I received the R50's today and they are definitely better than the R300's. Much better bass, so much that I don't need my 100 watt sub. I cranked my equalizer to 10db gain on bass frequencies and they eat it up. They are very bright though so I recommend an equalizer with them to turn down the higher frequencies. I had it set to 6-12db gain on the R300's and I couldn't stand near the R50's at that level. Now they are set to 4db across from 4khz on up. Definite higher sound quality though and are noticeably louder at the same volume level.
If you just want a cheap pair and don't like turning it up to 100 watts a piece I would recommend the R300's as they are very worth the price- even better than the $200 3-way optimus pair I had before. But the R50's are incredible for the price. I think they would be worth $200 a piece frankly so they are a steal at $170 a pair shipped. I'm really thinking of getting another pair.
Oh...and the cabinets are all cherry, not just the face. They are also sturdier than the R300's as they have a built-in base. These are also good to 150 watts and the R300's are only to 100. I've seen some sites say both are up to 150, which is wrong according to the spec sheet that comes with them.
I edited original post to include link to R50's. They may go off sale this weekend so don't wait too long.
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