RTiA7

by Jim McLaughlin, May 20, 2008

Strengths:

Superb Flat, Balanced Response absent any cabinet bias!

Weaknesses:

I'm still waiting

Review:

These weren't even on my radar when I started shopping for new speakers. I wanted something that could deliver superbly recorded classical music as well as the crystal acoustic work of Tony Rice and the gut punch electric of Stevie Ray Vaughn.......I found them. These RTi A7's bettered B&W and Magneplenar that cost 2 and 3 X's their price. I'm delighted with them and plan to add a couple more for another room in the future. BTW - Crutchfield's customer service was excellent, sorry I can't say the same for their shipper UPS ...or should I say OOPs!

by Rajesh Premkumar, January 5, 2011

Strengths:

Crystal clear reproduction in all volumes

Weaknesses:

Requires a bit more space.

Review:

My research for speakers a level above kept revolving around these RTi A7s. When I looked at them in the shop they were a perfect color and contour match. I got a sense of accomplishment when I realized that my speaker search had come to an end. I love stereo listening and these speakers are built around that. I was originally thoroughly impressed with the A9s’ but realized that they were really tall for my place and also required a lot of power. The A7s were more of a match and now I realize that its more than that. Sound reproduction is incredible. Even the slightest of sounds are made crystal clear from the speakers. I did not like the addition of a subwoofer for stereo listening as it interfered with the clarity. I use a Denon AVR 3310CI to drive these speakers and they have produced excellent results. I use it for a lot of low volume listening that I’ve found to appreciate. And when it comes to high volume, they can go as high as you can take. Adding an amp would definitely benefit, but there’s nothing wrong without one. HD Audio, Blu ray discs and audio CDs bring out the best in this speaker. They discriminate a bit if you’re using compressed audio however high the bit rate may be. The Restorer function in the AVR 3310 seemed to help a little bit with that. Addition of a sub woofer definitely takes it to a different level, but I had to increase the volume/channel level to match it with the speakers performance. The A7s go as low as 30Hz but I set the crossover to 100Hz for excellent bass delivery. Needless to say, without a subwoofer the bass is very tight and just enough. Lovely when you’re reading a book and listening to concert hall music. I still have to bi-amp them with the AVR to see if the results are any different although I’ve read at places that they dont make a big difference. The binding posts are excellent and the speaker construction is truly extraordinary. A simple tap and placing a ear on the walls of the speaker reveals excellent resonance built into the cabinet. Oh yes, the cabinet, that is a thing of beauty that matched with my wooden flooring. It is well constructed and no cheap materials in this speaker unit. Removing the front panel cover reveals a view of professionalism. Silk dome tweeters, polymer mid range and 2 woofers give this speaker quite a look when contrasted with a darker shade of silver. Venting ports are supplied in the front and back. With a power range of upto 300W you cannot go wrong for home usage. Watching movies was a true delight when I had all the lights off. The sound orientation was brilliant when I couldnt exactly realize where it was coming from. These speakers are no way in my budget but I realized that the value for money is truly a ratio worth passing of without consideration. And I was glad when I was right this time. I really appreciate the engineers at Polk who have come out with such a precise speaker. You guys made it a part of my second life.

by Jim Mack, November 6, 2008

Strengths:

If you thought they sounded great when you bought them.....give it 6 months.....it gets even better!

Weaknesses:

ZERO

Review:

UPDATE - I've had my RTi A7s for six months and wow have they matured. You cannot fully appreciate the extraordinary qualities of these speakers until they have had sufficient break in time. Anybody who feels the bass is at all lacking should give it 6 months...you won't believe your ears. These speakers continue to impress!

by Jay, January 22, 2008

Strengths:

Real wood! Solid construction.. Strong grills, professional look and sound. Very classy, attractive speakers. Heavy speakers, but this is a good thing.

Weaknesses:

Bass? Depends on the acoustics of your room, you will still probably need a subwoofer to add some low end flavor to these speakers.

Review:

I auditioned many high end, very expensive floorstanding speakers.. these speakers sound as good if not better than speakers that are triple or quadruple amounts of money. They provide fantastic seperation, clean punchy bass, and lifelike crystal clear highs. The speaker feet have a nice thick rubber pads of very high quality material.

by Richard D. Starkey, September 9, 2010

Strengths:

Sound; it's all there. Beautiful Cherry veneer. Craftmanship(fit and finish)

Weaknesses:

I haven't found any yet.

