I have the RP260 and Forte III and no doubt, the Forte III's are better in every way. Of course, if they weren't, I wouldn't have spent the money on them. That being said, the RP series is no slouch for it's price. It's very neutral sounding and non-fatiguing for long listening sessions. Although, the neutral-ness can sometimes seem "muffled". I seem to have fixed this issue when I added a power amp. That improved the clarity and sound stage quite a bit. I have decommissioned my RP's and run the Fortes full time for music and theater. So far, i'm liking it!