RT12

Incredible Sound / Affordable Price

The RT12 offer spectacular imaging and high dynamic range, making them a perfect choice for folks who like their music loud and life-like (who doesn't?). It features:

• Dynamic Balance^® drivers for wide, smooth response and low distortion
• Patented Power Port venting technology for bass you can feel as well as hear
• Magnetic shielding allows safe placement next to TVs
• Equally adept at music and home theater reproduction
• Slim tower design saves floor space. The RT12 occupies less than 1 square foot
• Dual sets (bi-amp) of gold plated 5-way binding post terminals

POLK RT SERIES: The new Polk RT Series are more than just another line of speakers. They are the direct descendants of the state-of-the-art Signature Reference Theater System. SRT started out as Matthew Polk's desire for the ultimate home theater system to use in his own media room. It turned into the most ambitious research project in Polk's 23 year history. Countless man hours went into developing the Signature Reference Theater system. It's a system with performance so high that it exceeds the limitations of the listener well before reaching its own limits.

The Signature Reference Theater project provided our entire company with the pride of building what we believe is the finest sounding home entertainment speaker system in the world. The SRT project also spawned several technologies which have been incorporated into the new Reference Theater (RT) models. This is one more example of how our program of fundamental research leads to products with unmatched performance and value. The RT models provide a higher level of performance for music and movies than was ever before possible at such a reasonable price.

Introducing the Reference Theater (RT) Series:

"As the name "Reference Theater" implies, the RT line meets the need for excellent home theater system speakers. But home theater speakers must do more than provide good sound with movies. Home theater systems spend more hours a day playing music than movies. So truly great home theater speakers also need to be great music reproducers. But too often speakers "designed for home theater" are brassy, boomy and "shouty", designed more for quantity of sound than quality. The RT Series have what no other speakers in their price range have - the dynamic range and powerful bass needed for exciting home theater sound and the clarity, imaging and smooth response necessary to make everything from grunge rock to opera sound fantastic." -- Matthew Polk

Polk's RT Reference Theater Series:

Sound quality is only one component of truly great speakers. They also need to look terrific and leave enough room for your family and furniture. We called in one of the world's leading industrial designers to sculpt the elegant lines of the space saving RT towers. We magnetically shielded every RT model to give you the freedom to place the speakers right next to your TV without distorting the picture. No aspect of speaker design or performance was left unexamined and unimproved in the development of the RT Series. Never before in our 23 year history have we been able to provide so much performance, utility and style at such affordable prices.

Dynamic Balance Breakthrough Technology Means Better Sound For You:

Just like Matthew Polk's Signature Reference Theater (SRT) system, the components used in the RT Series benefit from Dynamic Balance, a technology which came out of a joint research project between Polk Audio and Johns Hopkins University. This laser imaging research enabled us to view on a microscopic level the entire vibrating surface of a driver or tweeter. By this method we were able to observe the resonances which develop on speaker cones as they move. These resonances are the root cause of frequency response distortions.

As an x-ray enables a physician to discover the root cause of a symptom and prescribe the right treatment for a cure, this laser imaging technique allowed Polk engineers to find the right combinations of high tech materials, geometry and construction techniques to tune out the offending resonances. The benefit of Dynamic Balance is the dramatic improvement in the sound quality of our speakers which every listener can appreciate. Buyers of reasonably priced speakers no longer have to choose between excellent bass and smooth, clear midrange. Now you can have it all thanks to Dynamic Balance technology.

Advanced Crossover Designs for Superior Imaging and Audiophile Transparency:

A crossover is the part of the speaker system which directs high frequencies to the tweeter and lower range frequencies to the woofer. But crossovers can create distortion, called phase shift, which reduces clarity and degrades the ability of the speaker to create a life-like spatial image. Thanks to Dynamic Balance technology, the response of our mid-woofers remains accurate at much higher frequencies than conventional drivers. This allows us to place the crossover frequency above the range where your ear can most easily detect phase shirt (the critical midrange). The result is clarity and imaging so outstanding that the speakers seem to melt away. You'll feel as if you're at a live performance or actually on the movie set.

Power Port Technology for Bass you can Feel:

In the development of the ground-breaking Signature Reference Theater system, we found ways to overcome the limitations of conventional bass reproduction technology. Now the bass performance benefits of the revolutionary SRT technologies can be yours with the RT floorstanding models.

Ported speakers are popular for home theater use because they provide good bass without the need for large amounts of amplifier power. But conventional ports have limitations. Air turbulence at the mouth of the small diameter port causes “port noise� and bass output loses up to 3dB. A loss of 3dB means that half of the amplifier power being used for bass reproduction is wasted by air turbulence losses!

To overcome these limitations we developed a new patented technology called PowerPort. The Power Port is an extremely compact, efficient, aerodynamic system capable of handling tremendous volumes of high velocity air flow with very low turbulence, noise and loss. The technology gives the RT floor standing speakers bass performance which vastly exceeds any speakers in their size and price class. The result is bass which you can feel as well as hear; bass which reaches out, grabs you and pulls you into the performance for a complete visceral and emotional experience.

There are additional benefits to Power Port too. Because the port is on the bottom of the cabinet, there is no direct path for extraneous midrange to get out of the enclosure and into the room. The RT towers give you the midrange clarity and imaging of expensive audiophile speakers. Plus, since the output of the port is down near the floor, the room loading of the system is always the same – you can place your speakers virtually anywhere in the room and still get consistent, great performance.

Superior Performance and Convenience in Bookshelf Speakers: For our new RT bookshelf speakers we developed a new technology called the Acoustic Resonance Control (ARC) port system. Two ports of unequal length are used to suppress cabinet resonances as well as provide greater bass radiating area. Thanks to patent-pending ARC technology, the RT bookshelf models provide Utterly clear and natural midrange with bass that is rich, deep and precise.

“Bookshelf� speakers don't have to be used on bookshelves – not when they're the RT3 and RT5. Both of these models are also “on-wall� speakers thanks to their supplied wall brackets. There's no need to buy expensive optional brackets to get the space-saving convenience of on-wall speakers.

The Bottom Line Benefits:

And the result of all these technologies? One listen will tell you. You'll notice that our RT Series speakers sound a little different from other loudspeakers; the sound seems to have a more natural flow and somehow seems more at ease. You'll find them a little more alive and dynamic, with sonic images that are larger and more solid. You'll find that they offer a listening experience that puts you in touch with the full emotional power of your music and movies.

Specifications, dimensions and features subject to change without notice. For more information call us at 1-800-377-7655 (USA and Canada). Outside of North America call +1 (410) 358-3600.

Vintage Product

This product is considered a "Recent" or "Vintage" Polk Audio model. It is not a part of our current product lineup. It may still be available in some stores as a "close out" or "used" product. Information provided here about this product may not reflect current realities and does not imply availability. If you happen to have a question or concern about this product, contact our Customer Service Department at 1-800-377-7655 M-F 9am - 5:30pm EST. Chances are we remember it.

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