RTI a5's, tsi, monitor, svs sub...grr...advice?

mdk5068

Hey guys...new user and here is the situation....I am 20 and live in a dorm room most of the year, but have come to appreciate at least a decent quality of sound for movies and music (50/50). I have a rm95 5 speaker system with a dswpro 400 sub. My receiver is a yamaha rx-v659. I was looking to pick up 4 rti a5's, a csi a6 center, and an svs pb-12 nsd to add a bit more boom. I figured i am moving into an apartment this next year and a bit more sound is a reasonable idea. A lot of my questions involve pricing, wiring, amp-ing, and the sub. First, is what i hope to get a decent idea? Is it an alright set-up in your opinion or would I do best to look at something else? Cheapest place to find those things? I stalk the ebay polk direct site every day, and other than newegg (which seems to only deal in the monitor, tsi, and "older" lines if you will), frys and amazon are the only places i have found. Onecall is another i guess, but it does seem expensive. Polk direct, amazon, and newegg have seemed the most reasonable (in that order). If/when i get them should I bi-wire all of them? Is an amp necessary in your opinion? Which one if so? And lastly would the sub be a good idea? My current is an 8'' sub so i figured a 12'' would only be better (when taking into consideration svs' reputation). Sorry for the huge post, but I figured it would be unintelligent of me just to surge forward without considering more experienced opinions.

My room next year will be about 15Wx20L with the right side open to a dining room type of place. It should be alright with sound but again, your advice is my bible. My budget is at most 2500 for 4 towers, center, and sub. Amplifier price if you do so advise will be determined at a later point! This is my first speaker set but I definitely am coming to understand the human desire to consistently upgrade and get better speakers (wasting copious amounts of should be study time researching for just the right buy!).

I have also heard that maybe the monitor 70's or even something from the tsi line might be better than the a5's. In contrary, I have heard that the a5's have a thicker cabinet and a better sound overall, so they are better. So essentially i'm all confused, and would appreciate any advice in any direction at all.

Thank you!

Mark

cnh

Just to start the ball rolling..

MOST guys will tell you 'go' for the Rtis! They do sound different from M70s. They have a better tweeter--but I find it Brighter. The good thing about going RTI is that you can upgrade within that series--and that's the only real consideration IMHO. And the Rti-A9s are very very nice. Whereas with M70s you're already at the top of that food chain.

Now on to some comparisons. The M70s are 7 pounds heavier than the A5s, they can handle a bit more power (not much but some). They are a 2.5 cascade design as are the A9s, if I'm not mistaken, the A5s are a 2 way design. I've heard both and I feel the M70s put out more sound...those 2 extra drivers are not there for nothing. Now even though I like M70s better than RTI-A5s, personally, I'm not going to press that beyond that level.

I'd buy A9s in a flash if I were going to upgrade from 70s...wouldn't bother with A5s, not that much of a step up (actually none for me).

Ok guys have at it! Help this Polkie out..and feel free to disagree.

cnh

cnh

Come on guys....

Help this boy out...It's not like I can hold up the fort like Atlas...especially when there are so many Rti systems on this site!

cnh

danz1906

The RTiA5s and a SVS PB-12 will make an Awesome combo.

DanAckerman

I think the one thing that is missing from your equation is what is the potential destructive factor of your life style? The RTi's are nicer speakers, but if there is the possibility of them getting trashed, then the cheaper M70's might be the way to go. You could probably get two pairs of M70's for the cost of one set of RTi A5's.

If you are made of money or are too studious to have parties then maybe this isn't a concern at all.

mdk5068

DanAckerman wrote: »

I think the one thing that is missing from your equation is what is the potential destructive factor of your life style? The RTi's are nicer speakers, but if there is the possibility of them getting trashed, then the cheaper M70's might be the way to go. You could probably get two pairs of M70's for the cost of one set of RTi A5's.

If you are made of money or are too studious to have parties then maybe this isn't a concern at all.

Dan,

I am definitely not made of money (this upgrade being one of two major purchases of my life, the first being my first speaker set, ha), and the speakers will be around a collegiate atmosphere (Penn State to be particular). I can, however, say that my combined respect for money and speakers will assure that they remain undamaged. I survived this year without a scratch, nick, or week without dusting in regard to my current system, so I am confident in my ability to keep my "investment" safe. At the same time I am at the honors college there, so hopefully I can prevent a rough atmosphere by being more studious! Thank you for mentioning that though, and I have been eying the price of the m70's, which boast both a larger watt range as well as glowing reviews. I had at one point been entertaining the idea of m70's as backs and rti a5's at the front, but the general consensus according to club polk was an incorrect match of timbre.

