Onkyo 805 and RTi12

dcacc
dcacc Posts: 45
edited February 2008 in Speakers
I just got the Onkyo 805 and am thinking of swapping my RTi10s for 12s. Is the Onkyo adequate to power them? I keep seeing a lot of back and forth between people saying you need dedicated amp/s and those who say a good receiver will sound fine.

Anyone have experience with a similar setup? Any advice?
Post edited by dcacc on
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Comments

  • crd2002
    crd2002 Posts: 174
    edited February 2008
    thats really personal choice I have the 805/RTI'12 they sounded ok I added a amp and its like I bought a new set of speakers so its up to you
    Home Theater sony 52 inch lcd,Cinenova grande 7 channel, polk RTI8,CSI5,FXI5,onkyo 805
    2 Channel rig Sunfire grand cinema 5ch,sunfire TGA III,Rotel 1072,polk RTI12,Monster hts 5100
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  • MADGSF
    MADGSF Posts: 603
    edited February 2008
    I am of the you need a dedicated amp group.

    Like CRD I had my RTi-10s powered by an AVR and they sound OK. When I added the amp it was a huge improvement. I wish I bought the 12s instead now that I have an amp.
    AVR: Elite VSX-21TXH
    Amplifier: B&K 7250 Series ii
    Misc: Velodyne SMS-1
    Mains: RTi-10
    Center: CSi-5
    Rear: Boston DSi460
    Sub: SVS PC-Ultra
    TV: Panasonic TC-P58V10
    DVD: Panasonic DMP-BD60K
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  • c4kaboom
    c4kaboom Posts: 20
    edited February 2008
    crd2002 wrote: »
    thats really personal choice I have the 805/RTI'12 they sounded ok I added a amp and its like I bought a new set of speakers so its up to you
    I ordered a 805 today but want to bi amp my 12's. I plan on using a Adcom gfa 555 (30 yrears old) to do it. The Adcom pushes 200 watts /chan. Can you tell me exactly how to do it? I am a newbie to bi-amping. Do I have to run all my speakers thru the amp and use the reciever as a pre amp or can I just run the front 12''s thru the amp. I am confused.
    RTi 12's main
    CSi5 Center
    Monitor 70's Surrounds
    PSW125 Sub
    Onkyo 805
    Fronts Adcom GFA 555 powered
    I/C's from the wall of Circuit City
    Wire by BlueJeans at $.65 per foot
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  • edossin4
    edossin4 Posts: 105
    edited February 2008
    I wouldn't bi amp using your receiver as one of the amps. If you got another adcom you may be on the right track. I use my gfa 555 to power the woofers and a gfa 545 to power the midrange and tweeters.

    Your 555 should be plenty to drive those Rti12's all by itself. I would use the receiver as a pre amp for the front speakers and an amplifier for the center and surround speakers.
    Onkyo Tx sr805
    Oppo Dv-981hd
    Onkyo Dv cp704
    Adcom Gfa 555
    Adcom Gfa 545
    Polk Audio rti 12
    Polk Audio cs400i
    Polk Audio fx300i
    Panasonic 54" rear projection
    Direct HDTV DVR
    PS3
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  • c4kaboom
    c4kaboom Posts: 20
    edited February 2008
    edossin4 wrote: »
    I wouldn't bi amp using your receiver as one of the amps. If you got another adcom you may be on the right track. I use my gfa 555 to power the woofers and a gfa 545 to power the midrange and tweeters.

    Your 555 should be plenty to drive those Rti12's all by itself. I would use the receiver as a pre amp for the front speakers and an amplifier for the center and surround speakers.
    Could you exlain to me exactly how to wire my rig using my Adcom GFA 555 as a seperate amp for the front 12's and my Onk 805 as just a reciever for the sub, center and sourrounds? I am not sure how to do it. This is my first HT receiver-bi-amp experiment. I know I need my Adcom in the mix b/c these 12's suck power. The Adcom really pumps it out too. I miss my JBL 100 L's but they gave up the ghost after 34 years. Got my money out of them.
    RTi 12's main
    CSi5 Center
    Monitor 70's Surrounds
    PSW125 Sub
    Onkyo 805
    Fronts Adcom GFA 555 powered
    I/C's from the wall of Circuit City
    Wire by BlueJeans at $.65 per foot
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  • Sherardp
    Sherardp Posts: 8,038
    edited February 2008
    c4kaboom wrote: »
    Could you exlain to me exactly how to wire my rig using my Adcom GFA 555 as a seperate amp for the front 12's and my Onk 805 as just a reciever for the sub, center and sourrounds? I am not sure how to do it. This is my first HT receiver-bi-amp experiment. I know I need my Adcom in the mix b/c these 12's suck power. The Adcom really pumps it out too. I miss my JBL 100 L's but they gave up the ghost after 34 years. Got my money out of them.

