“For many years, audiophiles who had space constraints, WAF (wife acceptance factor) or other issues, were forced to contend with small standmount or ‘bookshelf’ speakers,” writes Henry Wilkensen for online magazine Audiophilia.
On the plus side, “these speakers often were capable of good sound and usually had a superior ability to float a very good soundstage”. But on the other hand, “one had to imagine how much bass there was in a recording since lack of it was the major sacrifice.”
Not any more, as the Gamut RS3i joins the ranks of “high performance monitors that are capable of a sound that is closer to full range.”Wilkensen spent many hours putting the RS3is through their paces and was not disappointed.
“Buddy and Julie’s ‘Holding up the Sky’ places the guitarist dead centre between the speakers with a transparency and presence that make it seem as though you are listening to a 3D image. The timbres of the guitars were spot on with the right amount of weight. The notes floated in the air and slowly diminished. While I could easily hear the fingers on string detail, it was presented very naturally, as opposed to being spotlighted.”
“These speakers handled the bass line very well. In order to push the issue, I tossed on Bela Fleck and the Flecktones’ Flight of the Cosmic Hippo. The Gamuts were not fazed by the very heavy bass in this recording. The bass is not only deep but it is very tuneful as well. You can easily hear the difference between the upright double bass of Ray Brown and that of Ron Carter. In each case, I could clearly hear the roundness and body of the instrument.”
Summing up, “Every area of this speaker’s design has been totally crafted for optimum performance where the design, parts selection and build quality come together to produce a remarkable product. Yes, these speakers are expensive but the end result justifies the purchase price.”
Check out the full review at Audiophilia.com
Gamut RS3i (natural finish)