Thanks!

comfortablycurt

Personally, I'd go for the RTi's. I'm running RTi8's up front in my HT, with RTi6's in back(older version of RTi A5 and RTiA3), and it's an amazing setup for HT use. They definitely aren't slouches for music either. They are a bit on the bright side though, in comparison to other series of speakers. This isn't a bad thing to all people though. I find that for harder rock and metal the RTi's with the brighter tweeter sound better than my warmer sounding vintage Monitor 7A's. For most other kinds of music, my vintage Polk's definitely have the edge musically.

One of the things that I prefer about the RTi's compared to the new Monitor/TSi's, is the finish. The RTi's use a real wood veneer, rather than the vinyl on the Monitors. I've never heard the Monitor 70's, though I have heard the 50's and the 60's. I'd have to give the edge to the RTi's in that respect.

I'd say you're on the right track though. The CSiA6 is definitely the center you'd want with that setup. One thing you might consider, is that the A5's wouldn't be as crucial for the surrounds. I've found that larger speakers aren't as crucial for surround duty. You could use some RTiA3's or FXiA6's as surrounds and save a few bucks to put towards something else.

I've never heard the SVS PB12, though I've always heard great things about it. I'm considering one for my next sub actually.

The RTi's are pretty efficient speakers, and don't take a lot of power to sing. Your AVR would be able to drive them easily. External amps are essentially always going to give you an improvement, you'll be fine running them with your Yammy for the time being though.

mdk5068

comfortablycurt wrote: »

Personally, I'd go for the RTi's. I'm running RTi8's up front in my HT, with RTi6's in back(older version of RTi A5 and RTiA3), and it's an amazing setup for HT use. They definitely aren't slouches for music either. They are a bit on the bright side though, in comparison to other series of speakers. This isn't a bad thing to all people though. I find that for harder rock and metal the RTi's with the brighter tweeter sound better than my warmer sounding vintage Monitor 7A's. For most other kinds of music, my vintage Polk's definitely have the edge musically.

One of the things that I prefer about the RTi's compared to the new Monitor/TSi's, is the finish. The RTi's use a real wood veneer, rather than the vinyl on the Monitors. I've never heard the Monitor 70's, though I have heard the 50's and the 60's. I'd have to give the edge to the RTi's in that respect.

I'd say you're on the right track though. The CSiA6 is definitely the center you'd want with that setup. One thing you might consider, is that the A5's wouldn't be as crucial for the surrounds. I've found that larger speakers aren't as crucial for surround duty. You could use some RTiA3's or FXiA6's as surrounds and save a few bucks to put towards something else.

I've never heard the SVS PB12, though I've always heard great things about it. I'm considering one for my next sub actually.

The RTi's are pretty efficient speakers, and don't take a lot of power to sing. Your AVR would be able to drive them easily. External amps are essentially always going to give you an improvement, you'll be fine running them with your Yammy for the time being though.

Yes, whether or not I really need a second pair of a5's in the back has definitely occurred to me. To be honest I started out this whole process looking at the T90e (European equivalent of the m60) just as my fronts. From there, I gave in to the fact that I would need a stronger center than the rm8 center, then realized maybe I would need a stronger subwoofer because I only had an 8'' (dsw pro 400). From there I was (obviously, ha) only logical to throw big speakers in every direction possible! So anytime throughout this thread please feel free to tame my adolescent irrationality. Would I be sacrificing any performance if I chose to put something like an fxi a6 in the back rather than a tower? Should I not be turned off by the fact that their max power (in watts) is not equivalent to the rti a5's? 150 vs 225 ish? In the past I have always thought of floorstanding speakers as easier than on the wall speakers because I didn't want to have to deal with brackets and things. MY environment as a college student changes frequently, and a floorstanding speaker is reasonably (weight/carrying box/transportation permitting) easy.

Thank you curt!

comfortablycurt

I don't think you'd lose any performance with the FXiA6's, if anything you'd probably gain a little bit. The FXi's are di-poles, which means they have drivers pointing in two different directions. This gives you more of a sense of space, and can broaden your surround field quite a bit. They won't have quite as much bass output as the A5's, but with a good sub, and especially since these are surround channels, that shouldn't really be a big concern.

Keep in mind that the FXi's don't have to be wall mounted. You could also get a pair of floor stands for them if you're going to need to move them around a lot.

I wouldn't be concerned about the max power handling. A speaker is only going to draw as much power as it needs at any given time. The vast majority of the time, it won't be drawing anywhere near it's maximum handling.

This also means that you're better off overpowering a speaker, than underpowering it.

