire for high power handling. The crossover board with excellent quality capacitors and inductors is also mounted to the back plate. I spoke to RBH Sound regarding the design, and the use of a stamped basket when the rest of the Reference Series uses a cast aluminum basket.  I was told that it was intentional due to the environment they are installed in.  While they offer a back can for it, the back can is an optional accessory for it.  Most are sold without it.  And installed in the ceiling, there could be insulation that could get into the speaker.  The design of the stamped basket provides more material that more encloses and protects the internals of the speaker, while with a cast basket it is mostly open.  And while there are some audio benefits of using a cast instead of a stamped basket, there is potential longer lifespan for the customer using a stamped basket.  Makes sense. 

 

But RBH Sound doesn’t stop there. Like the rest of their Reference Series in-wall speakers that utilize an enclosure, they have provided an optional steel back can. The back can screws onto the back of the speaker to create on enclosure for it. There’s a lot of in-wall/in-ceiling speaker options from a lot of manufacturers, and most of them do not utilize on enclosure. Instead, the entire wall cavity becomes the enclosure.

 

But you get the best sound when an enclosure is used. This is thanks to controlled acoustics. Manufacturer can utilize exact air space a speaker needs with an appropriately sized enclosure to maximize performance for nice tight bass and improved mids. You also don’t get sound leakage into other rooms. So keeping true to RBH Sound philosophy, they provide the best speaker possible, and do so by providing a back can for it. The thick gauge steel can has the same excellent quality push terminals on the back, with 16-gauge wire to connect to the speaker terminals. There’s a foam gasket glued to the lip of the back can to create an excellent seal, along with poly fill, to help with bass response. Once screwed down with the included screws, it creates an in-ceiling speaker with its own enclosure.

 

Speaker voice also needs to be taken into consideration. The RBH Sound Reference 815 uses the same woofer and tweeter as the rest of their Reference Series. That means they have the same voice. This is critical for home theater. You and I do not have the same voice, we sound different. Having speakers in your home theater that work together and have the same voice is critical. That way, when you are watching a movie, and a helicopter flies from left to right, and the sound travels across the front three speakers, or if it flies from in front of you to behind you, and you hear the sound span from your front speakers to the ceiling speakers to the rear speakers, it is a fluid sound motion that doesn’t stick out. That’s because all the speakers having the same voice sound the same. This provides a seamless transfer of sound going from one speaker to another that sounds the same.

 

What this means is while the RBH Sound Reference 815 is an excellent in-celling speaker that can be utilized as a whole house speaker that can be used in the ceilings throughout your home. It is also a perfect fit for their Reference Series for use in an elite home theater system. So depending on the size of your home theater, two, four, or six of the RBH Sound Reference 815’s would be used in the ceiling for height channel speakers, for the ultimate home theater speaker system.

 

What also can’t be forgotten is what is considered the Wife Acceptance Factor, or WAF. To get the best sound, as previously discussed, you need an enclosure. But having bulky tower speakers in the front of your room, as well as bookshelf or more tower speakers at the rear and sides, let’s just say it doesn’t score well on the WAF. And then you add mounting bookshelf speakers to the ceiling, for the best sound, well…now the WAF really plummets. It just doesn’t look nearly as good. But with the RBH Sound you can use their Reference Series, and with each speaker including the ceiling speakers, having their own enclosures, not only do they sound excellent, but being in-wall and in-ceiling, it looks really clean as well!

 

Installation was also fairly simple. Online was the cut sheet, for installation. Once the hole in the drywall was cut, a Phillips screwdriver does the job. The swing out dog-leg mounting system worked well, and made for an easy installation. The included grills are steel mesh and is magnetically held in place. And while they come in white, they can easily be painted for the color you need. Now that it’s installed, let’s see how they sound.

 

Listening:

Music:

 

Rhapsody in Blue – Clarinet had amazing air, with excellent resolution for the woodiness of the reed to come through well. Piano was very dynamic with excellent resolution to not only hear the impact of the string but also its decay. And the piano also sounded much more lifelike than a speaker should at this price point. I grew up around piano all my life with my mom playing daily, and my wife enjoys her baby grand. I have yet to hear a speaker at any price that can exactly duplicate a piano as if you were standing right next to it. And the RBH Sound Reference 815 performed much better than expected with the piano. The bassoon had very good texture. Brass was also silky smooth with excellent dynamics and harmonics.

