# Premier TS-C720PRS vs. ARC ACS-265



## dewi1219 (Nov 16, 2006)

I know that there are already more than enough reviews on the Premiers here, but I just posted this over at ECA and thought I would add it here for anyone who is insterested. I got the Premiers that vpkb1998 sold last week, and about the same time I scored a pair of ACS-265's on ebay. The Pioneers came yesterday, and the ARCs came today. So this afternoon I threw them both in my test boxes for a listen. First the unimportant stuff though. Looking at the two sets they appear to be basically opposites. The ARCs have light stamped baskets, soft paper cones, small magnets, and plastic tweeter frames. The Pioneers have cast baskets that are painted, stiff composite cones, huge magnets, and machined aluminum tweeter frames. None of this really matters, but the Pioneers are really some of the best looking drivers I've seen. Both sets have screw terminals on the woofers which is a big plus to me.

So how do they sound? Remember that my listening was done with each set in .5 cu ft test boxes (which is smaller than ideal for either set) powered by my Panny SA-XR55 HT receiver, so take my comments for what they're worth. I'll start with the ACS265's since they're the ones I listened to first. The midbass and lower midrange were very smooth and warm as you would expect from a paper cone. They sounded very good here but nothing really jumped out at me as being extraordinary. The upper midrange and treble, however, were very detailed and pleasing thanks to the CAL25's. They really are great sounding tweeters, especially in the top octave. To me they outshined the mids to the point where they almost seemed out of place being paired together. Not that the mids are bad at all (they're really nice), but they're just not on the same level as the tweets. 

Next came the TS-C720PRS's. Wow. These things really live up to the hype, and then some. I listened to all types of music on both sets from rock to classical to acoustic and just about everything in between. The Premier's just blew me away with everything I listened to. They are so transparent that when you listen to them you feel like you are just hearing the recording exactly as it was captured. From the low end all the way to the top it seemed like every detail in the music came through effortlessly. But with all the detail they have they never sound cold or lifeless. They do everything great - female vocals, male vocals, strings, horns, you name it. I think one of the most difficult instruments to reproduce realistically is the piano, so I tried several tracks with piano as well. The Premier's played these tracks as well as I've heard. It was very difficult for me to find any fault with them at all. And even with them in undersized test boxes in the middle of my largish HT room they still pounded out the snappiest, tightest midbass.

To sum it up: The ARCs may have a slight advantage in the very top octave, and they seem to be slightly more efficient than the Premiers. The Premiers have the advantage in resolution, top to bottom balance, and midbass. Before the test I was hoping that the ARCs would come out on top, I think because of Rainbow's reputation and the "KISS" design. But after listening to both sets I can say the Premiers are my favorites hands down. Others have said that the Premiers would still be a bargain at their $550 MSRP, and I would have to agree. Again, these comments are made based on listening tests in a less-than-ideal environment by someone who is not qualified to give a meaningful review on anything 

Scott S.


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## bassfromspace (Jun 28, 2016)

We appreciate the review. Did you play any trumpets on the sets?

Thanks.


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## vpkb1998 (Jan 19, 2007)

great to "hear" that they arrived safe and sound

i'm absolutely happy with my 5 inch set too, so no regret selling the 6 inch set to you


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## zfactor (Oct 19, 2005)

told you guys these things are so awesome for the money


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## 3.5max6spd (Jun 29, 2005)

How many watts were the sets given? I see it was done in the home, hope power was sufficient.
The ACS are rated at 110rms vs the Pio's 50rms. From my experience the midbass performance is certainly admirable with rated power and above in the car.


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## bassfromspace (Jun 28, 2016)

That Panasonic receiver is 100 watts per channel.


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## dewi1219 (Nov 16, 2006)

Bassfromspace is right, the Panny is 100wpc. However, for my test I kept both sets somewhere below 50watts, and they both got plenty loud at these power levels for me. I'm not looking for extreme SPL's - I just like it loud enough to hear clearly while driving plus a little "headroom" for turning up a good song. I did raise the Premiers up pretty high for a few seconds on one song, and they did not lose their composure at all.

I have a couple more comments also. First, Although I prefer the Premiers I could be happy with either set in my daily driver. Also, I believe the Premiers are at or even above the level of performance that you can fully enjoy in the car. What I mean is that I believe they provide more detail than you can actually appreciate in a moving vehicle with the engine & road noise, etc. My opinion FWIW. I just think a home audio setting is the only place I could fully appreciate the level of detail that the Premiers provide. It is nice to have though when you're stuck in traffic, parked outside the mall waiting for your wife, etc. 
Scott


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## dewi1219 (Nov 16, 2006)

Bassfromspace,
I did play some tracks (Lyle Lovett & some classical stuff) with horns, and the Premiers did not disappoint. Like I said they just seem to reproduce every instrument and voice with realism. Very impressive.


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