If you have a speaker that's rated for 200 watts, and you're driving it with 75 watts, the actual speaker is working a lot harder to create the same volume. Thus, you run a higher risk of damaging the speaker.

Take that same 200 watt speaker, and power it with 200, or even 300 watts of current, and it's going to be running a lot more efficiently. The speaker isn't working as hard to produce higher volumes, and is going to have a lot more headroom. The speaker won't be drawing anywhere near the amps full output the majority of the time...it will only draw what it needs. When you need that volume all of a sudden, such as during an explosion in a movie, or during a very dynamic passage in a musical piece, it's going to be able to reproduce it a lot more clearly and efficiently, because of the reserve power on tap.

renowilliams

Welcome to club polk MDK. You might want to consider the rtia5's for fronts and look for a pair of rti6's for the rears. This is what I currently have for a set up and it works and sounds great. You also may be able to find a good used center chanel like a csi40(which I have just found for a lot less than a csia6).
I used to have a yamaha RX-V861 and found the sound to be "in your face" and also bright for music listening.
If bought the speakers that I am suggesting, with the money you save you could upgrade your avr.

In any event good luck and have fun.


Tim

apphd

Will you be sharing your apartment? Collage apartments tend to be a little different environment than dorms. It sounds like you have given this subject a lot of consideration already but Dan's comments are very valuable. If you are going to have roommate(s) they may not be as considerate of your gear as you are, and you will not be there all the time. Stands are a good option to wall mounting but can be knocked over, and can become a beverage shelf for some. I just have visions of a room full of people celebrating a Jo Pa victory and things getting out of hand. Can't go wrong with the SVS. Many comments on CP about Yamaha being bright with Polk speakers. I use Yamaha and do not find that in HT for my ears. But there are also many comments of the RTi being brighter so maybe RTi and Yamaha might not be a good mix. All things considered I think I would go with the Mon 70s for fronts as these are easier to find at very good prices. Your surrounds....tough call, I don't like floor standers for surrounds, but that's just me. As you said you need to be mobile, and stands are risky, so maybe Mon 60's or even 50's.

Eric W

I don't think you'll be disappointed with the RTi A series. A good quality amp will help. You don't really need to bi-wire them if you have good quality cable to begin with but it won't hurt anything if you do.

bevo

If you go with the A5's I will have a very similar setup to yours, as I too bought the rm95 pack. I think the little rm'8s do a pretty good job as surrounds with the A5's. I really, really like my setup. I thought I was going to have to buy an amp for the A5's, but they sound just fine with only my little dennon receiver pushing them. I only have about 90 watts per channel with it, and the A5's can be played pretty loud with no distortion.

As for the sub, I went with the big svs, but I imagine that the NSD will sound great too. I was going to get the NSD, but I was takng out a loan for another beg purchase, so I just added some more money to it and got the ultra. SVS had been great helping me to get the best out of my ultra. I thought I had problems with it at first, but I just didn't know what I was doing, and the audessy eq on my denon was boosting the bass way to much. They told me what to do, and now it sounds great. SVS seems to be right up their with polk for CS.



I really don't think you will be disappointed with any of the speakers on your list. They all sound good to me, and anyone who has came to listen to it, has either been amazed, or just shook their head, because of how ridiculously loud it is.

If I was you I would hold out on buying the A5's for rears, and just use the RM8's to see how they sound first, they really don't sound that bad at all with the A5's. I do plan on upgrading my surrounds one day, but I'm content now with my setup. If you really want to get rid of the RM's why not get the RTi FXi's for surrounds. They would probably do a better job then the A5's for surrounds, and they would be cheaper.

Norm Apter

For my HT (just like you about 50/50 movies/music), I have the RtiA5s as fronts and RtiA1s as rears and live in grad student apartment and the Rti A series do a great job filling up the foom with sound (I'm running the CsiA6 as the center). Everybody will tell you that the RtiA5s require a sub but I haven't gotten around to picking up one yet. And probably won't until move in a few months.

I just picked up a pair of RtiA3s for my second 2-channel rig and one thing that I want to emphasize here (something mentioned above) is that it does not take all that much power to make these things sing (unlike the Lsi series which love the power). I'm running the A3s on Yamaha RX-797 receiver (100 wpc) and the HT set-up on a Denon 2808 ci receiver (110 wpc) and both provide plenty of clean power.

