RTi A7's to RTi A9's w/ XPA-3? - Blu-ray Forum

ls7z06 · 10-12-2009, 04:17 AM

I am getting closer and closer to pulling the trigger on upgrading my A7's to A9's. My receiver is 140W rated and drives my current A7's pretty well. I keep wondering if the 50-500W rated A9's will fall flat on their face without external power added. Then I would be looking at an Emotiva XPA-3, and would run all 3 of my fronts through it with 200W per channel and let my Onk run the surrounds. Hate to spend the cash on the amp unless I really have to. Appreciate any experience with this set up.

ZedsDead · 10-12-2009, 04:43 AM

Well what I would do if I was you is get the a9's if you have found a good deal on them. If there isn't a good deal pressing you could just wait to upgrade as with the holidays coming up a discount is sure to pop up. In the meantime you could grab the xpa-3 and use it to power your a7's. Chances are you will notice an improvement and it may satisfy you enough so you're not itching to buy the a9's right away.

Really nice setup by the way.

JasonR · 10-12-2009, 04:55 AM

I have never found upgrading within the same line of speakers to be much of an upgrade. Maybe time to look into the LSi line or a different manufacturer altogether.

-DLS- · 10-12-2009, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JasonR

I have never found upgrading within the same line of speakers to be much of an upgrade. Maybe time to look into the LSi line or a different manufacturer altogether.

I agree with Jason.. I don't think it'll be a big difference going up to the 9's and would probably be best just getting the amp for the RTiA7's. That would be the cheapest way to improve your system which is very nice by the way, unless you want to spend a more on another set of speakers.

Hammie · 10-12-2009, 03:49 PM

What are you hoping to gain with the A9's that your A7's are lacking?

I've read the A7's are the sweet spot in the RTi line right now. I think you may gain more with the XPA amp than the speaker upgrade.

mdabb · 10-13-2009, 02:19 AM

How much are the a9's, isn't that series pricier ??? Would separates interest you ??? Definitely check out other brands if you are thinking about upgrading speakers !!! You might like something else even more, or simply find out that it's time for a new flavor

But if you love what you hear check out separates for sure !!!

Big Daddy · 10-13-2009, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JasonR

I have never found upgrading within the same line of speakers to be much of an upgrade. Maybe time to look into the LSi line or a different manufacturer altogether.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DLS_222

I agree with Jason.. I don't think it'll be a big difference going up to the 9's and would probably be best just getting the amp for the RTiA7's. That would be the cheapest way to improve your system which is very nice by the way, unless you want to spend a more on another set of speakers.

I have a feeling you do not fully understand the meaning and implications of the upgrade-itis virus. Once you become infected with this illogical virus, you will worry nonstop clicking on the Internet, lose sleep, ignore your partner, friends, and children until UPS or FedEx delivers the goods and you begin to have self doubt again and start worring about the next upgrade or tweak. The whole point of this addiction is the urge to upgrade for no apparent reason.

ls7z06 · 10-13-2009, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

I have a feeling you do not fully understand the meaning and implications of the upgrade-itis virus. Once you become infected with this illogical virus, you will worry nonstop clicking on the Internet, lose sleep, ignore your partner, friends, and children until UPS or FedEx delivers the goods and you begin to have self doubt again and start worring about the next upgrade or tweak. The whole point of this addiction is the urge to upgrade for no apparent reason.

Big D- Sounds like you been spying on me. Only thing I disagree with is "for no apparent reason". There is always an apparent reason to me. It's just everybody else that thinks I am a freak. Here are my completely reasonable motivators for my next round of upgrades.....
1- The A9's are big, huge monsters and LOOK intimidating.
2- Most folks argue that the A9's have a better midrange than the A9's. I agree.
3- If you are going to have the RTi series, you might as well have the best.
4- It gives me a good reason to start experimenting with separate amps.
5- I will then have an extra set of A7's to move into the family room.
6- And did I mention they are big , huge monsters that look intimidating?

