RSL CG4,CG24 and Speedwoofer 10 Loudspeaker System Review

In the 1970s, Howard Rodgers started Rogersound Labs in a small shop on Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.  In the store, Howard carried not only the name brand speakers of the day but also built his own in the back of the store.  Since Howard didn’t have to worry about middleman markup, he used high-caliber parts and built the speakers his way with the quality and construction he thought speakers should be built with.  He then sold RSL (Rogersound Labs) Speakers alongside all the other brands.

One day, RSL got their so-called big break.  A record producer from Warner Bros. came into the studio from his office down the street.  He listened to Howard's speakers, bought them and over time, many other Warner Bros. employees did the same.  As the story goes, word of RSL speakers spread across various Hollywood studios and the fledgling company grew to several locations.  Because RSL speakers started popping up in record studios in Southern California, studio monitors were a specific focus for the company from early on.

RSL apparently created a bit of a cult following in those early years with their casual style and customer-first focus.  RSL employees never worked on commission and were encouraged to “make customers feel happy and comfortable.”  If you were just a kid looking to check out cool gear or on a budget, that was OK.  RSL would have midnight sales events where customers lined up around the block and the RSL employees served cookies and coffee while they waited.  In a nutshell, Howard saw his employees and his customers as part of his family.  According to Howard’s son, Joe, customers still write about how well they were treated and how great their salesperson was.

Howard sold RSL in 1989 and retired.  The new owners changed many of the things that made RSL successful and four years later, the company went out of business.  Howard was able to buy the name back and, at the insistence of his eldest son, Howard came out of retirement to launch a new line of speakers that are based on a design he had been working on during his retirement.  After three years of work, Howard and his son, Joe, felt that the speakers were ready for prime time and re-launched RSL in 2010. 

Unlike the old days when RSL was a brick and mortar operation with eight stores, since 2010 RSL has operated exclusively online.  In addition to their new line of speakers and subwoofer, RSL sells Denon multichannel receivers, speaker mounts, and stands so that you can get everything you need for a complete setup in one place. 

Even though we all order so much online, some audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts are still wary of ordering speakers online.  To alleviate any concerns, RSL offers a five-year warranty and a 30 day no-risk money back guarantee.  It costs you absolutely nothing to audition RSL speakers in your home with your gear.  You get free shipping when you order the speakers and if you don’t like them then RSL will pay return shipping and give you a full refund (The only exception to return shipping is orders from Alaska, Hawaii or Canada).  There is truly no risk and no reason why you can’t audition an RSL setup in your home.

Joe and Howard sure are confident about their speakers; and they certainly are not shy about touting what they feel is the superior value of their speakers compared to other brands.  They have a dedicated section on their web site called, “Product Comparison” where they list home theater solutions from 18 other reputable and well-known speaker manufacturers with links to product reviews and pricing.  RSL’s simple point is that they want to showcase that their speakers get the same high marks at far less consumer cost. 

Like many of those other speakers, RSL’s current product line is made in China, which helps keep the production costs down and the value proposition high.

 RSL CG4 Speaker YouTube Review

An Unexpected Shipment

When Gene DellaSala, Audioholics President, asked me if I would be interested in reviewing an RSL loudspeaker setup, I was certainly open to the idea. In my initial correspondence with Howard’s son, Joe, he said he’d be shipping me a set of CG24 and CG4 monitors and the Speedwoofer 10 sub.  Because I had just received my review set of the superb-sounding Classé Sigma SSP processor and AMP5 five-channel amplifier, my focus was on Classé as opposed to RSL.  I confess that I was not at all familiar with RSL’s product lineup other than quickly looking at photos and specs.  Photos sometimes don’t do justice to a product’s size. I only knew I was getting monitors. 

When UPS dropped off the RSL shipment, there were only two boxes—not three—and one of the boxes was the subwoofer.  “Oh no” I thought to  myself, “One of the speaker sets is missing.”  I went back to my correspondence with Joe and I saw that the shipment was indeed for only two boxes, not three.  I opened the box figuring that Joe had decided to send only one speaker model with the subwoofer.  When I opened the box and saw that both the CG24s and CG4s were in there and saw their small size, I said to myself, “Gene, you’re kidding, right?  You seriously want me to review these little guys?”  I don’t consider myself an audiophile snob, but I wasn’t looking forward to subjecting myself to a sub-par audio experience for the next month or two.

