Polk RTi A9 modifications?
I’ve decided to do a shoot-out between the highly regarded Polk RTi A9s and my $50,000 Snell A7 Illusions. I will require someone who is proficient with modifying loudspeakers, particularly the crossovers, however I don’t recommend changing the values or drivers unless there is an engineer who frequents these forums that can say otherwise.
Here’s what I would like to do:
Polish the RTi A9 cabinets to a mirror shine (I’ve seen a few others achieve this with their RTi A7s, and the results are exquisite), replace the existing speaker terminals with WBT-style (similar to what Polk did for the LSiM 707s), replace crossover parts like the capacitors with Jantzen or something of similar quality, use thicker wiring on the inside, as well as acoustic isolation spikes.
Also, which service do you recommend for these improvements? Money is no object. For this demonstration, I’ll be using a brand-new McIntosh MC462 and C70.
Here’s what I would like to do:
Polish the RTi A9 cabinets to a mirror shine (I’ve seen a few others achieve this with their RTi A7s, and the results are exquisite), replace the existing speaker terminals with WBT-style (similar to what Polk did for the LSiM 707s), replace crossover parts like the capacitors with Jantzen or something of similar quality, use thicker wiring on the inside, as well as acoustic isolation spikes.
Also, which service do you recommend for these improvements? Money is no object. For this demonstration, I’ll be using a brand-new McIntosh MC462 and C70.
Best Answers
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OK I'll bite. You plan on using these Reference Theater Improved (RTi 9's) for home theater or music? It makes a huge difference.
Music because he thinks they sound better than the 707s (according to his comment in another thread)."Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."
"Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip -
That sounds nice pitdogg2, and I’d even be willing to pay top dollar for a nice box with glass on top (including labor), but such services seem very difficult to find (which is why I made this thread).
well then he needs clarity cap CMR's or Dueland caps and of course Dueland Cast resistors all new Jantzen inductors balanced to 1% as well as all caps matched to 1% . DH labs 14ga silver sonic Ohno continuous cast wire. Cardas Silver binding posts. Of course all this will need an external crossover box.
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No, but I’ve heard enough praise about them to give it a try. And considering they’ve got 5.0 reviews, why the hell not? It’s only $900. As they say, don’t judge a book by its cover.
“Better” is subjective. Spring is near and I want to do something fun.I'm very familiar with the parts that go into the rtia9... You would literally drop 4k into top tier parts for that speaker... That dosnt count rewiring the speaker, the custom plates, the enclosures, etc etc etc... Easily could be 6,000 with all of the custom fabrication.
Me thinks the money would be better spent on a better speaker from the beginning.
Do you consider the Rta9 the "epitome" of speakers? (asking seriously)
There are many speakers that impress me, each with a unique sound that gives a different depth on realism. There is no “epitome” or “best” in my opinion, only what I like and don’t like.
I actually liked how they sound, but do not own them....I just meant probably not a great idea to spend thousands modding them. -
I would absolutely not recommend modifying the crossovers in any way. Not only would it be cost-prohibitive but any chances for audible improvement are virtually nil. Looking forward to hearing your comparisons. The Snell A7 Illusion will be difficult to beat but it will be interesting to hear how close the RTiA9 comes to that esteemed high end model.Main:
McIntosh: MC 2155, MC 2125(x2), MR 80, C 32, MQ 101; Snell J7; Polk: RTiA7, RTiA9;
Pioneer PL-518; A/T 440 MLa; Yamaha CD
Vintage:
McIntosh: MX110Z, MC 2505, MC 240, Thorens TD 145; Shure V15III; Altec 14, Boston T1000; Yamaha CDX 393 CD; Yamaha Cass
Answers
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OK I'll bite. You plan on using these Reference Theater Improved (RTi 9's) for home theater or music? It makes a huge difference.
