Upgrade advice from the Gurus, please

Zen Dragon

Ok Guru's:

I have been surfin this forum heavily for a couple days now. Here is my tale. I am an old school Polk fan. I just love their price to performance ratio. I bought my first set of 10B monitors in like 1986 a couple months after my 5jr's. A couple years ago I picked up a Yamaha RX-V795A Surround and a Polk CS 175 center. Couldn't have been happier.
Now I got a new house with a family room and a living room. So I put the 10B's down in the family room on an old Yammy R-7 and they sound great by themselves. I decided to upgrade my main surround system in the living room. No brainer, Polk Towers.
So I go to C. city and look for the open box deals and there is a pair of R-50's that come with a free PSW202 sub. I don't even listen to them, they're Polks right? I get em home, hook em up, start cycling some of my fav toons and there it is, MUDDY BASS :eek: from the R-50's.

So now I gotta return em, and I've been researching what to replace them with. I would prefer a tower speaker just for their fit in my living room. I read some posts that suggest the RT800i's have the same problem. Does anyone think the RTi70 is a better alternative. I am used to a smooth deep bass just effortlessly soaring out of my 10B. If you recommend the RTi70, you have to also dislike the muddy bass in the 800i. Then I know we hear the same;) .
If you guys feel the RTi70's are muddy too, I may have to go with plan B, which would be the LSi9 bookshelf, or the RT55i.

Please help out an old time Polk brother. Thanx

F1nut

Zen,

I'm no guru, but if you like towers and money isn't too much of an issue, then I recommend the Lsi15. From what I've heard everybody loves them and no boomy bass. Of course, you could grap some good old SDA's, since you like the 10B's so much I think you'll find them right up your alley. I love Polk's and hate boomy bass, so I own the 2.3TL's. No sub needed and I'm a happy camper.

Welcome to the fray!

F1nut

Frank Z

Another vote for the Lsi15!

mantis

Yes,
If your looking for bettter sound and price isn't an Issue,Lsi is the way to go.
Better electronics will have to follow.

TroyD

Maybe I look at this backwards but before I stepped into an LSi type speaker, I'd look to square away my amplification situation first.

Just my random thoughts.

BDT

Zen Dragon

Ummm. Yes the LSi15's would be nice...but unfortunately price is an issue. I'd like to keep the cost of my mains under 700.00. I am not apposed to something used.
For now I am sticking with the Yamaha RX-V795A also. It gives me a pretty decent 80W x 5 with some headroom.
No takers on a bass review of the RTi70's ......

faster100

Yes i have the RTI'70's hooked to an Integra receiver and i don't think the bass is muddy at all, I now keep my bass and treble turned back a bit at the recommend of Mantis which was a good idea, So however a higher volume is needed to get heavy bass they sound smooth to me, They are alittle bright on the highs but thats also i think my receiver causeing that and i just turn the treble back a few notches on some material. Just like anything theres no "perfect setting" for everything be it music or movies... So i give them a thumbs up. I also owned the RT55i's before these and the bass was alittle more heavier but not much and maybe because the cabinet is smaller than the 70's i don't know.
I would sat stay away from the RTI100's as i didn't like them as much and didn't seem as clear and detailed as the 70's. Of course we could all say LSI till we are blue but thats 1500.00 bucks compared to 700.00-800.00 , although had i had the money i might have gotten the lsi15 maybe.. Your ears will tell you, The 70 is a newer version of the 800i i think, I have never heard the 800's so i couldn't say for sure, Gotta show off my new sub(404) and that is the RTI70's FYI : )

Zen Dragon

OK, so that is one recommendation on the RTi70. Now how about the LSi9 vrs Rt55i. Is the LSi series really that impressive over the RTi, or is it more based on personal preference?

shack

I have the Rt55i and really like them but with the RIGHT AMPLIFICATION the LSi9 is superior. Your Yamaha does not have the power to do the LSi9 justice. My HT amp is similar to yours (Denon 1802 - 80 X5) and it does drive the Rt55is very well. If you plan on keeping you receiver the RT55i would be a good choice if you can find a pair.

