Just bought my first pair of speakers (pic)

zim18

Got a wicked deal at futureshop and plan on using them for fronts and rears until i can afford some nice towers (a5/a7). Will be buying a csia4 shortly as its difficult to find a csi3 anymore.

What do you guys suggest for a subwoofer to match these up in a small room?

Im not impressed with the psw10 but is at a steller price, the psw111 is pretty good for its size and the psw125 has some nice oomph.

Any thoughts recommendations? Thanks!

kawizx9r

Congrats on your speakers and welcome to the forum!

What's your budget for all this?

Honestly if you intend to upgrade to tower fronts, you'll want a worthy center channel to keep up so I suggest you look torwards a CSi5/CSiA6. You won't be disappointed.

As for a sub recommendation, how small of a room are we talking here? Check out Polk's DSW Pro line-up, they're leaps and bounds ahead of the older PSW series.....just sayin'

Anyway, again welcome to the forum. Just get ready to empty your wallet......over and over and over again

-Freddy

comfortablycurt

Congrats! The RTi's are some great sounding speakers.

I agree with Freddy on the center channel. If you plan to upgrade your front channels to towers, you'd be far better off getting a CSi5/CSiA6. The smaller center is going to have some trouble keeping up with the RTi towers, and is mainly designed to be used with the RTi bookshelves. Not to say that the CSi3/A4 wouldn't sound good with the towers, but the 5/A6 will be quite a bit better. The center channel is a very crucial speaker. It carries nearly all of the dialogue in a movie, and generally takes care of at least 50% of the overall soundtrack. A bigger center channel is always a good idea, whenever budget and space constraints allow it.

Of the three subs you mentioned, I'd take the PSW125. The PSW10 is "decent" for it's price...but it's really not too great of a sub. It's low bass is pretty abysmal...-3db rating of 40hz IIRC, which is pretty bad. I haven't heard the 111, so I can't comment on it's performance. The 125 is a decent little sub though.

They seem to be temporarily out of stock around the web, but the PSW505 is a fantastic sub that can be had for a great price. It's the best of the older Polk subs. As Freddy mentioned, the newer DSW series subs are leaps and bounds better than the older PSW's.

So what are you using to drive all of the speakers? What are you using as a source?

By the way, welcome to Club Polk!!

zim18

comfortablycurt wrote: »

Congrats! The RTi's are some great sounding speakers.

I agree with Freddy on the center channel. If you plan to upgrade your front channels to towers, you'd be far better off getting a CSi5/CSiA6. The smaller center is going to have some trouble keeping up with the RTi towers, and is mainly designed to be used with the RTi bookshelves. Not to say that the CSi3/A4 wouldn't sound good with the towers, but the 5/A6 will be quite a bit better. The center channel is a very crucial speaker. It carries nearly all of the dialogue in a movie, and generally takes care of at least 50% of the overall soundtrack. A bigger center channel is always a good idea, whenever budget and space constraints allow it.

Of the three subs you mentioned, I'd take the PSW125. The PSW10 is "decent" for it's price...but it's really not too great of a sub. It's low bass is pretty abysmal...-3db rating of 40hz IIRC, which is pretty bad. I haven't heard the 111, so I can't comment on it's performance. The 125 is a decent little sub though.

They seem to be temporarily out of stock around the web, but the PSW505 is a fantastic sub that can be had for a great price. It's the best of the older Polk subs. As Freddy mentioned, the newer DSW series subs are leaps and bounds better than the older PSW's.

So what are you using to drive all of the speakers? What are you using as a source?

By the way, welcome to Club Polk!!

Currently dont have a receiver yet...i was set on an avr1911 until i heard about the new models coming out with airplay

Waiting on either a vsx1021k or avr2312c.

edit: Wouldnt a csia6 drown out my bookshelves?

Im on a budget obviously so i figured id jump the gun on the rti4's as they're discontinued and i dont think the offer would of came around again

Toolfan66

edit: Wouldnt a csia6 drown out my bookshelves?



NO!!! then when you get the towers your all set anyways!!!

cfrizz

Welcome to Club Polk!

You will have to calibrate the speakers so no the csia6 will not drown out your bookshelves.

Don't forget that this is a work in progress & you should plan for the future end result.

So take your time & plan on spending more money up front but will have a truly rocking system in the end.

Make sure you get a reciever that has preouts for future seperate amplification upgrades.

zim18

cfrizz wrote: »

Welcome to Club Polk!

You will have to calibrate the speakers so no the csia6 will not drown out your bookshelves.

Don't forget that this is a work in progress & you should plan for the future end result.

So take your time & plan on spending more money up front but will have a truly rocking system in the end.

Make sure you get a reciever that has preouts for future seperate amplification upgrades.

Thanks for all the feedback guys...ill more than likely pick up the csia6!

Preouts are not something that interests me to be honest...by the time i want to dip into that kind of money ill more than likely redo my whole setup...

That being said most midrange yamahas do have preouts yet lack some of the features im digging for!

kevhed72

Like Curt said earlier...the PSW505 can be found for a steal, just keeping trolling the internet for a deal.

