Transcript
4½ STARS OUT OF 5 REVIEW OLi RA 5.1 SYSTEM - RA4, RA1, C30 & KH30
[On the RA1s] “Close inspection of the cabinet reveals more of the same solid, robust build quality and suave styling, which is remarkable given they cost a mere £100 per pair.” “When it comes to performance, the OLi RA system punches so far above its weight it makes David vs Goliath look like a fair contest.” “...the Olis generate an explosive soundstage that’s alive with big dynamics and quick, confident effects distribution.” “An even tonal balance across the soundfield means effects are ushered seamlessly between channels, while the sub’s punchy low frequencies fuse tightly with the other speakers.” “...what astounded me most for the money is the system’s crisp, expressive high-frequency presentation. Every scene is dripping with detail...the sound isn’t overly clinical - it’s merely the icing on a very rich and delicious cake. Treble sounds natural, not thin or spitty, and lends a pleasing sense of subtlety and texture.” “The fact you can even buy a system with such well-made floorstanders for this price is remarkable in itself, all of which makes the Oli RAs astoundingly good value for money.”
Available from BBG Distribution Ltd +44 (0) 1923 205 610
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48 ROTH OLI RA 5.1 -+ Approx £850
Danny Phillips is used to seeing compact sub/sat arrays at this sub-£1,000 price point. Roth's Oli RAs dare to be different
Brit speakers that can stand proud INSANE HIGH-END SPEAKERS carved from pure unicorn horn by Apollo himself are all well and good if you can afford them, but what about mere mortals with only a meagre budget to play with? Don't they deserve spectacular sound qualit y, too? Well according to Roth, yes they do. That's why the British audio brand has unleashed the Oli RA speaker series, which aims to deliver classy home cinema sound at a price that won't break the bank. The RA of the name stands for Richard Allen, a respected speaker designer of some 20 years and the brains behind the Arcaydis and EB Acoustics brands. Allen has lent his expert lug- holes to these new Roth designs in a bid to tease out the best possible performance for the money. It's a canny move - cash-conscious buyers get an affordable speaker system with the seal of approval from a guy who knows his audio onions. This third-generation Oli range features two floorstanders, the RA4 and smaller RA3, plus two bookshelf models, the RA2 and RAl (£400, £300, £150 and £100 per pair respectively). The £100 C30 centre and £250 KH30 subwoofer complete the lineup. You can chop and change as you please depending on room size and budget, but we've plumped for a 5.1 setup with a pair of RA4s at the front, RAls on surround duty plus the centre and subwoofer. That comes in at a wallet-friendly £850.
Well-crafted Standing 962mm tall at the front of the system is the flagship RA4, a surprisingly well- crafted speaker for the money. The cabinet is reassuringly hefty and there are no visible seams or screws, just a single solid chunk of sonic goodness. The styling is distinctly modern. It's slathered from head to toe in a smooth matt black finish, with curved HOME CINEMA CHOICE MAY 2014
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edges that cry out for living room acceptance. To make it even more discreet, Roth supplies magnetic grilles that snap snugly onto the front (when some brands still employ fiddly plugs on much more expensive designs). If you prefer them naked then the cones. phase plugs and surrounds all blend in with the cabinet's finish. It's a good look. This two-way speaker features two 6.Sin woven fibreglass hybrid drivers for midrange and bass (compared with 5.25in drivers in the RA3s) , plus a lin silk dome tweeter. The C30's matching finish and curves ensure aesthetic consistency across the system, and its driver array includes two 5.25in cones and a lin tweeter nestled between them. At only 23lmm high, RAl is the range's most compact bookshelf speaker and leaves
a small, manageable footprint. It's based on Roth's previous OLi 10, employing a 4in driver and l in tweeter. Close inspect ion of the cabinet reveals more of the same solid, robust build quality and suave styling, which is remarkable given they cost a mere £100 per pair. In terms of spec and cosmetics, the KH30 subwoofer doesn't let the side down. Its heavy build quality surprises considering t he £250 price tag, while its curvy edges and matt finish again match the rest of the system. It's a front-firing, fairly compact affair, with an Bin woofer that can be covered up w ith a magnetic grille. The rear panel offers the usual array of controls and inputs, including volume and crossover knobs, and a phase reversal switch.
Boisterous performer When it comes to performance, the OLi RA system punches so far above its weight it makes David vs Goliath look like a fair contest. Listening to the system belt out a boisterous blockbuster like Star Trek: Into Darkness, it seems preposterous t hat the whole lot ret ails for under a grand. What struck me immediately is t he size and scale. The movie's w ild opening scene shows Kirk and Bones fleeing t he Nibiru natives against the backdrop of an erupting volcano, and fittingly the Olis generate an explosive soundst age that's alive with big dynamics and quick, confident effects distribution. As the pair dash t hrough the jungle, t he natives' spears zip past the camera and split tree trunks w ith a piercing crack, while the deftly-handled score lends momentum and drama. And when Spock finds himself stranded inside t he volcano, the Roth cabinets put you right in there with him - m assive waves of rumbling, growling lava rise up and fill the front of the room, while the RAls whip up a swirling vortex of hissing flames behind you.