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Strictly music... but before you say the RTi A9s were made only for watching movies, you should look at some examples from Altec Lansing (often dubbed “Voice of Theater”), which were used in studios. The LSiM series left me disappointed and gave the impression that Polk went backwards (especially using fake veneer). I’ve seen instances where people praise older flagship models versus the newer ones, and thought because of the high praise of the RTi A9s, I’d give them a run for their money *evil grin*.OK I'll bite. You plan on using these Reference Theater Improved (RTi 9's) for home theater or music? It makes a huge difference.Post edited by SA7I on -
well then he needs clarity cap CMR's or Dueland caps and of course Dueland Cast resistors all new Jantzen inductors balanced to 1% as well as all caps matched to 1% . DH labs 14ga silver sonic Ohno continuous cast wire. Cardas Silver binding posts. Of course all this will need an external crossover box. -
That sounds nice, pitdogg22. I’d be willing to pay for a high quality external crossover box w/ glass on top. Though, finding such services can be very difficult.Post edited by SA7I on
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I do stuff like this, but... I think you are going overboard- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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I'm very familiar with the parts that go into the rtia9... You would literally drop 4k into top tier parts for that speaker... That dosnt count rewiring the speaker, the custom plates, the enclosures, etc etc etc... Easily could be 6,000 with all of the custom fabrication.- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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Strictly music... but before you say the RTi A9s were made only for watching movies, you should look at some examples from Altec Lansing (often dubbed “Voice of Theater”), which were used in studios. The LSiM series left me disappointed and gave the impression that Polk went backwards (especially using fake veneer). I’ve seen instances where people praise older flagship models versus the newer ones, and thought because of the high praise of the RTi A9s, I’d give them a run for their money *evil grin*.OK I'll bite. You plan on using these Reference Theater Improved (RTi 9's) for home theater or music? It makes a huge difference.
It's real wood veneer.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
On the Polk LSiM 707s? O_o
Strictly music... but before you say the RTi A9s were made only for watching movies, you should look at some examples from Altec Lansing (often dubbed “Voice of Theater”), which were used in studios. The LSiM series left me disappointed and gave the impression that Polk went backwards (especially using fake veneer). I’ve seen instances where people praise older flagship models versus the newer ones, and thought because of the high praise of the RTi A9s, I’d give them a run for their money *evil grin*.OK I'll bite. You plan on using these Reference Theater Improved (RTi 9's) for home theater or music? It makes a huge difference.
It's real wood veneer. -
YepPolitical Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
I'm very familiar with the parts that go into the rtia9... You would literally drop 4k into top tier parts for that speaker... That dosnt count rewiring the speaker, the custom plates, the enclosures, etc etc etc... Easily could be 6,000 with all of the custom fabrication.
Me thinks the money would be better spent on a better speaker from the beginning. -
Do you have a link, because Polk made no such declaration regarding the finish of the models in that series, and when I saw it, the material didn’t look like the cherry veneer on the RTi A9. They did however state that they used REAL WOOD for the A series.Yep -
“Better” is subjective. Spring is near and I want to do something fun.I'm very familiar with the parts that go into the rtia9... You would literally drop 4k into top tier parts for that speaker... That dosnt count rewiring the speaker, the custom plates, the enclosures, etc etc etc... Easily could be 6,000 with all of the custom fabrication.
Me thinks the money would be better spent on a better speaker from the beginning. -
“Better” is subjective. Spring is near and I want to do something fun.I'm very familiar with the parts that go into the rtia9... You would literally drop 4k into top tier parts for that speaker... That dosnt count rewiring the speaker, the custom plates, the enclosures, etc etc etc... Easily could be 6,000 with all of the custom fabrication.
Me thinks the money would be better spent on a better speaker from the beginning.
Do you consider the Rta9 the "epitome" of speakers? (asking seriously) -
No, but I’ve heard enough praise about them to give it a try. And considering they’ve got 5.0 reviews, why the hell not? It’s only $900. As they say, don’t judge a book by its cover.
“Better” is subjective. Spring is near and I want to do something fun.I'm very familiar with the parts that go into the rtia9... You would literally drop 4k into top tier parts for that speaker... That dosnt count rewiring the speaker, the custom plates, the enclosures, etc etc etc... Easily could be 6,000 with all of the custom fabrication.
Me thinks the money would be better spent on a better speaker from the beginning.
Do you consider the Rta9 the "epitome" of speakers? (asking seriously)
There are many speakers that impress me, each with a unique sound that gives a different depth on realism. There is no “epitome” or “best” in my opinion, only what I like and don’t like. -
Don’t worry, I won’t spend thousands on this project. ^^
No, but I’ve heard enough praise about them to give it a try. And considering they’ve got 5.0 reviews, why the hell not? It’s only $900. As they say, don’t judge a book by its cover.
“Better” is subjective. Spring is near and I want to do something fun.I'm very familiar with the parts that go into the rtia9... You would literally drop 4k into top tier parts for that speaker... That dosnt count rewiring the speaker, the custom plates, the enclosures, etc etc etc... Easily could be 6,000 with all of the custom fabrication.
Me thinks the money would be better spent on a better speaker from the beginning.
Do you consider the Rta9 the "epitome" of speakers? (asking seriously)
There are many speakers that impress me, each with a unique sound that gives a different depth on realism. There is no “epitome” or “best” in my opinion, only what I like and don’t like.
I actually liked how they sound, but do not own them....I just meant probably not a great idea to spend thousands modding them. -
Your shootout, honestly, between the Snell A7s and the RTiA9s is like pitting a Ferrari 458 Italia against a Ford Fiesta ST.
