Somebody Talk Me Down

Mike Reeter

I recently auditioned a pair of RTi12's and I've got major "WOOD" Someone please set me straight,and tell me that my RTi70's and our SVS are all that I need for HT listening...I know the 12's don"t have the 6 1/2" drivers and I know that I don't need all those woofers that they have,but damn,I think I can pick up the 12's for about 7 Franklins,and I just flat out LOVE the "look" of those bad boys...

Please,talk me out of this notion,Many thanks,Mike

RuSsMaN

Sorry cochise.

You NEED the 12's. The RTi series you have now pales in comparison, and I'm sorry if I can't sugar coat it, and it may offend some - but it is THE WORST RT effort Polk ever made.

Short lived, new design, never re-designed. Ditch em - before time keeps ticking away on their value. You are going to take a hit on them, but cut your losses while you can still do SOMETHING on them.

Cheers,
Rooster

Mike Reeter

Thanks alot Russ,that's just what I needed to hear,my other half is already starting to give me "that" look...if I go for it, and get the 12's, then I will have find a deal on a new RTi center also...

Does this obsession ever end? Thanks,Mike

RuSsMaN

Does it ever end? Not really.

Does it slow down? Sure, once you start to find 'your sound'.

Couple of questions Mike, answer them for me, a simple yes / no with the corresponding number will suffice.

1. Do you have a Motorcycle?

2. Do you have a Boat / Jet Ski?

3. Do you frequent Bars?

Cheers,
Russ

Mike Reeter

Well Russ,I don't know where this is headed,but...I "used' to own a 1964 Harley Panhead that set in an "uncut" 1957 straight leg frame...I'm not a water person,and I've had my share of draws at various water holes...But,that's all been a few days ago!!!

PolkThug

Either you wear the pants or you don't.

Hopefully you got enough watts for those hungry 12's.

Regards,
PolkThug

RuSsMaN

That's what I thought.

Remind her of that, and have her blessing as you move down your audio road.

Cheers,
Rooster

Early B.

You NEED those 12's. In fact, I hear them calling your name. I just changed out my 70's for the RTi10's, and I luv 'em. The SVS is cool (I got one, too) but for HT, you want as much bass as possible coming out of your fronts. The 12's will not disappoint.

Go for it. Yeah, and you'll definitely need an amp for 'em, too.

BTW, my wife absolutely adores the look of the 10's.

Mike Reeter

Well,you all have about pushed me over the edge...The way I see it,hooking up with the 12's is a perfect reason to come up with an external amp!

AsSiMiLaTeD

Well, let me be the first to disagree...I really love my RTi70s, in fact I traded DOWN to get these speakers.

But, if you're not happy with your 70s, then you should definitely upgrade becuase it's all about what you like.

Obviously, you'll need a good amp to drive those 12s...something to keep in mind...

AsSiMiLaTeD

Originally posted by Early B.
but for HT, you want as much bass as possible coming out of your fronts. The 12's will not disappoint.

Why is this? I'd think that for HT more than anything, you'd rather just have the SW do all the work.

I could see this need for music maybe, but for HT?

Early B.

PM -- I have an SVS next to my seating position, so I get plenty of good bass. However, the bass coming from my RTi10's adds another dimension to the HT experience. Not only do I feel more bass, but it helps with putting me right there in the action.

More bass is good for HT. In fact, I've read a couple of articles that suggest getting several subwoofers (in one article it said get a sub for every speaker). At one time I had three cheap subs hooked up and it was awesome. Those subs literally rocked the room, but they didn't sound as good, especially for music, that's why I went with Hsu and SVS. If the WAF would allow another SVS purchase, I'd do it.

Sami

I traded my old RTi70's for PolkManiacs 150's and quite honestly there isn't much difference in how the HT sounds between them. I will retire them from HT duty and put them into living room for casual listening without a sub.

(And It's not a power issue, I have 1000W separate driving the lows.)

PolkThug

In theory(for some people), each speaker in your surround setup should be able to go 20-20kHz. However, most of us don't have the space or cash to do this, so we compromise by directing all the bass to a single sub. (which may or may not be a compromise depending on your opinion).

