stereo tower question (basic)

[grimm fool]

I am really new to this and would like to avoid screwing up. I have never owned a real system before. Until now I have used logitech Z5500s for my computer. (yes I know half the people on the internet hate them).

I listen to music (classical/symphonic metal/light rock) mostly but watch some movies.

A while ago I looked at the Polk RTi12. I like the large towers. They were pretty expensive but they are rather cheap now (~500). I'd like to use two in a stereo mode. However, the reviews of these speakers say they need lots of power. (100+ Watts). I figure the best way to future proof the receiver and power these things, is to run a 5.1 or 7.1 receiver and run the back speaker outputs into the low frequency part of the tower. This would also allow future expansion, if I choose to go that way.

I would like to know if the RTi12s are good or if there is another speaker I should seriously consider.

What would be a good AV receiver? I am much heavier on the audio than the video. I do want pre amp outputs, just in case. I am leery of power ratings on receivers, especially after being burned by power IC datasheets.

I would use these in a smaller room (13x17ft), but I still want the speakers to be loud since I will hold on to them for a long time. The budget should try to be less than 1.5K, but it is flexible. I might add a sub-woofer in the future. It seemed from reviews that the RTi12s didn't require as sub.

Any ideas?

 

[TLS Guy]

I am really new to this and would like to avoid screwing up. I have never owned a real system before. Until now I have used logitech Z5500s for my computer. (yes I know half the people on the internet hate them).

I listen to music (classical/symphonic metal/light rock) mostly but watch some movies.

A while ago I looked at the Polk RTi12. I like the large towers. They were pretty expensive but they are rather cheap now (~500). I'd like to use two in a stereo mode. However, the reviews of these speakers say they need lots of power. (100+ Watts). I figure the best way to future proof the receiver and power these things, is to run a 5.1 or 7.1 receiver and run the back speaker outputs into the low frequency part of the tower. This would also allow future expansion, if I choose to go that way.

I would like to know if the RTi12s are good or if there is another speaker I should seriously consider.

What would be a good AV receiver? I am much heavier on the audio than the video. I do want pre amp outputs, just in case. I am leery of power ratings on receivers, especially after being burned by power IC datasheets.

I would use these in a smaller room (13x17ft), but I still want the speakers to be loud since I will hold on to them for a long time. The budget should try to be less than 1.5K, but it is flexible. I might add a sub-woofer in the future. It seemed from reviews that the RTi12s didn't require as sub.

Any ideas?

Your speaker choice would be way down my list, close to bottom, especially if it is classical music you like.

I would look at the offerings from Salk. Especially these, or the Song towers if they are too rich for your blood.

I don't have a clue what you mean by running the backs off the low off the low frequency part of the tower. Whatever you mean, it does not makes sense. You connect all speaker to the appropriate terminals of the receiver.

You will need a sub to capture the LFE information. There are a few speakers that have a powered bass system, that can integrate the LFE signal into an integrated system. I designed mine that way, but to do it right is fairly complex and requires advanced DIY skills and electronic know how.

I would definitely get a receiver with pre outs or go full pre/pro with separate amps.

 

[AVRat]

PSB Image T5s with a Yammie 665 or Onkyo 707 receiver. The RTi 12s are just overkill unless you have a large room and give them plenty of power.

In a room that size, a good bookshelf/sub system will start you in the right direction and you could migrate the bookshelfs to surround duty later on.

PSB Image B6/ HSU VTF-2.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Just make sure whomever you buy the speakers from has a great return policy (amazon.com direct, Aperion, NHT, etc.).

No mater what anyone else say, in the end the speakers that sound the best to your ears are the best speakers period.

 

[grimm fool]

"I don't have a clue what you mean by running the backs off the low off the low frequency part of the tower. Whatever you mean, it does not makes sense. You connect all speaker to the appropriate terminals of the receiver."

It looks like the speakers are "bi amp capable." So I would connect the front speaker connections to the input for the tweeter and midrange of the tower. Then I would connect the rear speaker connection out of the reciever to the woofer portion of the tower. This would allow the towers to have more power. It would also allow them to be powered by a weaker receiver. Is this completely wrong?

Also I liked these speakers because it seems I won't have to worry about wanting a louder speaker. In the future, these could be in a bigger room. A Klipsch tower would probably be louder. I will take look at the speakers suggested if they are in the N Dallas area. I appreciate the suggestions on receivers as well. It is unclear whether the receiver are suggested for the bookshelf or the RTi12s.

Thanks

 

[TLS Guy]

"I don't have a clue what you mean by running the backs off the low off the low frequency part of the tower. Whatever you mean, it does not makes sense. You connect all speaker to the appropriate terminals of the receiver."

It looks like the speakers are "bi amp capable." So I would connect the front speaker connections to the input for the tweeter and midrange of the tower. Then I would connect the rear speaker connection out of the reciever to the woofer portion of the tower. This would allow the towers to have more power. It would also allow them to be powered by a weaker receiver. Is this completely wrong?

Also I liked these speakers because it seems I won't have to worry about wanting a louder speaker. In the future, these could be in a bigger room. A Klipsch tower would probably be louder. I will take look at the speakers suggested if they are in the N Dallas area. I appreciate the suggestions on receivers as well. It is unclear whether the receiver are suggested for the bookshelf or the RTi12s.

Thanks

Now I understand. That is called passive bi-amping, but confers little or no benefit, as the power to the bass in most speakers and especially those is totally disproportionate.

