POLK AUDIO Legend L800 Tower Speaker Review. Is L800 STILL the LEGEND?
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
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POWER
Pro-Ject MaiA S2 Integrated Amplifier (best): bit.ly/maias2
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XTZ Sound Edge A2-300 Amplifier (not recommended for L800)
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► COMPARABLE TO POLK TOWER SPEAKERS
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Polk Audio T50 Tower Speakers: amzn.to/3kgKpJN
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Polk Audio MagniFi Home Theater Surround Sound Bar: amzn.to/2ZxcNzC
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Polk Audio PSW10 Subwoofer: amzn.to/2GQdBcd
► POLK AUDIO Legend L800 Tower Speaker Review. Is L800 STILL the LEGEND?
Polk Audio is known for making affordable and even a few higher-end loudspeakers; but their new flagship speaker, the Legend Series L800, takes 25 year old technology and attempts to bring it into the modern era with very, very mixed results.
► MORE ANDREW ROBINSON TOWER SPEAKER REVIEWS
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➔ Polk Audio L100 Review: • POLK AUDIO L100 Loudsp...
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Kanto Bookshelf Speaker Stands (budget): bit.ly/Kanto26
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U-Turn Orbit Plus Record Player (good): bit.ly/uturnspec
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Ortofon 2M Blue: bit.ly/OrtBlue
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Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones: bit.ly/WH1000xm4
Modern Wood Headphone Stand: amzn.to/3g9CpIp
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LG FLAGSHIP SOUND BAR: bit.ly/LGSN11sb
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Hisense 65-inch QLED TV: bit.ly/H9GTV
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BDI Octave Media Cabinet: bit.ly/BDIMEDIA
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Naim Mu-so Qb V2 Wireless Music System: amzn.to/2C3AeYq
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#audio #hifi #polkaudio
★ *QOTD: Did Polk do enough to update this speaker?*
★ *REVIEWING: **bit.ly/3pCg6RD** NEED MORE? ✔︎ THE ⬆︎DESCRIPTION⬆︎*
★ *CORRECTION: The reported frequency response of the L800 is 25 Hz - 50,000 Hz, NOT 50Hz. That was a typo.*
★ *Love our outtakes? Be sure to watch to the end*
★ *COMMENT RULES:*
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- Keep it civil. It’s okay to disagree, just don’t be a jerk about it.
50k frequency is for 🦇 listener's! L😂L
My favorite review, thanks Andrew
I enjoyed this review and several of your recent ones, and am glad that RUclips's algorithm sent you my way...
...but I'm gonna overshare: what's clinched the deal to make me sub your channel isn't that you asked...
...it's that your presentation has a VERY strong ASMR quality. now those four letter are a fad, but I've been mesmerized by ASMR experiences since childhood. yes, including (but not limited to) Bob Ross.
Lol yeah its a very narrow bandwidth subwoofer ;p
I have a question that is off topic. Just delete it if it needs to be. I have a pair of SVS Ultra bookshelves that I want to get a new amp for. I pretty Much just stream my music.. that said I am looking at Yamaha 803 bluesound power node,Marantz 1200 or even the iota stack. Anyone have any opinions or would suggest something else. Thanks
Excellent review. After a year of thinking about them, I finally purchased a pair of L800's three weeks ago through Crutchfield (love their return policy). I was very nervous as it is by far the largest audiophile purchase I've ever made. The cabinets are no joke. In my experience so far, everything you have said is accurate. I've owned Polk loudspeakers all my life, so you might be right about the tailored to the dyed in the wool Polk fan. The tweeter is incredible, the mid range is perfect, and the bass with the dual 10" drivers is amazing, but not rumbling. We have a very symmetrical rectangular living room leading into an open kitchen, so it probably helps in that they are equidistant from the walls of the room. Agree with all comments on the amps. I had an Onkyo TX-8270, and it just couldn't power these. I got an NAD C-388 (an excellent hybrid preamp with BluOS) and it made a huge difference. I then bi-amped the 388 with an NAD C-275BEE, and it was noticeable in further separating the highs and lows. These speakers absolutely sound amazing with the addition of the 275. All in all, you need a lot of power to drive these, so the real cost is much more than the speaker cost. But when everything comes together, I don't think I've ever heard a better loudspeaker. Agree with your opinion of the SDA technology. I wouldn't say it disappears from recording to recording, but some albums sound absolutely mind blowing with SDA, whereas others sound just "really, really good".
