Any RT55 owners?

RutgersFTW
RutgersFTW Posts: 458
edited June 2008 in Speakers
A set of these just came up on my Craigslist and I thought they might work well in my system as mains w/ phantom center, as mains with an rti6 as center, or any other number of combinations. What's a fair price for a used set around 9/10? I know they won't be a perfect timbre match for RTi6, but they should be closer than my current Danish beast.
Currently listening to:

Marantz SR5004
Sony BDP-S370
Apple TV V2
Audio Technica AT-LP120
Mirage CMD-5 x 5
Bic H-100
Post edited by RutgersFTW on
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Comments

  • amulford
    amulford Posts: 5,020
    edited June 2008
    They are very solid performers. They won't voice match with you're 6's, but they will kick their **** in performance. Use 'em as your mains and phantom center until you find a matching center.

    Are these them??? Decent price. and they look to be in pretty nice shape.

    How big is your room?
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  • AdamRagland
    AdamRagland Posts: 521
    edited June 2008
    my brother started his audio journey with a pair of rt55's and i have always loved them. he used them as his mains for almost 3 years before going to some 150's. needless to say amulford is right. they are great performers. these will be a DEFINITE upgrade from your rti6's
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  • AdamRagland
    AdamRagland Posts: 521
    edited June 2008
    you could always use your 6's as rears also and put the 55's upfront. yes they arent timbre matched but i wouldnt see it as being a huge deal. the timbre matching of the fronts and center are far more important IMHO than the mains to rears, i also say this from a home theater standpoint.
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  • polkie4life
    polkie4life Posts: 231
    edited June 2008
    The 55's are an awesome speaker, bang for the buck is huge. I have had 55i's as mains for about 2yrs but have since decided to use them as a dual center channel.

    Buy them, use them as mains, you wont regret it.....
    In terms of audio, i truly feel sorry for the visually impaired. How can they know what they like if they cant read google?


    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showcase/view.php?userid=86838
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  • RutgersFTW
    RutgersFTW Posts: 458
    edited June 2008
    amulford wrote: »
    They are very solid performers. They won't voice match with you're 6's, but they will kick their **** in performance. Use 'em as your mains and phantom center until you find a matching center.

    Are these them??? Decent price. and they look to be in pretty nice shape.

    How big is your room?

    That's them. I'm talking to him now. Someone got to him right before me but I'm trying to convince him I'm worthier of his speaks. Maybe I should link to this thread. :)

    My room is 15 X 12, wood floors but I've got poor man's acoustic treatments galore (bookshelves, furniture, heavy curtains, etc...).
    Currently listening to:

    Marantz SR5004
    Sony BDP-S370
    Apple TV V2
    Audio Technica AT-LP120
    Mirage CMD-5 x 5
    Bic H-100
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  • RutgersFTW
    RutgersFTW Posts: 458
    edited June 2008
    AdamRagland wrote: »
    you could always use your 6's as rears also and put the 55's upfront. yes they arent timbre matched but i wouldnt see it as being a huge deal. the timbre matching of the fronts and center are far more important IMHO than the mains to rears, i also say this from a home theater standpoint.

    That's one of my tentative plans. I thought they might be more satisfying as mains than the RTi6 (which are still, it bears repeating, awesome bookshelves for the money) and you guys are confirming the suspicion.

    Wish extra hard that the other buyer changes her mind for me.
    Currently listening to:

    Marantz SR5004
    Sony BDP-S370
    Apple TV V2
    Audio Technica AT-LP120
    Mirage CMD-5 x 5
    Bic H-100
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  • RutgersFTW
    RutgersFTW Posts: 458
    edited June 2008
    Well, I was able to do a side-by-side comparison and I think you guys might have nostalgic ears. The RT55 sound HUGE, projecting well outside their cabinets. Once the music started, I got distracted and started listening - the best sign possible. Switching back, however, the RTi6 image better and have a more refined/smoother high-end to my ears. They also look nicer, fwiw. The areas the 55s stomped the RTi6s were superior low-end presence (predictable) and high-level composure: at -12db on my 247 they still sounded open where the RTi6 started to get closed/congested. If I had a larger listening room the advantage may've been more important, but since I rarely get over -25db HT/-30 2CH it's not an issue right now. In the end it was almost a toss-up with the slight edge going to the RTi6... since I already own the RTi6, I just saved $200 to spend somewhere else in my system. :)

    Still, @ $200 they're an awful lot of speaker for some other lucky buyer. I can see why you guys were so taken with them. When I get a bigger room I might revisit them and see how I feel, but maybe my next upgrade should be in the direction of LSi7 or 9s and an amp.
    Currently listening to:

    Marantz SR5004
    Sony BDP-S370
    Apple TV V2
    Audio Technica AT-LP120
    Mirage CMD-5 x 5
    Bic H-100
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  • SuperchargedLT1
    SuperchargedLT1 Posts: 13
    edited June 2008
    I've got a pair of black RT55's that I'm looking to sale. (I NEVER thought I'd get rid of them) I'm a musician and have a 4000 watt JBL PA system at the house that I use for band practice. This has become the new home stereo. I just don't have a use for the POLKs anymore. Make me an offer guys.
    The ghetto home stereo:

    Sony ES 200 disk changer
    Polk Audio RT 55's (passive crossovers removed)
    One JL Audio 12-W6
    Carvin 3-way electronic crossover (24 db per octave slopes)
    Behringer digital 31-band EQ
    Sony 5 channel DVD reciever (fronts power mids, rears power tweets)
    Pioneer 2 channel receiver (both channels power the DVC JL sub)
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  • Ron-P
    Ron-P Posts: 8,520
    edited June 2008
    $100? :)

    I run a pair of RT55's for the mains in my theater. Love'em!
    If...
    Ron dislikes a film = go out and buy it.
    Ron loves a film = don't even rent.
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  • RutgersFTW
    RutgersFTW Posts: 458
    edited June 2008
    No, Supercharged - $120/shipped.
    Currently listening to:

    Marantz SR5004
    Sony BDP-S370
    Apple TV V2
    Audio Technica AT-LP120
    Mirage CMD-5 x 5
    Bic H-100
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