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Calling all Polkies:Official Polk thread - Page 47

post #1381 of 18622
11/25/07 at 10:37am
One more tip...

Turn "stretch" off on your TV. No one wants to watch all the Friends stretched out horizontally so they look unnatural and fat
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post #1382 of 18622
11/25/07 at 10:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jonnythan View Post

One more tip...

Turn "stretch" off on your TV. No one wants to watch all the Friends stretched out horizontally so they look unnatural and fat

yes, I had turned in on to get rid of a channel logo and then I must have forgotten it on.
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post #1383 of 18622
11/25/07 at 11:10am
I made a few other posts about this but no ones responding and I need to figure it out before the items ship so I can change the order. I just bought polk audio r50's for my front speakers, and the CSR Center speaker. I ordered the HK AVR 146 receiver--I am really worried that the receiver won't have enough power for these speakers. I don't yet have rears and a sub but I want to get them soon.


Stats from HK site:
All Channels Operating at Full Power :
Front L & R Channels : 30 Watts per channel @ <0.07% THD, 20Hz - 20kHz into 8 ohms
Center Channel : 30 Watts @ <0.07% THD, 20Hz - 20kHz into 8 ohms
Surround Channels : 30 Watts per channel @ <0.07% THD, 20Hz - 20kHz into 8 ohms


Stats on R50:
Nominal Impedance 8 ohms
Recommended Amplifier Power 20 - 150 w/channel
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post #1384 of 18622
11/25/07 at 12:28pm
Although Harmon/Kardon receivers make decent sound, 30 watts seems low to drive those R50's. What about a Onkyo 605?
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post #1385 of 18622
11/25/07 at 1:28pm
Hi,

Im looking at a pair of RTi10s along with a PSW505 sub.

I have an Onkyo SR605 receiver. (90w/channel I believe).

Will this combo work out for me do I need a more powerful receiver to do these speakers justice? I live in a small 1-person apt, but am buying for the long term, when I buy a house, etc.
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post #1386 of 18622
11/25/07 at 3:40pm
The RTi10s are extremely power hungry. You can definitely use your 605 with them, but don't expect any real bass. Honestly, as an owner of both RTi10s and RTi6's I don't think there is much point to the 10's if you have a sub. The 6's sound nearly as good, are much easier to drive, easier to move, and cost less than half as much.

In regard to the R50s (I own those as well), I think they are great speaker for the money...but for not much more the RTi6's blow them away. That said I do believe the R50's will be driven by an AVR146 but will have much better bass if driven by a higher power amp.

Enjoy your polks guys, these are all fantastic speakers for their respective prices.
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post #1387 of 18622
11/25/07 at 4:40pm
I'm in the market for a a 5.1 speaker system. My family room is 22X18. I don't want to spend more than $600.00 for the speakers. I don't have a receiver yet but am considering the ONKYo 605, 505 or Harmon 147.

Circuit City has the Polk 6880 speaker group on sale on line for $450.00. From what I have read on this forum over the last few days, this may be a reasonable purchase at this price. Is the 6880 group a decent speaker system? If not, any suggestions?
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post #1388 of 18622
11/25/07 at 6:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TZOH View Post

I'm in the market for a a 5.1 speaker system. My family room is 22X18. I don't want to spend more than $600.00 for the speakers. I don't have a receiver yet but am considering the ONKYo 605, 505 or Harmon 147.

Circuit City has the Polk 6880 speaker group on sale on line for $450.00. From what I have read on this forum over the last few days, this may be a reasonable purchase at this price. Is the 6880 group a decent speaker system? If not, any suggestions?

That is a big room for a small set of HTiB speakers. Is the reason you are considering them mainly price or size? The reason I ask is you may be better served with 4 R50's and a CSi25. (for about the same total cost) The speakers are much larger, but I feel they would give a better experience in your size room. (the R50's are tower speakers)

If it is mainly a size thing (as opposed to just cost) and you just want something small, then yes - for the price you are getting them for, I would say they are better than average HTiB type speakers.

Michael
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post #1389 of 18622
11/25/07 at 6:57pm
The boss has agreed with the purchase provided the speakers aren't too big. She doesn't want our family room to "look like a dorm room." Something a little larger than the 6880 size could work. I was also looking at the Onkyo 908 HTIB, which has larger speakers. In summary, the smaller the better without comprising sound qualtiy too much.
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post #1390 of 18622
11/25/07 at 7:21pm
So was that $600 total including 5 speakers and a sub? If so, the 6880 may be your best choice.