Happy to know you are enjoying your L800s! Thanks for watching and sharing your personal experience.
Hello Andrew. Thanks SO MUCH for your heart felt feelings on this Polk flagship speaker. You were really trying to convey your truest feelings for us and I for one appreciate that !
WOW a REAL REVIEW for ONCE!!!! Not oh this is the greatest you have to buy them. Nice to hear a honest review!!
Appreciate you taking the time to watch!
Andrew's reviews are ALWAYS real and honest.
Hey Andrew. Appreciated your honesty in this review. You told me everything I needed to know about these guys. Good work.
Thanks!
Ron, please review them in you symmetrical room and positioned properly. There is a good chance your impressions will be different
Thanks for this review. Between this and your review on the Polk R700, you've convinced me to go with more forgiving and user friendly R700s. Appreciate your channel.
Have been listening to and enjoying the vast majority of your work, but this review has taken things to another level, so congratulations on this wonderfully informative presentation.
I sincerely appreciate it! Thank you for watching!
Dig the vibes and the reviews.
Love stretching my understanding of sound and gear.
Your presentation is very enjoyable, and fresh.
Love the vinyl content especially, and it’s helped me learn what to look for in my journey to get more into vinyl and into collecting.
Keep rocking.
Thank you!!!
Andrew, your opinions deserve respect. It’s not too often when a reviewer will give a major manufacturer’s new product the kiss of death.
Wasn't trying to give anything or anyone a kiss of death. The L800 doesn't deserve to die, it's a great speaker in its own right, and with the right customer/listener I'm sure it will bring him or her years of enjoyment. It just isn't an easy speaker to get "right", which is why I don't think it's for everyone, unlike many of Polk's other loudspeakers. Thanks for watching and for subscribing!
Wow, didn't see that one coming but appreciate your candidness which is why you have seen an increase in subs as you mentioned!😉🤗😬 I think Ron from New Record Day might go nuts after watching this review as he loved it at 2019 RMF🤪🤔🙄 That was a perfect set up with perfect material I Suppose!😇
I really hope people understand that the L800 isn't necessarily a "bad" speaker, it's just a unique one. One that requires a particular type of person who is willing to go that extra mile in order to get the most from it. It is not a set and forget loudspeaker. In the right hands, and in the right system for the right person I'm sure the L800 will be the best speaker that person has ever heard, but for those looking for a great loudspeaker they don't have to fuss with, the L800 isn't it -in my humble opinion. Thank you for watching!!!
Wow a constructively critical review. What a pleasant surprise. Thanks
Thank you for watching!!!
The $6000 price tag is a no-can-do for me, but it's a Polk product so I thought I would listen to your review, just for funzies! Love this review! Very honest, well thought-out and very heartfelt! Your simultaneous appreciation and frustration with these speakers seemed genuine. And if I were in the market for speakers in this price range (and size), I would choose something else based solely on this review.
Very well done, Andrew!
Thank you SO much for taking the time to shoot more of the product and include it throughout the review.
Great review. I would love to hear The L800. I am very familiar with Polks SDA Technology, I have a pair of the SDA-1C's, bought ($1,700) brand new in 1988. I wanted the SDA SRS 1.2's but the cost was more than I could afford at the time. The cross cable is required for the SDA effect. SDA achieves its 3 Dimensional Soundstage acoustically, by cancelling the crosstalk between the speakers. The cable sends limited frequencies from one speaker to the other which cancels out the crosstalk. It helps to know how the speakers operate and how they need to be placed.
I LOVE the SDA effect of my SDA-1C's, which is why I bought them in the first place. Yes, I still listen to them today. ….. THEY ARE AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!
