Which rti a towers should I get??

Mark1

Hey guys, Just got my Csi a6!! Got the fxi a6's about a month ago. The setup is sounding better by the month.

I'm trying to figure out which Tower speakers are best for my front channels. From what I've read the A5's Have 2 midrange drivers and i've heard the A7's are lacking in the midrange because of the single midrange driver. The A9's need a lot of power to sound good and cost considerably more $$.

I've also read that it's best to set all speakers to small on the reciever so I don't even know why a 3way speaker is needed if you would be wanting to cut the low frequencies.

So what have some of you guys decided on and what do you suggest?

Toolfan66

A9's are not that hard to run, a good receiver will power them just fine.

If your setup is more HT then i say get the A5's

If you want music and HT then i say A9's

mystik610

I would skip the A7 because of the lacking mid-bass driver. Whether or not you'll benefit from the extra woofers in the A9 depends on how you run your set-up.

Is your system going to be used more heavily for music or home theater? Do you plan on getting a separate sub?

A pair of RTi A5's will run you around 900 bucks...a pair of RTi A9's will run you about 1,700...given the price difference, if your primary usage is home theater, you'd be MUCH better getting the A5's, and spending the additional 800 on a high quality sub from HSU or SVS. On paper the RTi A9's will dip down to 18hz, but not with nearly as much authority as a high quality dedicated sub.

Also...running a dedicated sub with the A9's can actually be detrimental, as you could run into issues with bass cancellation. Even with a bi-amped configuration, you'd be better off setting your front speakers to small, setting the crossovers around 80hz, and diverting all of your power to the high's and mid-range. This will give you more dynamic range in your front sound stage, while allowing a dedicated sub to handle the lower frequencies.

The A9's would be better suited for music....but the superb sound quality of HSU subs sound great with music too. If you're using your system for music, however, the LSi series would be better suited for you than anything in the RTi line.

mmadden28

Setting the speakers to Large will run them Full Range. If you have a sub you may run into bass cancellation. If you set them to small you can set the high pass to the speakers and the low pass to the sub. If you don't have a sub, then run them large. If you do, run them small and crossover at 80Hz. You can adjust the crossover point to what sounds best. The lower drivers are still used, just not as much.

I found my RTi12's (pretty much the same a the RTiA9's), had a pretty good low end. So much so that I almost forgot I didn't have a sub at one point. But adding a sub changed the whole dynamic.

I certainly noticed a difference running the 12's on an AVR vs. running with a separate amp. They certainly benefit from more power if you want the full potential.

I know it feels like a waste not really using all the drivers to their full potential when running them small. Personally, even if the final output were the same, I like the bigger speakers--they look nicer (in my room next to my large entertainment center)--they are a piece of furniture after all. I'm not sure where they sell the RTiA's, but if you have a chance to do a side by side comparison between the 5 and 9, that would be the way to go.

What main speakers do you have now? Do you have a sub?

bklynNupe

I've owned the a5's and they are great. Nice detail and very impressive. They are perfect for a smaller room and they really complemented by a nice sub.
The a9's pack a lot of midrange punch! Many folks feel a sub is not need with the a9's. Perfect match for the a6.

SivaNevets

this is a classic question for the RTIa lines. Im running into the same problem. Seem to me more people prefer A5 + Sub> A7+ Sub that certainly sounds like a waste of sub-driver for me -> if u set cross over at 80hz and speakers to small, what are they designed for? what frequencies does the sub bass driver handle ont he A7s and A9s?

