Polk Audio RTiA1 High Performance Bookshelf Loudspeaker, 5.25" Mid/Woofer, 50Hz-27kHz Frequency Response, 8 Ohms Impedance, Pair, Black

2018-11-24T19:00:00

have had these for a year now and I thought I'd say they are excellent...the sound is crisp and clear..bass is weak but that is what subs are for...appearance is pleasing to the eye. Now they are 40% off..great deal...$200 for a pair!! Using these as surround back speakers...produces a immersive sound field!

dharper003

Originally posted at

2017-08-19T20:00:00

Purchased on sale for my living room hifi setup. After listening for a month - I can say that it meets all of my expectations for a small bookshelf. Its front ported so that bookshelf itself is not reverberating. The highs and bass is good enough for my needs. I'm using an entry level NAD to power theses speakers and the sound is pure bliss. The aesthetics with cherry color is beautiful. I'm glad I went with these and did not spent several times more. Just make sure you use a good clean amp to go with these.

musica

Originally posted at

2017-06-09T08:48:31

Excellent, great sound for the price and nice looking.

DUC H.

2016-12-01T13:10:57

very good speakers with the price, sounds great combine denon

HAN N.

2016-11-24T12:39:56

The RtiA1 is a step up from Polk's TSX speakers. Its more detailed and clearer. Also you can't complain about the price. It was practically a steal. I would definitely recommend.

Olusegun O.

2016-10-27T20:00:00

I bought these speakers about 5 months ago, and I am truly amazed at how musical they are each and every time I play them. The clarity and beautiful upper and mid-range frequencies allow the listener to hear all the little nuances in a song that only a high quality speaker can deliver. To my ears, they outperform my KEF Q100s, my Paradigm Min Monitors, v7, and my Axiom M3s, v4. I have already gifted the Axioms to my ex-wife and soon will be gifting the KEFs to my daughter and her new husband. I want to emphasize that all of these brands are good speakers with their own unique signature sound, but I have found the Polk Rtia1 speakers to be my favorite. I know that good sound can be subjective to a degree, but I believe that the engineers at Polk have truly hit the "sweet spot" with these speakers and that these speakers would appeal to the majority of listeners. Maybe, bass heads would prefer deeper base, but then, that is the case with most bookshelf speakers. Thank you, Polk, for making a quality product at an affordable price!

TwitorTweet

Originally posted at

2016-09-08T20:00:00

I wish I could give these speakers 10 stars; that is how impressed I am with them. I have owned a few so-called good bookshelf speakers including the Elac B5's, Pioneer BS-22's, and Cerwin-Vega. These are the best by far, especially when you consider the price. The B5's were over-hyped and the Pioneers are better for home theater applications than they are for music so I kept them for that purpose. But the Polk Audio RTi A1's are stuck with me for life! Plus, they are so sexy! I have never, ever heard a speaker with a 5.25 inch woofer that performs with the clarity, balance, and controlled bass that these have, and I have had a lot of speaker systems in my time -- big and small. These are mind-blowing "musical instruments" that are posing as speakers. I am in the process of ordering the RTi A3's even as I write this review, and I am going to use my Pioneer CS-R790-K floor speakers as stands for these babies.

Melanic K.

Originally posted at

2016-03-22T20:00:00

A couple of weeks ago i ordered this spekears as i red too many good reviews about it. They really sound cool with a Denon PMA 720, very detail bass, fantastic mid and high. And their beautyfull too. Good job Polk ! Greetings from Italy.

Davebarr

Originally posted at

2016-01-03T12:33:27

Don't know yet due to order being drop shipped sometime in the future.

JOHN B.

2015-12-24T00:51:03

These RTIA1 are reviewed in Stereophile and all that they said there is correct (do search). For the money, especially when on sale, they are a good value. To me the high end is *almost* too exaggerated and this will show in some recordings. This can at times make the midrange seem a little weak. Speakers this size never have enough bass IMO so I run with small musical subwoofers to complement the low end. Overall I am very happy with them. I think they sound a little better than the infinity primus equivalents and the cabinets/build is higher quality but the polks also cost more.

DAVID R.