As for deals, keep your eye on Amazon and Polk Direct. I got the pair of new RtiA5s for 499 shipped from an authorized dealer (Electronic Expo) via Amazon and the RtiA1s and Csi6 both from Polk Direct. That was back in December. You know, Polk Direct used to feature the Rti series constanstly and then word got out about how good the deals were and it appears that everybody was going there. I have checked back time and again (not every day) since January just for fun, and I barely ever see an RtiA listing there any more. On the other hand, I know that some polkies call them constantly and finally get their hands on their desired speaker through sheer persistance. In the end, I just waited until the pair of RtiA3s came up used in Club Polk's Flea Market. Unless your opposed to buying used, you might also consider that route.

cnh

Ok, thanks guys!

All the advice above is first rate! Sorry I forgot to talk you out of using towers all around....it's true..that that's not necessary. However if you have the floor space and money....that would look really nice and give you more sound if you use good external amps for all those--NOT for a dorm, for a REAL HT room. Otherwise, just get what Curt suggests above.

BTW that Polk sub you already have is MORE than enough for a dorm room!! When you move to a bigger place, yeah, the SVS, very nice. The smaller Polk sub is pretty 'musical'!

Also, I'm from Pa. originally-grew up there, applied to PSU and was accepted but I went with a slightly better offer/school--PSU though, a fine education. I still follow Joe Paterno and the boys each fall.

cnh

bklynNupe

I loved my a5’s and when I first got them, they sounded great powered by my Onkyo 806.

I did however start to feel I was lacking a bit of detail at lower volumes for my taste. I was convinced my many on this forum to consider adding external amplification. I was on the fence for a while because it wasn’t like anything sounded bad, I just wondered what the a5’s would sound like if pushed a bit further. In the end I added the emotiva xpa2 and xpa3 to my 5.1 set up. I have to say that the a5’s really shine with the xpa2! I have also replaced my csia3 center with a csia6 ( the a6 is a real beast)! I do also notice a significant amount of detail at lower volumes.

I also switched out a Polk psw505 for a SVS PB-NSD, this thing is a major step up for me. However I have to admit that it really taking some adjustment on my part to appreciate low and cleaner bass. It also makes me think in retrospect, what was that stuff that was coming out of the passive sub on my Kenwood HTIB set up I had less than a year ago??:o

I do think that this might be a never ending train because I’m starting to really wonder, what would the a9’s sound like?
I think what has stopped me thus far is that I know an additional xpa2 is mandatory to bring them up to par.
If I see the a9’s in the ebay store again, I may not be able to control myself.
Somebody please help me! :cool::D
Perhaps a Therapy Forum for Neophytes.

Sorry if I hijacked.

mdk5068

apphd wrote: »

Will you be sharing your apartment? Collage apartments tend to be a little different environment than dorms. It sounds like you have given this subject a lot of consideration already but Dan's comments are very valuable. If you are going to have roommate(s) they may not be as considerate of your gear as you are, and you will not be there all the time. Stands are a good option to wall mounting but can be knocked over, and can become a beverage shelf for some. I just have visions of a room full of people celebrating a Jo Pa victory and things getting out of hand. Can't go wrong with the SVS. Many comments on CP about Yamaha being bright with Polk speakers. I use Yamaha and do not find that in HT for my ears. But there are also many comments of the RTi being brighter so maybe RTi and Yamaha might not be a good mix. All things considered I think I would go with the Mon 70s for fronts as these are easier to find at very good prices. Your surrounds....tough call, I don't like floor standers for surrounds, but that's just me. As you said you need to be mobile, and stands are risky, so maybe Mon 60's or even 50's.

apphd,
The apartment setup should be conducive to having "nice speakers," but I definitely agree with you in tat I will have to be careful of everything. I will be living with my two best friends since grade school, my older brother, and two randoms, so while the possibility is still there for some problems, I really do hope they will be limited. To give you an exact idea of where i'm living, haha: http://www.arpm.com/apartments/details.php?id=52. I figure in the entertainment center, the center will be cradled nicely, and the shelves to the left and the right of the tv spot are removable, and about 25-30'' deep. I have also come to realize, that I should be more amiable to putting my surrounds on the wall, as that will keep them out of harms reach for a small amount of time with some screws, and avoid me having to buy stands (which I definitely like the sound of saving money on). In terms of the receiver, I think that may be my biggest concern now. That and the decision between rti and monitor 70's. I like the grouping of the rti a5's and the fxi a6's in the back, but your comment about brightness concerns me. I don't think (sorry about my lack of a tuned ear--yet) that I have heard any overt brightness in my system now, but then again I have not mixed my yamaha with any rti's yet. Maybe a cure for that would be driving a bit fo a distance to hear the difference in a store, but for some reason none of the audio stores around me carry the rti series (especially now that tweeter is no more, ***es left me with a useless 80$ refund card). In summation, though, affixing speakers to a wall is not a bad option now, as I see the safety benefits as well as the money savings from the stands and speakers themselves.

mdk5068

bevo wrote: »

If you go with the A5's I will have a very similar setup to yours, as I too bought the rm95 pack. I think the little rm'8s do a pretty good job as surrounds with the A5's. I really, really like my setup. I thought I was going to have to buy an amp for the A5's, but they sound just fine with only my little dennon receiver pushing them. I only have about 90 watts per channel with it, and the A5's can be played pretty loud with no distortion.

