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Calling all Polkies:Official Polk thread - Page 504

post #15091 of 18645
12/5/12 at 4:09pm
I don't know how much different they'll sound though...at local fry's presentation room they had RTi A5, CSi A6 and FXi A6 setup. I watched the train-station scene from the movie hitman and it was an amazing experience...plenty of bass, crystal clear vocals and the soundtrack..everything was perfect...nothing seemed out of balance. So I guess FXi should be good for your setup as they are timbre matched with RTi series. Btw, amazon has A4s for $340 and onecall has refurbished ones for $299...you should also check out polk's ebay store.
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post #15092 of 18645
12/5/12 at 5:23pm
Can any CS2 owners verify the speaker height for me? On Polk's website it is listed as 7.75", but I have seen some reviews saying that it is 8". Hoping that the 7.75" is accurate, I have plenty of length and depth for the speaker, but only 7.75" of available height.
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post #15093 of 18645
12/5/12 at 5:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by abcdefghi View Post

Can any CS2 owners verify the speaker height for me? On Polk's website it is listed as 7.75", but I have seen some reviews saying that it is 8". Hoping that the 7.75" is accurate, I have plenty of length and depth for the speaker, but only 7.75" of available height.

7.75 is correct for the CS2 II according to my super duper Stanley tape measure. If it's a Stanley it can't be wrong. tongue.gif
Edited by XStanleyX - 12/5/12 at 5:31pm
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post #15094 of 18645
12/5/12 at 5:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by XStanleyX View Post

You could buy a PSW505 and just set the gain up to where your neighbors don't bang on your door. That could take a few complaints before finding the sweet spot unless your neighbors will work with you.
One problem is the 505 may not be enough sub after you move.

Yeah that's my concern. Buying a psw505 today and then needing a bigger sub in a year.

Actually my floor plan is pretty open, so if it weren't for having apartment neighbors I'd want a bigger sub today. The 15' x13' living room is open on one side to a 8'x 8' den and on the other side to a 9' x 9' dining area with bar opening to kitchen.

If I were to get a bigger sub today and dial it way down, what would you suggest?
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post #15095 of 18645
12/5/12 at 5:43pm
My personal choice would be an XV-15 but I'll let you do your own research in the sub forum. Mostly depends on what your max budget is.

http://www.powersoundaudio.com/
Edited by XStanleyX - 12/5/12 at 5:49pm
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post #15096 of 18645
12/5/12 at 5:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by XStanleyX View Post

7.75 is correct for the CS2 II according to my super duper Stanley tape measure. If it's a Stanley it can't be wrong. tongue.gif

Thank you, I measured my cabinet with a Stanley at 7.75" as well, so should be good to go.
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post #15097 of 18645
12/5/12 at 6:06pm
So I'm a noobie, working on my Polk "budget" setup, and wanted some feedback if anybody had some advice smile.gif

I'm about to finish my 5.1 setup for xmas, which will consist of :

Amp: Onkyo TX-SR608 (in 5.1) setup
Front: Polk Monitor 70's (bi-amped)
Center: Polk CSi5
Rear: Polk Fxi A4
Sub #1: Polk PSW505
Sub #2: Polk PSW10

Right now, I do not have the Fxi's, or the PSW505, they'll be here soon biggrin.gif however the system still delivers quite nicely. My biggest complaint is that my volume seems to lack quite a bit in true DTS mix from the Center Channel.
any reccomendations on a better center channel for this setup, or what I can do to get more volume from the channel? I've tried tweaking settings on the receiver..
Thanks!
Edited by herbarex - 12/5/12 at 6:18pm
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post #15098 of 18645
12/5/12 at 7:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by XStanleyX View Post

My personal choice would be an XV-15 but I'll let you do your own research in the sub forum. Mostly depends on what your max budget is.
http://www.powersoundaudio.com/

Thanks for the suggestion. That sub looks great, but is above my current $325 budget. Perhaps I will just save up and get a big sub like the XV-15 next year if I move.

I have been looking at the sub forums and will continue to look. I was eying the PA-150 based on some suggestions on the sub forum that the PA-150 is a good bang for the buck.
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post #15099 of 18645
12/5/12 at 7:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by herbarex View Post

So I'm a noobie, working on my Polk "budget" setup, and wanted some feedback if anybody had some advice smile.gif
I'm about to finish my 5.1 setup for xmas, which will consist of :
Amp: Onkyo TX-SR608 (in 5.1) setup
Front: Polk Monitor 70's (bi-amped)
Center: Polk CSi5
Rear: Polk Fxi A4
Sub #1: Polk PSW505
Sub #2: Polk PSW10
Right now, I do not have the Fxi's, or the PSW505, they'll be here soon biggrin.gif however the system still delivers quite nicely. My biggest complaint is that my volume seems to lack quite a bit in true DTS mix from the Center Channel.
any reccomendations on a better center channel for this setup, or what I can do to get more volume from the channel? I've tried tweaking settings on the receiver.. Thanks!

