Rti12 and Rtia9 differences..

[Slyder01]

Is it true the only difference between the rt12 and and rtia9 is the cosmetics because the price difference between the two on polk ebay huge.

Also, i have an older pair of rt16's now (about 13yrs. olds), would i have much of an improvement over these to the 12's or 9's

[mdaudioguy]

There's some info here: http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118427

[Sherardp]

The differences will be minimal, though others will say it is a huge improvement. I say go for the 12s and take the savings, but only you can decide that.

[Toolfan66]

The differences will be minimal, though others will say it is a huge improvement. I say go for the 12s and take the savings, but only you can decide that.

+1 Very much agree if the 12's can be had for that cheap take'em. If the looks are worth it to you then get the 9's... I jumped at the 9's for $1000 cause I really liked the way they looked...

[slk55amg]

Since I don,t own either, my opinion is you have to look at the speakers as much as listen to them. The 9,s look a lot better............

[mystik610]

There are acoustic benefits to a curved speaker cabinet (reduced resonance and standing waves), but I've listened to both the RTi's and the RTi-A's and cannot hear an audible difference....Theoretically, the RTi-A's should have a flatter frequency response across the board, but I think I have pretty good ears (can hear the sonic differences between different cables), and I can't tell the difference, sonically, between the RTi's and the RTi-A's.

I think that deals on existing RTi's are worth hopping on when they pop up every so often. Even if there is a difference between the RTi and RTi-A's (and I believe the difference is minute, if anything), I don't necessarily think that its worth the price premium you'd pay for the RTi-A's, speaking purely in terms of sound quality. If you aren't happy with the sound of the RTi's, you'd find more value going to a different series or brand. Also, the extra money you'd have to put down on the A9's can be spent in other areas that would have a far more meaningful impact on your system (amp, sub, cables, room treatments, etc)

That being said, I agree that tower speakers can have such a huge presence in the room that aesthetics are important....WAF considered or not. The A9's look substantially better, particularly the difference in the quality of the cherry veneer. Aesthetically, the A9's are worth the upgrade, but if your budget is tight and/or aesthetics don't matter, the 12's are a hell of a deal.

[slk55amg]

Since I don,t own either, my opinion is you have to look at the speakers as much as listen to them. The 9,s look a lot better............

P.S I sure like my RTIA1,s in bedroom rig, lookgreat, sound better.