PolkWannabie

Originally posted by Sami
I traded my old RTi70's for PolkManiacs 150's and quite honestly there isn't much difference in how the HT sounds between them.

In a lot of ways the 150's and 70's are similar ... The 12's are a different animal.

Sami

Originally posted by PolkWannabie
In a lot of ways the 150's and 70's are similar ... The 12's are a different animal.

Different sounding yes but I was talking more in terms of bass. I was drooling over the 12's before getting the 70's and if the 70's would have not been such a good deal, I would have opted for the 8's instead. Much better sounding highs than on the 12's.

PolkWannabie

IMHO the highs may be slightly better on the 8's then on the 12's but both are miles beyond the 70's/150's in highs and mids ...

Sami

Originally posted by PolkWannabie
IMHO the highs may be slightly better on the 8's then on the 12's but both are miles beyond the 70's/150's in highs and mids ...

True, they are. That's why I'm moving the 150's to a 2 channel rig for parties and casual listening. 6 LSi7's with SVS PCU will be in the 5.1 HT that also serves as 2.1 listening room for music. Out of the current Polk's, LSi's are clearly the best sounding speakers but hard to find good deals other than the Fry's refurbed 7's.

Early B.

I traded my old RTi70's for PolkManiacs 150's and quite honestly there isn't much difference in how the HT sounds between them.

There must be a setup problem somewhere. You should be hearing and feeling more bass. That's the main reason for buying the 150's. Have you set your receiver to LARGE for the fronts?

Sami

Originally posted by Early B.
There must be a setup problem somewhere. You should be hearing and feeling more bass. That's the main reason for buying the 150's. Have you set your receiver to LARGE for the fronts?

Yes, I have tried both large and small settings. SVS PCU is taking care of the bass so there is no reason to keep the 150's in the HT. Especially when the LSi's are so much better sounding than the RTi series.

ATCVenom, I was making my audition on the basis of highs and mids as I was going to pair them with a sub. If I would have to put them in order, it would be 8, 10 and 12. 12's don't put out nearly enough bass for HT by themselves and with a great sub it all becomes quite redundant.

PolkManiac, you wouldn't need another RTi70? My centre speaker will be out of work after I go with LSi's for HT.

Mike Reeter

Polkmaniac & others,it's not that I am unhappy with our 70's,I think it's just an "upgrade" notion of mine...I just like the style and "look" of the newer RTi series.

I know that the mid-drivers on the new 12's are not as big as on my 70's,I know that with the SVS I don't need that 3-some of woofs on the 12's...

But,I don't think that new 12's are going to have the same sound as the RTi150's,and would be more suited for a HT application...

DVD's are our main use of our system,but I do like to listen to music once in a while,my thoughts toward the 12's as mains...coupled with a good 2 channel amp.

Thanks for everyones thoughts,and I will make the decision one day soon...Also,with CC closing out the RTi line,they can be had worth the money...

Sami

Originally posted by Mike Reeter
Thanks for everyones thoughts,and I will make the decision one day soon...Also,with CC closing out the RTi line,they can be had worth the money...

They certainly are worth the money but audition the 8's and 6's as well, you might like them better and they should give you even better value when you have a SVS to go with them.

Mike Reeter

Well,I guess I'm heading down the road of audio bliss.I made the mistake of stopping by C.C. this past week,asked the kid what the price was on the RTi12's and he quicking said $288.95 per.

I had all but made up my mind to pass on the 12's earlier,when they were still priced at $392.00 each...but at $100.00 per speak off,I could'nt backoff...these were the only pair of 12's I could find in the entire state at C.C.

First of all,I don't have enough POWER to properly drive them,I've bi-amped them using my Denon and an old Marantz 2-channel amp. Also the new speaks are not anywhere close to being broken in yet...

Having said that,my first impressions are that the 12's do not have anything over the RTi70's in the upper/mid range level for DVD playback...not bad mind you,but not as foward sounding as the 70's...

But,for 2-channel listening,the 12's OWN the room,much better detail though out the entire sound spectrum.I think the 12's will be a good all around speaker for my mains for quite some time,just have to come up with a good amp to power them...

Thanks for everyones input,Mike