The most the past SDA speakers cost was $3000. This was for the flagship SDA SRS 1.2's. You "could" get them for less though. I could have got a pair for $2,500, but could not afford them, so had to settle for less expensive (and smaller) SDA-1C's.
Thanks for your review. I love your channel. Great story telling too. I remember back in the late 80's hearing the SDA 1's and thinking it was the best thing I ever heard. All I could afford to get at the time was the Polk Monitor 7's. I was probably 18 at the time and that was my paper route money I saved for about a year. I have always dreamed about having a pair. I finally got a used pair of SDA 1C's last year and I still think they are the best thing I ever heard. I haven't heard much high end stuff though. I wish I had $6000usd. LOL
So long as you enjoy what you have that is ALL that matters.
Wildly honest and personal review, cuts right through all the hype.
Wasn't trying to blaze any new trails with this one, or be controversial, the L800 just elated and confused me a bit.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews You were simply sharing "your" personal impressions on it listening to it in "your" living space. That's sometime rare to find. It might just confuse/vex some who have been led to believe it's the ultimate endgame speaker.
Thank's again Andrew for your amazingly honest & complete review of the L800's. I think I'll just stick with my B&W speakers that cost me about half of the Polks per pair. They are not nearly as "fussy" as the L800's and perform superbly no matter what you throw at them!!
Sounds like a plan. Thank you for watching.
Ladies and gentlemen, please go to a dealer and listen to the L800 and judge for yourself. Great review.
Yes, you should definitely do that.
This very solid advice should be applied to all reviews. I’m in awe of the people who suddenly trust the review simply because it’s not “gushed” over. The same people applauding Andrew’s Polk review will be the same people roasting him for over-praising the next product on the channel. People just wanna be right.
I am one of those who remember the SDA of the 80's and early 90's and actually do have the huge SDA SRS 1.2 TL of 1991 in my living room. In many ways what you're describing is similar to my experience of the SRS 1.2TL. The SDA thing does it's thing with recordings with good stereo separation but doesn't affect more monotonic recordings (as expected). However it does not reproduce lesser recordings any worse than other speakers in my opinion. It is the opposite, it just makes great recordings shine. I feel in general that speakers that make "bad" recordings sound good are colored and will as a result ruin the good ones.
These are quite expensive at $6000 but if you want a speaker of that caliber built by hand in the US or Europe using exotic woods it wouldn't be $6000. The L800 is in that way true to Polk history in producing "affordable" speakers. Polk could offer custom builds for millionaires or gimmicky "retro" looking speakers but I'm glad they don't.
The Polk SDA of the past have been difficult to drive so I'm a little surprised they didn't address this. It does add to the cost of buying speaker like the L800 having to spend few thousand more on a monster amp. The SDA cable is needed because your amps left channel is powering the right SDA woofer and vice versa. There's no way around that unless making the speakers self powered. Actually not a bad idea that would null out the amplification problem. And don't worry cable guys who bi-amp, they don't care for an extra cable. Their worry will rather be if the SDA cable is heavy enough gauge.
In general I liked your review as it is sincere true to you experience but as may you're probably a little negatively biased towards Polk brand and can't wash it off.
Interesting review and I agree with you. But you did fail to mention one key thing though. The L600 is available, and better suits your room shape! The L800, are a flagship for a specific dimension/ratio room and to be paired with avant grade components (Ones that are stable to very low impedance). They very much only designed for a dedicated audio room. The L600 runs the same high, mid drivers in a non-SDA configuration, in most cases they actually sound better. Especially in an open plan room. SDA is playing a trick on your rooms acoustics, if you can't install these correctly they will sound phasey and confused.
@Timothy Brunskill Yup. I agree.
Sold my 30 year old Polk SDA CRS+ last year because I was done with them. They were really strange with home theater but good with music. I now own the Polk LSIM 707 and love them. Following the Master set and rational speaker placement process I found on RUclips they have a better soundstage than the SDA ever did.