RSL CG4, CG24, and Speedwoofer 10 First Impressions

CG4 and CG24 Monitors

First impressions have been wrong before. So I tried to approach this with an open mind.  My tune changed a bit once I unboxed the speakers. They felt incredibly solid, had good weight, and build quality seemed to be excellent.  The cabinet for the monitors is made of 1/2 inch MDF and the Speedwoofer 10’s enclosure is 3/4 inch MDF.  RSL’s patented compression guide board (more on that below) provides additional bracing.  What I’m trying to say is that these felt more like solid wood blocks than a hollow enclosure with drivers.

RSL CG4 Loudspeaker has a single 4" woofer

There’s an excellent motor structure to all the drivers.  The tweeter in both models is a 1” silk dome with a ferrite magnet.  The 4” woofers have a cast aluminum frame with ferrite magnet and polypropylene cone.  Given the drivers, I applaud Howard and Joe for their design choices.  The CG4s are only rated down to 100Hz and the CG24s are only rated down to 65Hz.  So many times, speaker manufacturers will want to make their speakers—especially monitors—try and do everything.  Simply put, you can’t bend the laws of physics. When you do that you end up with an acoustic mess.  Instead, these speakers are designed to perform within their range and then hand off the lower end to the subwoofer. The real key, then, will be to see how well these monitors blend with the Speedwoofer 10 sub. 

RSL CG24 has two 4" woofers in an MTM design

At this price-point, I was impressed to see magnetic grilles on all the monitors.  The grilles are all metal.  There is no acoustically transparent mesh.  The grilles have felt pads on the corners that prevent them from scratching the speakers’ high gloss piano black finish when the magnets snap them into place.  That's right, there are no peg holes in these babies. Instead, neodymium magnets are located behind the front baffle to make a firm connection to the grilles once you position them towards the speakers.

The finish is excellent. It is simply not something you see at this price point.  The high-gloss polyurethane finish is hand-painted.  It’s beautiful, but it is not a flawless, mirror-like look as with SVS’ products.  But RSL’s high-gloss finish also doesn’t command an additional premium like it does on SVS’ Prime series products.  RSL’s finish looks identical to speakers I’ve seen costing thousands.  That is another nod to RSL’s focus on quality.

The rear of both monitor models has a metal threaded hole should you want to hang the speakers with a speaker mount. The gold-plated five-way binding posts are high quality but are shorter than usual.  If you use full size banana plugs they may stick out a bit.  This won’t impact performance, but if you want to hang the speakers flush to a wall then you will need to use shorter 90 degree banana plugs, spades, or bare speaker wire.

 A distinctive feature of both the speakers and the Speedwoofer sub is the thin, rectangular port that RSL calls their Compression Guide.  The CG24s have two compression guides.  The CG4s and Speedwoofer have only one.  RSL says that the Compression Guide is a patented technology so I asked Howard for more information.  

“The first Compression Guide patent was issued to me in the early 90’s,” he said.  “Since that time there have been several additional patents issued for variations and improvements on the design (our current line utilizes those latest improvements).” Howard told me that the inspiration for the design goes back to the 70s when RSL was a new speaker company.  

RSL Patented Compression Guide courtesy of RSL.  

“During that time I noticed a problem with virtually every speaker on the market, including ours,” Howard told me.  As Howard went on to describe what he was aiming at, it was that “you are there” sensation that so many audiophiles strive to reproduce.  “The best way to describe it is comparing it to hearing a live band. In the live performance when the drummer hits the kick drum with his mallet, you hear the rap of the skin and then feel the impact in your chest. However, when listening to a speaker, all you'd hear was a ‘boom.’ The detail of the drum's skin was lost. It seemed that the only speakers I heard that got it right were the transmission line speakers out of England that typically used a KEF B139 oval woofer. I was determined to find out the cause of the problem and the reason for this bass inaccuracy.”

Howard went on to say that he discovered that the problem was caused by the way speakers were tuned using system resonance. He used the following analogy, “Like an acoustic guitar, no mater what note you strike, you'll hear it along with the resonance of the cavity of the guitar. Although nice in a guitar, this isn't what you want from a speaker. Also, as you know, resonance acts like a spring meaning that the woofer wants to keep going after the signal is no longer applied.”

