RTi70/RT5 Stacked Review

VR3

RTi70/RT5 Stacked Review

Equipment -
Receiver (Pre): Pioneer Elite VSX-41
RTi70 Amps: Adcom GFA-545 (Top Post) & Adcom GFA-545 II (Bottum Post)
RT5 Amp: Adcom GFA-535 II
CD Player: Yamaha CDC-585

Looks --
The RTi70 and RT5 are from two totally different worlds. These worlds are almost a decade apart. The style, the side is different. The RT5 comes in at around 1 inch wider, and 1 or so inches shorter in depth. Its a tad more stocky than the RT35i and RTi70. The RTi70 has the new age look, a slightly glossy color to it, a shiney grill. All of this you get use to after a while. The only problem I have with the look of this system is the top (bottum) of the RT5. They are scratched from the last owner that had them. This takes away from the overall appearance. However the whole upside down grill thing dosn't bother me a bit. It gives the speakers a sense of authority over the entire front and that gives me a cool feel when listening to music.

Sound --
Highs: The highs of this system has really changed. Recently Russ sold me once again another Adcom GFA-545 as you all know. So now I have 100 watts into the tweeters alone. In doing this it has totally changed the sound of the RTi70. The RTi70's are still not close to being the clearest speaker in my system. The highs still hold a lifeless sense to them. The RT5 fills this gap with much ease. The detail in the snares, the hi-hats, cymbals all carry a new signature.
The RTi70 opened up, before it was like a static sound that followed with every song. You couldn't tell what it was, but you definetely knew you were missing something important in the music. This turned out to be the RTi70's ability to not produce the electric guitar, on any recording. The 100 watts to its tweeters cleared this up and took away all problems with sibilance. This and adding a closet door to my opening/closing door collection. In other words, with the RT5 and 100 watts into the Silks, the highs are clear, detailed, and airy. Nothing more that I can ask for in this system as of now.
Mids -- Here is another section of these speakers that I feel have changed. The 100 watts alone into the dual midbasses cleared up alot of problems.
1) Boomy bass
2) harshness
All of that is missing now, and I don't miss it. So it can stay out. The thoms, the bass drum, the bass guitar, everything that the midbasses of the RTi70 and RT5 take care of comes in loud, clear and very authorative. The soundstage also greatened, which will be covered in other parts of this adventure.
Bass -- The bass, what can I say. I am running my speakers directly to the subwoofer, crossed at 60hz with the subwoofer crossover. In doing this, the RT5 is doing all it can do the entire time. I have turned off the RTi70, although the shear impact of the music leaves, the RT5 delivers clean - rich bass. You can feel it, and hear it. Something you don't get to often from bookshelfs now. The RT35i can do this also, in a much deeper sense. (Digging quite a bit deeper than the RT5.) However, it loses the impact the RT5 has also. It also dosn't quite have the overall clearness.

Here is just the summary. When I get more time later I will break it down into detail.

-- Sid ~The Kid~ --

RuSsMaN

Sid, just for grins, you should switch some speaker wires around. Use the 535 you have on the 5's, and use it to run the 70's tweets. Then put the 545 that was on the 70's tweets to the 5's.

I think that would probably be the smartest distribution of power, with what you have. Actually, I'd be a *little* concerned about pushing those tweets with 100w of Adcom amp.

Cheers,
Russ

VR3

I probally will, wont be hard.....lol

Just gotta switch the wires with the RT5

brettw22

First impression: Apparently when you get to within 2 inches of what you're taking a picture of, the imaging totally clears up. Simply amazing......:D

VR3

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA hahaha

VR3

They're switched......to lazy to see what the change is though. Thanks for the tip, I thought I should have done that from the start....haha

organ

Very good review Sid. I tried my RT5 stacked on top of the 800i and didn't like the result. But different results in different rooms. Glad to hear it's working out for you.

btw, I saw the pics of your new room in the other thread and it's looking really nice. Much better than before. Have you tried moving your speakers out from the front wall? Your soundstage should be much deeper that way. I have my mains a little over 2ft in front of the wall.

Maurice

VR3

Only works if you have a seperate amp...

Also make sure you angle the RT5 downwards, just slightly. It sounded like **** to me when I didnt angle them downwards. Just an inner thought there...lol

The speakers are where they're at for space reasons........so.....can't move them

Thanks on the review and the room

VR3

RTi70/RT5 Stacked Review, Continued

Sound, Detailed --

Drums -- I always had an annoyance with how my speaker reproduced the drums. Specifically in the snare and cymbal region. They always sounded dead. Granted, they sound dead alone to, except the RT5. The RT5 has extreme clarity in the cymbals, snares, and hi-hats(sp). Each individual ring comes out with the Polymer tweeter it sports. It just has such detailed seperation when it comes to this area. It just alters the entire sound.

