Acoustic Research AR15's vs. Polk RTi A1

[kevinlearynet]

I'm moving and need to downsize my system a bit. I'm thinking of selling my current setup:

• Front Speakers: Acoustic Research 15
• Rear Speakers: Acoustic Research 17
• Center Speaker: Acoustic Research 4C
• Subwoofer: Acoustic Research S112PS
• Sony STR-DB940 Reciever

( can also be seen for sale on boston.craigslist.org/nos/ele/1176315114.html )

...and replacing it with a Polk stereo style setup:

• Polk Audio RTi A1 for the Front
• Polk Audio PSW10 Subwoofer
• Yamaha RX-V465 Receiver

I'm wondering whether it's even worth my while picking up the new Polk's. Would the old Acoustic Research AR15's, the S112PS sub and the Sony STR-DB94 sound better?

I'm new to Polk and have heard great things, but can't seem to find a good comparison between Acoustic Research vs. Polk.

Any help is much appreciated,

Thanks!

 

[MatthewB.]

I have a 7.1 setup of AR Phantoms all the way around and looooove the sound. If I were you I would sell the sub and reciever and just replace those. The AR15's are great speakers and way sell at a huge loss to replace them with Polks (which may or may not be just as good (if you cath my drift). But that reciever and sub do need an overall. If money is an issue go for the Onkyo 606 ot 706 and a SVS NSD 10 or 12 sub and you'll get far more enjoyment out of those AR's with the more powerful reciever and sub.

 

[kevinlearynet]

Thanks Matthew,

I appreciate the suggestions, I'll probably end up holding onto the AR15's now. Your suggestions are incredible, but a little to high in terms of price. I did some quick research and found this setup as a compromise.

Since I'm really doing this to cut down on space, I'll be losing the center channel and rear speakers. This is fine as the system itself will be used primarily for music. The Onkyo TX-8555 seems to have the same power output as the two you suggested, and is a little cheaper because it's a stereo receiver. Do you think this substitution will suffice in terms of power?

crutchfield.com/p_580TX8555/Onkyo-TX-8555.html?search=Onkyo+VENDORID580&searchdisplay=Onkyo&tp=179

Also for a sub, the SVS NSD is a little too pricey. I found a well reviewed Infinity (PS28) that may do the trick. What do you think?

crutchfield.com/p_108PS28BG/Infinity-PS28-Black-grille.html?search=home+subwoofers

I'd love to get your feedback. Thanks again for the post!

 

[MatthewB.]

For music a stereo reciever will be fine and it has plenty of power. Sorry that your losing surround sound, but with proper placement a great two channel system can do better than improperly placed and uncalibrated multichannel systems. Since cost is a factor, I would seriously look at a DIY sub from partsexpress. All you need is a screwdriver and some time (like an hour) and you can build a kit that will rival subs costing 3-5 times as much in stores. I'm not a huge fan of store bought subs at all besically because I have yet to hear one that impressed me as much as a internet direct sub. If I had to be frugal with the money, I have heard a couple Velodyne subs that did okay, but I would save for awhile to buy something great that will make you happy for years, rather than buying now and settling. Since this is used mostly for music and you have tower speakers, this can be put on hold for awhile. Unless you listen to rap or organ pipe music.

My philosophy (after years of making mistakes) is save up and buy something great instead of tossing away your money every couple of years to keep upgrading. Trust me on that one. Also check out sites like Audiogon for some awesome deals on used gear. The people who sell there are very good at taking care of their gear.