Need help completing my setup

Acadian
Acadian Posts: 60
edited December 2007 in Speakers
Just found the Polk Club and, wow, lots of good info in here guys!

As the title states, i scored a few good deals on boxing day up here in Canada. Here's what i got (Canadian prices):

Rti8 ($999/pair, sale for $399/pair)
Rti4 ($399/pair, sale for $129/pair)
PSW505 ($699, sale for $299)

As you can see by the sale prices, my budget was low...lol.

I've read ALOT on many different forums and i figure this might be a better place to get help...

1) Regarding the 505. I get mixed comments about this. Some say get a better sub, others say it'll do fine. Are there better subs out there for $299(Canadian)?

2) Speaker wires should be bought at monoprice. Is this accurate?

3) Csi5 vs Csi3. I was told the Csi5 is a better match cause of the 6.5" driver. Comments on this? They seem to be sold out in Canada. Would the CsiA6 (or A4) do the same job?

4) Receiver: i haven't narrowed down yet on this one. But i have heard of blowing your speakers, having enough juice to power your speakers, etc. What do you guys recommend to drive this setup?

Thanks!
Rti8
CsiA6
Rti4
PSW505
Yamaha 6050
Post edited by Acadian on
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Comments

  • McLoki
    McLoki Posts: 5,231
    edited December 2007
    1 - For $299 the 505 is a good sub and will be hard to beat. For the normal $699 price I would shop around.....

    2 - monoprice is a good place to get very inexpensive cables. I have been very impressed with all the digital cables I have purchased there (HDMi and Optical). I have also heard a sub cable from there running an old Polk PSW-350 sub and it sounded fine. (not awesome, but that sub never did) I will say I would source most analog RCA cables (like from a CD Player or to an Amplifier) from somewhere else. For speaker wire, just get 12ga (or 14ga if you want a little less expensive) cable from wherever you want and hook it up. If you can borrow more expensive cables sometime from a friend or store to try them out - do it. If you notice a better sound, get them - if not return them.

    3 - Most consider the CSi5 a much better center than the CSi3. I would try and snag a used CSi5 from somewhere (here, audiogon, videogon, etc.) rather than try something from another line. You could call polk customer service though and ask if the RTiA line is voice matched to the RTi line. They would be the best source for that answer (unless someone here has tried that matchup.)

    4 - That setup should not be overly hard to drive. Get whatever AVR has the features you like and make sure it has pre-outs for all channels (not just the subwoofer). Don't get hung up on power in a mainstream AVR. Purchase it for features and know if you want more power, you can add a nice (and not neccesarily expensive) amp later to run your front speakers with.

    Welcome to Club Polk. Enjoy your new setup, it will be a nice one.

    Michael
    Mains.............Polk LSi15 (Cherry)
    Center............Polk LSiC (Crossover upgraded)
    Surrounds.......Polk LSi7 (Gloss Black - wood sides removed and crossovers upgraded)
    Subwoofers.....SVS 25-31 CS+ and PC+ (both 20hz tune)
    Pre\Pro...........NAD T163 (Modded with LM4562 opamps)
    Amplifier.........Cinepro 3k6 (6-channel, 500wpc@4ohms)
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  • DeusExa
    DeusExa Posts: 491
    edited December 2007
    Can an entry level Hsu/SVS/eD subwoofer (~$300) beat the PSW505?
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  • Acadian
    Acadian Posts: 60
    edited December 2007
    I should mention i have a medium sized room....i just measured it and the room is between 1700 and 2000 cubic feet. Approximately 8(height)x12(width)x20(length). It's not my permanent room, but i'm guessing the next one will be fairly similar.

    So is my setup (front Rti8, rear Rti4, sub PSW505) adequate for this room?
    Rti8
    CsiA6
    Rti4
    PSW505
    Yamaha 6050
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  • McLoki
    McLoki Posts: 5,231
    edited December 2007
    DeusExa wrote: »
    Can an entry level Hsu/SVS/eD subwoofer (~$300) beat the PSW505?

    Probably, but don't forget to include shipping to Canada. (exchange rate is currently negligable - $299 Canadian is $304 US)
    Mains.............Polk LSi15 (Cherry)
    Center............Polk LSiC (Crossover upgraded)
    Surrounds.......Polk LSi7 (Gloss Black - wood sides removed and crossovers upgraded)
    Subwoofers.....SVS 25-31 CS+ and PC+ (both 20hz tune)
    Pre\Pro...........NAD T163 (Modded with LM4562 opamps)
    Amplifier.........Cinepro 3k6 (6-channel, 500wpc@4ohms)
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  • McLoki
    McLoki Posts: 5,231
    edited December 2007
    Acadian wrote: »
    I should mention i have a medium sized room....i just measured it and the room is between 1700 and 2000 cubic feet. Approximately 8(height)x12(width)x20(length). It's not my permanent room, but i'm guessing the next one will be fairly similar.

    So is my setup (front Rti8, rear Rti4, sub PSW505) adequate for this room?

    Should be very nice. If you place your sub in the corner, you will get the most output, but may introduce some nasty peaks. (making it sound boomy) Move it more along the wall between the corners and you may get a smoother sound but less volume. Play with the placement and see what works for you and your room.

    Did you see someone in the FS (for sale portion of the forum) has the CSi5 for sale??
    Mains.............Polk LSi15 (Cherry)
    Center............Polk LSiC (Crossover upgraded)
    Surrounds.......Polk LSi7 (Gloss Black - wood sides removed and crossovers upgraded)
    Subwoofers.....SVS 25-31 CS+ and PC+ (both 20hz tune)
    Pre\Pro...........NAD T163 (Modded with LM4562 opamps)
    Amplifier.........Cinepro 3k6 (6-channel, 500wpc@4ohms)
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