How much bass can the RTi speakers deliver?

BjornB17

I got my CSi5 last week and will receive my RTi8's today. Also i have 2 pairs of RTi4 coming in a few days as surrounds.

Just listening to the CSi5 by itself, i was really impressed with its clarity. However i noticed that the speaker (and the 4's and 8's according to what i've read on the internet) tend to be pretty bright without much low end. The spec sheet for the RTi8 and CSi5 indicate that it should be able to go pretty low.

Right now I'm using an HK AVR-130 receiver to drive my speakers but I have an AVR-340 sitting in a box ready to be used. I will be adding an Emotiva UPA-7 next year to complete the system. How much extra low end can I expect from these speakers with the improved amplification?

Erik Tracy

I've got RTi4s and they are 'very clear' on the top end

Depending on what you listen to, but more importantly how clean the source is - the sound, to me, is pleasingly detailed and spacious.

Depending on where and how you mount the RTi4s I think you'll be surprised at the level of bass you can get.

I use mine as fronts and are wall mounted with the rear power port about 8" away from the front wall - this tends to re-inforce the overall bass sound that I get at my listening spot.

I do have a sub and have tried some listening tests by turning the gain off on the sub just to gauge what the bass sounds like just from the RTi4s - and, given their size and the driver - not too bad!

They do need/benefit from a sub though to really round out the bottom end.

ymmv,

leroyjr1

The rti 8's lack low end punch but adding a amp helps, but don't expect to knock any pictures off the wall. With a powerd sub they sound great.

RutgersFTW

I was very surprised how composed the RTi8 low end can be with beefy amplification. You could be pleased. As for the 4s, they're tiny bookshelves but don't embarass themselves either.

MADGSF

I agree with what Leroy stated. I had the RTi A5s on my system for a while and the bass was good but a sub is manditory if you want to feel it. My RTi-10s have a lot more bass, the kind you can really feel, on the same system without a sub.

Sherardp

You'll definitely want a good sub in the mix with the 8's. I have the 12s and they sound fantastic. However using a good sub to catch the low end, will really improve your SQ.

Cochise

The bass on my RTI A9s is decent, definately not anything that you can "feel" as mentioned above (of course, that is depending upon how you define "feel." I can easily hear kickdrums, etc. with the A9s, and it sounds very natural)...I dont think two or three 7'' woofers are capable of digging real deep. But the midbass is pretty good.

A sub is definately necessary if you want to shake the couch, and get the true low end from music and soundtracks.

I use two subs.

reeltrouble1

with moderate amplification the RTi8 will play frequencies down to 40 hz. Quite a value.

RT1

MADGSF

Sorry if I was misleading. I don't listen to much music and then none that would really be of the feel the bass category. My reference is to movies tested with the sub turned off. Note I did not get this type of bass until I added the amp in my sig. I still run a sub in normal movie watching and would recommend the OP do the same.

Cochise

MADGSF wrote: »

Sorry if I was misleading. I don't listen to much music and then none that would really be of the feel the bass category. My reference is to movies tested with the sub turned off. Note I did not get this type of bass until I added the amp in my sig. I still run a sub in normal movie watching and would recommend the OP do the same.

Alot depends on the acoustics of your room as well. My RTi A9s as I said above, can play pretty low, but they just do not have the impact of a subwoofer.
But if the room is small enough, I bet the 7'' woofers can move alot of air.

curved

It's funny you say that Cochise....because a lot of people here think that the RTi10's and 12 will reproduce bass as a sub - it won't. I don't think 4 RTi12's can reproduce the bass that my Snell does.

treitz3

curved wrote: »

It's funny you say that Cochise....because a lot of people here think that the RTi10's and 12 will reproduce bass as a sub - it won't.

You are correct, it won't. You have to remember that most all speakers that are not full range speakers can benefit from a well integrated sub.

That said, the RTi10's I can personally vouch for being able to punch you in the chest freakin' HARD when amplified with gobs of nice, clean power. Just those alone [without a sub] can make you feel as if you were "in the speaker" in an average sized room. Please note that in order to do this, you pretty much need the lights to "blink" with the music and let me also reiterate that you need gobs of clean amplification.

Cochise

treitz3 wrote: »

You are correct, it won't. You have to remember that most all speakers that are not full range speakers can benefit from a well integrated sub.

That said, the RTi10's I can personally vouch for being able to punch you in the chest freakin' HARD when amplified with gobs of nice, clean power. Just those alone [without a sub] can make you feel as if you were "in the speaker" in an average sized room. Please note that in order to do this, you pretty much need the lights to "blink" with the music and let me also reiterate that you need gobs of clean amplification.

I'd prefer to be able to hear at the age of 60 than hear my RTi's thump today

treitz3

What? I can't hear you!

Erik Tracy

treitz3 wrote: »

What? I can't hear you!

ippon!!!

walk

The RTi 10/12s are in a different league than the 8s. The 10/12s have 2 or 3 of the dedicated 7" bass drivers, where the 8s do not. I don't think you're going to get satisfactory soundtrack LFE "boom" out of the 6.5" mid-bass drivers, sorry.

They may be rated to 40hz but that's tested with a mic at 1 meter with 1 watt of power. It doesn't give you any idea of what kind of mass of air they are capable of moving from larger distances at high volume levels (and 40hz isn't that low, either).

I have the older 150s, similar to the 12s, (3x 6.5" bass drivers) and they can play plenty of good clean and low bass, especially with music, but they don't have the pants-waffling LFE "boom" of a good sub.