Starting a HT, need some help with a few questions

[mattg1981]

I recently received a a HTIB for a present and quickly realized that it just couldnt do what i wanted it to do, so I returned it and am going to buld my own. I am going to build it piece by piece, and go from a 2.0, to 3.1 to 5.1 and eventually 7.1.

So far I have a Denon AVR2309CI.

I want floorstanding speakers for my two fronts, more for aethestic reasons more than anything else. Also please note that I have never owned a setup before, so I am on the opposite side of the spectrum from audiophiles .. so I guess I fall into the crowd of 'louder is better'. That being said, I still want a quality build that will last me years to come.

I was looking at Klipcsh speakers but hear alot of people saying they are very bright sounding and can even give some people headaches. Now I know everyone is different, but i decided I want Polk for a warmer sound. Im looking at the RTi series and have a few questions:

1) By looking at specs and overall appearance, it looks like the RTi10 is the same as RTIa7. Are they the same model, just different years? If thats the case, the RTi10 looks like a great deal price wise.

2) RTi8 vs RTi10 - RTi8 doesnt have woofers. If I eventually incorporate a .1 into this setup, do I need the woofers in the RTi10? Basically do floorstanding speakers need base? Do they provide 'directional base'?

3) Does anyone see any obvious glaring issues with Polk RTi8/10 speakers with my Denon AVR2309CI?

 

[mattg1981]

well, after getting off work and doing more research I was able to find some more information, in case anyone was wondering ...

2) Reviews say RTi10 midrange lacks and if you have a subwoofer, it is better to just get the RTi8's as their midrange is much more rich and let the subwoofer handle the bass

3) Apparently Yamaha's and Polk's dont match very well as they say it produces an overly bright result

Still havnt seen anything on question 1 yet though

 

[mattg1981]

more digging ...

1) The RTi series speakers have recently been discontinued and replaced with the RTiA series. They have basically the same drivers and tweeters but an updated cabinet.

 

[s44]

What price range are you looking at?

Unless you're really budget-constrained, I'd definitely research with your ears instead of your eyes. Look at less mass-market stuff at a good store. Bring a CD you particularly like.

 

[Christobevii3]

Energy has some decent full sets with floor standing fronts for $599 free shipping on ebay if you want a quick full set that is decent. Not sure how high end the polks are you are looking at.

 

[cheesehead]

Reviews aren't as useful as your own ears. I'm not a fan of Polk - odds are that you can get much better speakers.
If you're on a limited budget, Paradigm makes some very nice stuff. I like the Atoms, but I'm told the even less expensive Cinema Series is good so long as you have a powered subwoofer.

 

[kalrith]

My brother bought a pair of RTi10 for around $330 shipped from frys.com. I haven't heard them yet, so I can't help you there. If you're looking to buy Polk, the Fry's sales are the way to go. I bought 5 Polk speakers from Fry's for just over $300 and a used sub off of ebay for $110. It's definitely not the greatest setup, but it's probably (one of) the best for the price.

I also went the same route you did by starting with 2.0, then 2.1, then 3.1, then 5.1. It's a great way to build a solid system when you don't have enough money to get the whole setup you want all at once.