RTi10

by Allen, February 9, 2007

Strengths:

great looking, crisp, great subs, loud!!

Weaknesses:

what weakness does it have?

Review:

Sounds great.. had it for about 5 years. Have the Rti 8s' with it. Hooked up to a harman/kardon AVR 630. I recommend it to anyone! EXCELLENT QUALITY

by Steve, March 8, 2004

Strengths:

Highs sound crisp and clear, nice lows.

Weaknesses:

What happened to the mid range? VERY weak mid range sound.

Review:

I just purchased the RTi10's and am a little disappointed. I'm actually planning to take them back. There seems to be a hole in their sound. The highs are crisp and clear and there is nice low end response you can feel but they are lacking mid sound. It doesn't seem to matter what disc I listen to I get the same result. Today I went to a different store that had the RTi8's and the RTi12's and listened to them. They don't have this problem. I found this odd sice the 8's and 10's use the same mid driver. I plan to return these and either go with the 8's or the 12's. Oh, and the salesman agreed with me on this.

by Joe, October 31, 2010

Strengths:

Separation, low mid and high frequencies, strength, clarity. And clarity and separation at high volume levels.

Weaknesses:

Sensitivity, power hungry, looks

Review:

I have had these speakers for, I think, 6 years now- enough time to have become very familiar with them. The whole time they have been powered by a Harman Kardon HK3480 stereo receiver that is rated at 120w/ channel. The reason I wrote "power hungry" as a weakness is just because average consumers who are powering these with 'normal' gear are not going to get up to the 300w level these can take. When I crank these, I can tell they want more. That doesn't mean they don't sound great, but they could sound better with more power, and you can hear it. Most people probably power them with similar gear as me: the HK3480, and a Denon AVR-2311. A better match would be something like the NAD M2 or M3, as far as integrated amps/ stereo receivers go. If they had a higher sensitivity rating they may not show their appetite for power as much. One of the main things I have always valued about these speakers is their natural sound. Most all speakers have their own flavor or coloring but these just give an all around warm, full, natural sound. Listening to something like... maybe Deftones Around the Fur, or RHCP Blood Sugar Sex Magic- something that was mixed to have a nice thick, articulated sound- demonstrates this 'natural' sound the best. Solo cello music is a good way to hear the wide range these speakers have, and the right placement/ room set-up makes them even better, obviously. I have these about 10 ft. apart in an area that is 15 ft. wide, so there is a good amount of room on each side of them. They are sitting about 1-1.5 ft. out from the back wall. The length of this room is about 25 ft. with open sections off of the main area, so these are kind of in a cove of the room. Having the speakers in this much space has sooo much to do with the experience. I have read quite a lot of reviews saying these don't put out enough bass and that you need a sub. I don't get that. As long as these are placed in the right spot in relation to the listening position, I think they have LOTS of bass. Listening to DJ Premier, The Roots, or something similar really show off the ability of these to pump out bass. I have never used a subwoofer (except with the AVR, of course) and I have NEVER thought that I needed one. These definitely rattle the windows on their own, they don't need any help there. The only complaint I have is that these things are ugly!!! I have them sitting on the floor- spikes off. I think the spikes were a horrible idea. I also don't like the plastic silver front piece either. The new version of this line, the rti-a series is way better looking.

by Gianni, February 26, 2006

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Review:

Ho acquistato una coppia di RTi10 in abbinamento al Sub creando una coppia di altissimo livello acustico. Perfettamente equilibrate nel suono e nella risposta, le ho sistemate in un regolare soggiorbo, comandate da un amplificatore Denon. Le consiglio a tuti quelli che amano un suono veramente limpido e bassi profondi.

by Ryan, February 14, 2007

Strengths:

everything

Weaknesses:

none so far....people complain of high highs but thats cuz their receiver is crap....admit your receiver is crap those of you that say they are too high

Review:

This is one of the best speakers i have heard. Once i heard the true sound of these i couldn't help but write a review. I had a sony receiver it was part of a 700 watt HT. So the receiver was not that power full so there for none of the low end came out and thought the speakers weren't that great. So i decided to take the big step and buy the pioneer elite (110watts/c)receiver.....i literally do not use my sub. The balance of the speakers by themselves put out amazing sound. simply amazing.

by Terry, October 18, 2003

Strengths:

Box design and better cross-over network are simply the best improvements that i could say were the determining factor in my liking these so much...Bravo Polk!

Weaknesses:

didn't really see or hear any

Review:

a friend of mine that has heard my home theater(Denon, Klipsch)told me to goto ABC Warehouse here in MI and listen to these new Polk speakers...I've never been impressed with what they have ever had to off but to satisfy my curiousity I went one day after work...my first impression was that they looked nice...but it wasnt until i heard them that i sat down for a few to listen to "Dream Theater" come alive before my ears...I heard them thru an Onkyo THX rated reciever and with all processing off...i was totally impressed with the imaging, bass response, response all the way thru the 20 to 20k range...im actually considering selling my klipsches (hand made in the USA) to ge the Polks..lol never thought I'd ever hear myself say that

by Jerry, December 14, 2003

Strengths:

Very nice separation of sound. You can really hear every instrument note for note very clearly.

Weaknesses:

My nieghbors have put their house up for sale, I guess they aren't enjoying my new speakers as much as I am.

Review:

When I first heard these speakers in the store I had to go around and listen to make sure they were the only ones on. I thought for sure they had a subwoofer or another set of speakers on. These things filled the room with an array of sound that was mind boggling. I went to another store and listened to them in an all polk surround theater,totally awesome! When I got them home my girlfriend and I were amazed to hear things in familiar music that we've never heard before. I added the FXI 5 surrounds, CSI 5 front,and CSI3 rear center and I am very happy!

by paul, January 11, 2004

Strengths:

highly efficient tight bass pure trebbil ,beautiful

Weaknesses:

waiting to get the rest of the set

Review:

i just recently purchased the rti10 set and could not be happier with the purchase i made the sound is simply impeccable with tight bass absopure trebil .another asset id the beauty factor with the cherrywood being highly efficient speakers it doesnt take much power to get realy loud soundplus these are speakers that i can show-off with extreme pride so fromthe bottomof my heart i thank you polk

by rajan govender, January 12, 2004

Strengths:

Excellent base and treble with no distortion. Impeccable design and outstanding looks.There is no evidence of it being glued together.Lokks like one solid structure.

Weaknesses:

A bit pricy but is worth every cent

Review:

I have just purchased the rti 10 along with the csi 5 and rti 6. I consider myself a very knowledgable person on sound as I have been comparing the best amongst the best.The rti 10 have proven to push the whole concept of sound into a new era.You are able to hear a stiff and tight base with no distortion and every note is played as clear as crystal.It makes buying a subwoofer almost absulete. This is by far the best floorstanders in the market in its range. Well done

by jack shields, February 6, 2004

Strengths:

great audio the best you will ever pretty much find.

Weaknesses:

I only have about one year left to live and hae no idea if i will be able to ever be able to buy them. my dream is to pass away listening to these speakers. So i guess it depends on wheather i will find a good deal or not. if not i guess i will pass on wishing that these speakers were more affordable for a disabled man on disability and medicare and medicaid. Polk audio should come out with some kind of program for those musical enthusiates that have very little money and no way to be able to afford m.s.r.p .

Review:

I have not bought these as of yet but would really like to but i do not know if i can afford them. i have seen these in action several times and know that these are the best ones for my application.

by Brent Johnson, March 10, 2004

Strengths:

great clean sounding highs. good detailed mids. I find the 2 7" drivers to be just enough.

Weaknesses:

If you dont have any banana plugs, BE CAREFULL when wiring. One of my cable tighteners on the back of the speaker came right off and fell into the funky shapped "power port" on the back... after tipping the speaker a few times it came out of the chamber. Other than that, I have not found anything I dislike about the speaker.

Review:

I have had the RTi10's now for just about one month. I can definitely say these are the best sounding speakers I have owned. I had a pair of Klipsch R35's for 3 months and once I heard this speaker I promptly returned my R35's and have been happier ever since. They are very detailed and pleanty of lows for my taste. Mid range is great to me! Much better than the R35's and the ever CRISP & CLEAN highs. For home theater they are just as good if not better. the sound reproduction and imaging is fantastic! Because of the great sound of the RTi10, I promptly went out and purchased a new CSi5 Center channel(what a MONSTER)and some FXi3's for surrounds (di-pole / bi-pole switchable, very nice speakers) I have been very, very pleased with my new purchases. Hope this helps!

by Rob F, March 20, 2004

Strengths:

Excellent highs, clear and well dispersed. The focal point of the system. Nice defined bass, powerfull but not lost in a dull thump!

Weaknesses:

Mid-ranges tend to be a little lost and require careful manipulation of location and amplifier controls!

Review:

Once again Polk delivers a great value for money ratio. THese speakers look as good as they sound and actually occupy less space than some smaller 'smaller'so called bookshelf speakers. I have to agree with an earlier review regarding the mid-range discrepency but if one perserveres and tries different placements/equalizations these speakers can range from nuetral to forward if desired. In store comparison brought the result that i would have to double my budget ( at least) to move up scale from these so guess which came home with me!

by Maddog, March 27, 2004

Strengths:

Great well made speaker.

Weaknesses:

none so far...

