power for RTi 150

brentman0110 · October 2003

Hey everyone! I have the following setup:

Onkyo TXSR800
Sub - Polk Audio PSW404
Center - Csi40
Fronts - RTI38
Surround - FXi30

I have purchased a pair of RTi150's and below will be my new setup:

Onkyo TXSR800
Sub - Polk Audio PSW404
Center - Csi40
Fronts - RTi150
Surround - FXi30
Rear - RTi38

My question is will my Receiver be enough to power these bad boys? It is rated at 100w per channel 7.1. Will I need any additional equipment? Is there a 7.1 amp out there to handle this by itself without an additional amp?

Solaris · October 2003

Will some body listen to Sid. I use my Denon 3801 for the tweets and Adcom 555 for the sub ($400 on Ebay). It rocks for music but still lack bass for movie. I'll probably have to move up to the Adcom 5802 for more movie rumbling, but I decided against it and got an SVS PS1. THat should be more than enough.

If you want to stay under $1000 with new amps, get the Samson s700, or s1000 from SVS sub or any other place on the web to drive the subs.

One nice thing about getting a pro amp is they have level adjustments built in. One draw back, most of them have fans and look as ugly as a car radiator. The only decent pro amp without a fan that look have way decent is the Crown K1. But it will run you around $1200 new.

Take this at your own risk. These opinion are based from my own research on amps to drive my 150s.

Solaris

Frank Z · October 2003

Originally posted by brentman0110
Is there a 7.1 amp out there to handle this by itself without an additional amp?

I think you mean a receiver with enough power. The only one that comes to mind is the Sunfire Ulitmate Receiver. A great piece of equipment, but a little on the pricey side.

Tour2ma · October 2003

Look at Solaris getting his copy and paste on...

Agree on the Sunfire, Frank. The B&K 507 would probably give it a go, also. But as with the Ultimate, not a cheap route...

brentman0110 · October 2003

Yes. I mean a receiver. Help me I am new and have the money to spend but want the best bang for the buck!

Frank Z · October 2003

If your receiver has 7 pre-outs, adding a 7 channel amp would be a wise move. There are a lot of really great amps out there that would do justice to your system. NAD, Sherbourne, Sherwood, Adcom, Outlaw, ATI, just to name a few.

brentman0110 · October 2003

Do I need an amp if I have a PSW 404? Can I use the receivers main outs for the tweets and the subs outs for the woofers?

Frank Z · October 2003

Nope, the PSW404 is a powered sub, there's an amp in it already. All you need is a single RCA style sub cable to connect the PSW404 to the LFE (or Sub-Out) on the receiver. Connect your speakers to the standard terminals on the back of the receiver.

jkratzer · October 2003

I'm sorry to tell you but your Onkyo won't be enough to power the RTi150's. Try searching this forum and you will find posts that say the 150's really need separates to do them justice. Some AVR receivers will either start clipping or go into protect mode at higher volumes.

brentman0110 · October 2003

So, will the Adcom 555 be enough to drive the 150's?

Emlyn · October 2003

Originally posted by brentman0110
So, will the Adcom 555 be enough to drive the 150's?

Where's Sid??? He knows this one.

brentman0110 · October 2003

I am now considering buying the Denon 3803. However, it is not THX select as is the Onkyo. Does this matter. I guess I will still purchase the adcom even with the Denon.

scornful · October 2003

Brent,

I'd go ahead and take the plunge on seperates... I have a 3802 and I clip like a **** w/ my new RTi150's at levels I typically watch movies. (-05)

Steve

brentman0110 · October 2003

Thanks.
I think this will be my new setup:

I have decided to go with the Denon 3803 and the adcom 555 to help drive the woofs on the RTi150's. The setup will be:

Receiver - Denon 3803
Fronts - RTi150's
Center - CSi40
Rear - RTi38
Surround - FXi30
Sub - PSW404

All packed into a 17 x 17 living room!

Does this sound like a winner or what?

VR3 · October 2003

Originally posted by brentman0110
So, will the Adcom 555 be enough to drive the 150's?

It will drive it. But to its full potential? No..

Get the 555 for now, then get a 545 later on for Bi-Amping (555 on bottum post, 545 on top post)

Oh yeah, FORGET THE DENON! That thing will not sound as good the Adcom. However try powering the top post with the Denon, and the bottum post with the Adcom. Then try just the Adcom to see what you hear. You may just like the Adcom alone! But I would definetely get a 555 for the bottum post and a 545 for the top.

EDIT:
If your current receiver has preouts...just forget the Denon entirely......

brentman0110 · October 2003

I bought a Onkyo TX-SR800 and it is still in the box. After several different opinions, I decided to put this one up for sale on EBAY. Should I cancel this sale and continue with the adcom purchase? The denon 3803 is the same price that I payed for the Onk. I just thought that I would upgrade the receiver before I opened the box. Thoughts?