As for the sub, I went with the big svs, but I imagine that the NSD will sound great too. I was going to get the NSD, but I was takng out a loan for another beg purchase, so I just added some more money to it and got the ultra. SVS had been great helping me to get the best out of my ultra. I thought I had problems with it at first, but I just didn't know what I was doing, and the audessy eq on my denon was boosting the bass way to much. They told me what to do, and now it sounds great. SVS seems to be right up their with polk for CS.



I really don't think you will be disappointed with any of the speakers on your list. They all sound good to me, and anyone who has came to listen to it, has either been amazed, or just shook their head, because of how ridiculously loud it is.

If I was you I would hold out on buying the A5's for rears, and just use the RM8's to see how they sound first, they really don't sound that bad at all with the A5's. I do plan on upgrading my surrounds one day, but I'm content now with my setup. If you really want to get rid of the RM's why not get the RTi FXi's for surrounds. They would probably do a better job then the A5's for surrounds, and they would be cheaper.

bevo,

Great to see someone who has had that rm95 pack! Everyone always seems to have some smaller rm pack, I never see the 95 talked about all that much. But I definitely have considered leaving the rm8's in the back, but part of this upgrade includes money from the sale of the rm 95 pack to my brother more than likely. Three smaller speakers (i assume it would be a different matter if I was selling a 2 channel tower/center rig) I don't think would be as appealing to him or another person I sold to. If I could sell them not in a pack of 5, however, I definitely would try out what you said because that would not only save a buntload of money, but I also have the stands for those speakers. This issue of the receiver not matching up with the speakers I have in my mind now (rti a5's, fxi a6's) and a brightness factor keep coming up. Is this a huge concern? Should I be looking at another receiver for the long term? Which would people advise? Also what center do people think would be the best bang for the buck, as well as the best center not to have to upgrade in a while: csi40, csi a6...? Thank you!

-mark

mdk5068

Norm Apter wrote: »

For my HT (just like you about 50/50 movies/music), I have the RtiA5s as fronts and RtiA1s as rears and live in grad student apartment and the Rti A series do a great job filling up the foom with sound (I'm running the CsiA6 as the center). Everybody will tell you that the RtiA5s require a sub but I haven't gotten around to picking up one yet. And probably won't until move in a few months.

I just picked up a pair of RtiA3s for my second 2-channel rig and one thing that I want to emphasize here (something mentioned above) is that it does not take all that much power to make these things sing (unlike the Lsi series which love the power). I'm running the A3s on Yamaha RX-797 receiver (100 wpc) and the HT set-up on a Denon 2808 ci receiver (110 wpc) and both provide plenty of clean power.

As for deals, keep your eye on Amazon and Polk Direct. I got the pair of new RtiA5s for 499 shipped from an authorized dealer (Electronic Expo) via Amazon and the RtiA1s and Csi6 both from Polk Direct. That was back in December. You know, Polk Direct used to feature the Rti series constanstly and then word got out about how good the deals were and it appears that everybody was going there. I have checked back time and again (not every day) since January just for fun, and I barely ever see an RtiA listing there any more. On the other hand, I know that some polkies call them constantly and finally get their hands on their desired speaker through sheer persistance. In the end, I just waited until the pair of RtiA3s came up used in Club Polk's Flea Market. Unless your opposed to buying used, you might also consider that route.

norm apter,

I am certainly relieved to hear your positive experience with both the rti a5's as well as the csi a6 and the svs nsd. The only hardware that has not been contested on this thread from my original choices of speakers are the csi a6 and the svs nsd. Glad I made at least some good picks! I definitely see what you mean by polk direct not ever selling rti a's though, as I have checked religiously every single day for the past 3-4 months or so. Unless I skipped a day and missed it, there have not been any (grr). Is it true that I can just call polk though and badger them about refurbished items? That would be great, ha. And in terms of club polk's flea market, I find that most sellers are from the cali/texas area, which doesn't bode well for skipping or local pickup to/from the pa range. Will definitely keep my eyes open though!

Thanks,

Mark

mdk5068

cnh wrote: »

Ok, thanks guys!

All the advice above is first rate! Sorry I forgot to talk you out of using towers all around....it's true..that that's not necessary. However if you have the floor space and money....that would look really nice and give you more sound if you use good external amps for all those--NOT for a dorm, for a REAL HT room. Otherwise, just get what Curt suggests above.

