Using RTI12 as CENTER!!!

XJRGUY

Hey guys,

I haven't posted here in a while.

My mom is in from Nj visiting us, and today I was showing off the "system" to her.

Well, I was just starting Star Wars III and the fan fare began, and my CSI5 did a swan dive off our SXRD sony onto the ground!!!

Needless to say it's destroyed. The cabinet broke into three pieces.

The drivers are ok, along with everything else, but the cabinet is TOAST!! I'm very very lucky this thing didn't land on one of our two dogs or cats!!

I went and picked up another CSI5, and then decided:

A. I can't put it back on my TV with the "kickstand" for fear that it will fall over again

B. I don't want to hang a dedicated shelf and put the speaker on that. (Hate drilling holes in the wall)

Soooooooo, I took a long look at my front speakers which are RTI12's and figured hey that would make a great center, sitting horizontally with the TV on top of the speaker. My center CSI5 was overpowered anyway with the potential to put 600 watts into it via the Soundcraftsmen. The Sony TV is only 94 lbs, so I shouldn't have any problems there.

I am going to get this done tonight.

Does Polk sell cabinets by themselves so I can pull the guts out of the CSI5 that dropped today?? That way I could then get that repaired.

Hope everyone has been well!

XJRGUY

Early B.

An RTi12 should make a great center channel, as long as all three 12's are powered by an external amp. Make sure you calibrate the system, though.

XJRGUY

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. The SXRD TV is only 94lbs so I think the RTi12 can handle it on top of it.

I have dual Soundcraftsmen Pro Power 10's.

All three RTi12's are being fed a potential 600 watts of clean mosfet power.

The rear FXi5's have 240 watts of potential power fed to them.

Oh and the bonus tonight was i got a free PSW10 because the one RTi12 was enough for the promotion.

It is keeping our PSW1000 company.

XJRGUY

haimoc

Are you planning to put your TV on top of the Rti12 speaker or the Rti12speaker on the top of the TV? I don't think it is a good idea either way. I would get a better TV stand that has space for Csi5.

McLoki

While the RTi12 sounds like a great idea and I can wait to hear your impressions, I just wanted you to know what stand I have been using for my lsiC. It works well and has not sent the speaker on its nose in the year I have had it.

Michael

BTW - good luck with the RTi12. please post pics an impressions when you get it set up.

Ricardo

I have my CSi5 resting on the kickstand, plus added a screw to the base so that it does not slide (just tightening the knob was not enough); I also added 9 vinyl "feet" to the front because stock rubbers were not enough and it would move.....it is pretty solid now, but still...I have nightmares that it falls...

jrlouie

I have read on the SXRD forum that weight on top of any type of rear-projection TV could over time cause the cabinet to warp and therefore warp the picture. I don't know if this is true or not, just something I thought I'd mention. Here is a SXRD thread.

XJRGUY

haimoc wrote:

Are you planning to put your TV on top of the Rti12 speaker or the Rti12speaker on the top of the TV? I don't think it is a good idea either way. I would get a better TV stand that has space for Csi5.

Hi,

I have the 50 inch SXRD on top of the Rti12 speaker. I would most definitely not put the Rti12 on top of the tv. LOL!!

The speaker is laid horizontally, and the TV is on top of it.

According the Polk, the RTi12 is "massively braced internally" and the television is relatively svelte at 94 lbs. So far so good. It also raised the television viewing angle up about 6 - 7 inches.

T

XJRGUY

McLoki wrote:

While the RTi12 sounds like a great idea and I can wait to hear your impressions, I just wanted you to know what stand I have been using for my lsiC. It works well and has not sent the speaker on its nose in the year I have had it.

Michael

BTW - good luck with the RTi12. please post pics an impressions when you get it set up.

McLoki,

Thanks for the reply.

I read about this stand on epinions or something.

Apparently someone had major problems (maybe it was a faulty install) and recommended Hyloft built shelves.

