🔥 Buy the Polk Reserve R200: bit.ly/PolkR200AMZ 🔊 Download the Uncompressed WAV: bit.ly/PolkR200SoundDemo Watch the Full Review of the Polk Audio Reserve R200's: ruclips.net/video/fYy21OWMHmU/видео.html My Speaker Leaderboard: bit.ly/SpeakerLeaderboard Disclosure: The Affiliate links above earn me a commission if you purchase using those links. This is at no additional cost to you. Polk sent these free for me to review. They have not reviewed this video prior to release.
I've had the chance to listen to these in person at an Audio show and they're legitimately amazing speakers for the price. Like, you CAN do better if you really try, but these have a particularly pleasant quality to their sound that I really appreciate.
They sound pretty good. I listened with my Sennheiser HD650 headphones. It would cool if you could review the KEF R3 or the new Wharfedale 12.2. I know you already reviewed the 12.1.
@Roy R, I've also been a Polk fan for years, I started with RT series back in the day with RT55, CS400, f/x500 and PSW450, then moved to LSi25, LSiC, LSi f/x, followed by LSiM 707 only for music until 2019 when I got the L800 and moved the LSiM 707 to my HT and added 706c, 4x702f/x. Good value speakers.
The Polk Reserve R200 sounds fantastic...but a bit expensive... a comparison with Kef LS50 META might be interesting because they are about the same price range...and these also sound fantastic
@@joentell Hi Joe...you are right...the Kef are quite a bit more expensive...I downloaded the soundfile...it caused an earthquake in my speakers...awesome
@@TheRazorgermany Yeah, I get a bit more room gain than I would want. I usually resolve that with DSP (DIRAC) which easily tames the bass. I didn't want to do any DSP for the sound demo because that might not be fair. I know DIRAC would take good sounding speakers and help them get closer to great.
Well, all i have to say here is this,.. There is not many times that we listen to a demo of a set of speakers that sound extremley close to the original track. I think that should tell you all you need to know about these Reserve R200's!
@@AmbientWanderer I am interesting to know if the R200 is better then the new Klipsch RP600M II version ? The R200 are 4 ohm speakers do they hard to drive ? Thanks , by the way my power amp is ADCOM GFA 555 MK2
How do these compare to Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 or 12.2? Which speaker would you suggest to buy in the 500 1000 range? Choosing between Quad S2, Elac Unifi 52, Diamond 12.1 or 12.2 Or something in the similar price range.
These have an extremely similar tonality to the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1. I haven't tried the 12.2. Check out my full review of both the Diamond 12.1 and R200. They're both excellent choices. The Wharfedale's are less expensive, but you can't go wrong either way.
Nice demo, Joe if i might ask you how does this treble of polk compare to an ATM if have heard one ? the specs are promising but I wonder if polk handles micro detail and has that airy sound or not ? The specs sounds promising but its hard to get an opinion over youtube
Great demo Joe. Though its complicated to reproduce the exact scenario, you have did a really good job. The Bass does get a bit dispersed and reverberating (May be due to room), and the treble seems... boxy? constrained? I don't think the treble is airy. [Using Fiio E10k, BB off on ATH M50X]
The treble response of any speaker gets lower the further you get from a speaker. That's normal. If the treble sounded equal to that of the original recording, that may be a cause for concern as that might be perceived as overly bright and a measurement of the speaker itself would probably show a rising response. If I sat closer to the speakers, the treble response would likely be more similar to the source. Try it with your speakers. Play some familiar music. Then keep backing up. What drops in volume first, the bass, midrange, or treble?
A little DSP and you can reduce the cabinet resonances, and restore the studio impact and presence, but they sound nice with a straight amp signal as well. Very nice.
@@joentell yes they just appeared glad they became in stock today . Surprised all of the reviewers epsecially zero fidelity agree on these. We will see! Thanks for actually measuring them it's important info
How should I read this, Joe? Listening to the comparison on the Cambridge Audio Melomania, the original track is much tighter, fuller in the lower-mids and have a tighter bass. Is this about right?
Hi Can i ask how do these compare with Denton 85? because based on your leader board Denton 85 is ranked higher and i would like to know the reason why. hopefully you could advise thank you!
I'm thinking of buying the Polk audio r200 I currently have floor-standing speakers, how do I feel about the lack of bass? I hear a lot of electronic music with a lot of bass
What do you think? That gives you an idea of what it sounded like to me in my room. Keep in mind, I usually use DSP (digital signal processing) to tune the sound, but I didn't for the purpose of this demo.