There are so many audiophile videos out there that I think people really need to be careful about what to watch. However, as a professional sound engineer, the more I watch Andrew the more I can attest that he really does know what he's talking about. What's more is I feel he's gifted with a way of being able to express the effects of complex physics in a way that anyone can comprehend. And I even put my money where my mouth is. After watching many of his videos, I decided to settle with a pair of Polk R700s, which I'm extremely happy with. Andrew, thank you for your knowledge and expertise! Sky is the limit I've now doubt where you're headed!
One of your best videos to date. Hooked from the start. You're description and detail was spot on and the fact you added in some caveats to the product is refreshing.
I, personally am sick of these "all positive" reviews of various audio products so to see/hear your subjective and brutally honest views is great to see.
Keep up the great work! :)
Awesome, A perfect review and exactly as I thought it would come off. Any technology that tries to accomplish the 3D imaging thing has come up against the same obstacle. Just like these Polk speakers, like sonic holography, or anything else. When it's right, it's magic. When it goes wrong, the same bad result. Every try at this results in phase problems... always. Fantastic review, Andrew.
Thanks!
I enjoyed your review. Many moons ago I bought a pair of SDA models from a store in Cincinnati. I was blown away by the 3d sound from the demo with some Dire Straits and a few other tunes. I bought the Polks and a Nakamichi Pa 7 to drive them. Once I listened to the speakers for a while at home I felt the speakers presentation was lacking and more of an artificial effect. I sold the SDA's off and bought a pair of Snell A3 speakers. I never looked back . I still have those Snell's from the 80's. I haven't heard the new SDA's but if the tech is similar to the original models I would be wary. So to sum up my point I concur with Andrew's advice on this 6000 dollar pair of loudspeakers. Audition carefully and be certain you can live with their idiosyncrasies.
Appreciate you sharing your personal experience. Thank you for watching.
One of the best loudspeaker reviews I've ever seen.
Great review! I owned a set of the original sda Polk back in the early 90's. I really liked them and when this speaker came out I wondered if it was a speaker I could live with and want. Your review tells me no as I am no longer willing to change my system around to make them work for me. I still plan to listen to them but your review really answered a lot of questions I had.
I heard these at an audio show and let’s just say they surely did not disappoint. You also ain’t lying about the bass from these speakers either. When bass kicked in on the track being played . It shocked the heck out of me.
I particularly like the way of your presentation in this video, there is not any bullshit introduction, jump the the good thing directly from the beginning. Because of this video, I subscribed. Hope you will keep this style.
Appreciate you subscribing and if this is your first review with me, this is (typically) the format.
This was a real eye opener of a review. Polk (company) for me, has designed several loudspeakers that sound good, and are reasonably priced. I own several as of this writing.
Of course all loudspeakers sound better when fed from a good source and are controlled by better pre, and main amplifiers. What you've explained is, these are top drawer, but only under specific conditions.
I'm not the target demographic for this set of loudspeakers, but I do hope Polk is successful in gaining enough sales to support this endeavor.
Excellent Andrew. I am old enough to have sold the original Polk SDA speaker line (and owned some) I had a very similar criticism, both positive and negative, you have for the new SDA Pro models. I assume they have improved it....but am like you surprised they did not come up with an easy electronic means to turn the SDA effect on and off, or adjust it as needed when it does not work well in default mode. I have not heard these...but my familiarity with the old ones makes me interested enough to try to audition a pair.
Wow! First and foremost, this is the best review of the L800’s hands down. You have woken my eyes about the speakers. I think now I will look for something other than the L800. Not because they’re bad but because how needy they are.
I suspect Polk will eventually expand the SDA offerings, which night make the issues more acceptable. I'm not sure why people are complaining about the review. It's not bad, but it's also only good if you can get it set up just right. That wasn't the case 35 yeara ago. You could drive most with any decent receiver and the srs1 were excellent with a 250/channel adcom Amp (but they were eveb better with a nice tube amp).
We sold them and they weren't given an extraordinary attention in Kirkland setup... Arguably the speakers were too close together...but imaging was still good.
@@kevinc7286 The side walls distance are more important than how close they are together. I still listen to a pair from the mid 80s.
