Polk Audio RTI A1 Bookshelf Speakers (Pair, Cherry)
See it at Amazon.com for $299.95Average Customer Rating
(5.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
Most Helpful First | Newest First (5 out of 5)amazing
i have had these in just over a week and with the hours i have played them i would say that i am entering the break in stage. right out of the box they sounded a little bright, now they sound a little more laid back and smoother. most reviewers on here pair their speakers with a receiver and a sub. i would suggest that you use neither. in stereo i would suggest you use more superior hardware to get more from these gems,such as a good amp,a preamp and a good cd player,or turntable. now for my review.i listened to the polks well into the late hours of the night each night. as my preamp and amp got warmer the polks fell deeper into the sound stage as the sound stage got wider. i turned the lights off and i was conviced they were full range speakers.from the sometimes thunderous bottom end to realistic midband and the smooth highs.as the hours went on i plunged deeper into my cd collection,and the sound stopped comming from the speakers and were placed in locations in the air between and the outer edges the speakers. when i kept on looking at each speaker it did not appear that sound was comming from them. this has happened to me before on a larger scale with my legacy signatures (130lbs each beasts , a little over five feet tall and almost 4grand more).will downing's pleasures of the night (cd) is my usual reference cd for male voices and his voice came so close to me in that center stage i know i could have slapped him if i had reached out my hand. maxwell's cd embroya is my bottom end test cd and wow the gut they had was tremendous. i continued to listen to more cds from jazz to some classic r&b and classical and they got better and better. i love'm. and by the way did i say they were a very good looking pair of speakers.
(5 out of 5)Beautiful aesthetics and unbelievable performance at a remarkable price
I also own the previous generation RTi6 bookshelf speakers by Polk and was able to do a direct comparison. The 6s have larger drivers so their slight mid-bass advantage is to be expected, but in all other ways the RTi A1 is an improvement. The sound projects further outside of the cabinets, or rather the cabinets disappear and throw a great, wide sound-field outward. Instruments sound like they should, male voices aren't nasal or chesty, and the highs are soothing rather than sibilant and tinny (as the previous RTis could get under pressure). I have never heard a speaker this nice at a price this low.
(5 out of 5)Great sound at a great price
These speakers sound great and look really good, too. I can tell they are made of quality materials, as they feel very solid. The speakers are very clear and I love watching movies even more now. They provide adequate bass, and are very clear in the higher frequencies. Even my wife said that these sound much better than the JBL satellite speakers I was using. Polk Audio made a great, affordable product.
(4 out of 5)Review of RTI A1 with Technics SA-DA10 receiver
I bought these speakers less than a week ago so they have not been broken in yet. I listened to them at the Austin area Frye's as they are configured in the home theater room. I believe the higher end CS center channel was used as well as the larger $299 subwoofer (all Polk). I don't recall the rear channel speakers. That said, these sounded great!
Now that I have them at home with my receiver (5 x 100 watts/channel), I can tell that I need a subwoofer. Also, don't leave them on the floor because they will not sound good.
The cabinet is well constructed cherry veneer. The highs sound natural and not tinny. Right now I use my Ipod primarily as music source fed through reciever (Onkyo cradle).
Overall, very good sounding speaker and great look for my apartment. You don't have to turn them up very much and the sound just carries throughout the apartment at a very good volume.
I'll provide a better commentary in a week when I go back to pick up the cherry PSW-10 sub.
(5 out of 5)Polk Audio RTI A1 Bookshelf Speakers (Pair, Cherry)
I've owned these speakers for about a month now. I am very happy with the sound and the finish. The bass is a little thin, but no more so than any other bookshelf speaker this size. I think these are a good value.