Which TSi series for Sony STR DN1020?

Ryanbruce

I have a Sony STR DN 1020, 7.2 Receiver. *It is rated at 110w per channel.*

I am going for a 5.1 setup. I already have a powered sub. I am interested in picking up a pair Polk Audio towers to be used as fronts. I have been looking at the TSi series. I am considering either the TSi 300 or TSi 400 series.*

TSi 300 rated 20-150watt/c
TSi 400 rated 20-200watt/c

My question is... If my receiver only puts out 110 watts/chan is there any sense in me buying the larger speakers? Or would it be a waste of the extra $ spent? Also is there any advantages/disadvantages with using the larger speakers with a receiver of 110w/chan?

I do plan on pairing these either of these fronts with the Polk CS20 centre speaker. Followed by replacing my old surround speakers in time.*

tonyb

Your receiver is capable of driving any speaker in that series all the way up to RTI 7's I would say.

pyrocyborg

It will drive almost every towers, as tonyb said, I wouldn't be worried. Having a powered sub, all you'll have to do is adjust the crossover on your receiver at something near 80 Hz. Then your sub will reproduce low frequencies, which takes a lot of power. This way, your receiver will be free to send higher frequencies to your speakers, so yeah, 110w will be more than enough for them. If you step up to something needing more than 300w per channel (like the RTiA7), you probably need an external amp to make them shine as those have 7'' woofers specialized in mid-bass/bass reproduction which requires a tremendous amount of power to sound great.

They may sound the same at low to moderate volume, but when you step up the game, a pair of larger towers driven by a receiver will start to sweat... it's like trying to run a marathon without eating the day before. So, here's my recommendation:

Maybe a TSi500 (which has 4 6.5'' woofers) is a tad too much, but either the TSi300 (two 5.25'' mid) or the TSi4 (three 5.25'') will be fine. Choose whatever one your ear prefer as this is what' it's really about.

If aesthetics doesn't mind you and that you're into Home Theater more than in music, you could try to get your hand on a pair of RTi8 (it's the older version of the RTiA5) for about the same price or less than the TSi series. The RTi serie is a step up the TSi serie.