Price Paid:  $279.00 from Circuit City

Summary:
Very heavy speaker construction, Incredibly sturdy, and easy to set up. These speakers handle low end like nothing I've ever heard for the price or size. The RTi6's dont have the range or capacity for a real music lover in my opinion, unless you like acoustic and a lot of high end. Most people compare them to Bose, which i believe are warmer, but these are better in sound quality. They handle nuance very well

Strengths:
The low end in thee speakers in incomparable. I have a sub, too, but these speakers could carry most of the bass load themselves if you don't want to spring for it, in theory, ou could skimp a bit on the sub and let the speakers keep up. They are loud, handle nuance well and have the best range of sound for the price. Much cheaper and preferable to Bose.

Weaknesses:
they are so heavey you'd never want to hang them on the walls. Get shelves.

Similar Products Used:
Bose
Sony

Price Paid:  $300.00 from Circuit City

Summary:
Very solid construction. These bad boys are heavy. The bass response really surprised me. While not a subwoofer, perfectly fine for music listening. More than I expected. The highs are clear and crisp. 5 way binding posts allow for banana plug use.

Strengths:
Sound quality, both bass and highs
Solid construction

Weaknesses:
None, so long as the speakers a properly placed in the listening area. This is very important.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Excellent soundstage. Exceptional build quality. Great for both music and home theater.
Originally, I was one of the millions impressed by Bose acoustimass systems. However, 2500 was a bit too much for me. So I set out to buy a reasonably priced HT system which could at least match the LS28.
I opted for Polk RTi38 for fronts CSi3 for center and RM2350 for surround. Coupled with Onkyo SR701 and Velodyne Sub this system far outperforms the Bose LS28 at a little over half the price.
I had planned to upgrade the fronts to polk LSi7's in case RTi38's were not satisfactory. Needless to say, they are more than adequate as fronts.
For some reason I am not so impressed with their recent replacement the RTi6. May be because of its obtuse shape (9" wide and 15" deep!), but my prediction is that the RTi6 will not sell as much as the 38s.

Strengths:
Excellent soundstage. Warm rich sound with real wood cabinets. Great for both music and HT.

Weaknesses:
Could have been a little smaller (like the Boston Acoustics CR75). Not to mention tougher to get now that Polk is discontinuing them...RTi6 is an apology of replacement aesthetically if not acoustically...

Similar Products Used:
Boston Acoustics CR85/CR75/CR65, Bose 301V, Bose 201V, Klipsch Synergy SB3, Infinity OWS (sucks ...), Bose Lifestyle 28

Price Paid:  $350.00 from circuit city

Summary:
these speakers are extermely listenable. some say overpriced, i can tell you they out perform most speakers under a grand. finish, and build quality are first rate. a good friend of mine owns b&w 805 nautilus. at 1500 the pair, they have a slightly better soundstage, and are more refined sounding. but for extended listening, the polks are better. my friend agrees. there has to be trade offs. matt polk must be a real music lover, because most of the speakers polk has made over the years, offer just that. long term listenability. and i know of no other company that offers this buid quality for the price. these are by far the most inexpensive speakers that have an acoustically dead enclosure. in listening to infinity, klipsch, and paradigm, i've always heard some cabinet resonance at these price points. matt polk continues now more than ever to offer the finest stuff available at a given price point. some other speaker may jump on your ears at first, but in the long run these win.

by the way, i see often people mention the word audiophile. being an audiophile is a state of mind, and not the equipment you can afford. many affluent friends have asked for my advice over the years. when i ask them why, i'm told that if i can put together excellent sound on my budget, i can surely do it on a cost is no object basis. i love music, and am very thankful for this site, please purchase your speakers from a vendor that allows a 30 day listening window. because an hour or two at the store gives you no idea if the speakers are right for you.

Strengths:
highly listenable, smooth with above average detail. qualty of build is amazing for the price.

Weaknesses:
none, any tradeoff made in this speaker only lends them to long term listenability.

Similar Products Used:
paradigm monitors, infinity interlude, klipsch sb3, klipsch is ok, but wears on your ears in time at loud levels.

Price Paid:  $323.00 from Circuit City

Summary:
Very well made speaker. Real wood veneer. Sound is absolutely unbelievable. Mids are clear and highs are perfect. The bass response, while not a subwoofer, is still quite impressive. Highly recommended.

Strengths:
Build, sound

Weaknesses:
None at all

Similar Products Used:
JBL, Yamaha