Review:

Just replaced Bose 901's with these babies and man do they rock!

by Mike Wilson, March 31, 2004

Strengths:

Very crisp highs, adequate mids and lows. Love the solid cabinet construction and cherry finish.

Weaknesses:

None so far, although one speaker had the "PolkAudio" logo installed upside-down (whoopsie!). To my complete satisfaction, the dealer promptly replaced the entire unit for me.

Review:

Great sounding and great looking speakers! The cherry cabinet is absolutely flawless. What impressed me the most (and sold me) is the very clear highs that these produce, and smooth/even distribution of sound.

by Greg Ure, April 3, 2004

Strengths:

Excellent, crisp highs (cymbals come through really well in music), and deep full bass.

Weaknesses:

Soundwise, none that I can tell. However, I don't like that the polk symbol hangs down below the base of the speaker. Placing a speaker directly on the floor would be a nice option, as that helps the bass to resonate. With the symbol hanging down so far, one has little choice but to use the plastic stands.

Review:

I just bought the rti 10's along with the Csi3, FXi3's and a Rti4 for a center back for 6.1. I couldn't be more pleased with the system. The rti 10's are superb, with deep, full bass and excellent highs. I've read some complaints about poor mid-range, but I'm not enough of an audiophile to notice, except that maybe the mids aren't the first thing one is impressed with, as the highs and lows are so great. The system works great for the total home theater experience. The 10's have plenty of sound for 2-way stereo use as well.

by Aaron, May 6, 2004

Strengths:

powerfull and accurate sound with all types of music and movies

Weaknesses:

none

Review:

I've been a polk fan since purchasing a pair of Rt25i's which did an outstanding job as mains for my setup. When it was time to upgrade to floorstanding speakers, i heard many different brands and none of them compared to the Rti10's. Thanks to Polk for pleasing my ears!!!!!!

by Daryl, June 6, 2004

Strengths:

Beautiful speakers with the real Cherry veneer.

Weaknesses:

Overly bright treble. Weak midrange. Unsatisfying bass.

Review:

I have always been a fan of Polk Audio speakers. A friend of mine has an old pair of RTA 11T’s that really sound good. Another friend has a pair of LS-90’s that have always been the reference for me. I own a pair of RT800’s and I like them but even with a subwoofer they lack the bass that I want. When I saw the new line of speakers from Polk I thought it was time to upgrade. The RTi10’s with the Cherry wood veneer are beautiful speakers and the physical size is about right when sitting beside a 55-inch rear projection TV. I listened to them in the store and couldn’t decide if I liked them or not. I purchased them knowing that if I didn’t like them I could take them back. After listening to them in my home I was very disappointed. These speakers are very bright. Others describe this brightness as being very clear and detailed. I describe it as being harsh and ear fatiguing. After listening for a short time I found myself reaching for the treble control to turn it down but that didn’t help. At all volume levels the brightness was overpowering. The midrange was very weak. A couple of the other reviews mention how weak the midrange is and I agree. The bass was present and very tight but lacked the fullness that I desire. The bass just wasn’t satisfying and left me wondering why the two 7 inch woofers in each speaker weren’t putting out more bass. It is possible that I didn’t have the speakers positioned in my room for optimal bass output but my options are very limited. I’m using an AudioSource Amp 3, which is rated at 150 watts into 8 ohms with 2dB of headroom to drive the main speakers and believe this should be adequate. I ended up returning the RTi10’s for a refund and purchased a used pair of RTi150’s, which have all the qualities I was looking for.

by Ray, June 15, 2004

Strengths:

Exceptional sound quality. Very well made quality product.

Weaknesses:

None for the price

Review:

Very clear, clean detailed highs. Bass is suprisingly, clean and tight. Midrange is both subtle and warm. Some reviews have stated that midrange performance of these speaker is lacking. This may well relate to speaker position and indivual listening enviroment. Music or movies come alive with these speakers.

by james lipski3rd, June 19, 2004

Strengths:

Look great, really clear and rich reproduction of cd and fm-am broadcasts...

Weaknesses:

None I have found thus far....

Review:

Went to circuit city and traded up my rti-38's + cash for the rti-10's... The rti-10's due to the size difference and other improvements simply produces much more sound and much clearer sound... I listen to talk radio every night and feel that the midrange question others have simply does not apply. I own a denon dra-685 and also the rti-55's and in the fall will get better amplification to really allow the polks to shine (nad c272-162)... But for now I am totally pleased with my purchase... Let the audio snobs (class warfare?) bash polks, my goal has and always will be exceptional performance for a reasonable price... With the rti-10's I feel I have achieved this goal...

by Landry P., June 20, 2004

Strengths:

DEEPER BASS, AND MORE APPEALING MIDS DURING MUSIC AND MOVIES.

Weaknesses:

NONE

Review:

There was a great difference in the RTI10 and RTI8 speakers. The bass was deeper than before, and with a sub it was outstanding. I would suggest these speakers be purchased by anyone who is looking for great sound. I got these on a trade in free of charge for my RTI8s. I caught them on sale for the same price.

by geof, June 21, 2004

Strengths:

high end/looks

Weaknesses:

mid range

Review:

I like the bright high end, but the mid range is lame . Bass could be better,but my sub woofer compensates. Thought I'd like them better than they turned out .

by John D., July 7, 2004

Strengths:

Excellent build quality, Great looks,and most importantly good sound.

Weaknesses:

None at the price I paid.

Review:

I had been looking at these a long time as a possible replacement for my RT600i's. Finally I saw them at Circuiy City for $600. These speakers sound great. What some others refer to as missing midrange is actually midrange that isn't over emphasised as some speakers tend to do. You need to let them break in and adjust your recievers settings. Great for stereo music and home theater as well.

by Anthony, July 8, 2004

Strengths:

Powerfull,clarity,incrediable bass and Excellent build quality wood finish.The sound come outof them when watching a movie or listening to music is out of this world.

Weaknesses:

Mid Range is weak ,but is not noticeable .Everything else is all good.

Review:

These speaker are in amazing,WoW is the word.To honest i was going crazy between the Rti8 and Rti10. The Rti8 is nice and it mid range is louder then Rti10.The Rti10 mid range is weak and u needto play with yourreceiver to to get more or less like Rti8,but it.Rti10 is better in bass and its has a beatifull warmness to it and it excel from the Rti8 in loudness.Both are great speker,Rti10 is just better in feeling up the whole room with it clarity for sound, movies and music. Make sure you have a good receiver I have the onkyo receiver TX-SR701.Man this i cant beleive the clarity and sound that these speaker produce. These speaker became discontinue so jump them right away and get a good deal on them . :)

by Pat, July 31, 2004

Strengths:

Bass,Highs, Looks!

Weaknesses:

Heavy, i had a very hard time moving these into my house by myself. I guess that's a good thing for some people.70 lbs each

Review:

These speakers are sweet. The lows are sooo low they'll make you shake(If you choose), the mids are clear as being spoken too from your best friend, the highs are PERFECT. Perfect combo for speakers in my book.I honestly am extremely happy with these speakers, i shopped around for months until i found the right choice, and i found it with these.

by dwayne, August 1, 2004

Strengths:

great looks sounds awsome and on sale for 202.cant beat that

Weaknesses:

none

Review:

i ran into these when i was gonna buy a center channel speaker for the rti8 instead i bought the rti10 for the same price so i took the rti8 back.and couldnt be anymore happier

by Charles W., August 3, 2004

Strengths:

Looks, High's, Low ends

Weaknesses:

Mid could stand some improving, but I'm not complaining

Review:

I read the reviews of others. My ears made the decision. I don't know what some people are looking for, but I guess that's why there are different models of speakers. I compared RT/8 with the RT/10's and 10's were the winners For the money and sound, I could not go wrong

by SEAN HARRIS, August 21, 2004

Strengths:

INCREDIBLE SOUND FOR THE PRICE, NICE CABNETS!

Weaknesses:

SPIDER FEET!

Review:

A VERY NICE TOWER SPEAKER, WITH A CRISP SPACIOUS SOUND. I AM DRIVING MY RTi10 WITH A YAMAHA RXV2200 AND USING POLK CENTER CHANNEL AND SURROUNDS. THE SPEAKERS ADDED A LOT TO MY SYSTEM AS I WAS USING BOOK SHELF SIZE SPEAKERS BEFORE AND THE TOWERS REALLY JUST SOUND BETTER AND GIVE MORE DEPTH AND BETTER SOUND AT LOWER LEVELS. MY WIFE WANTED ME TO TAKE THEM BACK WHEN SHE SAW THE SPIDER FEET BUT ONE LISTEN AND SHE SAID I COULD KEEP THEM!

by Richard, August 24, 2004

Strengths:

Unsurpassed $ value. fantastic tone quality thru all ranges.

Weaknesses:

Since when do you guy's build "weaknesses"?

Review:

Niiiiice! I went into cicuit City to look at a new "sub" and walked out with the 10's. Clear highs and smooooooth low's With a strong punch when needed or wanted. I am currently running a Onkyo 7.1 amp that will give me 350 plus w.p.c,(front only)and great configuration capabilities.I couldn't be more pleased. There is just one problem. If the 10's are this good, how good are the 12's ? Oh well, so much for the check book!

by DONALD ANDERSON, September 12, 2004

Strengths:

GREAT HIGHS AND TIGHT BASS

Weaknesses:

BRAND NEW OUT THE BOX THE VOICE COIL WAS BAD

Review:

THESE SPEAKERS ARE GREAT I HAVE ALWAYS HAD POWER SPEAKERS BUT I HAD WANTED TO TRY A POWER AMP. AND A PRE.AMP. AND THESE BABYS GET IT. THEY BLOWED MY INF. AWAY.

by Shadi, September 14, 2004

Strengths:

Marvelous delivery across the board. Crisp and clean sound combined to awarm, natural delivery.