If not, you could try and pick up 5 RTia1's. (or 4 RTiA1's and a RTiA3, but that center will cost you more...) They are not huge and sound much better than any HTiB system could.

My father in law just picked up 4 RTiA1's for $115 each at American TV. (during a "family sale" they were having.) That would burn most of your budget though and not leave much of anything for a subwoofer. That is about the best sound I can think of from Polk with a $600 budget and purchasing new.

If you are willing to purchase used, we may have a few more options...

Michael
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post #1391 of 18622
11/25/07 at 11:38pm
So I have an opportunity to get the rti 12s for a good price, however when I listened to them at my local fry's they seemed a little bright. Is this common? How are these speakers?
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post #1392 of 18622
11/26/07 at 9:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silver5656 View Post

So I have an opportunity to get the rti 12s for a good price, however when I listened to them at my local fry's they seemed a little bright. Is this common? How are these speakers?

I just bought them at Fry's as well. Are you sure they're bright, or just more accurate than what your used to listening to? I have not found them to be bright. I believe it depends heavily on your listening environment and the source material.

Additionally, it wouldn't surprise me at all if they sound bright at Fry's since the lower end likely dissapears into the void of the gargantuan Fry's warehouse. Mine puts out enough bass to render my sub ineffective for all but the very lowest bass tones. These things shake my floor. I have only compared them against Axiom M60's and Polk RT50's in my house.

I would bring them home to audition them. Fry's will let you return them within 30 days, just keeping the packing nice and pretty.
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post #1393 of 18622
11/26/07 at 11:36am
I'm trying to find out what center channel matches the R50 speakers well. I've looked at numerous post in this thread and many other threads and can't come up with a confident answer. I've seen people recommend everything from the CSR, CS2, and CSi3 but I don't really see any reasoning behind them. Can anyone tell me which center channel was designed to go with the R50 speakers? Any help would be appreciated.
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post #1394 of 18622
11/26/07 at 12:51pm
I currently have the RM6750 and want to upgrade my front to bookshelf speakers. Should i go with the Monitor 30/40's or the Rti series? I will be using the RM as surrounds and rears. Thanks for the help
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post #1395 of 18622
11/26/07 at 1:03pm
i'm seeing mixed reviews about RTi10 and Rti6..... my previous (still have it) setup RTi6, CSi5, FX500i and Velodyne DPS-12 and Denon AVR-3802

I recently purchased an RTi10 and HK AVR-745 to replace the denon and RTi6

Would there be any reason to stick with the Rti6 if the price for the 6 and the 10 is only a hair different?

Also, I have an opportunity to trade the FX500i for an FXi3 would this be a wise move for an even trade? The FX500i provide enormous mid base with the HK receiver that I never heard before, I'm afraid that if I went with the FXi3 just for matching purpose, I might loose sound quality due to the 5 1/4" mids. I use my system for a lot of 5 channel stereo music.
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post #1396 of 18622
11/26/07 at 2:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AZRX View Post

Can anyone tell me which center channel was designed to go with the R50 speakers? Any help would be appreciated.

The CSR is the match. At one time there was no match and Polk recommended either the CS1 or 2. If you want a bit more body and clarity, they are a good choice. The CSi3 is brighter than the others and matches the RTi line. However, this works extremely well for dialog. It's also a better center and you can upgrade around it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jlam77 View Post

I currently have the RM6750 and want to upgrade my front to bookshelf speakers. Should i go with the Monitor 30/40's or the Rti series? I will be using the RM as surrounds and rears. Thanks for the help

At the RTi closeout prices, it's really a no brainer...RTis.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dannieboiz View Post

i'm seeing mixed reviews about RTi10 and Rti6..... my previous (still have it) setup RTi6, CSi5, FX500i and Velodyne DPS-12 and Denon AVR-3802

I recently purchased an RTi10 and HK AVR-745 to replace the denon and RTi6

Would there be any reason to stick with the Rti6 if the price for the 6 and the 10 is only a hair different?

Also, I have an opportunity to trade the FX500i for an FXi3 would this be a wise move for an even trade? The FX500i provide enormous mid base with the HK receiver that I never heard before, I'm afraid that if I went with the FXi3 just for matching purpose, I might loose sound quality due to the 5 1/4" mids. I use my system for a lot of 5 channel stereo music.