Review:

I recently purchased the RTi A7's, in cherry, directly from Polk. My first comment is that when you open the boxes the speakers arrive in, and see these beauties for the first time, you know you own a serious set of speakers. Nobody would put all the time and effort into making such a beautifully designed and executed product and not put something of value inside it. It's just not going to happen. I have to say that I expected so much from these beauties, that I could only have been disappointed. However, after a couple weeks of listening to them, they just got sweeter and sweeter. I am now in LOVE! I almost enjoy looking at and running my hands over them as much as I do listening to them. I have them connected to a vintage Nakamichi RE 10 Receiver(100 watts/ch). I use 20 feet of heavy duty "Monster Cable" with banana plugs at both ends. I do not use Bi-wiring or Bi-amping. I enjoy listening to Jazz from the 40's, 50's, and 60's (Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Vaughan, Holiday, Lee, Eckstine, etc.). If you like Classical or Opera, you will be blown away. If you like listening to your Stereo, and I do; sit back and enjoy. It just doesn't get any better than this! If you like heavy(rattle the walls) bass, I would suggest purchasing a sub-woofer. But at natural listening levels I believe these babies will do you just fine. However, they will play as loud as you want to go. I just don't care to loose any more of my hearing ability. You will hear all the nuances of the music at lower levels. I am still hearing music from my cd's that I never knew was in there. Just be patient and give these speakers a little time to break themselves in. Buy them; I do not see how you could be disappointed.

by Chris, May 24, 2008

Strengths:

Defined highs, accurate mids, natural bass... Perfect for two channel music or surround use, vocal reproduction is outstanding.

Weaknesses:

A little warm in the mid range, but I haven't broken them in completely...

Review:

These speakers are incredibly impressive. Do yourself a favor and buy them. I've only had the pleasure of owning them for a month, but I can testify to a sound that is natural, crisp, and compellingly accurate. I didn't think I'd be able to find speakers of this caliber in their price range, but together I must say they outperform everything in their respective class. The bass response may seem weak at first but placement is key, and a good break-in benefits in more ways than one.

by MUSIC MIKE, January 7, 2010

Strengths:

The cabinet shape, a unique updated look from the typical box shape. The real wood veneer sure beats vinyl. Soundstage is spacious with deep bass and life like mids and highs. don't need a sub.

Weaknesses:

High end is a little harsh, but I find that more noticable with the A5. A little loud for a condo.

Review:

Man, what a bargain. Best speakers I have ever bought, period. Thats compared to other midline entries from Energy,Klipsch or Bose, even Martin Logan. I owned Canadian made PSB floorstanders before and the A7 smoked them side by side.

by Tom, January 17, 2009

Strengths:

Rich, crystal clear sound at all volumes. Excellent fit, finish and build quality. Great response from moderately powered receiver.

Weaknesses:

None.

Review:

It was time for me to upgrade my old Polk Monitor 50's, 30's and CS1. I had been attached to these for quite some time and their performance had been great. But.... I had read so much about the new Polk speaker lines, I had to check it out. I auditioned all of the Polks... LSi, RTi A, and TSi. I also had to check out the other top brands as well. I was fortunate to find a location where I could do this with many different receivers and different power levels. To me, the hands down winner was the RTi A7's. The sound was rich, clear and warm and made me feel like I was listening to live musical performances from the front row or personally planted inside intense action movie scenes. I also felt the speakers really performed very well with power supplied from my modest, but very adequate Denon AVR-2309CI 100 watt per channel receiver. I also felt the Polk speakers demonstrated a sincere dedication to perfect fit and finish. I ended up purchasing the new RTi A7 fronts, a new CSi A6 center, new RTi A1 bookshelf surrounds and new 1200 watt Micro pro 1000 sub. Each one of these components is absolutely excellent! I am astounded at the overall improvement from my old Polk system which I thought was very good.

by Craig, February 3, 2009

Strengths:

Great highs, mid-range is tight and punchy, as well as the bass. I have no need for a sub with these with my setup.

Weaknesses:

Not really a weakness with just these speakers--any speaker with covers sound better without them.