@@joentell For me it sounded fantastic👌 But I can't judge the finer points as you do. You must have marked it higher on your List but not above the best ones😀
Hi, Im buying my first speakers for music and movies. My choices are B&W 603 s2, ELAC DFR52, FOCAL CHORA 826 and POLK RESERVE. any suggestions on these? THANKS! everytime i research i add new models to my shortlist LMAO
I went and listened to your demo of the wharfdale 12.1 and they don't sound good in the demo to me. Did you use a different mic? The bass of the wharfdale sounded bloated.
I sat further back near the wall in the Wharfedale one which causes more "bloated" bass. I will start recording then from this distance from now on since I don't use DSP room correction to keep things fair.
I don't really get it I'm listening to this on my Sennheiser 6xx ofc the original track sounds better because I don't understand what subjective opinion I could achieve on these listening tests on how a speaker performs. I do like your Content Joe ofc :) have helped me out.
The original should ALWAYS sound the best. Imagine a case where it didn't. This is to give some perspective of how the speakers sounded in my room as I was evaluating them. It gives you an idea of the tonal characteristics relative to the original. I have frequency response graphs on my full review. ruclips.net/video/fYy21OWMHmU/видео.html Just take this as one data point to help you get a better idea. If I say something has too much treble, and you can hear that in the recording, well, that gives you just a bit more insight.
@@joentell Great explanation, thank you for taking the time to reply. Going through my thoughts I did believe the speaker lacked a response in the lower region but then again this type of speaker will run with a subwoofer so I have to take that into consideration. I do like that you include measurements which is going above and beyond and you always explain to the listener instead of saying buy this, or this is the best speaker. I did recently watch the baby SVS video and was pleased by its performance and that you including the graph to show performance, however, as you mentioned it doesn't replace big subs so i would miss my Arendal 1961 1s if I had the Svs mini :) keep up the good work.
I think a lot of reviewers are in love with the idea that they can or should convince someone to take their advice. Having been in sales most of my life, being able to convince someone shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who knows what they're doing. In actuality, it's a big responsibility! You need to be careful with any influence you may have. So instead, I hope to help people make better decisions for themselves. What I like shouldn't necessarily determine what you like.
@@joentell Exactly that, you are doing the right thing :) never sell out for a quick buck not worth it. I got some svs prime elevation delivered today going to ceiling mount them I'll make sure not to fall off the ladder :) 😀
![If you can't hear this then you're not an audiophile [See description for link to followup video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/48PxwspDvrE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Gunna - HIM ALL ALONG [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/w7Wf0h1Q8a4/mqdefault.jpg)
🔥 Buy the Polk Reserve R200: bit.ly/PolkR200AMZ
🔊 Download the Uncompressed WAV: bit.ly/PolkR200SoundDemo
Watch the Full Review of the Polk Audio Reserve R200's: ruclips.net/video/fYy21OWMHmU/видео.html
My Speaker Leaderboard: bit.ly/SpeakerLeaderboard
Disclosure: The Affiliate links above earn me a commission if you purchase using those links. This is at no additional cost to you. Polk sent these free for me to review. They have not reviewed this video prior to release.
Pretty great demo. I liked what you did with the live vs original and all the graphic content. True pro!
I've had the chance to listen to these in person at an Audio show and they're legitimately amazing speakers for the price. Like, you CAN do better if you really try, but these have a particularly pleasant quality to their sound that I really appreciate.
Great demo. Sometimes I prefer the "air" added from the binaural recording of the Polks. Sound great. Pretty good bass for bookshelves.
Yes it's about time the reviewers give POLK AUDIO some luv, my living room Home Theater is all POLK AUDIO
Can you believe that this is the first Polk Audio speaker I've officially reviewed. I've owned many models in the past, but this is the first.
Preachhh !!!!
Polk have a happy sound and sweet polished sparkling (nice) female vocals.
Joe, I love your demos... Sets you apart.
They sound pretty good. I listened with my Sennheiser HD650 headphones. It would cool if you could review the KEF R3 or the new Wharfedale 12.2. I know you already reviewed the 12.1.
I haven't received a response from the US distributors recently. I would like to check out a 12.2.
Wow sounds awesome looks like i will have to swap out my klipsch.
IMO, the R series are the standout affordable speakers of 2021, comparable to much costlier designs, and bettering many of them
Awesome stuff as usual Joe. I actually have been a Polk fan for years. This line of their's should do well. Thanks for video.
I'm used to old Polk Audio speakers being a bit bright, but not these. These are right on for me.
@Roy R, I've also been a Polk fan for years, I started with RT series back in the day with RT55, CS400, f/x500 and PSW450, then moved to LSi25, LSiC, LSi f/x, followed by LSiM 707 only for music until 2019 when I got the L800 and moved the LSiM 707 to my HT and added 706c, 4x702f/x. Good value speakers.
