RTiA9 - LSiM707 speakers and Amp advice

rktman56

I'm looking for some advise now that I'm looking at pulling the trigger on a new pair of RTiA9's. First a quick background that got me into this situation. Back in the early 90's I picked up a new Yamaha CX-1000U pre amp and MX-1000U power amp to bring life to my Monitor 10Bs. As it was early in my Air Force career, I spent most of my free money on stereo equipment. But as time went by, priorities change, kids come alone and my stereo got less and less attention. Soon I was not setting down and enjoying my stereo, but hearing music on my computer (iTunes YUCK), or on the stereo in my Jeep.

I've tried some time ago, to find the time to go back to really "listening" to music, by replacing my aging 10Bs with a pair of Monitor 70s. After a few tweeter issues, I boxed up the equipment and the Monitor 70s, then stored it all away. I had teenagers then as I do now and I know some of the "tweeter" issues were from them. I've made a promise to myself to return to the joy of listening to my music when the kids graduate and leave... and I get my Man Cave. Three years to go, but I can't wait any longer!

Until now, I haven't really paid any attention to stereo equipment since the mid 90's. I bought the Monitor 70s without listening to them first, only because I've always enjoyed the Polks I've owned in the past. Now that I realize just how much time has passed, I see so much has changed. I know the Yamaha CX-1000U pre amp and MX-1000U power amp are long out of production. Is this a good amp for a pair of RTiA9s? Or would the LSiM707s be a better choice? The RTiA9s are at a good price, have to wait a bit on the LSiM707s. I am leaning now to a good 2.1 stereo setup, but am open to building a good HT... HT is entirely new to me. Any ideas would be helpful.

nooshinjohn

Why not look for a pair of SDA-SRS and keep it vintage? The Yammy gear you have is still very well respected, as it is some of the last and best gear they made for stereo listening IMHO.

If you need new speakers and are looking in that 4k price range, the 707's are very nice, but I would also consider the Magnepan MG 3.6 or 3.7.

Geoff4rfc

If you're looking at starting a 2.1 then adding H.T. later, why not consider a pair of LSiM703's, those are the top half of the 707 as it is. If you've got a sub already, there you go.

Inspector 24

450wpc at 8 ohms is plenty for either speaker!! Yowza, what an amp!
http://www2.yamaha.co.jp/manual/pdf/av/english/SepA/MX-1000U.pdf

A9's are probably 80% of the LSiM when it comes to sound quality, maybe more to some ears, and 100% of what you're looking for in terms of punch and big sound, especially if you're looking to use them for movies.

I absolutely love mine for movies and accept any faults they may have for music. I can say the more and better power I've supplied them the better they've sounded.

If you're going for straight two channel listening the 703's get rave reviews, and can be picked up for not much more than a pair of A9's.

nguyendot

That amp will power almost anything you throw at it. I have one downstairs sitting in the corner. I would suggest having a tech go over it as it's well over/at 30 years old. There are probably a few caps to replace to restore the original sound. I would also upgrade the power cord to IEC and the output binding posts to 5 way as the big ugly plastic ones are of no decent usage.

It's a beast of an amp, and I will never let mine go.

rktman56

Thanks for the advise so far. I didn't post this in my first, but back in 1992 I bought a Velodyne V-810B to work with my Monitor 10Bs. While living in my small appartments & dorm rooms, this setup was awesome. I've enjoyed my Velodyne sub and it still works today (although I haven't used it in years). So I do plan on looking into a Velodyne sub and picking one to go with the speakers I plan to get.

I did plan to get a set of SDA SRS TOWERS a long time ago. I've seen some over time but am affraid to by used "unseen - unheard" SDAs from the NET. I know that owning a good set of SDA SRS TOWERS has been left now as only a dream. Not getting what I should have got, that is why I'm asking you guys questions and I don't want that to happen again. Why then is the 707's so much more than the 705's? At times I like to set down and listen to music, then other times I like to turn it up and blow the dust out. Is the A9 speaker more to my style?

Geoff4rfc

rktman56 wrote: »

Why then is the 707's so much more than the 703's? At times I like to set down and listen to music, then other times I like to turn it up and blow the dust out. Is the A9 speaker more to my style?

The 707 is the full monte, tower with a nice midrange/tweeter and massive woofers. The 703 is considered a bookshelf speaker. If you compare the specs, it's exactly what the top half of the 707 is, just minus the woofs.

I've heard nothing but great things from 703 owners as far as it being a very musical speaker. And reports coming from A9 owners.

