Rti a3 vs. Rti4

[Judgepup]

Hi, all new to the forums and to the wonderful world of A/V entertainment (that is, A/V entertainment the way it was meant to be enjoyed). As you can probably gather from the topic of my post, I'm looking for thoughts on which is the best bang for the buck among these two products.

Also, if the Rti a3s come out the winner, can anyone recommend a decent swivel wall mount for them? All the ones I've been able to find, don't seem to fit them.

While I'm here, I'd be remiss in not asking for a rec on a center channel as well. For me, it really comes down to something in the Polk CS line, just not sure if it's worth spending the extra $$$ for the CS 5 if the 2 or 3 are just as good. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

[Meechsterlee]

For sure, you could get a better deal on the RTi4's. If your ear is trained to depict the slight subtle differences of the two than you might opt to grab the RTi A3...Im nearly certain that Polk wanted to gain some amount of improvement for this newer model. Either way, both are great.

Center channel...you mentioned "it really comes down to something in the Polk CS line" and I am wondering if you meant CSi. If so, the 3 is the only model I can speak of. It is a great match for the RTi 4 and would be just as good with the A3.

[Erik Tracy]

I, too, would be interested in any direct comparison experiences that someone could post up.

Another interesting comparison would be the RTIA bookshelfs vs the new TSi200.

If you read some of the reviews of the RTIA3s - it would seem that the 'bright' highs of the RTI4/6's have been 'tamed'.

Some have stated that the RTI4/6 highs were 'fatiguing'.

The review of the TSi200 seems to imply that it has a 'warmer' sound - so maybe at this price point the TSi200 is another option to consider.

Me - I personally own 4 RTI4s and the CSi3 center.
http://erikt.cts.com/Pictures/hometheater/home-theater-2.JPG

Not sure if this is bad netiquette - but I got my RTI4s for $85/each - and I am *amazed* at the sound quality for that price!

The RTI4s are very detailed and clear - they sound best when given a clean open source. Every detail and nuance can be heard. And they have a decent/acceptable low end as well - but they do need a sub to complement the low end properly.

With good clean power behind them, the RTI4s can fill a modest room with some very nice sound. Driven hard, they do lose some dynamics (but I mean driven hard).

I've not heard the RTIA3s - I'd be very interested in a demo myself, but would still like to hear from those who have listened to them side by side to RTI4s or the TSi200.

Cheers,

P.S. The B-Tech BT-77s should work fine as a 'swivel mount' - I use these on my RTI4s (see picture link above) and the RTIA3s would fit in these as well.
Erik

[Judgepup]

Thanks all for your posts. Still debating, but I'll see if I can demo both sets somewhere and decide for myself. And Erik, what kind of wall mounts are those for your RTi4's? Nice setup by the way:)

[Erik Tracy]

Thanks all for your posts. Still debating, but I'll see if I can demo both sets somewhere and decide for myself. And Erik, what kind of wall mounts are those for your RTi4's? Nice setup by the way:)

Thanks,

B-Tech BT-77s for the mounts.

They work great for the RTI series bookshelfs.

Erik

[McLoki]

Thanks,

B-Tech BT-77s for the mounts.

They work great for the RTI series bookshelfs.

Erik

+1 - they are what I use for my LSi7's as well. Work great. You can use fishing line or zip ties to ensure the speaker does not tip forward at all. (rather than drill the bottom of the speaker - just an FYI)

Michael

[RutgersFTW]

I'd go for the A3s because I love the low-end of my 6s. For those of us with small rooms/apartments where a sub is overkill or impolite, the 6s reach in-room down well into the 40s. Very impressive for bookshelves.

As for brightness, that's all subjective. I think some people tend to panic when they hear clean treble. No fatigue here.