Whats the difference between RT/FX and LS/FX surrounds?

trubluluc
trubluluc Posts: 2,067
edited May 2006 in Vintage Speakers
I have had LS/FX surrounds, but have never seen the RT/FX surrounds.
Anyone know what is the difference?

-Luc
Post edited by trubluluc on
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  • Dennis Gardner
    Dennis Gardner Posts: 4,861
    edited April 2006
    RT/FX have a single 5 1/4 inch mid and 2 1" Tri-Lam Tweeters where as you know the LS/FX have dual 4 1/2 mids and 2 1" TLs.

    The RT model is quite a bit larger too.
    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
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  • trubluluc
    trubluluc Posts: 2,067
    edited April 2006
    I hadn't even heard of the RT/FX before.
    Would you say the sound quality is comparible to the LS/FX?
    I was thinkin of using them as surrounds in a SDA driven theater.
    I know the LS/Fx go for about $125-$150 what do you think a reasonable price would be for the RT/FX?

    thanks,

    -Luc
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited April 2006
    I think the RT f/x's were the original SRT surrounds... (anybody?)

    RT f/x ebay range is $100 - $120. $80 is the lowest I've seen and $150 the highest. Black or white same price range.

    This in contrast to the LS f/x where the white go for less than the black.

    While the RT's are a bit bigger than the LS's, they're not all that much bigger. The f/x 1000's are the big boys of the Polk surrounds.
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • trubluluc
    trubluluc Posts: 2,067
    edited April 2006
    Good info. there bud.


    -Luc
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited April 2006
    You're welcome... now I just need to decide if I want to sell you my RT's. God knows I need to start moving some of my holdings out of here...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • Polk65
    Polk65 Posts: 1,405
    edited April 2006
    Here's what I have on these:


    RT/FX
    MSRP: $449/pair

    Overall Frequency Reponse: 40Hz-25kHz
    -3dB limits: 50Hz-24kHz
    Recommended Amplification: 50-100 WRMS
    Efficiency: 89db
    Nominal Impedance: compatible with 8 ohm outputs
    Inputs: 5-way binding posts
    Radiation Pattern: Switchable, dipole / bipole
    Enclosure Type: Vented

    Driver Complement (all shielded)
    2 x 1" (25mm) Dynamic Balance® dome tweeters
    1 x 5.25" (133mm) Dynamic Balance® driver

    Cabinet Dimensions
    10" H x 8.5" W x 6.75" D (at base of cabinet)
    25.4cm H x 21.6cm W x 17.2cm D (at base of cabinet)
    Weight: 17 lbs / 7.73kg


    SRT/FX
    -3db Frequency Response Limits: 90Hz-25kHz
    Power Handling: 100 Watts RMS
    Nominal Impedance: 4 ohms
    Inputs: 5-way binding posts
    Radiation Pattern: Switchable, dipole / bipole
    Enclosure Type: Sealed tapered cabinet

    Driver Complement
    Mid/woofer 2 each 4 1/2" (11.4cm) Dynamic Balance® Drivers
    Tweeter 2 each 1" (2.5cm) Dynamic Balance® Tri-laminate dome tweeters

    Cabinet Dimensions
    11" H x 6 1/2" W x 9" D (at base of cabinet)
    27.4cm H x 16.5cm W x 16.5cm D (at base of cabinet)
    Weight: 18 lbs. / 8.53kg


    LS/FX
    MSRP: $599.95 pair

    -3db Frequency Response Limits: 90Hz-25kHz
    Power Handling: 100 Watts RMS
    Nominal Impedance: 4 ohms
    Inputs: 5-way binding posts
    Radiation Pattern: Switchable, dipole / bipole
    Enclosure Type: Sealed and tapered

    Driver Complement
    Mid/woofer 2 each 4 1/2" (11.4cm) Dynamic Balance® drivers
    Tweeter 2 each 1" (2.5cm) Dynamic Balance® Tri-laminate dome tweeters

    Cabinet Dimensions
    11" H x 6 1/2" W x 9" D (at base of cabinet)
    27.94cm H x 16.5cm W x 16.5cm D (at base of cabinet)
    Weight: 18 lbs. / 8.53kg


    My notes:

    SRT/FX
    - knob type dipole/bipole switch
    - mid-woofer cone has hexagonal pattern
    - gold binding posts
    ? did this come with the Tri-laminate dome tweeter available in different shades ...
    ? almost identical to LS/FX ...

