2021- A Speaker Upgrade Odyssey. The Polk Audio, "RTi A9".
I have decided to upgrade my pair of Polk, "RTi A9" speakers.
Why? For music, and only music. Which is a "thing" that they were not actually designed for. They have fulfilled my needs as, "Home Theatre" mains quite admirably.
But it is time to (re-purpose) them.
I am not exactly sure how this will evolve. But I believe that the cabinet that Polk built for this model is beautiful. As it's shape is that of a "teardrop". It's a teardrop with a (flat) leading edge.
So I have a "starting Point" for a speaker build, which has most of the hard work completed already! I like that.
After looking at some of the threads here I have decided to post this upgrade/build/mod, or whatever you wish to call it, here on Polk Audios site. "As I do it", and with some pics. Hopefully I can get some opinions, advice and etc. to make it all the more interesting. And also a more fulfilling job once complete. And also it may possibly help a few others here to (re-purpose) their Polk RTi speakers as needed or wanted as well.
I do plan to change out the tweeter. Since it is probably the largest single problem with the speaker that I have found. I am not sure what tweeter to change it to. But I have looked around a bit and there are so many choices it boggles the mind! I have never opened these up before. I have never had any reason to. Never a problem from the pair.
Eventually I may change-out, "upgrade' all of the speakers drivers to better offerings. But time will tell. Also the "crossover network" in these need some kind of upgrade I hear, so there is that as well. I kind of want to see where I can take these. I do love the shape of this cabinet. (And it helps with stopping sound waves from diffracting a bit but also the tendency for frequency "roll-off"). Happy accident?
I also figure, "Just guessing really"- but think that I will probably want to "stiffen" the speakers interior walls and just generally reinforce the cabinet. Especially if I am going "Seal" the cab's, "which I am thinking about doing". That since I have always chosen the sealed type of speaker for music over the ported ones. They are always just so much more focused and accurate to listen to, "tighter and punchier". I'll probably add some "fill" to the interior and probably make some kind of footer system for them too...I guess. We'll see..
Nothing is written in stone and this will all just evolve as I go.
Those are my "rough" plans and idea's so far.
Hee hee hee, and if I happen to mess up the outside really bad somehow? Then I will refinish them too. (I am pretty good at that). But that is allot of work, and money.
(Especially) when, "I do like", the "cherry" wood finish on these.
It's easy to tell that these have is "Real wood" finish. And not "Melamine" veneer with a fake grain. OR just a big, giant "Vinyl" sticker covering them. OR spray paint. I hate that.
Somebody spent a lot of time designing these cabinets. I noticed just after receiving them that the widest point of these "22-1/2 inch" deep enclosures is approx. "six" inches from the speakers face! And these are the only speakers I have ever noticed like this! I am sure others have done this. But it really did surprise me!
Why? For music, and only music. Which is a "thing" that they were not actually designed for. They have fulfilled my needs as, "Home Theatre" mains quite admirably.
But it is time to (re-purpose) them.
I am not exactly sure how this will evolve. But I believe that the cabinet that Polk built for this model is beautiful. As it's shape is that of a "teardrop". It's a teardrop with a (flat) leading edge.
So I have a "starting Point" for a speaker build, which has most of the hard work completed already! I like that.
After looking at some of the threads here I have decided to post this upgrade/build/mod, or whatever you wish to call it, here on Polk Audios site. "As I do it", and with some pics. Hopefully I can get some opinions, advice and etc. to make it all the more interesting. And also a more fulfilling job once complete. And also it may possibly help a few others here to (re-purpose) their Polk RTi speakers as needed or wanted as well.
I do plan to change out the tweeter. Since it is probably the largest single problem with the speaker that I have found. I am not sure what tweeter to change it to. But I have looked around a bit and there are so many choices it boggles the mind! I have never opened these up before. I have never had any reason to. Never a problem from the pair.
Eventually I may change-out, "upgrade' all of the speakers drivers to better offerings. But time will tell. Also the "crossover network" in these need some kind of upgrade I hear, so there is that as well. I kind of want to see where I can take these. I do love the shape of this cabinet. (And it helps with stopping sound waves from diffracting a bit but also the tendency for frequency "roll-off"). Happy accident?
I also figure, "Just guessing really"- but think that I will probably want to "stiffen" the speakers interior walls and just generally reinforce the cabinet. Especially if I am going "Seal" the cab's, "which I am thinking about doing". That since I have always chosen the sealed type of speaker for music over the ported ones. They are always just so much more focused and accurate to listen to, "tighter and punchier". I'll probably add some "fill" to the interior and probably make some kind of footer system for them too...I guess. We'll see..
Nothing is written in stone and this will all just evolve as I go.
Those are my "rough" plans and idea's so far.
Hee hee hee, and if I happen to mess up the outside really bad somehow? Then I will refinish them too. (I am pretty good at that). But that is allot of work, and money.
(Especially) when, "I do like", the "cherry" wood finish on these.
It's easy to tell that these have is "Real wood" finish. And not "Melamine" veneer with a fake grain. OR just a big, giant "Vinyl" sticker covering them. OR spray paint. I hate that.
Somebody spent a lot of time designing these cabinets. I noticed just after receiving them that the widest point of these "22-1/2 inch" deep enclosures is approx. "six" inches from the speakers face! And these are the only speakers I have ever noticed like this! I am sure others have done this. But it really did surprise me!
S.
Comments
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I will be keeping up with your progress, I would Design the speaker completely with the drivers in the box, before you do anything else to the cabinet. I have seen several people attempt this type of modification and it is really hard to end up with a good sounding result or to even find good quality flush mountable drivers.
