RTi12,s

opus007
opus007 Posts: 17
edited October 2003 in Speakers
Went to CC today and today was there grand opening as thay had moved to a new location but alas they could not open due to some street lights not being ready yet.I wanted to audition the rti12's.So instead i ended up at a thrift store and I know this does not have anything to do with polk except that what I found is very simialar to some polks.I found a pair of Veloydne RA9's for 30 bucks.I did not expect them to work but they do and the only thing wrong is 3 speakers need a little work.Anyone have any thoughts on these.They are at least 5 years old and probably much older.Are they any good.Sorry if this is off topic but they sound real good even with the cracked speakers.They are bi-wireable.Can not find anything about these except the newer model of the RA9.They sure are big.See picture.
Post edited by opus007 on
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited October 2003
    Thirty dollars? 'AR' 9's, as in Acoustic Research.

    You just got a LEGEND that appears to just need some foam work. I'll leave the rest to George Grand, but I'm sure he will be PROUD.

    What a deal.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • opus007
    opus007 Posts: 17
    edited October 2003
    Opps sorry meant AR9's.What is this on the inside...
    ar9.jpg 85.3K
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited October 2003
    Pretty complicated looking network, I've never seen the guts before.

    Teledyne- Acoustic Research 9's for friggin $30. I still can't get over that.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited October 2003
    Legend is a good term. There is very little in todays market that will compare to those gems. Get all the surrounds done. The four 12" woofs AND the two 8" lower mids will definitely require re-foaming. The whole job might cost you about $250 to have done by a pro.

    For what it's worth, on another forum, within the last year, Ken Kantor of NHT fame had this to say about them...

    "The AR-9 set the standard for deep bass response in its day, and to THIS day."

    Mr. Kantor also worked at AR for awhile, and designed the AR-303 and the 302.

    Those speakers will EAT amps all day long if you don't get the right one. The woofers drop down to 2.9 ohms, so if you do bi-amp them, you can't cheap out on the woofer amp.

    You got real lucky today son. Mine cost me $200 before the re-foam of all the drivers I previously suggested you get re-done. And I thought that I stole mine.

    You need to place those within 2" of the front wall to get the deepest bass response (right out of the owners manual). You also need to give the outer woofs 3' from the side walls for that same deep bass. There is no restriction on the inner woofer. If you want any more info about them send me a private message, this IS a Polk forum (I haven't heard a pair of Polk's that can touch those).

    Oh yeah, they were about $2,000 in 1978-1979. Go ahead and do the inflation conversion, then pat yourself on the back. Don't pat yourself too much, you need to start looking for a room in your home that will support those. They are wasting in the room in the image.

    George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's)
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  • fireshoes
    fireshoes Posts: 3,167
    edited October 2003
    Hey I'm a dummy - how does re-foaming a speaker work?
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited October 2003
    Woofers, SOME mid-ranges, and even some tweeters use foam rubber as a surround (as opposed to less porous butyl rubber). The "surround" is the pliable piece that allows the woofer to "travel" or, move back and forth. Take the grilles off your speakers and look. The surround is on the outer edge of the woofer, and is attached to both the woofer cone, and basket (woofer frame for lack of a better term). The foam rubber can deteriorate over time, and simply disintegrate into dust. No more woofer travel at that point. Replacement surrounds are available from a number of companies for the do-it-yourselfer kind of individual. VERY important for surrounds on acoustic suspension speakers to be intact.

    Bose speakers may sound better with rotted surrounds. They sure sound bad with intact surrounds so what the hey!

    George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's)
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited October 2003
    Man, now THAT, friends, is a STEAL. Even having all the refoaming done, still a steal.

    Congrats...

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • i4gotmyid
    i4gotmyid Posts: 173
    edited October 2003
    I used to have the original ar-9s a long time ago, i miss those babies. They were pretty awesome, although for me they lacked umph on the low end and didnt have a soundstage like the SDAs but for $30, thats a steal.
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited October 2003
    Lacked low end oomph? Maybe you've heard of Ken Kantor. He has designed some of the more outstanding speakers in audio. He started the company NHT, and was wildly successful with it. Within the last year, he made the statement, "The original AR-9 set the standard for low end performance in its day, AND TO THIS DAY."

