Polk RTA15TL Do I want them??

geppy1

I have never heard the RTA 15TL. There is a pair in my area for $500. I think that is alittle high. More like $300 to $400 makes more sense?? Not sure what to do here. I have had early 10s for 28 years and the last two years have been playing with RTA12Bs and Cs. To many crossover and driver combos and they all sound different. I am concerned about the 15s not having the open sound iof the RTA12s and having overkill in the bass. I see people sometimes mention lack of bass on the RTA12s and I do not get it. They produce bass when it should be there and can shake the house. When it is not there they do not make it up. My brother has had LS90 since new and I also recently tried a pair. Nice but a group of us (including his own kid) thought the 12s were more open with a bigger stage and and the 90s sounded like way overkill in the bass. Almost muddy and seemed to color the voices. They left no question about the fact they had a port. My wife said she thought she had cotton in her ears. For all these reasons I am concerned about taking the plunge into the RTA15TLs. Any experiences and advice would be helpful. Thanks,keith

Toolfan66

I would'nt let them go because of $100

gdb

For that price range I'd go with some SDAs, although I've never heard the models that you're considering. If you want stage and realistic bass, the SDA effect is in a class all itself IMHO!:)

geppy1

I would not mind trying SDA 1Cs I haver had SDA1s and SDA2s. I and others found the sound laid back and no as sharply defined as the other speakers. Also the stage is very wide but the depth does not come forward of the grills. It tends to be being the speaker. Even the favorable reviews of the time mention these issues. Like I say 1cs would be an option but none are for sale around here. Keith

everpress

I have the RTA 11TLs. They are in the same line, but the 15's a a bit more... Premium.
The 11tls are crisp, bright and punchy. The bass is, to my ear, true and not that chest-rattling distorted hum that cheaper speakers produce (I've listened to everything from Waylon Jennings to Mates of State re-mixes on them and been purely amazed).

I am not an audiophile (because I lack the wallet to be one), so $500 is steep for decade old speakers, but like the previous poster said, if it's a matter of $100 give or take, I think I'd snag them.

geppy1

Hence the problem. I will know pretty quickly if they are better then the RTA12c. I do not think they will be as open but?? If not then I have to turn around and sell them and I cannot afford to lose $100 to $150 overnight. much less at all. Keith

Ron Temple

geppy1 wrote: »

I would not mind trying SDA 1Cs I haver had SDA1s and SDA2s. I and others found the sound laid back and no as sharply defined as the other speakers. Also the stage is very wide but the depth does not come forward of the grills. It tends to be being the speaker. Even the favorable reviews of the time mention these issues. Like I say 1cs would be an option but none are for sale around here. Keith

If anything the 1Cs are more laid back than 2Bs. The depth is behind the speaker fronts, quite a bit behind. Now, an Adcom GFA555 brought the soundstage forward in my room. It was a nice change, but ultimately I prefer the laid back nature of the speakers.

alk3997

geppy1 wrote: »

I have never heard the RTA 15TL. There is a pair in my area for $500. I think that is alittle high. More like $300 to $400 makes more sense?? Not sure what to do here. I have had early 10s for 28 years and the last two years have been playing with RTA12Bs and Cs. To many crossover and driver combos and they all sound different. I am concerned about the 15s not having the open sound iof the RTA12s and having overkill in the bass. I see people sometimes mention lack of bass on the RTA12s and I do not get it. They produce bass when it should be there and can shake the house. When it is not there they do not make it up. My brother has had LS90 since new and I also recently tried a pair. Nice but a group of us (including his own kid) thought the 12s were more open with a bigger stage and and the 90s sounded like way overkill in the bass. Almost muddy and seemed to color the voices. They left no question about the fact they had a port. My wife said she thought she had cotton in her ears. For all these reasons I am concerned about taking the plunge into the RTA15TLs. Any experiences and advice would be helpful. Thanks,keith

Our 15TLs have been running since 1991 as our front left/right speakers. I've replaced one grill and upgraded the tweaters since then but really have had no problems.