Weaknesses:

You'll hate your non-DDD classical recordings even more (but then again that's because the speakers are so good) !

Review:

If you're looking for speakers for a listening room, you have found them. I am picky when I shop and these came out the winners, not only in the Polk line, across all I've listened to below the 2000 CAN$ categorie. The sound is warm and rich. You can turn up your Hip Hop music and get fast response precise bass hits, and the next minute be listening to acoustic guitar or classical recordings and have the kind of precise, crisp, clear and tight delivery from the mids and highs you need to fully enjoy such music. Hours of listening pleasure and an addition to the look of your listening room. Couldn't be more satisfied. Thank you Polk Audio for an outstanding pair of speakers that will thrill my ears and those of my guests for countless years.

by Michael Thomas, October 20, 2004

Strengths:

Best sound I've heard at any price. Accurate and rich sound for all types of music. Extremely well built. Small footprint.

Weaknesses:

None.

Review:

The performance of these speakers is so outstanding that my entire stereo/home theater system sounds as if it has been upgraded. The sound is truly transparent - the sound field is accurate and room-filling, no matter where you are positioned. No other speakers at any price sounded as clear and warm. I mix music and needed floor-standing speakers that had strong and accurate bass reproduction. These not only produce superb bass (better sounding than the 3-way 10" woofer speakers they replaced), but classical and all types of music sound warm and live - you feel like your in a dance club or a concert hall depending on what you are playing. The small footprint is also a big plus for me (and any other apartment dwellers) and I still can't believe that such rich sound can come from such a small cabinet. Guests frequently comment on the quality of the sound these speakers produce, even at low volume levels. They are also very attractive and well-built.

by Brian, November 9, 2004

Strengths:

Size, Slender Appearance, Sound Quality...etc.....

Weaknesses:

When the producers mess up recording discs I can now hear all of the little pings and unwanted noises that I couldn't hear before.

Review:

These things are great!!! I purchased an entire lifestyle 3500 system from Bose and I am not kidding when I say these speakers alone are much more satisfying to listen to than that entire system.

by Kyle Klingenberg, November 21, 2004

Strengths:

First of all let me start with - THANK YOU POLK AUDIO for having the intelligence to note that beauty IS as important as functionality. Secondly.. These speakers perform better than anything else out there on the market (for the money). Bass is very punch through and definitive, (smack you in the face type). The mid range is exceptional as-if you ARE there, vocals are clearly defined and matched. Highs are clear almost to the point of being to clear, but to my liking.

Weaknesses:

Very hard to fit the RTi10's, CSi5's, RTi4's and a new receiver (Harman Kardon - AVR 235) into a 2002 Honda Accord Coupe). Especially hard to find in Michigan. ONly two retailers carry them.

Review:

I had done extensive research (about 2 months worth) before deciding to buy these. I read many reviews and forum postings to determine how much negative feedback was out there. To my astonishment, there was almost none other than an occaisional mishap or two, but nothing involving dissatisfaction of the product. I was lucky enough to find these at a retailer that had just discontinued this model and pick up the 10's for 678, the 5 for 278 and 4's for 138 all brand new. I can honestly say that these speakers, hands down will blow everything else away. If I had the extra $$ I would have probably got the 12's. Hope you found this helpful & Enjoy em..

by Seann Hogan, December 29, 2004

Strengths:

Amazing range. The Polk tweeters are always crystal clear, even when you push them to their max. They even have enough bass to get by without a huge subwoofer.

Weaknesses:

None so far.

Review:

I've been selling speakers and audio equipment for almost a decade now. I have yet to find a pair of speakers that sound this good for under $1500. These towers absolutely rock. If you are in the market for something affordable that will 'wow' you everytime you them, the RTi10s are for you.

by james lipskithird, January 15, 2005

Strengths:

Nice soundstage, the bass is excellent, highs are clear and mids are good too.

Weaknesses:

I don't know I only paid 700 and got 240 off on a trade in with CC. Based on the performance I get I see no flaws..

Review:

I wrote a review about these back in july. I mentioned that I would be acquiring better amplification and how this would have a positive impact upon the speakers peformance. Well in early december I hooked up my nad c272 and my little wonder passive pre amp I also got the nad c422 tuner.. The speakers have come to life with the new amp and pre. My denon dra-685 just didn't give me the bass, clarity, or depth that my new setup gives (both were used to power the rti-10's). These are good speakers, of course there are better but I used the budget I had and am pleased, my next upgrade will be polks because this rti-line is better than the previous line and with a good strong clean amp and pre its quite a good performer.

by P. Dang, January 16, 2005

Strengths:

Very crisp.

Weaknesses:

Mid-range is weak.

Review:

Great looking speakers. Bi-wired setup sounds great with the HK3480 amp.

by david smith, January 17, 2005

Strengths:

Smooth not crisp at all...

Weaknesses:

Midrange is not weak at all.

Review:

I feel those who seem to think the midrange is weak need to look at their components. With my nad amp and nad cdp and tuner their is no midrange problem what-so-ever. Maybe you boys need a better amp with more power?

by GREG DARR, January 27, 2005

Strengths:

BEAUTIFUL !!! INCREDIBLY SMOOTH & BALANCED

Weaknesses:

WEAK MIDRANGE ? I THINK THOSE LISTENERS HAVE WEAK EARS !

Review:

I OWNED A PAIR OF THE SDA's MANY YEARS AGO. THEY WERE NOTHING LESS THAN TRUELY INCREDABLE. I'M DRIVING MY RTI10's WITH ONLY A SONY 100 WATT X 5.1 ( NOT BAD ) I DO BELIEVE YOU NEED TO DRIVE THESE WITH A GOOD HIGH CURRENT RECEIVER - YAMAHA / DENON. CAN'T WAIT FOR EACH WORK DAY TO END SO I CAN ENJOY THEM !

by Horris Kew, February 14, 2005

Strengths:

crisp sound, movies take on a whole new meaning and just listening to music sounds like your in concert everytime.

Weaknesses:

my kids perhaps busting these babies up while I'm at work, other than that, NOTHING!

Review:

Powered with a 6.1 ONKYO receiver, you can't go wrong. My wife and I usually don't go out now that we have our own theatre here at home. Circuit City sold out of these bad boys and I had to make a special trip across the city in SLC to find one. So far the only weakness I can see is my boys busting them up accidently when I'm at work, other than that, no weakness at all. Polk made it right with this one.

by Scott Cook, February 20, 2005

Strengths:

Sound and Look. Oh my, what a difference. I love these speakers.

Weaknesses:

No such thing.

Review:

I went in to buy some bookshelf speakers. The cost was almost $400 for the pair. I met a great guy who knows home stereo and he put it to me this way. You will get home with this books and within a year, want to upgrade. Why not get what you want and slowly build your system until its done. I walked out with these towers, got home, put in swordfish and I heard things I never heard before. Overall, so happy and cant wait to get the rears next.

by Todd Groller, February 28, 2005

Strengths:

Everything from the sound, to the look, to the solid build. These speakers are very heavy. Mine are Cherry and look incredible, I get comments on them all the time.

Weaknesses:

Nothing with the speakers. My only problem is due to my goofy cat, I need to replace a grill cover.

Review:

These speakers are the best looking and best sounding speakers ever. I got my pair for a great deal directly through Matthew Polk after having some problems with another pair of speakers. Mr Polk is a class act, as are these speakers. I have a cd collection pushing 1000 discs of all types of music, and not until I received these babies last february did I truly enjoy listening to all my music. These speakers bring out everything in the music. I hear things in songs from the seventies that I never heard before. These speakers sound crisp and clear, and have superb deep bass. I am using a Yamaha receiver that is only 80 watts and that is plenty to drive these gems. Thank you Mr Polk for everthing and for making such awesome speakers.

by Les Beyer, March 10, 2005

Strengths:

Fit and Finish is excellent, Dynamic sound, very good clarity, bass is very tight.

Weaknesses:

No weaknesses worth mentioning.

Review:

I reviewed these speakers at a local high end store and was not real impressed because they were being driven by too weak of a receiver, but I could tell that they would benefit with a good power source, so I picked them up and put 200 high current watts per channel to them and they responded in spades. WOW , what a difference, these speakers deserve a good amp and they will love you for it.

by Maximus, April 5, 2005

Strengths:

slick design. clean and simple..