See there.... Completely logical! and very necessary!!

solarrdadd · 10-13-2009, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls7z06

I am getting closer and closer to pulling the trigger on upgrading my A7's to A9's. My receiver is 140W rated and drives my current A7's pretty well. I keep wondering if the 50-500W rated A9's will fall flat on their face without external power added. Then I would be looking at an Emotiva XPA-3, and would run all 3 of my fronts through it with 200W per channel and let my Onk run the surrounds. Hate to spend the cash on the amp unless I really have to. Appreciate any experience with this set up.

howdy fellow polk fan. you see what i'm using for my front 3 (actually all 7 of my speakers are polk but that's another story) 5 of my 7 which includes my front 3 are powered by a XPA-5. let me tell you, there is plenty of speaker left in your current speakers! i highly recommend you upgrade to the XPA-3, get some good matching speaker wire for your front 3 (if you don't already)and let the good times roll!

I often though about if i had the RTi12's but once i got that amp my RTi10's and my CSi5 opened up like crazy (not the blue type

, well maybe!) my Onkyo is rated at 130wpc but it doesn't come close to the power, the head room the ability to force some of that hidden sound out of those speakers that my Emo amp does.

trust me, you won't even have to "crank it up" too much either, you'll be rolling in great sound. our speakers are so similar i think i can speak from true experience about what i'm telling you. you want this, you need this!

best of luck!

solarrdadd · 10-13-2009, 03:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by louhamilton

What are you hoping to gain with the A9's that your A7's are lacking?

I've read the A7's are the sweet spot in the RTi line right now. I think you may gain more with the XPA amp than the speaker upgrade.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DLS_222

I agree with Jason.. I don't think it'll be a big difference going up to the 9's and would probably be best just getting the amp for the RTiA7's. That would be the cheapest way to improve your system which is very nice by the way, unless you want to spend a more on another set of speakers.

i agree with both of these fine fellows

ls7z06 · 10-19-2009, 03:38 AM

OK. Based on the great advise here, I am ditching the idea to get the RTi A9's. Instead, I am getting and Emotiva XPA-3 and plugging my 3 front channels into it and will let my Onkyo run my surrounds and rear surrounds. That takes care of the HT room. I really do think I am done with that for a while. Honest.

Since I now won't have the 7's to move from my HT room to my family room, I ordered a set of cherry LSi9's, cherry 24" stands, an Emotiva UPA-2 185w amp, an Oppo disk player for SACD's, and a Wadia 170i for lossless iPod downloads. I will use a retired Onkyo TX-SR806 for a preamp. I am also running a zone 2, 2 channel set up direct from the Onkyo AVR to the bedroom where I will use a set of retired RTi A1's.

Now if UPS would just hurry up and get me the goods!

MADNOD · 10-19-2009, 07:02 AM

having RTI A9 i can tell u that these speakers are great, but they obviously need power in order for their woofers to come to live. that's why i am planning to have external amps soon.

as for the RTI A series VS LSI, the RTI A are better home theater speakers while the LSI are more into the music domain, so really the best HT speakers in POLK are the RTI A9.

as for the RTI A towers, the RTI A 7 is the worst one, people prefer either the RTI A5 or 9, the A7 lacks in the mid range. go to polk forum and do some readings.

ls7z06 · 10-19-2009, 12:40 PM

If my RTi A7's become unbarable, I can always get the 9's. I actually don't need the the big bass performance of the 9's since I have a great sub. I have auditioned all 3 RTi towers side by side. I really don't think the 7's are as bad as you say and I think it has a lot to do with power. I thought the 5's were the weakest. I thought both the 7's and 9's sounded fine but I did think the 7's sounded cleaner and a bit more realistic. I think the 9's advantage is primarily bass. As far as the Polk forum goes, I think I have read every thread there. People usually say whatever they happen to own is the best one. I can't wait to see what happens when I throw more power at my 7's. Believe me.... If they do not sound excellent, I will replace them.

MADNOD · 10-19-2009, 08:02 PM

actually i heard the RTI A7 and A9 side by side (never heard the A5), the setup at the dealer was having denon amp connected to the AVR, the A9s sounded slightly better and fuller from a dynamic range perspective and they really have more presence (this can be a negative for some people), in teh audition room the PSW125 (my first woofer choice) was getting dominated by the front speakers. i know that this is because the speakers were not fully optimized but that was an indication of the low range power of these speakers.

