RTA 15T: 2-speaker --> Home Theater

MichaelJ
MichaelJ Posts: 47
edited March 2003 in Speakers
I have a pair of RTA 15T stereo speakers bought 10 years ago that have a wonderful sound. I recently purchased a Mitsubishi 55" wide-screen TV and an Onkyo TX-6030 AV receiver. I need to purchase a center channel and surround speakers. I have two questions:
1) are the RTA 15T speakers un-shielded, and if so, will they cause distortion in my TV if placed a about a foot to either side.
2) I am looking at a CSi40 center channel and two FXi50 surrounds. After looking through some of the speaker forums, there has been discussion about the difference in speaker material between older polkaudio speakers and the silk/polymer construction of the newer speakers. Will the sound of the CSi40 and FXi50's blend well with my RTA15T's?
Mains: RTA15T
Front Center: CSi40
Surrounds: FXi50
Sufwoofer: Definitive Tech SuperCube I
Audio: Onkyo TX-SR600
HDTV: Mitsubishi 55" wide screen
Post edited by MichaelJ on

Comments

  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,647
    edited March 2003
    MJ,

    Welcome to the forum.

    Yes, the RTA 15TL's are unshielded, but you can buy some bucking magnets from Polk to solve that problem. Just call Ken in Customer Service and he'll set you up. The 15's use a SL3000 tweeter and I believe the LSiC would match up ok, but some of these other guys know more about that than I do. Also, while you've got Ken on the phone you could ask his advice about matching up speakers.

    F1
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • MichaelJ
    MichaelJ Posts: 47
    edited March 2003
    F1

    Thanks for the reply ... I'll contact Ken for the bucking magnets. I have corresponded with him previously by email; he recommended the CSi40 and FXi50's. While browing the forums, I came across discussions about the effects of different speaker materials, so was wondering if anyone had matched up the new "i" speakers with the older RTA's.

    My previous electronic setup was Sherwood separates; now I have an integerated digital AV receiver and the speakers sound different. They are more forward, they have more clarity, and slightly less warmth. I figure if a different amplifier produces a different sound, then different speaker materials may also produce a different sound.

    Thanks again ............... MichaelJ
    Mains: RTA15T
    Front Center: CSi40
    Surrounds: FXi50
    Sufwoofer: Definitive Tech SuperCube I
    Audio: Onkyo TX-SR600
    HDTV: Mitsubishi 55" wide screen
  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited March 2003
    Try that set-up before spending for bucking magnets. They can be tough to apply, and the woofer magnets may sit low enough to not have any effect on the picture.

    One of my AR-9's is sitting about two feet from a 27" monitor, and the 8" lower mid has a fairly good size magnet attached. No picture degradation whatsoever.

    George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's)
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,647
    edited March 2003
    MJ,

    Your assumptions that different speaker materials may produce different sounds is correct, it's called timbre. George makes some good points, but that 15 has two mid-drivers at the top and it's a tall cabinet. The best thing to use for attaching the magnets is a gelled super glue. Don't forget to do the tweeter as well.

    F1
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • ChrisDurano
    ChrisDurano Posts: 372
    edited March 2003
    I used some 2 part epoxy I got from HomeDepot for my old S4's, and those worked w/ no problems. It takes some time to hold the magnets in place, but once the epoxy dries...its permanent.
    Home Speakers polkaudio RTi70's (bi-wired), CSi30, FX3000i, PSW250

    Car speakers polkaudio EX 369, DB 650
  • pjdami
    pjdami Posts: 1,894
    edited March 2003
    MJ,

    Unshielded speakers should not be a problem with rear projection tvs; only with tube tvs. One foot away should be fine.

    My mains are unshielded and about a foot away from my rear projection Mits tv. There is no distortion. On a tube tv, when there is no source (and the screen is blue or some other color besides black and you move the unshielded speaker close to the tv you can see the distortion in the color).

    Paul
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,647
    edited March 2003
    Paul,

    Good point, I missed that one.

    F1
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • MichaelJ
    MichaelJ Posts: 47
    edited March 2003
    thanks for the advice about rear-projection TV's. I have not noticed any distortion, but I do keep the speakers about a foot away from the TV (it is a 55" 16X9 Mitsubishi). I have only played movies at moderate volume, will high volume introduce distortion?
    Mains: RTA15T
    Front Center: CSi40
    Surrounds: FXi50
    Sufwoofer: Definitive Tech SuperCube I
    Audio: Onkyo TX-SR600
    HDTV: Mitsubishi 55" wide screen
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,647
    edited March 2003
    Crank it up and find out.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    edited March 2003
    Onkyo receivers have what is called a reference point.If I remember correctly,it comes in around the 78 volume setting.It will read REF instead of a numbered volume reading.

    DO NOT GO PAST THIS POINT.Why???exactly what your question asks.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • MichaelJ
    MichaelJ Posts: 47
    edited March 2003
    Well ... I did crank it up while watching selected sections of the Terminator DVD ... the Onkyo receiver reads Max when it is topped out ... did not overdrive the excellent RTA 15T's and I could not detect any distortion on the Mitsubishi Widescreen TV.
    Mains: RTA15T
    Front Center: CSi40
    Surrounds: FXi50
    Sufwoofer: Definitive Tech SuperCube I
    Audio: Onkyo TX-SR600
    HDTV: Mitsubishi 55" wide screen