Looking to update RTi6 enclosure with new speakers and crossovers

Roamingrasta

While searching for repair/parts solutions for my RTi6 mid/woofer I your posts on crossover mods. Very nice! When I see what you’ve done I find myself wanting to make some changes to my speakers:

Front: Rti6
Front: CSi3
Rear: FXi3
SW: Definitive SuperCube III

This system is our secondary, our main system is a physically smaller system by Aperion (sweet HT sound but can’t blast if for a party) and the wife won on what we put in the family room. We are moving into a new house that we have a dedicated game/multimedia room and after blowing a speaker (leant it to a friend for their party) in the RTi6 I would like to do a refresh to the enclosures. What I’m thinking of doing is either replacing the mid/woofer drivers in both boxes with newer technology . . . . crossover’s and new (higher end) drivers. Or, buying a set of RTi A5’s and expanding this system to a 7.1.
What do you think . . . I’m still going to do CO the mods on the RTI but might retain stock speaker.

dorokusai

You can certainly upgrade the xovers but unless you became a loudspeaker engineer recently, I'd leave the design as it was built and replace the woofer with a Polk. What newer technology are you talking about? It's barely over 5 years old? You don't just drop in a SEAS driver just because it fits and expect it to immediately sound good.

Roamingrasta

The drivers were just a thought; I’m in the computer industry and have some hobby time on my hands. I have to say I wasn’t too impressed by the driver I found in the RTi6 or how the cone separated from the diaphragm. I’m going to do some readings in the forum for the best crossover design. Sonic improvement is what I’m going for, and as a hobby task if it costs a little change . . . so be it.

dorokusai

Roamingrasta wrote: »

The drivers were just a thought; I’m in the computer industry and have some hobby time on my hands. I have to say I wasn’t too impressed by the driver I found in the RTi6 or how the cone separated from the diaphragm. I’m going to do some readings in the forum for the best crossover design. Sonic improvement is what I’m going for, and as a hobby task if it costs a little change . . . so be it.

The schematic for that loudspeaker is already posted on the forum. It's not hard to read the numbers and pick a cap or resistor based on what else you find here in regards to the actual brand. You'll probably go Sonicap or Solen but that's just a guess.

Sometimes drivers fail, it happens. Every hobby requires money if you expect anything good to come from from it. Since you're already into computers, get ready for another bottomless hobby :biggrin:

Roamingrasta

dorokusai wrote: »

You can certainly upgrade the xovers but unless you became a loudspeaker engineer recently, I'd leave the design as it was built and replace the woofer with a Polk. What newer technology are you talking about? It's barely over 5 years old? You don't just drop in a SEAS driver just because it fits and expect it to immediately sound good.

Do you have an opinion on the RTi A5’

dorokusai

It's a much better loudspeaker, as is the entire series. While not a complete, ground up re-design like the upcoming LSiM series, the cabinet alone is a huge improvement sonically.

Roamingrasta

I live in Vegas and will be going to the 2011 CES next week. Polk has a meeting room so maybe they will be showing their LSiM series. If they are there I'll take some photos and post them. I'm still considering moving my system from 5.1 to a 7.1 . . . I’m obviously not doing an in-wall design so it’s an aesthetic issue right now . . . too much speaker clutter.

dorokusai

I work for Polk but couldn't do CES this year. If you get by the pad, look for a Polk employee named Russ Gates, tell him you're from here and I sent you. He'll give you a solid tour.

He's Russman on here, send him a PM as he's checking his mail. That way he can be there.

The LSiM photos are already on here, just do a search.

Roamingrasta

Will do . . thanks.

Roamingrasta

Went to CES on Thru. and met a couple of the Polk reps. . . no Russman. I was hoping to hear an A7, but obviously this venue was to show the new LSiM. All I have to say is DAMN that’s one impressive speaker system, and at a price point that’s small in comparison to anything I heard with that level of . . . tonal richness! I went to several other rooms in the Venetian (none of them were in the LV Convention Center) and heard TAD’s, B&W and custom shop names I’ve never seen before. Speakers selling for in excess of $30K, and I was hard pressed to hear anything that the LSiMt could not compete with, especially when you consider the price.
I was listing to a classical composition (my tastes are Miles Davis to Bob Marley) and was so amased at the richness of the tones, especially the lower registry that I blurted out “ . . . where is the subwoofer.” Dumb question maybe, but it literally begged to be asked. These are speakers that the audiophile would readily pare with a $10,000 amps. Which brings another question to mind . . . how much power do you need to run these puppies?
Impressive!!
Polk’s other room was presenting their home theater market answer to small speaker sound with the Blackstone series. Equally impressive along my wife’s view that speakers should not dominate a room. Blackstone is on the mark for that market that wants premium sound without speaker clutter.
Give me BIG boxes that project sound through me!

Roamingrasta

I’ve made XO mods on the RTi6 series and have followed various forum leads; the only difference is I used sonic caps for the 7.5uf. I did one of my two speakers and have about 100 hrs. of burn-in and I am able to hear an improvement in fidelity but am detecting a higher (less bass) lower registry frequency in the moded speaker. I did not change the batting material from stock but am curious whether I should take the time to make the enclosures more inert by changing the batting or spray insulating (automobile black spray insulation) and then adding batting, any thoughts?
BTW, I have a CSi3 and FXi3; would you recommend XO mods on these to match timber or if thats even an issue.