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Polk RTI vs the internet brands

9K views 73 replies 24 participants last post by  freeride 
#1 ·
I know you should listen to the speakers youself and decide what you like, but it is difficult with comparing something like the Polk RTi to Aperion and Axiom. I know Aperion has a 30 day trial so that is a possibility but a little hassle shipping speakers you dont like back and Axiom doesn't have this option I dont believe.


I want your guys opinions how do these two internet brands compare to Polk Rti. I will most likely be going with an svs sub so I am only interested in front mains, center channel, and surround speakers.


I have a Yamaha RX-1700 and dont plan on going to a 7.1 set up or use the presence channels so I will have the capability to bi amp the front speakers. I believe this should be enough power for the front speakers. If I ever want to use the rear two channels or presense speakers I will have to man up and buy an external amp to drive the mains, but I dont see that happening until more movies come out in 7.1.


I am looking for towers and as far as polk goes I am leaning toward Rti12. Crutchfield has a good deal going on Polk right now, probably due to the new series being released soon.


Thanks for your expert opinions and I am interested in what everyone has to say especially if you have compared these companies directly.
 
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#2 ·
A hassle? Wow you must be willing to do nothing if slapping on some prepaid labels and calling UPS to pick them up is a hassle!



On that note, the RTi series from Polk are pretty good, especially for movies. If HT is your primary concern, don't even worry about Internet models if you are uncomfortable and be happy with the Polk RTI series. Tower speakers from the other internet brands besides Aperion WOULD be a huge hassle and expense to return them.


I would compare the Polks to the Boston VR towers at Circuit $hitty, which are also clearance priced.


Edit--I would get the smaller Polk towers, like the RTi8 or 10, and allocate the money saved to a bigger sub.
 
#3 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by badassfajita /forum/post/12000832


A hassle? Wow you must be willing to do nothing if slapping on some prepaid labels and calling UPS to pick them up is a hassle!



On that note, the RTi series from Polk are pretty good, especially for movies. If HT is your primary concern, don't even worry about Internet models if you are uncomfortable and be happy with the Polk RTI series. Tower speakers from the other internet brands besides Aperion WOULD be a huge hassle and expense to return them.


I would compare the Polks to the Boston VR towers at Circuit $hitty, which are also clearance priced.


Edit--I would get the smaller Polk towers, like the RTi8 or 10, and allocate the money saved to a bigger sub.

Sounds like the Aperions wouldn't be hard to return after all
. I just want the most bang for the buck and if the Polks weren't being clearanced then possibly the internet brands would be the way to go. That being said if the Aperions or Axioms are of equal or better performance then I would probably roll the dice and give them a try.


Money is not a big issue with in reason. I want to spend around 3K but no more than 3500. It would be sweet to pull off a really nice sounding system for under 3k though so I will look into possibly geting the rti10's and put extra into the sub.


I am still in the research stage and will be looking into all of these 3 brands. Any other suggestions in this price range? Now that is a loaded question that I will probably get beat on because I am sure there are a ton of other brands in this range with nice performance.


Anyone else what do you think? Music performance is important but movie performance is critical. Movie and TV is about 90% of the use and the other 10 is music.
 
#4 ·
Haven't heard either the Aperions or Axioms. The Axiom comparison comes up from time to time on the Polk forum and you guessed it...the Polks win (doh). Reasons stated are build quality and sound quality. Take that with a grain of salt.


I do know that the RTis appeal to me, especially at the dq pricing...they are worth full msrp. Polks are easy to drive, but like more current than most AVRs offer...keep that in mind. As the other poster said...8s with a great sub are the sweetspot, IMO, unless you have the room and the juice to take advantage of the 12s.
 
#6 ·
I agree w/ Ron. I don't like the 10's much in comparison to the 8 and 12. They sound funny.

This was determined by listening to speakers in real life. It's an interesting and effective method.



If ID companies are paying for S/H. Give them a shot. No reason not to. It's a confident move by them.
 
#8 ·

Quote:
Sounds like the Aperions wouldn't be hard to return after all . I just want the most bang for the buck and if the Polks weren't being clearanced then possibly the internet brands would be the way to go. That being said if the Aperions or Axioms are of equal or better performance then I would probably roll the dice and give them a try.


Money is not a big issue with in reason. I want to spend around 3K but no more than 3500. It would be sweet to pull off a really nice sounding system for under 3k though so I will look into possibly geting the rti10's and put extra into the sub.

Well , even if you profess that money isn't the real issue, if you don't listen comparitively, then I can almost garauntee you that the constant "proclaimed" value message or the "discount" salesmanship and all the dollar talk in the post makes me think that you will buy based on "perceived" value rather than picking the one that is truely a better choice for your ears personally.
 
