In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio RTi A9 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the RTi A1 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk RTi A9 and Polk RTi A1 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
RTi A9 and RTi A1 are members of Polk Audio's RTi series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the Polk RTi A9 and Polk RTi A1 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Polk RTi A9 and Polk RTi A1 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that RTi A9 is a 3-way design whereas the RTi A1 is a 2-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 A9 |
Polk RTi A1 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 7-inch
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
RTi A9 features a 1" Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 7" Polymer composite Woofer . On the other hand, the RTi A1 features a 1" silk polymer composite Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Polymer composite Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1900Hz.
Frequency Response
RTi A9 has a frequency range of 30-26k Hz whereas RTi A1 has a frequency range of 60-26k 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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
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 A9 and RTi A1 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. RTi A9 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the RTi A1's is at 89 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
Floor-standing Speakers
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 A9 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 A9 and RTi A1 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
RTi A9 has a front firing port whereas RTi A1 has a back and 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 A9's and Polk RTi A1's external dimensions. 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) whereas Polk RTi A1 has external dimensions of 304.8 x 187.5 x 292.1mm ( 12.0 x 7.3 x 11.5inch) .
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 A9 and Polk RTi A1 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk RTi A9 and Polk RTi A1 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 A9 is approximately 1487.8cm2 / 230.6inch2 and base area of the Polk RTi A1 is approximately 547.7cm2 / 84.9inch2. The RTi A9 requires 172% more surface area than the RTi A1 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Polk RTi A9?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of RTi A9:
Floor-standing speakerDetachable black cloth grille4 Screw-on spike feetOwners ManualOnline registration sheetPolk Audio product brochure
What's in the Box of Polk RTi A1?
Here are the items that come with the 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