RTI 10 Keep or Move-on

lazio2000

I am the so-so happy recent owner of a pair of RTI 10. I have a broad range of music preferences and after listening for few weeks I can say that I am definitely not blown away like I was expecting. I am just happy at the most.

This discussion is intended (with your help) to clarify if:
1) Do not have the right amplification (Yamaha RA-RX757).
2) Are not the right speakers for my ears, too muddy, not enough sensitivity, clarity and distinction between low, mid and high.
3) Keep the speakers longer and therefore improve the Amp. situation.
4) The speakers cable are just too basic, how much difference would that make.
5) Sell and move to either B&W, Paradigm or other similar.

Appreciate any feedback you may have.

mantis

All very good questions,
Welcome to the forum.

1) No you do not. These speakers require a bit better receiver or amp and pre in order to make them sound their best. I suggest a flagship level or close to like a Pioneer Elite SC-97 or 99. This model has the ability to drive those speakers pretty well. You can do better with a separate amp and pre like a NAD T977 amp and a T187 Preamp.
2) This is a huge possibility but if you decide to get better speakers then better quality amps are going to be needed anyway. I suggest a better receiver or preamp and amp first.
3) This is the right choice
4) Speaker cable makes very small differences. I'll explain very briefly.
First and foremost you have to have the proper gauge for the length and amp power you have. Once you achieve this correctly quality wire will allow proper signal transfer. There is no "MAGIC" here and so many wire companies will try to make you believe. I'll go further and say most wire companies are Bull$h!t. You want a quality speaker cable that is built properly, high quality materials and terminated correctly. Once this is achieved very little gains if any can be had.
Personally I use ONLY Audioquest cable of all kinds as they built top quality cables. They are the best in the world at building cables period.
5) I suggest this move after you improve on your electronics and wires. Yes you can do much better then the RTI10's. They are very good home theater speakers but IMO are not fantastic in reproducing music. Actually I find the RTIA series to have a better musical reproduction. Thats a personally opinion but most would probably agree. Polk made some nice improvements in the RTIA series.

honestaquarian

These speakers would definitely shine with better electronics. Yes the cabling CAN make a difference,however how much of a difference you hear depends on you. I have some good success with upgrading my cables,however it was a LOT of money before I heard a resonable difference (*and of course what "reasonable" means varies WIDELY from person to person*)

Opinons,opinions and MORE opinions.
(*and often people like to present their opinons as if they were fact and there is no room for debate or discussion*)

Everyone has them,but ultimately what you do,what you like and what you hear are all about YOU.

I have seen and heard MANY who opine about whether or not there are differences in the sound of different electronics. Same goes for cables. Then there is the ROOM. The single LARGEST component of you stereo system that most often gets completely ignored.

lazio2000

Those are excellent feedback thanks

msg

I started off with RTi10's almost exactly two years ago. I really had no meaningful knowledge of home audio at the time, only ever having used simple receivers and big boomy speakers made by Pioneer and Fisher, and thinking that was a good system. That stuff actually brought a more pleasing experience than what I had with the RTi10's and the wimpy AVR I bought from a friend. Empty, tinny, super harsh and bright. Just awful for music.

I came on here and learned that they were terribly underpowered with the gear I had, and so went looking for an amp. Found a neat little set of B&K separates here locally, which almost never happens, and it was better, but still mostly ear-bleedy, harsh and empty sounding. I knew something just wasn't right. I found that I preferred the vintage Polk sound better, and used some Monitor 10's for a while, then moved up to 703's.

I've tried the RTi10's a couple of different times with the better equipment I've tested out over the past couple of years. They, don't last very long, which is unfortunate, because they're a really nice looking speaker, imo, but if you're serious about music, in my humble opinion with limited experience, I'd find a speaker you like better for music right off the bat, instead of going mad trying to match components to a speaker that probably won't get you where you want to be in the end. RT stands for Reference Theater. I didn't know this until another member pointed it out. No one could have told me this at the time, though. I had to experience it for myself.

They *are* nice for theater, though.
I'm still trying to figure out what to do with mine.
They've just been sitting. A real shame.

PolkieMan

Well if you are local I can come over today.

msg wrote: »

I started off with RTi10's almost exactly two years ago. I really had no meaningful knowledge of home audio at the time, only ever having used simple receivers and big boomy speakers made by Pioneer and Fisher, and thinking that was a good system. That stuff actually brought a more pleasing experience than what I had with the RTi10's and the wimpy AVR I bought from a friend. Empty, tinny, super harsh and bright. Just awful for music.

