RTi A9 mid-bass help!!

gti1.8t

Hey all, I have a pair of RTi A9 towers that I absolutely love.. the only thing that worries me is since day 1 is the mids, they seem like they wanna burst out of the enclosure! I'm running them off an onkyo 7.2 (which has only bass/treble adjustments).

Today I was listening to music quite loud and started hearing a crackling coming from 1 of the mids. Sure enough... shes blown. Is there any way I could get a replacement, or even upgrade the mids?

Also, another question I had... whats the best way to tone down the mids since the tweeters are screaming compared to the woofers & tweeters.

More importantly, I need these up and running asap since I have a New Years party!!

Help!!!!

Andrew

rebuy

Oh Crap :mad:

gti1.8t

lol thats always a positive response.... does that mean im screwed??? :S

rebuy

It might be hard to get drivers by the weekend. Call Polk CS tomorrow.

If you are listening to music, "quite loud" you might have blown them.

What's your Onkyo model and how many speakers running in your system.

gti1.8t

Source is laptop for music...

Onkyo TX-NR708 to 2 power velodyne 12s, 2 Polk Audio RTi A9 towers, and 4 Polk Audio RTi4 bookshelves.

Is it strange that only 1 of the mids would blow and not 2 considering their in the same enclosure, playing the same volume, same tones, etc.?

I'm definately going to call Polk tomorrow to see if they can do anything... fingers crossed!!! Any other options? Suggestions for upgrades?

How would I go about EQ'ing them for future reference? Like I said, the woofers and tweeters are quiet compared to the mids and seem like they want to jump out of the enclosure half the time. I'd really like to tone them down a bit to give proper balance.

Toolfan66

First get them fixed second turn them down till you get an external amp.. I really doubt your receiver is doing them any justice..

gti1.8t

external amp, as in a pro audio amp as opposed to a receiver? Would that not make it worse, more power usually = more excursion, no? I'm trying to bring down the mids, rather than drive them harder

And like I said, the amp can push the drivers pretty well, its just the mid-bass seems to push through much more aggresively. Would it beneficial to get a pro-audio EQ?

Toolfan66

No not a pro amp these speakers like good clean power and will sound a lot better with an amp I believe your receiver has pre outs so adding an amp would do these speakers some justice. Look at getting a three channel amp to power your center as well. Are you running a center speaker?

Not sure why a mid would die on you except if there was some abuse to them, usually a tweeter will fry due to being played too loud and not enough power to drive them.

gti1.8t

Right now I'm not running a center channel, its something I'm aspiring for.

What type of amp would you recommend for the RTi A9's?

Also, like I said before, The mids practically jump out of the enclosure and I have no way to EQ them down a bit to keep them balanced with the woofers & tweeters.

Toolfan66

I'm running an Emotiva XPA-3 with great results on my A9's but there are better amps on the used market check out Adcom , parasound, Rotel, Sunfire. Not sure what your budget might be but the Emotiva can be had for a good price new.

Stick around get your learn on and your A9's will be sounding real good.

gti1.8t

Thanks for the info! I'll be stickin around to learn more!

I don't have a ton of money to spend on this sadly since I'm also building up my car as we speak.. so funds are somewhat limited. But I'd really like to drive these speakers the way they should be. So any input is greatly apprecaited.

gti1.8t

Do you think the Emotiva XPA-2, or possibly the XPA-3 would be a good choice for the A9's? I'm not sure if it'll be in the budget to get a center channel any time soon... so I'm thinkin XPA-2 since its got more power. Good idea?

Why is the XPA-2 more expensive the XPA-3?

Toolfan66

It's not a bad idea. ;-)

gti1.8t

Would the XPA-2 be too much for the A9's? Or would it be fine to run them? Also, I'm back to worrying about the mids since with the onkyo amp they were jumping out of the enclosure @ 110w/c ... what would happen with 300w/c?? They're going to explode!

And it seems like Emotiva is the more cost effective way to go over the other brands... yikes! lol

And why is the XPA-2 more expensive then the XPA-3? Any idea?

F1nut

Source is laptop for music...

There's part of the problem. Garbage in, garbage out. Get a better source.

which has only bass/treble adjustments

Which you had tweaked, another problem. Stop using them to fix the perceived short comings, leave the tone controls flat.

Onkyo TX-NR708 to 2 power velodyne 12s, 2 Polk Audio RTi A9 towers, and 4 Polk Audio RTi4 bookshelves.

That's another problem. You're asking an awful lot from an AVR. Sure an amp will help (although I don't think an emo is the answer), but I don't think that's going to solve your issue with the midrange. You've got something else going on there, not sure what it is, but I do not believe it's the speakers themselves. More than likely it's the tonal quality of the AVR and/or the source, could even be the placement of the speakers and/or your room.

I was listening to music quite loud

Yep, another and in your case, the kiss of death. Everything has limits, seems you just found out your rig does too.

Also, I'm back to worrying about the mids since with the onkyo amp they were jumping out of the enclosure @ 110w/c

Driving all your speakers, it's no where close to 110wpc.

A rig truly is the sum total of the parts and will only be as good as the weakest link.

tonyb

If the mids are that pronounce, and laptop is your source, do you have some sort of equalizer engaged in the laptop ? Are the files MP3 or flac, apple lossless ? Try hooking up a standard cd player and see if the sound changes. Like everyone else said, you have a few issues going on, try to adress them one at a time.

justlord

gti1.8t wrote: »

Would the XPA-2 be too much for the A9's? Or would it be fine to run them? Also, I'm back to worrying about the mids since with the onkyo amp they were jumping out of the enclosure @ 110w/c ... what would happen with 300w/c?? They're going to explode!

