Matching in-ceiling speakers to RTi series

chamojesus

First of all, than you everyone that has contributed to this forum. It is filled with great information.

I've had my surround system for 11 years and since I'm moving into a new home I thought it is finally time to upgrade (Old system was a Denon receiver running a set of Infinity speakers). The family room where I'm setting up my home theater is 14' x 12'. It's not huge so I didn't want to overpower it with sound.

I've read great reviews about the RTi series, so this is my plan: getting the RTi A1 bookshelf speakers for my fronts, the CSi A4 for my center channel, and the PSW505 subwoofer. For my back speakers I need to install in-ceiling and I was considering the RC80i given their popularity and reviews ($137 the pair). But I've read in these forums that they do not timbre match the RTi series. First question: How mismatched and/or distorted would the sound be if I install the RTi A1 with the RC80i in-ceiling?

I have read in this forum that the TC80i is a better option since it is timbre matched to the RTi series. However, these speakers are hard to find at an affordable price. Amazon lists them at $245 each and Crutchfield at $299 each. Does anyone have any other in-ceiling speaker suggestions? Would there be any other models to consider? What about the TC60i?

Another reason for choosing the RC80i is the ceiling enclosure; I'm not sure how much space is available to fit the speaker. The RC80i is 3.5" deep vs. the TS80i which is 5.25".

Also, considering the speakers that I plan to purchase, are they sufficient to fill the space in my family room? Would you recommend that I upgrade to the RTi A3 and the CSi A6 instead?

Any suggestion or information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to all,
Jesus

chamojesus

By the way, I'm planning on powering all this using a Denon AVR-1713 5.1

MADGSF

I used TC60i for surrounds in our last house and I liked them a lot. The TC60i it timbre matched with the RTia series and that would be my recommendation. A bigger surround speaker is nice to have but taking into consideration your other speakers I think you will be happy with the TC60i.

Having said that if you use the RC80i I don't think you will notice a huge differnce between the front and rear speakers during a movie. If you look at my signature you will notice I have different surrounds now because they were already in the house we moved to. However my preference is to match the fronts and since you are buying them all why not match the whole set.

chamojesus

Thanks, MADGSF, I appreciate the suggestions.

Would you know if the RTi speakers need any breathing room in the back? Or can they be pushed against a wall? I'm having custom furniture made and I wanted to fit the RTi A1 as tight as possible within an enclosure. If they protrude too much, I may cut the dry wall to slide them back further. But if they need breathing space, this would push the speaker forward.

chamojesus

I have one more question... Maybe someone can help me....

Which in-ceiling speaker would match de RTi A1 better... The TC80i or the TC60i? I wouldn't want them to overpower or fall short compared to my bookshelf speakers. Thanks.

MADGSF

To answer your first question in our last house the couch was against the back wall and the speakers were basically above it. There was no other place to put the couch in that house. I would guess the speakers were at most one foot from the back wall. If I remember correctly there is a switch on the speaker to be used when it is placed near a wall.

Inside the TC60i sits at a slight angle so you can point it in differenct directions. I actually pointed the speaker towards the back wall to help disperse the sound for a better surround effect. At this point I would say go with the TC60i, I think you will be happy with it and it's cheaper.