It's not that I'm "thinking what I want," it's just that it's kind of gospel -- and I'm sure someone could back me up here on this one -- that low-powered AVRs in particular (like the one I'm using now and which is in question) don't fare well with low bass signals and frequencies, as this is known to tax their amps pretty hard; running the RTi12s would demand too much from this AVR, and I've even been advised by Polk's support not to do this with my model. The receiver can power the 12s more than decently, they told me, by crossing over the speakers at say 60Hz, but they didn't recommend running them full range as you suggest with the AVR I own.
Come on, guys -- I know I can't be the only one to have heard the theory regarding low bass frequencies being more taxing than any other kind of signal as it pertains to low powered AVRs and amps...can anyone confirm this for us?
With regard to your SVS suggestion -- I suppose that's what I was asking...which model would dip below what my towers could handle...I'll have to start looking at specs now...thanks.
You have heard the gospel and we all have but basically it is not true generally.
There is little power in the musical spectrum below 80 Hz.
However for your speakers there is a problem, because Polk broke TLS Guys rule about how low it is reasonable to place a a passive crossover. I have seen the impedance curve and phase angles of your speaker, and yes, those speakers will suck the life out of a receiver like yours.
However the fact is there is not a need for a lot of power in the lower spectrum, it just so happens that some speakers need a lot of power in that region.
It is not just big speakers either. Here is a really good book shelf I have heard and measures very well.
Now look at the impedance and phase curve.
The impedance curve looks pretty benign. Over 6 ohms except for a small region were there is little power demand between 4 and 10 kHz.
Now this is the hard part for members to understand. Look at the phase angles. Its 56 degrees negative at 100 Hz and over 60 degrees negative at 2 kHz.
Now what this causes is not a huge demand for true (actual) power, but a big increase of apparent power over true power in those regions of highly negative phase angles. The problem is that the current has to be provided to meet those apparent power demands. If they can't be met the amp will clip and may be self destruct.
So those little speakers require a much bigger amp than you would think at first glance. You could not drive them with your receiver.
The same goes for its little brother the SCM-7. A tiny speaker that can really fill a room with the right power, but this latter is 6 db down by 60 Hz, so a sub would not help you.
So this issue of were and where power demands are is very complex, and seldom do speaker manufacturers supply enough information for the consumer to make an informed choice, even if he has the knowledge to do so.
So you could have a different set of speakers were the power consumed matches the actual acoustic power required in any given region.
The problem is who's to know without honest manufacturers and or third party measurements, who's to know?