Weaknesses:

umm nothin really.. okay maybe the price ..;-)

Review:

wow finally after searching to for the speakers for my taste i finally found it. i started out wit the mirage omni-250's .. umm that lasted for about 3 weeks..swap it out with some sapphire Stb2 MKII ( newer model) that lasted about less that 24hrs..and finally these bad boys RTi10.. man... music in stereo never sounded so clear and crispy..runnin denon avr-2105, Csi5, Fxi3 sweet combo.. can't go wrong..Thanks polk audio.

by Steve, April 15, 2005

Strengths:

Beautiful build quality, real attention to detail

Weaknesses:

None Whatsoever

Review:

First of all I just have to say that the people that claim that the Midrange is weak are probably using lamp cords for A/V connectors and speaker cables, on a (HTIB) system that they spent a whole $299 for, (they even got the dvd player included, imagine that!) This makes them experts on speakers. I despise the fact that people are writing reviews about a product as beautifully constructed as the RTi 10's are, that know nothing about High Fidelity, or home theater. These are state-of-the- art speakers in which, I waited months to purchase, to really listen to them and compare them to other brands of tower and other shaped speakers in many different price ranges. I love these speakers. They sound magnificent with the components that I have around them. I consider these the star of my home theater system, and the rest of my stuff isn't too bad at all. I have had so many compliments and wows from so many people who are actually so jealous, of my RTi 10's. People shouldn't claim that the midrange is weak, because that is simply is not true. A lot of people are influenced into either buying or not buying a pair, or set of speakers, based on the reviews that they read. If people would put as much time, energy and effort into ensuring that they are using quality components in the rest of their system, as they are running their mouth, then they would not go around claiming such nonsence. The type and quality of connectors and cables make all the difference in the world on how your whole system sounds. Most sensible people already know this. I have spent almost as much for my speaker cables and other AV cables as I spent on my pair of RTi10's as do other people. Matthew, I love these speakers. They are perfect. Thank You for making my home theater sound so good.

by Mark Monforton, May 10, 2005

Strengths:

Very accurate, detailed, clean sound. Huge performance for the money.

Weaknesses:

This might sound weird, but I feel that these speakers are very UNDERPRICED.

Review:

I have been into high end audio for over 30 years. I take my audio very seriously.I am a musician and have been playing in various bands for over 35 years.I feel that I know what real instruments sound like. With my new Polk RTi10's, cymbals sound like cymbals; the bass guitar sounds like a live bass guitar. Every timbre and nuance in the human voice is perfect. I compared these speakers to a very well respected pair of $7000 speakers, and the polks just sounded more ALIVE, more like real music.Isn't that what speakers are supposed to be like?

by Ron "Boobie" Wakefield, May 12, 2005

Strengths:

Very clear and crisp. A very strong speaker.

Weaknesses:

None!!!

Review:

I love these speakers. Just need to be made a little more reasonable for the average working man., but overall these are some great speakers. Polk audio is a great speaker overall.

by Frank Rampone, June 5, 2005

Strengths:

Clean Crisp sound goes great with my Harma Kardon Amp....Great Bass......

Weaknesses:

Only one.... Too friggin heavy to carry up my stairs....lol

Review:

Awsome just got these and WOW!!!!!!!! Had some R10's from 1997 figured it was time for some new babies and let the kid have the old ones...

by Christian Talbot, June 9, 2005

Strengths:

Strong and clear sound. Crisp highs, and clean mids. My neighbors love them.....

Weaknesses:

I cant think that there are any....

Review:

Very clean and handles the power well! Hits a home run in my book.These just plain ROCK.

by Juan Almaraz, June 17, 2005

Strengths:

The most acoustically perfect speaker I have listened to in my entire life.

Weaknesses:

No weaknesses that I can tell. They were heavy to carry up the stairs though.

Review:

I was in the market for a new stereo. I had made my mind on buying some Boston Acoustics. I was at the store when one of the salesmen asked me if I had listened to the new Polk Audios that had come in. I said no. That I wanted the Boston Acoustics. He told me it would not hurt to listen to them. I said yes to get him of my back. I could not believe the sound quality of the RTi10s. They were acoustically perfect. They had great bass and great treble. Now a days it is very hard to find a speaker which is matched in it's bass and treble. A lot of what you find in stores now are speakers which just give you a lot of BOOM. They are not matched in respects to bass, treble and mids. I immediately changed my mind from the Boston Acoustics to the RTi10s. After going to the store many times to look at them I was finally able to buy them. I also bought a Sony 1000ES receiver. I have my speakers hooked up with Monster Cables. I also listened to some Martin Logons and still liked the RTi10s better. I would also like to mention the superb quality in the construction. They are solid. The cherry used to build the RTi10s is of the upmost quality. I am very happy with my speakers. I am sure the neighbors will complain about the loud music soon enough. Thank You for a great speaker. Juan Almaraz

by Ryan Panetti, June 19, 2005

Strengths:

Super clean tweeter and accurate bass. Need i say more.

Weaknesses:

Have not found one yet.

Review:

I went from the rt800i series and i thought they were great. But when i listened to these rti10's I was blown away. Im running the high end Denon 4802 reciever with them. so ive got the best of both worlds. If you dont think they sound good then it might be your reciever. They truly have great balance between the bass and treble. Not to mention they are a very nice looking speaker also. Great Design.

by Horris Kew, July 24, 2005

Strengths:

Quality Galore!!!

Weaknesses:

Cost Benefit???

Review:

After having many smaller surround sound systems, I finally took the plunge and bought these bad boys. Granted, they were expensive. They were top of the line at the time at Circuit City. Oh my goodness, the quality is unbeatable. I have been pleased as punch with these RTi's. Movies are bigger and badder than ever. I usually just stay home and watch movies versus going out to theatres. If your looking for a long term investment speaker, look no further and I mean it! You will not be disappointed with these babies, if you can find them?

by Andrew Rzewuski, July 31, 2005

Strengths:

Awesome mids and highs. awesome seperation in sound

Weaknesses:

These speakers scare me, if you know what I mean

Review:

well all i have to say is that these speakers Rock!! I am running a Yamaha RX 20 that I paid 5 years ago that was $3000 and once I put these speakers on I right away was blown away from the seperation of the speakers, and how clear the sound was. I heard that the people have been saying some bad reviews that the mids are crappy. well to fix that problem first of all its not the speakers. first thing get an awesome amp if your planning on paying for these babies, plus get a cd player and hook up a coaxial cable to it ,spend 200 on that and see what i mean . plus consider thicker wire and gold plated banana connecters. One last thing everyone knows that its just not all about having good speakers its about having an awesome amp and connecters, but i'm sure these speakers really make a huge differnce in sound. I'm sure my amp is happy that there powering an awesome set of speakers. I look forword each day to come home and listen to these BABIES!!

by Mike Rooney, August 9, 2005

Strengths:

They sound and look great, just don't abuse them! If you're looking for killer bass with no quality, look elsewhere or get a sub to go with them.

Weaknesses:

I'm too afraid to scratch them. If you have kids, lock them in a room. (The speakers)

Review:

Excellent sound quality, and they look great. It's nice to be able to choose between two beautiful finishes. (I went with the black) I am one of those bi-amping believers, so my thanks to Polk for that feature. These are easy speakers to drive with the average amp, although I recommend 200 watts per channel to move the most air possible. Yes, the mids seem a little weak at times, depending on the music choice but don't complain- just listen to the overall sound and you'll be happy. They are quite well balanced. Adjustable feet work well. Go very nicely with psw-10 and csi-5 center channel.

by Stephen Ray, August 25, 2005

Strengths:

Great highs, solid mids, and tight bass.

Weaknesses:

Honestly can't think of any.

Review:

Overall, these are the best speakers I have ever heard, extremely well balanced, great highs, great mids, and tight lows. I have them hooked up to a Sont str-da2es 6.1 reciever with a Carver tfm-35(250wpc) power amp(fronts)the reciever alone they sound good, but when I added the high current power amp, these speakers really came alive. I'm a movie lover but these speakers made me go buy a turntable and dig in my old vinyl and really get back in 2 channel listening. BELIEVE ME YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED IN THESE SPEAKERS!!!! I can't say enough about the quality of sound produced by these speakers. Since I've purchased these speakers I've upgraded my center(CS-1),surrounds(R1-5), and my rears(R30's) and I haven't looked back. Thank You Polk.

by Bryan, September 5, 2005

Strengths:

Killer sound and separtion.

Weaknesses:

Have not come up with anything and I have had them for over a year

Review:

I bought these speakers over a year ago, but I just found this site to put out a review. If you are looking for a top of the line speakers, then look no futher. I have these set up on my 7.1 Denon receiver for a home theater. Let me just say it rocks! I no use for a movie theater, I just wait for the movies to hit DVD. I researched all kinds of speakers before and after buying these. No regrets at all.

by Stephen Ray, September 11, 2005

Strengths:

The appearence, well balanced highs, mids, lows, outstanding speaker for the money.

Weaknesses:

NONE!!! Wife took the credit card so no more POLK products for a while.

Review:

These are the best speakers I've ever heard for under $1500.00 bucks. Great highs, great mids, and great lows. I have these hooked up to a Yamaha RX-V2400 7.1 HT receiver and a Yamaha M-70 power amp with the RTi-10's as fronts, a Polk CS2 center, and RTi-6's for (2)surrounds and (2)rears with (2)Cerwin Vega RL-28 subs in a 12' X 19' room and its just FANTASTIC!!!! I DON'T GO TO THE MOVIES ANYMORE. Even in 2-channel listening these speakers fill my room up with rich fufilling high, mids, and lows that I've looked for in other speakers and could not find. Well balanced sound reproduction, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED IF YOU BUY THESE SPEAKERS. If you noticed I've changed my setup since my last review minus the type o's. Thank You Polk for making my listening experience a pleasent one.

by Greg, September 12, 2005

Strengths:

Great range of sound from high to lows.

Weaknesses:

Would suggest a sub if you want deeper bass.

