Want to upgrade from budget Polk speakers... (1 Viewer)

[ArmSC]

That's awesome, Merry Christmas to you indeed. I'm looking forward to hearing your report on how everything sounds when you get it setup.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Thanks, Tony.

============

I've been reading a ton of reviews for the RTi6s and CSi5 (as you might imagine). I'm reading a lot that the6s and the CSi5, especially, draw a lot of power.

The Denon X2000 will be up to the task, correct?

 

[gene c]

Congrats on the new setup. Which ones did you get? Cherry? Ebony?. From what I remember the RTi6's weren't that hard on my receiver when I had them. They're fairly effecient and filled the room quite easily.The CSi5 is a very large center speaker but that's the way I like them. I hope we steered you in the right direction!

 

[schan1269]

Thanks, Tony. ============I've been reading a ton of reviews for the RTi6s and CSi5 (as you might imagine). I'm reading a lot that the6s and the CSi5, especially, draw a lot of power.The Denon X2000 will be up to the task, correct?

Speakers don't "draw power".The CSi5 is 8ohm and 90db efficient. Every receiver ever made is more than enough.The RTi6 is 89db efficient. Again, every receiver is more than enough.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Thanks, Sam!

Some wag on another site said he measured the CSi5 at 6 ohms instead of 8 (even though Polk says 8).

Congrats on the new setup. Which ones did you get? Cherry? Ebony?. From what I remember the RTi6's weren't that hard on my receiver when I had them. They're fairly effecient and filled the room quite easily.

The CSi5 is a very large center speaker but that's the way I like them. I hope we steered you in the right direction!

Even though you said how much you liked the ebony and didn't like the cherry...I got the cherry! They look real nice in the pictures...

The wife is real excited: 1.) about the woodgrain finish, too. But also about 2.) getting the speakers off the floor (and other surfaces) and onto the walls.

So, I'm hoping I like the sound of these as compared to the R300s. Everything I read tells me I will.

I decided on the bigger center because I can't tell you how many times I have been listening to TV broadcasts on my current set-up and had the dialog drowned out by the ambient surround tracks (crowd noise at a sports event, background music, etc.). I realize I could ride amp up the center channel volume manually in the set-up of the receiver...but it's not a consistent problem. It depends upon the broadcast.

I think the much larger center channel is going to be a good thing.

I think maybe I should get some new speaker wire too. I've got all kinds of different varieties in my current set-up. I'm sure in the big scheme of things it probably makes no difference at all...But since I am going to be changing out both the receiver and the speakers I might as well start from scratch (as it were).

I am excited!

 

[Robert Crawford]

MIke,

Congrats on your most recent purchase. Just like a kid on Christmas morning.

 

[Mike Frezon]

And they have arrived! And just a week to Christmas Eve!

The boxes are always so much bigger than I expect them to be.

 

[erew99]

Very nice! I'm looking at upgrading mine right now too. Good deals on the Polk eBay store.

I can't fit the CSi5 though- so I'm jealous

 

[Mike Frezon]

I can't fit the CSi5 though- so I'm jealous

Here's what I'm talking about with the CSi5 JUST being able to fit in my cabinet, Guy.

It's a 24" speaker in a 25" cabinet opening. I've got a half-inch of clearance on each side. And it's deep, too--like the RTi6s. I don't remember exactly, but I think it's about 15" deep and the cabinet might be 18" deep. Perfect fit.

Here are some more pictures of the speakers which I set up and mounted just the other day.

Here's the left-front RTi6/TV/cabinet/dog:

Note the plasma TV located just inches from the thermostat. Helps keep fuel prices down!

The right front:

And the Aeon mounting bracket (these things were great) and the package of variable togglebolts I got with them made the job of mounting these speakers exceptionally easy. They're strong, too.

And, finally, one of my remaining R15s used as a rear surround...but now mounted on the wall (instead of on a speaker stand).

The RTi4s have now dropped in price on the Polk eBay store. I might just pick up a pair of those to round out the new system!

 

[Mike Frezon]

As to how things sound...

To be honest, I've got a ways to go. I haven't run Audyssey yet. I am waiting for the installation of the new receiver before undergoing the audio set-up process.

But as to what I've heard so far, I can see where people comment that these speakers sound "bright." They certainly sound a lot more high-ended than the towers they replaced. But I am not seeing that as a negative. I am hearing that as part of the fact that they are also less muddy than those towers. They seem much more precise in terms of reproducing their source material.

