RTI 70 - to spike or not to spike?

brasil

Hi guys. I have just upgraded my two front RTI 38's to the RTI 70's. What a difference in the amount of midbass and midrange now. This was the sound that i was looking for. I have one question. I have read several posts here of people who have put the spikes on and the wood on the base of the speaker cracked. I am afraid of doing the same. Are there any disadvantages of not putting any rubber feet or spikes on? They are sitting on the carpet, which is not too deep. They are not very unstable but if I touch them they rock a little from side to side, but not enough to fall. They have formmed to the carpet due to their weight. Will they sound better if I put the spikes on? Will the spikes make them sound better aside from making them more stable? I would rather not to put the spikes on and risking damaging the base of the speaker. Please respond. Thank you.:)

organ

Since they're sitting on the carpet, install those spikes! They make a big difference especially with the mids and bass. I played around with spikes and rubber feet for my 800i and using the spikes improved the overall sound. If your speakers are wobbling, they're not stable and isolated. It's not a good thing for the sound.

Maurice

dorokusai

Spike.

brasil

Well they are not wobbling. I rent an apartment and the carpet is not real thick. They have settled into the carpet due to their weight. They have flattened the part of the carpet that they sit in. So the wobbling issue does not concern me, what does is the sound. So the consensus is that the spikes improve the overall sound quality?

VR3

So if you stand there and move your speakers back and fourth up and down how will it sound?

brasil

VR3

Im saying if the speaker can rock.......it will screw up the sound....

brasil

OK, but when I put the spikes on my Sanus sepaker stands were my RTI 38's sat upon, the stand still wobbled even with the spikes in. Is it worth taking the risk of cracking the base on the RTI 70's for it to still wobble, or leave them sitting on the carpet? They do not wobble unless I physically try to move them. When they are playing the do not move. Do you have nay suggestions for putting the spikes in not to crack the wood?

organ

The wobbling with the spikes on is not caused by the spikes. Usually the floor is not perfectly straight. Because of this, you need to adjust the level of the spikes. If the speaker can be tilted back easier than tilting it to the front, increse the spike levels of the rear. It's better to use a bubble. The 38's are heavier along the front.

I also have thin carpeting and the spikes didnot hurt the carpet. If they're able to go through, I doubt the holes will be big. Right now, your speakers have become part of the room because the wooden base is placing an **** groove on your carpet. The floor is absorbing too much bass. What you want to do is to isolate the speakers from the floor and the spikes is the best way to do it.

The base of your 70's should not crack. I'm not sure why some of them did. When positioning my 800i's, I would tilt them forward, backwards, on one spike, and nothing happened to the base. They are very strong. If they crack, I'm sure Polk will send you a replacement free of charge because it's not your fault.

Maurice

Tour2ma

ummmmmmmm... sorry, but you spike to couple the speakers to the floor, not isolate. Reason to couple solidly to the floor is to make the speaker immovable. You do not want the speaker spending energy on cabinet movement that it should be putting into music.

Think of it as eliminating that pesky old equal and opposite reaction thing Newton came up with...

If you do not wish to spike, then at least use the rubber feet.

In either case the feet or spikes need to be backed out far enough to get the speakers' bottoms clear of the carpet.

Good point above on leveling the speaker to eliminate any wobble by adjusting the spikes/ feet.

goingganzo

when i had my 800 on carpet i spiked them but when i movet do the tial floor o put on the protectors. make sure the spikes make contact with the wood sub floor.

faster100

A note about the sanus stand spikes, The set i had had plastic spikes hense they still wobbled.. I don't have them anymore.. got towers (rti70's) and spiked from the get go, They wont crack, i have had 2 sets of 70's and spiked them both and no cracks.. my floor is wood and uneven so i used a level and a adjustable wrench and back out each spike to make it level.. works great!!
plus with the spikes you can lean the back down and the fronts up, I liked the way they sounded like this, Don't worry you won't brake them, their a 800 dollar set of speakers they are made well, and polk will come through if they do break... say if you were standing them on one spike and fell on them maybe, LOL

Spiking is good, makes a difference and cost $000

Airplay355

that base cracking post scared the **** out of me, i was about to go unspike my spakers right now lol...but i have since calmed down and instead will go grab a level and go make sure they are nice and level

ezc

If you want to use rubber feet try a 3/4" slate peice under the speakers & use the rubber feet. I had mine on slate & it worked well. I have both my subs on slate also.

jkratzer

I agree you need to get the RTi70 of the carpet. I have berber carpet in my living room. I use the rubber feet over the spikes on this carpet. I tried spikes first then the rubber feet and did not notice any difference in the sound. The rubber feet let me move the speaker around without worry of tearing my carpet. Plus the spikes did not seem anymore stable than then rubber feet.