Virgin!

lofmarks

phew... this is getting really crazy now
what is the diff between the rsi8 & the T90eb's then?? the reason I ask is because no one else has brought this model up.
Thanks & Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!!

zombie boy 2000

Take a deep breath...

just so you know, the T90eb's and Monitor 60's are one and the same.

dane_peterson

You may be just as well off getting RTi6 bookshelves if you're really trying to shave a couple hundred dollars. I had them as my first Polk setups for Front L/R, and was very pleased with them.

MSALLA

dane_peterson wrote:

You may be just as well off getting RTi6 bookshelves if you're really trying to shave a couple hundred dollars. I had them as my first Polk setups for Front L/R, and was very pleased with them.

I second that. If you want to save some cash, this is the way to go.

lofmarks

sooooooooo....the '''gospel''' seems to really be that it's RT or tin cans ???!!!?? lol ... i'm with you all now,,,,,,just a bit slow I guess

lofmarks

lofmarks wrote:

sooooooooo....the '''gospel''' seems to really be that it's RT or tin cans ???!!!?? lol ... i'm with you all now,,,,,,just a bit slow I guess

RTi's I meant... forget my thinking of the Monitor 60 / T90EB's then 'eh??? My room size 15' x 15' just for fyi if it matters in everyones opinions for me.
ThanX!!!!!! ))

MSALLA

If you do get Monitor series speakers let me know. I have a like new CS-1 center that is all yours if you go that route.

VR3

Polk's RM series is their version of HTIB! Quite frankly I cringe about buying anything out of CC! If you have a Tweeter or the like where you are go there instead.

YES it is more money, but the selection & products are better!

Again save your money, audition Polks at a good store, with music you know well on better receivers! MAKE SURE THE RECEIVER HAS PREOUTS!!!!

Once you find a Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha, HK receiver that you think you can be happy with, then look for a deal & get it online.

But go & audition them first!

Yes,
Please go to your local store...

Spend several hours there, drive a salesman mad who is trying to make a living...

And go home and purchase the stuff online without giving the guy in the store a chance to price match.

I love customers like that. Yep, I sure do...

Im glad most of the people that come in my store everyday arnt this way... jesus, Id be finding a new job.

Thanks for supporting your local shops. pfffft

cfrizz

Oh don't get your knickers in a knot Sid!

I only told him that since he wants to save so much money. And we both know that you DO sometimes get more for your money when buying online!

The only thing I'm interested in supporting is MY wallet! If a better price is in a store, I'll buy it there, if I can get better online for less money than that is where it's going!

VR3

Well I can tell you from experience, I as a salesman will rather sell you something for 20% off because of an online price rather than you not buy from me at all...

Get my drift...

Any purchase is a good purchase...

Both teams can win if you want to try...

Chicomoralessxm

hmmm well i can go with that policy!!! no where is your store again???lol

lofmarks

lofmarks wrote:

What about the T90EB??
BUY 1, get 1 Free for $350??? Tweeter again.........

Sorry to be a pain in the arssss...
lofmarks

Well, since it IS Black Friday and the taxes are right.
T90EB vs. RTi6's

This is where I am at.... Tweeter has them for the same $$$.

Thought asap please because I want to shop shop shop!!!!

Hope you all had a great thanksgiving and thank you for getting me setup!
lofmarks

MSALLA

I had the monitor 40's and didn't like them but you may like the sound stage of towers better then the bookshelves. I would go w/ the RTI-6 but don't take my word for it. Go to tweeter get a salesmen and listen to both over and over again. Keep in mind you have 30 days to return any tweeter product for a full refund. So it's not like your stuck if you don't like you choice.

dane_peterson

Here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Polk-Audio-RTi6-Black-Excellent-Condition_W0QQitemZ220052785233QQihZ012QQcategoryZ71572QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

And Here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Polk-Audio-Rti-6-Bookshelf-Speakers-Black-Pair_W0QQitemZ230054608590QQihZ013QQcategoryZ14991QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

And Here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Polk-Audio-CSi3-Home-Center-Channel-Speaker-Black_W0QQitemZ120055086950QQihZ002QQcategoryZ14992QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Then buy my receiver, and you'll have 5 speakers and a receiver for less than $1000! Then just save up for a decent subwoofer.