To tell u the truth i was attracted to the A9s because of their size and the feedbacks on the polk forum confirming their superiority over the A7s in a HT environment.

after all, speakers are a long term investement and they don't get obsolete like other AV equipments, so i opted for the A9s over the A7s,

anyway i am sure that with an amp the A7s will sound great, the RTI A series likes power.

ls7z06 · 10-20-2009, 12:49 AM

I don't really look at speakers as a long term commitment! If I don't like them or grow tired of them, or get an urge to try something different... I do. This would be a boring hobby for me if I were stuck with the same stuff. The fun for me is the quest to experiment and improve the result. AND this is such a personal taste thing. Some folks like deep, full and heavy sounding stuff. Some like very sharp and tight sound. When I listen, I ask myself if it is a perfect representation of a live performance. That is my ultimate goal. So I may end up with A9's or I may end up with all LSi's.... and I am also getting very interested in everything I read about the Paradigm Signature S8's. That looks like a serious speaker!

MADNOD · 10-20-2009, 06:27 PM

i live in Qatar so my choice of speakers is limited, i doubt that i am going to change my speakers for the incoming 5 years at least , i invested around 12K$ on my HT setup so far, if i keep spending money on the same type of gears it's going to be an issue (the WIFE factor is present as well).

my next step is going to be a 3D capable projector with a 140" plus diagonal size,

any way all what i was trying is to give my feedback based on my opinion, so enjoy your setup.

incloud · 12-26-2013, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

I have a feeling you do not fully understand the meaning and implications of the upgrade-itis virus. Once you become infected with this illogical virus, you will worry nonstop clicking on the Internet, lose sleep, ignore your partner, friends, and children until UPS or FedEx delivers the goods and you begin to have self doubt again and start worring about the next upgrade or tweak. The whole point of this addiction is the urge to upgrade for no apparent reason.

Had to join and say; "I am going through that right now"

Trying desperately to pick speakers, amp and cables while saving money over holiday. Nerve racking...

10-12-2009, 04:17 AM	#1
ls7z06 Active Member Member since:Aug 2009	RTi A7's to RTi A9's w/ XPA-3? I am getting closer and closer to pulling the trigger on upgrading my A7's to A9's. My receiver is 140W rated and drives my current A7's pretty well. I keep wondering if the 50-500W rated A9's will fall flat on their face without external power added. Then I would be looking at an Emotiva XPA-3, and would run all 3 of my fronts through it with 200W per channel and let my Onk run the surrounds. Hate to spend the cash on the amp unless I really have to. Appreciate any experience with this set up.

10-19-2009, 08:02 PM	#14
MADNOD Active Member Member since:Aug 2008 Location:Doha, Qatar Blu-ray collection:125	actually i heard the RTI A7 and A9 side by side (never heard the A5), the setup at the dealer was having denon amp connected to the AVR, the A9s sounded slightly better and fuller from a dynamic range perspective and they really have more presence (this can be a negative for some people), in teh audition room the PSW125 (my first woofer choice) was getting dominated by the front speakers. i know that this is because the speakers were not fully optimized but that was an indication of the low range power of these speakers. To tell u the truth i was attracted to the A9s because of their size and the feedbacks on the polk forum confirming their superiority over the A7s in a HT environment. after all, speakers are a long term investement and they don't get obsolete like other AV equipments, so i opted for the A9s over the A7s, anyway i am sure that with an amp the A7s will sound great, the RTI A series likes power. Last edited by MADNOD; 10-19-2009 at 08:05 PM.

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10-12-2009, 04:43 AM	#2
ZedsDead Senior Member Member since:Jul 2009 Home Theater Gallery:28 Blu-ray collection:94	Well what I would do if I was you is get the a9's if you have found a good deal on them. If there isn't a good deal pressing you could just wait to upgrade as with the holidays coming up a discount is sure to pop up. In the meantime you could grab the xpa-3 and use it to power your a7's. Chances are you will notice an improvement and it may satisfy you enough so you're not itching to buy the a9's right away. Really nice setup by the way.

10-12-2009, 04:55 AM	#3
JasonR Super Moderator Top contributor Member since:Nov 2007 Trading Score:12	I have never found upgrading within the same line of speakers to be much of an upgrade. Maybe time to look into the LSi line or a different manufacturer altogether.