Mayo Nakono Piano Trios “Scabious” – this track really shows off what a speaker can do when it comes to piano. The dynamics were great, as were the tone of the strings. I loved having enough resolution to be able to hear not just the impact of the hammer on the string, but also the decay of the string. And the details that the AMT tweeter are able to add, such as an airy nature that gave a real depth to the soundstage. And due to the wide dispersion, they also threw a wide soundstage. The instant transient response, excellent detail, and large soundstage, all added to what yielded a synergy that created a sound that was almost holographic in nature. It was like being on stage with the performers!

Junior Wells: Why are People Like That – vocals were very natural with excellent smoothness and texture of the timbre. Harmonica was so crisp and clean with excellent dynamics and harmonics, it gave me goosebumps! Drums also had excellent dynamics with very good resolution of the impact of the stick on the pad. Bass had very nice low-end extension. Cymbals were also so very crisp and clean with excellent resolution of the impact of the stick and the cymbals decay.

For you gamers: Sugaan Essena – Jedi Fallen order – the resolution of the lute was excellent, being able to hear the bow as it ran across the stings, and drums had excellent dynamics and resolution of the impact. Vocals had an excellent rawness of the texture of the timbre that came through in spades. And again the speed of the tweeter, along with its resolution, airiness, and size of dispersion and soundstage, was an aural feast. And it yielded a creation that again was almost holographic, and felt like I was right there in the recording studio.

 

Movies:

 

Ready Player One: Race scene- the revving of the engines showed off the cones stiffness by providing very good low-end extension and authority. Pitch definition of the midbass and bass was also extremely good. The stiffness of the aluminum cone also provided excellent control of the cone for excellent dynamics and resolution. Such as when the fireworks went off to start the race. There was excellent dynamics of the bang when the fireworks exploded that extended deep into the low-end, and continued into the mids and highs as the fireworks were sent across the soundstage. The various peeling and screeching of tires showed off the excellent resolution of both the woofer and tweeter. And when players were run over, causing their coins to become available, Z opened the door of this DeLoreon to collect those coins. As he spun the car all around, collecting those lost coins, you could really hear the wide soundstage all across the ceiling of the room, showcasing the really wide dispersion of the AMT tweeter. And the collection of all those coins was also so crisp and clean, revealing the excellent resolution and dynamics of the AMT tweeter as well! And then Kongs running to the finish line also made transparent the low-end extension that came through with sufficient authority.

Spider-Man: Far From Home- Ferris wheel scene – the roars of the monster had good low-end depth and authority. Shooting his webs at the monster was really crisp and clean. The explosions were also extremely dynamic with good low-end punch. I have watched this movie many times and they did an excellent job on the quality of the soundtrack of this scene. I used to be a scoutmaster and have been camping many, many times, and the fires in this scene, for example, has superb detail and resolution, sounding like a real campfire with the crisp and clean crackling.

Greatest Showman: Never Enough Song scene – I love how the passion builds and builds and builds. As the singer pours her heart into her performance, it is superbly portrayed. The harmonics were smoother than honey with excellent resolution to clearly show off the texture of the timbre. Even at reference level volume her vocals shined through without any strain.

 

RBH Sound has done it again with their Reference 815. It is extremely difficult to design a speaker that can not only provide the dynamics needed for a movie at reference level volumes, but to also do so with excellent resolution and sound quality. RBH Sound succeeded on all accounts. The high-quality surround and stiff cone provides great excursion to help with the reference quality dynamics, low-end extension, and output with authority. Mids were warm with excellent harmonics and levels of details not often heard at this price point. And the stellar AMT tweeter provides the same level of crispness and resolution with excellent air and transparency to the highs that are also not often found at this price point. Now don’t get me wrong, they aren’t perfect. Like I would love to see a swivel built into the tweeter housing to angle them more towards the listening position. But it had such a wide dispersion, the tweeter managed without it. And sound signature sounded more neutral.

 

The RBH Sound Reference 815 proved to be an excellent performer. They have the features and sound quality to serve as a stand-alone in a while house speaker system, or as the mains or surrounds in a small home theater system. But utilizing the same midrange driver and tweeter as is found in the rest of the RBH Sound Reference speakers, that means they also have the same voice as the rest of those reference series speakers. What this provides is and excellent height channel speaker with the same sound fluid across the entire soundstage.