I'm an A9 owner myself and I love them. I have them amped with a 300w amp and I can Ca-Rank the crap out of them, and they sound awesome in 2ch. They are excellent H.T. speakers all the way. I do plan on getting my ears on a pair of 703's and most likely will add a pair into my set up strictly for 2ch.

rktman56

Geoff4rfc wrote: »

The 707 is the full monte, tower with a nice midrange/tweeter and massive woofers. The 703 is considered a bookshelf speaker. If you compare the specs, it's exactly what the top half of the 707 is, just minus the woofs.

I've heard nothing but great things from 703 owners as far as it being a very musical speaker. And reports coming from A9 owners.

I'm an A9 owner myself and I love them. I have them amped with a 300w amp and I can Ca-Rank the crap out of them, and they sound awesome in 2ch. They are excellent H.T. speakers all the way. I do plan on getting my ears on a pair of 703's and most likely will add a pair into my set up strictly for 2ch.

I screwed up and ment to type 705. Sorry. Ment to type "Why then is the 707's so much more than the 705's?"

Inspector 24

rktman56 wrote: »

At times I like to set down and listen to music, then other times I like to turn it up and blow the dust out. Is the A9 speaker more to my style?

My musical tastes to a 'T'

And a big reason why the A9's are still around. I'm amazed at the amount of sound and the volume they can produce all on their own with the HCA-3500 driving them. I enjoy them up to 100db!! That's rare for me, usually loud = unpleasant unless the sound is on the good side of awesome.

LSiM's are definitely far better, but even after touring CES I'm still surprised at how good the A9's can sound for such a 'cheap' speaker with some good power and setup.

That said, I will be going the way of Geoff and trying 703's for a 2ch setup

nooshinjohn

rktman56 wrote: »

Thanks for the advise so far. I didn't post this in my first, but back in 1992 I bought a Velodyne V-810B to work with my Monitor 10Bs. While living in my small appartments & dorm rooms, this setup was awesome. I've enjoyed my Velodyne sub and it still works today (although I haven't used it in years). So I do plan on looking into a Velodyne sub and picking one to go with the speakers I plan to get.

I did plan to get a set of SDA SRS TOWERS a long time ago. I've seen some over time but am affraid to by used "unseen - unheard" SDAs from the NET. I know that owning a good set of SDA SRS TOWERS has been left now as only a dream. Not getting what I should have got, that is why I'm asking you guys questions and I don't want that to happen again. Why then is the 707's so much more than the 705's? At times I like to set down and listen to music, then other times I like to turn it up and blow the dust out. Is the A9 speaker more to my style?

Fear not going after the SRS if you really want them. There is more than enough love for them here to help you bring even the ugliest pair back to health. Craigslist is your friend, and getting eyes on them personally is key. We are here to help.

cfrizz

Welcome! Since you are into music more than movies at this point, the LSiM is the way to go. They are terrific with music, so they will be just fine with movies down the line. You will be able to "blow the dust out" just fine with the LSiM since you have that powerhouse of an amp!

People have both kinds of towers on here and both get rave reviews. So pick whichever one fits your wallet and size and be prepared to be amazed.

Obsession18

If 2 channel music is going to be your priority get the LSiM707's, definitely a more musical speaker then the RTiA9's. I have heard both and in my opinion the RTiA9's are just too bright, geared more toward the home theater thing then music. Bright speakers are fatiguing when listening to music for an extended period, can give you a headache.

cnh

rktman56 wrote: »

I screwed up and ment to type 705. Sorry. Ment to type "Why then is the 707's so much more than the 705's?"

WELCOME TO CLUB POLK!

I'm still not following you? Did you mean to say why are the 705s that much more than the 703s because they ARE twice the price and that would make sense? Or did you mean why are the 707s that much more than the 705s? Which would make less sense since they are only a 1/3 more ($3000 vs $4000); the 707s being the flagship of the series that is not that much "more"?

$1500 for the 703s is reasonable for a first class bookshelf. Even so it's not the best price point Polk could have hit. $1200 or less would have been better? Because you need to remain true to the Polk "more for less" motto. And, let's face it, the 703s are going to be compared to most speakers in the $1000-$2000 dollar realm. As such, the closer you can get a great set of bookies to the magic $1000 line the better for your sales. At $1500 you're in the middle and you begin to have to slide into that $1500-$3000 range, and at $3000 or so there are some classics to compete with?

The reason being, most people looking for a set of bookshelves who are willing to pay $1500 would have no problem stepping up to $2000 or $2500 or more for that matter, they can probably budget for that without denting their wallet!


cnh

rktman56

Allot of stuff has happened since I first started this thread. And where I ended up at I give credit and thanks to "nooshinjohn". Let me explain...