I originally had purchased the 11TLs from a local dealer and felt the speakers didn't have enough punch. The 15TLs were much warmer and fuller. I've never regretted the upgrade from the 11TLs to the 15TLs, which the (long departed) store provided full credit for the 11TLs price.

When we move into our new house, we already have a pair of very recently purchased SDA SRS 2.3TLs that are being renovated for that home. The 15TLs will become the rear left/right combo. So they will hopefully be going for a lot longer.

To my ears the 15TLs are somewhere in between a B&W 802 and a B&W 803. I like the tweeters better in the 15TLs than the rather harsh B&W sound. The cost of that sound quality in today's market is truly astronomical and makes the vintage Polks worth the money.

Does anyone else have a favorite speaker to compare the 15TLs to (since I used B&W)?

Andy

warlocks1

Nice speakers. Way better the the 11t speakers. I would offer $350.00. I doubt someone would pay $500.00 for them.

everpress

I paid $50 for my 11tl's... And $25 for my Bose 501's...

I think I got ripped off on the 501's....

j/k

They sound fine... Just not as good as the Polk's.

halo

alk3997 wrote: »

Does anyone else have a favorite speaker to compare the 15TLs to (since I used B&W)?

Andy

I had the 11T's (x-over upgrade w/ RDO tweeters & modded bases). They were very good. I also had the 15TL's w/ the RDO upgrade. I liked them better than the 11T's.

As for the RTA12's I've never owned them but I did have the R.T.A. 11 / Monitor 11 and they were more spacious than the 15TL's but like the RTA 12's there is a lack of bass response vs the 15TL's.

The Von Schwiekert VR-2's knock the snot out of all of these IMHO.

Tony M

I've owned the rta15tl's and tried to sell them for 400. but it seems 300/350 is all anyone can pay in this economy. That's a steal for these speakers!!!! the tweeter should be upgraded now that I've heard the RDO's in my new SDA SRs2's. I agree theres no limit( well I guess there really is) to how loud you can go with the 15's and the bass is there. After hearing The SDA's (side by side comparison)I now know that they lack alittle in the very bottom for sure. Add a sub and you won't miss a thing! Get em or hold out for big SDA's.

geppy1

A friend of mine bought VR2s and compared them to the 10Bs he has had since 1986. He liked the VRs but said the 10s did not get embarassed. I did the same. I have had my 1979 10s since 83. I thought the 10s had a more elevated stage and the VR2s sounded cold ( have heard that from others)but with more depth. The 10s seemed to throw the sound around more. I sold the VR2s. I later tried his awhen he went out of town. Same thing but they sounded different then the pair I had. Later heard Al liked to use different suppliers for his drivers. Not sure about that. BEAUTIFUL cabinets..

halo

geppy1 wrote: »

A friend of mine bought VR2s and compared them to the 10Bs he has had since 1986. He liked the VRs but said the 10s did not get embarassed. I did the same. I have had my 1979 10s since 83. I thought the 10s had a more elevated stage and the VR2s sounded cold ( have heard that from others)but with more depth. The 10s seemed to throw the sound around more. I sold the VR2s. I later tried his awhen he went out of town. Same thing but they sounded different then the pair I had. Later heard Al liked to use different suppliers for his drivers. Not sure about that. BEAUTIFUL cabinets..

I had the 10A's w/ Peerless tweeters and the 10B's w/ the sl's as well. The 10A's were the nicest of the 2. I felt that the R.T.A. 11 / MONITOR 11's left them both in the dust. Still couldn't hold a candle to the VR-2's IMHO. Guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one

geppy1

Well I got them. One of the soccer teams I coach had a game almost an hour away and we had to go right by the guys house. On the way back from the game (it had poured the whole time ) we stopped by. I was soaking wet and it was getting late. Did not really want to but figured now or never. Had to take my cleats and socks off just to go in.