Thought of you when I made this @mpitogo
These and this are good stuff. Demo gives you the room and trough headphones is more enjoyable than the original.
Lol not sure what you mean, the demo sounds significantly worse in every way than the original...as it should.
wow that's some incredible bass. i could feel it thru my.headphones. vocals are nicely airy as well. do these speakers sparkle enough for you? tnx!
Some of my favorite speakers right now.
Thank you for interest video!
I like the Original Track speakers a bit more in this test, much darker background :)
Hello. Please how do they compare with the klipsch 600 in sound quality?
Hello! Nice demo 👍🏻 May I know what amp you pair the R200 with? Any sub? If I want to add aisb, what would you recommend? Thank you
The Polk Reserve R200 sounds fantastic...but a bit expensive... a comparison with Kef LS50 META might be interesting because they are about the same price range...and these also sound fantastic
LS50 are $1499 a pair. These are $699/pr.
@@joentell Hi Joe...you are right...the Kef are quite a bit more expensive...I downloaded the soundfile...it caused an earthquake in my speakers...awesome
@@TheRazorgermany Yeah, I get a bit more room gain than I would want. I usually resolve that with DSP (DIRAC) which easily tames the bass. I didn't want to do any DSP for the sound demo because that might not be fair. I know DIRAC would take good sounding speakers and help them get closer to great.
You have to have a subwoofer playing too right? Because if you don’t, those speakers have some serious bass.
Well, all i have to say here is this,..
There is not many times that we listen to a demo of a set of speakers that sound extremley close to the original track. I think that should tell you all you need to know about these Reserve R200's!
These sound like they might be a lot better than rp600m, based on what I'm hearing.
they're better for sure!
@@AmbientWanderer I am interesting to know if the R200 is better then the new Klipsch RP600M II version ? The R200 are 4 ohm speakers do they hard to drive ? Thanks , by the way my power amp is ADCOM GFA 555 MK2
How do these compare to Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 or 12.2? Which speaker would you suggest to buy in the 500 1000 range? Choosing between Quad S2, Elac Unifi 52, Diamond 12.1 or 12.2 Or something in the similar price range.
These have an extremely similar tonality to the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1. I haven't tried the 12.2. Check out my full review of both the Diamond 12.1 and R200. They're both excellent choices. The Wharfedale's are less expensive, but you can't go wrong either way.
I auditioned the latest KEF to compare. Didn't like the metallic tinge. The paradigm's tweeter left me wanting. In the end, the polk won, easily.
Amazing sound demo
Nice demo, Joe if i might ask you how does this treble of polk compare to an ATM if have heard one ? the specs are promising but I wonder if polk handles micro detail and has that airy sound or not ? The specs sounds promising but its hard to get an opinion over youtube
what amplifier etc. did you pair it with? your answer is a must,
Parasound A52+
Wow this is Great !! Good work thank you !!
What would you recommend between a pair of XT 70 and a pair of R200 for a 25m² room?
What make & model of speaker stands are they? Do they screw into the bottom of the speaker at all? Thx K
Great demo Joe. Though its complicated to reproduce the exact scenario, you have did a really good job.
The Bass does get a bit dispersed and reverberating (May be due to room), and the treble seems... boxy? constrained? I don't think the treble is airy. [Using Fiio E10k, BB off on ATH M50X]
The treble response of any speaker gets lower the further you get from a speaker. That's normal. If the treble sounded equal to that of the original recording, that may be a cause for concern as that might be perceived as overly bright and a measurement of the speaker itself would probably show a rising response. If I sat closer to the speakers, the treble response would likely be more similar to the source.
Try it with your speakers. Play some familiar music. Then keep backing up. What drops in volume first, the bass, midrange, or treble?
A little DSP and you can reduce the cabinet resonances, and restore the studio impact and presence, but they sound nice with a straight amp signal as well. Very nice.
I can't wait to run DIRAC on these
The cabinets resonate? Must be a faulty pair Joe got. 😁 Or was it the room echo. Great demo tracks BTW.
These came out just in time. We'll when they do come out lol!
They're out!
@@joentell they arent in stock anywhere =(
When you click the link in my description, it should take you to Polk Audio's website.
@@joentell yes they just appeared glad they became in stock today . Surprised all of the reviewers epsecially zero fidelity agree on these. We will see! Thanks for actually measuring them it's important info
Thank you that was great.
How should I read this, Joe? Listening to the comparison on the Cambridge Audio Melomania, the original track is much tighter, fuller in the lower-mids and have a tighter bass. Is this about right?