I pulled out my equipment from storage and also the Monitor 70s I bought to replace my Monitor 10Bs. I hooked everything up, sat back and started to listen. Man what a major disappointment. I'm not saying it was like riding across the US with a fat chick on my back, but it was close! After an hour I was left fatigued, tired like I just went a few rounds with Mike Tyson. This left me wondering why in the heck I had even bought those Monitor 70s??? They had been in storage for 6 or so years... now they are heading to the workshop.

So thinking about what "nooshinjohn" had posted, I started looking on ebay and was surprised at what I found. I found a set of one owner SDA SRSs that the owner bought back in 1985. The seller had "stock" pictures up and I know those were not the speakers for sale, plus freight was high because they were in Las Vegas and I live in North Dakota. I watched the auction and noticed the seller reposted the speakers again with a lower price after no bids on the auction I was watching ended.

I sent the seller an email asking for pictures of the speakers. He quickly replied and "tried" to answer all of my questions. I'll explain the "tried" later. He sent me pictures of the blade/blade connectors, serial numbers (remember Polk didn't keep track of those) plus picturs of the drivers, tweeters and cabinets. The more I texted him, the more he gained my trust... so I placed a bid.

I ended up winning the speakers and then had to work out shipping. Freight was going to be high and BUT I really didn't want some shipping company to damage the set of speakers that I've waited so long to own, so it's off to Vegas! The seller was open to me picking them up and told me he was going to leave them hooked up to let me audition. He told me that he is well known in Vegas and Hollywood and I was in for a surprise. I txt'ed him the night before I left and he told me he was having dinner with Vince Neil. Is this guy full of crap I asked myself? But I took him for his word and headed to Vegas. I'm worried these speakers may not be as nice as he makes them out to be.

What I found was far better than I had expected! The speakers had a few nicks, a few wear marks, but that is to be expected for 28 year old speakers. He fired them up and with the grills removed, I inspected them and way happy. He put on some Pink Floyd, Boston, Rush and a few others. He tried to answer my questions but I found out why he didn't have all the details. He was helping an Estate executor sale items that had belonged to a Vet who had just died. Both of these men where friends of the Vet, and were now living in the house owned by the Vet. The seller went on to tell me that the Vet bought the speakers in 1985 and had them ever since. So that would make me the second owner!!! Everything he told me started to fall into place and explained the holes in some of the answers to my questions.

The seller offered to take my son and I around Vegas, and we both agreed! To the Hard Rock first where he showed us around and even showed us a picture on display taken with him and Slash... I see he was legitimate and was a man of his word. We had a blast and I was even able to get my son his first "lap dance"!!! It is hard to trust people these days, but things turned out way better for me than I had even expected.

Only problem I have now is the room I have them in now is way to small. But as I am still renting, I will be buying a home with a large room so I can fully enjoy these speakers.

Oh yeah, I pulled out my Monitor 10Bs last night. They sound awesome. I bought them back in 1990, they have dints and dings from moving, but still sound great.

Thanks "nooshinjohn", I took your advise!

Someone on this board said something like, "until we see the pictures, it's all BS" , so here are some.

drummer86

The fact that no one here would say driving from North Dakota to Las Vegas to buy a 25 year old set of speakers is crazy in any way is exactly why I love this hobby and this forum. Congrats on your purchase. They look fantastic!

Inspector 24

Wow, great story! Next time you go across the country for audio gear swing by SLC, I'll have a cold beverage of your choice and the system ready to rock, give you something other than road noise to listen to for a while!

nooshinjohn

rktman56 wrote: »

Allot of stuff has happened since I first started this thread. And where I ended up at I give credit and thanks to "nooshinjohn". Let me explain...

I pulled out my equipment from storage and also the Monitor 70s I bought to replace my Monitor 10Bs. I hooked everything up, sat back and started to listen. Man what a major disappointment. I'm not saying it was like riding across the US with a fat chick on my back, but it was close! After an hour I was left fatigued, tired like I just went a few rounds with Mike Tyson. This left me wondering why in the heck I had even bought those Monitor 70s??? They had been in storage for 6 or so years... now they are heading to the workshop.

So thinking about what "nooshinjohn" had posted, I started looking on ebay and was surprised at what I found. I found a set of one owner SDA SRSs that the owner bought back in 1985. The seller had "stock" pictures up and I know those were not the speakers for sale, plus freight was high because they were in Las Vegas and I live in North Dakota. I watched the auction and noticed the seller reposted the speakers again with a lower price after no bids on the auction I was watching ended.

