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 A3 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk RTi A9 and Polk RTi A3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Polk RTi A9 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 3 x 7" Polymer composite Woofer
- 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 )
Polk RTi A3 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Polymer composite Woofer
- 50-26k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-150watts
- Weight:7.26kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 374.7" x 8.4" x 14.0"( 374.7 x 214.4 x 355.6mm )
RTi A9 and RTi A3 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 A3 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 A9 |
Polk RTi A3 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
(* 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 A9 and Polk RTi A3 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 A9 is a 3-way design whereas the RTi A3 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 A3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 7-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
RTi A9 features a 1" Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 7" Polymer composite Woofer . On the other hand, the RTi A3 features a 1" silk polymer composite Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Polymer composite Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2800Hz.
Frequency Response
RTi A9 has a frequency range of 30-26k Hz whereas RTi A3 has a frequency range of 50-26k 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 A3's min frequency of 50Hz.
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 A3 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 A3's is at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk RTi A9 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk RTi A3, 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 A3 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 350 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 A3 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 A3 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 A3 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 A3'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 A3 has external dimensions of 374.7 x 214.4 x 355.6mm ( 14.7 x 8.4 x 14.0inch) .
Polk RTi A9 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 57.6mm wider, 846.3mm taller and 191.4mm deeper than Polk RTi A3.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk RTi A9 and Polk RTi A3 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk RTi A9 and Polk RTi A3 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 A3 is approximately 762.4cm2 / 118.2inch2. The RTi A9 requires 95% more surface area than the RTi A3 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 A3?
Here are the items that come with the RTi A3:
2 Cherry bookshelf speakers 2 Self-tapping screws 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet Owner's Manual Template Online registration sheet Polk Audio product brochure
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Sensitivity 
Woofer Size 
Mounting Bracket 
Height 
Base Surface Area