Review:

I was inbetween these and the 12's but the money part made me go with the 10's but to my surprise i couldn't be happier. I saved some money and am absoultly satisfied. I'm currently building my surround system one piece at a time and these are great front speakers even if you are just useing it as a stereo system. I will be adding a CSI5, FXI5, and a psw505 with these to complete my system. I love Polk and will always buy from polk.

by Sunny, January 25, 2008

Strengths:

Almost full sound range is perfectly covered. Delivers a really good sound for audiophiles, for the price they cost.

Weaknesses:

A bit heavy and big, but that is what is needed to get such sound. Need really good cables to perform adequatelly.

Review:

Simply amazing. I had a little concern regarding the sound. It seemed like my amp (Harman Kardon) was not strenght enough to produce a clear sound with such beasts. But I replaced the cables by the best of Monster Cables and .. wow it is so different. The sound of these speakers, with a center CSi3 is absolutely amazing and clear. I have to admit that I bought a sub woofer too,(a Polk too) to emphaze the bass and believe me it worth the cost.

by Michael Breeden, September 19, 2005

Strengths:

Sweet highs, level mid, deep bass -- overall true sound.

Weaknesses:

Bass response trails off below 35-40hz.

Review:

Outstanding value from Polk. The 10's really hit the mark. The 6 1/2" mid driver really does a fantastic job, as you can hear if you listen to the Rti8's. Also, using 2-7" bass drivers is an excellent choice. It has nearly the bass response of the 12's, but shares the mid-range clairty and transparency of the the 8's. The best in the line. Polk's 5 1/4" driver mid-arrangement isn't as clear, transparent or as detailed as his 6 1/2" design. This speaker outperforms the Lsi series in the mids, but the Lsi ring-radiator tweeter improves on the highs. Absolutely my choice as Polk's best overall speaker in both the Rti and Lsi line-up right now.

by Phillip Gregorash, September 27, 2005

Strengths:

Excellent midrange, accurate reproduction of bass when listening to music, great imaging when connected to a decent source.

Weaknesses:

Slightly edgy high end which can be really invasive when listening to certain pieces of music or 'action intense' films.

Review:

For $1400 (after taxes) and mated with a PSW12 as part of a package you can't ask for anything better in it's price range. With the sub turned off the speakers can really shine with a fairly decent front end (MA500 monoblocks, HK Digital reciever as the switch and Rotel CD player). Bass is warm, vocals well staged and the treble is clean. Unfortunately it's accuracy is it's downfall when listening to anything on a DVD player. Jitter is a constant issue with DD soundtracks and these speakers make the compression in the audio REALLY stand out. It's when the action gets thick that the treble starts to irritate you and the sound of breaking glass makes you want to walk out of the room. In any other movie you can get engrossed and not really worry about the treble jumping out at you. Music - Perfect Movies - A little too aggressive in certain scenes Gaming - Solid performance (NFS2 never sounded so destructive and gritty) Forgiveness - Not very forgiving ... throw everything you have into your source and switch. These babies will pick every flaw in your signal chain and throw them back at you.

by Mbalari, October 4, 2005

Strengths:

Excelente calidad de sonido, agudos brillantes, medios razonables y buenos bajos

Weaknesses:

Ninguna

Review:

Nuestra segunda compra Polk, muy conformes, vamos por el central CSi3 y los traseros FXi3, para completar el sistema. Excelente distribuidor local. Buenos Aires Argentina

by roger rawski, December 9, 2005

Strengths:

projection is is incredible and seamless. voicing stable. bass natural, mid open and highend crisp without cracking.

Weaknesses:

they have no forgiveness for bad amps or poor recording.(not real a weakness, but had to say someing!)

Review:

solid, incredible soundfield. i've had numerious speaker, back in the in the in the seventy's, sansui. in the eight's dbx, in the ninty's infinity overtures. but these speakers have taken my soul! i close my eyes and i am in the music. floating in the notes. my most resent mistake was to get a new hk av435 & sacd player. it is hard to leave home. these speaker reproduce with such incredible detail it always takes my breath away. roger

by Vincent Locacius, December 26, 2005

Strengths:

Great deep bass that you can feel,the highs are awesome and for under $1400.00 a pair you can't beat these babies!!!!

Weaknesses:

NONE..............

Review:

This is by far the best pair of speakers I have ever owned.. The sound is just simply amazing-on some of my music I hear things that I have never heard before.. AWESOME,AWESOME-I would highly recommend these to anyone.. Do yourself a favor and put out a little more money and purchase these BAD BOYS!! I promise you won't regret it.........

by Rajeev, January 7, 2006

Strengths:

I can hear every tiny detail with this speaker. I leveraged the inbuilt woofers and got rid of my sub since I have a small place.

Weaknesses:

absolutely none

Review:

I would recommend these babies to anyone. I originally bought the Saphire floor standing speakers and tried it with my new ONKYO receiver and within a week, i replaced them with the polk Rti10 after hearing a demo cd at Tweeter. These speakers fill my room and I would recommend a high end receiver with more power output to bring out the best in these speakers. I would also recommend the CS3i center channels from POLK to complement these floor standing speakers

by John /Minnesota, January 17, 2006

Strengths:

Cleanest sounding speakers ever! Incredible detail & stereo imaging plus, the bass is more than adequate.

Weaknesses:

none

Review:

After serious research and sound testing, the RTi10's blew everyone else away. My system has an equalizer to boost inefficiencies of older music or poor studio recordings.(the brass section of Chicago comes through brilliantly) In my billiard room, I replaced my Bose 901's with the RTi10's. I have a subwoofer but rarely use it because the bass is so good. My daughter and I can't get enough of these speakers and hey, our pool game has never been better!! Prepare to be dazzled!

by Drew Spelts, January 24, 2006

Strengths:

Perfect build quality and the spiked feet are nice and secure. They really make it a stable platform. Plenty of bass from these things.

Weaknesses:

The MSRP is probably a little too high but I recomend getting them from someone on this website used.

Review:

The speakers are absolutely beautifull in person. I ordred mine withought even seeing the speakers in a store but went completely off of reviews. I am glad that I went off of reviews because I will be keeping these speakers for a really long time. The quality of the build is exceptional because I am a perfectionist and there is nothing I can find wrong with them. Never, during any of the notes does something odd stand out like I have heard on other cheaper speakers when pushed really hard. If you are worried about them drawing too much power from your amp don't worry. I am using a Harman Kardon AVR635 (which by the way is by far the most highly adjustable receiver ever for under a grand and perfect in my eyes with loads of power to shut your friends up) When I have the volume set at -15 in a 15X15 room its alost too loud. The speakers are not fatiguing to the ears at all as far as I can tell. The biggest shock of all came when I put in some NIN or Trent Reznor music. He uses tons of sound effects that literally cross all boundaries of music and at really high volumes his music gripped me like it never has before. Its just so clear that you can focus in on every sound effect. I have a fairly large collection of his music and needless to say, I will be going back through all of it. These speakers are so good that I could write three full pages on them easily. BTW I got mine used on the polk club for $525 shipped and it was some of the best money I have ever spent.

by Derek, January 26, 2006

Strengths:

The sound that comes out of these speakers is unreal. They hold their strength when the volume is turned up. I'm very happy with my investment!

Weaknesses:

nada

Review:

For the size of my room (20x22), the sound of the speakers do not under or over acheive. When looking for front speakers, these were recommended over and over again. This time, I'm glad I listened.

by Mark, March 3, 2006

Strengths:

Highs....Bass....Midrange.

Weaknesses:

None at all.

Review:

My wife and I listened to speakers up to 4000 a pair....But the RTi 10 speakers was just as good. We listened to the RTi 12....But we kept coming back to the 10s.......They sound Wonderful!!!

by Andy Spears, March 7, 2006

Strengths:

Very clear detailed highs, perfect amount of mid, and plently of bass (even without a sub.) Great 3-D sound, layers and layers of instruments.

Weaknesses:

NA

Review:

It was time to replace my S10's purchased in the early 90's. In comparing the RTI10's RTI8's and the M70's, the RTI10's outperformed the others by far when listening to all types of music. I am re-discovering many of my favorite tunes because of these speakers. The midrange actually is perfect. For those who had trouble with the midrange its your either receiver or speaker placement. Don't bother looking at any other speakers.

by Marc Lang, March 12, 2006

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Review:

These speakers kick some serious ass. I listen to all types of music and the sound is unreal. I hooked them up to a Harmon Kardon AVR635 Receiver and man these suckers pump out some serious sound. (why I waited this long....im not sure) Watching movies with a 62" big screen and the CSI3, FXi3, and RTi10 speakers is the best movie expierence I have ever had. I tell you it's better then going to pay 15 bucks at the theatre.

by Kevin, March 15, 2006

Strengths:

Crisp highs. Good mid-range(in my opinion). well constructed. Solid bass.

Weaknesses:

They are really heavy(BUT WHO IS GOING TO MOVE THEM AROUND?) Wish they had alternate feet instead of the spikes

Review:

I purchased these speakers when they were first introduced. All I can say is these speakers are definitely worth every penny. Fortunately at the time of my purchase I was working part-time at Circuit City therefore I was able to get them at cost. I have experienced no loss in sound quality over the years and they still sound as good as when I first picked them up. I highly recommend these speakers to anyone who wants a quality product that will definitely hold up.

by Keiyh, March 17, 2006

Strengths:

Crisp High end.Beautifully designed enclosure.Complimentary lo-end.They KIK

Weaknesses:

N/A

Review:

Ive had RTi10's For 2 years now and still get that rush when I put on any type of music.Crisp High/Mid with a strong bottom end.I'm a drummer so believe me when I say "IF IT'S IN THE MIX YOU'LL HEAR IT"

by Jason, March 27, 2006

Strengths:

Beautiful crisp clean sound

Weaknesses:

ABSOLUTELY NONE!!