Andrew, a great job in this review. You are a well spoken man.
he is very well spoken.
This video made me a subscriber. Very thoughtful review with a lot of thought and care put into optimizing the explanation and description of the L800.
Welcome aboard!
Completely agree! Thanks Andrew for your depth of thought on this review! It was the single greatest reason for subscribing to your channel. "Picky" is how I'd describe my LSi9's as well. When done right, they do shine!
Thanks for this great YT channel!! Enjoy it immensely!
I greatly appreciate this review. In a world where people stride to be inoffensive. I love how real and honest you were in your struggle to describe their merits and failings. I am Polk fan and currently use them as HT speakers. Even though I cannot speak specifically to the Legend series. I have found my Polk's do become sibilant when not fed with the right electronics. IMHO, your observations on the Polk sound is more than fair.
Andrew, what is your take between the Legend L600 vs Reserve R700
Still waiting for this day.
I own Polk Audio SDA speakers, purchased new, that were built in 1986. This review is very accurate. They love power! (I should say current.) The more watts an amp can put into a 2-ohm load the better Polks sound. Honestly, in reflection, the same $6k spent on another speaker brand like "Legacy Audio" would be a better buy.
Andrew, you have done it again my friend, you brilliantly told the positives, negatives and you gave your actual opinion, not a contrived diatribe. You listed to who this was for, the room, the amp and you talked about the cable. More importantly you talked about what would happen if you don’t listen with the SDA cable installed.
This was one of if not, the best review that any reviewer could ever give a product and it is what many often complain about not getting and some get upset about when you don’t agree with what they purchased afterwards. This is a review done right, done accurately with no indifference to the manufacturer.
This is the kind of review that should be done by every reviewer on every component because it forces a manufacturer to get better and truly serve their audience. It gives the consumer a sense of what to expect, but again the last answer is always a personal listen at a dealers or better still in your own home for a true evaluation with your equipment. The only other reviewer doing these type of reviews on a consistent basis, but suffers sometimes from lack of equipment is Chris from the Vinyl Attack.
Bravo Andrew Jones, 👏 🙌 🎉, you deserve a major accolade for doing what Audiophiles claimed they have wanted from a review with the style and grace that has accompanied all of your reviews. If the industry will allow it and I hope not black ball you, keep up this style because this is what is needed in this industry.
I have supported you from the Emotiva days and it has just gotten so much better on your channel and I will be with you well through 300,000 subs and I know none of this could have been possible without your beautiful wife manning the camera and being an inspiration to non audiophiles with her input on various videos.
I own these speakers and bought them last year late November 2019 after hearing them in an audio show. I agree with the first half of the review and also agree on the fickle nature of the power amplifier selection. I have mine active bi-amp with McIntosh gear and to me sounds phenomenal. I have them in a 16d x 25w room so they have space to breathe. The SDA needs a single ended amplifier with common return ground to have the best signal. Balanced differential amplifiers (McIntosh MC452/Marantz PM-10) where good but the SDA effect was not as pronounced. I needed to active bi-amp using a single-ended McIntosh amplifier for the mid/treble and SDA, with a quad balanced amplifier for the bass. These are an upgrade from the previous generation flagship LSiM 707 and the LSi25 before that.
I truly and sincerely appreciate this comment. I’m very pleased that you are enjoying your L800 speakers as you appear to be the type of customer I was speaking about in my review. Thank you for weighing in.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Its a performance bargain compared to flagship dynaudio, focal, sonus faber etc. I don't think the amps you selected are complementary to the speaker in this price range. I also have an RB-1590 sitting in my closet I did not try with the L800 but the Rotel would certainly do well. Also regarding imaging issues you had on one album song to song you were hearing some weirdness, have you tried to remove the SDA cable to see where the issue was? And if you don't mind disclosing the album I'd like to listen for myself.
YUKI JINJUJI And what amps do you run?
@@mpitogo, His room looks way to hard and really not made to review any speaker but thats my opinion .Andrew really needs to read the manual and set them up accordingly , he should have stopped reviewing them when out side of these bounderies.
