A9 alternatives.

polkevin

Had my A9’s and csi5 for years and sound great. Just getting the itch to try/hear something else. Thinking of reserve towers:center or used L-series towers/center at lower price points.

Question is, would I even really hear a change?

kevhed72

Are these for HT or music?

polkevin

kevhed72 wrote: »

Are these for HT or music?

Theater 90% I’ve just seen a few comments recently about the R400 and LSi 706c sounding really good in the front soundstage and thought I’d try and get a more
consensus opinion from people who are “in the know” of Polk.

kevhed72

I don't have any experience w the Reserve series but I have the RtiA series for my HT and they probably will never get replaced if that helps at all. If anything Ill add a 5 channel amp to get more out of them.

mantis

The RT series from polk has always been the budget king IMO. Excellent speakers for not a lot of money. When you step up to higher level speakers, you will notice a big difference. I don't have any experience with the Reserve line ( Wish I did ) I would expect a huge jump up especially if you go and watch and read all the high praise reviews, all of them are that way.

Speakers are personal so you have to account that you have been listening to these speakers for a long time. I have this issue with my Def Tech's. I'm so use to how they sound in my room and how much I like them, every single speakers I would like to move to fall short in comparison. I know this isn't a real fair comparison as my Def Tech main speakers are $4000.00 new and one of Sandy Gross perfection gifts to our hobby.

Anyway, The RT series in my opinion is not hard to beat compared to most other speakers that cost a bit more. I don't think the RT line really was better than anything else above it's price class but I also feel they did extremely well at their price class. I felt they where the overall best there but again opinion not fact.

Good luck, I suggest you get out there and start listening to stuff to see where your person preference for sound takes you.

polkevin

mantis wrote: »

Good luck, I suggest you get out there and start listening to stuff to see where your person preference for sound takes you.

The issue is finding a showroom with these speakers. It would be great if the speaker manufacturers would do what Breweries and Distillers do and have a showroom at one of their offices, a warehouse, factory, etc... so we could have a chance to listen to them. I'd make visiting them part of a weekend trip if too far to drive.

Anyone know of a showroom with Reserve and/or Legend series in the Annapolis/Baltimore Maryland area?

F1nut

Try here, https://skybygramophone.com/collections/polk-audio

msg

Do you use a sub in your system?
What are you using to run the A9s and CSi5? AVR, separates?

For HT, I'm not sure you'd benefit much from an upgrade to Reserve. Where you'd notice a real improvement would be in the music area.

Is there anything standing out as lacking with your current setup?

For me, when I had RTi series speakers, they were almost unlistenable for music. I only had them in my combo use system for 2 to 3 months, and toward the end, I couldn't make it 20 minutes before listening fatigue was just ruining music for me.

For TV, they were great, though.

The Reserve series has an easier top end; not as... pronounced, or accentuated as the RTi/A series. Better balanced overall, so you get more of everything for a given volume, not just highs.

I found the RTi speakers to sound thin; lacking in the mids and lows, even with a 200wpc B&K amp and Parasound C2 processor, but I think that was probably due in part to the overwhelming high frequency presence.

Geoff4rfc

msg wrote: »

Do you use a sub in your system?
What are you using to run the A9s and CSi5? AVR, separates?

For HT, I'm not sure you'd benefit much from an upgrade to Reserve. Where you'd notice a real improvement would be in the music area.

Is there anything standing out as lacking with your current setup?

Great inquiry Scott! @OP, I've only used Monitor Series II, RTiA's and LSiM's for theater. I've had the A9's since 2011 and have no desire to change them out.

As Scott implied, having adequate subs for LFE and drive power for the A9's can make all the difference.

msg

Yeah, which subs are you running? You're running a pair these days, aren't you @Geoff4rfc ?

Geoff4rfc

msg wrote: »

Yeah, which subs are you running? You're running a pair these days, aren't you @Geoff4rfc ?

Yes sir. I'm running a pair EPIC Empires, stacked behind the seats and man, they may be discontinued but they still hit.....knock you azz out of the seat by golly

msg

Thaaaaat's right, I remember now.

ChrisD06

@msg What RTi speakers did you have?

I've rocked from the RT600i, to the RT800, to the RTi70, to the RT3000p, and I've never found them unlistenable. They did miss the low low notes but they were pretty reliable down to 60Hz for me.

EndersShadow

Not what you want to hear but I’ve found that my older Def Tech BP2002 (w powered subs) are a world of difference (in a good way) from my LSI15s. Both were using the same room, same xover setting, same location for the most part and the same equipment driving them. Only difference is the powered part.

I think def techs because they are powered have the bass I didn’t with my LSi15s (not powered) so I’d posit would be similar to what I’d have with A9’s (which I’ve debated over the years). Never used the LSi25s (which may have produced similar to what I have with the BP2002s)

All that said, this is one of those areas where preference trumps consensus.

The only sack that needs to blow back is your own, (aka It only matters what it sounds like to you).

So I think you are 100% right. You need to get ears on stuff and see. Even better if you can put them in your room for a test period (I.e. listen, buy if you think they sound good, return if they don’t once in your setup, move to next)

gudnoyez

The A9s are perfect for the Purpose of HT, for 90% theater why not just keep em and build a 2 channel rigg with some SDAs

msg

ChrisD06 wrote: »

@msg What RTi speakers did you have?

I've rocked from the RT600i, to the RT800, to the RTi70, to the RT3000p, and I've never found them unlistenable. They did miss the low low notes but they were pretty reliable down to 60Hz for me.

I had RTi10s and a CSi5.

Not to be confused with the RTxxi series, which was much easier on the ears. I used to use a set of RT25i in a desktop system for a little while. Those were nice with a sub. Something about the tweeter; tri-lam if I remember correctly? @heiney9 recommended them at the time when I was looking.

The RTi series included the RTi8, RTi10, RTi12, and CSi5. I forget what/whether there were surrounds. FXi maybe?

In the next gen, these became the RTiA5, RTiA7, RTiA9, and CSiA6. Supposedly the crossover was improved in the i/A series, but I've not heard them.

F1nut

The RTiA series are definitely better HT speakers than the RTi.

ChrisD06

msg wrote: »

The RTi series included the RTi8, RTi10, RTi12, and CSi5. I forget what/whether there were surrounds. FXi maybe?

Ah, you mean the RTix series, not the RTixx series (great naming, Polk).

I've heard the RTi12 and didn't mind them, but I did find the RTi6 to sound really off. I also personally owned the CSi3 and it sounded like pure midrange to me, no bass, and really dull treble.

I personally have a love-hate for the tri-lam tweeters. Only 1 of mine is in perfect shape, the other 7 are all either deformed, creased, or CRACKED. They also don't handle that much power. I'm planning on upgrading to the RD2516-1, though I'd be curious if someone could put the neo magnet on the SL6502 dome+coil.