Brian Clancy
Premium
Well, it’s been a while since we have had a new rig to review, but I was fortunate enough to be contacted by Rseats, who offered me one of their new Rseat rigs and a very nice Triple monitor stand to review. We will follow the usual format for the review as has been done in the past, Enjoy…..
First Impressions
The rig arrived extremely well packaged in strong cardboard boxes, and had been boxed with great care using foam and cable ties to assure the components were unmarked and in perfect condition!
As I unpacked the components, the first thing that I noticed was the overall quality of the unit. The powder coat finish was the best I have seen, as was the metal work finish underneath. The parts are very well cut and finished, nice radius to the edges, well formed folds etc. The seat too is a very high quality item and looks the part!
Nuts and Bolts
This is a ‘centre spine’ based rig design, a tried and tested approach favoured by many rig manufacturers for its small footprint, collapsibility and adjustment. However, the Rseat has an interesting design twist. Instead of the usual centre column between your legs to support the wheel, this unit has a cranked ‘C’ column for the wheel mount that promises to be very good for ‘heel n toe’ drivers.
Build up
This has to have been one of the simplest and easiest rigs to build, all the major components are already assembled. It’s a pretty simple job of mounting the seat to its frame, then sliding on the gear mounting, wheel mount and spine/pedal plate. The rig comes complete with good assembly tools including a nice spanner and hex wrenches. It really will assemble in minutes! There are other little touches that make the rig special, such as the included and fitted cable tidy clamps on the ‘C’ column and the inclusion of a ‘butt kicker’ mount included in the rig! Overall, it is a pleasure to assemble and fit out, with everything fitting well.
Seat
From the start, the quality of the seat is obvious, the nice gel-coat black finish to the rear of the units bare fiberglass back and the beautifully trimmed leather cover ooze quality. The stitch work was flawless and detailed and the fit of the cover was excellent. There are a few mounting holes in the frame side plates so that the ‘tilt’ of the seat can be adjust to suit. Once sat in the seat, I was surprised how comfortable it was for a ‘Race’ styled unit, however, I did find the foam felt a little thin, but judging the quality of the seat, I doubt this will be an issue, the only other point to make was the seat did flex a little, but again, in use this was not particularly noticeable.
Overall, a very high quality item with ‘drop dead’ good looks!
Adjustability
This is another strong point for the rSeat, with a wide range of adjustments. The seat can be ‘tilted’ via the mounting holes in the frame risers. The ‘C’ column mount can be moved forward or back and is clamped with double set screws and can be placed in both right and left hand formats. The set screws are quality items in themselves with nice, large plastic knobs, but the attention to detail and finish goes further even here. They also have swivelling plastic feet on the bottom of the threads, so once you clamp up the frames, they do not mark the powder coat like most clamping systems! Wheel adjustment is substantial also, you can easily adjust the wheel for tilt and height with the excellent and surprisingly sturdy mounting bracket. Pedal distance is a simple clamp adjustment too as is the tilt adjustment for the pedal ‘rake’ complete with an adjustable ‘heel stop’. Finally, even the gear shifter mount can be placed either side of the seat and once again is fully adjustable for both reach and height.
Triple Monitor Stand
To be honest, I could write a review on the Monitor Stand by itself. The unit is designed for up to 3 x 24” monitors and features the same very high quality construction, finish and adjustment as the rigs. The powder coat is once again flawless as is the finish of the heavy gauge steel work and the stand has the same quality fittings. Build up is again fast and easy with everything needed included in the package. The stand has a vast range of adjustment including, height, reach, angle, tilt and spacing, all easily set in a fast manner with the included tools.
Driving with the rSeat
This rig / monitor stand is a pleasure to use, the overall quality just shines through as you use it! With its huge range of adjustment, its simple and quick to find a good driving position, the ‘C’ column means that ‘Heel n Toe’ driving is a breeze and the monitor stand allows you to place the screens exactly where you want them with its large adjustment range. The seat is comfortable and again has enough adjustment to achieve the right position.
Options
The rSeat comes in two flavours, the RS GTR (for Logitech G25/7 wheels) and the RS Evo (for Fanatec and Thrustamster T500 wheels) but ‘upgrade kits’ are available so you can interchange one model to another. The rigs and Seats are also available in a wide range of colour combinations, check the rSeat site for more info at www.rseat.net
Conclusions
Pro’s
Superbly designed and constructed, the rigs quality is undoubted, the finish is the best I have yet seen on a centre spine rig. The layout and attention to detail is truly impressive, the overall quality, stability and features must rank this rig up at the top of the pile!
Con’s
There are very few in the build and use of the rig, there is a tiny bit of flex in the seat tub (but this is not really noticeable in use) and a little movement in the pedal plate (again very small) and maybe some slightly thicker seat foam would be nice, but for me, the only real con (as you will see below) is the pricing!
Value: 79/100
This is what hurts an otherwise outstanding piece of simracing hardware! Without doubt, this kind of quality costs! The finish and construction are supreme but the cost is high, I guess you get what you pay for, but this price range puts it almost in direct competition with high end platform rigs.
RS EVO and RS GTR rig retail at £469.00
Upgrade kits £119.00
Single Monitor Stand £179.00
Triple Monitor Stand £269.00
Quality: 99/100
No brainer, uber high quality unit that will last for years and give a lot of pleasure, top marks!
Functionality: 97/100
Supreme design and function
RD Rating: 275/300
Only let down by its high end price tag
Buying
If your looking for top end quality in a rig of this type, the rSeat must be up on the top of your list! Details on how to purchase this rig you can find at www.rseat.net
First Impressions
The rig arrived extremely well packaged in strong cardboard boxes, and had been boxed with great care using foam and cable ties to assure the components were unmarked and in perfect condition!
