Did I buy the wrong speakers?

azmtbkr81

I've been auditioning speakers to replace the Monitor 70s I've had for about 3 years. While the M70's have served me well I'd like to upgrade to a speaker with more mid-range detail, clarity and "bite" with electric guitars etc. I listen to about 90% music and 10% movies, mostly classic rock and blues.

This weekend I went to Fry's to listen to the Energy CF-70 which I found to be mediocre and very similar to the M70's. Out of curiosity I also listened to the old RTi8 which is on closeout for $169. To me the RTi8 sounded perfect: lots of clarity in the mids and treble with punchy, clean bass. They seemed almost too good to be true so I bought them on impulse and have been listening all weekend.

While the clarity is definitely still there, female vocals and higher pitched instruments sound somewhat shrill and grating on the highest notes - something I had not noticed in the store. After some reading online I learned that this tends to be the consensus for the RTi8 and that it is better suited for home theater.

I am driving the speakers with a Marantz PM7200 2 channel integrated amplifier with vinyl, CDs, and FLAC files. My room is roughly 12ft x 20ft and has a large area rug, couch, chair, and a bookshelf. I am wondering if the speakers need more time to break in? Is there a certain arrangement or distance/toe in that seems to work well for these speakers? Is my amplifier not a good match? Has anyone had good luck with the RTi8 primarily for music? Any advice is appreciated, I can return them easily enough if they don't work out.

deronb1

You will get some break in, but the sound signature will be the same. They are a tad bright and better suited for HT duty. That said, they are very good speakers and will probably only dissapoint sporadically. If you are 90% music, you might think of trying something different.

Hermitism

I own the Rti8's. When I first got them, I loved them for HT, but they were really bright for certain music. There are a few things I did to warm them up, without adjusting the treble control. The first thing I did was build 4" and 2" thick acoustic panels for the first reflection points. I was only concerned with soaking up the highs. It did wonders. It even made the bass sound stronger to me, which I didn't actually expect.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?155796-Acoustic-Panel-Madness


The second thing I did was remove the drivers from the speakers and apply Dynamat Xtreme to the baskets and magnet covers.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?158418-Dynamating-My-Baskets


Third, I applied Dynamat strips to the inside of my components (source, AVR, power conditioner). The speakers sound nothing like they did when I bought them. They have really warmed up. I've done nothing to decrease the treble from the tweeters, but just gave them a more balanced sound.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?151519-My-Dynamat-Blu-ray-Player-Art-Project


A lot of people here recommend using Parasound or B&K amps for RTI speakers. Takes that edge of those higher frequencies without losing detail. But I can't speak from experience here. nbrowser has the RTi7's and bought a Parasound amp and loves what it brought to the table.

Dusty B

Look for a pair of ADS l710 or l810 or even better 1290 or 1590. Use the new ones for HT and ADS for music. Sounds like what your looking for musically remember you need a high current amp like a nad 2200 to drive them to there best. Altogether if you look out for deals they can be had for 200.00 the ads depending on what you find and you can get the amp for 125.00 on the bay. Good luck

Dusty B

I love me some polls too, sda series with good tube amplification and good quality interconnects and speaker cable.

boston1450

Hermitism wrote: »

I own the Rti8's. When I first got them, I loved them for HT, but they were really bright for certain music. There are a few things I did to warm them up, without adjusting the treble control. The first thing I did was build 4" and 2" thick acoustic panels for the first reflection points. I was only concerned with soaking up the highs. It did wonders. It even made the bass sound stronger to me, which I didn't actually expect.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?155796-Acoustic-Panel-Madness


The second thing I did was remove the drivers from the speakers and apply Dynamat Xtreme to the baskets and magnet covers.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?158418-Dynamating-My-Baskets


Third, I applied Dynamat strips to the inside of my components (source, AVR, power conditioner). The speakers sound nothing like they did when I bought them. They have really warmed up. I've done nothing to decrease the treble from the tweeters, but just gave them a more balanced sound.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?151519-My-Dynamat-Blu-ray-Player-Art-Project


A lot of people here recommend using Parasound or B&K amps for RTI speakers. Takes that edge of those higher frequencies without losing detail. But I can't speak from experience here. nbrowser has the RTi7's and bought a Parasound amp and loves what it brought to the table.

very interesting info

Hermitism

Since we are on this subject, I have a question. I understand how putting Dynamat on the drivers can enhance the midrange, resulting in a warmer sound. But when I added Dynamat to my components, I noticed a much warmer sound and I don't have "audiophile grade ears", so if I could notice it then it must be noticeable. Why? What's the science behind stopping vibration in components that results in a warmer sound?

Edit: I wrote "stopping vibration", but stopping ringing I guess is more accurate.

boston1450

42 on that. Not to derail but every little thing we do helps. Lots of good ideas here. I recently added/rolled in some tube buffers & upgraded all my cables & what a big difference. Its a slow process for me-with a budget that works for my wallet.. Shhhhh i never told anyone i changed out all my cables