I have to appreciate your honesty. I'd rather hear this than a review that's all out glowing as a means to sell more product. Being a critical audiophile is often more struggle than pleasure. I'm sure it's likely I'd find similar results based on your credibility. Thank you for the very in depth and detailed review. It was extremely helpful to know to proceed with care and caution. I agree also, though, with proper synergy I'll bet these ROCK! Cheers Andrew!
I still have the SDA SRS. These speakers are tiny compared to mine.
Thank you for your honesty...That explains it for me....I have loved Polk for a while and own Rti7 and love them, but was looking to upgrade, the cost for me does not work for me with all the unnecessary attitude the speaker's have to power source and music selection...Have you heard the L600?.
Thanks,
Tory T
They should have made these active... No amp issues, won't overload.
And added a DSP from the sounds of it. Compensate for placement and the room better, and maybe it would help the SDA effect more than whatever they are doing passively.
100% agree! In one of my outtakes I say that exact statement. Thanks for watching!
Steve,
I hadn't thought about that, and generally avoid active designs myself, but from what Andrew described, both of your recommendations would make these speakers appeal to a MUCH wider audience. Perhaps add a bit of user adjustability to the DSP by way of an app, add a nice preamp and source, and badditty bing, Badditty boom, you have yourself a sweet sound system!
This is an excellent excellent review! It sounds to be very thoughtful, precise detail and adequate review. I've been researching for weeks now. Looking for the right things that I will be purchasing in the near future. But I don't want any mistakes on my behalf. I work hard for my money and this project is no where near being on the cheap side. I don't even look at this as a "budget" project as some you-tubers put it in terms. Because once it is all done I'm going to have to go pick money off of the money tree if you get my drift lol..... I am one of the new subscribers as you mention in your video. I've came across you in my countless hours/days/weeks of research. I'm very appreciated for your detail and hard work! Keep up the good work Mr. Robinson & thank you !
I appreciate your candidness and insight. the stuff is way out of my price range, but I find the content infinitely fascinating
Terrific review - articulate, fair, erudite and entertaining as usual. Back in the 1980s, I interviewed Matthew Polk and his partner Sandy Gross for a magazine piece local to Baltimore, Maryland. SDA was then in the experimental stage, and the guys let me hear a sample of what would soon make its way into hifi shops. It was impressive, but I decided to stick with conventional loudspeakers. To me, there was something gimmicky about it (I felt the same way about quadraphonic when that debuted), with that cable running between the speakers and the potential challenges of getting the placement right. As you point out, there are enough cables to deal with in traditional two-channel setups. Moreover, you NEED that cable in order to hear what the speaker was designed to do. That said, I wouldn't mind hearing them with the right amplification and source material.
Excellent review. Quite fair and comprehensive. I wonder if the speaker just below this one, the L600, would be a better choice. It would likely have all of the advantages of the L800 without the limitations imposed by the SDA technology.
I think the L600 would be a better buy and is likely the better speaker all things considered just based on what I experienced during my time with the L800.
BTW you can always unplug the SDA cable. No toe in required. Don’t see how that is an issue.
The issue with "some tracks" is a problem with a solution. The Carver "Sonic Holography" operated on the same principle as Polk's SDA - an attempt to eliminate stereo cross talk by cross feeding the L/R signal to the opposite speakers, but out of phase. The Beauty of the Carver system is that it was deployed in the electronics, and not the speaker, which had the benefit of 1. All the space and ambiance of the SDA, but can be switched off via remote for problem tracks. 2. It required only two cables, not six. 3. Can be used with any direct radiating speaker. Like SDA, Sonic Holography requires very precise positioning of speakers and seating - I paired a Sonic Holography System with L100t3's in the 90's and never went to anything else - an absolutely stunning combination on the right recordings, and when not, well, they are still L100's. Nuff said.
I’ve just required a pair of the L800 and I’m powering then with two NAD S200 Amplifiers Bi-Amped
They sound great
My 55 watt NAD receiver from the mid 80s would shut down at moderately loud levels. Upgraded to a 100 watt NAD power envelope amp and all was good. Using a Conrad Johnson MF80 now. Sounds amazing.