BTW that Polk sub you already have is MORE than enough for a dorm room!! When you move to a bigger place, yeah, the SVS, very nice. The smaller Polk sub is pretty 'musical'!

Also, I'm from Pa. originally-grew up there, applied to PSU and was accepted but I went with a slightly better offer/school--PSU though, a fine education. I still follow Joe Paterno and the boys each fall.

cnh

cnh,

The help is really both unexpected as well as invaluable! Thanks everyone! And I am definitely (unless it can be had for cheap, for the a5's) putting off consideration for an external amp for now. The dswpro 400 did take care of my dorm room, but I am definitely interested to see the combination fo that and the nsd in my apartment. Good to hear you considered penn state though! The only reason I ended up going was because I got in to their honors college, otherwise I would have found myself in upstate new york or dc almost positively! Joe Pa is an interesting fellow, though, and the games have been a good time these past two years!

--mark

mdk5068

bklynNupe wrote: »

I loved my a5’s and when I first got them, they sounded great powered by my Onkyo 806.

I did however start to feel I was lacking a bit of detail at lower volumes for my taste. I was convinced my many on this forum to consider adding external amplification. I was on the fence for a while because it wasn’t like anything sounded bad, I just wondered what the a5’s would sound like if pushed a bit further. In the end I added the emotiva xpa2 and xpa3 to my 5.1 set up. I have to say that the a5’s really shine with the xpa2! I have also replaced my csia3 center with a csia6 ( the a6 is a real beast)! I do also notice a significant amount of detail at lower volumes.

I also switched out a Polk psw505 for a SVS PB-NSD, this thing is a major step up for me. However I have to admit that it really taking some adjustment on my part to appreciate low and cleaner bass. It also makes me think in retrospect, what was that stuff that was coming out of the passive sub on my Kenwood HTIB set up I had less than a year ago??:o

I do think that this might be a never ending train because I’m starting to really wonder, what would the a9’s sound like?
I think what has stopped me thus far is that I know an additional xpa2 is mandatory to bring them up to par.
If I see the a9’s in the ebay store again, I may not be able to control myself.
Somebody please help me! :cool::D
Perhaps a Therapy Forum for Neophytes.

Sorry if I hijacked.

Ha, I know what you mean in terms of eying up the a9's! I don't even have the a5's yet and I am eying after the a9's! Happy to see a contented customer with the a5's though, and if I eventually do consider an external amp to help out my yamaha i will look in to the xpa2. Glowing reviews for the nsd and the csi a6 as well, makes me happy.

--mark

apphd

mdk, by all means if you can listen to the RTi's especially the A5 go for it. Especially if you can hear them paired up with a Yamaha, after all it's your ears that have to be happy. Even if you can't I would hold off on a new AVR until you hear them on yours. While it comes up over and over of the brightness of Polk, RTI especially, paired with Yamaha there have also been those that feel it is not so much with HT as much as with 2 ch. music. If you need to look for an AVR later there are lots to choose from. You have mentioned maybe a separate amp and larger speakers may be in your future at some time. So if you spring for a new AVR make sure it has a full compliment of pre outs. Some possibles include Harmon Kardon 254, Pioneer 1018, Onkyo 705/706 are always high on the list. Denon also is a warmer sound for the Polks but need to step up into the higher end units to get the pre outs. Not sure how you feel about them but there is always the used, and b stock market.

cnh

Apphd,

All excellent receiver suggestions....I own a Denon and an Onkyo myself. But if he likes the how the Yamaha sounds he can stay with that as it does have pre-outs as well.

cnh

cdn5003

Hey MDK,

I live very close to PSU and have all Rti gear if you'd like to hear it. If you have never heard Rti's I would strongly suggest you do before making a purchase. I upgraded from a complete Monitor lineup. The tweeters are different and imo significantly better. I have Rti 10's, Csi A6, Rti a3, and Fxi 3's.

If you are somewhat serious about this hobby I would suggest Rti's but make sure you have heard them first. Also, combining Monitors with Rti's will not work well so you have to pick a series and stick with it.

mdk5068

cdn5003 wrote: »

Hey MDK,

I live very close to PSU and have all Rti gear if you'd like to hear it. If you have never heard Rti's I would strongly suggest you do before making a purchase. I upgraded from a complete Monitor lineup. The tweeters are different and imo significantly better. I have Rti 10's, Csi A6, Rti a3, and Fxi 3's.