#9 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake Sm /forum/post/12015809


Well , even if you profess that money isn't the real issue, if you don't listen comparitively, then I can almost garauntee you that the constant "proclaimed" value message or the "discount" salesmanship and all the dollar talk in the post makes me think that you will buy based on "perceived" value rather than picking the one that is truely a better choice for your ears personally.

No the money really isnt a big issue. All of these brands are in the window that I am willing to spend. If I have to spend the max then fine no big deal, I just dont want to over pay for something that I could of gotten at a better value. I think I would get more entertainment by setting the wasted money on fire than giving it away.


I dont post often on this site but read daily. I knew I would take some heat posting a question like this, but was really looking for someone that has tested A vs. B directly. I couldn't find this type of info through the search and am willing to listen to everyones experiences with these brands.


I am going to go listen to the Polks this weekend. If I like them then I am set and probably wont look any further, and they will most likely be on the larger size of my willing to spend limit.
 
#10 ·
As I said before...the Axiom/Polk comparison has been made more than once on Club Polk and on Audioholics. You might listen to some Polks, read over there and decide. I've heard nothing but good things about Aperion, you might want to check a thread or two about them.
 
#11 ·

Quote:
I just dont want to over pay for something that I could of gotten at a better value.

Only your ears in a comparative demo could tell you that, without that personal experiance, value will only be what others convince you that it is.
 
#13 ·
I got a pair of Rti8's that were scratch and dent. They ran just over $300 for the pair. I couldn't be more pleased with them. I have them around a Csi5 center. I'm happy with this center too. I have to Polk R50's as my surrounds, and they get the job done...not amazing presence with surround music, but great for movies. This 5 speaker setup ran me about $700. Now to get a decent subwoofer.
 
#14 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake Sm /forum/post/12015809


Well , even if you profess that money isn't the real issue, if you don't listen comparitively, then I can almost garauntee you that the constant "proclaimed" value message or the "discount" salesmanship and all the dollar talk in the post makes me think that you will buy based on "perceived" value rather than picking the one that is truely a better choice for your ears personally.

I stand by what i said. It was a simple statement. BTW, i was a much better custom brick mason than i am a salesman.. being in this business now is all fun. Having said that, yes, do audition every speaker you might be interested in. that's a gimmie.
 
#15 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake Sm /forum/post/12017103


Only your ears in a comparative demo could tell you that, without that personal experiance, value will only be what others convince you that it is.

Ya thats true. I guess nothing beats listening and deciding what works best for you. No one has bashed any of these companies that I can find on this forum so it seems to be at least no quality issues with them.
 
#16 ·
Just picked up a pair of last years RTi12's from Fry's. $349 per speaker! Sweet deal. I'm hoping to compare them to Axiom M60s sometime this month. I like them so far. I'm replacing Polk R50's with these bad boys. I must admit, I'm a sucker for drivers, and the 6 drivers on these speakers just did me in. The more drivers, the better the speaker, right? (-;


I'd be out $70 or so if I had to return the Axioms, so I've been checking the forums to see if I should bother. I'm also short on time, so I"m not sure I'll get around to the comparison before my 30 day return policy on the Polks expires.
 
#17 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by freeride /forum/post/12116666


Just picked up a pair of last years RTi12's from Fry's. $349 per speaker! Sweet deal. I'm hoping to compare them to Axiom M60s sometime this month. I like them so far. I'm replacing Polk R50's with these bad boys. I must admit, I'm a sucker for drivers, and the 6 drivers on these speakers just did me in. The more drivers, the better the speaker, right? (-;


I'd be out $70 or so if I had to return the Axioms, so I've been checking the forums to see if I should bother. I'm also short on time, so I"m not sure I'll get around to the comparison before my 30 day return policy on the Polks expires.


This is great info and was the original intent of this post which was to see if anyone has compared them directly. If you get around to getting the test done before your return policy's expire post up what your opinions are for sound (music and movie), build quality, ect...


I think I am about to pull the trigger on Rti 10's so I may have some input as well if I can get time to get another brand ordered and compare before the return policies expire.
 
#18 ·
Axiom does have a 30 day in home, free shipping policy. Their customer service is great. If you don't like them, which will unlikely not be the case, they only ask that you pay return shipping. This is how most companies handle return shipping.


They also have an audition thread on the axiom forum with people all over that will let you audition in their home. That is what sold me and I have been an Axiom owner for 5 years now.


Just like what Ron mentioned above, the Axiom vs Polk topic comes up all the time on Axiom forums as well. And for the most part you will hear that Axiom overall offers the best bang for the buck audiophile speaker. Many of the members are previous Polk owners.


Anyway, it is best to make your own decision. But, if you can't read the reviews on audioholics, sound and vision, and other websites. I love my Axioms and would never part ways for Polk, but that is just me.
 
