Modern Polks that sound as good as RTA 12B's

Michael8it

I have a pair of RTA 12B speakers that I love, but the wife is not so fond of...... So I am looking for some feedback on Polks that sound as open and rich as the RTA 12B's do, but preferably in a smaller footprint. Any feedback would be appreciated!

Nightfall

From what I've read the new (good) Polks excel at detail and micro detail, very different then the vintage Polks which are warm and "big" sounding.

Let her buy a new handbag?

zingo

For the price, nothing will match them. I think the modern Polk suggestion is good, but what is your budget for these new speakers?

Nightfall

Forgot to mention, the RTA-11TL's footprint looks to be a lot smaller, or at least a lot less wide.

zingo

That's true, an RTA 11/15 would be a much thinner version of a similar sound.

Phasewolf

You should buy a pair of SDA SRS 1.2TL's and when the wife sees those she will not call the old speakers you have now large. Just a thought......

Nightfall

Phasewolf wrote: »

You should buy a pair of SDA SRS 1.2TL's and when the wife sees those she will not call the old speakers you have now large. Just a thought......

Best idea yet!

geppy1

I have compared RTA 12Bs to RTA 15TL, LS 90s and LSI 15s. RTA 12Bs sound more open, more real. Sometimes a little thin in the mid bass but probably more accurate.
My opinion, my room , my tastes , my gear.

LS90s Tend to grow on you but very warm ,very bass heavy ,voices are in the rear of the stage
My wife commented she thought she had cotton in her ears
Stuffing the port helped

LSI 15 Very detailed, very clear to the point of sounding alittle analytical. Sound stage is between the speakers My biggest i9ssue was the bass was disconnected from the reat of the music Friend who used to set up bands looked at me and said 'who thought that was bass"

RTA 15TL Very nice looking but bass heavy and not as ipen as the 12s. Friedn commented that they sounded like a meagaphone compared to the 12s

geppy1

I have compared RTA 12Bs to RTA 15TL, LS 90s and LSI 15s. RTA 12Bs sound more open, more real. Sometimes a little thin in the mid bass but probably more accurate.
My opinion, my room , my tastes , my gear.

LS90s Tend to grow on you but very warm ,very bass heavy ,voices are in the rear of the stage
My wife commented she thought she had cotton in her ears
Stuffing the port helped

LSI 15 Very detailed, very clear to the point of sounding alittle analytical. Sound stage is between the speakers My biggest issue was the bass was disconnected from the rest of the music Friend who used to set up bands looked at me and said 'who thought that was bass"

RTA 15TL Very nice looking but bass heavy and not as ipen as the 12s. Friend commented that they sounded like a megaphone compared to the 12s

EndersShadow

Personally take a look at the RTA 11TL's. They are IMHO a great speaker, even compared to my LSi 15's. Not much smaller, produce more bass than my 15's (different room and gear though).

The RTA 11TL's use the same 6.5" and tweeters as the SDA's and I believe your speakers (SL3000's tweets, forget driver model #'s). They can be placed right up against the wall, or out a bit from it similar to SDA's, and are about the height and width of the LSi's so you can gain back some real estate.

I saw a pair of RTA 15TL's and GOOD GOD they are big, and due to the rear facing radiator need a bit more space out from the wall than the RTA 11TL's.

I do like my LSi 15's and they sound pretty darned good, but for just 2 channel, there is something to be said for the 11TL's over my 15's.

boston1450

Phasewolf wrote: »

You should buy a pair of SDA SRS 1.2TL's and when the wife sees those she will not call the old speakers you have now large. Just a thought......

my wife complained about speakers so i went out & bought some 1c's for rotation :evil:

cnh

Haven't heard the 12s, but the RTA-11TLs are a nice dual duty speaker: Music and Home Theater. Pretty balanced, smooth sounding, just enough bass.

Look forward to hearing some RTA-12Bs some day!

As for size. I have a set of M-70s, CS2, etc in the main HT room. And on the walls next to them a set of EPI 120Cs for vintage two channel duty (Monitor 10As and the Marantz 2265 will soon be replacing those on the side walls) What I do is move those speakers out into the room in front of the towers when I want to use them and put them back against the wall when not in use. The wife thinks I'm a little nutty, but I've CLAIMED that space and there is NO going back NOW! Sometimes you have to do, what you have to do!

cnh

geppy1

I have a hard time with the RTA phrase being used concerning the 8, 11 15s I know Polk used that but there is nothing RTA about them at all. FYI There is a Stereophile review of the RTA 11TLs online

Nightfall

geppy1 wrote: »

I have a hard time with the RTA phrase being used concerning the 8, 11 15s I know Polk used that but there is nothing RTA about them at all. FYI There is a Stereophile review of the RTA 11TLs online

Agreed.
Maybe if you put them on the Polk stands that tip back a bit. :rolleyes:

drumminman

Nightfall wrote: »

Agreed.
Maybe if you put them on the Polk stands that tip back a bit. :rolleyes:

. . . and mount the tweeter in open air. Nah . . .Polk should have used different labelling. We know how special the RTA 12x series is :cool:

Mr. Bubbles

geppy1 wrote: »

I have a hard time with the RTA phrase being used concerning the 8, 11 15s I know Polk used that but there is nothing RTA about them at all. FYI There is a Stereophile review of the RTA 11TLs online

Please understand that I really know little to nothing about any of the RTA series but always assumed that the RTA portion of all but the 12's was electronic in nature similar to the vintage DCM time delay circuits built into the crossovers. i guess by you guys comments here, that is not the case?

EndersShadow

geppy1 wrote: »

I have a hard time with the RTA phrase being used concerning the 8, 11 15s I know Polk used that but there is nothing RTA about them at all. FYI There is a Stereophile review of the RTA 11TLs online

Geppy, its actually for the 11t, not the 11TL. That said I dont know if there is enough of a difference in the crossovers and tweeters between them to warrant them not being grouped together.

I also will defer to your knowledge of the RTA line in its entirety lol.

Nightfall

Mr. Bubbles wrote: »

Please understand that I really know little to nothing about any of the RTA series but always assumed that the RTA portion of all but the 12's was electronic in nature similar to the vintage DCM time delay circuits built into the crossovers. i guess by you guys comments here, that is not the case?

The tweeter is mounted open air and behind the mid woofers so the high frequencies hit your hears at the same time as the rest. B's and C's also have the inner? mid woofer roll off at a different frequency then the outer. This is only on the 12's though. The entire rest of the series is just regular speakers.

Dawgfish

To the OP,

As a former owner of the RTA-12B, which I really enjoyed, and current owner of LSiM 703s, I whole-heartedly recommend the LSiMs. They are superior to the RTAs in everyway (except price) IMHO. You will not be disappointed in them and can thank me later!

Dawg

geppy1

The designs are vastly different between the RTA 12 and the other RTA line form the early 90s

FYI The outer one is rolled off Not to mention many other little design details

The RTA 12B won a Consumer Electronics Show Design and Engineering Award in 1981 and the RTA 12C Hi Fi Grand Prix Award in 1984 or 85

Michael8it

Dawgfish, thanks for the recommendation on the LSiM 703's. At $1,500 per pair for Mahogany, which is all she would go for, ah, well..... were actually still engaged, and paying for our own wedding.... so if the Polkies here want to chip in and get us a set as a wedding gift (LOL!) FANTASTIC! otherwise, I think she will just need to warm up to the idea of a BIG pair of speakers on each end of the entertainment center.

Nightfall

She'll get over it.

Really, they aren't that big. Just wider most newer speakers at the big box stores.