As I unpacked the components, the first thing that I noticed was the overall quality of the unit. The powder coat finish was the best I have seen, as was the metal work finish underneath. The parts are very well cut and finished, nice radius to the edges, well formed folds etc. The seat too is a very high quality item and looks the part!
Nuts and Bolts
This is a ‘centre spine’ based rig design, a tried and tested approach favoured by many rig manufacturers for its small footprint, collapsibility and adjustment. However, the Rseat has an interesting design twist. Instead of the usual centre column between your legs to support the wheel, this unit has a cranked ‘C’ column for the wheel mount that promises to be very good for ‘heel n toe’ drivers.
Build up
This has to have been one of the simplest and easiest rigs to build, all the major components are already assembled. It’s a pretty simple job of mounting the seat to its frame, then sliding on the gear mounting, wheel mount and spine/pedal plate. The rig comes complete with good assembly tools including a nice spanner and hex wrenches. It really will assemble in minutes! There are other little touches that make the rig special, such as the included and fitted cable tidy clamps on the ‘C’ column and the inclusion of a ‘butt kicker’ mount included in the rig! Overall, it is a pleasure to assemble and fit out, with everything fitting well.
Seat
From the start, the quality of the seat is obvious, the nice gel-coat black finish to the rear of the units bare fiberglass back and the beautifully trimmed leather cover ooze quality. The stitch work was flawless and detailed and the fit of the cover was excellent. There are a few mounting holes in the frame side plates so that the ‘tilt’ of the seat can be adjust to suit. Once sat in the seat, I was surprised how comfortable it was for a ‘Race’ styled unit, however, I did find the foam felt a little thin, but judging the quality of the seat, I doubt this will be an issue, the only other point to make was the seat did flex a little, but again, in use this was not particularly noticeable.
Overall, a very high quality item with ‘drop dead’ good looks!
Adjustability
This is another strong point for the rSeat, with a wide range of adjustments. The seat can be ‘tilted’ via the mounting holes in the frame risers. The ‘C’ column mount can be moved forward or back and is clamped with double set screws and can be placed in both right and left hand formats. The set screws are quality items in themselves with nice, large plastic knobs, but the attention to detail and finish goes further even here. They also have swivelling plastic feet on the bottom of the threads, so once you clamp up the frames, they do not mark the powder coat like most clamping systems! Wheel adjustment is substantial also, you can easily adjust the wheel for tilt and height with the excellent and surprisingly sturdy mounting bracket. Pedal distance is a simple clamp adjustment too as is the tilt adjustment for the pedal ‘rake’ complete with an adjustable ‘heel stop’. Finally, even the gear shifter mount can be placed either side of the seat and once again is fully adjustable for both reach and height.
Triple Monitor Stand
To be honest, I could write a review on the Monitor Stand by itself. The unit is designed for up to 3 x 24” monitors and features the same very high quality construction, finish and adjustment as the rigs. The powder coat is once again flawless as is the finish of the heavy gauge steel work and the stand has the same quality fittings. Build up is again fast and easy with everything needed included in the package. The stand has a vast range of adjustment including, height, reach, angle, tilt and spacing, all easily set in a fast manner with the included tools.
Driving with the rSeat
This rig / monitor stand is a pleasure to use, the overall quality just shines through as you use it! With its huge range of adjustment, its simple and quick to find a good driving position, the ‘C’ column means that ‘Heel n Toe’ driving is a breeze and the monitor stand allows you to place the screens exactly where you want them with its large adjustment range. The seat is comfortable and again has enough adjustment to achieve the right position.
Options
The rSeat comes in two flavours, the RS GTR (for Logitech G25/7 wheels) and the RS Evo (for Fanatec and Thrustamster T500 wheels) but ‘upgrade kits’ are available so you can interchange one model to another. The rigs and Seats are also available in a wide range of colour combinations, check the rSeat site for more info at www.rseat.net
Conclusions
Pro’s
Superbly designed and constructed, the rigs quality is undoubted, the finish is the best I have yet seen on a centre spine rig. The layout and attention to detail is truly impressive, the overall quality, stability and features must rank this rig up at the top of the pile!
Con’s
There are very few in the build and use of the rig, there is a tiny bit of flex in the seat tub (but this is not really noticeable in use) and a little movement in the pedal plate (again very small) and maybe some slightly thicker seat foam would be nice, but for me, the only real con (as you will see below) is the pricing!
Value: 79/100
This is what hurts an otherwise outstanding piece of simracing hardware! Without doubt, this kind of quality costs! The finish and construction are supreme but the cost is high, I guess you get what you pay for, but this price range puts it almost in direct competition with high end platform rigs.
RS EVO and RS GTR rig retail at £469.00
Upgrade kits £119.00
Single Monitor Stand £179.00
Triple Monitor Stand £269.00
Quality: 99/100
No brainer, uber high quality unit that will last for years and give a lot of pleasure, top marks!
Functionality: 97/100
Supreme design and function
RD Rating: 275/300
Only let down by its high end price tag
Buying
If your looking for top end quality in a rig of this type, the rSeat must be up on the top of your list! Details on how to purchase this rig you can find at www.rseat.net
right back down again. I would have considered it if it was £300/400 with the triple monitor stand but to pay £470 and then have to pay £270 for a few bits of (albeit good quality) metal just to hold the screens up. Kick a little doesn't it.
