My living room set up, should I return my RTi8?

Re: My living room set up, should I return my RTi8?

You ask a lot of questions so let me tackle each one.

Your HTiB doesn't produce 143w/channel. If you read the specs, it probably has a note that this was with one channel driven and only at 1khz. One reason that real receivers are larger than most HTiB's is the power supply. You would need a huge transformer to produce 143w/channel with all channels driven at 20 to 20,000 hz. Very few receivers can even meet those specs.

Rotel makes GREAT amps. That's why it sounded better. The design of the speaker may come into play as well but I'm not sure it would play a big part. And don't pay any attention to how much the cone moves either. Pay attention to how the speaker sounds. I can easily make a produce massive amounts of bass without making the cone move more than a few mm. You just have to use a ported box and play a tone at the box's resonant frequency. All of the sound is produced by the port.

The pointed part is called a phase plug. The rounded center is called a dust cap. A true phase plug is a non-moving part that is attached to the pole piece of the driver motor. A dust cap is attached to the driver and moves with it. My guess is that B&W just uses a dust cap shaped like a phase plug. It gives the driver a more expensive look without the cost of a real phase plug. There are trade-offs with each type of driver. In fact, speaker design is just a bunch of trade-offs based on design goals.

Both are 2 ways designs. That means the both mid-basses on the RTi8 play the same frequency range. With more cone area, they should produce more bass than the B&W. I checked the reviews of both and both are excellent. But one thing stood out - a lot said that you need a good amp to get the most out of the speakers. Even the reviews that are not perfect could be attibuted to set up or room issues. Also, you can't just buy great speakers and expect great results. They have to be set up appropriately in your listening room. Proper spacing from the side and back walls. Proper toe-in. You may need sound aborption panels to keep down the relections.

-Robert

Re: My living room set up, should I return my RTi8?

A few suggestions:
1) Have you listened to the RTi8s with a good amp or receiver to see if you like the sound they are capable of, as opposed to the sound they have with your Sony? I would find a store that will let you hook them up to the type of receiver that you would like to upgrade to and see if you are happy with the Polk sound. Then you can decide before the return period at FS expires whether you want to keep them or not.

2) Receivers can have an effect on the brightness/warmth of a speaker's sound so pairing the right receiver with your speakers could diminish some of the undesired brightness you found in the RTi8s. The effect on the sound is minor though so I wouldn't buy a speaker that is far too bright for your tastes and expect that it will sound great by getting a warm-sounding receiver. Proper speaker selection is far more important.

3) If you've still got time left in the return period, try and listen to the Polks and the B&Ws in a number of different setups to see which one you like best. If you're happy with the RTis, then keep them and start saving up for a good receiver to power them, but if you're not really happy with them and prefer the B&Ws or a different speaker, then return the Polks and save up for the speaker that you really want.

Bottom line, listen critically to both speaker sets now and figure out which one you like the best (with a receiver that you would likely be able to afford) and then buy those speakers. That way, you won't be second guessing yourself six months from now.

Re: My living room set up, should I return my RTi8?

That's the same opinion I had about mine. Less bass than expected (not a problem if you use a sub) and a bit brite. Also, the mid-range was a little harsh. But if this type of sound appeals to you, then they were pretty good speakers. And comparing one speaker with a Rotel and another one with a true htib just ain't fare . Ya gotta love the real wood veneers on those RTi's, though. Fine looking speakers.