I came on here and learned that they were terribly underpowered with the gear I had, and so went looking for an amp. Found a neat little set of B&K separates here locally, which almost never happens, and it was better, but still mostly ear-bleedy, harsh and empty sounding. I knew something just wasn't right. I found that I preferred the vintage Polk sound better, and used some Monitor 10's for a while, then moved up to 703's.

I've tried the RTi10's a couple of different times with the better equipment I've tested out over the past couple of years. They, don't last very long, which is unfortunate, because they're a really nice looking speaker, imo, but if you're serious about music, in my humble opinion with limited experience, I'd find a speaker you like better for music right off the bat, instead of going mad trying to match components to a speaker that probably won't get you where you want to be in the end. RT stands for Reference Theater. I didn't know this until another member pointed it out. No one could have told me this at the time, though. I had to experience it for myself.

They *are* nice for theater, though.
I'm still trying to figure out what to do with mine.
They've just been sitting. A real shame.

F1nut

My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.

For someone to state such and be so utterly wrong about cables is well...telling. BTW, even your sig quote has an error.

4) Speaker cable makes very small differences. I'll explain very briefly.
First and foremost you have to have the proper gauge for the length and amp power you have. Once you achieve this correctly quality wire will allow proper signal transfer. There is no "MAGIC" here and so many wire companies will try to make you believe. I'll go further and say most wire companies are Bull$h!t. You want a quality speaker cable that is built properly, high quality materials and terminated correctly. Once this is achieved very little gains if any can be had.
Personally I use ONLY Audioquest cable of all kinds as they built top quality cables. They are the best in the world at building cables period.

F1nut

lazio2000 wrote: »

I am the so-so happy recent owner of a pair of RTI 10. I have a broad range of music preferences and after listening for few weeks I can say that I am definitely not blown away like I was expecting. I am just happy at the most.

This discussion is intended (with your help) to clarify if:
1) Do not have the right amplification (Yamaha RA-RX757).
2) Are not the right speakers for my ears, too muddy, not enough sensitivity, clarity and distinction between low, mid and high.
3) Keep the speakers longer and therefore improve the Amp. situation.
4) The speakers cable are just too basic, how much difference would that make.
5) Sell and move to either B&W, Paradigm or other similar.

Appreciate any feedback you may have.

1. No AVR is going to do any speaker justice for music.
2. They are geared towards HT.
3. Better gear is always a good idea.
4. Cables can and do make a huge difference, but you need to address other things first.
5. Other speakers are always an option. If you want to stay with Polk, look at the LSiM series.

erniejade

I have the rti12 and lsim 705. The rti is for ht or an extreamly dark soundimg room. I am going to agree on look into the lsi for used or lsim for newer or sda.
Is this for music or ht?

honestaquarian

F1nut wrote: »

lazio2000 wrote: »

I am the so-so happy recent owner of a pair of RTI 10. I have a broad range of music preferences and after listening for few weeks I can say that I am definitely not blown away like I was expecting. I am just happy at the most.

This discussion is intended (with your help) to clarify if:
1) Do not have the right amplification (Yamaha RA-RX757).
2) Are not the right speakers for my ears, too muddy, not enough sensitivity, clarity and distinction between low, mid and high.
3) Keep the speakers longer and therefore improve the Amp. situation.
4) The speakers cable are just too basic, how much difference would that make.
5) Sell and move to either B&W, Paradigm or other similar.

Appreciate any feedback you may have.

1. No AVR is going to do any speaker justice for music.
2. They are geared towards HT.
3. Better gear is always a good idea.
4. Cables can and do make a huge difference, but you need to address other things first.
5. Other speakers are always an option. If you want to stay with Polk, look at the LSiM series.

@F1nut
I disagree about the AVR issue not doing justice with music.
I have heard some GREAT sounding AVR's do WONDERFUL things with music on low priced as well as expensive speakers. I say this because I used to do this for a living and still do it on the side. As with all things there is a blancing act that must be done. Not all reveivers will sound good with all speakers and vice versa. Just because this particular receiver (*whatever brand or model it may be*) surprised us and sounded wonderful with some expensive Focals, DOES NOT gaurantee it will also sound good with some less expensive PSB's for example. I used to sell both brands as well as Polk btw and this is actual experience that I am talking about.

F1nut

We'll have to agree to disagree.

As for your selling experience, that's all well and good. However, you seem to be implying that I don't have experience or as much as you do. You would be mistaken on both accounts.

honestaquarian

@F1nut
If I did not say that you did not have experience or as much as I do,then that IS NOT what I meant!!
My apologies if you were offended,but you misinterpreted my words.