 

There are certainly a lot of options out there for home theater system speakers. But if you would prefer to have the convenience of staying home to watch your movies, yet also have sound at least as good, if not better than your local movie theater, the list of potential speakers just got a lot smaller. RBH Sound is one of those options, with excellent build quality to provide many years of use. They deserve to be on your short list.  Add to the fact that they are also made here in the US, it’s also nice to know you are supporting local jobs.  It would also be a difficult task to find a better in-ceiling speaker at their price point.  While it’s a price point that may be too high for many, I believe Ferris Beuller said it best after driving the Ferrari:  It I so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend it.  Based on its design, features, quality, and performance, the RBH Sound Reference 815 has earned our Editor’s Choice Award. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.rbhsound.com.  

Onkyo Creator Series GX-30ARC Powered Monitors Review

When it comes to computers, there’s a lot of content creators. And it’s not just about graphics or video. The audio portion should be taken into consideration. For that reason, Onkyo came out with their Creator Series of speakers. Up for review is their Onkyo GX-30ARC Powered Monitors. MSRP is $349.

 

Features and specs:

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION:  Powered Monitor (pair)

FREQUENCY RESPONSE:  55Hz-20kHz

MAX OUTPUT:  115 dB (1M Stereo Pair)

TOTAL SYSTEM POWER:  50W Total System Power 17W LF+8W HF/ch

HIGH FREQUENCY DRIVER:  3/4 inch (19mm)

LOW FREQUENCY DRIVER:  4 inch (101.6mm) cone woofer

ENCLOSURE MATERIAL:  MDF with PVC

ENCLOSURE TYPE:  Bass-reflex via rear-Slit duct

BLUETOOTH®

VERSION: Bluetooth 5.3

A2DP Codecs: SBC

SPECIFICATIONS

INPUTS: HDMI-ARC with CEC, Bluetooth® 5.3 wireless technology, Phono/Line analog (with switch and ground screw terminal), 3.5mm analog mini jack, USB Type C, Optical

OUTPUTS: Single RCA line level output for connection to subwoofer

PRODUCT DIMENTIONS:  5.75" (146mm) x 8.66" (220mm) x 6.69" (170mm)  (W X H X D )

PRODUCT DIMENTIONS W/STAND (W X H X D):  5.75“ (146mm) x 10.55” (268mm) x 8.27” (210mm)

WEIGHT:  Primary: 6.0lbs (2.7kg) - Secondary: 5.3lbs (2.4kg)

BOX DIMENTIONS (W X H X D):  16.7" (423mm) x 14.2" (360mm) x 11.2" (285mm)

GROSS WEIGHT:  17.6lbs (8kg)

FINISH:  Black / White

VOLTAGE:  100V-240V 50/60Hz AC Adapter

 

The Onkyo GX-30ARC came in a standard white box. Opening the box revealed a well-protected speaker held in place by custom molded Styrofoam. Materials used in the construction was MDF, PVC, and steel. The speakers appear to be made using a paper cone with rubber surround for the woofer, and the tweeters appear to use silk for the dome. Quality of materials used, as well as fit and finish, is very good. Also included were the speaker stands, remote, AC adaptor, speaker cable, HDMI, and USB-C cables.

 

I love the design on the Onkyo GX-30 ARC powered monitor. Whether gaming, websites, or other content creating with a computer, it’s part of their content creator Series. It works great connected to a computer, but it can also do so much more. With imputes that consist of RCA with phono, 3.5 mm, optical, HCMI, USB-C and Bluetooth, it can be used with just about anything. You could connect a record player directly to it, as well as to a TV like a soundbar. You can even set them up by themselves in a living room or den and use your smartphone with Bluetooth to listen to your music. So many possibilities.

 

They are also designed for great sound, tapping into Onkyo’s decades long heritage. They employ a ¾ inch silk dome tweeter for smooth highs. And while they also use a smaller 4 inch woofer to keep the enclosure size down, they still have it ported to improve bass performance. Onkyo even has them bi-amped, for the best sound possible. This means there is a separate amp for the tweeter and woofer, which would also control the frequencies they play.

 

I also love the synergy that seems to have been realized due to the sum of the parts done right. It stars with the quality drivers, great electronics, efficient design, down to the multitude of connects for ease of use. And lastly an efficient and well-made enclosure. It’s a well-made product that should provide years of use. Now let’s see how it sounds.

