Speaker Advice Please

[GaryB]

Hi, I just bought a set of cherry RTi4 bookshelves and CSi3 center speaker. Although I haven't unboxed them yet, I'm already debating to return them and get a set of towers & center instead (since I hear they have fuller sound and less need for subwoofer). I'm not an "audiophile" and only started this adventure because I bought a 55" HDTV with lousy built-in speakers.

I'm planning to get a budget 5.1 receiver such as Sony STR-DH510 (90 w/channel), Onyko TX-SR308 (65w/chan) or Denon AVR-391 (75w/chan). I don't need 7.1 capability or a bunch of extra features. I'll be using it mainly for TV, DVDs and occassional music. In light of this, my questions are:

1) Will these receivers be "enough" for a set of towers, such as Monitor 70? Exactly which specs must I pay attention to when selecting my receiver (watts per channel)?

2) Will 2 towers & center sound "significantly better" to a non-audiophile like me than 2 bookshelves & center? I was planning to add a subwoofer later (if needed) and probably won't be adding surround speakers anytime soon. If towers will reduce the need for a subwoofer, that's a plus for them.

3) Must I get into funky stuff such as "bi-wiring", etc. (complication for me) when getting tower speakers? Or are they as simple to setup as bookshelves?

4) Can anybody suggest a nice discontinued line of cherry Polk towers selling at a good price? NewEgg has a special promo code for today where they were selling Monitor 70 for $162 each w/ free shipping. Is that a good deal? I wouldn't mind spending a few extra bucks on "real wood veneer".

Thank you for your advice!
Gary

[TECHNOKID]

Welcome to Club Polk Gary

First, I have to admit that I am not that familiar with the Rti A series (except for their good look) but from this review: http://www.audioreview.com/cat/speak...4_4290crx.aspx there are mixed feelings. Have you done a search on the forum yet to see what the feeling of owners are? If not, I would highly recommend you do so.

The selected Csi3 seem to be a good match for them. Some to consider is the main purpose for the speakers, what will be the % of use for music, for HT? IMO, they could be decent speakers for HT but my hunch tells me they might not be as good of a performer for music as the low end might be a little marginal (a good sub might compensate) however, aren't you curios to crack the box open and give them a listen? You could return them afterward if you are not impressed, couldn't you?

The size of your room, is also an important factor in order to select the speaker that will best suit your needs.

Now, let's try to address your receiver concerns and questions. The speakers you are interested in are not that power hungry the receivers you have mentioned could drive them without any issues however, while power rating is not everything you might want to consider a more powerfull receiver to drive the 70s in order to bring them up to their full potential as they are capable of much more than the receivers you have selected can provide. The more reason if your room is of a large footage and the more reason if you intend to provide them with bass (consider that a stand alone powered sub gives a break to the AVR but if the AVR is also tasked to provide bass, more power is required).

Even non-audiophile can appreciate good sound, towers such as the 70s will definitely provide for richer and fuller sound. The surrounds are a good addition when you are in HT big time but are not a must as the priority and focus should be geared toward a solid soundstage (front speakers). I have driven full range stereo speakers for quite a few years for my serious movie watching with great success.

IMO, bi-wiring is useless and bi-amping is a choice but not a must and since you are starting your journey into audio, I wouldn't waste time on this since you can only worsen your SQ rather than improve it. Bi-amping requires separate amps to be effective. If you simply intend to use only an AVR, don't bother and do not complicate your life afterall, audio and HT shouldn't be a tedious task but a relaxing enjoyment.

As far as best bang for the buck, IMO the Monitor series is a no brainer. IMO, it doesn't have the good looks of the RTi As or TSis but when all considered the Monitor his just as good of a performer as the TSis for substantially less coins. BTW, the RTi As are design for HT performance while the Monitor series are quite versatile in both music and HT.

The monitor 70s can be considered full range for music as it provides for decent bass as it can go down to a good 30 - 40 Hz. However, if you are a HT buff an external powered sub is a must if you want to get full effects of the HT experience (and as mentioned, would give a break to your AVR which can concentrate on mid and high duty).

Now, if you are seriously considering the M70s and are a little tight on budget, the M70s and center could suffice to start until extra cash is available and a good deal is ahead for a sub. BTW, keep an eye open for the PSW505 as they too can be had at substantial savings nowadays. IMO, not the greatest performer for HT but really decent and acceptable while its strenght would be for music.

If you have a chance to search the forum for those products, you will find very good comments, happy people and very few negatives IMO.

Oups, I omitted; here is the info on the Monitor 70s http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/s...ent/monitor70/

and here is the info on the PSW505 http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/specs/recent/psw505/

Again, welcome to CP and enjoy your audio journey

TK

[GaryB]

Thank you very much, TECHNOKID, for your helpful and thorough reply!

[renowilliams]

Hi Gary

Welcome to CP. I have the RTIA 5's for my fronts and rti6's for rears with a csi40 center. I have all this in a room that is 14x14 and it is fantastic for home theater and acceptable for music listening. If you are mostly concerned about H/T then you would not be disappointed with the RTIA line. That said,the monitor 70's are very close spec wise to mine and are usually cheaper. One suggestion I will make is to get a larger center channel that timber matches with whatever you purchase.

Good Luck

[Audioquest]

Hi, I just bought a set of cherry RTi4 bookshelves and CSi3 center speaker. Although I haven't unboxed them yet, I'm already debating to return them and get a set of towers & center instead (since I hear they have fuller sound and less need for subwoofer). I'm not an "audiophile" and only started this adventure because I bought a 55" HDTV with lousy built-in speakers.

I'm planning to get a budget 5.1 receiver such as Sony STR-DH510 (90 w/channel), Onyko TX-SR308 (65w/chan) or Denon AVR-391 (75w/chan). I don't need 7.1 capability or a bunch of extra features. I'll be using it mainly for TV, DVDs and occassional music. In light of this, my questions are:

1) Will these receivers be "enough" for a set of towers, such as Monitor 70? Exactly which specs must I pay attention to when selecting my receiver (watts per channel)?

2) Will 2 towers & center sound "significantly better" to a non-audiophile like me than 2 bookshelves & center? I was planning to add a subwoofer later (if needed) and probably won't be adding surround speakers anytime soon. If towers will reduce the need for a subwoofer, that's a plus for them. *If you listen mostly to 2 channel music I'd buy the towers, if only movies/surround sound get 5 identical stand mount speakers and use the same exact one for the center channel. This will ensure (near) seamless integration all around.

3) Must I get into funky stuff such as "bi-wiring", etc. (complication for me) when getting tower speakers? Or are they as simple to setup as bookshelves?

4) Can anybody suggest a nice discontinued line of cherry Polk towers selling at a good price? NewEgg has a special promo code for today where they were selling Monitor 70 for $162 each w/ free shipping. Is that a good deal? I wouldn't mind spending a few extra bucks on "real wood veneer".

Thank you for your advice!
Gary

1. As far as your choice of receivers, I'd buy in this order: Denon first, then Onkyo, and lastly Sony.

2. Towers almost always will give you a lot more low frequency performance and most often easier to drive. Standmounts will, all things being equal, provide a tighter midrange but will need more power to achieve the same SPL's and the support of a good subwoofer

3. Forget the bi-wiring. Not worth it on a moderately priced system.

4. Depends on what would work best with your room size and expectations