RTI 12 VS Legacy Focus?

erniejade

I have the RTI 12 and SDA 2.3, ( as well as tyler reference monitor in the den) if everything goes right, tomorrow I should have a set of Legacy Focus that still has a little bit of warranty left. They are the original style not the se or hd. I will be out of town till the 15th but when i get back, the shoot out will begin. Now my living room acoustics are NOT good. it has made many great speakers sound bad. It's a dead room. The RTI 12 so far in that room have bested sda 2.3, 1.2, vandersteen 3a, Focal, tyler reference monitors, and carver amazing. Even though by nature, or by status, the other speakers should have taken the rti, because of that room, the rti sounded better. ( When everything was in the basement and i had the full 26 X 28 feet that was a different story but, in the living room, the rti so far has been on top. I am going to take a chance on the legacy and see what happens.

I will report back when i get back in town on how it does against the 2.3 and rti12.
Dekuda can tell you how the Focal, Tyler, and RTI12 sounded in the house. Newrival can both tell you how the other speakers sounded in the living room and how it wasnt quite right. I called Legacy and described my room. They said the Focus should do well in that room. BTW great people to talk to. Even though I am buying them used, they offered to help me if i had any setup questions or placement questions in the room.

tonyb

I'm still unsure about that dead room of yours. The RTI's probably do well because it's a brighter speaker. The Legacy's are more so on the warmer side of neutral. As always, placement is going to be key here and we already covered that. What kind of electronics you matching them up with ?

Incidently, where in Chicago are you located ? I'm out in the NW burbs, Algonquin to be exact so if ya need anything give me a yell.

erniejade

You are not far from me at all. Bolingbrook right off 355. I run to Schaumburg / Hoffman for work sometimes.
When i got the RTI12 from Dekuda, He was surprised I think on how the room tamed rti12 down. While i love the tyler's in the small den, ( speakers are way too big for the den but, they sound good in there!) while in the living room they sounded lifeless.

The living room setup: Thick Carpet with 2" padding, Leather overstuffed furniture, the room itself is about 24-27 feet long , 12 - 13 feet wide but, 1/2 opens up to the dining room with no wall between. The wall facing the right goes to a stair case and then opens up to the hallway, the wall to the left is a sliding glass window. On the left side, it opens up to the dining room. There is a partial wall that goes to the kitchen behind the listening area that wall is about 9-10 feet. If I put a speaker past that point of the wall, even if its along the long wall, all bass or imaging is gone. Even with a separate sub its gone. One time I put the speakers along the left side, 6 feet from the wall and fired them into the dining room. Now that sounded good but, not practical so, its set up on the right side of the room, speakers are 3.5 feet from the back wall, the right side is just shy of 3 feet of the stair case ( it does have a partial wall,) and on the left, at least 10+ feet before the sliding glass door. 6.5 feet apart, 7 feet to my ears. The back wall is inches from my head. I need 2 more feet on the with of the room!!

I have flipped that room many times every time i get a new speaker to try out different positions. So far, with the tylers, rti, and before I sold the 1.2, focal, carver amazing, vandies, this has been the best setup for that room. I am running a separate sub velodyne spl1200.

Equipment, Sunfire amp, ( i have tried about 10 different amps over the last 2 or 3 years and the sunfire sig II keeps coming out on top. Big difference between the reg sunfire and the sig ) McIntosh pre ( c-39 yes its technically a HT pre but, it does amazing as a 2 ch. pre. Has beaten a lof of pre's in the house) Jolida CD with EI gold pins ( as always thanks Jessie for this recommendation!) DH labs 10 speaker cables with DH jumpers, DH air matrix IC. I also have a pioneer DP-D9 cd / sacd.

Sorry for the long post. Just trying to give a good description.

tonyb

Good description, 7 feet to your ears though seems a tad close to me. Have you thought of just going bookies with that sub instead of floorstanders ?

Given the room size, long and narrow, I'm thinking you may be better off with multiple bookies, 2 subs. Smaller speakers but just more of them. Floorstanders tend to throw a wide dispersion and you need some room to let those sound waves do their thing, so to speak, but not too much as those waves will get lost. Thats the problem I see if you have them set up on the long wall, the room being as narrow as it is, those sound waves are going to the left and right a good distance with nothing to reflect off of so it gets absorbed far away from your ears. Just a thought....I'm thinking the short wall may be better with a good 12 feet away at your ears for floorstanders.

Have you given any thoughts to in-ceiling speakers ? Another option that may be better suited for that room. Just rambling is all as I've not actually seen the room so take my sugestions with a grain of salt.

erniejade

With the amazing, i did have them on the short wall but, right after the one wall by the kitchen area ends, and it opens up to the dining room, all bass is lost as well as imaging. It is the strangest thing. I also tried it in reverse where the speakers were 5 feet from the window, 8 feet between them, and my listening area was by the stairs on the short side. Imaging was bad and again the bass was gone till i moved them within the solid wall after the dining room. When i had the speakers 3 or 4 feet from the sliding glass, up till that wall sounded ok but, it was no more then 6 feet at that point in the room. Then you go past the wall, it all disappeared.

The tyler reference monitor II are bookies. I do have the bass bins that they sit on but, i had them disconnected as the sub sat, sounded better then using them with the bass bins. They sound great in my den ( only 14X9) but in the living room, they sounded lifeless. Maybe the legacy will throw better than the 1.2's or 2.3's did and i can try it on the short wall again @ 10 -12 feet . 3 feet from the stairs / hall opening but, that might only give me 6-7 feet for distance between the speakers. Again, I have 0 issues flipping the room around. Actually my girlfriend said she is getting used to it since i have dint it at least 6 times since she has moved in.

When I got the RTI 12, Dave said to try it closer to the wall but, with this room, it lost the imaging. Soon as i got it behind the 3 foot mark, the sound stage disappeared and the bass got muddy. With the RTI 12, i have the velodyne by the stairs, 3 feet behind the 12's and it is balanced out nice. Crossed over at 80. I am thinking though with the specs of the Legacy, i would like to try it without the velodyne or cross it over at 30.
I think if i had hard wood with an area rug it would help liven it up but, the carpet is in amazing condition and I am not ready to replace it yet.

Think i need a new house LOL. I do appreciate the suggestions. It is peoples suggestions and trying different things that have gotten me this far with the room.

This is going to sound selfish but, when her kids are gown enough, i am putting it all back into the basement! youngest is 11. so i need a 7-9 year plan LOL.

naturallight

I have the 12's and they do seem to work well in very bad rooms. Not sure why. They are set up in my basement. Carpet, dropped ceiling with heavy acuostic tile, its about 30 long by 16 wide or so..the room is dead as a doornail.

This is only 2 channel. I use a Adcom pre, Jolidia, and Onkyo M-504. But the 12's put out great sound. I was considering a sub...but it's not really needed. It also depends on the source material your playing.
On something like a chickenfoot cd..you can't go more then maybe 10:30 on the volume..your getting pounded by bass as it is..and far to loud for most. On old analog to digital coversion cd's... you can go up on the volume. But not like your lacking bass..LOL

There really good speakers, but to put them up against the Legacy...that would be a far streatch...

But will be interested in your feelings about how they compare.

erniejade

I only got to drop them in the room and play them for a few min. All I can say is wow. I can't wait to come back from vacation and get them set up properly. They seem to be a good match for the room. The kids havean amazing presence to them and a wide sound stage. I think this was a good purchase I will report more when I'm back in town.

erniejade

darn auto spell on the cell. Not kids. Mids.

erniejade

Have an. Wow. This phone sucks!!