I sent the seller an email asking for pictures of the speakers. He quickly replied and "tried" to answer all of my questions. I'll explain the "tried" later. He sent me pictures of the blade/blade connectors, serial numbers (remember Polk didn't keep track of those) plus picturs of the drivers, tweeters and cabinets. The more I texted him, the more he gained my trust... so I placed a bid.

I ended up winning the speakers and then had to work out shipping. Freight was going to be high and BUT I really didn't want some shipping company to damage the set of speakers that I've waited so long to own, so it's off to Vegas! The seller was open to me picking them up and told me he was going to leave them hooked up to let me audition. He told me that he is well known in Vegas and Hollywood and I was in for a surprise. I txt'ed him the night before I left and he told me he was having dinner with Vince Neil. Is this guy full of crap I asked myself? But I took him for his word and headed to Vegas. I'm worried these speakers may not be as nice as he makes them out to be.

What I found was far better than I had expected! The speakers had a few nicks, a few wear marks, but that is to be expected for 28 year old speakers. He fired them up and with the grills removed, I inspected them and way happy. He put on some Pink Floyd, Boston, Rush and a few others. He tried to answer my questions but I found out why he didn't have all the details. He was helping an Estate executor sale items that had belonged to a Vet who had just died. Both of these men where friends of the Vet, and were now living in the house owned by the Vet. The seller went on to tell me that the Vet bought the speakers in 1985 and had them ever since. So that would make me the second owner!!! Everything he told me started to fall into place and explained the holes in some of the answers to my questions.

The seller offered to take my son and I around Vegas, and we both agreed! To the Hard Rock first where he showed us around and even showed us a picture on display taken with him and Slash... I see he was legitimate and was a man of his word. We had a blast and I was even able to get my son his first "lap dance"!!! It is hard to trust people these days, but things turned out way better for me than I had even expected.

Only problem I have now is the room I have them in now is way to small. But as I am still renting, I will be buying a home with a large room so I can fully enjoy these speakers.

Oh yeah, I pulled out my Monitor 10Bs last night. They sound awesome. I bought them back in 1990, they have dints and dings from moving, but still sound great.

Thanks "nooshinjohn", I took your advise!

Someone on this board said something like, "until we see the pictures, it's all BS" , so here are some.

WOW!!! I did not see that coming. I am so happy that you have satisfied the dream, and to take your son along for the ride.. PRICELESS! You will enjoy these more than you ever thought you would. We are here to help you maintain these beauties and welcome to the SRS club.

Glad this worked out so well for you. The last guy that took my advice is serving 20 years to life in a Mexican prison right now!:cheesygrin::cheesygrin::eek:

tonyb

nooshinjohn wrote: »

The last guy that took my advice is serving 20 years to life in a Mexican prison right now!:cheesygrin::cheesygrin::eek:

Yeah well, I'm out now......and that will cost you 2 Carver mono blocks.

rktman56

drummer86 wrote: »

The fact that no one here would say driving from North Dakota to Las Vegas to buy a 25 year old set of speakers is crazy in any way is exactly why I love this hobby and this forum. Congrats on your purchase. They look fantastic!

Thanks. I never thought I would ever own a pair in this condition. And, to save them from be damaged during shipping by going and getting them was a simple decision in my book. You guys fully understand me and what others may call insanity. These speakers were worth the trip.

rktman56

nooshinjohn wrote: »

WOW!!! I did not see that coming. I am so happy that you have satisfied the dream, and to take your son along for the ride.. PRICELESS! You will enjoy these more than you ever thought you would. We are here to help you maintain these beauties and welcome to the SRS club.

Glad this worked out so well for you. The last guy that took my advice is serving 20 years to life in a Mexican prison right now!:cheesygrin::cheesygrin::eek:

You know I'm goning to ask for more advise. I think your advise is worth the risk of a 20 years to life sentence in a Mexican prison! ! ! :eek:

rktman56

DSkip wrote: »

Rabbit hole has opened. Good luck saving your cash now for any length of time.

The "Rabbit Hole" has been open for years! In the first picture I posted you can see two T-Rex 550 size R/C heli's setting on the SRS's, and in the third you can see the fuse of my 35% Yak-54. I have other hobbies that are way more expensive that this one... For example, I paid more for just one of the T-Rex 550's in the picture than I did for the SRS's. During a day of flying, I could easily put a bird in the ground and loose a grand easy, a truly BAD day at the flying field for sure! Makes me wonder why I didn't get these Polks sooner??? These Polks I will have for the rest of my life, money well spent.

drummer86 - I don't use the word "hobby" anymore. I don't need the wife telling me that I don't need yet ANOTHER hobby... ...