I played a couple of my standard demo tracks through them before I mounted them to make sure I wasn't horrified by what I heard AFTER I had drilled a bunch of holes in my plaster/lathe walls. One of the tracks I played was the sandstorm scene in Dubai from Mission Impossible: Ghost Patrol. That scene really puts the fronts and surrounds to work with lots of directional fx. But it became clear that the bookshelf speakers were really going to mix well with the SVS PB-1000 by--in this instance--letting the sub deal with all that bottom end rumble from the storm with the RTi6s more cleanly giving me all the rest of the audio.

I am really looking forward to the process of recalibrating my gear and hearing what difference--if any--the addition of the new Denon receiver will make (outside of the problem I know the current receiver is giving me).

So..

 

[David Willow]

Nice. It's going to a fun weekend in the Frezon household.

 

[ArmSC]

Those Rti 6's look good up on the wall. I'm looking forward to hearing how it comes out after the Audyssey tune up.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Nice. It's going to a fun weekend in the Frezon household.

If it's warm enough, Dave...open your windows this weekend and I'm sure you'll hear me putting everything through their paces!

Those Rti 6's look good up on the wall. I'm looking forward to hearing how it comes out after the Audyssey tune up.

I must've described to my wife three or four times how deep these speakers were going to be and the fact that they were going to stick out quite a bit (well, 14") from the wall.

She was nevertheless surprised.

Yet still happy to have the towers gone and to have re-gained the floorspace.

 

[Mike Frezon]

How best to explain how happy I've been with my new RTi6s and CSi5?


By announcing that I've now decided to add a pair of RTi4s as my surrounds. Just pulled the trigger, in fact!


I will retire the R15s which I kept as my surrounds.


Since my last post, I have run Audyssey and been demoing all kinds of material. And, having a ton of fun along the way. The RTi6s sound much "bigger" than they actually are and really fill the room with music and movie soundtracks. The new speakers are mixing really well with the SVS PB-1000. Plenty of audio & oomph for my modest living space.


I am loving the clarity and power of the RTi6s and CSi5 so much that I think adding the RTi4s for surrounds will give me just that much more aural goodness and really round out my 5.1 experience.


The R15s were "okay" with the new gear...but it was pretty obvious--as I put everything through it's paces especially when playing suround-heavy 5.1 music tracks--that the R15s weren't keeping up with the new stuff.


So, I figured I better jump while the RTi4s were at such a good price. I almost considered another pair of RTi6s for the surrounds but thought aesthetically I would prefer something a little smaller for the surrounds.

 

[gene c]

When I had my RTi's I thought they were fantastic for movies/tv. Very clear vocals and and action sequences jumped out of the speakers. I always thought the little RTi4's were the real gem for some reason. You probably could have bought the 4's for the fronts as well but since they were more then the 6's at the time I understand your thought process (for a change ).


BTW, whats that picture on the wall next to one of the speakers. Love it's simplicity.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Oh. And I meant to be specific, Gene. Those are cherry RTi4s I ordered!

BTW, whats that picture on the wall next to one of the speakers. Love it's simplicity.

If you're talking about the painting on what looks to be a few picket fence posts--that's what it is! My wife painted it a drawing of a daschund-like dog on some old fence posts of ours and gave that to me for Christmas a couple of years ago. Certainly an original. It hangs right over my plasma.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Oh. And one of the other reasons I went with the 4s instead of the 6s for the surrounds was your praise for them!

 

[Mike Frezon]

Got the RTi4s the other day.


Again, the dogs (Ike and Kelly) immediately gave their approval.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I have immediately replaced the old R15s with the RTi4s. I guess I need to run Audyssey again.


I have been trying out the "Direct" mode on the Denon by-passing the Audyssey results on some of my music listening. It is an interesting (and sometimes dramatic) difference.


I'll need a while before being able to assess any improvement in my surrounds with the new speakers. Even though the RTi4s might be overkill for surrounds (?), they sure do look nice now complementing the visual aesthetics in the room combined with the RTi6s and CSi5. THAT I can say without any hesitation.

 

[schan1269]

I have immediately replaced the old R15s with the RTi4s. I guess I need to run Audyssey again.

I have been trying out the "Direct" mode on the Denon by-passing the Audyssey results on some of my music listening. It is an interesting (and sometimes dramatic) difference.

I'll need a while before being able to assess any improvement in my surrounds with the new speakers. Even though the RTi4s might be overkill for surrounds (?), they sure do look nice now complementing the visual aesthetics in the room combined with the RTi6s and CSi5. THAT I can say without any hesitation.

Overkill?

No such thing.

My rear channel speakers?

BIC V820
Infinity Crescendo 3006
DCM TF350
Polk S6
Wharfedale W60e