Hello, I am new here. I have a Pioneer 5.1 receiver with Pioneer satilite speakers. Also have a Pioneer subwoofer which does pretty good. I am looking for much better speakers for listening to music. I like the idea of the Monitor 40's having dual drivers. I know that I need to get out and listen to them, but the closest BIG audio store is an hour or so drive.
I have also looked at Infinity and Axiom speakers for around $200-$300. I will probably eventually get a center channel to match the main speakers that I get.
I personally would go with the Axioms of the ones you've listed. They will match better with Pioneer than Polk will.
Also it is my opinion that Polk made the Monitor line specifically for Circuit City to sell. The build quality is not at par with their Rti and Lsi lines.
Thanks Kano. I will definately give Axiom a closer look.
The Axioms I was looking at are the M3ti. The M22ti is $140 more than I was wanting to spend. I would probably spend the extra $140 if I thought I would be happier with them though.
Ryan, I'm not sure on what basis Kano concludes that the Axioms "will match better with Pioneer than the Polk will". I have owned Polk speakers for 15 years but I would only recommend that you give them a listen. I do own the Monitor 40 and while they are not audiophile build quality, they are not cheaply designed either. For the money, I think they are very good. But you should audition them for yourselves. If you check this forum, you will see just as many persons who dislike the Axioms as those who prefer them. Do yourself a favor, don't buy speakers based on someone else's ears.
I agree with Dale and Kano. I'm a proud Polk owner, but the Monitor series seems to be a mass produced series for retail stores. Quality of build, screens, and speakers don't match up to the RTi series and definatly not the LSi's.
I recommend Polk Audio, but let your ears be the judge. Another thing to remember is the look of the speaker. When you get quality speakers, Polk, JBL, Axiom, Paradigm...etc, the sound is the most important, but the aesthetics of the speaker is important too. That was one of the reasons I chose the RTi speakers...they look good. They look good with my components and entertainment center and they sound great. Just another thing to think about...
OK I went and listened to the monitor 40's at Curcuit City. Although the listening conditions were not the best, I believe that I would be happy with them. They were only about 4 feet apart and were quit a bit higher than ear level.
However, I also listened to some Sony's(of all brands) that I was impressed with. They were right beside the Polks. They were the SS-K30ED. They have round sides. They had a really nice sound to them. In fact, I liked everything about them... except the name.
I also listened to some JBL E80s that I was not that impressed with and some Infinity Primus 250 that sounded pretty good. I listened to these to get an idea of how different brands sound even though they are floor speakers.
Ryan, even though I am partial to Polk, if the the only thing preventing you from purchasing the Sony is the name, then you must consider that as part of your bias. For me, name would generally not be a factor unless the manufacturer had a horrible reputation for quality or unless I had some philosophical reason to avoid them ( a crude example: they violated child labor laws in the buiding process). But ultimately, you need to be satisfied with the purchase. Great you took the time to go listen.
"Ryan, I'm not sure on what basis Kano concludes that the Axioms "will match better with Pioneer than the Polk will". "
I own the Polk Rti8/Csi3/Fxi3 speaker combo paired with a Harman Kardon receiver. While I definitely enjoy the set-up, I find the sound could use a touch more detail on certain recordings, while at the same time this is a bonus for loud listening.
Since Pioneer is warmer than HK, Axiom is a better match with Pioneer.
For for the best detail in the soundstage I would pair a neutral-bright reciever with the Polks like Denon or Yamaha.
Remember, that's Kano's opinion based on his listening skills and judging from the post, not even related to the speakers that generated this discussion. Now how helpful can that really be? Confirms that Ryan did the right thing by listening for himself.
edster922
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Ryan,
The Monitor 40s are not terrible speakers but for $300 (according to the CC website) you can do far better than that. The Axioms will be more detailed but they get kind of harsh at high volumes, as can be expected with metal drivers.
If you like Polk, you can get the much better RTi4 for $260 shipped from crutchfield.com or jandr.com
Personally I found even the RTi4s to distort quickly at reference volumes, but if you only listen at moderate volumes you should be OK.
True the RTi4 only has 2 drivers but quality over quantitiy---it nonetheless has a much more open and dynamic sound than the Monitor 40s, which to my ears were much more undefined and muffled-sounding.
For $340 shipped you could also home audition the Ascend CBM-170s for 30 days, if you google them you'll find a massive paper trail of rave reviews from both consumers and professionals.
The main drawback with the 170s though is aesthetics: they are not exactly the prettiest speakers in the world---plain black cube-looking box w/rounded corners. However IMHO their sound quality is drop-dead gorgeous.
"Remember, that's Kano's opinion based on his listening skills and judging from the post, not even related to the speakers that generated this discussion. Now how helpful can that really be? Confirms that Ryan did the right thing by listening for himself."
Why attack my opinion? I'm speaking from my personal experience with Polk speakers and yet my advice isn't helpful?
I find the Polk Monitor 40s warm and merely made a receiver recommendation. Instead of responding to my comments you try to discredit them.
Kano. You didn't say that. Look at your post. You did not mention the 40s. That's what's wrong with your opinion. If I ask for advice on a Chevy, it's not very helpful if you respond with info on a Ford.
I looked(online) at the Epos ELS3 and although they look nice, I usually like soft dome tweeters better. Their efficientcy is also 88 dB which is a litle lower than others.
I did also take a look(on line) at the Ascend speakers which were not very aestheticly pleasing.
