RTiA7 vs RTiA9
I currently have RTiA7 fronts in my system, accompanied by CSiA6 center, FXiA6 surrounds and FXiA4 rear surrounds. I am also running a SVS PB12 Plus sub. I was thinking about the possibility of swapping the RTiA7's for RTiA9's.
1. Since I have a very good sub, and I am not relying on the fronts for heavy duty low end work (cut over set at 80hZ), will the A9's be much of an improvement?
2. Would my 140 watt Onk TX-SR876 have the power to push the larger A9's? Or would they need an amp?
And I am not dissatisfied with the sound of the A7's. They actually sound very good. But hey, it's a hobby and we are always looking for ways to make good things better.
1. Since I have a very good sub, and I am not relying on the fronts for heavy duty low end work (cut over set at 80hZ), will the A9's be much of an improvement?
2. Would my 140 watt Onk TX-SR876 have the power to push the larger A9's? Or would they need an amp?
And I am not dissatisfied with the sound of the A7's. They actually sound very good. But hey, it's a hobby and we are always looking for ways to make good things better.
Post edited by ls7z06 on
Comments
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Stick with your current speakers and add an external amp. That will make the difference you are looking for. YMMV.I like speakers that are bigger than a small refrigerator but smaller than a big refrigerator:D
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^^^^agreed^^^^^
you have a nice setup as it is.. add the amp 3 channel or 5 channel and I am sure you will be very happy.Polk Audio SDA 2.3tl Fully Hot Rodded. 😎
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MIT Shotgun 3 cables throughout / Except TT, and PC’s -
MillerLiteScott wrote: »Stick with your current speakers and add an external amp. That will make the difference you are looking for. YMMV.
Agreed,but I hear that the A9s mid-range is alot better than the A7s.
Very nice system-Sweet SVS sub!Linn AV5140 fronts
Linn AV5120 Center
Linn AV5140 Rears
M&K MX-70 Sub for Music
Odyssey Mono-Blocs
SVS Ultra-13 Gloss Black:D -
I say MORE POWER!
emotiva xpa-2
emotiva xpa-3
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Pro-Ject debut -
The A9's will be a all around improvement. With the A9's you will be able to turn the sub off and enjoy music. More power will also be a big improvement as well. I'm currently running my a9's without any external amp for a easy to use system for the whole family and it does a great job. The amp section in my sc-07 is also the best I've heard so far.
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+1 xcapri
Living Room: 7.3: Samsung - LN52A750, Pioneer Elite SC07, logitech 880
Def Tech Mythos ST
Fronts, Def Tech Mythos 10 Center, Def Tech BP-30 Surr, Def Tech Mythos GemXL SurrBack, MartinLogan Dynamo
2Ch: Carver TL-3200 CD player, Carver CT-17 pre, Carver TFM-45 amp driving SDA-1C
Bed Room: Pioneer Elite VSX-52 , Monitor 50
Storage-RTi8,CSi5,PSW505,Monitor50 -
The A9's will be a all around improvement. With the A9's you will be able to turn the sub off and enjoy music. More power will also be a big improvement as well. I'm currently running my a9's without any external amp for a easy to use system for the whole family and it does a great job. The amp section in my sc-07 is also the best I've heard so far.
+1000. The 9's offer up better mid-range and bass. Not knocking the 7's as i did own them prior, and think their a great speaker, but the 9's are much more dynamic IMO.
Pat.Receiver: Pioneer Elite SC-05
Amp: Emotiva Xpa-3
Front L/R: POLK Rti-a9s':D
Center:POLK Csi-a6
Rear surround's:POLK Rti-a1s'
Sub: Klipsch Synergy sub-12
Sony Kdl-46w4100 46" LCD
PS3
Audioquest type 4 wiring. -
The A9's will be a all around improvement. With the A9's you will be able to turn the sub off and enjoy music. More power will also be a big improvement as well.
agreed. I usually listen to music in pure direct, the a9's deliver. Of course ht is another story, but for music no sub wanted or needed here. Imo the 9s need an amp to really get the MOST out of them. I've had them hooked up with and without an amp and the difference is huge.panasonic th-50pz85u
pioneer elite vsx-92txh
pioneer elite bdp-05fd
emotiva xpa-3
monster power hdp 2550
sa 8300 hd dvr
sda 2b's
fronts - rti a9's
center - csi a6
surrounds - fxi a6's
sub - polk dsw pro 600
harmony one -
Thanks for all of the feedback. I am not looking for a reason to turn off my sub. It sounds great for HT or music and blends very well. And I really want to avoid adding an external amp if I can. So I would be most tempted to get the A9's if ....1) I could aqdequately power them direct from my Onk 876, and 2) if the mid and high range would be a noticeable improvement over the A7's.
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Thanks for all of the feedback. I am not looking for a reason to turn off my sub. It sounds great for HT or music and blends very well. And I really want to avoid adding an external amp if I can. So I would be most tempted to get the A9's if ....1) I could aqdequately power them direct from my Onk 876, and 2) if the mid and high range would be a noticeable improvement over the A7's.