Another great review! The veneer was the first thing I saw that gave me flashbacks from 20+ years ago with my first pair of box store Polks! We've all came a long way and it's a shame Polk has not... It's Martin Logan that states "You unbox them and you see them before you hear them" - So in turn, make them look as good as they sound!
They’re very well assembled and the cabinet is incredibly well braced but looks-wise they’re just sort of same ol, same ol.
Andrew, I feel your review mirrors your comments on the Polks...inconsistent. Upset that there is a cable that runs between the speakers? Complaining that bi-wiring or bi-amping means more cables? (as is the case with all other speakers). Upset that the speakers are source dependent for best performance? (again, as is the case with all higher quality speakers...the better the speaker, the more revealing of the recording’s flaws). Disappointed in the choice of finishes? (on a speaker that you admitted can sound utterly amazing).
I love your reviews and I applaud your presence. But I think you truly missed the point of these speakers. I feel this review is analogous to reviewing a $300,000 Ferrari and saying “It’s amazing, it’s lightning fast, handles like a dream, but it gets poor gas mileage, rides a little rough on poor roads and doesn’t come in blue”.
So you’d prefer he lists only the pros and not the cons? Plenty of RUclips “reviewers” aka advertisers who do that… I subbed because he doesn’t.
Critiquing this speaker because it needs a lot of power and has extra cables is just daft because it’s so self evident. Adding new “tech” would mean adding wireless or magic sparkle dust which is no go.
I think he's trying to make a point about expectations based on other speakers at this price point, and based on _not_ having a perfect living space for them, based on being a normal person with needs for convenience and having limited ways to manage cables.
His point isn't that they have flaws and are therefore bad, but at this price-point, in comparison to other speakers, and from the perspective of an average working man, these speakers are demanding beyond what a lot of people would be willing to tolerate.
I think if you're the type of person who hears this review and thinks, "Four cables? BIG DEAL!" then he has helped you too, because you now know that they can sound amazing, and you aren't concerned with the niggles he presented.
Have 2 Rotel RA 1592 mk Ii bi wired to a pair of my trusted Klipsch RF 83s. Hooked the polks to a pair of bridged nad 375 bees( the ones I foolishly tried to upgrade my nads with)…the polks sound radically on your face and the sda gimmick actually works. Your first half of the review encouraged me to go for the polks over klipsch RF 7 ii and the second half made me quite apprehensive…good thing, the end results were worth it
I’m one of those subscribers that have subscribed to your channel over the last couple of weeks. The video on addiction was the one that made me subscribe. Even though I don’t have that problem, I saved that one for future use in case I see a difference in me. I’ve seen a number of reviews on these speakers saying you need to get these but yours is the best. You tell it like it is and who cares what Polk thinks. I have the Lsim 705s, 706 center and 703 bookshelves. What makes these speakers extra special is that they’re approved by my wife!!!!!🤣🤣🤣We were watching a movie (MegaMind) and it was my wife who said I didn’t hear that in the previous speakers we had. Won’t need to upgrade for several years to come. Looking forward to your next video.
Glenn Archer she just said that to make you feel good.. she loves ya
Appreciate you subscribing. You likely won’t have to upgrade your speakers, the LSIM models are wonderful.
Thanks for a great, insightful if not brave, review.
Life presents enough frustrating problems and one's choice of speakers should not be one of them.
I especially enjoyed the ending. It did a great job of conveying the emotions and aggravation that can be brought to life with audio components that can be good but make it almost impossible to be so.
Great work!
I'm a fairly new subscriber and I really appreciate your reviews and insights.
thank you for the kind comment, for watching and for subscribing Mark!!!
Honest and detailed. Polk will not be rushing sending more speakers for review.
Yeah, nah. This is a very typical review for these babies, and Polk is sure to know that.
I've been under a rock...just got to list to the the many reviews out there, on the Polk L800 ...yours seems the most indebt assessment ... now I must rely on my own ears.