lofmarks

Good Price on the CS3 there... & I'm from Buffalo [kinda].
Thanks for the offer and still considering it but with the free POS sub from Tweeter and no financing/payment 18 mos. on the Tweeter card, I might just end up doing that and getting everything today [except the center]
I dunno.... pacing the floor now...... hee hee...
The rep at Tweeter told me on the phone a few min ago that he feels that the difference for how I'd use my fronts won't be much difference between the T90's [buy 1 get 1 free] and the RTi6's [totals out to same $.. even through eBay close enough]
IF the T90's ARE the Monitor 60's and many seem to like it, I'm kinda feeling that I'm getting more bang for my buck with those.... but I'm torn because soooooooooo many of you love the RTi6 / 8 so much.
Thanks much for your input, mucho appreciated!
lofmarks

amulford

I could probably solve your problem. I have a complete HT set I'm getting ready to sell.

RT2000p for your fronts. In black.

CS245i or a CS350LS center channel, again in black.

A pair of (I think) RT f/x speakers in black, which are similar to the LS f/x but they have 1 mid driver, not two. I have to confirm this, it's been a while since I looked at them, they may be LS f/x's.

I'm thinking like $750 for the lot, but you'll have to pick them up.

tommyboy

lofmarks wrote:

Good Price on the CS3 there... & I'm from Buffalo [kinda].
Thanks for the offer and still considering it but with the free POS sub from Tweeter and no financing/payment 18 mos. on the Tweeter card, I might just end up doing that and getting everything today [except the center]
I dunno.... pacing the floor now...... hee hee...
The rep at Tweeter told me on the phone a few min ago that he feels that the difference for how I'd use my fronts won't be much difference between the T90's [buy 1 get 1 free] and the RTi6's [totals out to same $.. even through eBay close enough]
IF the T90's ARE the Monitor 60's and many seem to like it, I'm kinda feeling that I'm getting more bang for my buck with those.... but I'm torn because soooooooooo many of you love the RTi6 / 8 so much.
Thanks much for your input, mucho appreciated!
lofmarks

You don't want rti6 or monitor60s with a psw10 sub since both speakers can't go below 40hz (well, thats what it says in the specs:) ) and won't be able to help the sub at all;) . If you get the sub, don't open it and sell it! There is a reason why you get this for free...If they gave you a real good sub for free they would be idiots...

Buy either one and save up for a good sub...

dane_peterson

Here ya go... good deal on some GOOD Polk towers:

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46425

MSALLA

So, did you buy anything yet?

surfntomm

first of all for a receiver you can go wrong with going to www.secondact.biz and getting a refurbed receiver. those prices are ridiculously good and you can get an extended warranty if you are scared. (i got mine from here). get your speakers from the forums here if you want polks, you cant go wrong on the pricing. i have the rti6 and they are good but if you want to step it up get the rti8 and you will not be disappointed. what is 250 in the long run? you will eventually upgrade them once you hear the rti8's or better. bookshelves cant really compare to floorstanders. get a a decent sub as well used. i got a psw650 for 200 bucks off craigslist and this thing blows my house away. everything in this crappy apartment vibrates when doing a frequency sweep . if you wait you will be able to find good deals on speakers online. if you know you want to go polk just get them online and be done with it. some good deals to be had between the forums, craigslist, audiogon, and ebay. hope this helps....

here is a link to secondact's deal of the day, every few days they have an AVR with a killer deal. check them out and you will save yourself tons of money.
http://www.secondact.biz/c=zmGKx3lc2qwnWco4q6DC6swQq/category/promo/

univera

The reason Zombie asked if HT was your main priority is simple. Not all speakers are suitable for duty as dedicated, main speakers. Since you stated that 2 channel listening is not your priority, than that isn't an issue. However; carefully re-read what others on this forum have mentioned. It is nearly guaranteed that you will start to learn more and desire better products as you visit this site. You will want more, irrespective of this site, once you learn what is truly out there. CC, Tweeter, etc, have nice products, but they are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of performance. While Onkyo, HK, etc make good products, there is a world of improvement one can find. Granted, you mentioned a $1000 budget, so your options are limited. If that is truly your budget and you must buy now, go used and forget new and big box stores. Most people on this forum buy used, and not just small ticket items.

Cfrizz is a very knowledgeable, down to earth advisor, and I would take her words of advice. She is essentially telling you to buy the best you can now, even if it is piece by piece.