The Csi5 is a good sized center and there should not be any issue with volume. Make sure the brass straps are tight on the back. A properly functioning Csi5 should deliver output comparable to M70. I used a Csi5 with M70's at one point. Also imo don't bother with bi-amping.
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post #15100 of 18645
12/5/12 at 8:00pm
Hope you enjoy your new system. I also a new polkie and just purchased a similar set up with Monitor 70, CS2 and Monitor 40s running off a Denon 1712. So far it sounds sweet!

I think we're both enjoying the system. They may be older speakers, but they still sound great, especially for the price.

Now I'm thinking about a sub. How do you like your PSW505 with the Monitor 70? I've read some review that suggested getting a bigger sub like a pa-150 to complement the bigger Monitor 70. My concern is that I just moved into an apartment from a house. I would hate to spend money on a big sub and then not be able to use it because of close neighbors in an apartment.

So my questions are:

Do you feel that the PSW505 is powerful enough to use with the Monitor 70
Absolutely! The psw505 is more than powerful enough for anything you might need, especially in an apartment. I'm in a townhome so I had to turn the base down a little bit to not bother the neighbors.

Does anyone know if all these subwoofer deals are limited to this time of year or will there be deals in the early summer?
Usually newegg or amazon has a good deal on the psw505. I think it might be around 189.99 right now which is a kickin deal for what you're getting.

How are you mounting your Monitor 40's?
I don't have them mounted right now. I have my tv box behind my couch and the speakers sitting on top of it. Its not ideal but I won't mount them until I move into a house. Here's a thread where the m40s are mounted but I think he put in a screw on the bottom of the speaker to keep it stabilized....not sure if I'll do that but it might give you some ideas.
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?93943-To-get-Monitor-40-s-or-not&highlight=wall%20monitor%20btech
If you don't feel like doing that, speaker stands might be a better option.

Thanks!
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post #15101 of 18645
12/6/12 at 4:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dfirehawkc View Post

How are you mounting your Monitor 40's?
I don't have them mounted right now. I have my tv box behind my couch and the speakers sitting on top of it. Its not ideal but I won't mount them until I move into a house. Here's a thread where the m40s are mounted but I think he put in a screw on the bottom of the speaker to keep it stabilized....not sure if I'll do that but it might give you some ideas.
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?93943-To-get-Monitor-40-s-or-not&highlight=wall%20monitor%20btech
If you don't feel like doing that, speaker stands might be a better option.

Thanks!

I used velcro to keep my Monitor 40's attached and I know others have used blu-tack to do the same
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post #15102 of 18645
12/6/12 at 5:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by herbarex View Post

Thanks for the feedback!! Funny enough...I checked the posts on the back of the Csi5 and one of them was a little bit loose. I'll try it out now. When I install the Fxi a4's and the PSW505, I'm going to re-calibrate anything anyway, and hopefully get a strong output from the center channel. As you say about don't bother with bi-amping...I figured I would give it a shot because i'm not running a 7.1 setup currently...however I have not experienced much of a difference between the two. Is there really not much of an advantage? I don't understand the 7.1 hype, as I imagine most movies are still mixed to 5.1?
I pretty much decided on the Fxi a4's on reviews alone, and the bipole/diople switching. The seating is against the back wall opposite of the tv, and I figure mounting the rears on the adjacent walls in dipole would work out perfectly.
I went for the PSW505 because it seems that the PSW10 really struggles when it comes to lower Hz output for ambience, It's great for music, but really struggles with a lot of movies. I am mainly using the configuration for a movie setup, and I like it LOUD and immersive lol. All I know is, for some people this is considered an elaborate setup, and for an audiophile it's considered "budget" To me, It sounds great so far, and I can't wait for the new additions!

PM sent.
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post #15103 of 18645
12/6/12 at 6:33am
Content (for a couple weeks) and enjoying a movies again...man I just love my Polks.

Front stage -Polk RTi10's (out of picture RTi4's and Paradigm Ref. PW-2200 sub)
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post #15104 of 18645
12/6/12 at 7:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitchellin View Post

Content (for a couple weeks) and enjoying a movies again...man I just love my Polks.
Front stage -Polk RTi10's (out of picture RTi4's and Paradigm Ref. PW-2200 sub)

Congrats man!

Clean, well organized and sexy!