Howard told me that they tried unsuccessfully for many years to find a way to reduce system resonance.  Finally, Howard says, he discovered a way to do it and the Compression Guide was born. “[The Compression Guide] works by essentially dividing the cabinet up into areas of lower and higher pressure (compression). As the sound wave travels though these different pressure zones, the effect of resonance is reduced.  This reduction results in tighter bass and eliminates the ‘boxiness’ that even high-end box speakers tend to suffer from. We also feel that eliminating the ‘boxiness' increases midrange clarity.”  

Illustration of the Compression Guide Technology on the Speedwoofer 10

Many speakers as diminutive as the RSLs haven’t impressed me with their impact, midrange, or lack of “boxiness” so I was curious to see in practice how this would all play out.

Speaking of midrange, the RSL CG24s are a midrange-tweeter-midrange (MTM) design but not a D’Apollito design.  In a D’Apollito design, the drivers are aligned in an MTM configuration and use a third (18dB/oct) or fourth order (24dB/oct) crossover.  In contrast, CG24s use a first order (6dB/oct) crossover and the CG4s use a second order (12dB/oct) crossover.  

“We aren't necessarily subscribers to the D'Appolito design,” Howard told me. “In some cases some [of] the D'Appolito design would have not worked well with our Compression Guide design. We basically design the crossovers to give us the sound we're looking for first.  In the CG24, we had a sonic goal in mind for the speaker, both for stereo and home theater use. Once we've achieved this we measure it to see where we're at and if changes will be necessary. We know that some designers consider this order to be reversed, but this is the method we prefer.”  

RSL markets the CG24s as a center channel speaker, but the model can easily be used for the main left and right channels.  With the CG24s, you could therefore have a truly ideal multichannel setup where you are using the same speaker for every channel with exactly the same orientation.  

The CG4s are a two-way speaker.  What’s visually odd about the CG4’s is the tweeter’s placement under the woofer. When I asked why, Joe told me that the configuration had to with their Compression Guide design. According to Joe, the positioning of the internal board didn't leave ample space for the woofer if the woofer was placed below.  Although a late 1980’s version of the CG speakers had a traditional driver arrangement because there was a little more room, the current design called for repositioning of the board to accomplish a different angle. “To accommodate for this,” Joe told me, “We placed the woofer above to provide proper spacing.”

Speedwoofer 10 Subwoofer

Given the specs of the CG4 and CG24, you’ll certainly want to add a subwoofer.  As part of the review setup, I received the Speedwoofer 10, which is the sole subwoofer in RSL’s lineup.  It features a 10” cast aluminum frame with a rated frequency response of 24-180Hz +/-3db.  The Speedwoofer 10 is driven by a 375W RMS Class A/B amplifier.  Joe and Howard evidently tried several, more powerful Class D amplifiers but were not satisfied with the results.  “We originally checked out a bunch of Class D amps up to 500 watts,” Joe said, “and none of them had the (forgive the lack of technical term) slam of the A/B amp. So we chose that.”  

RSL's Speedwoofer 10 with a 10" driver

Unpacking the 64lb subwoofer wasn’t as bad as some other subs I’ve had come through my system.  The front-firing subwoofer is solid but unlike the monitors with their metal, magnetic grille, the Speedwoofer 10 has an acoustically transparent grille attached by old-fashioned pegs.  The Speedwoofer 10 includes your choice of plastic feet or spikes.  

The outboard crossover and volume control (that RSL calls the “receiver”) is one of the more distinctive features of the Speedwoofer.  Joe told me that this was one of the unique design elements that they were really proud of.  Unlike so many other subs, RSL’s solution puts all the controls you need at your fingertips in a separate, outboard box.  You don’t need to hunch over the rear of the subwoofer. 

The outboard receiver connects to the Speedwoofer 10 via the included shielded Ethernet cable.    You can place the receiver on top of the sub or move it to anywhere in your setup.  To do so simply use a longer shielded category 5 or category 6 cable.  Note that most typical Ethernet cables are not shielded. 

You can set the crossover and volume using the included remote control.  When it came time for me to calibrate the Speedwoofer 10 sub, I found this to be a smart, incredibly helpful, and time-saving feature.  In addition to handling crossover and volume, the receiver also serves as an indicator for the sub’s power status.  The crossover and volume dials will glow red when the sub is in standby and blue when it is active.  

For die-hard two-channel listeners or those who lack bass management on their receiver or processor, you can go old school.  From your amplifier or receiver simply run speaker cables to the sub and then from the sub to the speaker.   You can now manually manage the crossover from the Speedwoofer.  The user manual goes into extensive detail on this kind of setup if it is a new concept for you.