Review:

I have been enjoying the RTi A7 speakers for just over a year now, and they sound better today than when I un-boxed them. I removed the grill cloth from both and the sound just got better. I am running dual power amps with 200 watts to each, and they rock. I love the sound of these so much, I got the RTi A1 speakers for my office at work.

by BILL F, April 28, 2008

Strengths:

I HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED WITH THE BEAUTIFUL FURNITURE GRADE CHERRY FINISH, THE CRYSTAL CLEAR HIGHS AND MIDRANGE, AND ESPECIALLY, THE TIGHT LOW BASS RESPONSE. UNLESS YOU'RE A BASS-HEAD NO SUBWOFFER IS NEEDED FOR MUSIC OR HOME THEATRE.

Weaknesses:

NONE I CAN FIND

Review:

POLK ENGINEERS AND CRAFTSMEN SHOULD BE CONGRATULATED ON THE PERFORMANCE AND VALUE OF THE RTIA7. THIS COULD BE A "CLASSIC" IN THE MAKING FOR POLK.

by Basshead, February 18, 2012

Strengths:

Covers the full frequency spectrum. Incredible clarity at all volumes.

Weaknesses:

You'll need an amp to drive these.

Review:

I don't use my A7s for home theater, but as a musician I can say, they definitely excel at all things music: classical, jazz, techno, dubstep, heavy metal, you name it. The clarity at all volumes is phenomenal. Trebs, mids and bass are all there and will fill out your room, no matter how large. I yet have to discover something these things can't handle with ease. But, as physics suggest, even the A7s can't deliver the bass of a sub. And while the bass is impressive, if you want to actually feel it, you'll have to turn the volume way up. The obvious remedy is a sub. I use the PRO 550wi, which is a killer and worth every penny. It will take the experience of the A7s to a whole new level. My only complaint is efficiency. These things need a lot of power to drive them and even my old Kenwood, a heavy lifter by trade, wasn't up to the task. After struggling to find the perfect match, I finally settled on a 120W per channel true stereo amp. That did the trick. Bottom line, the A7s are incredible for music all kind. If you have an amp to match them. Relationships with you neighbors might suffer as a result.

by gary Kang, May 3, 2008

Strengths:

crisp n detailed highs, strong midrange n a really solid bass thanks to power port plus !

Weaknesses:

None at the moment

Review:

hi i'm from malaysia, just got myself a pair of RTI A7..still havent fully runned in yet but what i can say at this moment is, for me, i felt that i really bought the best value and performance speaker that i can get for this price range. i have auditioned many other speaker from many other reputable makes..in the end i chosed the RTI A7..this pair really rocks ! the sound quality is just amazing..when i listen to them, i just smiled naturally because the music really moved me..not just the sound envelops me, i felt that im a part of the performance too.the bass is as promised- strong, accurate and musical. the RTI A7 is quite a revealing speaker ,so u will need equally good equipment hooked up to these high performance speakers.. i really enjoyed the RTI A7 very much and will be looking forward to many more years of quality music enjoyment.

by Ed, October 2, 2008

Strengths:

Smooth,crisp upper range performance, and impressive bass range for 7.5 inch woofers.

Weaknesses:

None.

Review:

After listening to the A7's for 4 months I can say they have fantastic sound and are an unbeleivable value. Finish is truly furniture grade and the balanced sound is rich regardless of music type, although I listen to mostly rock, jazz and vocals. I'm extremely pleased and should be happy for years to come.

by Rick Malone, February 25, 2010

Strengths:

Crytsal clear ear popping highs. Even toned well balance mid-range. Wall rattling bass w/o subwoofers.

Weaknesses:

None I can hear

Review:

Visually stimulatting as they stand tall next to the 63" flat screen television, playing awesome music videos & projecting the exact sound I've imagined they would. Compliments from from friends and family only validate I made the right purchase in my sound system & these great speakers. Took me 35 years to finally find the best speakers I've ever heard..hopefully the next person won't wait so long. Hat's off to you Polk Audio

by dEk, November 15, 2009

Strengths:

clear highs mid and bass... you won't need a sub for music on this speakers...

Weaknesses:

None..