Where are you located? If you're close to me you're more than welcome to have a listen. -
Where are you located? If you're close to me you're more than welcome to have a listen.
I appreciate that very much! However, it would be easier for me to audition them in the Dallas area. Maybe at Frye or Ultimate Electronics. -
Get the A9's, the midrange and bass will improve. They will sound fine with the Onkyo 876 as it is a good receiver, however they should sound better with an external amp.
Why don't you want to get an external amp? A two channel amp for just the A9's will work and leave the Onkyo for the rest. That is the beauty of having pre-outs on your receiver.
You can get away with as little as a Adcom 545II which can be had for about $150-$200 but reccommend the 555II and that ranges from $250-$350.
I had the chance to use a friends Rotel 1092 class D 500 watts@8 ohms on my A9's WOW not as warm as most people would like for music but they did hit hard and sound fantastic. -
If I did not get the amp, just yet, and just got the A9's..... and just plugged them into my Onk 876..... would they sound better than the A7's? OR... would they be so underpowered that the A7's sound better?
Then on the other hand... If I got a 200w amp and ran my A7's through it, would they sound better than the A9's running direct from my receiver??
Probably a hard question to answer unless you have done actually done it. But best guesses are always welcome too!
My only issue with the amp is space, size, and more wires. If I got real innovative, I could probably make it work. I would probably need to moth ball my HDDVD player to make room. -
Just a guess, But I would think that the A7s with the 200w amp may sound
a lil better than the A9s with the Onk.
But go for the A9s and get the Amp later.Linn AV5140 fronts
Linn AV5120 Center
Linn AV5140 Rears
M&K MX-70 Sub for Music
Odyssey Mono-Blocs
SVS Ultra-13 Gloss Black:D -
I've had all three and underpowered A9's sound better thanthe A7's. At the time I was running a Onkyo 805 and it did a good job. Get the best and later when funds come available play around with a little more power. No need to rush right away.
Just a heads up I had bought all three at the same time and returned the a7's. If that says anything. -
I'll say one thing for Polk. They keep a tight grip on what kind of discounts are offered on their equipment. No matter how much you web surf....$850 each for the RTi A9's. I guess that makes our used stuff worth more too!
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I don't think you need a amp. get the 9's and call it a day. I do however really like the 7's. I have spent quality time listening to them. I don't own them but have Installed them and spent countless hours in our (past tense) showroom.
Excellent speakers and Polks best sounding rt series to date. I think the cabinet made a huge difference.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
When I bought the 7's, I also listened to the 9's. At the time, I thought I actually liked the 7's better. I just thought they sounded less stressed and had a little more warmth and depth and a more of a full sound. BUT... now I think that was largely due to the speakers being auditioned with the same receiver, and the whole set up in the showroom was probably screwed up.
Again, I appreciate all of the feedback. I will do some careful auditioning and make a decision. -
I'll say one thing for Polk. They keep a tight grip on what kind of discounts are offered on their equipment. No matter how much you web surf....$850 each for the RTi A9's. I guess that makes our used stuff worth more too!
Are you dead set on NEW? If not look at Polks ebay store for some A9's and you can get the pair for under 1100 shipped. They are refurbs but you can not tell the difference in polks refurbs from brand new.Living Room Rig:D
Rotel RSP-1069/Rotel RMB-1095/Rotel-1072/Polk lsI15's W/modded xoverW/DBsubs/Polk LsiC/lsI7's/Klipsch sub-12"the weak link"/DLP Mitsubishi 65"
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TouchOfEvil wrote: »Are you dead set on NEW? If not look at Polks ebay store for some A9's and you can get the pair for under 1100 shipped. They are refurbs but you can not tell the difference in polks refurbs from brand new.
or you can have mine for...........................................your sub:D -
I have both A9 & A7 running off my yamaha and i prefer the sound of the 9's over the 7's (i played around a bit with them to compare)
My dad also has a set of 7's but hooked up to an older pioneer vsx-812 and with a 10" sub they sound real sweet
That receiver isn't very powerfull only 100w/ch IIRC hence the addition of the sub 
1 thing i will say is i feel that the both of them could do MUCH better with separate power
Media Room 7.1
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I thought the A7's sounded really good on a Pioneer Elite VSX-52TXi......and then I hooked them up to my Carver TFM-25 and I was blown away by how great they sounded. My vote is go with the amp and then if you are still not satisfied get some A9's but I think you will be pleasantly suprised by the A7's with a quality amp.SDA-1C (full mods)
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Ben's IC's
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Try b-wiring your 7"s before you make the leap. Don't get me wrong , the 9's are KILLER. I am running 2 chanel stereo only.Originally I was runing 2-9's for L and R biwired and using 2 Carver M-400's . Currently STILL using 2 9's per side but have jumped up to a CROWN Macro Reference amp with ROTEL pre/tuner. Just added Polk DSW 400 Pro subs. Never realized how much was missing on on the 9's untill I added the subs. Don't get me wrong , the 9's kick A** , but adding the subs brought it to a new level.