Zen Dragon

What if I used the Yammy pre-amp outs and ran them into a Hafler DH 220 amp, and used this to drive the lower portion of the LSi's, and kepth the upper portion of the LSi's on the rcvr 80W out?

polkatese

I can't really comment on the difference between Rt and LSi since I upgraded straight from rm3000 to LSi, but one thing I can comment on, the LSi series is brutally honest speakers....by that I meant, it exposes the imperfections of your sources, whether it be lp or cd....feed them with the right amplification, it will sing. Since I got them, I've start separating my redbook cd collections based on the quality of the recording....my .02 cents

faster100

Seems at this price range the RT55i's or 70's are the only choice price and performance wise. I wouldn't consider the 9's unless you plan on getting the whole line, assuming your doing HT? And if a speaker is going to make my mid-grade setup sound bad or worse then i don't think i would want that speaker unless i invested in tops gear to go with it. Everyone has a level of gear we can have, Sure i could of got the 9's for less than these 70's but realistically i can't afford the rest of the speakers right now. I think my amp and receiver could supply them well but i can have the whole setup now for far less than LSI line for now. RT55i's if you don't mind speaker stands, or RTi70's if you like a nice tower without the unstable stands to contend with. The 55's are very heavy and are hard to rearange on stands

Rotarydude

Definately go with the LSi. All the RM series, for the better the lack of words is "mass" "consumer" level products. Old polks were awesome, but when they started to get in to mass market, the product fell in a hole. Not till recently, and alot of experts agrees, the LSi bring the Polk back to their reign.

Go audition a set of LSi15, and you'll be amazed.

polkatese

Rotarydude,
how do you like your 25? I almost went with the 25, but decided that 15 would be more than adequate for my needs......I am extremely satisfied with the 15 (especially after I complement it with a REL Storm III), just curious, Happy New Year!

mantis

O the REL........real soon I will have mine.We are moving in 4 weeks.......O the upgrading will be on.

mantis

Zen,
the Yamaha thing........if it's in your soul,then by all means.But as many will say as well as myself,Lsi and receivers are not a good mix.Maybe Troy's advice of rocking out the electronics first,then you can have your speakers of choice afterwards.
Nothing wrong with the rti series of Polks.They do cover a easier load on your amp as well as your wallet.

faster100

I actually wish i could listen to a pair of lsi's around here, I go now basically on price points, LSI is polks top line hence they should sound the best and be more demanding... no brainer!
I'f you can afford them then get them... I'f you can't then try the RTI line of polk, I'f you love polk then you know just about all their speakers sound pretty good to above average. The comment about the mass produced speaker line sounding bad i disagree, Just because you don't drop a grand and above on a speaker doesnt make it inferior. mass produced or not or polk and alot of other companies would be out of business for customers hating their products. Companies like polk have a line of speakers for just about every level of consumer, low mid and high end buyer. LSI is the top high end the carry, certainly not the best in the world but at this price point one of the contenders. and their line go' s down from there. RTI is the second best that they carry and sound far better than the R series speakers and so on,
edit: i said something wrong, he never said sounded bad with the mass market speakers, just sounded basically that way...

abmarsh

With your current amplification, a good used set of SDA-2s or 1s would be a great match. They'd fit your target price and also work fine when you upgrade your amp.

FWIT, I haven't checked out the LSi line, but am, so far, not a real fan of the RTi lineup. I haven't heard them in anyone's home yet, though.

faster100

So then why aren't you a fan of them then? I have not listened to LSI's but think they are a high quality speaker from people's personal experiance on here. I have a full lineup of the RTI's and they seem to work very nice... care to add reasons on the review?

Zen Dragon

Admarsh

With your current amplification, a good used set of SDA-2s or 1s would be a great match. They'd fit your target price and also work fine when you upgrade your amp.