And it seems like Emotiva is the more cost effective way to go over the other brands... yikes! lol

And why is the XPA-2 more expensive then the XPA-3? Any idea?

Someone else mentioned the issue of not really having 110wpc with an AVR, and this is because the power is distributed among the various channels when needed.

If anything, when you add the EMO XPA-2 or XPA-3, those RTI's will sound so much better because there will be more power to drive them, and have power in reserve to drive them. The source of the issue is that all of your speakers want a share of the AVR's power, and there just isn't enough. If the speakers ARE damaged, it's because there wasn't enough power to drive them.

The XPA-2 is more expensive then the others, because they have more power to drive the speakers (300wpc) and have a bigger transformer as well. For me, if I was the company, I would price them to help balance the supply and demand, which they seem to do well at.

gti1.8t

Thanks for all the responses!

The laptop could be the source, however I've kept all EQ's flat on the source. Files on the laptop are MP3.

On the Receiver, I only started tweeking around with it the other day to see if there was any adjustments that can be made, it was always left flat since the day it was installed.

I'll try hooking up a regular cd player to see if that helps. The reason I use my laptop is because I have thousands on songs on it and instead of burning countless cds, I just use USB drivers in the car & for the house, I use the laptop.

Just spoke with CS @ Polk, man they're awsome & responsive! Will definately be buying more great in the future from them! Replacement is being sent out

If I take the RTI A9's and put them on an external amp & just leave the bookshelves (RTi A4) on the Onkyo, it should be alright for that right? & Considering the subs are powered, its not like they're drawing a ton of current... more a signal.

Ps - Thanks all for the responses!! Greatly appreciated! Newbie and still learning If anyone knows decent brands for an external amplifier, please list them! I'm not made of money so its tough, especially around Christmas but I'd really like to see what the RTi A9's are really made of!

Drenis

Definitely look to the used market. Some of the most common brands people here will suggest are (In no particular order): Adcom, Carver, Parasound. You may also look into other brands that may be newer like: Emotiva and Sunfire.
There are tons of amps out there. Don't always be fooled by the wpc (watts-per-channel) rating. It's really what sounds right within the first <1watt. After that your looking for higher output.

I have a Carver TFM-42 that was rebuilt. I picked this beautiful piece of gear up for half of what I paid for my A9's and the combo is stellar. More power then I need and a nice warm sound when power is not needed.

Welcome to CP.

mdaudioguy

XPA-2 is beefier, more powerful than the XPA-3. I've owned both, and honestly, even though they are at a great price point for new amps, I don't think that's your best bet. XPA-2 is currently on sale for $700, but out of stock.

Take that money and buy a CSi5 for $200 shipped off of Polk's e-Bay site, or the CSiA6 for $277 - both with free shipping for the next 2 days. Then, you've still got $400-$500 left to pick up a used 2 or 3 channel amp. Look hard and be patient - it can be done. Don't be scared about used, but don't buy just anything. Most audiophiles take exceedingly good care of their gear. I found a nice 5-channel amp in that price range, and you'd never know it wasn't new when I got it.

Good luck!

gti1.8t

Thanks for the responses all

I'll see what I can do!

Where would be a good starting point for used equipment? I live in Canada so shipping is usually ridiculous and most people wont ship

Drenis

Honestly, Kijiji. I flippin LOVE that site. It's where I found my Carver. Sometimes you can find some great gear on there. Another source for Canadians is canuckaudiomart.com It's like ebay but for Canadians to sell gear in on.

Otherwise you'll want to check out Audiogon.com - HUGE eBay like site that caters to North American people. You can find lots of gear here.

gti1.8t

awsome Thanks for the help everyone!

Just out of curiosity... would a pro-audio amp work to run the RTi A9's? Seems like it may be a cost-effective way around spending thousands of dollars since I'm only looking for around 300w/c

Drenis

Stay away from pro amps for home use UNLESS it's for a subwoofer. Pro amps are built for one thing in mind, output. NOT sound quality.

I too considered the same thing and am glad I did my research and stayed away. But that is your choice to make.

gti1.8t

ahh good to know... wasnt sure about that. All the subs in my HT are powered ( thankfully :P ) So right now all I'm missing is a proper amp to get my RTi A9's up and running to capacity. Shopping as we speak!

So much to chose from... I was hoping I could get away with a pro audio amp since most are cheaper than a HT amp at the power range I'm looking at running (approx. 300 w/c). Guess I gotta pay to play

tonyb

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1328726156&/Adcom-GFA-5503

A nice 3 channel one for not alot of coin. If you go just 2 channel, look at some Marantz monoblocks, and check out Audiogon.com for a slew of options.

gti1.8t

Thanks for the link I started browsing for a little while about an hour ago and saw that theres tons of options out there... more are extremely expensive and over my budget :P

Just gotta take my time and shop around. Thanks Tony

tonyb

Check your local craigslist too. People are getting rid of the old toys for the newer ones santa brought them.

gti1.8t

been checkin canuckaudiomart & also kijiji, craigslist isnt too big around where i live. Found a nice XPA-2 on ebay for $650 but he doesnt ship to canada

tonyb

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/ele/2772985956.html

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Parasound-HCA-1205A-5-Channel-Amplifier-/270879770142?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUA%26otn%3D5%26pmod%3D130623199996%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D5244464618985069679#shId

gti1.8t

Thanks for the post! I'd like to find something a little closer to home or by a reputable seller. Not used to dealing on craigslist since its not too big here in Canada.

I was thinkin of going with the Emotiva XP2 or XP3, its not too badly priced for the wattage & it also matches my consoles, amps, tv, etc.

Sorry if I sound picky, I dont want something to stand out like a sore thumb :P