Those RTi's on cherry look pretty cool.
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post #15105 of 18645
12/6/12 at 8:23am
CR...thanks, man! The needed improvements are on the way. I'm ditching the HK for an ADA Suite 7.1 preamp and some wall/ceiling treatments will be done within the month. The rig is in place but the sound needs some tweaking.
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post #15106 of 18645
12/6/12 at 9:18am
I see on ebay that Polk is selling refurb RTI10's for $550 a pair with free shipping. Seems like a good bargain. I'm currently using the Monitor 70's for HT and Kef 104/2's for music.
The 70's are fine for me for HT but don't quite get it for music compared to the Kef's. So my question is to the RTI 10 owners is how good are they for music compared to the 70's. I'd like
to retire the Kef's because trying to match a center channel to them hasn't worked out and it's too crowded for all 4 speakers up front.

RobLee, you own the RTI10's don't you?
Edited by XStanleyX - 12/6/12 at 9:37am
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post #15107 of 18645
12/6/12 at 9:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by XStanleyX View Post

I see on ebay that Polk is selling refurb RTI10's for $550 a pair with free shipping. Seems like a good bargain. I'm currently using the Monitor 70's for HT and Kef 104/2's for music.

The 70's are fine for me for HT but don't quite get it for music compared to the Kef's. So my question is to the RTI 10 owners is how good are they for music compared to the 70's. I'd like to retire the Kef's because trying to match a center channel to them hasn't worked out and it's too crowded for all 4 speakers up front.

RobLee, you own the RTI10's don't you?

Yup... bought them from Polk on eBay earlier this year. I think it was $600 for the pair, so your price is just a bit better. First I bought a Csi5 to use with my M70's, this was after going thru both the Cs2 and CS20. I was blown away by the clarity of the Csi5 and soon found the M70's to be lacking. Great as they are, the sound is a bit on the muffled side. Once I had the Csi5 I just had to upgrade everything else and so bought a pair of Rti10's for the fronts and a pair of Rti8's for surrounds.

Since then I made a slight move up to the RtiA line as they have become affordable, first a pair of used RtiA7's, then up to the A9's when NewEgg had them marked down to $400/ea. Somewhere along the way I picked up two RtiA5's as open box deals. I'd say the A's are just slightly better than the older Rti line, but there's not much of a difference. If you do buy those Rti10's you'll never go back to the M70's, except maybe to use them as wides or surrounds.

Good luck!
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post #15108 of 18645
12/6/12 at 10:03am
My problem is I've been spoiled by the sound of some fairly high end speakers. I have a lobster appetite but am now on a hamburger income since I retired. Like everyone I'm trying to get the
best sound for my budget. No room to use the 70's for surrounds so I'll either sell them or give them to my son.For the money it looks to me the RTI10's are probably the best I'm going to do.
Looks like a Csi5 would be next. Thanks for your input. I appreciate it.
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post #15109 of 18645
12/6/12 at 11:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by XStanleyX View Post

My problem is I've been spoiled by the sound of some fairly high end speakers.

Same issue here. Initially we had my vintage stereo system that I have loved for forty years. Then ten or so years ago setup a small HT system, as the stereo did not work very well as an HT setup. Eventually the HT grew and I began to sell off the vintage stereo gear, hoping to use the HT for music. That's the point when I outgrew the Monitors. If you do jump on the Rti's/Csi I'm sure you'll be pleased. After all, at our age our sense of hearing isn't going to be improving.
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post #15110 of 18645
12/6/12 at 11:13am
I think my ears works better than the rest of my body and that's not great. biggrin.gif Yeah, I'll probably spring for those speakers on the 12th of this month. Just trying to do my homework ahead of time.
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post #15111 of 18645
12/6/12 at 12:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Desisuperman View Post

This seems to be the case frown.gif ppl are have no issues mounting the Rti A1's but because of the weight and size of the Rti A3's it can't be done using the same methods and mounts. In the meantime I'm curious to see see how you did it. Please post pics. Thanks.
Yeah they're back to $400 a set now frown.gif don't want to wait till Christmas to be honest lol it's way too long to go without my system.
NOW, I'm considering buying all new speakers for the rear.... Is that's big NO NO? Fronts are all Polk and if I went with PSB Image B5's for example in the rears will that compromise anything?

Here is a link to a thread where I showcased my system. I need to take a picture one of the deck screw. It is further from the listening position than the one using the Monoprice mount but essentially what I did is used a durable wall anchor from Home Depot and used a deck screw to hold the speaker up. I adjusted the amount of the screw that was in the wall to get the proper angle. Not ideal but it works. I assume you could do something similar with a lag bolt.

