Upgrade recommendations from current setup please?

mva5580

Hello, I currently own the following Fronts/Center speakers and am looking into upgrading:

- Monitor 60 L/R
- CS2 Center

I think I'm pretty set on staying with Polk, so I'm just interested in some advice on what would be an upgrade that would be worth considering. Would it be either the RTi A7 or A9? I guess I just want to make sure that whathever I end up buying is worth it in terms of being able to recognize the change in speakers. I also have an opportunity to get the older RTi10's for a pretty good price.....is there a significant difference between those and the current 9/7's?

I use my speakers for pretty much everything in regards to music, movies, and gaming. Thank you for any input, I'd appreciate it.

bklynNupe

Welcome to CP!
What is your budget and what else are you currently running in this rig?

mva5580

Thank you, the rear speakers are Monitor 10's, and I have a Yamaha RX-V565 receiver. I understand that I will most likely need to upgrade the receiver when it comes to moving up in speakers, and I don't have a problem with that. I just want to make sure that whatever speakers I end up getting are a solid upgrade from what I've already got.

I would say my budget is somewhere in the ~$1,500 range for the L/R speakers. And if the price is lower for a comparable, quality upgrade, that's fine too. And the RTi10's, I have an opportunity to get a pair of those for $350, in great condition.

bklynNupe

The Rtia9's are killer for HT, pretty good for music as well.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ONE-RTi-A9-RTiA9-BLACK-Tower-Loudspeaker-Polk-Audio-/390325080239?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item5ae13010af

I would find a good used avr ( there is an Onkyo available in the flea market) with pre-outs and down the line you can add some used but reliable external amplification. The a9's will show their appreciation for it! :biggrin:
If you decide on the a9's (or 7's), you can add a csi5 or csi6 center for HT.
Good luck.

Lietuvis91

It also depends on how big of a speaker you want to deal with. A9 is considerably bigger/bulkier/heavier than the m60s, so take this into consideration. Many people ignore this aspect, until they get the speaker, and then they are "surprised" at how big it is. And as mentioned above you will need an amp or a very decent avr to run a7s or a9s to let them show their stuff.

pdxfj

If you take your time there shouldn't be any reason you couldn't get pair of A7's and A6, plus a new AVR and an amp for $1,500. Depending on your room size the A9's might

Head over to Accessories4less.com and find an AVR, poke around your local Craigslist and see what pops up there. Plus your current M60's and CS2 have some value which would bump your budget up a little.

Depending on your room size the A9's might be too big. I found the M70's were too big for my room and the A7's fit much better.

mva5580

I actually am a pretty big Craigslister, and 1) have my speakers up there for sale now, and 2) have been browsing for deals.

I've actually come across 2 that have really caught my eye, and they are:

- A pair of RTi10's for $350
- A pair of LSi15's, and an LSiC center for $850 total.

The 2nd deal appears to be an amazing deal, but like you mentioned I think they're probably overwhelming for my room. I don't think I'd really get the full power out of them, as nice as they are. It's hard to pass up since the price is so great, but I'm just not sure it would make sense. Maybe some of you can speak to that though.

Aren't the RTi10's basically the same as A7's, but just look a little different? That's probably where I'm leaning right now, but that LSi deal just keeps staring me in the face saying "You know you want to."

EndersShadow

If your looking at the LSi's you better have a dedicated amp or a ICE powered AVR MINIMUM.

I run that exact LSi setup on a dedicated amp and it is by far the best set of speakers I have ever owned. 850 is a great deal and about what I paid for the exact setup (which was at a Polkie discounted rate from fellow members).

mva5580

Having taken a look at things, I'm starting to lean toward those RTi10's for $350. Taking a look at their product pages, it seems like they are the exact same thing as an Rti A7 internally....they just look different on the outside.

If I went this way, should I expect a significant upgrade from the Monitor 60's?

txcoastal1

mva5580 wrote: »

Having taken a look at things, I'm starting to lean toward those RTi10's for $350. Taking a look at their product pages, it seems like they are the exact same thing as an Rti A7 internally....they just look different on the outside.

If I went this way, should I expect a significant upgrade from the Monitor 60's?

Good answer and the put your left oer budget in a (1)pre/amp or an (2)avr
like Pioneer SC-25/35 with ice

mva5580

txcoastal1 wrote: »

Good answer and the put your left oer budget in a (1)pre/amp or an (2)avr
like Pioneer SC-25/35 with ice

That's what I figured, have a question for you though.

I went to Fry's Electronics on my lunch break, as they carry the RTi A7's. I asked the guy who was working there whether or not these would be a good upgrade from my Monitor 60's, and he seemed non-committal. He said they would be a little bit better, but really didn't give me any kind of definitive "Oh yeah, definitely worth it" kind of answer. Is he a bit off on his assessment, or is it really not that big of a difference?

pdxfj

They will be a significant upgrade from your M60's and even more so when you feed them a good amount of power.

Lietuvis91

mva5580 wrote: »

That's what I figured, have a question for you though.

I went to Fry's Electronics on my lunch break, as they carry the RTi A7's. I asked the guy who was working there whether or not these would be a good upgrade from my Monitor 60's, and he seemed non-committal. He said they would be a little bit better, but really didn't give me any kind of definitive "Oh yeah, definitely worth it" kind of answer. Is he a bit off on his assessment, or is it really not that big of a difference?

You should have asked him to hook them up and let you listen, then you would already have your answer

txcoastal1

This is when to slow down and when you get time go and listen....yes everything this you have posted would be a significant upgrade