Polk Audio speakers

[Marco]

I am buying my new receiver this week, probably a Yamaha RX-V2500. I need the right speakers, what do you think about POLK? RTi10 or RTi8 floorstanding loudspeakers and RTi6 or RTi4 for the back. There are other possibilities: Yamaha, Bose, Infinity.
Problem is that I live in Costa Rica and we do not have a lot of choices, regards,
Marco

 

[20to20K]

I am buying my new receiver this week, probably a Yamaha RX-V2500. I need the right speakers, what do you think about POLK? RTi10 or RTi8 floorstanding loudspeakers and RTi6 or RTi4 for the back. There are other possibilities: Yamaha, Bose, Infinity.
Problem is that I live in Costa Rica and we do not have a lot of choices, regards,
Marco

Well I think the Polks are the best ones out of what you have to chose from (obviously I'm a bit biased), but I would personally recommend you listen to both the LSi series and the RTi series. The difference in price is not that significant but the difference in sound is. I think the LSi's have a more full, deeper bass and the RTi are more forward in the high frequencies...I guess this is my nice way of saying they sound a little bright to me. But I know many people who've listened to both and prefer the RTi sound so judge for yourself.

The LSi are a bit harder to drive (4ohm) but considering your fine choice in AVR you'll have little problem driving any of them unless you want to upset your neighbors.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

I have the RTi10's. They sound wonderful. They love the power though. If you have a well equipped subwoofer, go with the 8's. They don't have the dual 7" woofers, but add a midrange. The LSi's are a step up from the RTi's and also sound great. I chose the RTi4's over the 6's because the 6's were just too large for my room, even on stands. I liked the bass better in the 4's - it seemed tighter. I also bought the FXi3 dipoles which is fantastic for DVD. The center channel is my pride and joy, though. Two 6.5" woofers over the tv set. It just makes the system what it is.

 

[warpdrive]

I'm not that crazy about the RTi series, but I do like the LSi series, might be worth it for you to compare a smaller Lsi to the larger Rti's

 

[Marco]

This is the idea: RTi8´s with the Polk PSW404 subwoofer. CSi3 (Central) with Rti4´s for the back. I have the possibility of switching from the RTi4´s to dipoles FXi3 or FXi5. What do you think? With my Yamaha RX-v2500

 

[20to20K]

The dipoles are nice...

...but I wouldn't spend the extra money for the FX5's over the FXi3's. I had'm
both in my house cranked at high levels and I couldn't tell a lick of a difference. Besides the extra money the 5's weigh more making them tougher
to hoist and hang. Save the difference in $$$ and buy some music/movies!

Tweeter was nice enough to let me try them both and choose which ones I wanted and they had no problem with me taking back the expensive ones. In fact it was my dealer who suggested I do this as I was just gonna buy the 5's anyway.

 

[zumbo]

Marco:
Polk over the other brands you mentioned.

 

[Marco]

Thank you all for the advice. Marco

 

[JP_Silver_S2k]

I highly recommend the LSi package over the RTi's

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

IMO, the smaller LSi's are OK, but the two large floor models feature useless 8" and 10" woofers that negate the use of a dedicated separate subwoofer. For the price Polk is asking for the LSi 15 and 25, there are much better choices. Don't forget, all the LSi's run at 4 ohms and 88db, so you better have a monster of an amp to get them going. The RTi's take a massive high end receiver to get them going, so imagine what the LSi's need. Retail on the top LSi 7.1 setup is $6000. Please.

 

[M0oMiN]

Take Yamaha's NS-555\777 for front
NS-333 for back
NS-C444 for center
and YST-SW1500 sub.

That will sound like heaven.

Second preference should be Paradigm or Axiom, check them out as well.

Polks audio, Bose or Infintiy will be an extremely awful choice to integrate with Yamaha A\V reciever.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Take Yamaha's NS-555\777 for front
NS-333 for back
NS-C444 for center
and YST-SW1500 sub.

That will sound like heaven.

Second preference should be Paradigm or Axiom, check them out as well.

Polks audio, Bose or Infintiy will be an extremely awful choice to integrate with Yamaha A\V reciever.

