RTA 12b or Monitor 10B

OnlyPolk
OnlyPolk Posts: 137
edited September 2008 in Vintage Speakers
If I can get a pair of immaculate (as the owner describes it and I trust him) pair of RTA12b's vs Monitor 10bs plus stands for about the same price (well the 12's are 50 bucks more), which would be the winner?I think it would be the 12's, I just want to make sure.

After that should I get a pair of direct radiating speakers like maybe a used monitor 7c (also available locally)

I am putting together a second HT room, and I don't know if I'm doing this right. I have a pair of Paradigms (studio 60 v3.0) and instead of expanding around it, I'm thinking of keeping them exclusively for music (I love their clarity) and put together another set of speakers for HT only.
Post edited by OnlyPolk on
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  • jon s
    jon s Posts: 905
    edited September 2008
    I have both the RTA-12Cs and a pair of Polk Monitor 10As... I prefer the RTA-12C... the bottom end is more extended and the imaging is a tad better. I also prefer the 10s over the 7s...
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  • OnlyPolk
    OnlyPolk Posts: 137
    edited September 2008
    jon s wrote: »
    I have both the RTA-12Cs and a pair of Polk Monitor 10As... I prefer the RTA-12C... the bottom end is more extended and the imaging is a tad better. I also prefer the 10s over the 7s...
    Do you use it for HT?
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  • BottomFeeder
    BottomFeeder Posts: 1,684
    edited September 2008
    +1 To what Jon S said.
    "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then." Bob Seger
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  • OnlyPolk
    OnlyPolk Posts: 137
    edited September 2008
    BottomFeeder wrote: »
    +1 To what Jon S said.
    Well there are no RTA12C's right now available locally. How do the 12b's do in an HT setup. I'm thinking of matching them with the CSi5 and for the rears I don't know whether to go with Monitor 10's/7's or get a pair of fxi's.

    What sort of music does the RTA's do the best with? I'm an old **** so I don't go very much for hard rock.
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  • jon s
    jon s Posts: 905
    edited September 2008
    The Polks would be okay for home theater use except for one thing... the speaker's resistance is in the 3-4 ohm range which 90% of the AV receivers cannot handle and will probably go into protect mode if driven hard. Low resistance speakers require a LOT of current which mass market stuff can't deliver.

    In a two channel setup, the Polks sound great. I listen to classical and jazz and love them. The only weakness is that the speakers are a bit lean on the bottom end unless they are aginst the wall. But pull them away and the imaging improves. i also noted that the imaging improves if the left speaker is placed on the right side and vice versa.

    I have tried several combinations and think a Marantz SA-8260 CD player and Marantz PM-7200 integrated amp had the best sound... beating an Okyo, Sony or Denon combo.
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  • OnlyPolk
    OnlyPolk Posts: 137
    edited September 2008
    jon s wrote: »
    . the speaker's resistance is in the 3-4 ohm range which 90% of the AV receivers cannot handle and will probably go into protect mode if driven hard. ...
    . i also noted that the imaging improves if the left speaker is placed on the right side and vice versa.
    Well I was afraid of that, I am confused a little about this because I have seen it advertised as an 8 ohm speaker. Is 4 ohm the effective resistance? I will need a 7.1 receiver and am thinking of a Y 1700 or 2700.

    Now for the GOOD NEWS, just got back with my new/old RTA12B's and they are in IMMACULATE condition. The guy I bought it from took loving care. (He had a pair of SDA 2's and they were just as clean.)The top grilles have the wood backs (or is it fronts), everything looks shiny new.

    Are these supposed to be mirror images like the SDA's. I don't remember seeing L/R markings on the back and I recall a post where someone said that they were not. I haven't unloaded them yet from my car so I will check back when I do..
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  • jon s
    jon s Posts: 905
    edited September 2008
    The Polk RTA-12B/C series are rated 4-ohms but reviews how them dropping to 3-ohms over much of the range. You will need a receiver with a big power supply to drive the Polks. Big power supplies means the receiver will be heavy. The better AVRs weigh over 45-80lbs... Anything less may have issues.

    They are definitely mirror imaged... looking at the schematics shows that the mid-woofers are set with different crossover frequencies. If you do a test signal sweep, it is obvious one driver fades out before the other... Normally, the extended range mid-woofer is on the "inside" of the speaker but i find that reversing the speakers actually gives a better soundfield.
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  • BottomFeeder
    BottomFeeder Posts: 1,684
    edited September 2008
    I just parted w/RTA12C's and found that they sounded better reversed as well.