2015-12-06T19:00:00

I can't say enough good things about this speaker, which I've now had for three years. I've got a small to medium-sized listening room. They're sitting a few feet from the wall and I'm 8-10 feet back from them, with the dome at ear level. I bi-amp them, which they do benefit from even if you have plenty of amplification at your disposal. The crossover frequency between these and my sub-woofer is 75 Hz, which sounds low, but I find that anything above that detracts from the wonderful soundstage these can create. They do everything justice, truly everything. SACD's, good chrome tapes, vinyl. Classical, rock, acoustic, alternative, especially well-recorded jazz. Some things to be aware of: -They aren't "bookshelf" speakers, unless you have big bookshelves. -If you have big bookshelves, still just put them on stands because they need room to breathe. Putting them closer to the wall will exaggerate the bass. -Definitely pair them with a sub. As with most small, ported cabinets, the very low end of its response range is imprecise. -If you primarily listen to music recorded in stereo, put the sub-woofer in the center of the speakers, not on the side. The lowest frequencies that this speaker can faithfully reproduce are not quite low enough to entirely lose their directional nature, so by putting the sub in the center (where most engineers put their low content anyhow) you will have a relatively seamless and at times inaudible transition between the two. -I wouldn't call them neutral. The mid-bass is slightly exaggerated, as are presence and sibilance. That said, this is typical of most consumer-level speakers, and in this model it is done with great taste. -You'll know when you're listening to poorly-engineered music, which isn't a feeling everyone is used to. A word about my background: Lots of FOH and monitor mixing, theater tech, instrumental performance, and a bit of recording thrown in there. Even spending most of my time around professional equipment, I can come home and enjoy listening to these. Can I tell a difference? Of course. They're not a $10,000 pair of monitors. But that isn't their intention. You'll love them. Just take the time to feed them properly, bi-amp them, set them in the right location, and set the crossover properly. That's half the battle; the speakers do the rest of the work.

192k32b

Originally posted at

2015-05-22T20:00:00

The pure sound at all sound levels and frequencies was incredible. I owned 4 of these for five years and had tobsellnthem. Imintendbto hut four more of the RTaa1's as soon as possible.

Artchie

Originally posted at

2015-05-04T20:00:00

I bought these about 6 mo. ago to replace a pair of Polk RTi4's that I use as my rear speakers. I bought these to pair with the RTiA7's in the front. I thought the i4's were good, but these blow those away. They are relatively similar in features but my system just seemed to come alive when I hooked up the A1's. Couldn't be happier and they fact that I bought them for 1/2 price just made it sweeter! Powering the system is Onkyo TX NR 808 (Bi-amped, center is Polk CSi4, with a Polk PSW 505 Sub. Anyone looking to upgrade or start a system would be hard pressed to find better sounding and looking equipment than Polk. I really appreciate how good my old vinyl collection sounds now!

stlrkn62

Originally posted at

2015-03-10T20:00:00

I have been into audio for 25+ years. I have built many custom systems, for both home and automobile. I am not biased to any particular brand, because every brand has their own unique sound. However, I can say that I have heard many top brands, and these speakers will spray sound with the best of them! Imaging and soundstage are both phenominal. They produce crystal clear highs, and a punchy bottom end. Vocals are rich and very accurate. If you take pride in your system and use top quality speaker wire and components and want fantastic sounding speakers, look no further. I have the black set and they are sweet! Price=10, Looks/Build=10, Sound=9 right out of the box, without break-in!

Rege

Originally posted at

2012-10-16T20:00:00

The RTiA1 is a tremendous product at a very reasonable price. There are a "few" other options worth considering in this price range with various pros/cons, but there are also many choices at this price point and above that don't begin to approach the fit and finish of the RTiA1. Let me first say that I have to agree with most of the reviews in terms of overall build and sound quality - exceptional regardless of price. The only point I would like to raise is the bass issue since the impression I was getting from the reviews prior to purchase was that these can dish out full range sound into the lower registers like a tower speaker might...I even read a review that stated he had to check to see if the subwoofer was on!? After listening for two weeks, my conclustion is that it does in fact take a subwoofer to complete the package. I am a somewhat critical 2-channel audio listener first, and a home theater viewer second. I listen to a wide variety of music and strive for faithful "full range" reproduction of recordings. Some people seem to think that music doesn't require full bass reproduction, but there is plenty of action in the sub-100Hz and even sub-50Hz range in most music. It is always best to test things for yourself in your own space with your own gear, so I ran these full range on stands with power coming from an NAD C326BEE integrated amplifier. I tried placement against the wall and 24" out into my smallish room (roughly 8' x 12') to test bass response. Vocals and acoustical music were phenomenal (especially when placed into the room) - period. There IS lower bass "presence", but very little IMPACT...which is to be expected from this size speaker/driver. In Enya's Watermark recording, there is a descending bass sequence into the 20-30Hz range that completely vanished without the help of a sub. Again, that is to be expected with a bookshelf speaker, but music does indeed contain low frequency content below the usable range of this speaker and you WILL need a sub to reproduce it. The addition of a modest sub I had on hand (AudioEngine's S8) filled in the low end nicely and transformed these into a terrific full range sub/sat system. It seems that you could achieve even greater output in a bigger space with a larger subwoofer as the RTiA1's seemed to be willing to go on beyond the limits of the S8. In short, these are terrific speakers and a great buy for the price...just don't expect them to compete with Polk's towers in terms of "full range" fidelity without a subwoofer. Even in a small room and moderate listening levels, the sub adds much needed depth and realism. I would suggest trying an A/B (sub / no sub) with a familiar recording to see if you notice any "missing content". Aside from the that, my guess is that you will be very satisfied with this little gem. Happy listening!

