Price Paid:  $600.00 from ABC

Summary:
The Rt800i is a decent speaker at best. The 90db rating at one watt is medocre. If you use a sub-woofer then this would be a good choice because this speaker lacks bass response. They also lack the clarity I would expect from a speaker in this price range. For the same price the Klipsh rf-3 would be a better buy.

Strengths:
good midrange and highs

Weaknesses:
bass response and efficiency

Similar Products Used:
Klipsch rf3 and rf5

Price Paid:  $800.00

Summary:
I really loved these speakers. They sound great for the money and I don't think there is better speaker for the money. By the way I'm selling my rt800s for $550 since I just upgraded to b&w speakers and going more high end. I gonna give this speaker 2 thumbs up for the money.

Strengths:
Very clear detailed highs, good looks, and great for HT as well as music.

Weaknesses:
None so far.

Similar Products Used:
Other polk speakers.

Price Paid:  $700.00 from Circuit City

Summary:
I got the RT800 almost 4 years ago, and I have never had a regret since. The highs, the low and the near perfect midrange balance are excellent, made possible by the "polypropolyne" woofers and the parachute dome tweeter that you can beat with your fingers. Absolutly stunning dimensoining in large or small rooms. Definitly the perfect (last investment) speaker for the enthusiast. If your a normal everyday music lover, you'll never out grow the RT800. For one thing you can push them with well over 250watts of power. And run them hot with extremly low level of 1st level harmonic distortion, and as you know POLK audio creates no 2nd level distrotion (which some people actually tend to like, if your one of those you might want to look for the martin logans or other electrostatic speakers.) One thing that I would like you to be aware of is corner placement of speakers. In corners or at angel (faceing to a single point) The bass tend to appear muffled, possibly due to the reflection caused by the power port on the bottom of the speaker. Other than that, and exception speaker for the buck.

Strengths:
Imaging, Bass Response, Frequency range (All perfect for the money

Weaknesses:
Avoid Corner and Angel Positioning

Similar Products Used:
Bose 701

Price Paid:  $280.00 from Pawn One

Summary:
This is a follow up review for the RT-800 towers.First of all my system for anyone who cares:

YAMAHA AV-35 Intergrated Dolby Surround ,115 watt ,RMS at 8 ohns,20-20,000 Hz ,.008% THD
YAMAHA CD-29 single disc cd player
YAMAHA T-33 Tuner
YAMAHA K-31 Tape deck
YAMAHA P-31 Turntable
TEAC 10 Band Graphic EQ
JVC XV-501 DVD player
Technics SL-P400C 6 disc magazine changer
Sony Mb115 Bookshelf surround speakers
Sony KV25-XBR 1028i compatable TV
Sharp VCH-985 Hi Fi VCR

All in all its not a bad setup for a 14 year old(15 december 4th).These speakers are awsome!With the Yamaha for power you dont even need a subwoofer.Bass is great so long as you have power .A good High Current amp like a yamaha like mine or a good JVC,PIONEER Elite,ADCOM,MARK LEVINSON,SONIC FRONTIERS (ANTHEM MCA-5),Harman-Kardon,NAD,and more will give you great output with little no audible even at 30Hz,and good response to about 25 Hz,almost unheard of for a 6 1/2 woofer.I tried Bi wiring ,but to replace the Gold plated jumpers with quality speaker cable you will get better,more natural sound.The only better way is to Bi amp ,isolating high and low outputs in seperate amps to get the best ,clearest sound that is not at all distorted due to bandwidth related harmonic distortion.In my eight year experience (been building speakers with my dad since the age of 6)with building and wiring speakers I belive Polk is the first manufacture to use good quality inductors ,capacitors ,reisistors and wiring in a speaker.Th cabinet is guarenteed to not rattle,its 1 1/8 inch thick MDF in the front ,1 inck on the sides,with crossbrasses and ARC 9acoustic resonnence control)for low resoonance sound.These towers are as close to get to the holy-grail of audiophile heaven exept for the SRT system and RT-2000,RT-3000 powered towers.So go ahead buy these or the RT-800i towers you wont regreat it you have my word.

Rick


Speaker Specs:

DRIVERS
1 1 inch Dynamic Balance tweetwer(250 watts RMS,2500hz-26,000 +- 3db)
1 6 1/2 ich Dynamic Balance woofers(125 watts RMS, 26Hz-3,000 Hz +- 3 db)
POWERHANDLING
250 watts
FREQUENCY RESPONSE
47-25,000 Hz +-3db
28-26,000 Hz +-6db
SENNSITTIVITY
90 db
CROSSOVER
2500 Hz with 2 ohm reisistor for tweeter ,6db octave
WIRING
Tweeter - parallel to imputs
Woofer - series to inputs
Bi-Amp/Bi-Wire Capable

Enjoy,Rick

Strengths:
Handle loads of power,deep bass,clear well defined highs,balaced natural mids.

Weaknesses:
Nothing exept you can pick up bad recordings and inpurities in a music CD.

Similar Products Used:
Bose 401/901,Cerwin Vega,KLH 9154,Sony MB-1555,Optimus PRO-CS5 center

Price Paid:  $410.00 from circuit city

Summary:
They are they best speakers i have heard in the price point;PERIOD! Tri-laminate dome tweeters are the best of both worlds. Great home theatre speakers. The RT800 have better midrange than any other speaker polk makes except the rt3000's.

Strengths:
Great Sound, great power handling, Good looks. Excellent build quality.

Weaknesses:
POLK RT800I's have none considering they only cost 800 retail a pair. They handidly spank any sub 1000$ pair i have heard

Similar Products Used:
INFINTY OVATUREs, INFINITY INTERLUDES, POLK RT800P,
rt1000, rt3000, rt55i's Boston Acoustics