If you are somewhat serious about this hobby I would suggest Rti's but make sure you have heard them first. Also, combining Monitors with Rti's will not work well so you have to pick a series and stick with it.

cdn,

Thank you for the offer I really appreciate it! I do not know when I will be in state college next, for I live near philadelphia typically, but if I am I will definitely send you a PM and see whether I could have a listen! Until then, do you like your a6 center? Why did you decide on the rti 10's as opposed to the 8's, do you have a subwoofer?

--Mark

mdk5068

mdk5068 wrote: »

cdn,

Thank you for the offer I really appreciate it! I do not know when I will be in state college next, for I live near philadelphia typically, but if I am I will definitely send you a PM and see whether I could have a listen! Until then, do you like your a6 center? Why did you decide on the rti 10's as opposed to the 8's, do you have a subwoofer?

--Mark

cdn,

Sorry for the stupid question about the subwoofer! Opened my eyes and say you have on! I only asked because I was led to understand the rti10 differed from the 8 in that it had a baby woofer in it, which would become unnecessary with a subwoofer. Where I am going with this question, and maybe others could help as well, was how do the rti a5 a7 and a9 differ? Looking at the specs it seems that they just throw a few more woofers on it, which would become what i'd call useless if i have a polk 8'' sub and a svs 12'' sub. As this cannot be all that was done to the a7 and a9 to make it better, what are the differences?

-mark

Norm Apter

mdk5068 wrote: »

norm apter,

I am certainly relieved to hear your positive experience with both the rti a5's as well as the csi a6 and the svs nsd. The only hardware that has not been contested on this thread from my original choices of speakers are the csi a6 and the svs nsd. Glad I made at least some good picks! I definitely see what you mean by polk direct not ever selling rti a's though, as I have checked religiously every single day for the past 3-4 months or so. Unless I skipped a day and missed it, there have not been any (grr). Is it true that I can just call polk though and badger them about refurbished items? That would be great, ha. And in terms of club polk's flea market, I find that most sellers are from the cali/texas area, which doesn't bode well for skipping or local pickup to/from the pa range. Will definitely keep my eyes open though!

Thanks,

Mark

Mark,

Yes, I joined the forum about a year ago and throughout the calendar year 2008 I would often check Polk Direct where I found that RtiAs (and the older Rtis) seemed to be continuously available. I mean not every speaker of each size at each time but new ones were coming in and old ones going out. Then, like I said word got out (around Nov. and Dec. last year) on this very forum that people who had bought from them were so pleased because while there was a disclaimer about small "cosmetic imperfections" the vast majority of buyers couldn't find a single, tiny flaw. And I am happy to report that I was no exception. Unfortunately once word got out it seemed to have draining effect on what had been an ample supply of refurbished products. While I personally have never called them up looking for deals (I'm pretty set) I have seen on these boards several polkies who did so and many of them did report back that they got their desired speakers (though it may have taken a few weeks).

You might also try calling/contacting Electronics Expo (in New Jersey, I believe) about RtiA5s (You can find Elect. Exp contact info on Amazon after doing an RtiA search). If you are close enough to them, maybe you could work out a pick up. Anyway, I got both my RtiA5s and Lsi9s from them (about a year in between) at substantially reduced prices and they are in fact authorized dealers. If you decide to go with a smaller speaker for your surrounds such as the A1s or A3s and you can find a pair in the Club Polk Flea Market, I think that in most cases the seller would be willing to ship and it shouldn't be too much (unlike the Lsi bookshelves, the Rtia bookshelves are not terribly heavy). Just make sure they have the original boxes/styrofoam inserts. In the vast majority of situations, polkies sell stuff in top-notch condition (unless indicated otherwise) so there is some degree of security to be had from buyin used here vs. say CL or Ebay.

As someone else mentioned, it of course would be good to audition these before purchasing (sounds like you have a fellow polkie nearby). I heard them at the Crutchfield store in Charlottesville and liked them a lot. But they are night and day from the Lsi series, for example (and that is neither a good or bad thing...just different).

Norm

cnh

cdn5003 wrote: »

Hey MDK,

I live very close to PSU and have all Rti gear if you'd like to hear it. If you have never heard Rti's I would strongly suggest you do before making a purchase. I upgraded from a complete Monitor lineup. The tweeters are different and imo significantly better. I have Rti 10's, Csi A6, Rti a3, and Fxi 3's.

If you are somewhat serious about this hobby I would suggest Rti's but make sure you have heard them first. Also, combining Monitors with Rti's will not work well so you have to pick a series and stick with it.

I'd take up this offer if I were you. The tweeters are different and they are better for HT! But they are BRIGHTER and a bit more detailed so that I don't like them as much for music--except on the A9s, RTi12s where the different crossovers and the d'appilito array TONE down that TWEETER...and the A-9s sound much sweeter than either the 5s or the 7s as a result.

