Energy RC-10 or Polk RTIA3?

[LaP]

Hi!

I own an old Pro Logic HTIB 5 speakers system. The system sounds great for music but not so much for movies and games. I want to upgrade it for a 5.1 home theater system with better surround and center speakers. I decided to build my own system but i would need some help.

My room is fairly small and i am not really looking at something that will break the windows and move the walls. But at the same time i want something that wont fell like comming out of a garbage can.

- My budget is around 1200-1400$ CAD for the 5 speakers and likely the sub too.
- The front speakers need to be bookshelf.
- I am a Canadian so I can buy Polk, Energy, Paradigm, Mordaunt Short, Klipsch, Momentum, Infinity, JBL, Canton and that's about it.
- I just bought the receiver which is an Onkyo TX-SR605.
- Needs to sound good for music.
- Sub needs to be seamless.

Right now i am looking at :

- Energy RC-10 as front with RC-Mini as surround and center.
- Polk RTIa3 as front with CSia4 as center and FXIa4 as surround.
- For the sub i am looking at energy 8.3 or 10.3.

The polk speakers are about 30-40% cheaper. But i'm a little affraid with the RTIa sound quality. Most reviews i've reade about them say the RTIa speakers are harsh. The reviews about the Energy RC-10 are much much more positive.

The problem is the store selling the speakers is big so i can't really try them.

So i would need some help to choose between Energy and Polk. I don't want to spend over 1000$ and have something that is good for pop corn movies only. Do the Energy worth the price difference like the reviews say ?

Also any suggestion and recommendation other than Energy and Polk is really welcome (keep in mind i'm Canadian).

 

[Ron Temple]

The A3s aren't harsh, in fact they are much improved over the RTi6...much smoother. They are a very crisp loudspeaker, but I wouldn't call them overly bright. I can't help you with Energy comparison, but I've had the A3s here for 2 extended auditions and I was impressed. One man's wine is another's vinegar, so I'd try to get my ears around them...maybe at a Future Shop or something.

 

[LaP]

That's where i'll buy them at futureshop. But it's not really a good place to try speakers The room is way too big and speakers are far away from each other.

Anyway thx for the info about the a3 with a sub at low level it should do the job.

Anyone audiotioned both the a3 and RC-10 (or RC-LCR)?

 

[Ron Temple]

That's where i'll buy them at futureshop. But it's not really a good place to try speakers The room is way too big and speakers are far away from each other.

Anyway thx for the info about the a3 with a sub at low level it should do the job.

Anyone audiotioned both the a3 and RC-10 (or RC-LCR)?

You might want to PM dorokusai. He's the resident Polkie on this board, but his knowledge and taste goes far beyond any single brand. He'll give you an honest opinion, if he has one, on the Polk vs Energys.

 

[edmcanuck]

Aesthetically and acoustically, I would take the Energy option hands-down with zero hesitation. If you can swing the RC-LCR for a centre channel, I think you'll be happier in the long run - it's an amazing speaker and the standout of the collection. The S10.3's are on their way out to make way for the new ESW-V series; Futureshop here has them on for $399.99 which is a pretty dandy price.

 

[InTheIndustry]

Former Polk dealer (early 2000's), current Energy dealer. To me, the Polk offerings haven't changed much over the past few years and have thus, gotten fairly stale.

I really, really, really like the Energy line. I'd been hesitant to try it, but the rep drop off some samples so what could I do? Really nice speakers. I thoroughly enjoy the entire RC line. The RC-10 is an excellent bookshelf speaker that will do well with music & movies.

Counter Point(s): The above being noted... If the Canton GLE line (which is in the same budget as the Energy RC pieces) is available to you, I would HIGHLY recommend considering them. Something like the Canton GLE 402 (MSRP $500 pair) http://www.canton.de/en-produktdetail-gleserie-gle402.htm

or

GLE 403 (MSRP $600 pair) http://www.canton.de/en-produktdetail-gleserie-gle403.htm

Canton, in my opinion, makes the absolute best built speaker on the market & have for years, hands down. Quality (both sonically & fit/finish) is their #1 priority & it shows. These speakers are beautiful in all regards (the Mocha & White is stunning!).

That being said, a 5.1 Canton setup might not fit into your budget of $1200 - $1400 CAD.

If your budget starts to get squeezed a little & if your room size is moderate to small, I would strongly consider the Energy RC-Mini line. http://www.energy-speakers.com/v2/products/product-line.php?id=318 . Extremely reasonable for the cost. High performance & build quality of the larger RC pieces.

Good Luck!