Review:

These have got to be the best speakers I have ever listened to. The sound is absolutely amazing. Perfect highs, mids, and bass. The overall all construction and appearance is awesome. I got mine in the cherry finish-WOW!! I would highly recommend these speakers to anyone who wants the best.

by Greg Iovino, March 28, 2006

Strengths:

Dynamic Impact, soundstage, and tight bass response. Ooooh, and what a sweet midrange!

Weaknesses:

None as I can hear as of yet. Still tweaking. Only have them a week and am 100% satisfied.

Review:

Well, let me tell you that after months of researching and auditioning a myriad of Mid-Highend speakers from the likes of Polk, Focal/JMLab, Paradigm, Dynaudio, Kef, Energy, Infinity, KLipsch, Definitive Technology, etc.,etc. it came down to three choices for me and two of those were Polk speakers. For price, value and overall musicality I bought the Polk RTi10's, FXi5's and the CSi5 to complete my surround system. I couldn't be more satified with my choice and never heard movies like (you are there in the scene ) impact and reality on my existing system. For the price they can-not be beat. By the way my other choice was the Polk LSi15's, but for Budget and Amplification issues I chose the former. This weekend I didn't even leave the house, I just sat and listened to these beauties and Yes, I do have a life! By the way these are my very first Polks and I can't wait to buy my next set of Polk FXi3's for the rear surrounds to add even more rear depth. That will complete my 7.1 ch. surround system. Maybe only one or two other speakers had an even deeper bass or sweeter tweeter, and smoother mid's one of these being the Polk LSi15's, but they were twice the price and more. Thank Polk, for making me a happy customer and saving me a ton of money!

by Ben Wilde, June 20, 2006

Strengths:

CLEAN!!!!

Weaknesses:

I lived on the 8th floor of my dorm at college when I bought them, and had to lug them up all the way (well worth it)

Review:

I used to sell car audio equipment and loved what polk had to offer but as a college student couldn't afford them. I saw a pair of RTi10's as a floor demo and the cash was in wallet!! Best money spent

by Thomas Cash, October 2, 2006

Strengths:

They perform like $3000 speakers if you use a good high-powered amplifier, amazing sound puts you 'right there' on stage.

Weaknesses:

Do not use under-powered amp, the RTi's work better above 100 watts/channel(similar comment in Owners packet). Not really a weakness, more power (150-200 watts) = fantastic sound.

Review:

Purchased from crutchfield.com Aug. 2006, awesome speakers. Very accurate & clean sound with 110 watts receiver. Then I upgraded to Rotel seperate stereo amps (amp/preamp) -> 200 watts per channel. These speakers jumped to a new level of performance ($2k to $3k price range) with larger amp:(a) even better high range (b) fuller midrange (c) tighter and extremely strong bass. Exceptional speakers.

by Michael Keirans, October 6, 2006

Strengths:

Amazing clean sound at any volume level... and i mean ANY!! *evil grin*

Weaknesses:

HEAVY!! other than their weight i'd say you'll need to carefully plan your room as they are quite big.

Review:

These speakers are not for the faint of heart. If you want something that has kick these babies more than meat the criteria!

by Gary Bayly, October 20, 2006

Strengths:

Quality at an exceptional price ($1299 AUD). Very impressive bass without the need for a subwoofer. Excellent with both music and home theatre applications.

Weaknesses:

Are you kidding???

Review:

Living in the land "downunder", anything Polk Audio is as rare as hens teeth! Cruising my favourite email searches from eBay.com.au recently, I noted some brand new Polk Audio RTi10 speakers for sale! Pinching myself, I just had to check this was the case. Sure enough, from the "Sunshine State" of Queensland, I purchased these babies for delivery to New South Wales in the Sydney metro area. I have been a "Polkaholic" for some years now since purchasing my first Polk product - EX602a car speakers. I have been trying to track down new or as new Polk Audio floorstanding speakers for a few years and let me tell you, the wait has been worth it!! The quality is in the manufacture of the cabinets and also the sound is awesome. I have since paired these up with a PSW505 - the neighbours sure love me now. Not only can your hear every detail, you can "feel" it as well. I am now checking with my favourite eBay seller in Australia - heidi.5262 to obtain a CSi5 centre speaker and the FXi 3 surround speakers to complete the system. I do have a CS350 and some other older Polk surround speakers (not sure of the model as I purchsed these second hand on eBay), but they can be migrated to my second system I am setting up.

by ALLEN FOOTE, February 7, 2007

Strengths:

highs,mids,bass these speakers sound great!! period!! and great looks aswell

Weaknesses:

none whatsoever

Review:

All I can say is wow!!!!!!!!!these speakers sound so sweet i never want to turn my stereo off.i have them hooked up to a yamaha rxv1500 reciever with a psw350 sub,csi3center,and rti4 for the surrounds and what a great setup, they sound great with any music and are awsome for movies aswell.i have read reviews that the midrange is not real strong but this is not true they have great highs,mids and strong tight bass that you almost don't need a sub.

by Ken Fritsch, February 17, 2007

Strengths:

Great hi's, mid's, and low's at any listening volume.

Weaknesses:

Absolutely NONE!

Review:

10 Years ago my home theater ended up with POlk Audio bookshelf's, center, and a 3 way setup with a passive subwoofer. When I finally got the chance to upgrade, I knew this purchase would have to last at least as long. I looked at all the brands and styles of speakers available today, and nothing compared to the performance and price point of the RTI10's. head to head with everything in the specialty store's sound room, and they were the hands down winner. Great clean sound at virtually any listening level. I've got 'em home and setup and couldn't be more pleased.

by Dave R., February 19, 2007

Strengths:

Very impressive, realistic sound reproduction, from modern design and styling. Realistically priced for the product quality.

Weaknesses:

Leave that up to opinion. Maybe they are a bit sizey, and heavy, but also sound the same. A good idea for the future would be metal grilles, rather than fabric wrapped plastic ones. They always get ragged after a move or two.

Review:

I replaced a set of Infinity SM125's, which still sounded good but have been "cranked" a few times. I matched the Polks with a Denon 2307CI 100W reciever. These really perform well. The sound seems to dance between the 4 speakers. A real first taste of high performance for me, which I have never owned in a set of speakers. They sound like they have lots of research, and development in the technology involved. Modern design and styling makes it hard to decide whether to leave the covers on or off. Very realistic sound, at normal volumes, and as any degree of care would demand, these aren't for "cranking" to see how loud they can go. I think anyone would be quite lucky to own a set of them. As for sound quality, I am not an audiophile. Just desire as good as it should be. They sound as good as the recording, and system can permit. Some older recordings are naturally a bit flat, and the newest electronic, and dance have clean clear high definition digital sound. Lots of subtle "fool your ear" nuances watching movies with Dolby PLII X. Sure, I could think of comparing these to costlier models, but dollar for dollar, and similar design, I'm betting that these are about the best that you can get.

by christopher krupa, April 14, 2007

Strengths:

Great detail, superb highs, outstanding mids and good bass response.

Weaknesses:

They are heavy but no prob. I did blow a tweeter and a crossover in one in under a year.

Review:

Great for the money. I listened to other speakers that cost more and these little beauties blew me away. Makes sure you have a good power supply for these monsters cause they beg for more.

by Jonny, April 23, 2007

Strengths:

7" woofers hit like a 12". Cherry finish.

Weaknesses:

It would be nice if the feet and spikes were metal instead of plastic, but they are still very sturdy.

Review:

If you want something better than the Monitor series, but cant afford the LSi series, buy these; you will NOT be disappointed. They can be a big investment if you are starting from scratch because you need a powerful amp to drive them to their full potential. I bi-wired mine with an Onkyo TX8522 for now, and that seems to be the best option short of spending the money for an amp/preamp setup. Oh and by the way, the boxes they come in are grossly oversized, so bring a truck or SUV when you pick yours up. I BARELY fit them into my hatchback, and I mean barely.

by Dennis Hickey, June 6, 2007

Strengths:

THE SMILE THAT COVERS MY FACE WHEN I SHARE WHAT HOME THEATER IS ALL REALLY ABOUT!

Weaknesses:

THE LOOK MY WIFE GIVES ME, WHEN I INVITE SOMEONE UPSTAIRS INTO MY HOME THEATER ROOM !

Review:

these replace my rt1000i powered towers that sounded great! i now have a new definition of great! great highs [brighter then my older towers]i can see how some users feel there to bright,however you must remember your rooms reflection will color the sound greatly! i can hear the difference,i have acoustical wall panels to absorb early reflections/secondary reflections.see polk HOME THEATER HANDBOOK pages 29-32.you'll be amazed in the difference! these speakers have great image,mids,highs,lows.they truly explode,i can feel the low end difference,solid build,great looks,truly a great value.Polks done it again.thank you for building a better speaker,not a better profit margin! I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER BRAND...YOU'VE EARNED MY BUSSNESS.

by Daniel Hammond, June 30, 2007

Strengths:

Power & clarity

Weaknesses:

I think that pegs at the bottom could have been constructed better.

