Polk RTA 15TLs

davestl
davestl Posts: 16
edited April 2006 in Vintage Speakers
How good are these older Polks?

I have played them with Klipsch Cornwalls and Valencias to compare, and they seem to hold their end, other than they are not in the same ballpark for efficiency.

I have never had any other Polks, so I don't know where they fall. They do sound better than Heresys, Cornwalls, and almost on par with Valencias.

Thanks!
Post edited by davestl on
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Dennis Gardner
    Dennis Gardner Posts: 4,861
    edited April 2006
    It takes quite abit of power to make them shine, but the 15s are really
    some of the nicer sounding towers Polk ever made. As vintage Polk tower models go, I prefer the 15s for music but have a preference for the LS90 models from a few years later for home theater use. Both are very capable performers though.

    Just my opinion, and welcome to Clubpolk!

    DG
    HT Optoma HD25 LV on 80" DIY Screen, Anthem MRX 300 Receiver, Pioneer Elite BDP 51FD Polk CS350LS, Polk SDA1C, Polk FX300, Polk RT55, Dual EBS Adire Shiva 320watt tuned to 17hz, ICs-DIY Twisted Prs, Speaker-Raymond Cable

    2 Channel Thorens TD 318 Grado ZF1, SACD/CD Marantz 8260, Soundstream/Krell DAC1, Audio Mirror PP1, Odyssey Stratos, ADS L-1290, ICs-DIY Twisted , Speaker-Raymond Cable
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • davestl
    davestl Posts: 16
    edited April 2006
    Thanks, Dennis.

    I have been lurking for a while, trying to find info on the 15s. I was beginning to think they were not too popular, but I guess it is more that they were only made for a short time.

    They do seem to fall on the refined side, with some good imaging. With a three year old, moderate listening levels are the norm at night.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited April 2006
    They were popular,however I could not afford them at the time and I settled for 11t's which provided me of a decade of enjoyment,with proper placement,the imaging was stunning :)
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited April 2006
    Hi Dave & welcome. I have had the little brother to them 8T's for 16 yrs.

    I don't really think you can go wrong with any of them. What equipment do you have running them?

    As pointed out, they will really show you what they can do with more power fed to them.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Loud & Clear
    Loud & Clear Posts: 1,538
    edited April 2006
    I think that of the RTA's the 12's are most often considered the top choice. Of course personal preference carries the day as always.

    Two Channel Setup:

    Speakers: Wharfedale Opus 2-3
    Integrated Amp: Krell S-300i
    DAC: Arcam irDac
    Source: iMac
    Remote Control: iPad Mini

    3.2 Home Theater Setup:

    Fronts: Klipsch RP-160M
    Center: Klipsch RP-160M
    Subwoofer: SVS PB12NSD (X 2)
    AVR: Yamaha Aventage RX-A2030
    Blu Ray: Sony BDP-S790
    TV Source: DirecTV Genie
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Polk65
    Polk65 Posts: 1,405
    edited April 2006
    Welcome to The Club. I can't answer your comparison question, but can offer you a copy of the manual if you need. One thing I like about the RTA 15 tl's is they have a deep soundstage. There are other Polk Audio models I prefer listening to for music but for HT use the RTA 15 tl's are great. Some think they are boomy, YMMV.

    Here is an older thread with some opinions of ranking Polk Audio speakers. http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24694
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • davestl
    davestl Posts: 16
    edited April 2006
    What is their proper room placement?

    I bought these just after I got out of the Navy, and my bro had them for years at our folk's house. I recently reclaimed them and am running them on a steady combo of various tubes.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,729
    edited April 2006
    What is their proper room placement?

    That is something that you will have to figure out yourself as every room is different. Play around with them until you really like what you hear.

    As for where they stand, at the time they were Polk's effort at an non-SDA speaker. Not bad, but I'll take the SDA's.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter