Rti12's? Mixed reviews...

TennesseeOutlaw

I am about to spend some serious money on a home theater system and I would like to hear your comments(if qualified). I am thinking about purchasing Rti12's(main), Rti8's(surround), Csi5(center), and (2) PSW1000(sub). With the Csi5 and the Rti8's I have heard nothing but great reviews; however, with the Rti12's the reviews go from absolutely fantastic to there's no way I would purchase these. Just to give you an idea of the rest of the system I am putting together here's the following: Pre/Pro - Outlaw Audio Model 990 Amplifiers - (7) Outlaw Audio Model 2200's DVD player - Marantz SACD player - Marantz That should be enough for you to get the idea. Now, the Outlaw Audio Model 2200 amplifiers are rated at 200 watts @ 8 ohms with .05% Thd. I plan on using 4 2200's on the Rti12's (bi-amping). And obviously the 3 other 2200's would each have their own respective speaker (Rti8's and Csi5). Now, with the reviews that I have read on the Rti12's, most of the people with negative comments have generally had very weak receivers pushing them. Around 100 watts/channel. Personally I thought this was the problem and that was that. Do you feel the same way? I figure I will be giving the monsters 400 high currents watts a peice, and any of the problems other people have been having would go out the door. What do you think? I also will be using this system for my music listening. I have not came across too many reviews for the Rti12's for music listening/reproduction. How does these speakers sound? How is the soundstage? Also, I will only be purchasing 1 PSW1000 at first, and after evaluating the sound(my likes) I will decide if the extra sub is necessary. Any comments are welcomed and greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Ricardo

Welcome to the forum; though I am probably not qualified, here's my opinion anyway

-Never heard the 12's, but I am sure if you feed them that kind of juice, they'll sound great.

-The RTi line is not the best for music listening; too bright. This is how I feel and many others agree

-If I were you, I'd go with LSi15's, LSiC and LSi9's for surrounds; if that's too much coin, then 4 LSi9's, LSiC and a good sub. You'll get great speakers for HT and music.

-Look into other subs, like SVS; give them a call/email with your room specifics and you'll get the right recommendation. Best bass for the money.

ronnie

i had my 12's hooked up to my yamaha reciever and was very disappointed. even with the rated 140 watts it did nothing for the speakers. when i hooked up my first adcom .....wow..... they came to life. when i hooked up my other adcom to those beauties....i fell in love....they are everything you could ask for in a speaker if properly powered

TennesseeOutlaw

First of all, thanks for the welcoming. Much appreciated. I have looked heavily at the Lsi series and still to this day may go that route. If I do go with the Lsi's I would get the 25's for the front and the 15's for surround. Like you said though, this is some serious serious "coin", and Im not too sure how long it would take me to get all the speakers. Unfortunately, I have no patience and want it all at once; however, I may be able to make an exception in this case. One thing that I didnt like about the Lsi 15/25 is the powered sub in them. Why, Im not too sure. I have had speakers with a powered sub in them before and to be honest with you I was very disappointed. Really, I need to go somewhere and do some vigorous listening. Ive heard that SVS was a great sub company, but I like to keep all my speakers the same. I know with the sub frequencies this isnt really that big of a deal. I do love tons of bass. More than the usual person I would say. With the PSW1000 I was also concerned about its frequency range. Im not too sure it will go low enough for my liking. I will do a lot more research before making any final decisions. Thanks for your advice.

PolkWannabie

Most of the negative comments on the 12's have come from people who have never heard them ...
Most of the rest of the negative comments have come from those who thought a receiver was enough to drive them well ( it isn't ) ...
Most of the rest of the negative comments come I think from those who are primarily interested in music as opposed to HT as they think the LSi's are better for 2 channel ... They're probably correct ...

I have a pair of 12's that I'm using in a large bedroom as part of a second HT if you will ... One of the reasons I wanted these up front as opposed to the 10's or the 8's is that I didn't want other large heavy subs up there ... The 12's dig pretty low albeit not as low as a sub but pretty low for a relatively narrow tower.

If I were going to get an RTi oriented system where I was going to use a sub I might opt for the 10's instead ... The reason of course is that I'd expect the sub to fill in the bottom instead of the towers.

As far as surrounds go I'd seriously consider the FXi5's or 3's as bi/dipole speakers are typically better i.e. more diverse sound in the surround location(s).

As far as subs go, if you are looking in the price range of the PSW1000 then I wouldn't rule out SVS and HSU.

Holydoc

For a HT system, I could not be more pleased with the RTi12's. They give me the bottom end I crave when listening to two channel and the fullness I need when in HT. You can read in my signature that I am powering them with a 7x200watt amp. It is really pleasing to have people over who say things like "Oh my God", "That was awesome", of just "Cool" when watching a movie on my system.

Though I have only heard good things about the laidback sound of the LSi's when it comes to music, I am a bit worried that by changing out my RTi's for LSi's on the HT route I may lose a bit of that punch (or wow factor) that I am getting now. You will have to determine that yourself.

As far as the soundstage, the RTi12's give a very full front stage. My surrounds are all bipole/dipole so that they encompass me and give no location problems. Therefore I cannot give you an idea of whether you will be happy with direct firing speakers as surround.

I swapped out a Polk sub for my SVS and have only regretted that I did not do it sooner. If you are going for impact on your HT, the subwoofer should be of utmost concern to you. You need room shaking bass when an action scene hits. Make sure whatever sub you select that it has enough power in the ultra low frequencies to feel your couch rattle when the scene depicts it. Nothing is worse than missing the explosion on your new system just because you wanted to be loyal to a single brand.

Finally, you are absolutely right that it does not make any timbre difference when you are talking about subwoofers. If your subwoofer is tuned from 80Hz or below, there will be no localization of the bass and thus no timbre matching problems. Get the best bass you can afford. Timbre matching is only important for your front stage and surrounds so that you can follow the movement of the action. Subwoofers should be set up so that there is no localization of sound and thus no movement to follow.

Good luck and welcome to the forums!

McLoki

Only the LSi25 is powered. The LSi15 is passive. I have heard both in my home and preferred the sound of the LSi15. You may want to go with 4 LSi15's if your preference is towers.

I have not heard the RTi line so I cannot comment on those other than what I have read others say. It seems that they are very good rock speakers, but if your tastes sway to classical, Jazz or similar - they may fall short of your expectations.

Normally I would say audition both and decide from there, but - at least in this area - it is very hard to get a decent demo as both the 12's and the entire LSi line really should have separate amplification. You may not like either speaker (unfairly) when it is powered from the typical AVR.

Normally I would say for home theater all your speakers should be the same as well, but dollar for dollar - SVS and HSU are damn hard to beat. You really owe it to yourself to at least try and find someone close to you that can demo one of their subs. From what I have heard, the PSW1000 is nice, but when compared to an SVS plus/2 or Ultra (for about the same price) there is really not going to be alot of competition. (FYI - I would go with the plus 2 before the ultra at least until they come out with the new ultra driver.)

There is at least one member here (MikeC78) with 4 LSi15's in his home theater so he may be able to chime in and offer some perspective from that route as well.

Welcome to the club,

Michael

TennesseeOutlaw

Well I can tell you already I am very happy I joined this forum!! It is nice to chat with people that have the same passion for home theater as you do. I guess I really have a lot more research to do! Dammit! And I thought I was done! But, when are you really?? So, the LSi15's are passive? Thus, I could still get the extra (2) Model 2200's and bi-amp them. I like that idea. I just could of swore I read that they were powered. Something like 150 watts.. Basically im 50/50 on the HT and 2 channel music listening. I must have the best of both worlds. I listen rap, r&b, techno (house, trance), and some alternative rock. Most of the music I listen to is very bass heavy. One of the reasons I was leaning towards to Rti12's. BTW, all that responded, I am googling SVS right now! Keep the comments coming, and I will keep everyone updated. Thanks.

Monster Jam

I run 4 LSi15s and a LSiC and like them. I'm sure I'd "love" them if they were properly powered, but thats a bridge very far away right now.

I really liked the sound of the RTi's when I auditioned them - Its also fair that I mention that Klipsch's Reference series was also very good. Both are considered "Bright", but I like "Bright". To be totally honest, aesthetics is the only reason I went with the LSi series over the RTi and Klipsch speakers.

sickicw

here are some thoughts....
1) dont bi amp anything if you havent bought the amps yet. Bi amping is powering the tweeter with one amp and everything else with another. This is a huge waste to the amp that is powering the tweeter. Instead of buying 4 2200's just use that money on a really good (high current) 2 channel,and then replace the brass jumpers with speaker wire.
2) rti are good speakers, but lsi are much better
3) lsi will sound great with voices and other higher pitched sounds, but if you want them to sound good for music and home theater, you need a very very high current amp. (i was dissapointed in them until i upgraded).

Mike Reeter

Hello,Welcome aboard...We have a pair of RTi12's as mains in our HT rig...I have them bi amped with 325 wpc each.

Have you read the reviews here at Polk Audio?

We also have an SVS PC-Ultra sub,and I can say without a doubt...this set-up rocks.

The ONLY drawback of the 12's might be as mentioned before,is they can be a little bright for 2-channel listening for some...although I have several Music DVD's (concerts)that sound great...

With your type of music preference I think the 12's would be right at home,in your home:D

McLoki

For my music and HT tastes I really like the LSi's (maybe a little to laid back with my current electronics - but still very nice.)

From what others on the board have said though and with your music tastes, I would almost say the RTi12's should be your top contender. I would still listen to both (RTi and LSi) but everything you seem to like pays to the Rti strenghts...

One other thing you need to keep in mind though - Look for a thread from CES showing the new Polk RtiA series of speakers. These will replace the Rti's. Even if you decide to not go with the new style of RTi's - I would think there will be some pretty good discounts coming on the RTi's to clear them out soon.

Just wanted you to be aware of it. I don't know the timeframe of the new speakers to market or how soon you planned on purchasing, but there may be some serious money to be saved by purchasing the RTi's you want on closeout.

Michael

Mike Reeter

McLoki wrote:

For my music and HT tastes I really like the LSi's (maybe a little to laid back with my current electronics - but still very nice.)

From what others on the board have said though and with your music tastes, I would almost say the RTi12's should be your top contender. I would still listen to both (RTi and LSi) but everything you seem to like pays to the Rti strenghts...


One other thing you need to keep in mind though - Look for a thread from CES showing the new Polk RtiA series of speakers. These will replace the Rti's. Even if you decide to not go with the new style of RTi's - I would think there will be some pretty good discounts coming on the RTi's to clear them out soon.

Just wanted you to be aware of it. I don't know the timeframe of the new speakers to market or how soon you planned on purchasing, but there may be some serious money to be saved by purchasing the RTi's you want on closeout.

Michael

very good point,I picked our 12's up when Circuit City was closing out the RTi series for about $480. for the pair

hangon

I agree you need a powerful amp to drive these babies! I first hooked them up to a Denon 3805 and I was un-happy with the sound and performance. Now I have the CineNova Grande 5 @ 300 wpc @ 8 ohlms and these speakers and take everthing this amp dishes out. More power the better they sound. Good luck on making your selections.

TennesseeOutlaw

Well Ive been to SVS's website and done a lil research. Im really liking the Ultra/2 sub. But, Mcloki stated not to buy these until they come out with the new drivers. Mcloki, do you know of any dates for the release? Will it be within the next year?

Also, I have a new ?? After taking the link you sent me Mclocki, about the new RtiA series, do you know if the 3 sub/woofer drivers will be amplified? Is that was thet "A" in RtiA stands for? After looking at these spakers, I believe that I may wait and check these out. I love the cabinents!!!