REVIEWS
AV INFO PRODUCT: 5.1-channel speaker package POSITION: Currently Roth's only speaker range PEERS: Monitor Audio Radius R90HT1; Cambridge Audio Aero; Quad L-ite Plus 5.1
Build quality and design Impresses on this budget floorstandlng package
MAY 2014 HOME CINEMA CHO IC E
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50 REVIEWS
SPECIFICATIONS
OLIRA4 DRIVE UNITS: 2 x 6.Sin woven fibreglass hybrid drivers; l x l in Black Diamond silk dome tweeter ENCLOSURE: Two-way, rear-ported tower FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 40Hz-20kHz SENSITIVITY: 97dB POWER HANDLING: 150W DIMENSIONS: 215(w) x 965(h) x 325(d)mm WEIGHT: 16.5kg OU RAl DRIVE UNITS: l x 4in woven fibreglass hybrid cone; l x l in silk dome tweeter
ENCLOSURE. Two-way, rear-ported bookshelf FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 80Hz-20kHz SENSITIVITY: 85dB POWER HANDLING: 50W DIMENSIONS: 15l(w) x 23l( h) x 153(d)mm WEIGHT: 2.4kg OLI C30 DRIVE UNITS: l x 4in woven fibreglass hybrid driver; l x lin silk dome tweeter
ENCLOSURE: Two-way, rear-ported FREQUENCY RESPONSE· l OOHz-20kHz SENSITIVITY: 84dB POWER HANDLING: 80W DIMENSIONS: 530(w) x 180(h) x 203(d)mm WEIGHT: Bkg The floorstanding RA4s deliver these sounds with drive and control, while t heir impressive bass extension ensures a deeper and more fulsome sound than the sort of compact speakers you could buy for the same price. They comfortably handle loud volumes, too. Some might find the RAl's rear stage a little sm all by comparison, but their presentation is crisp and precise and you could always step up to t he RA2s if you want a little more oomph.
'When it comes to performance, this Roth Oli surround package punches far above its weight' I also had the benefit of hearing the system in action with RAls inst alled at both front and rear, and although the soundstage is admirably punchy and engaging, the step up in depth and dynamics when switching to the bigger RA4s is remarkable and well w orth the extra £300.
Cinematic cohesion Also impressive is the system's integration. An even tonal balance across the soundfield means effects are ushered seamlessly between channels, while the sub's punchy low frequencies fuse tightly with the other speakers. Just one incongruous element could yank you back to reality, but t hankfully the Oli RAs' coherent sound keeps you immersed and entertained. HOM E CINEMA CHOICE MAY 2014
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But what astounded me most for the money is the syst em's crisp, expressive high-frequency presentation. Every scene is dripping wit h detail, such as the hissing water as t he Enterprise rises out of the sea or t he chirping jungle wildlife on Nibiru. Despite this, the sound isn't overly clinical - it's merely the icing on a very rich and delicious cake. Treble sounds natural, not thin or spitty, and lends a pleasing sense of subtlety and texture. This is most clearly heard in dialogue, right down to the hiss of an 'S' or the pop of a 'P'. The rich, treacly growl of Benedict Cumberbatch's voice is a particular t reat. This 5.1 array is surprisingly musical too, handling a 96kHz/24-bit FLAC of All Will Surely Burn by Sons of Kemet with panache. It picks out plenty of det a il in this chaotic jazz arrangement, from t he leading edges of snare drums to crashing cymbals. while the saxophone, trumpet and rattling percussion are cleanly separated. Called upon for a house party, these won't disappoint.
OLI KH30 DRIVE UNITS: l x Bin woofer ENCLOSURE: Sealed FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 40Hz-500Hz ON BOARD POWER: 200W REMOTE CONTROL: No DIMENSIONS: 298(w) x 298(h) x 343(d)mm WEIGHT: 14.5kg CONNECTIONS: Stereo phono inputs; speaker -level outputs
HCC VERDICT
Up for the fight I won't pretend Roth's OLi RA package trumps the dynamics. insight and musicality of bigger. pricier floorstanding systems, but its authoritative, detailed sound is good enough to scare most of the similarlypriced competition. The fact you can even buy a system w ith such well-made floorstanders for this price is remarkable in itself , all of w hich makes the Oli RAs astoundingly good value for money. At this price there a re plenty of packages to audition, but these certainly deserve your attention. It's also currently Roth's only speaker range - perhaps it should release some more... •
Roth Oli RA 5.1 -+ £850 Approx -+ www.rothaudio.co.uk -+ Tel: 01753 682782 HIGHS: Great build quality and styling; remarkably detailed sound; good dynamics and seamless integration; fantastic value LOWS: Comparatively small rear soundstage; plenty of competition
* ***" II * * ** I Overall ****j I Performance Design**** Features