Rome wasn't built overnight, so why buy half-measure stuff when you can be patient and buy really good stuff the first time around. When you truly realize what is out there, you will kick yourself for squeezing an entire system out of $1,000. In reality, you can easily spend that much on your speakers or AVR alone. Some might disagree, but $1,000 is not going to get it done if you are serious about building a very good system. Even used, you are stretching your bucks very thin. Trying to condense all those speakers and an AVR into that budget is doing things less than adequately.

Let's assume HT remains your priority. To me, that is even MORE reason to not do things half-****. If that is truly your focus, get a damn good AVR with lots of power and at least focus your efforts on the 3 front speakers, where most of the action occurs. Keep in mind, there are other things to buy such as a good quality power conditioner/surge protector that hasn't even been mentioned.

With all due respect to many on this forum, many of those advising you don't have the budgets to really put together a top notch HT or 2 channel system. They can relate to you because they know how to put together a budget system. But, they are also telling you what they would do IF they had the money or had a chance to start from scratch. I can honestly say that even when I was in my teens and first starting out, I always bought the best stuff possible. I wanted the good stuff and was willing to wait until I could get it. The only thing that has become truly obsolete during that time is my non-progressive DVD player.

Therefore, get a damn good set of main speakers. First. You may not be into 2 channel now, but at some point, you likely will and if you do, you will have a great pair of dual purpose speakers. Use those to build your entire system. Speakers of very good quality won't become obsolete. A good design is a good design. I'm not an expert, but speaker design hasn't been revolutionized since the 80's. Sure, there are killer designs these days, but a huge leap occurred in the 80's. Much of the earlier stuff, with an exception of a few, are not up to par with good quality speakers from the 80's and beyond. Again, I said most, not all. I am sure someone will argue this point, but I am just trying to point out that most well regarded speakers of today will continue to be well regarded in the years to come. You already have a decent, progressive player, and that's one place you (and many) can cut corners.

Your reciever is going to become obsolete, guaranteed, at some point. As Ted mentioned, get an AVR with pre-outs, no exception. You will get better resale on it and it will become less of a liability over time.

I am one of three Charleston forum members besides yourself. I have an awesome pair of Definitive Technology BP 2000, bipolar towers that I am going to be selling. Each speaker has its own, built in, 15" sub, and one had the sub amp factory serviced a couple of months ago. You can use the subs or turn them off if you want a dedicated sub in your system. They sound fantasic for two channel listening as well, particuarly with the subs toned down. Dipolar speakers have a matched pair of speakers on the back side that reflect the sound off the rear walls for a more dispersed, realistic sound. Kind of like what you get in a concert or theatre.

I also have the matching BP-X rear channel, dipole speakers. Additionally, I have 3 subs, and I don't need more than 2, for certain. All you would need is a matching center channel and your AVR. DT is one of the top HT speakers around. And, the Def Tech pieces I have are better than the current offerings and are as good or better than many of the Polk pieces. And, the price will be right, cheaper than Ebay, and you won't have to pay shipping or risk damage.

The DT's mentioned were also the top of the line offerings at the time and would cost you several thousand new. It may take you a little longer to build your system, but it will be worth it. If you can spend a $1,000 now, this minute, what could you bring to the table in six months, etc? That's what I would ask myself. (My advice would be exactly the same whether or not I had speakers for sale.)

Unless you are set on Polk, we should talk. I am sending you a Private Message with my phone number. I also just had my system installed by the former head installer for Tweeter and he is an honest, reliable guy. I can set you up with him as well.

zombie boy 2000

^^^^^^^^^UNI RULZ!!!!


Well said.... on all points. I'd like to also throw out the somewhat unpopular opinion that a speaker well-suited for HT will not always be the cat's meow for music, but any speaker well-designed for music will almost always serve quite admirably in the HT department.

That being said, individuals putting together a home theater system that have eventually gravitated to two-channel are a dime a dozen. Like Uni said, your front speakers are key here so don't necessarily rule out the possibility of not only building an excellent HT rig, but a 2-channel one as well.

cfrizz

Uni, OUTSTANDING post! There is something in there to learn for all newbies!!!!

Well Done!

univera

Yep, Zombie is correct. If it sounds good with music, HT will sound good. It may not be able to go full range needed for HT, but that's what subs are for. Here's some links to the BP 2000's. By the way, I'm selling them because I have big **** Polks and can't justify 4 large speakers in my listening area.

