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Polk RTi A1 vs Polk RTi A9 Comparison

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Polk RTi A1

Passive Bookshelf | 60-26k Hz

Polk Audio RTi A1
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Polk RTi A9

Passive Floor-standing | 30-26k Hz

Polk Audio RTi A9
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Polk RTi A1 Polk RTi A1
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Polk RTi A9 Polk RTi A9
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Polk RTi A1
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Polk RTi A9
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Polk RTi A1 vs Polk RTi A9 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio RTi A1 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the RTi A9 is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Polk RTi A1 and Polk RTi A9 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Polk RTi A1 Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1" Dome Tweeter
  • 5.25" Polymer composite Woofer
  • 60-26k Hz Frequency Response
  • 89 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:20-125watts
  • Weight:5.44kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 304.8" x 7.3" x 11.5"( 304.8 x 187.5 x 292.1mm )

Polk RTi A9 Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 1" Tweeter
  • 5.25" Midrange
  • 3 x 7" Polymer composite Woofer
  • 5.25" Midrange
  • 30-26k Hz Frequency Response
  • 90 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:50-500watts
  • Weight:34.09kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1221.0" x 10-11/16" x 21-1/2"( 1221.0 x 272.0 x 547.0mm )

RTi A1 and RTi A9 are members of Polk Audio's RTi series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Polk Audio RTi Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
Polk RTi A5
  
Floor-standing 40-26k Hz 90 dB8Ω 2 x 6.5"
Polk RTi A9
Floor-standing 30-26k Hz 90 dB8Ω 3 x 7"
Polk RTi A3
  
Bookshelf 50-26k Hz 89 dB8Ω 1 x 6.5"
Polk RTi A1
Bookshelf 60-26k Hz 89 dB8Ω 1 x 5.25"

What size room are the Polk RTi A1 and Polk RTi A9 speakers good for?

The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size and max power parameters:

Listening Environment* Polk RTi A1 Polk RTi A9
Near-field Poor Are you nuts?
Small Room Average Poor
Mid-size Room Good Average
Large Room Average Good
Very Large Room Poor Good

(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2, Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: > 400 sq. ft / 36 m2. Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening position, speaker locations, etc.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Polk RTi A1 and Polk RTi A9 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.


**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Drivers

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that RTi A1 is a 2-way design whereas the RTi A9 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.

Driver Polk RTi A1 Polk RTi A9
Driver Setup 2-way 3-way
Tweeter 1-inch 1-inch
Midrange - 2 x 5.25-inch
Woofer 1 x 5.25-inch 3 x 7-inch

RTi A1 features a 1" silk polymer composite Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Polymer composite Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1900Hz. On the other hand, the RTi A9 features a 1" Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 7" Polymer composite Woofer .

Frequency Response

RTi A1 has a frequency range of 60-26k Hz whereas RTi A9 has a frequency range of 30-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the RTi A9 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the RTi A1's min frequency of 60Hz.

Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

RTi A1
RTi A9
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Polk RTi A1
Polk RTi A9
Min
Average
Max

None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.

Impedance and Sensitivity

RTi A1 and RTi A9 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. RTi A1 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the RTi A9's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk RTi A9 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk RTi A1, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

RTi A1
RTi A9
Min
Average
Max

Power Range

Power range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.

RTi A1 can handle a max power of 500 watts RMS from the amp the whereas RTi A1 has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS , 375 watts less than the RTi A9.

Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Both RTi A1 and RTi A9 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.

Cabinet Type and Port Position

RTi A1 has a back and front firing port whereas RTi A9 has a front firing ports. Polk RTi A9's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk RTi A1 with its rear-firing port.

Physical Specs

Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Polk RTi A1's and Polk RTi A9's external dimensions. Polk RTi A1 has external dimensions of 304.8 x 187.5 x 292.1mm ( 12.0 x 7.3 x 11.5inch) whereas Polk RTi A9 has external dimensions of 1221.0 x 272.0 x 547.0mm ( 48-1/16 x 10-11/16 x 21-1/2inch) .

Polk RTi A9 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 84.5mm wider, 916.2mm taller and 254.9mm deeper than Polk RTi A1.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk RTi A1 and Polk RTi A9 in scale.

Polk RTi A1 vs Polk RTi A9 Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Polk RTi A1 and Polk RTi A9 Size and External Dimensions

Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited. The base surface area of the Polk RTi A1 is approximately 547.7cm2 / 84.9inch2 and base area of the Polk RTi A9 is approximately 1487.8cm2 / 230.6inch2. The RTi A1 requires 63% less surface area than the RTi A9 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of Polk RTi A1?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of RTi A1:
  • 2 Cherry bookshelf speakers
  • 2 Self-tapping screws
  • 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
  • Owner's Manual
  • Template
  • Online registration sheet
  • Polk Audio product brochure
  • What's in the Box of Polk RTi A9?

    Here are the items that come with the RTi A9:
  • Floor-standing speaker
  • Detachable black cloth grille
  • 4 Screw-on spike feet
  • Owners Manual
  • Online registration sheet
  • Polk Audio product brochure

  • Reasons to choose Polk Audio RTi A1 over Polk Audio RTi A9
    Mounting Bracket Yes vs No Allows mounting on walls
    Height 304mm vs 1221mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Base Surface Area 547cm2 vs 1487cm2 Takes less floor space

    Reasons to choose Polk Audio RTi A9 over Polk Audio RTi A1

    Max Input Power 500 watts vs 125 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
    Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
    Sensitivity 90 dB vs 89 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Woofer Size 7 inches vs 5.25 inches Larger woofer
    Number of Woofers 3 vs 1 More woofers
    Low Frequency Response 30 Hz vs 60 Hz Generates deeper bass
    Polk RTi A1 vs Polk RTi A9 Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General Polk Audio RTi A1 Polk Audio RTi A9
    Brand Polk Audio Polk Audio
    Speaker Type Bookshelf speakers Floor-standing speaker
    Power Range 20-125 watts 50-500 watts
    Sensitivity 89 dB 90 dB
    Impedance 8 ohms 8 ohms
    Frequency Response 60-26k Hz 30-26k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 1 3
    Woofer Size 5.25" 7"
    Woofer Composition Polymer composite Polymer composite
    Woofer Surround Material Butyl rubber Butyl Rubber
    Tweeter Size 1" 1"
    Tweeter Type Dome n/a
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver No 5.25"
    Crossover Frequency 1900Hz n/a
    Firing Direction back and front front
    Physical Specs
    Height 304.8mm (12") 1221.0mm (48.1")
    Width 187.5mm (7.4") 272.0mm (10.7")
    Depth 292.1mm (11.5") 547.0mm (21.5")
    Weight 5.44kg (12lbs) 34.09kg (75lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
    Finish Real wood veneer Real wood veneer
    Available Colors Black, Cherry Cherry
    Mounting Bracket Keyhole No
    Recommended Stand Height 28-36" n/a
    Grille n/a Yes
    Moisture Resistancy No No
    Connections
    Biamp Inputs Yes Yes
    Other
    Parts Warranty 5 Years 5 Years
    Labor Warranty 5 Years 5 Years

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