Proposal for speakers

Yohansen

Yohansen

Audioholic
Hello all,
I happen to have the Polk Audio RTIA7 speakers, Fluance Rt 83 upgraded with an acrylic platter, blue 2m stylus and a Rotel RA 1570 intergraded amplifier.
The only thing I ask is your opinion Regarding upgrading my speakers.
Please advice me wisely, since my budget only allows me to upgrade the speakers up to $1,000.
I love all the the audio componenents that I have, the only thing I want to upgrade is the speakers unless the RTIA7 Polk Audio speakers are ok.
I would appreciate your unbiased opinion and suggestion. :)
Thank you in advance.
Yannis, the Greek!
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
The Polk RTi A7 speakers aren't terrible. I think you will have to increase your budget a bit for that upgrade to not simply be a lateral move. If you want to stay close to your budget, try some JBL Studio 290 speakers, those should be pretty good.
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
I agree... $1k will be a mostly lateral move unless you play your cards just right. But even then... more likely to be so incremental as to be of questionable value.

I'd save it until you can double your budget. By $2000 or so, I think you can realize a significant step up in quality.

Don't forget to budget for a matching Center Channel, too! ;)
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
What do you feel is lacking in your current speakers or what are you trying to achieve with the change? Does seem at that budget more of a lateral move....
 
Yohansen

Yohansen

Audioholic
I’m trying to get better performance than the RTIA7. I have no complaints with these but I’m wondering if I can go higher or stay with RTIA7’s.
I used to have Magnepan 1.7i and I can tell that the rtia7 are not bad compared to Maggie’s.
I’m trying to get Magnepan performance in a box speaker design...but as you all told me that’s not achievable with only $1,000. I agree on that.
 
Pogre

Pogre

Audioholic Slumlord
I’m trying to get better performance than the RTIA7. I have no complaints with these but I’m wondering if I can go higher or stay with RTIA7’s.
I used to have Magnepan 1.7i and I can tell that the rtia7 are not bad compared to Maggie’s.
I’m trying to get Magnepan performance in a box speaker design...but as you all told me that’s not achievable with only $1,000. I agree on that.
If you have no complaints what is it you're wanting to improve?

$1000 budget probably won't do it either way.
 
mazersteven

mazersteven

Audioholic Warlord
There are deals out there if you look. I don't know what your lacking in Sound Quality.


 
Yohansen

Yohansen

Audioholic
The Polk RTi A7 speakers aren't terrible. I think you will have to increase your budget a bit for that upgrade to not simply be a lateral move. If you want to stay close to your budget, try some JBL Studio 290 speakers, those should be pretty good.
Thank you Shady,
I think that I’ll stay with the Polk speakers. From my Audio experience I think in order to get better performance I need to buy around $3,000 if not more. I’m talking of course for box speakers!
I will make a video with a song for you guys on my YouTube account so you can hear yourself. Please keep in mind that the recording will be from a mobile phone. Imax11 plus or something. :)
 
KenM10759

KenM10759

Audioholic Samurai
Thank you Shady,
I think that I’ll stay with the Polk speakers. From my Audio experience I think in order to get better performance I need to buy around $3,000 if not more. I’m talking of course for box speakers!
I will make a video with a song for you guys on my YouTube account so you can hear yourself. Please keep in mind that the recording will be from a mobile phone. Imax11 plus or something. :)
Please spare your time and don't do that. It tells us nothing because we'd be hearing your speakers, recorded by your phone, played back by our system on our speakers. That is useless other than to confirm noise comes out of the speakers.

How big is your room, how far apart are the speakers, and how far from them do you sit? What kind of room treatment exists? There's a lot of things you should do before dropping $1K to $3K on speakers.
 
Yohansen

Yohansen

Audioholic
Dear Shady! :) You are right on this!

My room dimensions are approximately 20x15 feet and the height is approximately 7-8 feet tall.
The spot that I listen is a triangle with equal sides. The three sides are 7 feet each..
As for room treatment, there is a couch with L shape where I sit, a carpet on the floor, an acoustic guitar on the right side of the wall behind the stereo and a table in front of me as I seat on the couch that is fabric. I took a picture in case is needed.The admin will let me know if it is allowed.

Relatively is a small room in my opinion. Also I have a wall on the right side and another wall on the left side with a door opening.
Something tells me that I can get away with bookshelf speakers!
A tv is exactly at the center hanged on the wall and below the tv a stereo rack. It’s kind of symmetric, I did my best arranging the distances.
If you don’t want a video then I won’t do it.
I hope I described at my best the dimensions.
The speakers are kind of big since they are the Polk RTIA7’s.
What do you think?

Please trust me. By the day I got the Rotel RA1570 these speakers came alive. I don’t know why.
 

Attachments

Last edited:
Blue2kid3

Blue2kid3

Audioholic Intern
I am sure you can get better sound from your system, assuming you can live with it. I would place the system on the wall to your left or right. Add a rug on the floors that should absorb some of the first reflection. If this is the only way you can have your system set up then enjoy it and watch more movies and listen to more music and stop thinking about "how good it can be" and think more about how good it is. I know first hand diminishing returns from headphones by going from a pair of HD 650 to a pair of HD800s 5x the cost 2x the build quality for maybe 0.5x the noticable difference.
 
Yohansen

Yohansen

Audioholic
Thank you blue for your advice.
I cant place it on a different spot, wife orders!!!
I believe you are right regarding what I want. I should be happy of what I have !
Thank you so much.
Yannis
 
Last edited:
mazersteven

mazersteven

Audioholic Warlord
I know first hand diminishing returns from headphones by going from a pair of HD 650 to a pair of HD800s 5x the cost 2x the build quality for maybe 0.5x the noticable difference.
This is true, but you started out with a really nice set of Cans. The HD650's are not a Entry set of Headphones. He is starting out with an Entry set of Speakers. Yes there is always Diminished Returns but he at this point will see great improvement in Sound Quality.
But as others have stated I would do some small Tweaks to improve that Room and Positioning to help improve Sound Quality.
And move the Speakers a little at a time so the Wife doesn't notice :)
 
newsletter

  • RBHsound.com
  • BlueJeansCable.com
  • SVS Sound Subwoofers
  • Experience the Martin Logan Montis
Top