I'm confused about your point on the 10s or 6s...please clarify.

Keep the FX500is...
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post #1397 of 18622
11/26/07 at 4:01pm
Wow . . .this is confusing for a novice. Thanks Mcloki. I have about 600 to spend in total on speakers.
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post #1398 of 18622
11/26/07 at 4:07pm
Hey all just got a pair of R50s from Frys for good price, paired them with a Kenwood 705 reciever. I am very happy with the sound out of my PS3 via the optical cable for Blu-ray and games. It comes out nice and rich with plenty of boom if I set them to large and up the bass a bit. However, over the coaxial connections from my TV and Upconvert DVD player, the sound is coming out more tinny. I was under the impression coax and optical should provide about the same quality, is it simply that my phillips upconvert and my moto dvr box have crappier output than my PS3? Or could it be the reciever?
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post #1399 of 18622
11/27/07 at 10:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by willmgordon View Post

Hey all just got a pair of R50s from Frys for good price, paired them with a Kenwood 705 reciever. I am very happy with the sound out of my PS3 via the optical cable for Blu-ray and games. It comes out nice and rich with plenty of boom if I set them to large and up the bass a bit. However, over the coaxial connections from my TV and Upconvert DVD player, the sound is coming out more tinny. I was under the impression coax and optical should provide about the same quality, is it simply that my phillips upconvert and my moto dvr box have crappier output than my PS3? Or could it be the reciever?

It's possible. However I think it's more likely that the PS3 is exaggerating the lower frequencies which in turn makes the other two sound thin. Maybe due to a setting in the PS3.
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post #1400 of 18622
11/27/07 at 10:45am
Anyway I can exaggerate the output from my other sources ? Heh the PS3 just sounds beautiful compared to the DVR box.

What receiver brands do people find work well with Polk for a deep rich sound?
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post #1401 of 18622
11/27/07 at 5:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TZOH View Post

Wow . . .this is confusing for a novice. Thanks Mcloki. I have about 600 to spend in total on speakers.

Based on your requirements, I think your original plan may be a good one to go with. (rm series)

Enjoy,

Michael
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post #1402 of 18622
11/28/07 at 5:49am
I finally received my center and sub, now I have a few questions about crossover frequency settings.

My setup:

Receiver - Onkyo 605 - 5.1 config
Fronts - Polk R50's
Center - Polk CS1
Surround - Polk R150's
Sub - BIC H-100

After I setup the sub and center, I ran Audyssey again. It got the distances about right and set the gain on the speakers pretty good (with the exception of an overpowering left front...which I turned down)...it also set my sub at -8...could barely hear it, so I turned it back up. The sub crossover is being set on the receiver due to a switch on the back of the H-100 that disables the built-in crossover when hooked up to a digital 5.1/6.1/7.1 receiver.

My main question that I'm looking for advice on, or at least a little understanding what it is so I can learn....what exactly are crossover frequencies and how would I go about understanding the appropriate settings for my setup?

Audyssey set my fronts, center and surrounds at "Full Band", which I interpret as being the same as "large". It set my sub to 80. With my given speakers, what would be the appropriate frequency to cut-over to each of the speakers (front, center, surround & sub)?

TIA for your help!
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post #1403 of 18622
11/28/07 at 7:43am
Would the Polk Monitor 30s sound okay with the R50s, I see alot of people use the r150 but I would like to use something in a cherry finish.
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post #1404 of 18622
11/28/07 at 9:22am
I posted this:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=945786

Thought I'd ask the Polk experts about my speaker selection and placement design. In-wall's are a bit tough to 'experiment' with placement......

All comments welcome.
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post #1405 of 18622
11/28/07 at 9:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by will_19_ View Post

I finally received my center and sub, now I have a few questions about crossover frequency settings.

My setup:

Receiver - Onkyo 605 - 5.1 config
Fronts - Polk R50's
Center - Polk CS1
Surround - Polk R150's
Sub - BIC H-100

After I setup the sub and center, I ran Audyssey again. It got the distances about right and set the gain on the speakers pretty good (with the exception of an overpowering left front...which I turned down)...it also set my sub at -8...could barely hear it, so I turned it back up. The sub crossover is being set on the receiver due to a switch on the back of the H-100 that disables the built-in crossover when hooked up to a digital 5.1/6.1/7.1 receiver.

My main question that I'm looking for advice on, or at least a little understanding what it is so I can learn....what exactly are crossover frequencies and how would I go about understanding the appropriate settings for my setup?

