Royd - Let's Dance.
By way of a public service announcement: A pair of very interesting Royd listings on eBay at the moment, after a while of nothing of much note...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROYD-EDEN-Hi-Fi-Loudspeakers-New-/180633337666?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item2a0e95ff42
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Royd-Sintra-High-Quality-2-Way-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers-/280637894224?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item4157526e50
Some nice abbots as well, but they're a bit boring really....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROYD-EDEN-Hi-Fi-Loudspeakers-New-/180633337666?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item2a0e95ff42
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Royd-Sintra-High-Quality-2-Way-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers-/280637894224?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item4157526e50
Some nice abbots as well, but they're a bit boring really....
Comments
I would if I didn't have to choose though, probably on those Sintras.
Sintras are still on at £85 odd, but for how long?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260763632414&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
$-)
What a bizarre reference point...!
[-(
Royd Sorcerors on eBay - reputedly excellent late model Royd speakers.
No, as I mentioned, the chap who got to the RR2s before you did is a member here, the speakers are not available as far as I know. At least, we haven't heard any impressions from him yet, though I'm sure we will. He liked his RR1s enough....
@Uglymusic put a link up the other day in a dedicated thread (he spotted them first) and they were gone in minutes.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Royd-Audio-Sterlings-/190541517247?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item2c5d28d1bf
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROYD-SINTRA-II-SPEAKERS-BLACK-/280694749348?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item415ab5f8a4
Watch how much these go for.....I've only seen two sets of RR3s for sale and this is only the second pair of Sintra IIs I've seen.
Appear to share the same external crossover setup, mounted underneath in the base. So should handle active bi-amping like the Apex. Royd recommended the Naim Naxo 2-4 for this.
Didn't go for much in the end, £43! I guess, as with collection only auction, you're really limiting your target market. If there anything like the Apex (or the Rega Ela Mk1), the duff tweeter is probably just a Scanspeak D2008 and readily available.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110747499183?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
Royd Merlins, kind of like Minstrels - but definitely better. More boogie (yes, more)
Gromit has these, they really are rare. I could totally live with these forever.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Royd-Bookshelf-Speakers-Sorcerer-/270823260885?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item3f0e5302d5
:-??
But closing the auction on my curry/Pinot grigio/bluray night. How very dare they...?
I haven't bought any hifi for ages and am getting twitchy. I need to indulge. And a pair of functioning Royd's would be easy to sell on if I buy and no-like.
>:-)
Are the Sorcerers good?
I'm in no immediate hurry. (I'm tres joli with my Cubes.)
On a budget the Minstrels are infectious, they bounce along wonderfully. They show everything up in the system, they never become a bottleneck. They do have slightly over-exuberant treble though, which can be just a little coarse, but the mid-bass is to die for. Nothing comes close in terms of performance & VFM at any price point.
The Merlins that just sold are stand-mounted versions, and even better in all respects AFAIAC. Interestingly, in the Revelation range, the range-topper was also a standmount, the base being a re-worked Minstrel and the mid being a re-worked doublet Well I say re-worked - they have the same form to look at, but aren't really the same at all.
The Sintra 2 is talked about in hushed tones, I haven't had the privilege myself. The Sorceror was after, I think, very high quality and a lot more refined than earlier Royds. I think Alan Sircom reviewed them once and seemed to love them. (Interestingly, in the review he referred to an acquaintance who had a set of Minstrels in a top flight system - was that you Dave?) Some Royd fans didn't like them so much as they were smoother, less foot-tappy. A chap on PFM (VUK) rates his as the best small speakers - in the world.[/clarkson} He is wrong. Mine are...
The Revelations get some of that fot-tappiness back, but are completely transparent. They just improve and show up everything which goes on upstream. I could have bought the R&D version of your speakers at a good price Ben, but not at the expense of my RR3s. I will say the minstrels still get the foot tapping more easily than the RR3s, but I'll take the improvements elsewhere in compensation.
Others, like the Doublet & Abbott get uniformly praised - I should think thy are pretty wonderful too. I'd like to try them all - I think a chap on WW & PFM has done just that, Steve 'Bourney'. He wrote some reviews which are on Arfas Royd Audio site.
The Minskies would be the cheap & definitive Royd experience imo.
I can see that this is less clear than I'd hoped. I'll check out that Arfas site. Obviously I need to hear some for myself, but I'm not going to grab every pair that drops into eBay, I need to narrow things down a bit.
You've helped me open my file...
:-)
There's some Doublets on ebay right now, which is what I'm running in my main system currently. Very good, but the chap is asking a bit much TBH.
I have some Apex too, which are basically a better version of the original Rega Ela, lovely sound, bit gently on low end bass, but you can't drive them hard. Big external crossovers, which can be teamed up with a Naim NAXO 2-4 for some funky active bi-amping action. Getting on a bit now, but spares are about, as they shared drivers with the old Rega Ela's.
As for standmounts, I haven't actually tried many, only the Envoys. I hear the Sintra 2 are top trumps. But he Sorcerer's are highly regarded, with the SE version of the latter sharing same bass driver as the Revelation series. However, all these high end stand mounts are pretty rare, don't come up often. Similarly, if you've got duff drivers, you're pretty much screwed.
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=190583740694&index=0&nav=SEARCH&nid=76301242262
They should be cheap as a result, you won't have more sonic fun for less
for sure.
I am surprised he won't post them, they are small really.
http://hifihunter.com/?s=royd
Now remembered. Thanks.
:-)
The sinatras appear to be a well respected model, what about the abbots?
Abbots have lightly bigger drivers, don't they? A bit of a departure for Royd, they seem to be well liked though.
Hmmm.
I am watching. 8-|
Currently I am totally satisfied with my system from a musical performance point of view. Happier than I've been since I started my hifi in 1993. Sounds utterly as I want it to. Wonderfully realistic.
But the hobbyist in me wants to play...
The sinatras enjoy a huge reputation. Most importantly, a huge reputation among those with similar ears and systems to me. Also, the fact that this pair are collection only may make them cheaper than they might otherwise be.
They'll be no problem to shift when they turn out to be risable in comparison to my cubes....;-)
I'll follow these sinatras closely.