SolidSqual

As return-customer of this hobby, I've heard the discussions over and over again regarding the RTi series. In my time, it was the RTi8 vs RTi10. What do you want more bass or midrange. I went with midrange and bought the Rti8 thinking I would just get a sub later. I like music, and that interest only increased with good speakers. Everyone told me to get the 8s for music. Thinking the 8s would provide a better midrange, I purchased them. Later, I yearned for more bass. So I bought an SVS PB10 sub, but I could never get it to integrate perfectly with the drivers. I heard the Rti10s sometime after I purchased my 8s and wished I had gone with the 10s. I detected no major mid-range weakness and really like the extra bass in two channel without a sub. In fact, because the bass drivers and mid drivers were obviously voiced together, I enjoyed a much greater coherency in the music that was difficult to find with the sub and Rti8 setup. If you like more music go with the bigger towers. If you like music as much as movies, go with the bigger towers. If you like mostly movies and will definitely buy a sub, then get the RTia5 and invest the extra cash into a high quality sub with the ability to disappear into your system (as much as possible).

Mike

leroyjr1

Mark1

Where are you located? It may be some polkies that live near you that wouldn't mind you coming by and taking a listen.

danz1906

Go for the A5s!

jimmydep

SolidSqual wrote: »

As return-customer of this hobby, I've heard the discussions over and over again regarding the RTi series. In my time, it was the RTi8 vs RTi10. What do you want more bass or midrange. I went with midrange and bought the Rti8 thinking I would just get a sub later. I like music, and that interest only increased with good speakers. Everyone told me to get the 8s for music. Thinking the 8s would provide a better midrange, I purchased them. Later, I yearned for more bass. So I bought an SVS PB10 sub, but I could never get it to integrate perfectly with the drivers. I heard the Rti10s sometime after I purchased my 8s and wished I had gone with the 10s. I detected no major mid-range weakness and really like the extra bass in two channel without a sub. In fact, because the bass drivers and mid drivers were obviously voiced together, I enjoyed a much greater coherency in the music that was difficult to find with the sub and Rti8 setup. If you like more music go with the bigger towers. If you like music as much as movies, go with the bigger towers. If you like mostly movies and will definitely buy a sub, then get the RTia5 and invest the extra cash into a high quality sub with the ability to disappear into your system (as much as possible).

Mike

I have to agree with Mike here, while I'm using the LSI series I've found for "music" that setting the speaker to large and letting a full range speaker do the job it was designed for sounds better than trying to integrate a sub.

I listen to my music in the Pure Direct mode so the sub is disabled anyway, and I find the sound to be much better without the sub, more natural and much smoother sounding.

I have heard both the A-5 and A-9's I'd have to say the A-9's would be a better choice. While the A-5 are very detailed in the mid and highs, they are seriously lacking in the low range, with the A-9 you get the FULL package, detailed mid and highs with a punch.

With the A-9's I'd set the speakers to LARGE, if you don't like it you can always try other settings....

Jimmy

mdk5068

Hesitantly, as I see I am amongst a large group of non-believers, I would recommend the A7's. I understand the 2 mid ranged drivers of the a5's, as well as the obvious pull for the larger daddy a9. In the beginning, I really did just go with that rationale, but then I talked to a guy at polk who basically spent his life around the rti a series. He told that essentially the a7's were significantly more detailed than the a5's, even with a sub. He urged me that there was a reason the a7's sold out more frequently than either the a5's or the a9's, and that made sense to me. They are the obvious two ends of the spectrum, and they did create the a7 for a reason. Wanting to hear it before I just went ahead and bought, I went to the ny j&r to have a listen, and found that I did like the a7 the best. As everyone always says, everyone's ears are different. Mine told me that the larger cabinet would give me more sound than the a5, while not wasting the potential of the a9. The a9 to me seemed just huge. 500 watts of power, two handfuls of drivers, over 4 feet high...its just a monster. In the end you get what you pay for, but I nabbed the a7's I can say I don't regret it, even after hearing the a5's and a9's consistently.

bklynNupe

SolidSqual wrote: »

