Polk Audio is all about giving you high-performance loudspeakers at incredibly sane prices, the RTI A9 is one such amazing product. The Polk Audio RTI A9 is a towering floor-standing speaker that is build to rival speakers which cost more than them and does have that look of confidence to do so. For a speaker of this size, you will definitely need a powerful amplifier to drive them.
But we just can’t get any amplifiers with high power output, it is more important to find matching amps than just pure power alone. In order to find the right amps for your Polk Audio RTI A9, we must first learn more about these floorstanders, such as how they sound, their sonic characteristics, strengths, and if there are any weaknesses. With this information gathered, we will then share with you the best amplifiers that you can go for and partner with your RTI A9 floor-standing speakers.
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Sonic Characteristics and Strengths of Polk Audio RTI A9
The Polk Audio RTI A9 really has that imposing aesthetic feature, their towering height and deep cabinet is going to make them the center of attention in any listening room. Just take a look at the number of drivers at the front, the RTI A9 means serious business. There are two 5.25″ (13.34 cm) dynamic balance midrange drivers, in between them, will be a 1″ (2.54 cm) dynamic balance silk polymer composite tweeter. At the bottom half of the floor-standing speaker, you will find three 7″ (17.78 cm) dynamic balance subwoofer drivers. The midrange and subwoofer drivers use polymer composite cones with rubber surrounds.
There is also PowerPort Plus Bass Venting to further support the bass performance of the subwoofer drive units. The Polk Audio RTI A9 is definitely made for large listening rooms and will require sufficient distance away from walls so as to not reinforce the low frequency by too much. These tower speakers are capable of delivering very deep bass, based on their total frequency response of 18Hz-27kHz, which is astonishing for a loudspeaker at this price point. Even with -3dB limits, the frequency response of 30Hz-26kHz is still very impressive. The speaker sensitivity of 90dB and a nominal impedance of 8 Ohms is really great, as this means they are not that difficult to drive. They probably wouldn’t need a subwoofer to support them as well.
More Details at Amazon – Polk Audio RTI A9 Floorstanding Speaker (Single)
The bass reproduction of Polk Audio RTI A9 is impactful and deep, surprisingly taut as well, it doesn’t sound flabby and doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the higher frequencies. This leads us to think that the RTI A9 speakers can be positioned slightly nearer to walls to further improve the bass response. You can feel the presence of the soundstage and the weight of the sound, thanks to their powerful sub driver units. They will be great for movie listens and should be sufficient even for bass fanatics. The low frequency of the Polk Audio RTI A9 really impresses us, not because of how punchy it is but also how musical sounding they are.
The midrange provides a tonally balanced sound, with natural vocals and a wide dynamic range. There is clarity in the highs and they sounded crisp, when driven at high volume, they may sound bright but never harsh. There is plenty of details been dug out and are been produced in spades. The forward-sounding presentation of the Polk Audio RTI A9 is really engaging as well, and with the powerful bass, you’ll just want to keep feeding them with more music. The stereo imaging is accurate and along with the spacious soundstage, creates enveloping sound field that immerses you into the music. They do lack a bit of refinement and agility but when the music starts is quite hard to nitpick them.
The recommended amplifier power of 50W-500W does indicate that the Polk Audio RTI A9 will need very high-powered amps, even though their speaker sensitivity and nominal impedance are in good ratings. It is definitely worth the investment to get powerful amplifiers though, you will need them to power the subwoofer array drivers. Overall sound quality and in this price range, the Polk Audio RTI A9 is certainly hard to beat. We need to be cautious not to partner with overly bright sounding amps or those with below-average bass control. Now we have the information we need, it is time to share with you the best amplifiers that you can match with your Polk Audio RTI A9 loudspeakers.
Polk Audio RTI A9 Specifications
- Speaker Type: 3-Way Vented (PowerPort Plus Bass Venting)
- Drive Units: 1″ (2.54 cm) dynamic balance silk polymer composite tweeter, two 5.25″ (13.34 cm) dynamic balance midrange drivers, and three 7″ (17.78 cm) dynamic balance subwoofer drivers
- Total Frequency Response: 18Hz-27kHz
- Frequency Response (-3dB): 30Hz-26kHz
- Recommended Amplifier Power: 50-500 Watts
- Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms
- Sensitivity (2.83V/1m): 90dB
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1235mm x 225mm x 543mm | 48.6″ x 8.9″ x 21.4″
- Weight: 34kg (75lbs)
Best Amplifiers to match with Polk Audio RTI A9
As the Polk Audio RTI A9 speakers scale well with power and this is why the Peachtree Audio Nova500 will be one of the best amplifiers to pair with them. It has 500 Watts of power output per channel into 8 Ohms, the Nova500 is a very powerful integrated amplifier that can unleash the RTI A9 speakers’ full potential. With so much power, your sound system can handle almost all sorts of music transients and peaks at very high volumes. Furthermore, the warm and musical sound quality matches really well with the Polk Audio RTI A9 sound characteristics. It is definitely worth an audition.
