FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The list below are some of the most frequently asked questions from our speaker customers. Simply click on the title you wish to view and the material will pop up. If you are unable to find an answer below please feel free to contact your RBH Sound Authorized Dealer or RBH Sound for more information. To contact Technical Support call (800) 543-2205 or (801) 543-2200 or email tech@rbhsound.com
Why Metal Cone Drivers?
he proprietary aluminum drivers used in RBH products have several advantages over other driver cone materials. The RBH aluminum cone has a greater strength to weight ratio than polypropylene (plastic), paper or woven glass cones. Aluminum is the material of choice for making products where high tensile strength and low weight are essential. It is important for a cone to act like a piston through the operating range of the driver. Paper and plastic cones tend to flex or "break up" at low and high frequency extremes. This flexing results in nonlinear response (breakup and compression) whereas our aluminum cone driver retains its pistonic motion through out the pass band even when driven to extremes
What is meant by "breaking in the speaker"?
When first purchasing an RBH loudspeaker please be aware of the break-in process that will normally occur during the first several hours of operation. During this period the driver suspensions will loosen. This affect is most noticeable with the woofer or low frequency driver in a system. As the woofer suspension loosens, the resonant frequency of the driver decreases and the efficiency increases slightly. The increase in low frequency output will change the tonal balance of the speaker system resulting in a warmer sound with better bass definition and extension.
What is the function of the switches on the in-wall speakers?
The switch located on an in-wall speaker baffle controls the tweeter level. Setting the switch to "+" increases the tweeter level 3dB. Setting the switch to "-" decreases the tweeters output 3dB.
Why do the Signature Series speakers use fabric dome tweeters while the MC series products use metal dome tweeters?
The MC Series products use a newly designed proprietary aluminum dome tweeter. The Signature Series uses a more expensive Danish made fabric dome tweeter. Tweeters have a very small excursion requirement compared to a midrange or woofer driver and thus the dome material is less of an issue with tweeters than with larger drivers (midrange/woofers). The fabric dome tweeter used in the Signature series offers slightly smoother/extended frequency response and is manufactured to higher tolerance specifications. The MC tweeter was specifically designed to integrate with MC Series woofers. Both the Signature and MC Series tweeters offer exceptional performance.
What is the recommended subwoofer size for my room?
As a general guideline we recommend for matching RBH Subwoofers to a given room volume is as follows:
| Rooms Size (Cubic Feet) | Subwoofer Models | |
| Up to 2200 | MCS-88, SI-10, S-10, | |
| Up to 2800 | S-12, SI-12, SI-1010, | |
| Over 2800 | SV-1212N, SV-1212NR, SV-1212P, SV-1212PR |
What is TAV™ Technology?
Tuned Periodic Vent technology (TAV) allows a smaller cabinet to provide lower frequency response without using passive radiators and very high power amplifiers. Subwoofers incorporating TAV technology are able to deliver higher amounts of lower bass frequencies from a smaller enclosure for increased performance. TAV Technology is currently used in the MS-10.1 subwoofers.
NOTE: This subwoofer is currently discontinued.
What class of amplification do your amplifiers use?
All RBH amplifiers are class AB biased and use analog type power supplies. This insures long term reliability and maximum performance.
When playing my speakers at very loud levels why do the high frequencies seem attenuated?
Most RBH in-wall speakers and freestanding loudspeakers use polyswitch protection to protect the tweeter from excessive current. If a loudspeaker is played at extremely loud levels this protection circuit will activate and attenuate the tweeter output until the volume is reduced to a safe level. If an RBH loudspeaker is being powered by a smaller than recommended amplifier, it is possible the amplifier is clipping which will also cause the polyswitch protection to activate.
Where is the best place to put a subwoofer in my room?
Since bass reproduction in a room is very dependant upon the dimensions of the room and where the listening position is in the room, we recommend experimenting with subwoofer placement for best results. Every room is different and there is no standard rule as to the best position for subwoofer placement in a room. Bass frequency response, as well as phase and integration with other speakers in the room are affected by subwoofer placement. Since the frequencies produced by a subwoofer are relatively non-directional you may have more choices for placement than a full range loudspeaker. Often times this means a subwoofer may be placed in a room were it fits best aesthetically. To start with we recommend placement along a wall several feet from a corner. Placement in a corner will excite the most room modes, however bass can often times sound boomy with the subwoofer placed in a corner due to excessive reinforcement of the very lowest frequencies.
How does placing my speaker against a wall affect the sound?
Placing a speaker so a wall is directly behind it will reinforce the bass frequencies and make the sound subjectively warmer. A speaker that is inherently bass shy (not full range) may benefit from this type of placement due to reinforcement of the bass frequencies. Subwoofers generally benefit from this type of placement since they only play low frequencies. Large full range speakers may benefit from being positioned near a back or side wall but it should be noted that because of the increase in bass frequencies the tonal balance of the speaker will shift. This can be an issue with a full range speaker.
I have seen other brands of in-ceiling loudspeakers where the entire speaker can be swiveled and aimed towards the listening position. Does RBH offer this type of product?
All RBH in-wall and in-ceiling products incorporate a swivelable tweeter to provide more controlled dispersion of the very highest frequencies. At lower frequencies RBH in-ceiling speakers are designed to provide broad dispersion of sound into the listening environment. In fact, designing a speaker to allow excessive pivoting of the drivers can degrade sound quality due to added diffraction that occurs when the aimable drivers are obstructed by the speaker frame. The following link compares the 30 degree off axis frequency response of an RBH in-ceiling speaker to a comparable "aimable" in-ceiling product made by another speaker brand.
Click here to enlarge image…
