Rat Shck Presidian 40-5053. Next Sonic Impact?

Can someone who's listened to these give me some sort of reference as to just how good they are for the money? I mean I see that it's obvious from the previous posts that they sound way better than their $40 price would suggest... but does that mean like speakers in the $200-$300 range, which I usually find unlistenable, or does that mean these compare favorably to speakers in the $400-$700 range like System Audio SA-205 or Krix Equinox or Quad 11L???

Yeah, yeah - I know that it's only forty bucks so I shouldn't worry about it, but I have WAY too many speakers already and have been on quite the spending spree as of late. Also I don't wanna buy stuff and then return it just in order to get my kicks and giggles to hear it - I don't think that it's very fair to the retailer.

But if there is some way that these speakers really do compete with some of the mini-monitors mentioned above, even if they are a bit less than them performance-wise, then I want a pair. After a good time spent listening and evaluating, they would probably then be put into service as a replacement of the rear surrounds in my stock home theater system. (I've already replaced the fronts and middle with Krix and Celestion and the improvement has been wonderful).

Thanks!

If the midbass driver is a simple paper-cone would anyone planning on performing the inexpensive dyi upgrades mentioned above consider painting this driver with "Damar Varnish" to stiffen it up a little?? I have used it on other paper cones and felt it was beneficial tweak.

L

Studioray,

I bought a pair of these to use for testing and for casual listening in a "portable" system. They are very good for $40 and are decent at 2-3 times that price. However, they do not compare favorably to the $400+ speakers you mentioned.

If you don't need a pair of cheap, disposable speakers, I don't think these are going to "do it" for you.....

TIC

I pretty much agree with Reubent. I haven't had any cheap speakers since my Spica TC-50's fifteen years ago, but the Presidians would certainly be no match for them with music.

An easy, affordable line array might be a legitimate idea though. or they might make decent cheap center channel speakers - you can by a pair with a friend and have one each for $20! They'd make a lot of sense in settings where you don't want or need a $400 pair but still want decent sound - like in a garage or workshop.

for those of you who may have a pair of these gathering dust in a closet (as i did), and don't mind getting your hands dirty (as i love to do), i have discovered some worth-while upgrades and tweaks that really make a difference for the little presidian.

as some of you have discovered, the cheap "one cap" crossover yields a crossover frequency of about 9 kHz, making the little midwoofer work way too hard. i'm not sure if this has anything to do with wth the lively sound that has resulted in positive first impressions, but for me they got tiring real fast.

anyway, introducing new low and high frequency crossovers (mounted hard-wired on separate boards), along with a new (larger) tweeter make for a much more realistic design with a more detailed and even sound.

the kit i received consisted of the crossovers (four boards with hard-wired components and wiring), two tweeters, two faceplates for the tweeters (although i modified the faceplates from the stock tweeters to receive the new ones), and some unique adjustable internal braces (front to back) to be used between the drivers.

additional tweaks i added myself: i changed the wiring from the crossovers to some kimber tcss that i had lying around. i added dynamat to the inside of the cabinet and also to the stamped woofer basket. lastly i stuffed the cabinets with some lambswool that i also had in surplus. i suppose "acousta-stuf" would be the most logical choice here. i have a few other ideas for "finishing touches" that i haven't employed yet.

now granted, these are cheap speakers to begin with and the mods/tweaks don't make them into totem model one signatures, but they do improve upon them in a most obvious way (to my tin ears that is), and makes them even more of a value IMHO.

DISCLOSURE: i have NO vested interest in this product beyond my own use and enjoyment. i know my post reads like a shill but i suppose my only reply is "there's no greater zealot than a convert" :-) the origin of this kit is my soliciting the developer, who goes by the user id "litekeys" on ebay, after performing his mods on a pair of minimus 7s from the local habitat thrift store. this fellow has sold upgraded crossovers for the old radio shack minimus 7 and 77 for some time now (among other things), and was receptive to the idea of refining yet another budget speaker from the shack. he is a dedicated enthusiast and gentleman. his communications are prompt, polite and detailed.

the final price for the kit will be determined by him, but all of his offerings appear to be high-value. i suggest you contact him directly if interested. i'll likely be modding a second pair over the winter.

be well.