Jason

Originally posted at

2012-07-12T20:00:00

you will be amazed with their sound and quality!!! I strongly recommend them.

Jose V.

Originally posted at

2012-02-03T19:00:00

So this review is based on a year of use. These speakers just get better with age. The high and midrange frequency presence is remarkable, the low end clean and not overplayed. I mainly listen to Classical music where clarity is a must, and these little gems are outstanding! The linearity of frequency transition, highs to lows, is seamless. Now moving to more contemporary music, listening to Chicago?s ?Chicago Transit Authority? on CD, Question 67 & 68 absolutely blew me away! The opening which includes bass, percussion and horns hits solid and again, the clarity is amazing. We live in a day of booming bass, but if you want to return to a pure, clean, well articulated sound, the Polk Rti A1 speakers will deliver in as nearly a perfect sound as you may find.

Michael C.

Originally posted at

2011-09-17T20:00:00

After lots o research I bought these from Sound Distributors.com and have had them for a few weeks now. At first they were a little tight but as they are breaking in my my my! Great highs and mids and for the bass, it's pretty good for a bookshelf speaker. I have them hooked up to an old Panny SA-HT280 receiver. I don't have a whole lot of adjustibility , but as soon as I get my Denon Avr 4311 I'm sure these babies are going to sing! I plan on using the as my mains and a set for my rears. My space is limited and Im going for small,efficient, and great sounding and great looking. These fill all my needs to a TEE! Highly recommend !

Rodney B.

Originally posted at

2011-08-03T20:00:00

Wow - Was looking for a set of front bookshelf speakers for my surround sound system. Existing speakers were Yamaha NS120 floor speakers and I am more than happy with my decision. Tested a number of brands including Paradigm but couldnt go past the Polk. Build quality and crispness of sound won me over, other brands at a a higher price point did not have the elements of the Polk. The only problem is now i want another set for the rear!!!!

Glenn

Originally posted at

2011-05-03T20:00:00

This is an amazing speaker packing incredible technology and features into a very affordable package. I think Polk's research really pays off and sets them apart from many competitors. I tested the RTi A1 against the Monitor Audio BX2 and it is obvious that while the Monitor Audio is very decent it becomes apparent that the technology/research that went into the Polk makes a difference : more imaging, more dynamic and lively sound and it works way better at lower volumes, the Monitor Audio just becomes very flat at lower volume levels whereas the Polk still gives a very dynamic and lively presentation, I suspect this is due to Polk's advanced optimisation techniques : dynamic balancing and klippel optimisation. The only gripe I have with this speaker is the DESIGN, c'mon Polk I agree that this speaker works well in more traditional environements but is somewhat dark-ish/heavy in any contemporary environement. First off the dark wood tones ... it would be lovely to have a clear 'Ash' finish, and a sharp-looking piano-black and white too, that would already help alot to make these speakers look sharper out in more design-ish interiors. Some people will dismiss this as superficial but due to the fact that your speakers are a constant visual presence, often for years ... I think it's part of the buying decision, so I am absolutely conviced that giving customers more choice regarding finishes would significantly boost sales. Otherwise, as said, fantastic speakers, great job guys.

Philip

Originally posted at

2011-03-10T19:00:00

Well after completely revamping my main system to LSI15s, and LSIC center, I had a CSI4, that I moved to by bedroom system. The Bose 301,s just did not make it( never did I have come to learn) so with the RTI A 1,s and the CSIA4 and a pair of FXI 3,s I created a wonderful bedroom system.

marc s.

Originally posted at

2010-10-12T20:00:00

I was lucky to get a pair of RTi A1's on sale. My only regret is that the store didn't have the cherry version, whose WAF (Wife Acceptability Factor) is incredible. Still, the black ones look very nice and (I presume) are identical in what really matters - the way they sound. The treble is deliciously detailed and the midrange comes out nice and clear (no small feat for budget speakers). But what I love most about these babies is the bass. Yes, bass. Out of bookshelf speakers. Of course, I'm not talking about big, heart-pounding bass that only a subwoofer can produce. But some wizard at Polk Audio found a way to deliver real bass presence from a 5-inch cone. Turn up the volume, and you can feel it. Best of all, the bass has flavour. Bassoon, double bass, Fender Jazz bass, even kick drums shine in their individuality, and suddenly one finds the generic word "bass" grossly insufficient to describe them all. Combine this with the exquisite treble response, and bands like Rush or The Police, which rely on intricate bass parts and virtuoso drumming, become pure joy to listen to. I'm also impressed with the sonic image. According to the manufacturer instructions, listener and speakers should form an equilateral triangle. Well, as I'm typing this review, the right speaker is about three feet behind me, and the left one a dozen feet further - let's just say the triangle is very, very obtuse. Even at this awful listening position, the Polks are rendering a wonderful image out of Wagner's "Die Walküre" - each instrument and voice is most easy to locate in the aural space. Give the RTi A1's a few weeks to break in, and move them around to find the best placement. Just make sure not to block the back of the units - it's where half of that yummy bass sound comes from! If you're on a budget, I can't think of a better way to upgrade a low-end stereo system. Here's my dirty little secret: I'm harnessing the Polks with a $200 Sony receiver, a portable Curtis CD/DVD player, and my mp3 player. I can't wait to hear what they can do with decent equipment.