Review:

i was leaning towards another brand before i heard about polk audio.. but when a friend of mine suggested that i try polk. i never looked back.. the rti series are amazing.. for me its a complete speaker where the sound just kept on bringing smiles to your ears... its just that good.. i'm sure everyone who listened to it could attest to it..

by Craig, January 26, 2008

Strengths:

The highs are crisp and clean, and the bass is tight, and the mid range is punchy.

Weaknesses:

I can't find or hear any weaknesses in these speakers. They are great.

Review:

I did a lot of research before buying a new pair of speakers. I had been using a pair of DCM TF-700 speakers, and thought they sounded great, but the RTiA7 speakers sound amazing. I could not be happier with these Polk Audio speakers.

by Dane, December 26, 2011

Strengths:

Great sound, great build quality, great speaker.

Weaknesses:

My wife hates that we have to listen to movies and music so loudly now.

Review:

Absolutely amazing speakers. Funny thing is that sound quality is awesome but not much better than my TSI 300s that they replaced but much more powerful sound you can feel. Love them. They also look amazing in the living room.

by Ray S, April 5, 2008

Strengths:

Clear, enveloping sound, sharp highs, balanced base. Beautiful build quality, solid construction, and heavy.

Weaknesses:

Not really a weakness per se, but it helps to have a sub for bone-shaking home theater bass (music is great as is)

Review:

After doing a ton of research and listening to many different speakers, I'm glad I found these babies. Excellent for music, great for home theater, particularly when paired with the csia4 or a6 centers.

by Kelvin F, December 28, 2007

Strengths:

Excellent full range speaker. New cabinets seem to really reduce resonance.

Weaknesses:

They are NOT small. Almost 18 inches deep so you'll need room for them.

Review:

This is essentialy the RTi10 redesigned with new enclosures that reduce resonance. They sound great!! I have a pair of RTi70's that sound beautiful still but these sound better. I also have CSi40 center and these integrate with it seamlessly. Awesome midrange with excellent bottom end and crystal clear highs. I listen to almost every genre of music and everything sounds clean and clear. Also a good wide and deep soundstage. Almost no audible resonance. I love the new cabinets.

by Mathieu ST-Pierre, May 30, 2008

Strengths:

Beautifull speaker, great look, very good midrange and solid bass.

Weaknesses:

Big speaker, if you need almost space for them.

Review:

I bought a pair of this baby a one month ago. I'm very impressed about the quality of the sound when i listened music and home theater. The middle is very crisp and very good bass. The performance of the RTIA7 is really depend of the quality of A/V Receiver and the space in to the room.

by Patrick, May 31, 2008

Strengths:

They have the ability to go very loud if you have the power to push them.

Weaknesses:

I think if you want to hit those low sounds such as explosions you do need a sub.

Review:

These speakers are great, and will blow you away literally. They are very very loud. I love them I have had them now for about a month. I have not found anything I do not like about them yet.

by meir cohen-israel, February 6, 2008

Strengths:

real wood.2x7inc woofers gereat bass.no need a subwoofer.

Weaknesses:

not at a

Review:

this speaker is not my first from polkaudio i also have the lsi9 and the rti6 they are gerat. with all the deep respect so them i felt that somthing missing.the rti a7 are an amazing speakers'the bass is very good and the mid is puncy. iam a stereo fan and the rti a7 are great to music! iread someone wrote that those speakers are great to HT and less for music. well,i dont agree at all!! the rti A7 are great for music as much to HT.another gerat speaker from polkaudio.

by Carlos, May 31, 2008

Strengths:

Great Bass, impresive higs. The overall is just perfect

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

Wow!!! these speakers are great for music, great for movies, I´m not using my sub anymore.

by Mohd Fakhrul, November 14, 2008

Strengths:

supere clear sound and impresive bass even i not turn on my subwoofer

Weaknesses:

who think this speaker have a weakness i think they have problem with sound listening

Review:

i bought this speaker 1 month ago and this speaker very good sound, i never have speaker like this before, my previous speaker was JBL ATX60. i recomanded to everybody to test this speaker and you can judge by your own self... wow....

by Desmond, October 31, 2009

Strengths:

Very clear not fatiguing. I find them to be more natural than the A5's.

Weaknesses:

Quiet large, still look good though.