Speaking of crossover settings, the CG4 monitor is rated at 100Hz-25,000kHz and the CG24 is rated at 65Hz-25,000kHz. Even though you have the flexibility to set whatever crossover you want, the RSL user manual strongly suggests that you set the crossover between 90Hz-110Hz and not the THX standard of 80Hz.  At the very early stages of the review, Joe wanted to make sure I had noted the recommended crossover settings in the user manual.   I ran Anthem’s ARC room correction to see how ARC interpreted the frequency response of the speakers and sub.  Needless to say, ARC confirmed the recommended range Joe had suggested.  

When I listened to the RSL setup with the Anthem, I accepted all the ARC measurements.  When I paired the RSL speakers with the Classé Sigma SSP and AMP5, I manually set the crossover in the Sigma SSP PEQ (parametric equalizer) settings to 100Hz.

The Speedwoofer comes out of standby as soon as it senses an audio signal and goes into standby after 20 minutes of inactivity.  Unlike some other subs with this auto-on and auto-standby feature, not once did I hear the sub “pop” when turning on or when I powered down my system.

 Like the monitors, the Speedwoofer features RSL’s compression guide along the front bottom of the unit.  

RSL CG4, CG24, and Speedwoofer 10 Setup and Listening Tests

I can’t recall explicitly commenting on a vendor’s owner’s manual before.  However, the RSL owner’s manual is in a league of its own.  It’s hysterical and spot-on informative.  To give you an idea, the cover has the tagline, “Written by people with short attention spans who hate manuals.”  The first page continues that tone.  The Introduction section’s first paragraph says, “This is the part of the manual where companies normally make you feel warm and fuzzy for choosing their products. And, as much as we’d like to point out what an intelligent and insightful person you are for choosing our speakers, we would rather let our products do the talking.”   Throughout the manual, a large “You Can Skip This Section” heading hovers over non-essential sections; and when they want you to take special note of something there is a clear heading, “This Section is Important.”  For a manual written by people with short attention spans, don’t let them fool you. It’s 46 pages long of great, informative topics—especially for the novice—on 8 1/2” x 11” pages.

As part of my review setup, RSL shipped me a set of the 33” speaker stands that they sell on their site.  After having lived with all metal monitor stands from Revel, I’ve become completely intolerant of poor quality stands—in particular, flimsy MDF stands.  When I looked at the packaging of the stands RSL sent, I just shook my head.  “Once again, poor quality stands for budget monitors,” I thought to myself.

I was pleasantly surprised by the solid wood build quality of the speaker stands

Once again to my pleasant surprise, looks were deceiving.  There was no MDF here.  These stands are made of all hardwood and were exceptionally sturdy.  They also came with real metal spikes and not the cheap plastic spikes of lower-end stands.  Putting the stands together was straightforward and I found them to be an ideal fit for either set of monitors.  

Other than the included rubber pads that provide some grip, there is nothing else to hold the speakers to the stands.  You will therefore need to be careful where you place the speakers so that they aren’t accidentally knocked over. 

During my review period, I initially set up the RSL speakers with an Anthem AVM50v running ARC and for the majority of my listening time switched to the sweet-sounding Classé Sigma SSP and AMP5 (200wpc x 5) duo that I had in for review.  Most prospective RSL users won’t necessarily be driving their setup with $10,000 worth of Classé electronics; but I felt it would allow me a chance to see what these speakers were really capable of delivering.

When all was said and done, I stepped back to admire the setup and it looked… well… tiny.  Dare I say, unimposing?  “On the plus side,” I said to myself, “at least those looking for a spouse-friendly solution or an inconspicuous setup will discover that these RSL speakers are a great find.” Let’s be frank, such small setups rarely delivered the sonic goods.

 Sound Quality Tests

I guess I should have learned my lesson not to judge outward appearances, but I hadn't.  I raised an eyebrow looking at that finished, lean setup.  Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why the sound caught me by such complete surprise.  Upon hearing the RSL speakers I went from a raised eyebrow to a dropped jaw.  I remember saying to Gene, “I really like the sound of these RSLs.  I’m telling you bluntly, these are some fun speakers” 

Four things immediately stood out: 

1. The soundstage was utterly uncanny for such small speakers.  It was wide, deep, and well-defined.   
2. The speakers disappeared into space.  There wasn’t a single time during my listening period when I felt as though the soundstage illusion collapsed and that the sound was coming out as a pinpoint from one speaker or the other.   
3. Box, what box?!  I was dumbfounded how these tiny things didn’t sound boxy.  
4. They blended wonderfully with the Speedwoofer sub.  