I am still looking at the Axiom although they have Titanium tweeters.
I am still not ruling out Infinity speakers.
I really like the sound of the Polk soft dome tweeters so I am going to look into the Polk Rti4 in addition to the Monitor 40.
IMO both the Epos and the Ascends will outperform the Axiom's. Though Axiom's seem to have loyal customers as well. The Epos speakers are giant killers. The better the signal you feed them the better they sound. You can use pretty high end electronics with them and not be sorry. There are so many choices out there it can be difficult. Polk, Infinity, Monitor Audio, all amke great budget speakers. Ofcourse I would be derelict if I did not mention my personal favorite low cost speaker line Paradigm. I am enjoying my Monitor 5's now. Oh and don't forget NHT. Are you confused yet.
I use the RTi4's as my mains in my ht set up and am extremely pleased. I was lucky enough to have both a CC and a Fry's close by to listen to each of the Polk lines before making my purchase. I listened to both the monitor 30 and the 40 while they are both great speakers, they didn't compare to the RTi line for my listening needs and budget. While the LSi's were nice to listen to, I could not afford them. While neither the RTi4 nor the RTi6 has dual drivers, the bass port makes up for that in my opinion.
Now that I have the RTi4's home and combined with the CSi3 center, R15 surrounds, and an old Cerwin Vega sub, my ht sounds quite nice for the space that it's in. If possible I'd give the RTi series a listen if Polk is your brand of choice.
mauimusicman
Unregistered guest
Posted on
It sounds to me like you should get the Green Mountain Audio Europa's. Just check Audiogon, they are the best speakers under 2K, and I think yoy would agree. Tehy are a little over your budget, but you can save and afford them over time! Trust nme on this.
edster922
Unregistered guest
Posted on
> Tehy are a little over your budget, but you can save and afford them over time! Trust nme on this.
"Kano. You didn't say that. Look at your post. You did not mention the 40s. That's what's wrong with your opinion. If I ask for advice on a Chevy, it's not very helpful if you respond with info on a Ford."
If I were to refer to a receiver for Klipsch speakers it would be a Pioneer since it pairs nicely with speakers that are considered bright. This refers to all models of Klipsch. It is true that some are brighter than others, but the feel of the speaker is the same.
I've heard both the Rti and Monitor lines from Polk, but I speak from more experience with the Rtis. Comparing the two is hardly Chevvies and Fords, more like Corrolas and Camrys. While one is better than the other in every way, a woman would only notice one looks better than the other. lol
Kano,I'm sorry, but you're wrong. I've owned Polks in various configurations for well over 15 years and while some of them share certain characteristics, their sonic signatures are remarkably different. The poster is not asking an opinion on a facsimile. To paraphrase the O'Jays: "You've got to give the people what they want". Oh by the way, some women might find your last comment to be, at best insensitive, at worst, down right sexist.
I believe that I have decided on Polk. But now I am also considering some RTi6. I found a supplier on E-bay that sells them for around $300 including shipping.
So now I have to decide between the Monitor 40, RTi4 or RTi 6. I guess I am leaning toward the RTi6 since it seems to be the best bang for the buck. However, being that I have a sub and will probably get a better sub eventually, Is there really a benifit of getting the RTi6 over the RTi4. I have always been pleased with Polk products. I have a pair of Polk 6.5" in my truck that I have had for nearly 15 years. They have outlasted the vehicles that I have had them in. My Dad also has Polk S-8's(home audio) that he has had for 8 years or more and has been very pleased with them.
Thanks for everyones help and I am sorry about the dissagreements. Please feel free to give more opinions on the speakers I have listed.
edster922
Unregistered guest
Posted on
If the RTi6 is only $40 more than the RTi4 it's a no-brainer. I wasn't that crazy about the RTi4s to tell you the truth so hopefully the next model up will be a little better.
The only reason I chose the RTi4's over the RTi6's is that the 6's didn't fit in the space I had for them. I could not see or hear any significant difference between the two. Always remember that these fit my audio needs, but may not fit yours so taking that hour drive to listen to them will be worth your time and money.
As for your sub...that depends on what you want from your HT. I enjoy deep bass that rumbles durning movies so I use my sub when watching dvds. I have also listened to the RTi4's as 2 channel and I have to say that I was suprised how much the bass the bass ports produces. I could hear the bass guitar and the kick drum with clarity, it was nice. Yet it wasn't deep or rumbling. So it boils down to what you want out of your system.
Your experience is not "wrong". It's just your opinion. My point is a simple one: we should all strive to respond to the inquiry posed. While extrapolation might, under certain circumstances, prove somewhat useful, it adds another variable and therefor reduces the utility of the advice.
-Has Pioneer reciever - looking at Polk Monitor 40/Axiom/Infinity
-I state the Axiom would pair best with the Pioneer, and would offer the best quality IMO
-The Rti speaker line was introduced to the thread
-I respond with my experience
Am I missing something? Should the content of the thread exactly match the title? I think it's an introductory idea and often the original poster goes in a completely different direction in the end.
Let me connect the dots for you - I believe Pioneer and Polk are a bad match and that of the options listed Axiom would provide the best tonal balance with Pioneer.
Kano, I hate to say this, but you asked for it. You're ignorant. You ask a question and when I attempt to answer it, you say I'm arguing for the sake of it. You represent a pathetic excuse for a contributor to this forum. Consider this my last response to any of your post, regardless of how assanine they may be.