    RT/FX
    - flip type dipole/bipole switch (have seen knob switch also)
    - mid-woofer cone is round w/o pattern
    - nickel binding posts
    - all drivers shielded (have seen non-shielded also)

    SDA surround speakers (vintage recommendations)
    - FX/1000: All SDA-SRS, SDA-1, SDA -1(A-C), LS90, RTA-15
    - FX/500: SDA-2 (all versions), SDA-CRS, RTA-15, RTA-12, RTA-11, RTA-8, Monitor 10 and Monitor 12, LS70, LS50
    - RT/FX: SDA-CRS, RTA-8, Monitor 7, S-10, LS50
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  • trubluluc
    trubluluc Posts: 2,067
    edited April 2006
    Wow, now that's thorough research.
    It's like reading a chapter in Polk and Wagnalls.:)

    -Luc
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited April 2006
    trubluluc wrote:
    It's like reading a chapter in Polk and Wagnalls.:) -Luc
    Is that another of DarqueKnight's publications?
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,774
    edited April 2006
    The original SRT surrounds were monsters.

    They had four 5.25" drivers and two 1" tweeter. They were in theory true "SDA Surrounds".

    Polkwannabe has a pair in his SRT setup.

    They are very large.
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • soiset
    soiset Posts: 724
    edited May 2006
    Per the Polk specs listed, Polk65 is off on the response of the LS/fx and SRT/fx: The -3 response is 50-24k, not 90-25k. 50 is pretty dang low for those little boxes. Is that realistic?

    Polk65, why do you list the RT/fx for the surround recommendation for the LS70 and LS50? Would not the LS/fx be better matched, since it uses the same tweeter?

    What tweeter do the f/x500 and 1000 surrounds use? The Clubpolk page doesn't list the fx surround parts.
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  • Polk65
    Polk65 Posts: 1,405
    edited May 2006
    Hopefully someone else with information will chime in. Keep in mind that many models often used superceded drivers so they will vary over the years of production.

    The specs I listed for the SRT/fx (photo6) comes from Polk Audio's SRT manual page 6 and notes from the forum. Officially recommended surrounds change from time to time. I believe the answer to your question is that the later RT/fx came with the tri-laminate tweeter.

    There are two versions of the RT/fx that I am aware of. The early version (photo5) came with a dynamic balance (black) tweeter. A later version used the tri-laminate (silver) tweeter (photo4).

    I believe the larger SRT/fx surrounds (photo3) were a later version. The smaller surrounds are described in the manual and I was told that the large surrounds were available with the SRT controller as an add-on a package.
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited May 2006
    Correct.

    My RT f/x's have the tri-lam tweeter.... same as my LS f/x's.
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • soiset
    soiset Posts: 724
    edited May 2006
    My LS/fx manual lists the -3 response as 90-25k, overall of 60-26k. I guess the web page is wrong(?)
    Setting the sub crossover at the THX 80 Hz would then leave a pretty big gap for the surrounds, eh?
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  • Dennis Gardner
    Dennis Gardner Posts: 4,861
    edited May 2006
    soiset wrote:
    My LS/fx manual lists the -3 response as 90-25k, overall of 60-26k. I guess the web page is wrong(?)
    Setting the sub crossover at the THX 80 Hz would then leave a pretty big gap for the surrounds, eh?

    I wouldn't run either of the surrounds mentioned on large, they just aren't built for full range use. The 80 hz crossover is fine.
    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
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