Lastly, thank you all for your input. It is much appreciated, and I can tell Im hooked already;for everytime I get online this is the first place I go!

McLoki

Funny you should mention it.....

It would be worth a call to SVS to ask. They may even be shipping with the new woofers already (but I don't know - when they came out with the new plus drivers last year, they were shipping subs with the new drivers for a month or two before they even mentioned they were producing them.)

Not sure about the RtiA line. I do like the way the cabinets look though. (never have been a big fan of the silver tweeters, but that is just me.) It would be well worth a listen to see if you like them compared to the 12's. As far as the amplified part - just ask in the thread about them.

Michael

Holydoc

Tennessee,

As for waiting for SVS to come out with the new drivers, I think that is a mute point. SVS has some of the best customer service in equipment sales. As soon as they come out with the new drivers they will (if they follow suit like they did with all their other drivers) offer upgrades to their customers at cost. I was able to upgrade my PLUS sub when they got the new drivers and sell my other drivers for a profit on Ebay.

The RTiA line, I cannot help you with. You are going to have to listen to those on your own when they come out. The nice thing about that is that the RTi's that are being replaced should drop in price at retail shops. Then you can weigh costs against sound to even give you more choices. Since you are leaning towards the large cabinet speakers also be aware that the tapered cabinets can be a little less stable (physically stable) than a squared box thus making them a little easier to tip over. Though this is not even a concern for me, it may be for you if you have small children or pets around.

XJRGUY

I've got an RTI12 front soundstage. L C R are 12's.

Each speaker has high current mosfet 600 watts available to it.

It's an understatement when I say effortless power and unbelievable sound.

I wish I had ONE LSI15 to mess with side by side my RTi12 to see how much "better" or "different" it sounds.

Anybody in L.A. wanna bring one over and do some testing using my high current amps and any software you want to try?

XJRGUY

PolkWannabie

Been there done that ... I like the 12's ... I have a pair ... But in comparison to some other vintage Polk's I wouldn't call them effortless ...

XJRGUY

PolkWannabie wrote:

Been there done that ... I like the 12's ... I have a pair ... But in comparison to some other vintage Polk's I wouldn't call them effortless ...

Totally agree, but with the amplifier section I have most anything is driven effortlessly. Gonna try an arc welder soon.

LOL!

XJRGUY

PolkWannabie

Driven effortlessly and sounding effortless are two different things ...

MikeC78

Holydoc wrote:

Tennessee,

As for waiting for SVS to come out with the new drivers, I think that is a mute point. SVS has some of the best customer service in equipment sales. As soon as they come out with the new drivers they will (if they follow suit like they did with all their other drivers) offer upgrades to their customers at cost. I was able to upgrade my PLUS sub when they got the new drivers and sell my other drivers for a profit on Ebay.
.

This is fine for the plus series, but for the Ultra's he will run into a few issues...

1. The new Ultra sub is going to be a 13" and will not fit in the older Ultra cylinder or boxes.

2. The new Ultra also has a special amp that is going to drive it, I believe the amp for the single cylinder model is somewhere around 800 watts RMS?

3. The dual/Ultra's will no be out until late this year from what I hear, they are only introducing the single sub models for now. Should be comming soon in the next couple months...

4. I'd wait for the new single Ultra, as it's suppose to have more output than the current dual Ultra's!:eek:

Mike

disneyjoe7

PolkWannabie wrote:

Been there done that ... I like the 12's ... I have a pair ... But in comparison to some other vintage Polk's I wouldn't call them effortless ...

Effortless ya right... But I do think that the 12's would sound sweet given enough wattage to feed them. I know that is true about the RTi150's since that's what I own powered by 400w x2.

PolkWannabie

disneyjoe7 wrote:

Effortless ya right... But I do think that the 12's would sound sweet given enough wattage to feed them. I know that is true about the RTi150's since that's what I own powered by 400w x2.

Agreed ... I have a pair ... But they don't sound effortless ... At least not to me ...

The SRT's when properly driven sound totally effortless while providing total immersion for the listener ...