Even with upgrades, that will absolutely improve the sound of the A9s, you are still talking about a speaker that uses drivers, internal wiring and enclosure construction to meet a certain price point that is considerably lower (thus requiring cheaper parts and construction methods) than the Snells."Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."
"Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip -
It’s possible. All the same i'm going to proceed and will report my observations when the listening trials are complete. Thank you for your input on the matter.Your shootout, honestly, between the Snell A7s and the RTiA9s is like pitting a Ferrari 458 Italia against a Ford Fiesta ST.
Even with upgrades, that will absolutely improve the sound of the A9s, you are still talking about a speaker that uses drivers, internal wiring and enclosure construction to meet a certain price point that is considerably lower (thus requiring cheaper parts and construction methods) than the Snells. -
Well, the initial engineering set up costs can be spread across high production volume of units sharing the same technology, the cost per unit is dramatically reduced.Your shootout, honestly, between the Snell A7s and the RTiA9s is like pitting a Ferrari 458 Italia against a Ford Fiesta ST.
Even with upgrades, that will absolutely improve the sound of the A9s, you are still talking about a speaker that uses drivers, internal wiring and enclosure construction to meet a certain price point that is considerably lower (thus requiring cheaper parts and construction methods) than the Snells. -
I could be wrong, but maybe they thought they didn't have to specify something like this on their "higher end" speaker series spec sheets. At the time, the RTi and RTiA lines were priced aggressively against competitors sporting vinyl finish, and that's why they wanted to make some kind of statement by saying "real wood veneer" out loud.
Now, I will quote from the LSiM information sheet : " Even though these loudspeakers straddle the cutting edge of today’s technologies, and feature Polk-designed-from-the- ground-up components as well as massively braced sculpted natural wood and laquer enclosures, they remain surprisingly affordable."
I would give you that the laquer can give you the impression that this isn't real wood veneer, but it is. I didn't like what the pictures showed first, and I thought it looked cheap compared to the original LSi line, but it's way different in person and I think that it's gorgeous for the price. It doesn't look at all like the open grain veneer on the RTiA line (correct me if I've got the term wrong), but it doesn't have to. I own both series in black (RTi and RTiA) and Midnight Mahogany (LSiM), and well, the finish is better on the LSiM line.
Source : https://d3vqw2nv1topde.cloudfront.net/assets/Product Documents/Product Information Sheets/LSiMSeries InfoSheet.pdfSpeakers: Polk Audio LSiM 705, LSiM 703, LSiM 704c
Receiver: Denon X3500H -
No link needed, I've seen a lot of them up close and personal. It's an Asian mahogany like species of wood.
Before you pass any further judgement it's common practice for furniture companies to use a "lesser" wood and make it look like another species. It's really not hard to do if you know what you're doing.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Polk's description of the RTiA series: "Beautiful curved furniture-grade hardwood veneer cabinet finishes, with sleek trim accents in black or cherry" whereas there is no reference to LSiM as being finished in hardwood veneer. The finish on LSiM 705 that I had owned had a slightly rough texture that in my opinion was not up to the standard to that of the RTiA series.
That aside, and having spent time with both, it is my opinion the A line is far more satisfactory for music than the M line. As always, YMMV.Main:
McIntosh: MC 2155, MC 2125(x2), MR 80, C 32, MQ 101; Snell J7; Polk: RTiA7, RTiA9;
Pioneer PL-518; A/T 440 MLa; Yamaha CD
Vintage:
McIntosh: MX110Z, MC 2505, MC 240, Thorens TD 145; Shure V15III; Altec 14, Boston T1000; Yamaha CDX 393 CD; Yamaha Cass -
One last time, IT IS REAL WOOD VENEER on the LSiM speakers.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Which one of these would you prefer the LSiM speakers to have?
Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
If you don't take F1nut word for it (and well, no question there, he's right about this as it is a known fact), here's the relevant quote from the LSiM "brochure" : " [...] feature Polk-designed-from-the- ground-up components as well as massively braced sculpted natural wood".
Not only is it real wood, but I think it looks great. Some people might have gotten poorly finished ones, and that's a shame, but every single one of mine is smooth to the touch, even those made in 2018. Mind that I have the Midnight Mahogany ones, so a slight difference in finish might not show as much as it would on a Cherry "colored" speaker cabinet.
But meh, it's not as if we had to convince anyone. Have a nice day everyone, and good luck to OP if you're going with your modifications. Looking forward to it.
Speakers: Polk Audio LSiM 705, LSiM 703, LSiM 704c
Receiver: Denon X3500H