VR3 · October 2003

Leave the Denon alone, just get the Adcom

danger boy · October 2003

Ummm. Sid how do you know what it takes to run RTi150's? I thought you had 70's for fronts, no?

I do not have 150's myself. so how would i know what it takes to power them?

VR3 · October 2003

They require 500 watts of power. 200 watts on the bottum end will be plenty. If you want more, get the 300 watt mono blocks. The top end is a high passed RTi38, 100 watts will do it perfectly.

BS runs a similar setup like this, except he uses the more current amps by Adcom.

faster100 · October 2003

That's because we have alot of paper knowledge but no hands on, Like our kid sid,

I can tell you it "may" take 500 watts.. But the receiver on the top, and a 100 -200 watt amp on the woofs will work for most people.. It takes nothing special to power the tweet and mid in the 150's.. essentialy a rti38.. Its the woofers that take the power.. 100 -300 watts will do wonders.. I used 100 on each and they did work well.. 200 total power per speaker is a great starting point, all these claims of needing 500 watts to make them sing.. well i don't think so.. 100? no that's not enough... you get the idea

Destro · October 2003

I just bought a set of RTi150s to replace my RT800s (which I was planning to use as surrounds). I have an older (3 years old) Onkyo that is rated at 110 watts per channel. I find the bass from the RTi150s to be somewhat overwhelming. Could it be that I am underpowering them? I really do not want to spend any additional money right now. Should I go back to having the RT800s in the front and get FXi30s or 50s for surround (I was using a pair of Bose Acoustimas 5).

danger boy · October 2003

Originally posted by Destro
I just bought a set of RTi150s to replace my RT800s (which I was planning to use as surrounds). I have an older (3 years old) Onkyo that is rated at 110 watts per channel. I find the bass from the RTi150s to be somewhat overwhelming. Could it be that I am underpowering them? I really do not want to spend any additional money right now. Should I go back to having the RT800s in the front and get FXi30s or 50s for surround (I was using a pair of Bose Acoustimas 5).

umm.. yeah I would think the bass from those babies would be overwhelming too. each tower has 3 - 6-1/2" woofers in them.. x 2 = 6 woofers! that's a helluva lot. plus do you also have a seperate subwoofer too?

Personally i like the RT800i's + a seperate SVS subwoofer. but that's just me. ... but what do i know about bass?

Destro · October 2003

Thank you for your comments, Danger Boy. I do have a small Velodyne sub as well. I'm almost decided to take the 150's back. It is a shame, though. They are pretty impressiveto look at.

faster100 · October 2003

Originally posted by Destro
It is a shame, though. They are pretty impressiveto look at.

Yup that's what i thought when i decided to get rid of my New rti150's... I am useing the rti70's now and couldnt be happier. the bass down tend to drown out some material. with no real control, like a sub that you can adjust up and down, I wish the 70's looked as massive.. but in the end its the sound first then looks..

danger boy · October 2003

Destro

if you end up taking the 150's back.. do you know what you'll get? Some of the newest line of Polks look pretty cool.. with their high tech look. the current line that is equal to the RT800's is what the RTi8?

Destro · October 2003

Danger Boy,

I still have my RT800s, which I would use as fronts. If I do return the RTi150s, I'll either keep the set-up I had with the Bose Accustimas 5 as surrounds or try FXi50s or 30s.

I do agree with you. The new models with the high-tech look are sweet!

brentman0110 · October 2003

I sold my ONK and bought the Denon. Does anyone think that the RTi150's will overpower my 17 x 17 room? Or will it just make my guts rumble and my neighbors droooool??

Airplay355 · October 2003

i think it will rumble guts and make ur neighboors droll, even tho thats kinda a big room

brentman0110 · October 2003

Sorry...did not measure right. My room is 15 x 15. Can not wait to get STARTREK INSURECTION and MATRIX RELOADED to feel my guts rumble......

Joel McIntosh · October 2003

My Marantz 7300 with (105 watts per channel - 8 ohms) was too underpowered to handle my RTi150s. So I bought a separate amp (NAD 218THX -- stereo output, 225 watts with 280 dynamic power - 8 ohms). Right now, I have the RTi150s speakers wired exclusively to the NAD; however, I am wondering if I could get a more full, realistic sound by bi-amping the speakers (i.e., running the mid-range and tweeter off of the Marantz and the woofers off of the NAD). What do you guys think? Is this a good idea? Is there any reason not to do this (i.e., will using two different brands/types of amplification create some kind of sound disharmony?).

reeltrouble1 · October 2003

well when I asked polk, you know the Speaker People, they did recommend the Onk as one of several A/V receivers.

power for RTi 150

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