#19 ·
I am pushing RTi12s and HSU vtf1 sub & FXi5 rears with yammy 1600 and they sound great. May add an amp in the near future to push those 12s a little harder but other than that no complaints. I think you would be happy, but hard to tell people have different taste. I bought my rti12s from frys electronics they had them cheaper than crutchfield by 100+
 
#20 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sirquack /forum/post/12118109


... And for the most part you will hear that Axiom overall offers the best bang for the buck audiophile speaker. Many of the members are previous Polk owners.


Anyway, it is best to make your own decision. But, if you can't read the reviews on audioholics, sound and vision, and other websites. I love my Axioms and would never part ways for Polk, but that is just me.

I just completed a speaker shootout between the Axiom M60ti and the Polk RTi12's on Sunday. A fellow AH come over with his M60's, and calibrated, tested, pondered and discussed the differences for over 6 hours. My friend will be doing a comprehensive review soon on a different forum. I'll post a link to it when it is available.


To comment on the quote above, my opinion is that it was true that the Axioms gave better performance for the money. However, is not true if the Polks are $700 a pair, like they are right now at Fry's.


$990 M60's vs $1600 RTi12's = Axiom a better value by far

$990 M60's vs $700 RTi12's = Depends on listener preference (music, room setup, etc) They are very close.
 
#22 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by freeride /forum/post/12198078


ps. I push my RTi12's with an older HK 330 (55W I think), and it seems sufficient. I can easily get over 100dB SPL with the HK receiver, which is pretty loud.

I think this just proves that you probably need external amps for these big 3-way speakers, since your h/k already has pre-out jacks. If you followed nm4710's experience, he was actually disappointed with his RTi10s until he added an external amp (the Onkyo M-282, 2x140w @ 8ohms, which I have seen refurbished from shoponkyo for $200). It'll cost at least $100 per channel for external amplification, even used or refurbished. AudioSource products seem to be among the cheapest viable options new and used.


Remember, even though harman/kardon rate their receivers "all channels driven", you still aren't getting 55w per channel (my modest h/k 147 is rated 40x5 but it plays louder at the same factory setting than my Denon rated at 80x5!). The power of an AVR, 99% of them at least, is just not going to do these justice IMHO.

http://manuals.harman.com/HK/QuickSt...0RearPanel.pdf
http://www.rodinaudio.com/audioSourc...ccessories.pdf
 
#23 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kex /forum/post/12198707


I think this just proves that you probably need external amps for these big 3-way speakers, since your h/k already has pre-out jacks. If you followed nm4710's experience, he was actually disappointed with his RTi10s until he added an external amp (the Onkyo M-282, 2x140w @ 8ohms, which I have seen refurbished from shoponkyo for $200). It'll cost at least $100 per channel for external amplification, even used or refurbished. AudioSource products seem to be among the cheapest viable options new and used.


Remember, even though harman/kardon rate their receivers "all channels driven", you still aren't getting 55w per channel (my modest h/k 147 is rated 40x5 but it plays louder at the same factory setting than my Denon rated at 80x5!). The power of an AVR, 99% of them at least, is just not going to do these justice IMHO.

http://manuals.harman.com/HK/QuickSt...0RearPanel.pdf
http://www.rodinaudio.com/audioSourc...ccessories.pdf

I've always been a little reluctant to buy into the bigger amp = better sound without solid math behind it to back it up. I guess I'd like to do a side by side comparison of my HK with and without an external amp playing at the same sound levels. If there was a difference, then I'd rush out to buy an amplifier.


I'll have to search the forums to see if there is a A/B type comparison between AVRs and amplifiers.


...and thanks for the pdf links.
 
#25 ·
The RTi10s need a lot of power. The bass is positively anemic and the woofer's don't even BEGIN to move with the 50w/ch my HK 245 provides. Adding an external amp driving just the woofers helped a lot. To be honest, I'm still looking for more power. I brought a friend's 200wpc amp over...my god they sound amazing w/that. I'll probably live with my onkyo M282 for now (it can be had for 200 shipped brand new if you look around btw)...but eventually I am going to need a 200wpc Parasound/Adcom/Rotel/Outlaw unit to get the best of these speakers. You can def get 100dB on a receiver with RTi10/12's...but your lower frequencies are going to be majorly lacking. And my personal advice is if you buy these speakers, buy a 200wpc amp to go with them. You'll thank me when you hear it.


My advice: If you're not going to buy an outboard amp, stick with the RTi6 or RTi8. I've got a pair of RTi6's coming in for rear channel duty. I think with the RTi10s the 6's will make for awesome multichannel music.
 
#26 ·
It's not just the watts. Those big Polks and probably the other brands, are greedy buggers for current. The Onk is a sweet sounding amp and the Audiosource amps are bargains, but the heftier more capable amp listed really make the speakers sing.


freeride...you owe it to yourself to finagle an audition. A watt is not a watt. Yeah, 50 watts will get very loud and the HK does have more current than most AVRs, but it can't provide the dynamics and driver control of a hefty amp. The RTi12s are rated up to 500 watts for a reason.
 
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