 

Guns & Roses: Patience – The whistling was silky smooth with excellent harmonics and a tone of air.  The strings from the acoustic guitar was really crisp and clean with really good resolution to show off not just the good dynamics of the strings as they were plucked, but also hear the decay. Vocals were smooth like honey with good texture of the timbre. 

Nat King Cole: L-O-V-E  - hi-hat was really crisp and clean, piano sounded really natural, violin was silky smooth with great resolution of the bow across the strings.  Th bass was equally smooth with not just good low-end extension, but also played with authority.  Trumpet was extremely dynamic with excellent harmonics without being too brassy.  Snare drum was also dynamic.  But just as impressive was not just the soundstage that was really big, not just deep but also forward.  The imaging on a dime was equally impressive.

 

Jessie J, Ariana Grande, & Nickie Minaj: Bang Bang – The various drums and claps were nice and dynamic with great pitch definition.  And while it was the stellar harmonics and timbre of the multiple parts of the female vocals that seamlessly came together to steal the show, I am also impressed with the bass performance.  It had good low-end extension and played with more authority for its size than I expected.

 

The Onkyo GX-30ARC performed as well as I expected.  They had a neutral sound signature as expected from a monitor.  The highs were crisp and clean, with silky smooth mids, and bass that performed well for its size.  What I was not expecting was the level of soundstage and imagine that I heard at its price point.  It’s not perfect, but at only $349, it’s a grand slam for bang for the buck. 

 

Onkyo has a reputation for making great products. And it’s products like the Onkyo GX-30ARC Powered Monitor, that bring a smile to my face, to see that Onkyo is not just sitting on their Laurels. They want to protect their reputation. And the Onkyo GX-30ARC proved to be not just  a great sounding speaker, they are made to be used in many different set ups. They’re even well made to be able to perform for years. Based on their design, features, quality, and performance, the Onkyo GX-30ARC has earned our Editor’s Choice Award. If you are looking for great sounding a small package, the Onkyo GX-30ARC Powered Monitor should be on your short list. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.onkyo.com.

2024 Annual Editor's Choice Awards

2024 has been a great year of great products from some excellent manufacturers.  There have been many that have come across my desk this year.  Only the best earn our Editor’s Choice Award.  This is a recap of all of those great products that have earned the award this year.  Below are links to their reviews. 

Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite AX Ice Motherboard

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2024/05/gigabyte-z790-aorus-elite-ax-ice.html

 

JBL Charge 5

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2024/08/jbl-charge-5-review.html

 

JBL PartyBox Club 120

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2024/09/jbl-partybox-club-120-review.html

 

JBL Tour Pro 2

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2024/03/2024-annual-headphone-shootout-part-2.html

 

JBL Tour One M2

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2024/03/2024-annual-headphone-shootout-part-2.html

 

Kenwood DVR-A610WDP GPS Dual Camera Dashcam

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2024/08/kenwood-dvr-a610wdp-gps-integrated-dual.html

 

Kicker 51KSS365 3-Way Component Speaker System

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2024/05/kicker-51kss365-65-inch-3-way-component.html

 

Master & Dynamic MW09 True Wireless IEM

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2024/03/2024-annual-headphone-shootout-part-2.html

 

PSB M4U 9 In Ear Monitor

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2024/03/2024-annual-headphone-shootout-part-2.html

 

RBH Sound Impression 5600-iwr Reference Series Soundbar

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2024/12/rbh-sound-impression-5600-iwr-reference.html

 

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2024/03/2024-annual-headphone-shootout-part-2.html

 

Thermaltake Argent E700 Real Leather Gaming Chair

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2024/06/thermaltake-argent-e700-real-leather.html

 

Torres Coolify 3 Wearable Air Conditioner

https://www.stereowiseplus.com/2024/02/torras-coolify-3-wearable-air.html

 

It’s been an amazing year, with some great products.  Some of them have been fairly unique.  We look forward to what 2025 will bring.  Thanks for your support.  Stay tuned to more reviews to come in the new year.  And from our family to yours, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

RBH Sound Impression 5600-iwr Reference Series Soundbar Review

Whether it’s a movie, or one of my favorite sitcoms, I enjoy my shows. What I don’t enjoy are the speakers built-in to the TV’s. If you really want to enjoy your shows, you need good sound as well. Good sound also does not need to surround you, with a bunch of speakers that need to be mounted. This is where soundbars come in. Up for review today is the RBH Sound Impressions 5600-iwr soundbar.