    To biamp read below

    You simply remove brass jumpers from speaker terminals, run a single RCA cable(Interconnect) from the preouts on the receiver to the power amp. Run a set of speaker cables from the AVR to the top set of speaker posts(highs). Then use speaker wire and run a pair of cables from your power amp to bottom set of speaker posts(bass). Simple as that............I had my 12s biamped at one point using my AVR and an outlaw and it did sound great. Since then I am now running them off a D-Sonic Magnum 1000S and they sound even better. Give it a shot, see how you like it.

    To use Adcom on fronts only see below

    Run interconnects to front left and right, out of preouts of AVR to power amp. Ensure you have them installed properly, FL->FL on amp, FR->FR on amp. Leave brass jumpers in place. Run speaker wire from power amp to speakers. Use auto calibration in the AVR to tweak. Go into AVR settings and ajust volume level using a SPL meter from radioshack if you really want to tweak settings further.
    Shoot the jumper.....................BALLIN.............!!!!!

    Home Theater Pics in the Showcase :cool:

    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showcase/view.php?userid=73580
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  • Mike Reeter
    Mike Reeter Posts: 4,315
    edited February 2008
    edossin4 wrote: »
    I wouldn't bi amp using your receiver as one of the amps. If you got another adcom you may be on the right track. I use my gfa 555 to power the woofers and a gfa 545 to power the midrange and tweeters.

    Your 555 should be plenty to drive those Rti12's all by itself. I would use the receiver as a pre amp for the front speakers and an amplifier for the center and surround speakers.

    I use 2 channels of an Adcom 5503 (200x3) to power the woofs on our 12's and a Adcom 5400 (125x2) to drive the upper end.

    I don't think there is such a thing as too much power when it comes to the RTi12's
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  • jimi64
    jimi64 Posts: 85
    edited February 2008
    Ideally,you want to use amps from the same manufacturer -same amount of gain.When I talked to Polk CS they informed me that the bottom end could take up to 500 watts and the upper end 125 watts-yep, a total of 625 with no problem.
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  • jdhdiggs
    jdhdiggs Posts: 4,305
    edited February 2008
    When bi-amping with different amps: Watch the gains!!!

    It will sound like crap if one amp has a 29db gain and the other is say 24...

    Also, unless you move the crossover in front of the amps, you really are not generating any more or cleaner power by bi-amping. You'd be better off spending the money you spent on two amps on one better one.
    There is no genuine justice in any scheme of feeding and coddling the loafer whose only ponderable energies are devoted wholly to reproduction. Nine-tenths of the rights he bellows for are really privileges and he does nothing to deserve them. We not only acquired a vast population of morons, we have inculcated all morons, old or young, with the doctrine that the decent and industrious people of the country are bound to support them for all time.-Menkin
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  • c4kaboom
    c4kaboom Posts: 20
    edited February 2008
    Sherardp wrote: »
    To biamp read below

    You simply remove brass jumpers from speaker terminals, run a single RCA cable(Interconnect) from the preouts on the receiver to the power amp. Run a set of speaker cables from the AVR to the top set of speaker posts(highs). Then use speaker wire and run a pair of cables from your power amp to bottom set of speaker posts(bass). Simple as that............I had my 12s biamped at one point using my AVR and an outlaw and it did sound great. Since then I am now running them off a D-Sonic Magnum 1000S and they sound even better. Give it a shot, see how you like it.

    To use Adcom on fronts only see below

    Run interconnects to front left and right, out of preouts of AVR to power amp. Ensure you have them installed properly, FL->FL on amp, FR->FR on amp. Leave brass jumpers in place. Run speaker wire from power amp to speakers. Use auto calibration in the AVR to tweak. Go into AVR settings and ajust volume level using a SPL meter from radioshack if you really want to tweak settings further.
    I'd like to thank you for the time and effort you spent on this explanation. It was very helpful and it I will follow this advise.
    RTi 12's main
    CSi5 Center
    Monitor 70's Surrounds
    PSW125 Sub
    Onkyo 805
    Fronts Adcom GFA 555 powered
    I/C's from the wall of Circuit City
    Wire by BlueJeans at $.65 per foot
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