In this review, we will be comparing TSi400 and RTi A5, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk TSi400 and Polk RTi A5 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk TSi400 | Polk RTi A5 |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 5.25" Organic Fiber | 2 x 6.5" Polymer composite |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44-24k Hz | 40-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-200 watts | 20-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 14.55kg / 32lbs | 18.18kg / 40lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38-3/4" x 8-3/16" x 14-1/2"
985.0 x 208.0 x 369.0mm | 39-5/8" x 10-9/16" x 15-7/8"
1007.0 x 269.0 x 404.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk TSi400 and Polk RTi A5 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 TSi400 |
Polk RTi A5 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both TSi400 and RTi A5 are 2-way speakers.
Polk TSi400Polk RTi A5
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Polk TSi400 |
Polk RTi A5 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
TSi400 features a 1" Tweeter and 3 x 5.25" Organic Fiber Woofer. On the other hand, the RTi A5 features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polymer composite Woofer.
Frequency Response
TSi400 has a frequency range of 44-24k Hz whereas RTi A5 has a frequency range of 40-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the RTi A5 can go slightly deeper then the TSi400's min frequency of 44Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
TSi400 and RTi A5 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. TSi400 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the RTi A5's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk TSi400 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk RTi A5, 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
RTi A5 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas TSi400 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the RTi A5.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both TSi400 and RTi A5 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
TSi400 has a bottom firing port whereas RTi A5 has a front firing ports. Polk RTi A5's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk TSi400 with its rear-firing port.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be 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 TSi400's and Polk RTi A5's external dimensions. Polk TSi400 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 208.0 x 369.0mm (38-3/4 x 8-3/16 x 14-1/2inch) whereas Polk RTi A5 has external dimensions of 1007.0 x 269.0 x 404.0mm (39-5/8 x 10-9/16 x 15-7/8inch).
Polk RTi A5 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 61mm wider, 22mm taller and 35mm deeper than Polk TSi400.
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 TSi400 is approximately 767.5cm2 / 119.0inch2 and base area of the Polk RTi A5 is approximately 1086.8cm2 / 168.5inch2. The TSi400 requires 29% less surface area than the RTi A5 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Polk TSi400 weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs and the Polk RTi A5 weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the RTi A5 25% heavier than the TSi400.
Here is a comparison of how TSi400 and RTi A5's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Polk TSi400?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of TSi400:
- Tower speaker
- Detachable cloth grille (installed)
- Owners Manual
- Wall-Mount template
- Online registration sheet
- Polk Audio product brochure
What's in the Box of Polk RTi A5?
Here are the items that come with the RTi A5:
- Cherry floor-standing speaker
- Detachable black cloth grille
- 4 Screw-on spike feet
- Owners Manual
- Online registration sheet
- Polk Audio product brochure
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Height |
985mm
vs
1007mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
767cm2
vs
1086cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
498USD
vs
798USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
|
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
44 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
26k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
| General |
Polk Audio TSi400 |
Polk Audio RTi A5 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-200 watts |
20-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
44-24k Hz |
40-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Organic Fiber |
Polymer composite |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl Rubber |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
985.0mm (38.8") |
1007.0mm (39.6") |
| Width |
208.0mm (8.2") |
269.0mm (10.6") |
| Depth |
369.0mm (14.5") |
404.0mm (15.9") |
| Weight |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Wood-grain vinyl |
Real wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Cherry |
Cherry |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Polk RTi A5 costs roughly 1.6x what Polk TSi400 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Polk RTi A5 digs deeper - 40Hz against 44Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | Polk RTi A5 takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Polk TSi400 is easier to place; Polk RTi A5 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Polk TSi400: bi-amping; Polk RTi A5: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Polk TSi400 is cheaper - $498 against $798, about 38% less; arguably a different class. |
A Polk TSi400 B Polk RTi A5
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: Polk RTi A5 measures better, Polk TSi400 costs about about 60% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. Match it to your room: we rate Polk TSi400 the better fit for a mid-size room, and Polk RTi A5 for a very large room. In a large or open-plan room, Polk RTi A5 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Polk TSi400 is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.