Take a look at Polk's site here. The A-7s use one 6.5" driver and two 7" below it. the A-9s have a 5/1/5 with 3 7" woofers below and are crossed over at a significantly different points! They are a cascade array (similar to M70s). It's subjective, really. Rti-5s, M70s listen and choose. As for me its RTI-A9s or nothing. I really don't like that tweeter. The in-your-facer.

Now the LSIs now there's a TWEETER....not blasting your ears out! Laid back, smooth,...never harsh! And it doesn't lose the detail at all!

cnh

mdk5068

cnh wrote: »

I'd take up this offer if I were you. The tweeters are different and they are better for HT! But they are BRIGHTER and a bit more detailed so that I don't like them as much for music--except on the A9s, RTi12s where the different crossovers and the d'appilito array TONE down that TWEETER...and the A-9s sound much sweeter than either the 5s or the 7s as a result.

Take a look at Polk's site here. The A-7s use one 6.5" driver and two 7" below it. the A-9s have a 5/1/5 with 3 7" woofers below and are crossed over at a significantly different points! They are a cascade array (similar to M70s). It's subjective, really. Rti-5s, M70s listen and choose. As for me its RTI-A9s or nothing. I really don't like that tweeter. The in-your-facer.

Now the LSIs now there's a TWEETER....not blasting your ears out! Laid back, smooth,...never harsh! And it doesn't lose the detail at all!

cnh

cnh,

I see that the lsi series is at 4 ohms, would my receiver be able to handle the lsi series? Say the setup I decided on was an lsic, and two lsi15's, and either a pair of lsifx's or fxi a6's. Would my meager yamaha rx-v659 be able to handle it? With the lsi15 and the lsic would i not be able to use the fxi a6's as a result of an improper timbre match? With the subwoofers in the lsi 15's would I need to retain my polk dswpro 400? Would I not be worse for wear in simply having the svs pb-12 nsd? As I am not willing to upgrade my receiver at this time, these questions could all easily be discarded if my receiver could not handle the power. Looking this up, (http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/receivers/yamaha-rx-v659/rx-v659-system-setup-configuration) it seems as though my receiver does have "enough" power, but as I am nowehere near experienced at this, any advice? I do understand that if this were possible I would surely need an external amplifier at some point!

Thank you so much,

Mark

jimmydep

mdk5068 wrote: »

cnh,

I see that the lsi series is at 4 ohms, would my receiver be able to handle the lsi series? Say the setup I decided on was an lsic, and two lsi15's, and either a pair of lsifx's or fxi a6's. Would my meager yamaha rx-v659 be able to handle it? With the lsi15 and the lsic would i not be able to use the fxi a6's as a result of an improper timbre match? With the subwoofers in the lsi 15's would I need to retain my polk dswpro 400? Would I not be worse for wear in simply having the svs pb-12 nsd? As I am not willing to upgrade my receiver at this time, these questions could all easily be discarded if my receiver could not handle the power. Looking this up, (http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/receivers/yamaha-rx-v659/rx-v659-system-setup-configuration) it seems as though my receiver does have "enough" power, but as I am nowehere near experienced at this, any advice? I do understand that if this were possible I would surely need an external amplifier at some point!

Thank you so much,

Mark

The LSI's are Great sounding speakers, If your ever in the NYC area stop by and give a listen.

I was powering my LSI 15, LSIC, LSIF\X's with a Yamaha RX-V665 95wpc receiver. It sounded alright but I always felt something was lacking, especially in the low midrange to bass frequency's. I added an Emotiva XPA-5 with [email]350wpc@4ohm.......WOW[/email]!!! the sound completely changed...the LSI's really came alive.

SO the LSI's are 4ohm power hungry extremely refined sounding BEASTS..
I did audition the RTI-A5 at Electronics Expo and I liked them, not as refined as the LSI's but with a good subwoofer they should be a great place to start especially if your not ready to make the jump to a seperate amp.

Jimmy

superjunior

mdk5068 wrote: »

Ha, I know what you mean in terms of eying up the a9's! I don't even have the a5's yet and I am eying after the a9's! Happy to see a contented customer with the a5's though, and if I eventually do consider an external amp to help out my yamaha i will look in to the xpa2. Glowing reviews for the nsd and the csi a6 as well, makes me happy.

--mark

Mark, its a sickness. I thought if I just dove in and got the a9's, my speeker thirst would be quenched. No such luck, now I find myself wanting the a5's for rear surrounds Start with the a5's for your fronts, they can always be used elsewhere as you expand