RTi A9 Questions

Hi,

I paired these with a Marantz SR5013 (100wpc@8 ohms) hoping that would be enough power. I am bi-amping the A9's.

What is the consensus on power requirements? These sound fantastic when is HT mode, but 2-channel stereo doesn't sound as good as I had expected. Part of it is I'm in a completely new room and am still figuring out the acoustics. I'm coming from some very old RT8's, which are now my surrounds. I have a powered Polk subwoofer as well.

Do I really need to add a power amp to this setup? If so, how much power do I really need?

Thanks,
Dan

Comments

  • Geoff4rfc
    Geoff4rfc Posts: 2,116
    Do you have a subwoofer? And are your A9's crossed over to either 80hz or lower?

    The woofs on the A9 will suck power like no other. If you are running large, you will want to feed them with as much power as you can.
    Source: BRP Panasonic UB9000, CDP Emotiva ERC3 - Display: LG OLED EVO 83 C3 - Pre/Pro: Marantz 8802A - Amplification: Emotiva XPA-DR3, XPA-2 x 2, XPA-6, Speakers, Mains/2ch-Focal Kanta No2's, C-LSiM706, S-702F/X, RS-RTiA9's, WS-RTiA9's, FH-RTiA3's, Subs - Epik Empire x 2

    Cables: AudioQuest McKenzie XLR's/CDP/Amp, Carbon 48/BRP, Forest 48/Display

    EXPERIENCE: next to nothing, but I sure enjoy audio and video MY OPINION OF THIS HOBBY: I may not be a smart man, but I know what quicksand is.
    When I was young, I was Superman but now that old age has gotten the best of me I'm only Batman
  • dolbyd
    dolbyd Posts: 430
    The 9s need power. Look for an amp around 200w per channel to go with your Marantz.
    Also you aren’t really bi- amping them. You are using the same power supply. It’s a marketing hoax manufacturers use.
    Main room- RTiA9 x4, CSiA6, in ceiling Atmos RT-70 x4, SVS PC 4000 x2, Marantz 8805A, OPPO 203, Emotiva DR3 G3, Emotiva XPA-2 G3, Emotiva XPA-5 G3, Emotiva X300, Sony 75" 940E, Panasonic Plasma VT50, PS Audio Power Port X2, PS Audio AC-5 x8, AQ Rocket 33 Biwire speaker cables, AQ King Cobra XLR IC, Furman PFi20 W/Cullen cable, SoildSteel S4-4 rack, Gik room treatments

    Office- Legend L600, in ceiling Polk RC80i, Marantz 7704, OPPO 203, Pioneer Elite PDF-59 CD, PSA Stellar 300, Sony 55" 800B, Gik room treatment

    Master BR- Signature ES60, Signature S35 Center, Signature S15 Dolby Height, LSI700 in ceiling, SVS-SB4000, Marantz 5012, Emotiva XPA5 G2, OPPO 203, Pioneer DVL-919 Laser Disc, Sony 55" OLED

    Patio- SDI Atrium8 x3, Emotiva A-100 amps x3
  • dcumpian
    dcumpian Posts: 4
    Yes, I have a sub and the A9's are crossed over @ 80hz. I've gone ahead and ordered a Parasound 2250. Hopefully, that should be enough juice, lol.

    Dan
  • Geoff4rfc
    Geoff4rfc Posts: 2,116
    dcumpian wrote: »
    Yes, I have a sub and the A9's are crossed over @ 80hz. I've gone ahead and ordered a Parasound 2250. Hopefully, that should be enough juice, lol.

    Dan

    Nicely done! Yeah, you'll be fine. The real need for power is feeding the woofers, since you're crossed over at 80 and running a sub to do the big stuff, your A9's won't require that much power.