Benoit A.

Originally posted at

2010-10-03T20:00:00

I already owned the RTiA7's so I knew the total quality of the RTiA line of speakers. Understand this is the bottom of the RTiA line. They are bookshelf speakers. But they are probably the best sounding "bookshelf" speakers you have ever heard! I use mine for listening to music powered by a vintage Nakamichi Receiver, 85 watts/channel. WOW! The craftmanship of the cherry wood cabnets is like fine furniture. These speakers are beauties for both the eyes and ears. Buy them, you will not be dissapointed. When you get them home, connect them up to your stereo or home theater system and switch back and forth with your old speakers. You will be amazed. The clarity in the high and mid range is awesome. The bass may be a little weak but adequate. If you want to "rattle the walls" with bass, I suggest you purchase a sub. It will be difficult to find a more pleasing speaker in this price range. So go ahead and give your eyes and ears a treat with this speaker.

Doug O.

Originally posted at

2010-06-16T20:00:00

Awesome Speakers!!!! WOW!!! I have never heard Bookshelf Speakers the sound as good as these do. It is incredible that 5 1/4" speakers could sound so vibrant. I turned my sub off to see what these speakers could do. I had to take a double check to see if my sub was off. Great Job Polk!!

Billy

Originally posted at

2010-02-26T19:00:00

i used this speaker as my surround back to complete my home theater set.. main rtia7, surround fxia4 and this one i choose this speaker because it's same spec with my fxia4 and because of good finishing wood.. sound very clear as well and i proud to own this speakers.

matyeo

Originally posted at

2009-11-10T19:00:00

Well mister Matthew Polk, you did it again!!! let me thank you for a wonderful product!.These "smal tanks" are breath taken. I am in love with these speakers RTi A1.Beautiful speakers, Well made, excellent sound...Did I mention that I love these speakers?. I know my review is not like many pro that mesure with osciloscope and use fancy terms and words that make these people even smarter lol.But I only trust my ears...and so should you!!! Very well done Polk Audio!

Jose V.

Originally posted at

2009-11-04T19:00:00

I needed new speakers, and I now live in a small condo, so size carries a premium. These speakers are incredible, I listen to them for hours at a time and my ears are never tired. Great bass response, without annoying the neighbors, smooth response throughout the entire range. Friends always compliment these speakers, they are particularly surprised at the sound for the size. I do not regret my purchase of these fine speakers.

brian b.

Originally posted at

2009-07-14T20:00:00

The RTi A1's are probably the most impressive bookshelf speaker I've ever heard. They're so incredibly detailed, it just blows me away that Polk could do this for the price that they're selling them for. The fit and finish on these cabinets is incredible... The dual ported design seems to be perfect for the 5.25" driver. They will reach lower than you'd think a speaker this size ever could. They rival my SDA 2's with (3 6.5" drivers per speaker in all but the lowest frequencies. If you were to use these for strictly 2 channel music, I would suggest a sub such as one of the smaller MicroPRO subs. For voice, jazz, classical, and soft rock, these are my speakers of choice. The only time I switch back to my SDA's are when I want to have a little extra bass response. Compared to the RTi's, though, the SDA's are sloppy at best. The RTi's are being driven by the same gear as the SDA's. Hafler DH-110 Preamp, Adcom GFA-545 amplifier, and a Denon DCD-610 CDP.

Noah A.

Originally posted at

2009-03-21T20:00:00

We were looking for a new pair of bookshelf speakers for the living room of our 1000 square foot condominium. Space is at a premium, so the speakers couldn't be large, but we wanted something that both looked and sounded good--with many types of music, that is--all at a reasonable price. We'd seen glowing reviews of the Polk RTiA1s on several websites. Could they be that good? we wondered. Yes, they are that good. We were amazed at how good they sounded when we hooked them up and replaced our old speakers. They are also nice to look at.

Bob C.

Originally posted at

2009-01-27T19:00:00

I needed a bookshelf speaker to replace my Polk SDA-1C's in my new but smaller listening room. After 30 days of listening, the RTi A1's have broken in and sound so good! Fit and finish is way beyond the price point. A great budget audiophile speaker.

Mark

Originally posted at