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, these guys had some serious “you can feel it” punch.  Listen, I tend to take all the marketing hype around products with a grain of salt.  Admittedly, I wasn’t expecting to experience that I heard out of this setup. What I can tell you is that you can spend a lot more money and still not get the physical wallop that these guys delivered.

But it wasn’t just me who noticed something truly extraordinary about this setup.  My niece and one of my kids happened to be walking by the RSL CG24 setup one evening and out of the blue the both stopped and remarked, “Wow, that sounds really good.”

Music

“That sounds really good” was a constant theme regardless of the music I played through the RSL setup.  Let me highlight a few specific tracks:

The live, a cappella version of “Down to the River to Pray” by Allison Karaus and Union Station was beautifully engaging.  Without instruments, it’s all about handling the delicate aspects of an all-vocal rendition.  Allison’s soothing vocals were smooth, warm, and conveyed an intimate, “you are there” sensation.  I fell for the presentation of this song.

Mozart’s violin Sonata in C is a good test of a speaker’s ability to handle the dancing intricacy of  violin and piano.  The CG4s reproduced the violin’s timbre in an inviting way.  In the final 1:30 of the movement, the piano dances across the soundstage in a nimble ballet of jumping notes.  For a set of speakers this size, I never got the sense that the piano sounded tinny or that the overall body of the piano notes were compressed.   On the contrary, the piano sounded surprisingly full-bodied (though I certainly wouldn’t say it would rival the presentation through a pair of Magnepans).   Through it all, the speakers completely disappeared.  I was unable to localize them at all. The subwoofer didn’t call attention to itself and the crossover was flawless.  

Turning it up a notch, I spun up some Rush.  “Tom Sawyer” from Moving Pictures is one of the band’s signature songs.  The classic track opens with Neal Peart’s addictive, precise drum beats.  I’m challenged to think of another drummer whose work is so much like a siren song to my ears.  Through the RSL CG4s, the superb detail, dynamics, and instrument separation drew me into the music.  Louder went the volume!  Neal’s drum beats remained clean, tight, and punched you in the chest.  Geddy Lee’s vocals were solidly placed and always intelligible.  I loved the song so much through this combo that I played it over and over just to soak it in.

If you’re a fan of the Mad Max series of movies then you owe it to yourself to see the post-apocalyptic visual spectacle that is Mad Max Fury Road.   Complementing the cinematic artistry is a bold and primal soundtrack by Junkie XL that communicates the movie’s fury, despair, and fragile sense of hope.  Not since Daft Punk’s Tron Legacy soundtrack have I felt a soundtrack to be so perfectly mated to a movie.  This tiny powerhouse sound system nailed the soundtrack. Emotive, melancholy tracks such as “We Are Not Things,” “Redemption,” and “Many Mothers” were ethereal—hauntingly beautiful.  All-out audio assaults such as “Spikey Cars,” “Storm is Coming,” “The Chase,” and “Claw Trucks,” attacked you in full, rock operatic force. 

Tone it down, jazz it up, crank up the rock, start all over again.  These speakers didn’t care about the mood or genre I threw at them.  All this RSL setup cared about was doling out superb, toe-tapping, audio enjoyment

Movies

Movies are probably where I noticed the greatest difference with the RSL setup.  Everything I described with music listening was true of movies and TV shows.  However, the one area where I felt the RSLs had a bit of a shortcoming vs. my reference sub, an SVS SB13-Ultra, was in the truly deep bottom end of the audible spectrum in the 20Hz-30Hz range.  

To be very fair, my listening room is very large for a 10” sub. It’s 30x24 at points and 30x18 at others. The SVS SB13-Ultra is a much larger subwoofer (13” driver vs. 10”), and retail price of the SB13-Ultra sub alone is more than the total price of the RSL 2.1 setup.  In my setup, I felt as though the SB13-Ultra packed a deeper and cleaner bottom end than the Speedwoofer 10.  I felt as though this single Speedwoofer 10 would have performed far better in a smaller or medium-sized space.  At least two Speedwoofers would be needed in a large space such as mine.  That’s not to say that the Speedwoofer was a slouch—by no means.  Within its range, it was a superb, detailed, and clean performer.  I’m simply saying that in my room setup, I felt that the Speedwoofer just didn’t command visceral output at the lower end.  None of that took away the delight I had. 

