Has anyone upgraded in-walls/ceiling to TCi series from RCi?
I'm about to pull the trigger on a pair of TC80i's, to replace/upgrade our current RC80i's in the ceiling. I wanted to see if anyone else out here has done a similar upgrade, and ask your thoughts about increased performance.
Up until about two months ago, this main system had the following speaker setup:
* Polk RTi70 (L+R)
* Polk CSi40 (C)
* Polk RC80i (LS+RS)
As of today, the setup is:
* Polk RTi A7 (L+R)
* Polk CSi A6 (C)
* Polk RC80i (LS+RS)
One thing I've noticed with both the setups above, the RC80i's sound quite different when running the Onkyo's Audyssey's test tones, and the Onkyo's white noise for manual level balancing with my RS sound meter. I'm not sure if this is due to the general lack of bass extension of the RC80i's compared to the larger front/center speakers, or the fact that the RC80i's don't have any type of enclosure, or that the in-ceiling joist space has batt insulation installed.
From Polk's website, the RCi series are timbre-matched to the Monitor, TSi and OWM series, while the TCi series are timbre-matched to the RTiA series.
Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated...thanks!
Up until about two months ago, this main system had the following speaker setup:
* Polk RTi70 (L+R)
* Polk CSi40 (C)
* Polk RC80i (LS+RS)
As of today, the setup is:
* Polk RTi A7 (L+R)
* Polk CSi A6 (C)
* Polk RC80i (LS+RS)
One thing I've noticed with both the setups above, the RC80i's sound quite different when running the Onkyo's Audyssey's test tones, and the Onkyo's white noise for manual level balancing with my RS sound meter. I'm not sure if this is due to the general lack of bass extension of the RC80i's compared to the larger front/center speakers, or the fact that the RC80i's don't have any type of enclosure, or that the in-ceiling joist space has batt insulation installed.
From Polk's website, the RCi series are timbre-matched to the Monitor, TSi and OWM series, while the TCi series are timbre-matched to the RTiA series.
Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated...thanks!
Main HT:JVC DLA-RS45135" Elite Screens fixed frame, 1.1 gainMarantz SR7007 (operating as pre-pro)Emotiva XPA-1 x3 (L+C+R), UPA-7 (surrounds)Oppo BDP-103D/BDP-83Toshiba HD-XA2Panamax M5410 Pro x3Polk LSiM707s, LSiC706, 80 F/X-LS, 65-RTSeaton Sound/MCCA MFW "Turbo" + custom Dayton SA1000 sub amp (orig. AV123 MFW-15)Velodyne SMS-1I/Cs: MP 12ga/4-cond (fronts); MP 12ga (surrounds), MP HDMI (all sources), some BJC sprinkled thruoutHarmony EliteSalamander Triple 40 C/B* still need to sell older but mint gear!!
Post edited by mak99 on
Comments
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Bump...would also be interested in anyone's review/thoughts on any of the TCi series in-wall/ceiling speakers, whether an upgrade or a brand-new installation...Main HT:JVC DLA-RS45135" Elite Screens fixed frame, 1.1 gainMarantz SR7007 (operating as pre-pro)Emotiva XPA-1 x3 (L+C+R), UPA-7 (surrounds)Oppo BDP-103D/BDP-83Toshiba HD-XA2Panamax M5410 Pro x3Polk LSiM707s, LSiC706, 80 F/X-LS, 65-RTSeaton Sound/MCCA MFW "Turbo" + custom Dayton SA1000 sub amp (orig. AV123 MFW-15)Velodyne SMS-1I/Cs: MP 12ga/4-cond (fronts); MP 12ga (surrounds), MP HDMI (all sources), some BJC sprinkled thruoutHarmony EliteSalamander Triple 40 C/B* still need to sell older but mint gear!!
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I will be putting mine in this weekend. I baught 4 TC80i's and will be hooking them up to an HK 2600 this weekend with 12ga wire. I will let you know how it goes.
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Thanks, I look forward to your thoughts!
Ironically, I went ahead and ordered a pair of the TCi80i's today which will be delivered this Friday (gotta love Amazon Prime!), and will most likely install them/replace the RCi's on Saturday morning. Good thing they use the exact same hole size - the swap-out will literally take a few minutes...
FWIW, I went by Fry's last night and A-B'd the RC80i and TC80i, where they were playing a Michael Buble concert DVD. Though one of their TCi's had a non-working tweeter (and a mid/woofer with a pushed-in dust cap), the other TCi by the speaker selector buttons seemed to be in full operating condition. The TCi seemed more clear and detailed than the RCi, although not as loud @ the same amp volume level. Polk website shows them both with 90dB sensitivity, so maybe the the RCi sounded a bit louder but also a little bit harsh - just not as detailed as the TCi.
I initially might install only one TCi first, so I can directly compare it to the RCi with an hour or two of demo discs/music. When both TCi's are installed, I'll have to experiment with which direction to angle the mid/woofer - toward the listening position for more direct sound, or towards the adjacent wall (2'-3' away) for more diffuse sound. Then of course the same exercise with the tweeter, then the tweeter level/wall distance switches. These TCi's sure have a lot of adjustability for us obsessive tweakers...
Like you, I'm also using 12 ga wiring (Monoprice), previously installed two years ago with the RCi's. , continuous runs from speakers to receiver.
Good luck with your install!Main HT:JVC DLA-RS45135" Elite Screens fixed frame, 1.1 gainMarantz SR7007 (operating as pre-pro)Emotiva XPA-1 x3 (L+C+R), UPA-7 (surrounds)Oppo BDP-103D/BDP-83Toshiba HD-XA2Panamax M5410 Pro x3Polk LSiM707s, LSiC706, 80 F/X-LS, 65-RTSeaton Sound/MCCA MFW "Turbo" + custom Dayton SA1000 sub amp (orig. AV123 MFW-15)Velodyne SMS-1I/Cs: MP 12ga/4-cond (fronts); MP 12ga (surrounds), MP HDMI (all sources), some BJC sprinkled thruoutHarmony EliteSalamander Triple 40 C/B* still need to sell older but mint gear!!
