I have been in the process of replacing my HT speakers, moving away from my piecemeal 5.1 setup (old Altec fronts, Bose surround satellites, Boston Acoustics center channel), to an all-Polk 5.1 configuration. From the research I did prior to actually buying anything, reviews seemed to stress that the RTI-A polk line sounds just about as good as other companies' speakers that typically run for twice the price. After listening to a bunch of options at the now-defunct Tweeter, I came to the same conclusion; I purchased this set of RTI-A7s for fronts, a Polk Audio CSI A6 Center Channel, and Polk Audio RTI A3s for rears. I got the RTI-A7s for a song at Tweeter right before they closed, even cheaper than here or other sites.
These were also the first new items I bought as part of my replacement project, so it really gave me a chance to listen to these in comparison with my old Altecs. I did an A-B test, and the detail and sound field these babies put out really blew away the older, more conventional (and aesthetically speaking much uglier) Altecs (running on a Yamaha RX-V1800). Mid- and High-range detail are exceptional on the RTI A7s, really light years ahead of my old dinosaurs, and perfect for HD formats like BluRay or SACD. The only area where the Altecs win by a slight margin is deep bass (<35Hz) response. But considering the Altec's single, massive 12" woofer as compared with the dual 7" polymer woofers on the Polks, I expected this. Getting a sub solves that problem (I ended up getting a Polk Audio PSW505).
In terms of power handling, these are rated at 300 watts, which I can't really approach with my receiver. At nearly max volume they still sounded great with no degradation in clarity of sound that I could detect.
Look and feel is nice too. They feature a sleek curved cabinet design with a black-oak finish, pewter-accented grilles, and stand about 42". Considering the size and quality of construction, they aren't overly heavy either (~60 lbs.)
These speakers sound equally good with music and movies, having had the chance to test them out pretty extensively since getting them just over a month ago. Another quick note is that when brand-new they sounded a bit bright, but now that I've had time to break them in that issue is gone.
In conclusion, for the money this is a great buy. You're getting a versatile, powerful loudspeaker that is up to the task of handling the super-detailed sounds of today's HD formats, and you're getting it for substantially less than comparable units from other industry leaders. I am beyond pleased with these speakers - Polk may have converted me permanently. Highly recommended.

These are some really wonderful speakers. I auditioned literally dozens of speakers from Polk, Klipsh, Energy, B&O etc. Some of the ones I tested were 10 times the price of these Polks and even excluding price considerations, these were the best I heard (I even enjoyed them more than the more expensive Polk LSi Series).

In the past, I would have said that I prefer loudspeakers with a more rounded, mellow, laid-back sound as opposed to ones that are a bit more forward and precise, but the RTi A7s changed my mind. They are not at all harsh or bright, and while they are very precise, they're not at all fatiguing to the ear. To my ear, these speakers offer a fantastic listening experience for both music and home theatre. And, while you're not buying speakers to look at them, you'll be happy with the real wood finish and superb craftsmanship of the cabinets as well.

Of course, sound quality is somewhat subjective, so you should listen for yourself if you can. However, there's a good reason why these speakers are sold out and back-ordered all across the country: they're really that good. If you can actually get your hands on them, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Just for reference: I use these about 70/30 for music/TV. I have an Onkyo 876 powering these speakers and have them paired with the Polk MicroPro 1000 Sub, Polk CSi A4 Center and a set of Polk RTi A3s for the surrounds. You don't have to source all your speakers from one manufacturer or series, but the Polks are all "timbre-matched" to ensure seamless sound. (Speakers have "accents" and in some cases--particularly with the fronts and the center channel--mix-and-match speakers can sound harsh). Hope this is helpful.

I purchased the Polk Rti A7's, along with the Csi A4 center channel, at the end of December. I have had them about a month and a half as of this writing. I purchased them in black because of the room décor but I understand the cherry finish is just one of the finest around.

The Rti A7's replaced my JBL L100T's which I had for about 25 years. The Polk's are on either side of my Sony 55" rear projection TV with the Csi A4 sitting on top. The speaker box is one of the finest I have seen and I have found no flaws in fit or finish.

I have the Polk's powered with a Yamaha RX-V2200. I do not have them bi-wired yet so I can't speak on that but the imaging even out of the box was fantastic. The first music I listened to was the Eagles Farewell Live from Melbourne and I couldn't believe how much better they sounded than the JBL's.

Now that they have had a chance to "break in" they even sound better (warmer). I was listening to Steely Dan "Hey Nineteen" and the bass came through punchy and tight.

When watching movies I can see where a sub would complement the speakers but even without a sub I can feel the explosions. My surrounds are still my JBL S26's and eventually I want to buy the Fxi A4's

I purchased from Amazon because they had the best price and free shipping.

I got these on a different website, but I cannot sing their praises enough. They, as stated in other reviews, are 42" tall and weigh around 60lbs. I got the cherry ones and my wife couldn't be happier. The all black bachelor pad look just isn't for us, but these nice warm cherry speakers are beautiful.

As with all speakers, they get better with age. That is true for these more than any others I have heard. They start out a bit harsh, so much so that I almost regretted my purchase. Then one day, about a month after purchasing them, I turned on my Denon AVR 890 and something magical happened. The sound was full and warm. I thought my wife had changed some equalizer settings, so I checked...everything was the same. Each and every day that I use these (along with my Denon AVR 890, CSi A6, and RTi A3 surrounds, and PSW 125) whether for movies, music, video games, or whatever, I am overjoyed.

One final thing, and I'm not sure if any other reviewers have discussed this: These are built for two channel audio primarily. There is no reason to spend this kind of money if you just want two fronts for your 5.1 surround sound. The volume and sound quality for 5.1 should be approximately equal across all channels. If 5.1 sound is your game, get the most expensive center channel you can afford (for dialog) and get 4 matching bookshelves for the other channels.

If you want a sound system that can do 2 channel audio as well as 5 channel video, these are the speakers for you.

One final note on the Polk RTi system: If you calibrate it correctly and want GOOD sound (not just boomy bass), your living room will sound better than 90% of movie theaters. IMAX is a different story and some really high end theaters callibrate correctly, but the vast majority think that more bass means higher quality. Get a good HT setup, a PS3 Blu-ray player, and you'll never have to pay $10 for crappy sound again. Consider it an investment.

Wow, These are the best speakers in the world. You cannot believe the sound quality and the feel at the high out from the receiver. I am using a top of the line Yamaha which has the list of $1700 Yamaha RX-V3800BL.
It is an awesome stereo setup, it rivals professional theatre sound.
I would highly recommend this pairing of this equipment.

After receiving these speakers in only 3 days I finally got them out of the box. Hesitant at first to purchase them without actually seeing them in person, I did so anyways. I am EXTREMELY satisfied with the actual quality and workmanship of these RTi A7 speakers. Solid, clean, and classy all in one setup. I owned 15" infinity floor standing speakers and I must say these are top notch in quality and for the money, are really hard to pass up. Unfortunately I have not received my Onkyo 605 series receiver yet, so I don't know how they sound just yet. I will do a more detailed review once it arrives.