Should I upgrade from RCF NX 12 SMA to the Atomic CLR's?

For me the wider dispersion of the CLRs means I can hear myself better and more consistently. For me definitely worth the hassle of upgrading.
 
To me the dispersion of the NX is already wide enough. There are always other musicians next to me on stage and they want their place for themselves and don't want to be blowed away by the highs of the guitar. It's better for them when they get more lows and mids from the guitars and less highs, so they can hear their own highs.
 
Both are very good monitors, but I must say that I find the CLR's to be clearly superior sounding, and well worth the expense to upgrade.
 
666was999 said:
To me the dispersion of the NX is already wide enough. There are always other musicians next to me on stage and they want their place for themselves and don't want to be blowed away by the highs of the guitar. It's better for them when they get more lows and mids from the guitars and less highs, so they can hear their own highs.
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I recall reading an interesting comment from Jay on TGP about the CLR's dispersion characteristics. He talked about CLR being wider than some competing monitors but also being better behaved / controlled. This related to its relative consistency across frequencies. For example, a monitor with a narrow dispersion spec may actually bleed undesirable frequencies more widely.

It's worth searching the post out if this is a determining factor.

Terry.
 
Tone Seeker said:
I recall reading an interesting comment from Jay on TGP about the CLR's dispersion characteristics. He talked about CLR being wider than some competing monitors but also being better behaved / controlled. This related to its relative consistency across frequencies. For example, a monitor with a narrow dispersion spec may actually bleed undesirable frequencies more widely.

It's worth searching the post out if this is a determining factor.

Terry.
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Terry,
I haven't seen that statement from Jay, but I've definitely experienced it in my tests (both in the studio and live) of the CLR vs other monitors. So much so that it's one of the many things positive that I've reported back to Tom King as an absolute strong point of the CLR's.
 
I've owned and used both powered speakers extensively now.

The RCF is lower in profile; but has a wider footprint. The CLR outperforms the RCF in most every way you could consider the speaker's performance IMHO. Wider, more even dispersion. Just a very flat and accurate response - IMHO - one of the flattest speakers I've ever encountered. Very pleasing indoors, outdoors, side wash, on the floor, on a pole. It has preset 'modes' you just change one switch and it is money.

I have zero regrets moving from the RCF to the CLR. The upgrade won't hit you over the head or be a massive jump in overall experience; but over the first few hours it is IMHO obviously clearly a superior performer. Months down the line and dozens of gigs (including outdoor shows now at festivals on BIG stages)... it's flat out money. Highly recommended from me. Without reservation. Worth every penny and then some.
 
i love my RCF, but statements like that make me want to jump ship for the CLR!

sorry if this is a hijack, but there's still a waitlist right? i'd need to have it shipped sooner than later after selling my RCF. i'd love to do a video on the CLR as well.
 
Had the RCF's and bought the CLR's and for me it was a pretty big difference overall!
The CLR's just sound more balanced and flat.
I had to turn up the RCF' s more to get the band to hear me in rehearsals. Now I play quiteter but everyone hears the guitar.
 
Powers of Ten said:
Had the RCF's and bought the CLR's and for me it was a pretty big difference overall!
The CLR's just sound more balanced and flat.
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+1

With my RCF, I was never satisfied with the Axe's Fender and Vox tones. I could instantly tell the difference with the CLR. And in a recent jam session with a friend who had some top vintage amps, the CLR held it's ground very favorably. Here's my write up if you're interested:
http://forum.fractalaudio.com/amps-cabs/69598-axe-clr-versus-vintage-arsenal.html
 
If you like your RCF then stick with it.
Only your ears can tell if you like it or not.
 
Powers of Ten said:
Had the RCF's and bought the CLR's and for me it was a pretty big difference overall!
The CLR's just sound more balanced and flat..
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Man, the wait is killing me! I should be on the list for June shipping. Can't wait to compare to my RCF10-SMA...it's a great speaker, but statements like this have me anticipating a bit more refinement and smoothness with the Axe. I'm pretty confident that it's going to be a keeper.

+1 on the Vox comment as well....chasing U2/Edge tones here.
 
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Whenever they hurry the next cow through the street I can't stay away and got to check that holy piece of gear myself. About the monitors I came to peace in my mind. They make a difference, yes, but there is no monitor that is the best piece for every gig. Sometimes you'd better have one with a narrow dispersion, sonetimes wider, sometimes it can not be big and loud enough and sometimes it should be small and sound good even at low volumes. Best solution is to have plenty of mons at hand. :)
 
I have not tried the CLR. If find the RCF sounds stellar and much better than most systems out there. The speaker is only a small part of the equation. There always seems to be something better...for me the RCF is good enough.
 
666was999 said:
Whenever they hurry the next cow through the street I can't stay away and got to check that holy piece of gear myself. About the monitors I came to peace in my mind. They make a difference, yes, but there is no monitor that is the best piece for every gig. Sometimes you'd better have one with a narrow dispersion, sonetimes wider, sometimes it can not be big and loud enough and sometimes it should be small and sound good even at low volumes. Best solution is to have plenty of mons at hand. :)
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While you're probably correct that there is no best piece for every gig or every player, I have to say that - IMHO anyway - the CLR outperforms the RCF (and anything at 2-3x the price of the CLR) without breaking a sweat.
The CLR is louder (if you want it), but also sounds better, even outstanding at bedroom SPL's, has wider dispersion and has very flat frequency response.
Furthermore the CLR sounds better and is better balanced outside of it's dispertion zone - that's right the narrow dispersion of the RCF means that outside the narrow dispersion zone the RCF is no longer anything resempling flat, which can be very distracting and sound crude and crappy to you or another band member when you are standing outside the normal dispersion zone as you'll get an uneven frequency responce. That's why you'll notice that several of the guy's here, who have switched from the RCF's to the CLR's report that they don't have to push the volumes as hard as before but they are heard better by their bandmates.

I don't mean to insult anybody that own and love the RCF's, heck I still own 2 RCF's and I think they are much better than most other prosumer monitors, I just think that the CLR's are clearly superior and on another level entirely.
 
I was hoping someone would say "NO", as I own 3 - RCF's now! Two as monitors for me and the other with the band monitor mix for me (the other 3 use IEM's).
 
You can get the passive stuff now I believe ,I have Both Cabs and Wedges they are beyond words. YES you will be blown away.
 
Ole said:
Only your ears can tell if you like it or not.
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I am one of those who haven't seen the need to look past the RCF, but I also acknowledge folks like Scott who have a lot of Axe Fx experience and have found the CLR gets him more of what he wants. And that is the crux of the debate over "superior." As Ole said, it's what you want that really matters. Others' opinions can be helpful, but they can't tell you what you'll like best.

I assume the CLR (or the Matrix, for that matter) have a return period. If you have the funds, give them a shot and see for yourself. The experience alone is worth that effort. With the waiting list for both, I'd have to assume you could always sell them here if you decide they don't float your boat after the return period expires. When I moved to the RCF, I was looking for more amp-like response and heard others saying the NX12SMA had that. I tried it, compared it to what I was using, liked it better, kept it. If I didn't, it would have been back in the box and back to the dealer. Scott did the same with the CLR, and I have no doubt he'd have sent it back in a heartbeat if he didn't like it better.

That's my two cents: try it. There's no substitute for that personal experience of hearing it where you play. Best of luck to you in your tone hunting!
 
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