    I'm currently NOT running my subs and have my A9's at full band. When the LFE digs in deep, I'm very grateful for the extra power supplied from my amps.
    Source: BRP Panasonic UB9000, CDP Emotiva ERC3 - Display: LG OLED EVO 83 C3 - Pre/Pro: Marantz 8802A - Amplification: Emotiva XPA-DR3, XPA-2 x 2, XPA-6, Speakers, Mains/2ch-Focal Kanta No2's, C-LSiM706, S-702F/X, RS-RTiA9's, WS-RTiA9's, FH-RTiA3's, Subs - Epik Empire x 2

    Cables: AudioQuest McKenzie XLR's/CDP/Amp, Carbon 48/BRP, Forest 48/Display

    EXPERIENCE: next to nothing, but I sure enjoy audio and video MY OPINION OF THIS HOBBY: I may not be a smart man, but I know what quicksand is.
    When I was young, I was Superman but now that old age has gotten the best of me I'm only Batman
  • dolbyd
    dolbyd Posts: 430
    I cross my A9s at 60hz with subs. I have seen people that cross them at 40hz. Watch the volume dial if you do.
    Main room- RTiA9 x4, CSiA6, in ceiling Atmos RT-70 x4, SVS PC 4000 x2, Marantz 8805A, OPPO 203, Emotiva DR3 G3, Emotiva XPA-2 G3, Emotiva XPA-5 G3, Emotiva X300, Sony 75" 940E, Panasonic Plasma VT50, PS Audio Power Port X2, PS Audio AC-5 x8, AQ Rocket 33 Biwire speaker cables, AQ King Cobra XLR IC, Furman PFi20 W/Cullen cable, SoildSteel S4-4 rack, Gik room treatments

    Office- Legend L600, in ceiling Polk RC80i, Marantz 7704, OPPO 203, Pioneer Elite PDF-59 CD, PSA Stellar 300, Sony 55" 800B, Gik room treatment

    Master BR- Signature ES60, Signature S35 Center, Signature S15 Dolby Height, LSI700 in ceiling, SVS-SB4000, Marantz 5012, Emotiva XPA5 G2, OPPO 203, Pioneer DVL-919 Laser Disc, Sony 55" OLED

    Patio- SDI Atrium8 x3, Emotiva A-100 amps x3
  • Geoff4rfc
    Geoff4rfc Posts: 2,116
    dolbyd wrote: »
    I have seen people that cross them at 40hz.

    guilty as charged B)

    Source: BRP Panasonic UB9000, CDP Emotiva ERC3 - Display: LG OLED EVO 83 C3 - Pre/Pro: Marantz 8802A - Amplification: Emotiva XPA-DR3, XPA-2 x 2, XPA-6, Speakers, Mains/2ch-Focal Kanta No2's, C-LSiM706, S-702F/X, RS-RTiA9's, WS-RTiA9's, FH-RTiA3's, Subs - Epik Empire x 2

    Cables: AudioQuest McKenzie XLR's/CDP/Amp, Carbon 48/BRP, Forest 48/Display

    EXPERIENCE: next to nothing, but I sure enjoy audio and video MY OPINION OF THIS HOBBY: I may not be a smart man, but I know what quicksand is.
    When I was young, I was Superman but now that old age has gotten the best of me I'm only Batman
  • dcumpian
    dcumpian Posts: 4
    Got the Parasound hooked up and, I gotta say, I was skeptical that it would make that much of a difference. However, the A9's went from lifeless, flat sounding 2 dimensional speakers to very clear, clean 3-dimensional speakers. I'm amazed at the difference. In hindsight, I probably should have got the A7's because it would have been much less expensive, but these do sound awesome with the amp, so I guess I'll go enjoy them now. ;)

    Dan
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    Congrats...glad the amp is working out for you.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 7,952
    dcumpian wrote: »
    Got the Parasound hooked up and, I gotta say, I was skeptical that it would make that much of a difference. However, the A9's went from lifeless, flat sounding 2 dimensional speakers to very clear, clean 3-dimensional speakers. I'm amazed at the difference. In hindsight, I probably should have got the A7's because it would have been much less expensive, but these do sound awesome with the amp, so I guess I'll go enjoy them now. ;)

