North Creek DYI vs. Discounted RTi's

[PSU80]

I am contemplating a DIY project consisting of the North Creek Eska towers, center & Okara II upgraded D28 surrounds.
http://www.northcreekmusic.com/OkaraII/OkaraII.htm

The Eska is essentially a MTM tower version of the Okara II. I've seen some positive reviews of the Okara II's but was wondering if anyone here has actually heard them and/or what speakers they might compare to in the retail market from a price and quality perspective.?

Complicating my decision is the fact that I can get Polk RTi's at a 60% discount. I system consisting of 2 RTi8's, 2 RTi6's and a CSi5 would run about $765. I've heard the Polks and they are OK but not great but at that price may be a good value. The North Creek system I'm considering would cost about $1,940.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Get the RTi's. If you absolutely hate them, you can sell them and make $300 towards the North Creeks. That is an outstanding value on the RTi's. I recommend a separate amplifier or near flagship AVR, as the RTi's like the headroom. A separate two channel amp driving the RTi8's would do well, also.

 

[Swerd]

I am contemplating a DIY project consisting of the North Creek Eska towers, center & Okara II upgraded D28 surrounds.
http://www.northcreekmusic.com/OkaraII/OkaraII.htm

The Eska is essentially a MTM tower version of the Okara II. I've seen some positive reviews of the Okara II's but was wondering if anyone here has actually heard them and/or what speakers they might compare to in the retail market from a price and quality perspective.?

Complicating my decision is the fact that I can get Polk RTi's at a 60% discount. I system consisting of 2 RTi8's, 2 RTi6's and a CSi5 would run about $765. I've heard the Polks and they are OK but not great but at that price may be a good value. The North Creek system I'm considering would cost about $1,940.

Haven't heard the North Creeks, but they have a good reputation. A general rule of thumb is that the parts alone for a typical DIY speaker compare to a commercial speaker costing about 3 to 5 times as much retail. Do the math yourself. Assuming a more conservative 3-fold comparison factor,that makes the North Creek package comparable to something costing about $6,000.

With North Creek, I'd guess that there is a mark up for their designs and for the assembled crossovers. The Vifa P13 woofers are $43 each, the North Creek D25 tweeters are a bargain at $36/pair, but the D28 tweeters are quite a lot more at $159/pair. To lower the cost, you might consider using the D25 tweeters in the rear channel speakers, and limiting the D28s to the front 3 channels. I would avoid buying any of the upgraded crossovers with premium capacitors, inductors & resistors as they are not worth the extra cost. I assume you are going to build the cabinets.

The bottom line is that comparing the North Creeks to the Polks is easy. The North Creeks will easily outperform the Polks, but the Polks are significantly less expensive.

 

[skrivis]

I haven't heard those specific Polk speakers, but I've never actually heard a Polk speaker that I liked. They all sound overly bright and etched to me.

I've read the material George presents on the North Creek web site, and I've exchanged email with him. He's very sharp and he knows what he's doing. I'd be inclined to give his speakers a thumbs up just based on that.

The parts he uses are quite good. The tweeters are D-S-T doped silk dome models, and I feel that this type of construction produces some of the best tweeters.

I also agree that the crossover parts upgrades probably aren't cost-effective. The standard parts that come with the kits offer the best bang for the buck.

But YMMV, as always. If you like the Polk speakers and the price is good, then maybe you don't need to look any further. You're the one who has to be satisfied, after all.