I have some comments about it in other comments here. Check them out and get back to me if there's some stuff that wasn't answered.
Aurora 300 or this polk?
Hi Joe, can you kindly share the amplifier that you used in this test? Thanks.
Probably Parasound A52+ or an OSD Audio 5-channel amp. I can't remember.
Just the sound and only the sound. Sounded really good . I missed my man's voice.
Ha! Don't worry, I have a full review too. Did you watch it yet?
Hi Can i ask how do these compare with Denton 85? because based on your leader board Denton 85 is ranked higher and i would like to know the reason why. hopefully you could advise thank you!
I'm thinking of buying the Polk audio r200 I currently have floor-standing speakers, how do I feel about the lack of bass? I hear a lot of electronic music with a lot of bass
The R200 has good bass, but any decent floorstander should have more bass extension. With a sub though...
What is the name of the amplifier please?
What kind of speaker stands are those?
Can I get the title of track 3? Lol
Great demo👍
Did Polk pass the test tracks of Joe ?
What do you think? That gives you an idea of what it sounded like to me in my room. Keep in mind, I usually use DSP (digital signal processing) to tune the sound, but I didn't for the purpose of this demo.
@@joentell
For me it sounded fantastic👌
But I can't judge the finer points as you do. You must have marked it higher on your List but not above the best ones😀
You can see bit.ly/SpeakerLeaderboard. I also have my full review up on my channel.
@@joentell
Wow!
Best overall 4th🏆
What amp have you paired them with? @Joe N Tell
gear use?
seriously considering R200 purely for music... for a simple set up turn table and CD player as my source, what amplifier would you suggest? thank you.
Any decent amp with enough power to meet your loudness expectations in your room.
@@joentell i sit 15 ft away from speakers is denon 3700h 105watt enough for good movie music experience in ht?
Hi, Im buying my first speakers for music and movies. My choices are B&W 603 s2, ELAC DFR52, FOCAL CHORA 826 and POLK RESERVE. any suggestions on these? THANKS! everytime i research i add new models to my shortlist LMAO
Hello i heard the B&W and have a lot of highs is good for instrumental music, the Polk reserve R500 are awesome high mids and lows very good
How do these compare to the RTA 12 Bs?
I went and listened to your demo of the wharfdale 12.1 and they don't sound good in the demo to me. Did you use a different mic? The bass of the wharfdale sounded bloated.
I sat further back near the wall in the Wharfedale one which causes more "bloated" bass. I will start recording then from this distance from now on since I don't use DSP room correction to keep things fair.
@@joentell getting near a back wall makes a ridiculous amount of difference.
Yessir. Tremendous.
sounds a bit hollow in mid range
That's most likely my room you're hearing.
I used to have some RTA 12 Bs but someone stole everything that I had when I was in the hospital having heart surgery.
Cheap audioguy was reviewingthe r100 this morning
I don't really get it I'm listening to this on my Sennheiser 6xx ofc the original track sounds better because I don't understand what subjective opinion I could achieve on these listening tests on how a speaker performs. I do like your Content Joe ofc :) have helped me out.
The original should ALWAYS sound the best. Imagine a case where it didn't. This is to give some perspective of how the speakers sounded in my room as I was evaluating them. It gives you an idea of the tonal characteristics relative to the original. I have frequency response graphs on my full review. ruclips.net/video/fYy21OWMHmU/видео.html Just take this as one data point to help you get a better idea. If I say something has too much treble, and you can hear that in the recording, well, that gives you just a bit more insight.
@@joentell Great explanation, thank you for taking the time to reply. Going through my thoughts I did believe the speaker lacked a response in the lower region but then again this type of speaker will run with a subwoofer so I have to take that into consideration. I do like that you include measurements which is going above and beyond and you always explain to the listener instead of saying buy this, or this is the best speaker. I did recently watch the baby SVS video and was pleased by its performance and that you including the graph to show performance, however, as you mentioned it doesn't replace big subs so i would miss my Arendal 1961 1s if I had the Svs mini :) keep up the good work.
I think a lot of reviewers are in love with the idea that they can or should convince someone to take their advice. Having been in sales most of my life, being able to convince someone shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who knows what they're doing. In actuality, it's a big responsibility! You need to be careful with any influence you may have. So instead, I hope to help people make better decisions for themselves. What I like shouldn't necessarily determine what you like.
@@joentell Exactly that, you are doing the right thing :) never sell out for a quick buck not worth it. I got some svs prime elevation delivered today going to ceiling mount them I'll make sure not to fall off the ladder :) 😀
Track 2 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