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1231995/an-overwilhelming-townhouse#post_20972969
Edited by overwilhelmed - 12/6/12 at 12:46pm
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post #15112 of 18645
12/6/12 at 2:22pm
I'm tempted if they are still there on the 12th. Seems like a good price. I'm only hesitant because the last Kef speakers I listened to had the uni-Q driver and I didn't like em. Can't remember the model number.
I guess I'm trying to get myself confused now.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/ele/3392058512.html
Edited by XStanleyX - 12/6/12 at 2:30pm
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post #15113 of 18645
12/6/12 at 5:06pm
So I've decided to stay with Polk. Just can't decide between the RTI10's or RTI12's. Not sure I need the 12's since I have dual subs. Please, somebody give me a push.
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post #15114 of 18645
12/6/12 at 6:29pm
If you go with the 12's you'll need a big amp. Honest. They sound like crap with anything under 150wpc. I thought my Crown could drive them, but my A9's (same as Rti12's) didn't really sound right until I bought the Emo XPA-5.

The 10's really have a nice sound. After putting the A9's up front I moved the 10's to surround and the difference between the 10's there and the Rti8's they replaced is almost as dramatic as the difference between the A9's and the Rti10's. I would have never moved up to the A9's and would have stayed with the 10's as mains if the A9's, the Emo and the Denon 3312 hadn't all gone on sale within a couple months of each other. Otherwise that trifecta would have cost around three grand... way beyond my means. Just to let you know that if you want the Rti12's that may require some additional expenditures.
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post #15115 of 18645
12/6/12 at 7:54pm
Thanks, I think I'll go with the 12's and add an Emotiva in the not so distant future. Might as well go for the gusto. Appreciate your input. My Marantz SR7005 has preouts so I'll put them to use.
Edited by XStanleyX - 12/6/12 at 8:36pm
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post #15116 of 18645
12/7/12 at 4:52am
Sorry to repost this, but don't want to miss deal:
I need a little push (or the opposite) on an upgrade decision. I currently have Jamo S426 fronts and the S420 center for my basement theater set-up. I see the Polk Monitor 70's on sale for 149ea. Would this be a nice upgrade for the price? I would get the CS2 as well. AVR is a Denon 1611; running two BIC-F12's; with an Epson 8350 HD projector onto a 102" screen Use of the system is 80% movies, 15% sports, 5% music.

I don't like to waste money, but also don't mind spending $450 to upgrade what I have. Worth it?

Any thoughts are appreciated! Thanks!
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post #15117 of 18645
12/7/12 at 5:38am
The CS2 and M70's are decent speakers and most ppl would be satisfied with their performance, though much depends on what you are accustomed to listening to. Perhaps the reason that no one has replied to your question is that this is a Polk forum and no one here knows what Jamo's sound like. I've certainly never heard them, so I don't know whether or not the M70's would be a step up for you. Xstanley and Geoff and myself have all owned M70's and eventually upgraded to RTi's because we were accustomed to higher quality, but that doesn't necessarily apply to everyone.
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post #15118 of 18645
12/7/12 at 6:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mekkerl View Post

Sorry to repost this, but don't want to miss deal:
I need a little push (or the opposite) on an upgrade decision. I currently have Jamo S426 fronts and the S420 center for my basement theater set-up. I see the Polk Monitor 70's on sale for 149ea. Would this be a nice upgrade for the price? I would get the CS2 as well. AVR is a Denon 1611; running two BIC-F12's; with an Epson 8350 HD projector onto a 102" screen Use of the system is 80% movies, 15% sports, 5% music.
I don't like to waste money, but also don't mind spending $450 to upgrade what I have. Worth it?
Any thoughts are appreciated! Thanks!

IMHO Not worth it because your Denon 1611 doesnt have enough juice to make the Monitor 70's really sing. The Jamo's (which I havent heard but know lots about) are a bit below the Polks sound quality wise, but not enough to justify spending 450 to upgrade.

The Polk center is MUCH better than the Jamo so that would be worth it, but IMHO if you get the Monitor 70's you really need to invest in either a better reciever with more power (think Pioneer SC, Onkyo 809, etc) or one with pre-outs and get a dedicated sub.

Otherwise stick with your Jamo's.
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post #15119 of 18645
12/7/12 at 6:41am
I agree. Save your pennies and take a bigger step up. Do it a little at a time if you have to. Start with the fronts and suffer with your current center channel
til you can get a matching center. That's what I'll be doing with the RTi's.
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post #15120 of 18645
12/7/12 at 8:11am
I agree as well. Step back a little and consider a few more bucks for the long haul. Waiting and saving for the bigger upgrade will pay off in the long run. It's better than pulling the trigger early and having a marginally better upgrade that you are invested in for years. The RTis with power will completely satisfy for years to come. Good luck and happy hunting.
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