I have actually been starting to consider the option of going with an older classic polk instead of a newer model. There are some SDA's on Ebay, and an RTA-8TL tower. It would save me the hassle of matching a new rear and center up with a new main, as I have a pair of 5jr's that should be a nice tonal match for the rear if I go with a vintage main, and I can live with any mild mis-match caused by my CS175 center.

F1nut

Zen,

Like I said from the start, get the SDA's.

Zen Dragon

You know, I just get a warm fuzzy over the dedication that still exists to SDA's. I still clearly remember when they arrived in the store for the first time, and the manager at Brynn Mahr stereo (now tweeter) called me down to listen to the SDA 1's. Bi-amped with 250 on the bottom and 150 on the top, with Pink Floyd The Wall in the CD player. To this day I still remember the goosebumps!
Of course with a 3000.00 price tag, and me being like 19, I had to leave the SDA's and the goosebumps in the showroom.

ArtSaxby

Everyone keeps saying go with the LSis, but what about impedance? I have the same receiver, Yamaha RX-V795, and the manual says that speakers have to be 6 ohms or higher (page 21 of manual Impedance Selector Switch for 8 ohm or 6 ohm). The whole LSi line is 4 ohms.

I just purchased the LSiC but now that I have started reading about ohms in "The Speaker Specialist" newspaper from Polk, I am not sure what to do. (Please see my post and poll on this) What happens if you run 4 ohm speakers on this 6 ohm system?

Art

F1nut

Zen,

You're cracking me up

I get that warm fuzzy everytime I hug my SDA's........j/k, but they do make me

F1NUT

F1nut

once was enough

F1nut

Zen,

I tried emailing you , but the damn server wouldn't work. A pair of SDA 2B's just popped up on eBay, they would mate well with your 10B's.

F1nut

Zen Dragon

F1nut:

I have a close eye on Ebay, monitoring Polks in the floor standing section, and the bookshelf section, but thanx for the heads up. :cool:

Zen Dragon

Originally posted by ArtSaxby
Everyone keeps saying go with the LSis, but what about impedance? I have the same receiver, Yamaha RX-V795, and the manual says that speakers have to be 6 ohms or higher (page 21 of manual Impedance Selector Switch for 8 ohm or 6 ohm). The whole LSi line is 4 ohms.
Art

Art - I have the RX-V795A, and my manual on page 21 says I can use 4 ohm mains, as long as I am not running additional mains on the B channel, as putting them in parallel would go below 4 ohms.
As to what happens with 4 ohm speakers on a 6 ohm rated amp, you overdraw the current capability of the amplifier. This leads to distortion at moderate to high listening levels, as well as heating the hell out of your amps, and pre-mature amplifier failure.
Are you sure the non-"A" version of the 795 can't do 4 ohms, (mains), look at page 21 again, only the rear and mid is rated at 6 ohms, which means you could not go native with the lsi series on all channels, unless you ran the pre-amp outs for the rears and center to an external amplifier .

abmarsh

Faster 100 wrote:
So then why aren't you a fan of them then? I have not listened to LSI's but think they are a high quality speaker from people's personal experiance on here. I have a full lineup of the RTI's and they seem to work very nice... care to add reasons on the review?

I meant no offense. I've listend to a couple of home theatre systems built around the RTi series of speakers and they just didn't really wow me. I realize, though, that I was listening to them in less than ideal environments and might change my mind if I were able to audition a system properly set up in home.

I haven't got to listen to any of the LSi lineup yet, but would really like to.

ArtSaxby

Zen,
You are correct. The Yamaha RX-V795 can run 4 ohm on the main. I was concerned about the 4 ohm center (LSiC) that I purchased. From other threads I see that if I configure my center as small and don't pound the volume too much, I should be OK.

Art

faster100

Yup!! That's what i said.... Ok next lol

No offense taken, I just like what i have and know they sound good, very good to me. I was just asking why you weren't impressed thats all. curious