Polk's speakers

[burdette]

My 3 pair of Polks are 13, 11 and 10 years old. I haven't shopped for speakers in that time because, frankly, I don't like to shop when I'm not going to buy.

I've looked over all the speakers on the Polk site, and of course I've been reading all the posts on these forums. But more than half the talk here is about older speakers (which leaves me confused enough given that I don't know the specifics of the speakers just from product names, and not all the ones mentioned seem to be in the vintage section). I'm a bit confused about the current lines, where different speakers fall, differences in sounds, etc. Of course I can look at prices and *assume* things, but when for $800-$900 you could get a tiny LSi7 or a towering RT800i or a RTi70.... The first TWO things I learned back as a teenager putting together my first system were 1) bigger is not in the least necessarily better, and 2) you don't ALWAYS get what you pay for (i.e. depending on brand more $$ doesn't always buy you better sound).

The basic "R" series seems to be at the bottom of the Polk line... the new LSi seem to be at the top... but what are the differences between RTiXXX or RTXXXi or RTXXXP or the LSi or etc etc??

I'm not looking to buy, but say I was going to replace my mint (and still great sounding) Monitor 7Cs... what would I buy to replace them essentially one to one (just to get "new")? What would I buy to go a step or two better? If different than either of those two choices, what would you buy if you were going to spend under $600 a pair? What about around $1000?

[nascarmann]

what would you buy if you were going to spend under $600 a pair?

My Monitor 10B's in the flea market......:D

[dark horror]

If I were you I would get the LSi9's or LSi15's, and wouldn't bother looking at the RT series unless you are looking for surrounds.

The LSi series is much better, and isn't that much more expensive.

[rskarvan]

For $600, buy the RT800i's. They are very good speakers - especially at this price point.

[jcaut]

The "R" series are the lower end "value" speakers, "LSi" series are the top. RTi, RTxxxi, and RTxxxp (for powered), are all basically the same mid-line series. I have very limited listening experience with the older Monitor series speakers, but I think they would be pretty comparable to the RTi series speakers in price and performace level, possibly better construction-wise. The RT800i's that I have are essentially the same speaker as the RTi70---- pretty much the top speaker in the RT line without getting into the powered speakers (which I'm not too fond of).

Stepping to the LSi series buys you better materials, better construction, higher performance---- a speaker designed to please people who consider themselves to be audiophiles but have budgets more like the rest of us. Keep in mind that the LSi series are 4 Ohm speakers and are designed to be driven by a "real" amp.

Jason