Note: Please see the addendum at the end of this review for additional notes on the Speedwoofer 10 and the retest I did using dual Speedwoofer 10s in my system.

In the opening scene of Gladiator, I could distinctly make out the rustling of each stalk as Russell Crowe’s hand passed through the wheat field.  During the Gladiatorial match in chapter 11 where the gladiators are chained to each other in pairs, the clanging of swords against metal shields and rustling of chains were sharp, distinct, and detailed.  Some might find such a sound the slightest bit on the bright side.  However, I never found it to be annoying or overly distracting.  Rather, I found it added to the sonic ambiance of the spectacle.  Chapter 15 depicts a gladiatorial contest in the Colosseum mimicking the 2nd fall of Carthage.  In a clash with the chariots, the pounding of horse hoofs was exceptionally clean and satisfying but didn’t completely rock my larger room.  I noticed the absence of the deepest foundational bass in the accompanying soundtrack.

  

The superb motion picture adaptation of Lés Miserables, starring Hugh Jackman, opens with this visually stunning, cinematic scene where hundreds of convicts are pulling a huge wooden ship into dry dock with massive ropes as rain pounds down upon them.  Drums beat in the background of the gripping musical score.  While the strings and other instruments were well rendered, I again longed for a bit more “oomph” out of the lower region. The death of Fantine, played by Anne Hathaway, in Chapter 6 was emotionally powerful. Vocals were warm and delicate. The theatrical power of that scene came through in all its glory.  The subsequent exchange between Valjean, played by Hugh Jackman, and Javer, played by Russell Crowe, likewise carried superb emotional impact.  The accompanying soundtrack, discreet sounds, and final splash of water as Hugh Jackman jumps into the river were all rendered with superb realism.    

Chapter 2 of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, opens amidst the backdrop of a thundery, rainy afternoon. Caesar leads hundreds of apes as they herd a group of deer through the northern California forest.  The detail of the raindrops and the soft patter of individual ape’s feet as they landed on branches was phenomenal.  Want to know if the RSLs can handle dynamic elements? Chapter 21 leaves no doubt as the pop of machine gun fire had an explosive quality to it. When necessary, sounds had impact while always being kept under control.

Many a speaker system will be seething with jealousy.  This RSL speaker system performs a whole lot bigger than it looks.  The physical impact conveyed by the RSL setup with music and movies reminded me a lot of my experience with the Joseph Audio Pulsar monitors in the sense that they sound considerably bigger than their physical footprint would suggest, and they deliver a dynamic, acoustic experience.

Between music, movies, and TV shows, I played with the RSL setup constantly for over two months.   I interchanged between the CG24s and the CG4s.  To be frank, I didn’t notice a lot of difference between the two speaker systems.  If pressed to identify a difference, I might be tempted to say that I felt that the CG24s had a bit warmer presentation.  In any event, the top end of the audible spectrum was thoroughly satisfying.  I found both models to blend exceptionally well with the Speedwoofer 10 to the point that I was truly unable to discern any issues at the crossover point.  

RSL CG4, CG24, and Speedwoofer 10 Measurements and Analysis

by. Gene DellaSala

I heard such great things about these little speakers from Theo that it inspired me to check out a pair for myself.  I selected the CG4's to do some listening tests and pull a few measurements.  You can see our YouTube Video to get my impressions of the sound and build quality of these speakers.

RSL CG4 Listening Window Response (1 meter spliced GP at 500Hz)

I placed the CG4 speaker on a plateau stand with the tweeter at the bottom and measured it in-room 1 meter away.  The listening window response is an average of on-axis, +-15, +-30 deg horizontal and +- 10deg vertical which is a total of seven measurements.  I then measured the speaker using groundplane technique spliced into this curve at and below 500Hz to help remove the room influences.  As you can see the CG4 exhibited great linearity. The -3dB point looks to be just below 100Hz as stated by RSL.  Sensitivity measured about 85dB (@ 1 meter and 2.83V) which is 3dB lower than the manufacturer specified.  My listening tests revealed these speakers have quite an energenic top end.  I personally preferred listening to them with the tweeter above the woofer in a nearfield situation with a very slight toe-in. 