More Details at Amazon – Peachtree Audio Nova500 Integrated Amplifier with DAC
Going the HiFi separate route will be a good idea, the Parasound preamp and power amps are some of the very best to match with your Polk Audio RTI A9. For the preamplifier section, you should check out Parasound NewClassic 200 Pre. It is a preamp loaded with features such as a DAC, MM Phono inputs, HT bypass, and more. The power amplifier section will be the Parasound NewClassic 2250 v.2 which is highly rated and matches well with the RTI A9 speakers. The warm-sounding nature of these Parasound amps suits well with the RTI A9 speakers, not to mention, the clean and musical sound quality they bring to the table.
More Details at Amazon – Parasound NewClassic 200 Pre
More Details at Amazon – Parasound Model 2250 V.2 Two Channel Power Amplifier
The Polk Audio RTI A9 will be amazing left and right main channel speakers in a home theater setup but will need a powerful AV receiver to drive them and with matching sonic characteristics. The Denon AVR-X6700H is the ideal choice, with ample power output, and the neutral warm sounding character matches really well with the Polk Audio floor-standing speakers. The Denon AVR-X6700H is one of the latest AVRs that have 8K UHD, providing you with both impeccable visual and audio quality. We will recommend getting 1 or 2 active subwoofers to lessen the load off the AV receivers though.
More Details at Amazon – Denon AVR-X6700H 8K Ultra HD 11.2-Ch
The Marantz SR8015 will be another powerful AV receiver that you can go for and match them with the Polk Audio RTI A9 speakers. The SR8015 AVR is best suited for audiophiles who are more critical about their music listening experience than the home cinema experience. The musicality of this AV receiver provides better control over the bass response, delivering richer and tighter bass. The warm and rich sound quality of the SR8015 is not just amazing for stereo music playback but also great for multi-channel music and live performances. Adding in 1 or 2 sealed subwoofers will be recommended as well.
More Details at Amazon – Marantz SR8015 11.2-Ch
If you do not like the clutter of HiFi separates and just want a stereo (2.0/2.1) system, then the Parasound Halo Hint 6 will be a fantastic amplifier choice for you. It is a highly recommended integrated amplifier for Polk Audio RTI A9 speaker owners, as the warm sound characteristics match well with the bright-sounding nature of the speakers. It has dynamic fluidity and a spacious soundstage that is filled with musical details. The stereo imaging of the Halo Hint 6 is accurate and this amp has the muscles to drive your Polk RTIA9 speakers, high power output, and high current capacity per channel. For this amount of sonic performance, and at this price point, the Parasound Halo Hint 6 is really a bang for one’s buck.
More Details at Amazon – Parasound HINT 6 Halo (Silver)
For power amplifiers, we will recommend going for the Parasound A21+ as it is the most powerful stereo power amplifier from Parasound, and it uses high bias Class A/AB operation. Furthermore, it is sanely priced and won’t break your wallet. If your budget is lower, then you might want to check out the lower-end Parasound models or take a look at the power amplifiers made by Emotiva. There is a wide range of power amps to choose from, starting from entry-level to audiophile quality like the Emotiva XPA-DR2. If you prefer Class D amplification, then you should check out Wyred 4 Sound as they use the latest ICEPower technology for power amplifiers. These are some of the high-powered amps which are sanely priced and are performance powerhouses.
To Sum It Up
The Polk Audio RTI A9 are speakers that require powerful amps to drive them as they need the high power output to sound their best. The amplifiers and AVRs listed are a suitable match for your RTI A9 floor-standing speakers and are worthy of your time to have a listen. Hear them out or do side-by-side comparisons and see which sound quality do you prefer. Slowly shortlist until you have the finalists then do another round of auditions to see which amplifiers suit you the best.
