RTi A1 or RTi A3

mu1166

I just received my CSi A4 from Polk Direct and am wondering which would be the better route to go. Is there a significant difference between the A1 or A3's? I would say 75% HT and 25% music. It is worth paying the difference to go with the A3's?

I hope that I find a pair on Polk Direct to save a few bucks unless someone has an extra pair sitting around collecting dust.

thanks for your help.

renowilliams

mu1166 wrote: »

I just received my CSi A4 from Polk Direct and am wondering which would be the better route to go. Is there a significant difference between the A1 or A3's? I would say 75% HT and 25% music. It is worth paying the difference to go with the A3's?

I hope that I find a pair on Polk Direct to save a few bucks unless someone has an extra pair sitting around collecting dust.

thanks for your help.

Good question, I am wonderring the same thing. I just got RTIA5's for my fronts and trying to decide which to go with. I am leaning towards the A1's as they seem to have the same frequency responce and the only difference is the power they can take.

Erik Tracy

mu1166 wrote: »

I just received my CSi A4 from Polk Direct and am wondering which would be the better route to go. Is there a significant difference between the A1 or A3's? I would say 75% HT and 25% music. It is worth paying the difference to go with the A3's?

I hope that I find a pair on Polk Direct to save a few bucks unless someone has an extra pair sitting around collecting dust.

thanks for your help.

I'd say it would depend on the size of your HT room and your listening habits.

I have the RTiA3s as fronts and RTi4s as surrounds (which is the predecessor to the RTiA1).

I used to run the RTi4s as fronts and they did a fantastic job for the money. But, when I did a comparison between the RTiA3s and RTi4s - the A3s have more mid range punch, and paint a bigger sound stage side to side and top to bottom compared to the RTi4.

If your HT room is small though the A1s would probably not give up too much compared to the A3s.

I'd say though that if you can afford them, go with A3s and then sleep well at night - if you went with the A1s you might always wonder... 'what if'...

mu1166

I haven't decided if I am going to put them into the living room or our now converted TV room. The living room is 12'x20' and the TV room is 17'x17'. Are these rooms to large for the RTi A1's? The RTi A3's can be purchased, but whatever I spend on the new home theater speakers, receiver etc. the wife gets to spend on furniture, decorations, what she wants.... hehe.

I'm leaning towards the A1's but if it will be a noticable improvement, the A3's would get my attention.

Thanks for all the help.

Nick

Erik Tracy

mu1166 wrote: »

I haven't decided if I am going to put them into the living room or our now converted TV room. The living room is 12'x20' and the TV room is 17'x17'. Are these rooms to large for the RTi A1's? The RTi A3's can be purchased, but whatever I spend on the new home theater speakers, receiver etc. the wife gets to spend on furniture, decorations, what she wants.... hehe.

I'm leaning towards the A1's but if it will be a noticable improvement, the A3's would get my attention.

Thanks for all the help.

Nick

Be sure to check Polk's Ebay direct store for when some RTiA3s show up. These are typically refurbished units - but there is nothing wrong with that - that's where I got my RTiA3s and they work perfect - and the price was VERY reasonable!

JohnnyG83

I have the RTi A1's and CSi A4 set up as my front sound stage. I'm really happy with the sound and they sound great with movies. Although, I know eventually in the next couple years I will be upgrading to the RTi A5's for my fronts and moving the A1's to the rear. But for now, I couldn't be happier with the price point I paid for new set up.

Erik Tracy

JohnnyG83 wrote: »

I have the RTi A1's and CSi A4 set up as my front sound stage. I'm really happy with the sound and they sound great with movies. Although, I know eventually in the next couple years I will be upgrading to the RTi A5's for my fronts and moving the A1's to the rear. But for now, I couldn't be happier with the price point I paid for new set up.

I ran RTi4s as my first set of mains in my avg size family room for a year - and I thought, and still think, they are a great value for the price - I'm sure the A1s are the same.

But....I got that upgrade itch, and well, I now have RTiA3s and am very happy....for the time being....:D

And I totally agree - it is the satisfaction at the price point you can afford that is important. I totally understand that my rig is not what anyone would consider 'high end' or even remotely close. But - for the price - pretty good, imho, of course.

Cheers!

mu1166

I am looking for a set of the RTi A1's or A3's. I haven't seen any come across Polk eBay direct store yet. If it's ok to ask, what do the refurbished A1's or A3's usually cost through Polk Direct? That could sway my choice one way or another. I'm looking to spend 300 or so on the fronts for my HT. Or at least, I'm hoping to find something for around 300 that will complement my CSi A4 center I purchased off of Polk eBay Direct.

Erik Tracy

mu1166 wrote: »

I am looking for a set of the RTi A1's or A3's. I haven't seen any come across Polk eBay direct store yet. If it's ok to ask, what do the refurbished A1's or A3's usually cost through Polk Direct? That could sway my choice one way or another. I'm looking to spend 300 or so on the fronts for my HT. Or at least, I'm hoping to find something for around 300 that will complement my CSi A4 center I purchased off of Polk eBay Direct.

The A3s I got were $219 (extra for tax and shipping). That was a heck of a deal!

mu1166

Erik Tracy wrote: »

The A3s I got were $219 (extra for tax and shipping). That was a heck of a deal!

Yeah, I would say that is a heck of a deal. I've been watching eBay like a hawk so hopefully i'll be able to fine a deal like that. that is about spot on for a price I would like to spend. I don't even know if I would need the A3's but for that price I wouldn't pass them up.

Morkna

I purchased a pair of RTi A3's from an eBay seller named 'VGVQ' and paid $150 back in January and they were brand new. He has sold a lot of this model so you may want to check out his site evey once and a while...they were actually $170 with shipping, but he took a while to ship them and I started complaining and he refunded the $20 bucks I had paid for shipping. They sound GREAT!

JohnnyG83

mu1166 wrote: »

I am looking for a set of the RTi A1's or A3's. I haven't seen any come across Polk eBay direct store yet. If it's ok to ask, what do the refurbished A1's or A3's usually cost through Polk Direct? That could sway my choice one way or another. I'm looking to spend 300 or so on the fronts for my HT. Or at least, I'm hoping to find something for around 300 that will complement my CSi A4 center I purchased off of Polk eBay Direct.

My A1's were $240 brand new shipped from Amazon.

mu1166

Morkna wrote: »

I purchased a pair of RTi A3's from an eBay seller named 'VGVQ' and paid $150 back in January and they were brand new. He has sold a lot of this model so you may want to check out his site evey once and a while...they were actually $170 with shipping, but he took a while to ship them and I started complaining and he refunded the $20 bucks I had paid for shipping. They sound GREAT!

I don't think that he is a member on eBay anymore. I coudn't find any member named 'VGVQ'. I'm just going to keep my eye open. Amazon doesn't have to great of deals at the moment either. Thanks for the help everyone.

Morkna

Sorry his name was 'vglq'. Check his history, for some reason he had tons of these to get rid of...

mu1166

Thanks to Polk Direct, my pair of cherry RTi A3's are on the way. I can't wait. Now what to do about surrounds... Not sure if I wanna go with the RTi A1 or the FXi series. Maybe even to a RM series due to size, etc.

I'm like a kid at christmas, I want them now...