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Hi all; pretty much a lurker here, but would love some advice. Looking to replace a pair of Athena BS1 bookshelfs with a pair of Polk Audio RTiA1 and would like to know what improvements I could expect. They would be powered by a NAD 3150 int. amp, with Thorens 160,(I'm all analogue right now). Small square room. If there are other suggestions for improvements over the Athenas please offer, I'm not married to the Polks.
Thanks a bunch in advance
Don in Nashville
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Polk to me provide an excellent value in their RT and LSi lines. I love Polk so much that I "upgraded" to LSi15 after being dissatisfied with $3.5k Sonus Faber and $4k pair of Monitor Audio GR floor standing. The later speakers were considered by many a "reference" in their price range. What draws me to Polk again and again is a sweet midrange and detailed highs. The base was never Polk strength, I'll give you that - but at the pricerange you are looking, I doubt you'll get reference base anyway. By the way, LSi25 is not the best Polk example, even though it's their most expensive pair of speakers. LSi25 - are powered sub design, which can sound muddy and disjointed if not properly setup combined in the ideal environment. They are offered purely to satisfy bass loving crowd. Lower end Polk speakers on the hand are also not proper Polk and there just to grab the WalMart crowd. Polk got knocked off the audiophile pedestal exactly because of those lower lines, but continues to exist with its original design team because of it.In your pricerange, I would seriously look at either Polk LSi7 or 9, depending on how far you can stretch your budget. If you have Fry's in your area - you can buy it there without a risk with 30 day money back.
Edits: 11/15/10
I find the 9's to be the best of the LSi series. However, I find that my old Infinity RS1.5's completely smoke them in all but depth of soundstage!
I'm assuming your Athena's are not a current model as it is not listed on their site. Anyway, they probably already sound better than the Polks. I have never been impressed by Polks up to their largest floorstander, LSi-25s which for close to $3k had muffled non distinct bass as well as no real clear midrange. They were driven with NAD Master Series.
I would look further than Polk since for similar money you can do much better.
The current non-powered Polk lineup is anything but poor and muffled. The stand-mounted speakers he was asking about are very competitive in their pricerange, and have received rave reviews.
I was comparing a newer pair of 25s powered by the NAD master series that a friend owns to my VAC-Counterpoint-Clearfield Continental setup. The Clearfields were designed and built by Von Schwiekert when he worked for Counterpoint in the 90s. Although the CFs don't go real deep, the bass is more accurate and detailed that the Polks. As far as Midrange goes, the CFs smoke the Polks without trying. The Polks did have a reasonable top end but I also found it fatiguing after a long listening session when compared to my CFs or my Dynaudio both using a good silk dome tweeter.
There are so many other good speakers out there than Polks but just like Bose, they are heavily advertised and people go by name recognition when they don't want to do proper research.
Maybe the 25s would have sounded better driven by my system than the NAD.
Hi, HiFi
Thanks for your response. The Athenas ARE an older line. I think I'm going on around 7 yrs with these. Athena was bought out by Klipsch about five or six yrs ago. Anyway, just hoping to get some ideas on a good sounding, accurate & musical speaker (bookshelfs) that might match well with the NAD 3150. Budget around $500. Suggestions?
thanks again
Don
Listen to PSB Image B6.Good review in Stereophile.I think you like the Canadian sound.
If you do not mind used(preowned) speakers,you could get very good speakers for $500 on Agon.
Happy hunting.
Bill
Any suggestions at all yaw?
I suggest that you decide with your own years.
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