    Dan

    I would love to hear some 9s properly powered like that. Congrats! Have you tried running them full range with that amp? Seems like a waste to me to cross them over when they can hit 30hz with enough clean power, which you now should have...
    Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es; Squeezebox Touch with Bolder Power Supply
    Game Room 5.1.4:
    Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra

    Bedroom 2.1
    Cambridge Azur 551r; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer
  • dolbyd
    dolbyd Posts: 430
    dcumpian wrote: »
    Got the Parasound hooked up and, I gotta say, I was skeptical that it would make that much of a difference. However, the A9's went from lifeless, flat sounding 2 dimensional speakers to very clear, clean 3-dimensional speakers. I'm amazed at the difference. In hindsight, I probably should have got the A7's because it would have been much less expensive, but these do sound awesome with the amp, so I guess I'll go enjoy them now. ;)

    Dan

    Nice! The 9s love that power.

    I swear cookie monster designed that speaker. The more you give them the happier they are.
    Main room- RTiA9 x4, CSiA6, in ceiling Atmos RT-70 x4, SVS PC 4000 x2, Marantz 8805A, OPPO 203, Emotiva DR3 G3, Emotiva XPA-2 G3, Emotiva XPA-5 G3, Emotiva X300, Sony 75" 940E, Panasonic Plasma VT50, PS Audio Power Port X2, PS Audio AC-5 x8, AQ Rocket 33 Biwire speaker cables, AQ King Cobra XLR IC, Furman PFi20 W/Cullen cable, SoildSteel S4-4 rack, Gik room treatments

    Office- Legend L600, in ceiling Polk RC80i, Marantz 7704, OPPO 203, Pioneer Elite PDF-59 CD, PSA Stellar 300, Sony 55" 800B, Gik room treatment

    Master BR- Signature ES60, Signature S35 Center, Signature S15 Dolby Height, LSI700 in ceiling, SVS-SB4000, Marantz 5012, Emotiva XPA5 G2, OPPO 203, Pioneer DVL-919 Laser Disc, Sony 55" OLED

    Patio- SDI Atrium8 x3, Emotiva A-100 amps x3
  • dcumpian
    dcumpian Posts: 4
    rooftop59 wrote: »
    dcumpian wrote: »
    Got the Parasound hooked up and, I gotta say, I was skeptical that it would make that much of a difference. However, the A9's went from lifeless, flat sounding 2 dimensional speakers to very clear, clean 3-dimensional speakers. I'm amazed at the difference. In hindsight, I probably should have got the A7's because it would have been much less expensive, but these do sound awesome with the amp, so I guess I'll go enjoy them now. ;)

    Dan

    I would love to hear some 9s properly powered like that. Congrats! Have you tried running them full range with that amp? Seems like a waste to me to cross them over when they can hit 30hz with enough clean power, which you now should have...

    Full range, no crossover. They sound fantastic this way, and the amp doesn't even get warm.

    Dan
  • Geoff4rfc
    Geoff4rfc Posts: 2,116
    dolbyd wrote: »
    The more you give them the happier they are.

    Full agreement!!


    dcumpian wrote: »

    Full range, no crossover. They sound fantastic this way, and the amp doesn't even get warm.

    Dan

    And they play well with subs!

    Source: BRP Panasonic UB9000, CDP Emotiva ERC3 - Display: LG OLED EVO 83 C3 - Pre/Pro: Marantz 8802A - Amplification: Emotiva XPA-DR3, XPA-2 x 2, XPA-6, Speakers, Mains/2ch-Focal Kanta No2's, C-LSiM706, S-702F/X, RS-RTiA9's, WS-RTiA9's, FH-RTiA3's, Subs - Epik Empire x 2

    Cables: AudioQuest McKenzie XLR's/CDP/Amp, Carbon 48/BRP, Forest 48/Display

    EXPERIENCE: next to nothing, but I sure enjoy audio and video MY OPINION OF THIS HOBBY: I may not be a smart man, but I know what quicksand is.
    When I was young, I was Superman but now that old age has gotten the best of me I'm only Batman