Help choosing new Polk speakers - ES, XT, or T?

Gulf_of_Mexico

I'm looking for a new set of stereo speakers in the $1000 range (pair).

The last speakers I bought were a pair of Polk RTi8s which I power with a Yamaha 801 and with a Polk powered subwoofer.

I love the looks of the RTi8s and if I listen to them for a few minutes I think they are technically very good, but I don't find them "comfortable" to listen to for long periods. I think they have to be too loud to shine for my space and feel too "harsh" or too crisp to be comfortable. At lower volumes they don't quite have "it".

So I mostly still listen to my Bose 701 speakers which I have side by side with my Polk RTI8s. The Bose 701 don't have quite the same detail as the Polk RTi8s but I find the sound very pleasing and very comfortable to listen to. Good base, rich sound. (I know many audio experts don't love the bose, but I like the rich sound a lot.)

Now I'm looking for a new set of speakers, and am wondering if there is a set of new Polk speakers that would maybe have some of the detail of the RTi8s but have much more of the "comfort" and richness of the Bose 701s.

Any suggestions?

1.) Would I like a pair of ES50, ES55, or ES60's?

2.) Or would XT60 or XT70's be more to my liking?

3.) Do simple T50's have something for me?

Would each 1, 2, and 3 need a powered subwoofer to have rich base for me like my Bose 701s or would they perform standalone for me with no subwoofer?

Or should I just admit that I like the "comfortable rich" bose sound even though it's technically less perfect and lacks some details of the Polk speakers and get a pair of used bose 901 series VI speakers?

The space I'm going to put these in is glass tile floor and drywall walls with metal studs in a concrete house, so I'm worried the sound will be too harsh to be comfortable to listen to for long periods from the Polks. I've only had the one pair of Polk speakers, the RTI8s though so I don't have much knowledge of what Polks would be a good fit for me.

F1nut

Bose is known for no highs and no lows, so they are pretty much all mid-range, which you find to be comfortable.

With the description of your listening environment the Bose might be your best choice.

BTW, it's bass not base.

Gulf_of_Mexico

Thanks! I don't know why, but I've always felt like the bass is not as "rich" and deep as I'd like from the RTi8's. It might be my room though as neither space I've put them in is what I'd ideally like for sound. I have the 701s on A and the polk RTI8s on B, and I do like the clarity at times from the RTI8's - sometimes you do hear things you just don't get from the bose, but I find myself listening to the 701s 75% of the time.

Do any of the Polk speakers lean more towards the direction I might like more coming from the bose 701s? Not sure how the current Polks might compare to my RTI8's...

PSOVLSK

What will you be driving them with?

Gulf_of_Mexico

Yamaha A-S801

audioluvr

If I help will you show me all the great fishing spots?

Gulf_of_Mexico

I'm not a great fisherman, but I enjoy spending time on the water

audioluvr

Fair enough. Get me on the water and I will make you a lover of fishing.

audioluvr

Let's just start with you need better speakers. The people in the know will tell you that you need to build your system around a speaker system as that is you're root taste then build a system around it based on your tastes in music.

PSOVLSK

Out of the speakers you listed, I have only heard either the ES-50 or 60 (sorry, but I can’t remember which one I heard). I think you would be happy with those for music. Though I don’t have a lot of experience with the RTi, I do know that they were good for HT, but pretty bright for music.

I’d like to recommend LSiM, but with parts no longer available I hesitate to do so. I think a pair of LSiM 705 would blow you away.

Gulf_of_Mexico

I remember looking at the LSiM 705s and thinking they looked amazing!

F1nut

Gulf_of_Mexico wrote: »

I remember looking at the LSiM 705s and thinking they looked amazing!

Best sounding of that series, IMO.

rainbow1919

Personally, I would save up more and upgrade to the Polk audio reserve line.

Gulf_of_Mexico

Well, I wanted to try something different that I had always wanted to try, so I bought a pair of mint Bose 901 series VI with original bose active equalizer.
These are probably the opposite of my Polk RTis.

The bose 901s sound amazing with Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Paul Simon, U2, Robbie Robertson... the room is full and the sounds are amazing alive and rich.

But on other music where the Polks shine, The National, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Moby, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds live, Sheyl Crow, the Polks (with polk subwoofer) have a lot clearer and more satisfying deeps and highs and keep the sound sweetly together while the bose come apart.

So I'm thrilled to have the Bose on on hand, but on the other hand, the Polks really shine at other times and also definitely have something the Bose don't. I guess I need to have the A/B switch ready to switch depending on what I'm listening to...