As return-customer of this hobby, I've heard the discussions over and over again regarding the RTi series. In my time, it was the RTi8 vs RTi10. What do you want more bass or midrange. I went with midrange and bought the Rti8 thinking I would just get a sub later. I like music, and that interest only increased with good speakers. Everyone told me to get the 8s for music. Thinking the 8s would provide a better midrange, I purchased them. Later, I yearned for more bass. So I bought an SVS PB10 sub, but I could never get it to integrate perfectly with the drivers. I heard the Rti10s sometime after I purchased my 8s and wished I had gone with the 10s. I detected no major mid-range weakness and really like the extra bass in two channel without a sub. In fact, because the bass drivers and mid drivers were obviously voiced together, I enjoyed a much greater coherency in the music that was difficult to find with the sub and Rti8 setup. If you like more music go with the bigger towers. If you like music as much as movies, go with the bigger towers. If you like mostly movies and will definitely buy a sub, then get the RTia5 and invest the extra cash into a high quality sub with the ability to disappear into your system (as much as possible).

Mike

+1, Mike I you pretty much nailed my experience and conclusions entirely just swap in the a5's and a9's.

Mark1

I live by Des Moines, Iowa.

I do like listening to music as much as I watch movies. I currently have a 100 watt yamaha sub that I'm using at the moment and probably will only be using it for another 2 months before I buy a newer one.

It seems like on my csi a6 the 2 drivers have different cross over frequencies. Like one is mid range and the other more bass. Is that similar to the rti a5 setup? If that is true wouldn't the a5 and a7 really only have 1 true midrange driver? So the a7 would be better? I'm just guessing help please.

cnh

It really depends on what you're talking about.

If you want to listen to music in two channel, both the A5s and A7s are too bright and forward compared to the A9s--the most musical in the series.

The point on the larger speakers is not that you would cross them over and run them as SMALL in an HT setup, but that you WOULD RUN THEM IN PURE AUDIO 2 channel in a MUSIC set up!!! As a FULL RANGE SPEAKER! That's why you buy those.

If you're mostly HT A5s are fine and A7s OK...but if I were going A7s I'd think, hey may as well go with the flagship and have the best of HT and MUSIC! That's why I pass over the A7s myself. It's as bright as the A5 (which I'm not a big fan of). I feel the array/crossover of the A9s tones that tweeter DOWN. I mean that tweet is fine for HT...but for music IMHO...too forward, too bright. But that is, of course subjective. I HATE bright in any tweeter....even in a 50K dollar speaker--don't care for it?

But some people like 'detail'...the question is when does detail become too harsh? That's for YOUR ears to decide. Mine have already made up their mind.

cnh

1fastz28

i have a7's and have had them for over a year, and i absolutely love them

jguru

I am starting with a new setup - I have onkyo sr 607 and a pair of monitor 30 so far

I am planning to buy rti A5, is it ok to mix them with monitor series speakers?

I need a pair of fronts for < 300 and a sub < 150$

Todd Lee

If you're going to use them for surrounds, then it should be fine. It's not as important to voice match surrounds, it's the front sound stage that matters most.

Sherardp

I would say A9s. For awhile I was driving my RTi12s with just a receiver. Also check out Polk's Ebay store, a pair of A9s were listed for 899 just a few days ago. That's one heck of a deal if you ask me.

guinsdan

I vote A5's and put the extra cash towards sub(s) or something else (unless money isn't an object). Polk direct sells the refurbed A5's on eBay for around $460 shipped (check frequently or call them). Kingpinav has a set of floor models w/out grilles for $330 shipped. The 7's are $715 from direct and the 9's are $1,035.

I'm waiting for my 5's to arrive, but I have the 3's in the front with the BIC F12 sub for bass and it sounds really good considering they aren't towers. You could pick up a sub first and see what it sounds like with the FXi. You could also consider two small subs if you really worried about bass.

The good news is you will end up upgrading in a few years anyways once you become an audiophile and they will hold their value. Then move the 5's to the rear and get 9's (or something like that)...

sTiLlLeArNiNg

I have a pair of a9's and 2 pair of a7's in the house, i auditioned the a5's before my purchase