Polk CSi3 or CSi5 Center Channel Speaker

[JEidt]

Hi All,

I am seeking feedback on whether the CSi5 is worth the extra $ 200.
I am purchasing RTi8 for fronts & RTi4 as surround. This will be my first HT/Audio system.

If I purchase the CSi5, I will have $ 200 less to spend on the receiver & sub.
Is this a worthy tradeoff.

Thanks in advance,

John

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Match the size of the drivers in the RTi8's to your center channel if possible. Make sure you have enough room if you go with the CSi5. Also make sure you have enough power to drive the CSi5. It's a power monger.

 

[bryantm3]

i'm going to have the same problem with my setup, except i'll be using RTi8s for my left, right, and two surrounds. does a yamaha RX-V787 have enough power for the CSi5? it ought to, but the way you talk about it, i'm not so sure.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

i'm going to have the same problem with my setup, except i'll be using RTi8s for my left, right, and two surrounds. does a yamaha RX-V787 have enough power for the CSi5? it ought to, but the way you talk about it, i'm not so sure.

I've got the CSi5 with RTi10's as fronts. The Denon 3805 is about the smallest receiver I'd recommend for that setup - even with bass management. The Denon's a tad under 38lbs, so it's got a hefty power supply and large heat sinks, but will run warm with demanding speakers as these RTi/CSi's have proven.

 

[JEidt]

Thanks - Buckeye

I'm going with CSi3 because of my small room size & cost.

Another ?

Will a Pioneer 1015TX Receiver meet the needs of my Polk Speaker Setup mentioned above?

Thanks again,

John

 

[gcmarshall]

in my opinion, the center channel speaker is the most critical. it gets a large chunk of sound from movies. if it were me, i would get the most center channel speaker you can afford. there are places to cut corners in home theaer, but i believe your center channel should not be one of them.

i have the Csi5 and it is definitely large, almost 2' wide, i think, and very deep. space can definitely be a problem. but, it has proven to be a good performer.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

I'm going with CSi3 because of my small room size & cost.

Another ?

Will a Pioneer 1015TX Receiver meet the needs of my Polk Speaker Setup mentioned above?

Thanks again,

John

Yes, the 1015, the Elite 52, Yamaha 1500/2500/5890, Denon 3805, Onkyo 7 series and up, and Marantz 7 series and up will be more than adequate as long as you keep the receivers well ventilated.

Is this the price you're finding on the CSi5?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Polk-Audio-CSI-5-Center-Channel-Brand-New-Black_W0QQitemZ5859260740QQcategoryZ14992QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[JEidt]

Does the CSi5 require the purchase of a amplifier?

Can the 1015 provide the power needed by CSi5 without the purchase of amplifier?

Thanks,

John

 

[bryantm3]

I've got the CSi5 with RTi10's as fronts. The Denon 3805 is about the smallest receiver I'd recommend for that setup - even with bass management. The Denon's a tad under 38lbs, so it's got a hefty power supply and large heat sinks, but will run warm with demanding speakers as these RTi/CSi's have proven.

so... is that a yes or no?
this is the reciever i'm talking about here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009PMVDK/sr=1-4/qid=1138543831/ref=sr_1_4/102-4588413-1521756?_encoding=UTF8

i paid $600 for this, if it's not going to meet my expectations, that's bad.

 

[fergusonv]

The CSi5 is a step up from the CSi3 in sound quality. It's a prefect match for the RTi8's as well. I have the same setup you are considering and had a CSi3 in my system before I upgraded to the CSi5. It was worth the 200 extra dollars.