 

RBH Sound has been around for decades. They are a one stop shop for all your home theater needs, when it comes to sound. No matter if you are looking for bookshelves, tower speakers, subwoofers, even in-wall and in-ceiling, RBH has you covered. They even do soundbars. So if you want good sound but don’t need the fancy surround sound with all the speakers all over the room, a soundbar is what you need. And the RBH Sound Impression 5600-iwr is one of the best.

 

Features and specs:

SYSTEM TYPE:  Impression On-wall Speaker Bar

DRIVE UNITS:  (6) 5-1/4" (133mm) cast aluminum basket, black anodized cone with solid metal phase plug  (3) 1.38" X 1" (35mm x 25mm) AMT tweeter

FREQUENCY RESPONSE:  75-40k Hz (+/- 3 dB)

SENSITIVITY:  90dB-per channel, 92dB-Combined (2.83V @ 1 Meter)

RECOMMENDED POWER:  50-200 Watts / Channel

IMPEDANCE:  6 Ohms / Channel

CROSSOVER FREQUENCY:  3000 Hz

CROSSOVER SLOPE:  24 dB/Octave

CABINET DETAILS:  High Density Fiberboard (HDF), Black or White Satin Paint

GRILLE DETAILS:  Magnetic Grille w/ white or black fabric

FINISHED DIMENSIONS:  57" x 6-3/4" x 3-3/4"  (1448 x 171 x 95mm)

WEIGHT:  27.85 lbs+ (12.63 kg)

WARRANTY:  *10 year limited

 

The RBH Sound Impression 5600-iwr soundbar came in a standard brown box, which is fine as they are sold through authorized dealers. Opening the box showed a well-protected speaker, held in place by custom foam. Materials used in the construction was mostly HDF for the enclosure, as well as aluminum for the drivers, NBR for the surrounds, and cast aluminum for the baskets. Quality of materials used, as well as fit and finish, was excellent. This is one of their Signature Reference Series soundbars, their top of the line, and it shows!  Also included was an aluminum mounting bar, with screws.  That way you can mount it on your wall under the TV.

 

RBH Sound employed an excellent design with the RBH Sound Impression 5600-iwr. At first glance, you see how big it is, and you get a feeling this is not your typical soundbar. When I pulled off the grill, I realized it was held on by magnets. Ok, that’s cool. Then I saw the drivers: six 5-1/4” woofers, and three AMT tweeters. It’s a three channel soundbar with two woofers and a tweeter for each channel. This just got really cool! And it’s definitely not your typical soundbar!!

 

We’ve reviewed many soundbars over the years. Most, if not all, of these soundbars have been made in China. And the typical design is a plastic enclosure, with cheap poly woofers and tweeters, protected by a metal grill. And there are internal electronic components for amps and processing. They are a big jump in sound quality from the speakers built into your TV, but still does so on a cheap budget.

 

Now enter the RBH Sound Impression 5600-iwr. I’m sure you’ve seen the cheap soundbars found at your local Walmart or Best Buy. Remember those models. Now take a look at the RBH Sound Impression 5600-iwr with the grill off, and pick it up. You know you’ve got something special. It’s a lot like car shopping at the local Chevy dealership, and then taking a test drive in a Bently. The difference in quality from your typical electronics store, and the RBH Sound Impression 5600-iwr is that dramatic.

 

The RBH Sound Impression 5600-iwr is a great example of synergy. It starts with an excellent solid and well-made HDF enclosure. Then the drivers are also well made with aluminum cones and rubber surrounds. The AMT tweeters are of similar quality. The drivers all look great mounted in the enclosure. The finished product gives an elegant look.

 

Unlike most soundbars, the RBH Sound Impression 5600-iwr is a passive design. This means there is no built-in amplifier, nor processing. So you will need a receiver to do the processing and provide the power. This works though, because with the high-quality components, you’ll also want quality amplification. Connecting the sound bar to my receiver was very straightforward. The wire terminals on the back of the cabinet are well labeled. Now that it’s connected, let’s see how it sounds.