Review:

These speaks are Kickass. Great sound at high volumes. What more can be said.

by Paolo De Berardinis, July 12, 2007

Strengths:

Sweet look. Very high quality and workmanship. Excellent mids and highs.

Weaknesses:

Grill a little too flexible.

Review:

I have to say that this PSW505 is amazing. When I finally decided to replace my old TEAC receiver the usual snowball effect occured. I could no longer bare the old 10-year surround system I had, It was time for the upgrade. After many visits to all the high-end retailers across Southern Ontario and Nothern New York, Polk Audio made it happen. My final system is a Pioneer Elite VSX-84TXSi receiver coupled to RTi10's (2) in the front, FXi5's (4) in the surrounds, CSi5 for the centre and the PSW505 for a sub. All I have to say if WOW!!! The highs and mids are so sweet. Their balance and precision are so harmonious. Rich in detail and the sub simply and easily fills in the lows without breaking a sweat! Thanks Polk Audio...

by Dan Patrick, August 13, 2007

Strengths:

The Polks are a tremendous speaker and value at their price range. They do not receive the respect they deserve in the audiophile world.

Weaknesses:

Small woofers don't pound out the distorted low bass that todays kids like :) HA HA

Review:

I have always wanted a pair of Polk speakers. I am the owner of a classic pair of Klipsch KLF 10 towers. I bought the RTI 10's never hearing them before. I want to tell everyone these are very technical preformers. I hear accuracy from top to bottom. I have them bi-amped to the Integra 7.8 Receiver (130 WPC)with the toshiba HD DVD player. They sound amazing. The Klipch sound as good a low volume but at high volumes the Polks are much cleaner and pleasant to the ears. Thanks Polk, I am a believer for life.

by Brian, August 15, 2007

Strengths:

Excellent build quality, nice cherry veneer, good looks

Weaknesses:

Poor bass, distorted ear piercing highs,

Review:

When I first heard these speakers setup in Future-shop, I was disappointed in the sound. However, the store environment was not conducive to good sound reproduction. I purchased the speakers anyway, feeling that my home media room would bring out the full quality of these speakers. My intent in buying towers such as these was to not only for surround sound movies, but also for listing to two channel stereo music. My setup is as follows: HK DSP 2005, 120 watts X 7, Polk CS2 Centre, Polk Monitor 40's surround, Polk Monitor 30's for rears, a Velodyne Sub. 5.1 and DTS movies are fabulous with this setup; however, I am disappointed with the 2 channel stereo output for music. The bass is not adequate without using the sub, and the highs are way too bright, almost ear piercing. I tried various configuration setup with the Harman Kardon, but nothing seemed to solve the problem. I had a friend over and asked for his opinion. Without relating my own conclusions about the speakers to him, he reported that the highs were objectionable to his ears as well. I really wanted to be happy with the sound of these speakers because they look great, and the build quality is excellent. In addition, they matched the rest of my surround sound system. After two weeks I ended up taking the speakers back for a refund. Unfortunately Future-shop did not have anything else that satisfied me. I then purchased a pair of Infinity Beta 50 tower speakers from a distributor in the US, and am completely delighted. The price of these are about half what I paid for the RTi10s, and the sound throughout the full frequency range is much better. The build quality and fit and finish; however, are not as good as the RTi10s. The sound is what counts though. Polk builds a quality product, and these speakers may satisfy many people. I believe that sound is perceived differently from person to person, and what sounds good to one person, may not to another. Let your ears be the judge when buying any speaker.

by Tyler Gratton, September 2, 2007

Strengths:

Design, bracing and port design, overall sound quality.

Weaknesses:

none except they are very heavy almost 100 lbs a piece.

Review:

These are the best pair of home audio speakers I have ever heard. They are clear with crisp highs perfect midrange fill in and the bass response is very suprising, it is very deep and blends perfectly. I use them as the front fill for my home entertainment center and they work excellent along with the voice matched other polk speakers. Highly reccomended

by Rob, September 2, 2007

Strengths:

Very Attractive Speakers and Awesome sound, I love these almost as much as my wife, but don't tell her that.

Weaknesses:

Not one weakness that I can see so far.

Review:

All I have to say is that I am in love with these speakers. I have a great HK receiver and used Celestion towers and bookshelves for the last decade, the HK is only a year old though and the Celestions sounded great. But once I got the HK, I moved my old NAD receiver to the computer room and recently decided to upgrade my speakers so I could move the Celestions to the computer room.

by Chris, October 4, 2007

Strengths:

Great looks, Strong Name.

Weaknesses:

Durability is poor, Feet are Spikes, They are big and heavy you better have a Chevy to get these things home. Must have Subwoofer really thought there would be a louder tight bass.Thats why you buy floor standing speakers right?

Review:

All and all sound great, I have the hooked up to a THX Onkyo Reciever but 2 of the 4 tweeters have blown.. I wouldn't think it's my reciever because I never have to turn it past half way to get some serious loudness. You better have a subwoofer, I hooked them up thought they sounded great but lacked bass got up the next morning bought a sub, and somewhat satisfied.

by Stephen Michael Mace, October 4, 2007

Strengths:

All good. Loud, solid, sweet and mean.

Weaknesses:

None that I can find.

Review:

WOW!!!! These are phenomenal. I am by no means an audiophile; but, I know good sound when I hear it. I bought four for my home theatre, with an Energy ten inch (powered) sub and Energy centre channel. Powered by a Yamaha HTR 6090 receiver. My neighbours don't like me much anymore. Thanks Polkaudio!

by Terry McMillan, September 30, 2007

Strengths:

SOLID, HEAVY and BEAUTIFUL...SOUNDS AS GOOD AS IT LOOKS

Weaknesses:

BASS

Review:

I just love the looks.....They sound great to, good thing for a sub tho cause they dont have the bass i would like or expect from a POLKAUDIO speaker. I still bought and enjoy them very much and highly recommend them or any POLK speaker set.All i need now are the sorround speakers. I bought each speaker set at different times, center(CSI5),towers(RTI10s),But i am sorry that i bought a Velodyne DPS 12 sub. It was on sale for a pretty good deal and actually is a good sub.I promise i never will stray away from POLK again tho..."Thanks from a Very happy customer" Now i am considering the ones i want for the surround to finish off my set

by Ken Kissinger, November 10, 2007

Strengths:

the clarity and overall tone control on these speakers are amazing, the high sound completley undistorted even at high volumes, the same for the mids.

Weaknesses:

the lows can be very weak especially for music where repetetive bass is unescapable.

Review:

This soon to be discontinued speaker offers a very well developed sound. the high especially are incredibly accurate, but can sometimes be a slight bit too high for ones tastes. The mid-range sound can at times be indistinguisable from the mid-highs, so it might sound like these speaker are lacking mids, but really they are there in full. and the lows in these speakers leave me a little dissappointed. the dual 7" woofers dont offer the spark that i needed in my home theater, often times i can truley identify the origin of the bass (i.e the Velodyne sub) these lows just dont get loud enough to mix well with the lows from the sub. overall, for someone trying to start an intermediate to developed home theater this price is a complete steal very much well worth the money. id say the next step up is a $2500 pair of focals, not even close worth the money.

by Shane, November 30, 2007

Strengths:

Easy to hook up, look terrific and sound absolutely amazing. We had a family movie night and watched Polar Express, and during the beginning of the movie when the train first pulls up, it sounded as if the train driving through the living room :) The kids were in ah and sent the dogs running to the other room.

Weaknesses:

These are large, as the center channel is too. But as long as you have the room, buy them!

Review:

I have had many different home theater setups over the years, with the last one being one of smaller speakers. I just took down my NHT Super One XU's and my B&W CC3 center channel. I replaced them with the RTI0's and a CSI5 center channel. The rest of my system is a Mirage 10" sub, B&W Rock solids rears (4) all powered by a Yamaha RXV-1500. All I can say is WOW! I have never heard anything this nice before. Every note of music, every beat of the drum you can hear or feel. Crystal clear even with the amp turned WAY up! I do have the RTI10's wired BI-AMP with the A & B channels from the Yamaha. This makes 240w continuous too each speaker :) I walked into a stereo shop looking for some speaker wire and found a great sale going on. $489 per pair and $260 for the center channel and of course the free Polk sub. Too good to pass up!

by Walter B., December 18, 2007

Strengths:

Wonderful sound. size price.