Audyssey set my fronts, center and surrounds at "Full Band", which I interpret as being the same as "large". It set my sub to 80. With my given speakers, what would be the appropriate frequency to cut-over to each of the speakers (front, center, surround & sub)?

TIA for your help!

Audessey and the other auto/eqs sometimes don't get it right. Set you front xovers to 60hz/small. Also, I'd recommend getting a RS spl meter and find out what's going on with the front left. You want to balance your speaker's volume (trims) at the listening position. You can run your sub louder if that sounds better to you, but I wouldn't recommend more than +5 above your mains.

The crossover settings direct the LFE and bass around the set frequency to the sub. It's not a brick wall, but a slope in both directions so your sub and speakers blend above and below the cutoff point.
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post #1406 of 18622
11/28/07 at 9:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sre2094 View Post

Would the Polk Monitor 30s sound okay with the R50s, I see alot of people use the r150 but I would like to use something in a cherry finish.

They will be fine...go cherry all around.
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post #1407 of 18622
11/28/07 at 10:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Temple View Post

Audessey and the other auto/eqs sometimes don't get it right. Set you front xovers to 60hz/small. Also, I'd recommend getting a RS spl meter and find out what's going on with the front left. You want to balance your speaker's volume (trims) at the listening position. You can run your sub louder if that sounds better to you, but I wouldn't recommend more than +5 above your mains.

The crossover settings direct the LFE and bass around the set frequency to the sub. It's not a brick wall, but a slope in both directions so your sub and speakers blend above and below the cutoff point.

Thanks for your response Ron.

So if I understand you correctly, I should set the FL/FR xover to 60hz. Does that mean I should also set the Center (CS1) and surrounds (R150's) to 60hz as well? There's also an xover option for the LFE/Sub. Do I set that to 80hz or 60hz as well?

I guess I don't fully understand. If I set the fronts/center/surround to 60hz, then all sound frequencies at or under 60hz will be sent to the sub. But if I set the LFE to 80hz, then am I losing sounds between 60hz & 80hz?

Thanks again.
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post #1408 of 18622
11/28/07 at 11:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by will_19_ View Post

Thanks for your response Ron.

So if I understand you correctly, I should set the FL/FR xover to 60hz. Does that mean I should also set the Center (CS1) and surrounds (R150's) to 60hz as well? There's also an xover option for the LFE/Sub. Do I set that to 80hz or 60hz as well?

I guess I don't fully understand. If I set the fronts/center/surround to 60hz, then all sound frequencies at or under 60hz will be sent to the sub. But if I set the LFE to 80hz, then am I losing sounds between 60hz & 80hz?

Thanks again.

It sounds like your Onkyo bass managment is a bit different than previous revs. Most AVRs don't offer a crossover for the sub, just the speakers. For simplification, cut everything at 80hz. This will give you the Dolby recommendation and it will sound great. The reason I suggested 60hz for your fronts is that they start rolling off at 50hz, so it might sound better with the lower cut. Try it...if you like it better keep it. Your center and surrounds, I'd keep at 80hz. The crossover on the sub, I assume, is for the LFE channel only (sub/LFE)which is not sent to the other speakers unless you set them to full band. 80hz is recommended since if you go higher you'll start to localize the sub. Hope this clears it up a bit.
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post #1409 of 18622
11/28/07 at 12:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Temple View Post

Also, I'd recommend getting a RS spl meter and find out what's going on with the front left. You want to balance your speaker's volume (trims) at the listening position.

It is interesting why Audyssey keeps setting the gain on the left front so much higher than the rest. Every time I run it, that speaker sticks out like a sore thumb.

There's only a couple of reasons I can think this is happening.
1. Same gauge wire to all speakers, but one is RCA (left) and the right is Monster...but that shouldn't make a difference, should it?
2. The right front is somewhat in a corner, with a wall to the right and the left of the speaker. The left front only has a wall behind it. Maybe it's getting a boost from the re-verb so the system is trying to adjust for it by setting the left louder. I do notice the test tones coming out of the Audyssey setup are MUCH louder coming from the front right.
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post #1410 of 18622
11/28/07 at 4:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by McLoki View Post

Based on your requirements, I think your original plan may be a good one to go with. (rm series)

Enjoy,

Michael


Thanks for the advice. Are you with the Dayton HTS-1200 set? I found some infomation but not much. Appears to be a low priced, small speaker.
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