Even when you have complete control of the exact cabinet specs, most of the "repurposed speakers" I have seen have over the years, unfortunately have ended up sounding worst then the original speakers sounded. I would research this idea a little more before I dived into it to deep, Unless you have low expectations for the modified sound quality.
Either way, I hope you have more luck then others who have tried this over the years, including myself. I only have basic knowledge of speaker design, but I have learned that a speaker is a marriage of crossover design, drivers and cabinet size & tuning. Even when you buy the best parts and do all these steps perfectly, your still not guaranteed any kind of high level sound quality end results, in fact, from my experience, which, I hope you have better luck then me by the way, I have had some fair results improving bass, highs or the looks of the cabinet, but never anything above home theater quality sound after the shinny new penny settled after the first couple weeks of completion, in most cases the speakers sounded sub par at best and no better then the original. But that is me and everybody is different!
Good Luck! -
Thanks, to "JayDog"- For the positive and insightful thoughts from someone whom has done this type of upgrade before.
I am doing this "upgrade' on these particular speakers for a few reasons. One of which is that this is usually "very", "challenging" to complete with the end-results above that the OEM manufacturer provided in the original, "factory" build.
I don't know everything..
But "I", do happen to have a bit more experience with the materials, trade skills and even the physics behind a good sounding, "speaker" system than probably most who attempt this. And I (most definitely) have "Very" high expectations for the sound I wish these to reproduce. In fact I have done quite a bit of research on the parts of the project I have left to "fate" if you will. Before deciding to embark upon this project. "Primarily", I feel that this is of "three" main concerns.
1. The shape of the enclosure.
2. The interior volume of the enclosure.
3. How, "exactly" the enclosure was built. I will know nothing about this until de-construction. But as they say, "Hope is a virtue"...and I "hope" that these were built fairly well! (They survived shipping). And one of them that was left by "UPS" on the front porch had the outer box very nearly ripped in half! "You could not see the speaker itself". That box was just shredded cardboard, crumbled styrofoam and ripped plastic. But the speaker was for the most part..."A few Dings", unaffected.
So, I may still change the values of all three of these "issues".
In fact, I know that they will all at the least be changed a bit. But that is just "Par' for the course. Having to make "drastic" changes to these three are not what I am after nor want. But I will address what I have to as needed. So the less that I mess with those three things? Well, that means less work, money and labor will need to be invested.
Having said that I do realize that, "One persons minor adjustments? May just be another persons, (Major) alterations".
And I do indeed "LOVE" a challenge!
And I think I have one!
By the way, This is not my main "rig".
But, it is in a room where I spend probably most of my time. "Other than in the shop". Usually working. And there is still something to listen too there. And this "can" take, as long as is needed.
And also, I feel that in my, "research" before undertaking this project. I did try to find out how well these could be made to sound, "For music". This by pairing, "many" different types of gear, "Amps, Pre-amps and also cabling" with these Rti A9's.
And their flaws "which they do have" were simply made more easily evident. Especially once the gear climbed up the "food-chain" to a different and more refined class of what most would call "High Fidelity", audio gear, as each was connected and tested with them. "I am lucky to have a nice but also a, (very large), collection of gear".
And I think that is "part", of why I am posting this upgrade. Because everyone cannot just go out and throw $10,000-$20,000 into the purchase of a nice sounding pair of speakers.
But most would like to have them.
And a few? If they had the raw parts to begin with, "As in an old pair of RTi A9's" and some decent guidance"? "They, might even build themselves something".
They, "I believe" could "Over time and in a number of steps", upgrade certain models of speakers. To near, if not above that type of sound quality.
That is how, "I" began back in the 70's anyway..
Besides,
The speakers now in my main rig? That I designed and built. I will happily place against any speaker system that there is. "Bar None".
Now, I "may" not win in a contest like that. But at the worst they would make a very good showing.
But then again, they just might win.
So there is that..
Thanks again, "JayDog".
And so I begin!S. -
What is this mess all about? It looks as if someone spread, spilled or sprinkled, sand or bits of tiny chards of broken concrete on the rim face of the enclosure. "Where the speakers (drivers) are supposed to "seat". Which is into where the "ring" was routed out in the enclosure. And did that while it was still wet from a first coat of the finishing medium. And once dried/cured on? They just continued.
As if, They didn't WANT the speakers drivers to ever actually, "seat".
Does anyone know why they would do this? Because it "looks" intentional. And it feels like maybe, "1 grit" sand paper.
Yup, "1" grit. IF they made- "1 grit" sand paper..
These round, grey/silver, "Speaker outer rings" which cover the metal outside rim of each driver? "Which I thought, were to help evenly distribute the pressure to help each driver. To better "seat" itself into the enclosure? (Thereby-Making it closer to a single entity) instead of having a driver just buzzing around as it will.
And the "Fill", helps with several other things too actually. But for what it is? It's quite expensive.
"Evidently", someone at the Polk factory sure thought so too!!
But for a speaker with a MSRP of $3000 a pair?
They could have spent another "$1.00" I think.. You do need to use quite a bit more of this material than many think to do. This, in order to attain "optimal" benefits from this type of material. And this can get not just expensive. But very "heavy" as well.
Not "all" damping materials are light and fluffy! But I typically use several different types, and those in layers. Some are interchangeable, some are not. And all of them have differing properties. And they each also work a little differently as well with side properties and benefits all their own. You'll see.
If anyone knows, "why" they would have this rough, particle strewn finish applied? "Where the speaker rings are routed"?
Other than a way to "Force" a type of plenum "vent"? Into existence...
I am at a loss here.
Please inform me!
S.