Weaknesses:

Size was not as narrow as promised, manual sucks in all 3 languages

Review:

For some reason hardly anyone makes large traditional box speakers anymore. You can either buy tower speakers, or bookshelf speakers. I needed something that would fit in a space no wider than 8 inches. I bought these and they sound wonderful. The mid ranges are very present and not drowned out by a lot of over done base. I guess if you want a thump box, then either get a sub woofer or look elsewhere. Once I got the speakers out of the box, the feet attach easily, but they also make the speaker width not 7.75 inches, but add 1.5 inches to each side of the base. You must connect the feet so the speaker will set level on the ground because of the front face plate is lower than the speaker enclosure. To solve my problem I made my own feet out of a 2x4 that bolts to the speaker in the same way the polk feet do, but also have four 2” deck screws that run thru the 2x4 and leave a half inch spike in the bottom. They are much less stable this way, but my speakers fit inside a wall cavity and can’t be tipped over due to the wall, so it works for me. The speakers are set up for Bi-Amping. Currently I only have one amp feeding them and need to read up on how to get the full sound out these speakers, even though they sound wonderful now. I’m very happy with them. Bach sounds great, so does Paul Simon, and the Police. The manual for these speakers is more of a pamplet. More knowledge can be obtained from a handful of fortune cookies than from this manual. Please revise it and try and expand it to more than a few sentences.

by Gilles Doucet, January 10, 2008

Strengths:

Very impressive,highs,mids,bass,amazing clean sound

Weaknesses:

None...Weak midrange? OK...Hum...change your amp and pre-amp, more power, place speakers more than 24" from any wall or your your EARS Ha Ha Ha Sorry...Bad joke

Review:

Sorry bad english, but I try for you Very good impressive sounding speaker for the price, I add RT2000p before, now less base but wow... Wonderful sound... I love those new speakers, very musical

by Brian Clodfelter, January 20, 2008

Strengths:

Compared to more expensive components I researched and listened to, the RTi10's were a great value and the sound quality is excellent!

Weaknesses:

I haven't discovered any to date. I am still tweaking all the set-ups...

Review:

I recently replaced my entire home theatre system. After extensive research and product quality/design, I went with RTi10's in the front, CSiA4 center, FXiA6 surrounds,the DSW PRO 500 sub, Sony DA5300ES Receiver, and a Sony BDPS500 Blu-Ray player. I just completed the set up and watched my the BR "The Condemened" on it as the first movie. All I can say is WOW. I was totally impressed by the sound quality/clarity these new Polk speakers delivered. My old Yamaha system was dated and not HDMI to pair with my 52" LCD. Needless to say it as a huge difference in quality of sound and audio. I would definitely recommend the Polk speakers to anyone. You'll be hard pressed to find a beeter quality sounding speaker for the price!

by K A B, February 4, 2008

Strengths:

Smooth, even, clean response from bass to high end. Even sound great at low volume/power levels, for almost all kinds of music.

Weaknesses:

Lowest bass weak. No longer available in cherry finish.

Review:

The 10s look and generally sound great, and my wife even likes their appearance, although she would have preferred the cherry. BUT - the low end is lacking. Programs with very low bass content, like a Bach organ recital, Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks, and a lot drum-thumping rock and jazz, just lack punch, even with the amp's bass turned up. Needs a subwoofer for that. Otherwise they're outstanding. I'd recommend them to anyone who asked.

by Ray Garske, March 22, 2008

Strengths:

Clarity, definition, accuracy, separation, silky smooth highs, mids and lows. Price!

Weaknesses:

none, other than they dont make them anymore & I need 2 more.

Review:

POLK HAS DONE IT AGAIN! I've been a loyal Polk customer for years and they NEVER fail to amaze me. Abosolutely one of the best speakers out there! The separation is amazing, I hear new things everytime I listen to music I've been listening to for years. They are mated to R300's, CSI25 and a Veladyne 10"/150w sub, on a Yamaha rec. Anyone who thinks the highs are too high need to adjust their amp, or get a new high receiver altogether. EXCELLENT SPEAKER!

by Brent, April 22, 2008

Strengths:

Cosmetics, clarity, price, and that feeling you get after coming home from a long day's work and getting to enjoy fine sound to relax to.

Weaknesses:

Heavy? Get someone else to move them! Don't like the feet? Too bad! Is that really any reason not to buy?!?! Not enough bass? Buy a subwoofer!! These are full-range towers. Does any set of Focals or Martin Logans produce true full-range sound??? Don't think so . . . NO WEAKNESSES!

Review:

I recently purchased these from Tweeter. Standing there in the huge soundroom, they didn't get enough attention. However, after reading some reviews, started listening to these fine specimens, and obviously was satisfied enough to take them home. Crisp highs, solid bass, and full mid-range. Overall, a best buy for the price.

by CAROLD LEGARE, July 20, 2008

Strengths:

bas volume excellent, haut volume superb, wow!!

Weaknesses:

Les supports sur rti10 un peu faible

Review:

Il y a longtemps que je voulais me procurer des enceintes polk, Maintenant c'est fait. Je suis tres heureux du resultat, merveilleux son a bas volume, les fréquences son bien rendu.Le design est tres beau.

by Rick C, August 30, 2008

Strengths:

Clean Natural Sound, Solid Quality Cabinets. (Wish i had bought the Cherry Cabinets, but they were not available)

Weaknesses:

For those that say not enough Bass, a speaker will only reproduce what the SOURCE sends it, Bass needs power,get a Sub, i have one & they sound great. If you are a purist, you will appreciate the spiked feet to isolate the cabinet

Review:

Bought brand new set of Rti 10b's on sale at Tweeters, to replace a set of JBL's, after hooking them up, i kept turning up the volume as they did not sound as loud as my JBL's, after a while i had the volume level past the limit i would normally run the JBL's at, as they would distort, then i realized the Rti's were not softer they were just incredibly clearer, with no distortion, even at higher output levels. Most Natural Full sounding speakers i have heard,i hear new sounds with old CD's & DVD's all the time. Cant wait to hear them on my new B&K AVR707.

by Paul Vivier, September 1, 2008

Strengths:

Crisp clear, not too bright, nice addition to the decor.

Weaknesses:

Without the sub it would be a little shallow. question, who doesn't own a sub? Maybe Martin Logan or DT owners.

Review:

I first purchased these speakers and were so excited to hook them up to my Denon AVR 3300 receiver. I was impressed how much amp power they need to come alive. They don't back down from high volume playing at all. Movies come alive because I have a Polk Audio CSI5 and surrounds FXi A4 and they are so enveloping. Playing PS3 surround games are awesome. You can have the big screen but you need the sound to make you feel like you are there and these do!

by david a, September 10, 2008

Strengths:

the bass everting is great

Weaknesses:

only thing is the feet on them makes them tipey other wise no weaknesses.

Review:

march of 08 i whent out to look for some speakers i whent into furture shop and found a set, couldn't pass that up. hook them up wow they are geat nothing wrong with them couple makes on the side.

by bjornb17, September 23, 2008

Strengths:

Everything

Weaknesses:

Nothing

Review:

Just to reiterate what the previous reviewers have said... These speakers are phenomenal!

by Kong N, December 3, 2008

Strengths:

Great range of response throughout. Bass is awesome. Suitable for both music lover and HT applications. Reasonably priced than other brands.

Weaknesses:

None!

Review:

Excellent speakers!! Upgraded from my Monitor 60. Wow!! what a difference...Sounds coming out of these babies are first-rate, my receiver is a Yamaha 3900. I've heard some subtle sounds that I never heard of before. Monitor 60 cannot compare to these so I use them as surrounds. Paired great with CSi5 as front/center setup combo.

by thabigboy2007, January 1, 2009

Strengths:

BASSSS

Weaknesses:

Nothing!

Review:

In combination with my Denon AVR-688 receiver, those babies are .. AWESOME !!

by anthony chappell, February 20, 2009

Strengths:

very clear and good bass respone coupled with a sub but who doesn't have a sub.

Weaknesses:

none that i can hear but i'm not a professional just love movies and music.

Review:

bought these 2nd hand but they were very well taken care of,would just like to say how much i love polk now.Have always been kind of a cerwin vega fan or paradigm too but the clarity and sound from the polks is amazing.Wish i could of woke up and smelt the coffee a little sooner.Thanks polk, what a great product.

by Eugene Lee, May 19, 2009

Strengths:

Sweet highs and powerful lows

Weaknesses:

Need a good bit of power to wake them up.

Review:

I bought these from Tweeter when they were still open. They sounded pretty good but most important of all they were in my budget. For a marginal improvement in sound my next choice was Focal's JM Lac Chorus speakers. They sounded great but not worth almost three times the price. I had them first powered by my receivers built in amp. The highs sang, almost in your face, but the lows were lacking a little bit. I then used the bi-amp feature and this helped out the lows considerably, but was still not there for me. My receiver is a Yamaha RX-v863. My next upgrade was using a seperate amplifier for just the fronts. Wow! what a difference. Highs were no longer in your face, and became a little softer, sweeter sounding. And the lowend came to life. This was with a 100 wpc amp. Seeking better control and depth I decided to use a single amp per speaker. These things came alive. Before I had been thinking about spending the extra money to get the more expensive speakers but now there is no need. I have approximately 280 watts going to each speaker being bi-wired and all I can say is I almost dont even use my subwoofer(Velodyne DLS-3750r) anymore. I did notice that the impedence level can get low enough to trip the protection circuit in my amps sometimes. I only have what I consider a modest system but am more than satisfied at the moment with what I have. RTi10 - Front left and right CSi40 - Center t90e - surround left and right t90e - surround back left and back right Velodyne DLS 3750r - Subwoofer front and rear Yamaha RX-V863 - receiver used as pre/pro Caver TFM-15cb - one for left front, one for right front, one for center, one for surrounds, and one for rear surrounds. Monster HTS3600mkII - power conditioner Monster HTS2600mkII - power conditioner Panasonic DMP-bd10 - Bluray source

by Makan, December 29, 2009

Strengths:

Very powerful (you gotta have a goood and powerful amp)and very clear

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

Fantastic speakers, I've beed shopping for speakers and this is by far better sounding and more clear than all of those speakers KEF IQ90, Polk RTia5, 7 Paradigm ($2500/p).