Polk Audio Monitor Speaker: Sep 29, 2008

Product Description

Why settle for vinyl speakers when you can have the warmth and beauty of real wood at the same price, with speakers from the new RTi A Series. They incorporate Polk Audio's latest Dynamic Balance Cone drivers and 1-inch tweeters, with an asymmetric cabinet design that's as beautiful for the way it controls resonance and increases cabinet rigidity as for the way it lends an elegant touch to any décor. The result is classic Polk performance in a design that speaks to today's high-end home décor. The RTi A1 features the latest generation of Dynamic Balance polymer composite drivers for smooth wide-range response with low distortion. PowerPort bass venting gives superior clean, low distortion bass that you can really feel. PowerPort vastly reduces "chuffing" or "port noise" and provides more powerful lower distortion bass than conventional designs. Butyl rubber surrounds for high performance durability /Acoustically inert stamped driver baskets Floating anti-diffraction grilles minimize grille diffraction for spacious, 3-dimensional imaging Driver Complement - Midrange - One 5-1/4 Diameter (13.34cm)Polymer Composite Dynamic Balance with rubber surround / Tweeter - One 1 Diameter (2.54cm) Silk Polymer Composite Dome Overall Frequency Response 50Hz-27kHz / Lower -3dB Limit 60Hz /Upper -3dB Limit 26kHz / Nominal Impedance 8 ohms Recommended Amplifier Power - 20-125 w/channel / Efficiency 89 dB / Inputs 5-way binding posts Cabinet Size (HxWxD) - 12 x 7-3/8 x 11-1/2 inches (30.48 x 18.73 x 29.21cm ) Enclosure Type - Vented with PowerPort and Arc Port Polk Audio Speaker Warranty - 5 years parts and labor (original purchaser)

Product Details

Color: Cherry
Brand: Polk Audio
Model: AM1172-A
Dimensions: 7.00" h x 12.00" w x 11.50" l, 15.00 pounds

Features

Pair of real wood bookshelf speakers with all MDF construction and resonance-free enclosures
Equipped with one 5.25-inch dynamic balance mineral/polymer composite cone driver
Features Power Port technology to reduce "chuffing" or "port noise"
Equipped with one 1-inch silk/polymer composite dome tweeter
Features a neodynium magnet, low viscosity ferro-fluid cooling, and a heat sink on the back of the magnet

Customer Reviews

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.

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.

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.