    Just my .02. You should try it yourself & see what you get. Good luck w/some great speaks!
    "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then." Bob Seger
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  • OnlyPolk
    OnlyPolk Posts: 137
    edited September 2008
    I have 15' width in the room to work with. 5 1/2 feet is taken up by my TV which leaves less than 5 feet on either side for two sets of speakers since I have a set of Paradigms. The P's are 9" wide and 17" deep. I think someone in this forum had a pic of his setup with many sets of Polks lined up side by side, so I'm wondering if this is a problem for imaging. One other problem with my room is that it's above the garage so has a kneewall with sloping sides.

    I can put my 12b's closer to my TV and move the Paradigms out towards the wall, but are the 12b's magnetically shielded?
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  • tx_polkhead
    tx_polkhead Posts: 248
    edited September 2008
    I am using my RTA-12c's in a HT set up. I am using a Monitor 7c as a center, and Monitor 5JR+ as side surrounds and looking for another set of Monitor 5JR+ for rear surrounds in a 7.1 set up. I'm on my way out the door but I'll share a bit more later.
    Abel
    Polk Audio RTA 12c's, Monitor 7c, Monitor 5JR+, SDA CRS+
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  • OnlyPolk
    OnlyPolk Posts: 137
    edited September 2008
    jon s wrote: »
    The Polk RTA-12B/C series are rated 4-ohms but reviews how them dropping to 3-ohms over much of the range. You will need a receiver with a big power supply to drive the Polks. Big power supplies means the receiver will be heavy. The better AVRs weigh over 45-80lbs... Anything less may have issues.
    I had been temporarily driving my new/old RTA12B's with an HK3485 stereo receiver and it's no heavyweight. Anyway, today when I turned it on, no left channel output right from the beginning. It was playing well last session. Can this be because of the speaker?

    I am going to be running the RTA12B mains in my HT setup with a Y RX-V2700 (140 per ch). I had formerly been using the Y in my HT with my SDA2's. Do you think I'd better switch out the RTA12B and continue to use the SDA2's. I'm still setting the room up so I haven't yet tried the RTA's out but I know my SDA2's fill a pretty large room with bass.
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  • MNmike
    MNmike Posts: 41
    edited September 2008
    OnlyPolk wrote: »
    I have 15' width in the room to work with. 5 1/2 feet is taken up by my TV which leaves less than 5 feet on either side for two sets of speakers since I have a set of Paradigms. The P's are 9" wide and 17" deep. I think someone in this forum had a pic of his setup with many sets of Polks lined up side by side, so I'm wondering if this is a problem for imaging. One other problem with my room is that it's above the garage so has a kneewall with sloping sides.

    I can put my 12b's closer to my TV and move the Paradigms out towards the wall, but are the 12b's magnetically shielded?[/QUOTE]

    I don't believe they are shielded.

    You'll just have to play around with it all.:p

    That's the fun of it!

    You say you ran your SDA's off the Yamaha. How did that work out? I didn't know they were common ground.

    I'm using RTA12a's in HT currently with RTA8t's and a ? polk center and it (12's) work wonderful as front speakers.

    Like I said, play around and you'll figure what combo works for your room.
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  • OnlyPolk
    OnlyPolk Posts: 137
    edited September 2008
    MNmike wrote: »
    OnlyPolk wrote: »

    You say you ran your SDA's off the Yamaha. How did that work out? I didn't know they were common ground.
    Well I don't know, I thought virtually all amp's were. Are you saying you know they're not. Are Yamaha's not common ground. When I bought the SDA2's I was told that Carvers would be a problem. I don't know, so looking for advice..

    I have pretty much used Y amplifiers, I started with a Yamaha DSP A1000 which I still have (unused). I had one blown tweeter couple of years ago and replaced all 4.

    They are great for HT with my 2700, especially the bass. I can feel the floor rumbling under my feet in movie scenes with sustained low bass.
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  • MNmike
    MNmike Posts: 41
    edited September 2008
    Not real smart with the newer HT recievers out there.;)

    I know the older Y recievers, date myself, CR series were nice power source.

    I'm not real happy with the one I have now, and still wondering which way I'm going.

    Not sure if I'll just get away from a surround setup or not.

    So, just askin' how it worked for you with the SDA's, cuz you never know, I might get a set of them "someday". But they don't show up for sale around here often.
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