Review:

Simply amazing!! These are some very nice sonding speakers. I replaced my RT800's with a set od RTi A5's. They sounded good but were not much of an upgrade. The A7's went on sale and I returned the A5's and could not be happier. I think having the 6inch driver crossed over higher and leaving the 7inch woofers to do the bass really helped this speaker. The A7's seem to be clearer than the A5's. Hard to explain, but listening is less fatiguing.

by shaun merton, December 5, 2007

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Review:

I purchases 2 pair already And I will be purchasing another pair The RTiA7s are the best speakers i every heard no words can describe them I recommend them highly

by Norm, December 13, 2007

Strengths:

Very clean sound, great lows, mids and highs.

Weaknesses:

I want to spend too much time listening to them and I almost don't need my sub anymore.

Review:

The cabinets on these speakers are so well designed there is no resonance at all- very good looking too. The sound quality is amazing, the mids and highs are so clear and life-like. It's very hard to describe the lows due to the fact the bass can be very tight yet rattle the walls.

by Ryan M., March 11, 2008

Strengths:

Excellent build quality, no resonance at all, with deep punchy and wall rattling bass. Highs are crystal clear and life-life. Like no other.

Weaknesses:

A little power hungry, but excellent none the less. The only real weakness are very low notes, which can be fixed by adding a sub.

Review:

These are by far the best speakers i've ever owned. These are a gigantic step up from my E-78 Cerwin Vega Bookshelf Speakers. I can say without a doubt that I am satisfied in every way. When I first installed these in my system, I was at first concerned with low end bass and I can now say I am not disappointed. Me and my wife watched a movie with these and she actually told me to turn off the sub when it wasnt even connected!! Polk has converted me and I will stick with them for a while now.

by Andy G, April 9, 2008

Strengths:

You hear these musicians playing in your living room and you wonder how the heck they got in without you noticing.

Weaknesses:

If I have to say a weakness, well, I'll think about it and come up with something.

Review:

I bought a pair of these a few months ago. I am very impressed. WOW. Now I can sooner do without a lot of things than these speakers. I'm a hopeless addict now :^)

by Mike Gough, May 19, 2008

Strengths:

An excellent full range speaker. Low frequencies have never sounded as clean and tight.

Weaknesses:

Haven't found any yet!

Review:

Could not be more pleased. The RTi A7's meet and beat all of my expectations. I have had these speakers for 6 months now and they still amaze me!

by Mike Latendresse, October 7, 2008

Strengths:

The design and quality of built is much better than many other components of higher prices. The overall sound is quite performing.

Weaknesses:

Should have two small mid range speakers instead of a big one only to emphasize even more de high frequencies.

Review:

I listened to it in the store with an average amplifier. It sounded like an average speaker. I presumed by looking at it that it must sound quite differently with an excellent amplifier. I connected to it a Harmon Kardon Citation II. The whole house wanted to move on the vibrations. The bass is deep warm and it has good highs although it may need silver wiring to get the most out of it.

by Luciano Nunes, December 15, 2011

Strengths:

Sound quality

Weaknesses:

Firts days the sound is poor, but after several hours of use, the sound is simply explendid.

Review:

I?m from Portugal, so I will say it in Portuguese. Adquiri um par de colunas RTI A7 e estou simplesmente maravilhado com a qualidade sonora. No inicio o som n?o era bem o que eu esperava, mas passado algumas semanas de uso o som foi melhorando e hoje tem uma qualidade exelente. Aconselho vivamente.

by Jay, May 2, 2012

Strengths:

Everything. The sound is amazing and they look good too!

Weaknesses:

I have to be at home to listen to them.

Review:

I've had these speakers about a year now and I couldn't be happier with their performance. Even at the 125W per channel pumped out by my Denon AVR-3311CI the sound stays crystal clear all the way up to multiple-neighbors-calling-the-police volume.. I can't imagine how loud they would be with 300W per channel. The bass is super tight, the lower-mid punch is perfect, the highs are crisp, and all frequencies are clean and balanced. A sub will definitely help with really low frequency sounds in movies but I no longer use my sub when listening to music because these have such a full rich sound on their own. If these speakers are in your price range - BUY THEM. You won't regret it.

by AC, May 19, 2012

Strengths:

They play all kinds of music very well. Cabinet workmanship is impeccable.

Weaknesses:

They could have used better quality binding posts. Get rid of the plastic knobs.