Grille on: Blue ; Grille off: Red

I measured a very slight difference in frequency response with and without the grilles on.  There is a little less output in the 5-7kHz region with the grille on which may be a desirable attribute for those wanting to tone down the top end of the speaker just a touch.

RSL CG4 Impedance and Phase

The CG4 measured a nominal 8 ohms just like RSL states, never dropping below 7 ohms (6.4 ohm min per IEC requirement).  However you can see the box is a little too small for the driver with the asymmetric peaks between the saddle point.  To RSL's credit, didn't hear any ill effects in bass.  However,  in my opinion,  a speaker this small should be sealed since a port can't do a whole lot in this scenario. 

Speedwoofer 10

Listed below is the CEA-2010 SPL data* which tells you how loud the Speedwoofer 10 can play within a set limit in distortion criteria per the standard.

2M CEA 2010 RMS Data:

63 Hz:                   111.1 dB 
50 Hz:                   111.1 dB 
40 Hz:                   108.0 dB 
31.5 Hz:               104.7 dB 
25 Hz:                   98.1 dB
20 Hz:                   90.7 dB

* CEA2010 data courtesy of Brent Butterworth of Hometheaterreview.com

Based on the CEA2010 data, the Speedwoofer sub meets our Medium Bassaholic Room size rating with a good degree of margin.

RSL CG4, CG24, and Speedwoofer 10 Conclusion

I guess at the end I’ve finally learned my lesson.  The RSL speakers are a David among Goliaths.  Don’t judge these RSL speakers by their small size.  Be amazed at their big sound.  I’ve conceded that these are just some of the best darn speakers I’ve heard in this price range. They are probably the best speakers for their footprint.  The overall performance you get for $1,250 in a 2.1 setup and $2,075 for a 5.1 with the CG4s is simply mind-blowing.

As I write these final words to the review, I’m sitting here just staring at the RSL CG4 and Speedwoofer at the front of my listening room.  I stop. I laugh to myself. I then laugh out loud shaking my head.  Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought that such a tiny, Smurf-sized set of speakers could be so engaging and thoroughly enjoyable.  These aren’t junky HTIB speakers.  The CG4/24 and Speedwoofer combo is serious gear for the discerning yet frugal audiophile.

Only those wanting visceral impact in subterranean bass depths will be left slightly disappointed by the overall performance of this system.  Regardless, at the end of this review period not only can I say highly recommended, I’m also going say that this setup is worthy of receiving our Audioholics Top Pick as the 2015 winner of the high performance compact 5.1 home theater system.

 RSL CG4 Speaker YouTube Review

Review Addendum

Following the review and my conclusions, Howard and Joe Rodgers wanted me to try out a second Speedwoofer 10 in my room to compare the difference.  I happily obliged.  If you can afford it, here at Audioholics we always recommend multiple subs, especially in larger spaces.  Simply put, more subs equal better bass; it’s proven science (see our article: Are two subwoofers better than one?

As you might imagine, adding the second Speedwoofer 10 gave the LFE channel the visceral gut-punch, depth, authority, and a more true-to-life cinematic experience in my larger room vs. the single Speedwoofer 10.  Any hesitancy I had about the Speedwoofer 10’s performance within its specified frequency range disappeared with the introduction of the second subwoofer.  If you have a medium or large room, then I’d say a second Speedwoofer 10 is a must to realize this system's best performance.

RSL Speakers Systems

a Division of Rogersound Labs, LLC

26500 West Agoura Road, Suite 571

Calabasas, California 91302

800-905-5485

The Score Card

The scoring below is based on each piece of equipment doing the duty it is designed for. The numbers are weighed heavily with respect to the individual cost of each unit, thus giving a rating roughly equal to:

Performance × Price Factor/Value = Rating

Audioholics.com note: The ratings indicated below are based on subjective listening and objective testing of the product in question. The rating scale is based on performance/value ratio. If you notice better performing products in future reviews that have lower numbers in certain areas, be aware that the value factor is most likely the culprit. Other Audioholics reviewers may rate products solely based on performance, and each reviewer has his/her own system for ratings.

Audioholics Rating Scale

• — Excellent
• — Very Good
• — Good
• — Fair
• — Poor

Metric	Rating
Build Quality
Appearance
Treble Extension
Treble Smoothness
Midrange Accuracy
Bass Extension
Bass Accuracy
Imaging
Soundstage
Dynamic Range
Fit and Finish
Performance
Value