You want to choose speakers on accuracy and sound quality not loudness!

Since you list classical in your favored choices of music, you really have a pretty short list and largely of British speakers. Very few speakers indeed do a creditable job of reproducing classical music.

The prime choices would be from B & W, Spendor, Monitor Audio, Quad, Harbeth, ATC, PMC, Salk and Magneplanar.

 

[yepimonfire]

those things are made for using seperate amps to power the woofers and tweeters, if you do what your saying you want to do, you will ruin your speakers.

as far as what TLS said about having to have a sub for LFE, thats not true, if you set a receiver up with no subwoofer and set all the settings right, the LFE will come through the towers as i have done this before with good results. most polk speakers need alot of power, i recently bought a pair and noticed immediatly they are power hogs and needed a 5dB increase on the volume to get the same level as with my previous speakers. but you shouldnt have any trouble driving them with a 100wpc receiver, go for a good brand like denon, onkyo, or marantz as most of them seem to be able to deliver good clean power. unless u have a hugantic room i doubt you will need more power then that, 100w is ALOT more power then you think. and as far as klipsch, im not too fond of them, they are loud but the horn loaded tweeter systems sound quite harsh and they dont seem to have very good bass response.

and i agree with TLS, most of the time people turn their speakers way up to compensate for bad sound because you ears hear flatter at a high volume, if you have good full range sound, you won't need or want a really high volume.

 

[TLS Guy]

those things are made for using seperate amps to power the woofers and tweeters, if you do what your saying you want to do, you will ruin your speakers.

as far as what TLS said about having to have a sub for LFE, thats not true, if you set a receiver up with no subwoofer and set all the settings right, the LFE will come through the towers as i have done this before with good results. most polk speakers need alot of power, i recently bought a pair and noticed immediatly they are power hogs and needed a 5dB increase on the volume to get the same level as with my previous speakers. but you shouldnt have any trouble driving them with a 100wpc receiver, go for a good brand like denon, onkyo, or marantz as most of them seem to be able to deliver good clean power. unless u have a hugantic room i doubt you will need more power then that, 100w is ALOT more power then you think. and as far as klipsch, im not too fond of them, they are loud but the horn loaded tweeter systems sound quite harsh and they dont seem to have very good bass response.

The LFE is attenuated if the LFE channel is not used, which means if you are putting together a truly integrated speaker system like I have, the LFE channel has to be captured to get the intended effect. There are very few speakers that could handle the full LFE channel and pretty much all above 20K and certainly not all of them.

 

[yepimonfire]

"Very few speakers indeed do a creditable job of reproducing classical music."

this imo should be the standard at which speakers are judged because for one, it is unamplified, two the recordings generally do not suffer gobs of DRC, and three, it is full of dynamic transients.

 

[yepimonfire]

The LFE is attenuated if the LFE channel is not used, which means if you are putting together a truly integrated speaker system like I have, the LFE channel has to be captured to get the intended effect. There are very few speakers that could handle the full LFE channel and pretty much all above 20K and certainly not all of them.

really thats strange because my receiver lets me playback the full LFE signal at either -10dB or 0dB att. and the set of floorstanders i have are quite bass capable and will rumble like any good sub during moments of LFE. of course i used the bass control on my receiver which gives a curved 6dB gain on frequencies from 60-20hz bringing my floorstanders up to par with a sub, or atleast close. but i was always able to play full effect LFE on them, sometimes i was worried my speakers would be damaged from it because of the amount of full force rumbling i could hear coming from it, it certainly was not att.

 

[TLS Guy]

"Very few speakers indeed do a creditable job of reproducing classical music."

this imo should be the standard at which speakers are judged because for one, it is unamplified, two the recordings generally do not suffer gobs of DRC, and three, it is full of dynamic transients.

That is absolutely true. I would never use anything other than natural instruments, the sung and spoken human voice to evaluate a loudspeaker.

 

[TLS Guy]

really thats strange because my receiver lets me playback the full LFE signal at either -10dB or 0dB att. and the set of floorstanders i have are quite bass capable and will rumble like any good sub during moments of LFE. of course i used the bass control on my receiver which gives a curved 6dB gain on frequencies from 60-20hz bringing my floorstanders up to par with a sub, or atleast close. but i was always able to play full effect LFE on them, sometimes i was worried my speakers would be damaged from it because of the amount of full force rumbling i could hear coming from it, it certainly was not att.

Yes, you can vary the output, but it is called the Low Frequency Effects channel for a reason, as there are digital flags that boost the low frequency effects by as much as 20 db at certain explosions etc. These flags are only operative via the LFE channel. These flags will not necessarily be present on all discs.

 

[yepimonfire]

lol, i know exactly what your talking about and i also know i was taking a risk running it through the fronts without att. many times the woofer would drive so hard i was afraid it would seriously blow right out of the box i nearly drove it past its xmax many times and its a wonder it survived. if it was att. then god i couldnt imagine what it would do un att.

 

[ribonzz]

well towers are not so important. but you logitech, lol..

You must have no workers for you eh?

 

[3db]

"Very few speakers indeed do a creditable job of reproducing classical music."

this imo should be the standard at which speakers are judged because for one, it is unamplified, two the recordings generally do not suffer gobs of DRC, and three, it is full of dynamic transients.

Sit and listen to the Image series from PSB, the current (T 5 and T6) and teh previous generations (t45 and T65) . I run my T45s full range and they do a very commendable job especially in dynamics.