 

For movies, I turned to Top Gun: Maverick. Vocals came out not only easy to clearly hear, but excellent quality as well. Vocals were silky smooth, with excellent resolution to hear the texture of the timbre. And no matter if it was missiles or gun fire, they were life like in aural details with excellent dynamics. Something I don’t look for in cheap soundbars, but was easy to hear, was the soundstage. Having heard these drivers before in other versions of their reference series speakers, I was pleasantly not surprised. Soundstage was very deep, and at times was almost holographic. What did surprise me was the width of the soundstage. The 5600-iwr is designed for high output and power handling. To do so, they employ an AMT tweeter and two large midrange drivers. But by doing so, there isn’t that much space between the center channel drivers, and those for the left and right channels. The left and right channel speakers are also mounted so they fire straight forward and not at an angle outward. In this aspect I was pleasantly surprised, as I heard material a couple feet to the left and right of the speaker, as jets were flying all around the sky.

 

For music, being the Holiday Season, I turned to some of my favorites from Manheim Steamroller: Pat A  Pan - Wood block had excellent texture of the wood, shakers beads were really crisp, the flute was smoother than a Dove bar with excellent air and tonguing technique that easily came through. Violin provided excellent texture of the bow across the strings. Snare drums and tom drums were crisp with good midrange pitch definition and excellent dynamics.

 

Mannheim Steamroller: God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, Rock – the tambourine was really crisp and clean. Horns were as smooth as honey with excellent harmonics. Piano sounded extremely natural, Hi-hat and Cymbal were really crisp with good resolution of the contact of the stick on the metal. The multiple tom drums had excellent pitch definition, dynamics, and low-end extension. Strings had very good tone and texture of the bow across the strings. This is a difficult piece with so many instruments, but they were all resolved with excellent detail. Soundstage was excellent, with not only a very wide and deep soundstage and a bit holographic, the imaging was also on a dime!

 

The RBH Sound Impression 5600-iwr proved to be an excellent soundbar. They continue the decades long tradition of RBH Sound providing excellent sounding products. The RBH Sound Impression 5600-iwr is an elite soundbar. It has the price tag to go along with it, so it’s not for everyone. But if you have the means, it is highly recommended. Keep in mind also, that while the 5-1/4” woofers had good extension, it would still greatly benefit from a subwoofer like the previously reviewed RHB Sound Impression 12-i.  Based on its design, features, quality and performance, the RBH Sound Impression 5600-iwr has earned our Editor’s Choice Award. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.rbhsound.com.

RBH Sound Impression 12-i 350-Watt Freestanding Subwoofer Review

When it comes to watching a show or movie, the picture is only half of the experience. The sound is the other half. And a big part of the sound is the bass. Without the bass, the sound is just…lacking. That’s why a subwoofer is needed. Up for review is the RBH Sound Impression 12-i. MSRP is a fair $900.

 

Features and specs:

SERIES:  Impression 3rd Gen

SYSTEM TYPE:  Sealed, Powered Subwoofer 350 watts RMS, 500 watts max

DRIVE UNITS:  (1) 12" (305mm) Polypropylene (PP) Cone driver. (1) 12" PP Passive Radiator

FREQUENCY RESPONSE:  29Hz-150Hz ± 3dB

CROSSOVER FREQUENCY:  40Hz-150Hz (variable)

CROSSOVER SLOPE:  12dB/Octave

CABINET DETAILS:  High Density Fiberboard (HDF), Satin Black or White Paint

GRILLE DETAILS:  Magnetic Grille (black or white fabric)

FINISHED DIMENSIONS:  15-3/4 W x 15-11/16” H x 16-7/8” D (400W x 398H x 429D mm)

WEIGHT:  36 lbs. (16.33 kg.)

WARRANTY:  *10 year/amp 3 year limited

 

The RBH Sound Impression 12-i came in a standard brown box, and was packaged very well, double boxed.  Materials used in the constriction was mostly HDF for the enclosure, polypropylene and foam for the woofers and surrounds, and metal for the built-in amplifier. Quality of materials used, as well as the fit and finish was excellent. Also included was the magnetic cloth grill, power cord, and user manual.

 

I love the design of the RBH Sound Impression 12-i. Most subwoofers use either a sealed or ported enclosure design. A sealed enclosure is nicer on space, as it doesn’t require as much internal airspace. But it does not have as much output or volume as a ported enclosure design. It also generally plays deeper, as the volume decline curve goes down more gradual as the frequency declines. Ported enclosure designs have a port that is tuned to a specific frequency. It has a higher output or volume at the port frequency, yet it also has a steeper decline curve for the volume, as the frequency drops below the port tune frequency. But the RBH Sound Impression 12-i uses a hybrid sealed design with a passive radiator.