I actually went to Lowe's yesterday and picked up these things and another contraption to hold the Csi5 on the wall (being in earthquake country one little shaker and that center speaker would fall backwards!!)

The end result with the Rti12 acting as center with my tv on top of it is working out really well.

Watched Chronicles of Narnia last night and everything sounded great.

XJRGUY

XJRGUY

HTrookie wrote:

I have my CSi5 resting on the kickstand, plus added a screw to the base so that it does not slide (just tightening the knob was not enough); I also added 9 vinyl "feet" to the front because stock rubbers were not enough and it would move.....it is pretty solid now, but still...I have nightmares that it falls...

Hi,

This is EXACTLY how I had my Csi5 on top of my TV.

It didn't fall backwards, but forwards towards the listener. Either way is a disaster.

If I were you I would seriously consider some other arrangement for securing the speaker.

When it falls, it will break.

XJRGUY

XJRGUY

Here are some pictures.

Ricardo

I wonder what the effect of having the tweeter to one side is...don't you notice any disadvantage there?

It's pitty how that CSi5 ended....in my case, even though it looks unstable, those vinyl thingies make a huge difference; I've tried to move it by pushing/pulling and you would need a lot of force to achieve any movement; I guess an earthquake would do it though.

Early B.

That RTi12 as a center channel looks cool. Some people probably wouldn't even realize it's a speaker. I bet it sounds great.

XJRGUY

HTrookie wrote:

I wonder what the effect of having the tweeter to one side is...don't you notice any disadvantage there?

It's pitty how that CSi5 ended....in my case, even though it looks unstable, those vinyl thingies make a huge difference; I've tried to move it by pushing/pulling and you would need a lot of force to achieve any movement; I guess an earthquake would do it though.

I agree. It's sitting on an ottoman now waiting for me to decide what to do with it. Right now I'd like to sell the free PSW10 I got last night, and get the Csi5 fixed up and sell her too.

Regarding the RTi12 on its side doing center channel duty......The dispersion of the tweeter is noticed only if you really really pay attention and know the tweeter is located there. Viewers unaware of the transducers position on the cabinet would most likely not notice. That was the FIRST THOUGHT when I positioned the tower under the television. I thought "oh crap, I forgot about that little detail" but so far so good. The steering of DD sound effects during a soundstage sweep from L -> R or from R -> L is seamless. I set the center channel DD setup from small to large, and that made a big difference too.

My Csi5 was on top of the television for 8 months, and never moved. We had a copper pipe leak in our living/viewing room which required in home jackhammering to get to it. During this service I moved the center channel off the top of the tv. I believe that when I restored it back, I canted the speaker too far forwards, hence the result of my current calamity (and upgrade!!)

I love my fiance. She didn't even bat an eyelash.

XJRGUY

Ricardo

err.....that's because she's still your fiance....just wait....

XJRGUY

HTrookie wrote:

err.....that's because she's still your fiance....just wait....

Hahaha, BTDTHTTS (Been There Done That Have The T-Shirt)

TennesseeOutlaw

McLoki wrote:

While the RTi12 sounds like a great idea and I can wait to hear your impressions, I just wanted you to know what stand I have been using for my lsiC. It works well and has not sent the speaker on its nose in the year I have had it.

Michael

BTW - good luck with the RTi12. please post pics an impressions when you get it set up.

I love that stand. Ive never seen one of those.. Dam, I need to go to CC, BB, or something and play around with the electronics like I used to.

TennesseeOutlaw

However 30 lbs?? Thats not a whole lot! Im guessing that is very conservative?

McLoki

TennesseeOutlaw wrote:

However 30 lbs?? Thats not a whole lot! Im guessing that is very conservative?

30# is more than enough for most center channel speakers (any current polk center will work). I will grant you it is a little lite for an RTi12 though.

Michael.

BTW - they also show using it to hold cable boxes and the like. An interesting idea I had not thought of.

BaggedLancer

Ok, so who's the next person to put a 1.2 as a center, i definately wanna see a pic of that