I have never been very good at intepreting peoples words when they do not simply say what they mean. So I ALWAYS say exactly what I mean. To me it is A LOT easier that way. So when people try to interpet my words to mean something other than what I actually said or typed, I PROMISE YOU those interpretations are incorrect 100% of the time.
This is another area where I have problems with customers at my job. They misinterpret something that I say and then proceed forward based on that misinterpretation. Then they ALWAYS assume that everyone shares the same misinterpreted view of my words.

What anyone takes away from what anyone else says all depends on what that individual brought in with them in the first place and it is VERY different from person to person. That is why you can say the exact same thing to five different people and start an argument about what everyone THINKS that you meant that could go on for an hour!

I do not know you,so therefore I have nothing to say about what experience you have or do not have and as far as I am concerned it would be improper for me or anyone else who does not know you to talk about it. I was only taking about my own experience.
NOTHING MORE

We actually had the experiences that I was talking about. Those anecdotes that I shared were real and not made up. They apply to some stand alone amps and integrated amps as well. They worked great with some speakers and not so great with others.
I can even recall how a pair of Kimber Hero interconnects dramatically changed the sound of this old Sansui Tube receiver that my boss had rebult with different tubes,because the old ones were no longer available. It had this very strange, nasal and strident sound to it that we were trying to figure out how to tame. We tried different speakers and different CD players. Some helped and others did not. Then we tried the Kimber Hero's and suddenly that nasal, strident sound went away!!

tonyb

lazio2000 wrote: »

I am the so-so happy recent owner of a pair of RTI 10. I have a broad range of music preferences and after listening for few weeks I can say that I am definitely not blown away like I was expecting. I am just happy at the most.

This discussion is intended (with your help) to clarify if:
1) Do not have the right amplification (Yamaha RA-RX757).
2) Are not the right speakers for my ears, too muddy, not enough sensitivity, clarity and distinction between low, mid and high.
3) Keep the speakers longer and therefore improve the Amp. situation.
4) The speakers cable are just too basic, how much difference would that make.
5) Sell and move to either B&W, Paradigm or other similar.

Appreciate any feedback you may have.

I'll throw my hat into the ring.....

1.- Nope, you certainly don't have enough juice for those speakers, nor the right gear that synergizes well with them.
2.- Could be they aren't for you, but....you'll never know that unless you power them properly and use decent cables.
3.- You need an amp to bring the best out of them, not sure the receiver you have even has preouts to add one though.
4.- They can make a huge difference depending on brand and price. Another brand in the same price category will yield little if no better results.
5.- Up to you, but if you plan on using the same receiver and cables another upscale brand will sound just as mediocre as your present situation.


The problem as I see it anyway, is you have speakers that outclass the gear and cables you want to run with them. You can either drop down the speaker to say something like an RTIA5 or 7, and get some better cabling too, or slowly upgrade the rest of your system to match up with the 10'S. Your call, as only you know what you can afford to do.

Only a handful of receivers on their own can handle the 10's and those are usually the top tier receivers like the Pioneer SC versions, Yamaha Advantage lines, and even then you may still need an amp if you like louder volumes.

Placement and the room also come into play. Big speakers need some breathing room so don't expect to sandwich them in a corner or place up against a back wall.

polrbehr

To the OP-
Don't give up on the 10s just yet. External amplification can and should make a world of difference in what they can do. Yes, I own them, and yes, I added an external amp to power them. I now use an Adcom GFA535ll (only 60wpc) which I bought for $125. used. Certainly worth a try, if they're still not your cup of tea, you can always move on to something else and not be out a lot of coin.



@honestaquarian, were you on this forum under another screen name before?

I dunno, you seem to have an affinity for peppering your posts with CAPITAL LETTERS,
and I keep thinking there was someone here a long time ago who did much the same thing (though I cannot remember who it was).

Not trying to poke the lion through the cage or anything, I just had a sense of deja vu; it's all good though, you make some good points that I tend to agree with.

honestaquarian

Nope
Been under the same name since 2006. Just left for a long time and then came back. Caps serve to punctuate a point.

polrbehr

I get that. It's a good way to articulate feelings in a medium that typically runs to vanilla - no pun or reference to our current forum software intended!

larlane

I know drinking and posting can be dangerous, but here goes.

Powering the 10's with with an AVR is like drinking Budweiser. It's OK until you spend a little more and taste a Sam Adams (my Emotiva XPA-5) and then you won't drink anything less. Then as you go higher up the (amp) beer chain (let's say Bells Two Hearted Ale), it gets more expensive and harder to justify spending.

Many here will chastise you for liking your San Adams, but it is a worthy upgrade over a Budweiser. Hell, if you're happy drinking Bud, good for you. Audio and beer snobs are cut from the same cloth.