    But then, what does HE know?

    George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's)
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  • i4gotmyid
    i4gotmyid Posts: 173
    edited October 2003
    dont get so pissy, i'm merely stating my reaction to them, after all i owned them, and for me they werent my taste. we all are different and we all value different sounds so no need to get your panties in a bunch
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited October 2003
    Well okay, if you say so, I'll unbunch my boxers.

    I doubt I'd miss those babies, that were pretty awesome, if they weren't to MY taste.

    I'm not sure I know which statement you really mean.

    George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's)
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited October 2003
    Congrats opus on your find... where's the Velodyne come from??? (sharp eyes there Russ)

    GG,
    It's possible i4 just did not have an amp to push them. Back when the 9's were new, what was out there that was both powerful enough and affordable?

    As for soundstage, he probably did not know your HD tweak... might want to share that with opus...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • i4gotmyid
    i4gotmyid Posts: 173
    edited October 2003
    powerful enough amp? What my 30 wpc H/K wasnt enough? lol. I didnt even think about that, but back then there wasnt a lot of 200 wpc amps readily available except through mail order...too bad they are gone cause then I could give it a go on my adcom
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited October 2003
    The Harman-Kardon "Citation" series was affordable, and more than up to the job, as were the Crown D-300's and D-150's. The Crown IC-150 pre-amp was available too. The AR integrated amp, which was the first high-current amp was also up to the job. Phase Linear was available at that time, but it would depend on ones definition of affordable.

    Yes, the Adcom would be nice, but if you're talking about the baby of the family, the GFA-535 at 60wpc, might be underpowering them. THAT would depend on your listening tastes. Kenny G? Sure. The Mothers? Cream? Jimi Hendrix? No way!

    George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's)
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited October 2003
    Forgot about the Citations... Relative to the cost of the 9's, I guess they and the Crowns could be considered affordable.

    Around that time I was mainly drooling over McIntosh and making do with my Heathlit and a pair of Lafayette Criterion 80's...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited October 2003
    On the vintage (ar) topic.

    Did or did not Heathkit have a 'kit' speaker VERY similar to the original AR3a? Maybe it was another model AR, but I'm pretty sure it was the 3.

    I've heard about it here and there, but have never been able to verify. Anyone?

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited October 2003
    I'd be a liar Russ. Just don't know.

    Tour,

    The HK Citation 11 and 12 pre/power combo could be had for under $600. That was about 1975. Some of the later Cit's were probably a little pricier, but still attainable.

    George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's)
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited October 2003
    Well I'll chalk it up to audio lore for now.

    How about the Haflers? The 500 model and what not? Were they 'early' compared to the 9's? I've heard about a lot of early Advent (stacked) and Haf combos.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited October 2003
    Completely forgot about that world class combo, the DH-500 power, and the DH-110 pre. Great call! That 500 would've driven the 9's with ease.

    I had one of those DH-500's, but I sold it to my friend Harold. He's the lucky guy who I gave a shrunken head to as a housewarming gift. AND, he was classy enough to display it in a prominent place. He broke my chops about the Amazing's so bad, I had to find him a pair of Amazing's for his selfish. Only located a pair of Silver Amazing's, but he was appreciative anyway, and they sound just fine. He drives them with that DH-500. To this day. In San Diego.

    George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's)
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited October 2003
    Originally posted by George Grand
    The HK Citation 11 and 12 pre/power combo could be had for under $600. That was about 1975.
    About half a month's gross pay... Ah, the good old days...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited October 2003
    Originally posted by Tour2ma
    About half a month's gross pay... Ah, the good old days...

    And what a shame - no exotic wire to mate with it. Lamp cord was the order of the day. How did people sleep at night? ;)

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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