How can you group Polk with Bose or Infinity? Polks audio? Nice. Have you even heard the LSi or RTi series? Then you recommend Yamaha's 6 ohm speakers over Paradigm and Axiom? The Yamaha 777 is selling for $164 a piece. You just opened up a can of worms for a lot of guys with Yamaha receivers and Polk speakers here.

http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?icatid=4206&stk_code=yamns777&svbname=303

 

[zumbo]

Take Yamaha's NS-555\777 for front
NS-333 for back
NS-C444 for center
and YST-SW1500 sub.

That will sound like heaven.

Second preference should be Paradigm or Axiom, check them out as well.

Polks audio, Bose or Infintiy will be an extremely awful choice to integrate with Yamaha A\V reciever.

I think your Yamaha system is better than Bose. But you may need to get out and see about the other two. Speakers are a personal preference, but I give any Polk line a huge lead over the NS line. I also prefer any Infinity line over the NS.

 

[Johnny Canuck]

Yamaha speakers over Polk. That's quite funny actually.

The Lsi's, although i have never heard them as they are special order, are supposed to be far better than the RTI's. But as was mentioned here, if the RTI's require massive power, i can't imagine what the Lsi's will need. And where I live, the price is not marginal, it is huge. 50% more actually.

I am moving this weekend and can't wait to do a new set up. I have the RTI 12's and the 6's in the back. The 12's were maybe a little overkill, but i think of all the choices you said go with Polk. I would get RTI8's all around and a great sub if i could do it all again.

 

[M0oMiN]

"How can you group Polk with Bose or Infinity? Polks audio? Nice. Have you even heard the LSi or RTi series? Then you recommend Yamaha's 6 ohm speakers over Paradigm and Axiom? The Yamaha 777 is selling for $164 a piece. You just opened up a can of worms for a lot of guys with Yamaha receivers and Polk speakers here"

You don't judge by the price, judge it by your ears.
Thats an erroneous way to jugde speakers.
Just because the Yamaha NS-777 is sold for 164$, people don't even bother to hear them.
Im sure if Yamaha would sale the NS-777 speakers for 1000$ people would look at them far better.
Go and compare both of them by connecting them to a Yamaha A\V reciever, you will find out how much you are wrong.
I heard Polk Audio many times and it sounds like sh*t.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Ouch

OK, moonman

In your defense, they are nice looking speakers, they weigh a considerable amount, are bi-amp ready, come with non tipping "penguin feet", have 2-8" woofers -nice-, and sport the Yamaha name. I agree with you that if they priced them out at - say $799 each, they could possibly get some respect.

They do resemble the Sony's 750 tower speakers:

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?CategoryName=hav_HiFiComponents_Speakers&ProductSKU=SSMF750H&TabName=specs

except the Yamaha's are a bit heavier. In all fairness, I recind my quote of the $164 speaker crack momentarily. I won't put them above Polk until I can demo them, but have my suspicions on who'd win out. No matter, they deserve a fair shake as do the Sony's. I think a four way battle of Yamaha 777 vs Sony 750 vs Athena AS-F2 vs BIC DV64's is brewing for affordable speakers! (problem is you'll never get to compare those 4)

 

[zumbo]

I have heard them. Walked out! I stand by my original response.

 

[Johnny Canuck]

Polk sounds like sh)t. Obviously you:
A) Did not hear their higher end stuff. Someone who would even buy a tower speaker for $165 obviously was not looking at high end, or , anything even remotely close to a speaker that would pass on this forum. $165 doesn't even get you a decent center channel speaker. $165 is what I roughly spent on my remote control, never mind a main speaker system.
B) Was in a show room, probably CC or BB, where the receiver, more than likely very low powered, was not configured properly
C) Assume because CC and BB sell them they are junk. High end stores can't compete with big box stores so they won't sell Polks. That is the real truth.
D)Have a hearing problem.
E)Trying to justify to yourself that your $165 speakers are as good as speakers you can not afford.

answer (E) is probably the closest to the truth. But you did say you have heard Polks so I may guess answer B) was also close.

It is ludacrous to think a $165 speaker sounds better than $1500 Polk RTI 12's.

Although this is a forum and posting your thoughts are appreciated, you basically flamed us Polk owners and I won't listen to such a thing without telling you back what i think.

 

[GaryZ06]

As Johnny stated....Polk rock....My RTi12's each hooked up to Outlaw M200 monoblock amps do not sound like $165 speakers....When buying speakers I listened to other speakers and to MY EARS they sounded killer....hence I bought them....Plus they are awesome looking in Cherry wood...

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Nice TV. Your puma looks mean.