Review:

I have to say the RTi/A7's are fantastic.They have lots of energy and are very dynamic. I would put these speakers up against anything under 10K and they would give them a run for their money. They have it all, three dimensional, well balanced and correlation free mid bass, and a tight rock solid bottom end.These are a true hidden gem. If you are looking for new speakers these are well worth a listen.

by Brian, August 12, 2012

Strengths:

good sound, good looks

Weaknesses:

like i said my tweeters popped, I have never had a set of speakers blown in my life, but these are shot. Haven't had feedback as to why?

Review:

a good speaker, I thought they were great but my tweeters popped at the same time, after a year of use.

by Tom Chavez III, December 29, 2012

Strengths:

Able to handle the power of my Denon 3311ci...

Weaknesses:

None that I came across

Review:

Wow!! Love these speakers! A 500% improvement over what I had...love the midrange and the bass...the styling and size of these speakers make for a perfect fit to my living room space and they complement my Denon setup perfectly!!!! All I need now from Polk are surrounds!!!

by Steve Weichel, December 1, 2008

Strengths:

These speakers have a beautiful cherry finish. The sound is very clean.

Weaknesses:

I don't get alot of bass unless I turn the volume up. I would recommend an amp.

Review:

I use these mostly for home theater and they are wonderful. I love the curved shape of the speaker. They look and sound great.

by john cicero arciaga, November 19, 2010

Strengths:

once ive decided to take this model firing I was surprised by its soundstage! deep exhilarating bass!vocals are PLACIDONIC DOMINGONIC!

Weaknesses:

must decide its placement earlier , visited gym just to pleasure myself of moving it ! :-)

Review:

used to have a polk monitors as a heirloom, these are amazing vintage, but after the bloody flooding havoc in PI, cabinets were beyond repair and have to let go to my younger bro! decided to move on with the same brand that most impresses me by its soundstage experienced. killer looks!esp when grills are off...well built & structured probably could hand this down to my grandsons. polks could gurantee a customer for life on me!

by sergio.Argentina, October 11, 2011

Strengths:

la limpieza de sonido, brillo cuando se necesita y bajos profundos con gran definici?n.

Weaknesses:

es dificil dejar de escucharlos!!!

Review:

esperaba con gran expectativa la llegada de mis rti A7. me parecen unos parlantes fant?sticos, sobre todo para la m?sica ac?stica, suena muy natural y definida !

by Brian, August 22, 2012

Strengths:

Warm sound, smooth highs, good bass.

Weaknesses:

Veneers are a bit soft and susceptible to dings. Not super efficient so they are pretty power hungry.

Review:

Love my RTI A7's. Sound great, look great, what else is there?

by Brian, September 3, 2012

Strengths:

perfect cabinet and finish very nice highs and tight bass

Weaknesses:

blew my first midrange but was replaced with no argument

Review:

Avery nice and well built speaker the finish of these speakers is flawless and this speaker will go loud you may not need a sub but i do like to feel my movies so i added a sub polk gives you more for your money than any other maker

by Tom, April 29, 2013

Strengths:

Very balanced , can handle every music type you want

Weaknesses:

In israel the price is higher then in america

Review:

The best speaker in this price range, just amazing speakers!!!!

HomeTheaterReview.com

"...Very much like the A9, the RTi A7 delivers a forward, immediate sound quality that delivers a sharp attack and plenty of body. They threw a very deep and wide soundstage with plenty of imaging outside of the speakers, and crisp outlines. The treble sounded a little edgier than the A9, but retained just enough smoothness to keep it in stride. The midrange offered very good clarity and speed, with a natural character that lent itself to voices, in particular...The Polk RTi A7 offers a lot of value for its very affordable price. It sounds dynamic, crisp, and lively, utilizes lots of premium technology and looks great..."

[ Open Review ]

HiFiReviews.com

“… these are some of best, most well rounded, warmest and all round kick ass floor standing speakers I’ve ever had the pleasure to listen to.

…we found them to have extremely accurate reproduction with a great warm sound, the RTI A7s have great stereo field imaging and as near to zero distortion as I’ve heard on systems in this price bracket (and to be honest in speakers a lot more expensive that shall remain nameless).

We were beyond impressed with these speakers, they are incredible value for money and if you have the means I highly recommend picking up a pair. You will not be disappointed.”
 

[ Open Review ]