10-12-2009, 03:49 PM	#5
Hammie Blu-ray Champion Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:May 2008 Location:Washington, DC Metro Home Theater Gallery:53 Blu-ray collection:545 DVD collection:12 Trading Score:12	What are you hoping to gain with the A9's that your A7's are lacking? I've read the A7's are the sweet spot in the RTi line right now. I think you may gain more with the XPA amp than the speaker upgrade.

10-13-2009, 02:19 AM	#6
mdabb Power Member Member since:Jan 2008 Trading Score:1	How much are the a9's, isn't that series pricier ??? Would separates interest you ??? Definitely check out other brands if you are thinking about upgrading speakers !!! You might like something else even more, or simply find out that it's time for a new flavor But if you love what you hear check out separates for sure !!!

10-19-2009, 03:38 AM	#11
ls7z06 Active Member Member since:Aug 2009	OK. Based on the great advise here, I am ditching the idea to get the RTi A9's. Instead, I am getting and Emotiva XPA-3 and plugging my 3 front channels into it and will let my Onkyo run my surrounds and rear surrounds. That takes care of the HT room. I really do think I am done with that for a while. Honest. Since I now won't have the 7's to move from my HT room to my family room, I ordered a set of cherry LSi9's, cherry 24" stands, an Emotiva UPA-2 185w amp, an Oppo disk player for SACD's, and a Wadia 170i for lossless iPod downloads. I will use a retired Onkyo TX-SR806 for a preamp. I am also running a zone 2, 2 channel set up direct from the Onkyo AVR to the bedroom where I will use a set of retired RTi A1's. Now if UPS would just hurry up and get me the goods!

10-19-2009, 07:02 AM	#12
MADNOD Active Member Member since:Aug 2008 Location:Doha, Qatar Blu-ray collection:125	having RTI A9 i can tell u that these speakers are great, but they obviously need power in order for their woofers to come to live. that's why i am planning to have external amps soon. as for the RTI A series VS LSI, the RTI A are better home theater speakers while the LSI are more into the music domain, so really the best HT speakers in POLK are the RTI A9. as for the RTI A towers, the RTI A 7 is the worst one, people prefer either the RTI A5 or 9, the A7 lacks in the mid range. go to polk forum and do some readings.

10-19-2009, 12:40 PM	#13
ls7z06 Active Member Member since:Aug 2009	If my RTi A7's become unbarable, I can always get the 9's. I actually don't need the the big bass performance of the 9's since I have a great sub. I have auditioned all 3 RTi towers side by side. I really don't think the 7's are as bad as you say and I think it has a lot to do with power. I thought the 5's were the weakest. I thought both the 7's and 9's sounded fine but I did think the 7's sounded cleaner and a bit more realistic. I think the 9's advantage is primarily bass. As far as the Polk forum goes, I think I have read every thread there. People usually say whatever they happen to own is the best one. I can't wait to see what happens when I throw more power at my 7's. Believe me.... If they do not sound excellent, I will replace them.

10-20-2009, 12:49 AM	#15
ls7z06 Active Member Member since:Aug 2009	I don't really look at speakers as a long term commitment! If I don't like them or grow tired of them, or get an urge to try something different... I do. This would be a boring hobby for me if I were stuck with the same stuff. The fun for me is the quest to experiment and improve the result. AND this is such a personal taste thing. Some folks like deep, full and heavy sounding stuff. Some like very sharp and tight sound. When I listen, I ask myself if it is a perfect representation of a live performance. That is my ultimate goal. So I may end up with A9's or I may end up with all LSi's.... and I am also getting very interested in everything I read about the Paradigm Signature S8's. That looks like a serious speaker!

10-20-2009, 06:27 PM	#16
MADNOD Active Member Member since:Aug 2008 Location:Doha, Qatar Blu-ray collection:125	i live in Qatar so my choice of speakers is limited, i doubt that i am going to change my speakers for the incoming 5 years at least , i invested around 12K$ on my HT setup so far, if i keep spending money on the same type of gears it's going to be an issue (the WIFE factor is present as well). my next step is going to be a 3D capable projector with a 140" plus diagonal size, any way all what i was trying is to give my feedback based on my opinion, so enjoy your setup.

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