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Another note: Do away with the jumper bar's on the rear of the speaker's and replace them with a short piece of speaker wire, should add a new level Media Room 7.1
Sharp lc37d64u | Sanus vmsab-03 | Sonax ZX8680 | Yamaha htr-6290b | Emotiva xpa1 x 2 & xpa5 | RTiA 9 & 7 | CSiA 6 | FXiA 6 | Sanus NF30B-03 | Velodyne dls-3750r | Dual 505-3 m97xe | Monster avs2000/hts5100
HTPC
Intel e5300 | Asus p5q DLX | LG ch08 BD | OCZ 4g reaper2 | WD 1TB | Sapphire 4890 VaporX 1g | Asus Xonar HDAV 1.3 | OCZ modXtreme 700w | Antec Fusion remote MAX
A fool and his money are easily parted
I don't drink Koolaid
Need some cable's? Just ask
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I thought the A7's sounded really good on a Pioneer Elite VSX-52TXi......and then I hooked them up to my Carver TFM-25 and I was blown away by how great they sounded. My vote is go with the amp and then if you are still not satisfied get some A9's but I think you will be pleasantly suprised by the A7's with a quality amp.
+10000000
Get the Amp!!!!Polk Audio SDA 2.3tl Fully Hot Rodded. 😎
SVS SB16 X2
Cary SLP-05/Ultimate Upgrade.
Cary SA-500.1 ES Amps
Cary DMS 800PV Network
OPPO UDP 205/ModWright Modification
VPI Scout TT / Dynavector 20x2
Jolida JD9 Fully Modified
VPI MW-1 Cyclone RCM
MIT Shotgun 3 cables throughout / Except TT, and PC’s -
Agreed,Try the Amp!Linn AV5140 fronts
Linn AV5120 Center
Linn AV5140 Rears
M&K MX-70 Sub for Music
Odyssey Mono-Blocs
SVS Ultra-13 Gloss Black:D -
sTiLlLeArNiNg wrote: »Another note: Do away with the jumper bar's on the rear of the speaker's and replace them with a short piece of speaker wire, should add a new level
Do you have a picture of this and what does it do? -
Do you have a picture of this and what does it do?
IMHO it reduce's the resistance and allows the signal to travel easier resulting in better sound, one of the best mod's if ya ask me
The board wont allow me to attach the image again so here is a link to a thread where i have posted it, my post is #37 http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1250722#post1250722Media Room 7.1
Sharp lc37d64u | Sanus vmsab-03 | Sonax ZX8680 | Yamaha htr-6290b | Emotiva xpa1 x 2 & xpa5 | RTiA 9 & 7 | CSiA 6 | FXiA 6 | Sanus NF30B-03 | Velodyne dls-3750r | Dual 505-3 m97xe | Monster avs2000/hts5100
HTPC
Intel e5300 | Asus p5q DLX | LG ch08 BD | OCZ 4g reaper2 | WD 1TB | Sapphire 4890 VaporX 1g | Asus Xonar HDAV 1.3 | OCZ modXtreme 700w | Antec Fusion remote MAX
A fool and his money are easily parted
I don't drink Koolaid
Need some cable's? Just ask
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I say get the A9's and move the 7's to the rears. If you're unhappy down the road, you can always add an amp to the 9's. However, if you really like the sound of the 7's, get an amp for them....I think you will be pleasently surprised.Living Room:....................[HTML] [/HTML] Zone 2 (Workout Room):
AVR - Yamaha RX-V757......JBL 4312 Pro Monitors
Pre - Nak CA-5
AMP - Adcom 555 (Main)
Main - Polk RTI8**/RTiA5
AMP - Adcom 545II (Center)
Center - Polk CSiA4**
Sub - Snell Basis 300:p......Zone 3 (Outside)
CD - Yamaha CDC-555.......Def Tech AW5500
TV - Pani TH-42PZ80U
BR - LG BD390
Monster HTS1600 Power Center
Dedicated Circuit - (2) 20amp, (1) 15amp
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The a7's sound pretty damn good when you feed them with external power but the a9's are just much "fuller" sounding IMHO Media Room 7.1
Sharp lc37d64u | Sanus vmsab-03 | Sonax ZX8680 | Yamaha htr-6290b | Emotiva xpa1 x 2 & xpa5 | RTiA 9 & 7 | CSiA 6 | FXiA 6 | Sanus NF30B-03 | Velodyne dls-3750r | Dual 505-3 m97xe | Monster avs2000/hts5100
HTPC
Intel e5300 | Asus p5q DLX | LG ch08 BD | OCZ 4g reaper2 | WD 1TB | Sapphire 4890 VaporX 1g | Asus Xonar HDAV 1.3 | OCZ modXtreme 700w | Antec Fusion remote MAX
A fool and his money are easily parted
I don't drink Koolaid
Need some cable's? Just ask