Very nice gentleman in his late 50s living with his cat in a townhouse. He had owned them since new and they were a 9.8 out of 10. Cannot tell what something will sound like in your home with your estuff so i had to buy them. I asked him if there was an amount he had to have and explained I was doing a comparison and they could be out the door in a week. I mentioned they tend to go $200 to a $400. I offered him $300 and he said that would be ok although he hoped for alittle more. I do not have a pot to piss in but felt bad so I had my wife go to the ATM and get $350 She was not happy I am legally blind so she does all the driving but she was annoyed about the 2 pairs of 10s, 2 pairs of RTA12 and now these. I am in a world of crap!!

My take on them so far is., very smooth yet very well defined image. The tweeter reminds me of the early Denmark made peerless aittle. No heavy overkill in the bass like the LS90s and LSI15s The sound is very much like the stuff from the 80s. Very easy to listen too but not laidback. I think the RTA12 may?? be more open and slightly thinner but I have not switched them yet. We shall see. Thanks to all that responded. ,keith

halo

Sounds like you are enjoying them & that's the most important thing.

Congrats on your new speakers!

fyi - you might want to move them out into the room farther from the back wall

tx_polkhead

nice speakers, heck nice collection of speakers. Leagally blind soccer coach, so what do you yell at the ref, 'come on even I can see that is a penalty!' I hopr the humor was obvious, my sister is legally blind, she is having her second eye surgery later this week (keep your fingers crossed). What would you estimate the 15's weigh, they look beefy!

geppy1

Comedy ,and its free!!! They weigh 77lbs packed and about 70 net. Have not compared them to the RTA12s yet We shall see.

Tony M

Those tweeters look like they were replaced with newer ones. Mine had the fish eye SL-2000's. Nice purchase by the way. Well worth what you paid. The finest RTA's Polk audio made is now in your home.ENJOY:D

concealer404

I would have paid $500 for those. Great score!

Pauly

Havent heard the 15's but Love my 11T's.

Nice score. I paid 250.00 for mine 9/10

Pauly

skrol

tony millard wrote: »

Those tweeters look like they were replaced with newer ones. Mine had the fish eye SL-2000's. Nice purchase by the way. Well worth what you paid. The finest RTA's Polk audio made is now in your home.ENJOY:D

They look original to me. I believe the RTA15T and RTA15TL only came with the SL3000 tweeter. The replacement would be the RDO198.

Tony M

Someone might have swaped these out then. Here is a pic of the ones I sold but are still in my possesion.

skrol

Either that or they are Frankin-Polks. It certainly looks like SL2000. The engineer that designed them told me that the RTA15T, which later became known as (TL) mainly for marketing reasons, were originally designed using the SL3000. No other was ever used.

Are you the original owner?

If you need, I could probably hook you up with a set of SL3000's.

Tony M

No I'm not. The sound is bright though with these but not the ice pick in the ear sound some have. The new owner will probably keep them like this and use them with his other pr.unless they have the 3000's.. When I hear from him again I'll tell him you have the 3000's.He's supposed to join the forum.He bought some nice SDA SRS's from Charlotte 1 month ago.:)

rallyshark

Nice score on the 15TLs! I wouldn't have a second thought about paying $350 for them. I have the monitor 11Ts with the RDO/Xover upgrades and love them. I think the 15TLs would be my perfect upgrade right now. Just don't see too many of those around:( Granted, I have about $325 in my M11Ts including the upgrades and purchase price, so I'm still pretty happy.:)

LPN

I'm very pleased with my RTA 15TL's. I replaced the original SL3000 tweeters with the RDO 198-1's and even during the break in phase, these sound great. Good quality vinyl pressings are suberb through these, and no slouch with most other formats.

geppy1

Mine are SL3000. I think they sound pretty good but would not mind trying 198s however I have tried 194s in other things and think the border on being to smooth and have a smaller stage or less dispersion then the S1000 or the Peerless. What is your take on the 198?? keith

LPN

geppy1,
My experience is somewhat limited. I do however have a good ear and like these RDO 198-1's. As I mentioned these are still in the "break in" phase with my 15 TL's but if sound improves with time on these, hey it's a no brainer in my opinion. Price is quite reasonable too, around $50 each in the USA.

ben62670

15's work on shorter walls where SDA's don't. I had 15's and was very happy.