Infact, when I first stacked the RT5 on top of the RTi70 I didn't quite like what I heard. The detail I heard I thought was just my brain playing tricks on me like the KLH did. Turns out, upon listening further that the RT5 sounded so much better on the top end that I never had heard all the things I did. The seperation is just amazing.

Another thing about these speakers is they can lay out the drums. They make the drums take up my entire soundstage, L to R, between the speakers. They come in loud, and they come in clear. Another thing where the RTi70 contributes is force, the speakers have depth in the instruments. When the thoms (sp) are hit, not only are they hit infront of you, they hit you where your at, they travel the room, and not just lay dead. This is the only time I have been able to relate my speakers to my friends drum set. They also take care of the kick drum quite well, even though this is mostly M&K territory, the Stackers take it quite well with much punch. For the lack of a better word.

Guitar, Electric and Acoustic --
I have become a bigger fan of acoustic guitar, and I never noticed to much how you can hear how the acoustic guitar changes notes. lmao, I noticed this while I listened to my friend (who also plays the drums) play my Mom's guitar. Anyways, back on topic here.
The RT5, surprised? Also takes toll in this region as well. It sports the same seperation in the acoustic guitar it does in the cymbals. Same for the electric. Each note, is heard, with the reverb it leaves afterwards, and it sounds friggin amazing. The Acoustic guitar also like before is not retained to the front of the room, but is let forth to take over the room. It stretches from front to back.
The electric guitar comes in with a more laid back tone, not as deep, but still has the clarity and detail on its side. Electric Guitar has gotta be my most favorite instrument to listen to. Are you noticing how the RT5 is getting mostly talked about here? Remember that as this review continues...

Piano --
You will have to excuse me on this part of the review. I know very little about Pianos. All I have got to say is, where I would say most speakers fail - is reproducing the piano. The depth, the tone, its always wrong to me. However, I am not going to sit here and say my speakers do this or anything else perfect. They excell in this. Tremendously. The depth, punch of the keys, all comes in loud and clear. yes, you guessed it. RT5.

Bass Guitar --
Not much to say...

Vocals, Male and Female --
The RT5, and RTi70 work together on this one. The RT5 mostly takes the toll on the female vocals, where the RTi70 man handles the male vocals.

Heres the breakdown, with alot of tweaking, placement, and biamping. I finally have my highs where I want them. Smooth, barely any to no sibilance (depending on recording of course) and comes in clear. The female vocals, of say Avril Lavigne, Amy Lee (Evanescence), and other various bands that I hear on the radio. The female vocals are excellant, the words as they roll off their tounge, the texture, is amazing. Done quite well, and its not a voice that is contained to a little box either, they voices are wide, deep, and have height. Most speakers will throw the vocals in a small middle section of the soundstage and call it aday. Thank heavens my speakers don't do that.

Male vocals, like Whitey Ford, Linkin Park (Chester), from deep to high, the vocals have force. Like in EVERLAST***, in the song "End" where in the beginning it says "End." That portion always makes me go, COOL! Because it has this over bareing (in a good way) way of taking over the entire room, and it comes in clear, not chesty, and it just sounds awesome. If anyone has that CD, you know what I am talking about. Another person that excells well on my system is Dream Theater's lead singer. His opera based voice comes in clear, but seems, due to recording - a slight sibilance problem. Might I say though, for what is the given, they do it incredibly well. The texture, depth, clearness, detail, everything, great. I wouldn't alter this any at all.

Overall: My system is finished in the mains. I am totally satisfied with what I am hearing, and I have been for a while which is weird for me. I usually have the nagging need to upgrade. If I ever do, the chances are I will just put the RT35i on top of the RTi70 and listen to that for a while. Which is where Stacking really comes in handy, if you get tired with a sound, just do a *pit stop*.
The soundstage, the instruments, the vocals, everything about their sound I enjoy. Its smooth, clear, and detailed. I couldnt ask for more.

Another thing that changed my system was wiring the speakers directly to the sub. I did this to my Dad's system and he agrees, the results are MUCH better. The bass is tigher, smoother, more blended, hits harder, wouldnt say it plays lower (because of course it dosnt). Just the simplest tweaks can do many things.

This is Sid, Checking out.