And if you want a good AVR for the money that doesn't scrimp on good 2 channel sound, look into NAD AVR's. Mine is the top model, but other models are available for less. The only differences are power ratings. Mine is whisper quiet using the DT's and modest cabling/wire. If you ever decide to focus more on 2 channel, the NAD AVR will still do a damn good job of stereo reproduction without sacrificing like some of the other Onkyo's, HK, etc. NAD also rates their pieces with all channels driven, which is a true measurement of power. NAD's 50 wpc will generally better the other models previously suggested as they are not a true indication of what the NAD can output. (See link below.) I believe also that all of the NAD AVR's can be upgraded internally through a computer connection in case a new format or enhanced mode is available. In retrospect, since budget is a concern, stick with a well regarded AVR like NAD and step down to a lower powered model. You will still get the benefits of the awesome NAD pre-pro section used for HT and have the ability to go with a seperate power supply down the line which will not only increase power but also give you a cleaner sound (cleaner sound isn't even an issue on these...)

http://www.definitivetech.com/reviews/BP2000HT.pdf
http://www.definitivetech.com/reviews/BP2000SR.pdf

http://nadelectronics.com/products/av-receivers

http://www.soundstage.com/surrounded/surrounded200411.htm

http://cgi.ebay.com/NAD-T743-T-743-A-V-Receiver-5-1-Home-Theater-V2_W0QQitemZ160054377875QQihZ006QQcategoryZ14981QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Note that the Ebay unit above was originally listed at an opening bid of $430.00, but no one bid. It was relisted and sold as seen above.

jdhdiggs

At your budget, I would seriously scrimp on the electronics side in favor of the speakers. Good speakers become obolete much slower than any other peice of equipment (except maybe dedicated amps). I would focus on getting the best set of 2 speakers you can get and still have the electronics to the level that you won't hurt the speakers.

After that, get the matching center and the rears when budget permits, and then upgrade the electronics as they fry, become obsolete, or funds come up.

As others have said, used market is best. If you want to permanantly cap the budget at $1K, then go used or HTIB as it is about the best you can do.

univera

Well said. And, keep in mind, going with a base model NAD AVR spends the minimum on an eventual piece of obsolete equipment while giving you the protection of NAD's soft clipping which prevents damage to your speakers, even from being underpowered. And, this unit is upgradeable as mentioned, so if a new surround format appears, you can just download if from the company website.

hearingimpared

Uni . . . .does your brain have a tap-in to Batman's computer:p ????

Very nice informative write ups.:cool: I know yours and the other posts are helping me build the two HTs I am working on in my new home. One is in the dedicated media room and is going to be as high end as I can afford. The other is going to be in our living room where items such as a SurroundBar is going to be used. . .not quite high end but very good none the less.

Thanks for the excellant and informative write ups.

Cathy I'll be tapping into your brain's HT database :eek: when the time comes for HT advise too!!! Thanks.:)

lofmarks

And the verdict IS:
Rti6 at Tweeter for $350
CSI3 Center for $150
Yamaha reciever w/ preouts 90 watts per
Yes, ..... the PSW sub is still in the box and awaiting sale if anyone wants it --cheap! 80hz is the low I believe.
I originally brought home the T90's [like the Monitor 60's I guess].. took them back the next day. Didn't like the sound at all. We love the RTI6's. My WIFE wall mounted them about 6' on the wall on either side of the 108" screen,,, they stick out obviously but man, what a nice sound for 15' x 15' room. All Monster cables, 14 guage wiring without the banana clips which I am going to get later.....
The rears are nothing special [small Panasonic] but do so-so once I adjusted the levels.
I am very appreciative of you all. At this point, I will get some decent rears later and looking for input on SUBS now.
If any one has any suggestions, please let me know.
Tweeter was good and glad I could do "small" bartering with a salesman that I trusted who has worked there for 3 yrs. Was never pushy at all and agreed with everything that I learned from you all. The prices where pretty good and they even cut me deals on each item even the cables [buy 1 get 1]
Inputs / Slams ??
Thanks
lofmarks

Home Theatre

Just curious what did you not like about the t90e's(monitor 60's).

MSALLA

Sounds good. See www.svsound.com for a sub. Later, instead of getting new rears, move the Rti-6 to the back and get a set of Rti-8's for the front. With the 10" svs that would be a nice set-up.