Polk?

[obobskivich]

i'm just wondering if anyone has any of the following three: RTi8, RTi10, or RTi12, hows the sound, what kind of amplification, interconnect, etc

does the 10 have enough LF oomph for stereo listening without a subwoofer? (i dont think my amp can drive the 12 and actually get full range response, i've heard its very power hungry, and the 500wpc rating kind of supports that lol)

[royalcrown]

Though I haven't heard any of the speakers mentioned, from my experience with Polk floorstanders in general (older ones), they have a fairly warm sound signature, so you should be ok without a subwoofer if your amp is capable of handling the load and you're just listening to music. What is your actual amplifier? 500W really seems overkill to be perfectly honest.

[obobskivich]

my actual amp is a Yamaha RX-770, so it can deliver around 85wpc (which is imho more than any single person should need for listening to music, even at absurd volumes)

i've heard the TSi series and a number of older polks, and liked the warm, forward sound (similar, in an eerie way, to my Denon headphones), except no LF kick (in no way like my Denon headphones, lol)

the RTi's however have a lot better LF specs (at least on paper), so i guess i gotta find a retailer that stocks them for demo, i was really strongly considering some Mirage Omni's, but after further consideration, i'm not really ready for the "you need a subwoofer" jump yet (honestly i like having a pair of loudspeakers that can do it all)

currently i've got a pair of Technics SB-L55's (borrowed from my parents' garage) that provide roughly what I'm looking for soundwise, except their upper-MF (prolly right around their upper crossover at 5khz) is really muddy when any decent level of power is put into them (and its prolly due to that 5khz cross being less than perfect)

the TSi's offered a lot cleaner top end, but no LF to speak of, and the Klipsch stuff i've heard is amazingly bright and "in your face" (which, when demo'ing with movies and video games, is amazing, but once you put something critical, like Piet Kee, to them, you really cant justify the purchase at ~$800-$1000/pair (was looking at RF-62, RF-82, and F-2))

i've heard a lot of suggestions to look at paradigm or infinity, my recolletion of infinity loudspeakers is a very neutral, uninspired sound (i haven't actually heard an infinity system in about 7 years, so yeah) and i've yet to find a retailer in my area that even knows theres a company called paradigm

B&W would be an option if they offered anything with good LF extension for under $1500 (the 600 series towers are supposed to be sublime for the price, but at $1500+ they're a bit out of my price range (mostly because I can't justify spending that much on speakers right now))

so, aside from the RTi's, any other suggestions? how is the Monitor series? (like Monitor 70?)

and yeah, basically just for music, and occasional movies, i pretty much delegate all of my videogames and critical listening to my denon's (its scary how awesome a pair of $350 headphones is at gaming (its scary that it takes headphones this expensive to sway me towards the "headphones are good for gaming" philosophy as well))

[spacemanspliff]

I would not spend my $$ on Polk. They are ok but way overpriced imo.

I prefer av123 but there are also a few other really great brands out there too. My Rocket 550 MKII are incredible for HT mains in a small room. The 850s are kings of HT.

[Monkeypillow]

I have 4 RTi8s as part of a 5.1 setup. I like them, but I got a huge discount.

[obobskivich]

i agree that polk's SRP is generally a tad high, but i like their warm/forward sound (auditioned some of them today), its just, positively wonderful in my opinion

a lot warmer than the Mirage's and a lot more controlled than the Klipsch's

[spacemanspliff]

Originally Posted by obobskivich

i agree that polk's SRP is generally a tad high, but i like their warm/forward sound (auditioned some of them today), its just, positively wonderful in my opinion

a lot warmer than the Mirage's and a lot more controlled than the Klipsch's

You want some Rocket series speakers from av123. No questions, ALL charges, including return shipping, are refunded if you do not love them guarantee.

Unless you buy used or get a SERIOUS discount, stay away from the brand names you have mentioned. Simply not enough bang for the buck there.

My 550 MKIIs are insane for the $$ and have a very direct, warm sound. They are discontinued but the 450s are great too.

[VicAjax]

if you can save a little for the LSi series from Polk (LSi9 bookshelf or LSi15 floorstander), they are worth money... i love these speakers.

the RTi series left me underwhelmed. sounded a bit muffled and undynamic.

[DARKHAVEN]

I've been using Polk for years, here are my two cents:

First, in regards to VicAjax statement, I respectfully disagree. While the LSi speakers are fantastic little units and definitely worth the money (as he said), they will not mate well with 85wp. The relatively low sensitivity (88dB) and 200wpc top-end would demand too much from your amp. Those babies love to be bi-amped, trust me.

As far as the RTi series, I have them in my home theater setup (RT55i fronts, FXi6 surrounds, and CSi5 center with a PSW505 subwoofer) and love them. They are a great sounding setup for both music and movies. I also have a stereo setup with RTi6 speakers in my computer room and also love them. The bass without a subwoofer is very respectable for a 6 1/2" driver. With a little EQ manipulation, you can get some very tight thump from them. I also disagree (to a point) about pricing. While the MSRP of the speakers is indeed too high, great deals can be had if you search around (Google Product Search, Ebay, etc). I got each of my speakers for almost half MSRP after some searching. In conclusion, if you can get a decent deal, you will be quite pleased with the sound. Cheers!

[VicAjax]

Originally Posted by DARKHAVEN

I've been using Polk for years, here are my two cents:

First, in regards to VicAjax statement, I respectfully disagree. While the LSi speakers are fantastic little units and definitely worth the money (as he said), they will not mate well with 85wp. The relatively low sensitivity (88dB) and 200wpc top-end would demand too much from your amp. Those babies love to be bi-amped, trust me.

85 watts can't handle 88dB sensitivity??

i don't mean to be disrespectful, but that's just not a correct statement. 85 watts is plenty of juice to blow out your eardrums, unless your room is exceedingly large.

i've heard the LSi9 and LSi15 powered by a 30 watt tube amp, and it handled both speakers with no strain whatsoever.