Erik Tracy

zim18 wrote: »

Got a wicked deal at futureshop and plan on using them for fronts and rears until i can afford some nice towers (a5/a7). Will be buying a csia4 shortly as its difficult to find a csi3 anymore.

What do you guys suggest for a subwoofer to match these up in a small room?

Im not impressed with the psw10 but is at a steller price, the psw111 is pretty good for its size and the psw125 has some nice oomph.

Any thoughts recommendations? Thanks!

Ah...that brings back memories! :biggrin:

My first HT setup was 4 RTi4s, a CSi3, and a PSW303.

You are in for some big grins of sonic satisfaction

The CSiA4 will do fine as a center for a small room, but the CSiA6 would be 'better'. If money and the space for the center are tight - the CSiA4 will get the job done so don't worry.

+1 to the suggestion on finding a deal on the PSW505.

Pictures required once you get everything set up!

zim18

Erik Tracy wrote: »

Ah...that brings back memories! :biggrin:

My first HT setup was 4 RTi4s, a CSi3, and a PSW303.

You are in for some big grins of sonic satisfaction

The CSiA4 will do fine as a center for a small room, but the CSiA6 would be 'better'. If money and the space for the center are tight - the CSiA4 will get the job done so don't worry.

+1 to the suggestion on finding a deal on the PSW505.

Pictures required once you get everything set up!

Found a good deal a sw110...For the price point its very intriguing

Geoff4rfc

zim18 wrote: »

Thanks for all the feedback guys...ill more than likely pick up the csia6!

Preouts are not something that interests me to be honest...by the time i want to dip into that kind of money ill more than likely redo my whole setup...

Good choice on the 6. Preouts may not be of interest to you now, but things change.

I'm developing my first HT from last year, bought my first A/V receiver last year Feb. Wasn't interested in preouts at the time of purchase and didn't even know my receiver had preouts at the time of purchase (well, I did but didn't know what they were used for and aside from the HDMI ports and binding posts, figured I'd never use them).

Low and behold, I upgraded my speakers just shy of a year of ownership and found myself wanting to add an amp. Thank God I didn't have to buy a new receiver as the one I bought already had preouts.

Never say never and try to be prepared for the unexpected.

When possible, try to make your first purchase as future proof as possible.

Hawkeye

Don't sell the pre-outs short! THey may not be on your mind right now, but 6 months of dabbling in audio and you'll certainly change your mind and kick yourself in the rear for not listening to the folks here. It is much easier and cheaper to not need them than to find you do. If you can spend the extra dollars, buy an AVR with preouts. In 6 months you can come back and say thanks to everyone for saving you some money!:biggrin:

Gordon

zim18

Hawkeye wrote: »

Don't sell the pre-outs short! THey may not be on your mind right now, but 6 months of dabbling in audio and you'll certainly change your mind and kick yourself in the rear for not listening to the folks here. It is much easier and cheaper to not need them than to find you do. If you can spend the extra dollars, buy an AVR with preouts. In 6 months you can come back and say thanks to everyone for saving you some money!:biggrin:

Gordon

As stated im on a budget, i dont plan on having anything in the future that will be high end as such to result in buying a seperate amplifier...for what im using and plan on upgrading to will be sufficient enough by a solid receiver.

Pre-outs are something that are 'usually' only available in higher end receivers which serve no other extra features i feel necessary to dish out the extra $$$ for...imo anyways

That being said i still havnt narrowed down an avr :redface:

edit: whats everyones take on upscaling? worth having or not?...going to be watching bluray 90% of the time watching movies

txcoastal1

Pioneer 1019/1020/1021 all around good receiver was causiously my entire LSi setup for 2 weeks on a 1020 until my SC-35 and Sunfire showed up.

Google around find the cheapest deal and be done...look at the specs compare to Denon, Marantz, Onkyo, and Yammies then if you can go listen and pic.

zim18

txcoastal1 wrote: »

Pioneer 1019/1020/1021 all around good receiver was causiously my entire LSi setup for 2 weeks on a 1020 until my SC-35 and Sunfire showed up.

Google around find the cheapest deal and be done...look at the specs compare to Denon, Marantz, Onkyo, and Yammies then if you can go listen and pic.

90% Stuck on the new vsx1021k

HTguru1982

For your RTi's, I would recommend something from Denon, Marantz or even Pioneer Elite. Non Elite Pioneer receivers always sounded a bit bright to my ears.

Where are you looking to buy your SW110 from btw?

dorokusai

Out of those subwoofer choices, get the PSW125. I prefer the PSW111 because it's nice and small but it doesn't have enough low end to run an HT setup.

zim18

HTguru1982 wrote: »

For your RTi's, I would recommend something from Denon, Marantz or even Pioneer Elite. Non Elite Pioneer receivers always sounded a bit bright to my ears.

Where are you looking to buy your SW110 from btw?

Futureshop

dorokusai wrote: »

Out of those subwoofer choices, get the PSW125. I prefer the PSW111 because it's nice and small but it doesn't have enough low end to run an HT setup.

Yeah the psw111 packs a punch for an 8" and if your keen on size...which im not

zim18

Demo'd a psw10 with some rtia1s...sounded pretty stellar and can pick one up for $90...

What you guys think?