First things first. Stop getting so worked up. Relax a bit. It's just HT equipment where talking about.
I am relaxed, and I am not worked up. I'm just trying to explain my position here.
Now -
1. You need to realize that when putting together a home theater, it can be done in many different ways to achieve the same result. You will always get different opinions. There is no exact perfect way to do this. You need to go with what works in your system. For instance there is no perfect way to crossover your speakers. TLS Guy feels running them full range is the best way, and he makes some good points. While at the same time the folks at THX feel 80hz is where they should be crossed over. Then you will get some people that feel 40 or 60hz is where it should be done. There is no exact answer. All of the above will achieve great results if executed properly. You just have to experiment and go with what your ear likes.
That's fine -- but what he was going into was seemingly much more involved than just "opinion;" it made me second-guess and triple-guess my purchase decision on the RTi12s, and I simply can't go back now for severe monetary purposes.
That said, I've always followed the "don't tax your $500 AVR's amp section more than it has to be thus leave speakers on a crossover, don't run 'em full range" theory that's been bestowed upon millions of members of online forums like this one -- I was advised by members of the Polk forum to keep the 12s on a 60Hz crossover to let them flex a bit of bass muscle while also rolling some material off to the sub. I have also, as you pointed out, played with the crossover settings and can't really audibly discern a great difference between any of them; now granted, I didn't go below 60Hz on the mains, but you get my drift.
Then, the issue becomes what to keep the center and surrounds on; being that I don't have the physical specs for my in-ceiling surrounds, I leave them all on 80...
2. Your 605 is fine for now. Is it perfect for your situation ? No. But it's been working fine for the past few months and will continue to do. You have stated that you don't notice any distortion so it sounds like it's driving them ok.
No, I don't get any distortion -- but I'm really not driving the unit to near capacity as my wife, who normally watches media with me in our HT room, cannot tolerate volume levels of that extreme. Still, I can't help but think of the
countless threads on Polk's forums which suggest that no AVR in the world should be driving towers like the RTi12s -- I keep going back to those sentiments.
I understand the RTi12s can handle a maximum of 500 watts RMS each, but the least they should be getting is 50 or so watts -- so I seem to be okay with the 605's rated-on-paper 90 watts for now, even though I realize this AVR's amp section isn't doing nearly this kind of juice. I just wanted to know which elements needed to be upgraded in which order and you basically outlined for me:
1. Sub
2. Center
3. Possibly Amp Power
3. The 12's are probably more difficult to drive than some speakers but nothing really bad considering your 605 is doing an ok job. They seem to bea speaker that work ok with an average receiver but will open up even more once an external amp is attached or a higher end receiver.
Okay, so I've heard -- but Polk's customer service advisors dispatched a message to me with regard to the 12's being "relatively easy to drive" due to the fact that they are an 8 ohm speaker and that their sensitivity is at a 90dB rating.
So, I suppose your statement above with regard to the 12's "opening up" once a higher end AVR or power amp is connected answers my query in the other thread in which I asked you how the 12's are going to "sing" better by just changing out my center and sub...
4. The CSi5 is the proper matching center. Per the Polk website.
Okay.
5. Because I thought I heard you mention in a previous thread you where from Florida. Nothing to get worked up over.
What? I didn't even
mention anything about Florida.
6. I was not talking about the RTiA8's. I was talking about the RTi8's from the same series as the 12's. I was also talking about a complete 3 piece package for less than the 12's. Here again. No need to get worked up. You felt the 12's where a better deal. I felt different. As a side note. Just because something is from the top of a product line doesn't make it a better item or purchase. Often times the better product is lower in the line.
I disagree that it's "often times" that something is better from a lower-in-line product tier, but that's my opinion based on research I have done -- further, I believe we had this discussion in length, and I remained grounded in my belief, and still do, that it simply made no logical sense to me to buy the RTiA8s (which are their new entry level models in the RTiA line) which were more expensive than the previously top-of-the-line RTi12s when I was told there were absolutely no great technical and performance differences between the two lines. It just made no sense to me; now, I do understand that you are pointing out here that you were suggesting a model from the RTi line from which my 12s originated, but the store that I purchased the 12's from didn't have any older vintage RTi8's on hand -- just the RTi12's, or the full line of newer RTi-A's.
Are you suggesting that the RTi-A's -- no matter where their designation in the lineup, even entry-level -- will absolutely, positively outperform the RTi12 line?
7. Just because a speaker can handle 500 watts does not mean they are power hogs. It just means they can handle alot of power. I would hope so considering the size. The sensitivity and impedance curve are more important. They probably dip to 4 ohms or even a little below hence they are a little more difficult to drive than some speakers. But a decent reciever will do the job ok and in some cases be more than adequate depending on how they are used. However they seem to open up even more with an external amp or upper end receiver. A simple analogy might be your getting 85% of their potential with your current receiver and the other 15% will come with a top notch amp connected. hopefully this makes sense.
Okay, perhaps "power pigs" was not the right phrase to embelish the 12's with -- it was an emotional, surface-coated insight to my sentiments regarding these speakers. I realize that ohm and sensitivity ratings have more to do with the "power hog" or "pig" reference, hence why 4 ohm or so speakers are often relegated to this realm -- but it just seemed that because they can handle the 500 watts each, they "want" to suck power and juice from an AVR, especially one as "low powered" as my 605. Again, these were surface insights.
Hopefully some of what I said makes sense and not taken the wrong way.
I am merely responding to the conversations we have been having, and have decided to ignore the downright asinine statements regarding "hopefully we won't have to endure any more of these painful threads" or whatever it was that was said after these posts -- furthermore, I don't feel like a "whack a mole" or whatever 'Rat decided to choose as "comment du jor;" I am merely attempting to figure out the best route for making all this gear work most efficiently.
