RDO 194 vs LSiM Ring Radiator Tweeter

Ear

Can someone tell me how the RDO 194 sounds compared to the tweeter in the LSiM series?

Ear

Anyone???

I used to own LSiM 703s and I'm looking to try the RDO 194s in my SDA SRS2s. So I'm wondering if the RDO 194 leans more to the voicing of Polks ring radiator or that of the SL-2000 (without the peak).

Thanks in advance for any comments

Ear

Anyone??? Not sure if I should post this in the Speakers forum instead.

I used to own LSiM 703s and I'm looking to try the RDO-194s in my SDA SRS2s. I'm wondering if the RDO 194 is voiced like Polks Ring Radiator or closer to the SL-2000 without the peak.

Thanks in advance.

F1nut

The 194 is vastly superior to the SL2000. You'll love it.

nooshinjohn

The ring tweets are very smooth and detailed, and do not really compare to the RDO's. That said, the RDO are a quantum leap better than the SL2000, and with the proper crossover upgrades, sound just as detailed and smooth IMHO.

Ear

In all honesty, I wasn't a big fan of the ring radiator in the LSiMs. It's probably the main reason I sold the 703s.

I found that it was lacking in clarity & resolution yet would still get sharp/squawky on some dynamic passages. There seemed to be a rise on the upper end of the spectrum yet I found it too recessed almost a bit muffled/slow during normal listening for my tastes.

Hoping the RDO is not as smothered (for lack of a better word) as the ring radiator or as sharp as the SL-2000 on the high end.

skrol

Hmmm... That isn't what I found with the LSi15 ring radiator. It is laid back but very detailed and images incredibly well. I have the RDO198 in my RTA11TL's, which is very similar to the RDO194. They are much smoother than the SL3000. Comparing the LSi15 to the RTA11TL is RDO198, the LSi15 is superior in the mid thru high, sounding more realistic. That said, I still really enjoy the RTA11TL's.

K_M

Ring radiator, when compared with our older Polk tweeters is simply in another league.
The RDO198 is far better than the SL2000 for sure, but our Lsi15, is just superior mids and highs.

There is a level of realism and refinement and imaging that the "regular" polk tweeters can sorta hint at, but not capture really.

F1nut

K_M wrote: »

Ring radiator, when compared with our older Polk tweeters is simply in another league.
The RDO198 is far better than the SL2000 for sure, but our Lsi15, is just superior mids and highs.

There is a level of realism and refinement and imaging that the "regular" polk tweeters can sorta hint at, but not capture really.

Maybe that's because you're using the wrong model tweeter to replace the SL2000.

lawdogg

Hmm. You're probably not putting LSiM ring radiators in your SDAs, right? So the real answer to your question is that you will probably prefer the RD0194 to the SL2000. You might not - if you prefer bright speakers (you're not a Klipsch fan, are you?) - but you probably will.

I'm trying to see if I can offer anything useful to compare the ring radiator to the RD0194. I have had a bunch of different Polk tweeters - I've only missed 2 or 3 of them. I've had SL2000s in my Monitor 7b, Peerless in my Monitor 10a, RD0198s in both my 3.1TL and Monitor 7.II, as well as the LSi7 with ring radiators and RTiA7 with - well, with I'm not sure what - Jesse has RTiA7s too, he likely knows what they are.

But the biggest problem for me directly A/B'ing Polk tweeters, in order to isolate & listen to differences in the drivers has been the differences in crossover networks behind each tweeter. For example my SL2000s were driven by factory 7b crossovers, my Peerless by Clarity Caps and Mills resistors, and the RD0198s by Daytons and original everything else. So I could A/B my LSi7s against my 7.IIs to try to distill a comparison between the LSi ring radiator and the RD0198, but it would be hard because of the differences under the hood.

My experience thus far, fwiw, and it's just like, my opinion, man, but I'd say that I love love looooved the Peerless tweeter with ClarityCaps & Mills resistors under the hood, in my Monitor 10a. Unbelievable. The RD0198s with Daytons in my M7IIs aren't too far behind - they're very, very good. The RD0198s with original 3.1TL crossovers are also very good. The LSi7's ring radiator with the factory crossover is good, maybe on par with the RD0198/Daytons, but definitely not jaw dropping like the Peerless w/ ClarityCaps & Mills was. The RTiA7 tweeter and the SL2000 seem very similar - without any measurements to support that - but they both are very bright, but I don't find them to be bad by any stretch, in terms of articulation and detail. They just kind of are what they are.

So can we draw anything useful from all that? No probably not much. Other than that ClairtyCaps and Mills resistors in your SDAs will probably kick butt...

In that vein - and to add a little fuel to the fire - I'll mention that my girlfriend much preferred the SL2000s in my 7b over the RD0198s in my 7II, and also much prefers my RTiA7s to my LSi7s (w/ a PSW1000 handling bass).