 

Using a hybrid enclosure design with a passive radiator, you get the best of both worlds. It’s a sealed design. This gives you the benefit of a smaller enclosure, as well as nice tight bass when music or movie soundtrack calls for it. The passive radiator acts as a port. So while you get a smaller enclosure due to it being sealed, you also get more output thanks to the passive radiator.

 

The built-in amplifier gives you a lot of control. There are adjustment knobs for volume, crossover and phase. There are RCA line-ins and RCA line-outs. It even has XLR connectors, which is not usual at this price point. It’s also really easy to control and tune to your liking. Just adjust the knobs for volume, crossover, and phase.

 

The RBH Sound Impression 12-i has a great look, being part of the Impression Series. On the front is the active driver, covered by a cloth grill held in place by magnets. Really cool! The passive radiator is down firing. And while it comes in a standard black cabinet, I love the option of it in a satin white. The satin white definitely leaves an impression!

 

One feature that I really love is that it’s made here in the US. Different parts may come from global sources, but the cabinets are made locally, close to RBH’s headquarters. And it is all assembled in the US as well. So you get that feel good, knowing that you are supporting fellow American workers.  Now that it’s hooked up, let’s see how it sounds.

 

Movies:

Ready Player One: Race Scene – From the very beginning the exploding firework to start the race was both really dynamic and had good low-end extension. The scene is full of mayhem with car crashes and explosions, that was close to life like with the level of output and punch to the chest impacts. I could even feel it in the floor and in my chair on the other side of the room.

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King: final battle scene – When the giant elephants showed up, things went up to a whole new level. The stomping of the elephants was epically seismic! And when one elephant crashes into the other, and they both fall to the ground, it was room shaking. And when the troll was pounding on the city door with a massive hammer, the depth and dynamics of the impact on the wood yielded a better than expected sense of realism.

 

Music:

Also Sprac Zarathustra, performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – The beginning with the constant rumble from the contra basses had my windows rattling a bit. The impact of the mallets on the timpani could also be heard. The resolution of the players working their bows on the contra basses, and the drummer striking the tympani with the mallet, could be heard and was a pleasant surprise. It wasn’t to the level of realism heard on RBH’s Signature Reference subs that we have previously reviewed, but it was better than it should have been at this price point.

Brandon Beal: Drop that Booty Down Low – The bass here was really clean, played really deep, and with a ton of authority. And when he drops the booty down low, it was like an earthquake, filling more than just my family room!  It typically requires a good amount of power to get the best out of a driver: a cone that is well controlled by the motor structure, and thanks to the power also gives great resolution.  It was more musical than I was expecting with only 350 watts.

 

I love the design of the RBH Sound Impression 12-i subwoofer.  RBH’s use of an active 12-inch driver with a 12-inch passive radiator in a sealed enclosure for a small size was brilliant. Here, you can get some of the attributes of both a sealed and ported enclosure. You get tight bass when the source materials calls for it. Yet thanks to the passive radiator you get much more output than you would from a sealed enclosure. However you still get a small enclosure size, thanks to a sealed design. The amplifier also did a good job controlling the motor for sufficiently clean output, especially considering it’s only using 350 watts RMS! The price point did have its limitations, as a couple times I manage to push the driver to its limit and get it to the bottom out- something I didn’t manage to do to its big brother Signature Reference Series. Yet the performance for the RBH Sound Impression 12-i for only $900 is a huge bang for the buck! Especially since at its price you’re still getting a product assembled here in the US!

 

RBH Sound has been making excellent products for decades. And it’s not just top-of-the-line level products. They are a one stop shop that you can trust to get great quality products at all price points. And the RBH Sound Impression 12-i proves it. The RBH Sound Impression 12-i proved to be a great budget performer. It can play really deep, going down into the 20’s. Just don’t try to go too loud playing that deep. The Impression 12-i does not employ their Signature Reference driver and amp, so it does have its limitations. A combination of volume and crossover adjustment on the subs amp can help against that.

 

If you’re in the market for a home subwoofer, the RBH Sound Impression 12-i is a great little subwoofer, thanks to its sealed design. Yet thanks to its passive radiator, you get better performance. The bass it provides was very deep, with a lot of authority and resolution.  Equally impressive was how musical it was. It’s well made, assembled here in the US, to provide years of use. It even looks great as well! It’s priced very well at only $900 and should be on your short list. Based on its design, features, quality and performance, the RBH Sound Impression 12-i has earned our Highly Recommended Award. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.RBHsound.com.