Hi Mr. Andrew robinson
I respect your professional deep feeling status of these new giant polk speakers by genuine review 😮
Thank you so much for your honest and unbiased opinion I have also read very lackluster personal reviews for this speaker. I think the Polk 707’s are probably best sounding speaker Polk audio have ever made! But they also need the proper electronics to sing but once you pair them up with the correct amps and so on they ( I feel ) are one of the best bargains in the audiophile world.
Excellent and fair review. You definitely need side walls for these speakers, no doubt. A lot of new homes are built with an open, L Shaped floor plan. These speakers will not work in that type of environment. These speakers will work perfectly however, in a typical tv/stereo room. I love them because you don’t need subwoofers. I have a pair or Focal Sopra 3’s, that cost around $26,000. The clarity is amazing, but they need subwoofers. I added a pair of Rel subs that cost around $8,800. So, for $6,000 for these Polk speakers, versus my $35,000 speaker/sub system, I can’t help but ask myself, which is the better deal? In a lot of ways it’s the Polk speakers. With the right set up, as you mentioned, these Polk speakers are really hard to beat. If you like a nice, neat, clean, out of the way set up, these speakers are not for you. But, if you love live music performances, and incredible 3D sound, these speakers rock!
Getting a rig dialed in is one thing; having speakers that make less-than-best recordings sound truly bad is another can of worms no one needs to live with.
Great honest review. That's why I have the L-600
Great job with a difficult review and why I enjoy your videos you don’t seem to fall for hype or snake oil that is common to many others, I may not alway agree with you but that’s to be expected, I just want honesty which you just proved with this video, congrats!
🤯🤯🤯🤔😳👍👍👌👌🙌🙌💪💪😎😎 Andrew you are so articulate it is scary I feel I'm there in the room with you listening to them that's how well-defined you describe them excellent job probably one of your best reviews I believe you are saying absolutely true facts and expectations congratulations
Sounds to me like Polk should make a powered version of this speaker and include the cross-channel function in that hardware. However, it may still require the cross-speaker cable but that would still be an improvement as long as the amp was specifically designed for the demands that this speaker makes on power output.
Being an absolute die hard Polk fan (I know, I know 🤣) this was disappointing. But helpful to know that my realistic goal of owning the Lsim 707s will not leave missing much in comparison. I have the old SDAs, some modded monitor 7s and 10s, and even RtiA7's, and love all of them. Thank you for such a well thought out and honest review. I know you struggled with saying that something that sounded so good couldn't really be a recommendation over all. Thanks for all the hard work you regularly put into bringing us such great content.
So, as a long time SDA owner......look, they aren't for everyone. There. I said it. Some of the criticisms though ring hollow. First, the cable. It's a cable. One cable. Cables are a necessary evil in audio and if one additional cable is a deal breaker.....I dunno what to tell you.
As far as SDA goes....I don't really get the complaint there either. Crosstalk cancellation......yes, on a recording that is well done with great stereo separation, it's amazing. On recordings that don't, it's less pronounced. So what? It's not an active processor (DSP) so it's not going to add something that isn't there in the first place.....which is true of any other loudspeaker. You can't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse....that's always been true. So what's the complaint?
Asthetics. You got me there. They are large. They are finicky about positioning. They aren't lookers......however, that's true of a lot of loudspeakers regardless of price. Personal preference is what it is.
I think they are lookers.
One of your most enjoyable videos from A to Z 👍
Thank you!
I had the original SDA speakers, they were
amazing but did not play well with my Carver receiver. Great bass and sound and playing the Beatles Yellow Submarine is amazing. I totally agree about the analysis of having the right equipment match the speakers.
I can attest...these sound absolutely spectacular when powered well and provided with good source material.
Couldn't agree more, but don't go to the Nth degree and they're brutal.
Regarding Polk's "generic" design:
I never look at Polk's stuff, I'm a Klipsch guy, and I'm also poor so I don't even look at Klipsch speakers that much. So when I tell you that the Polk speaker here, the L800, looks PHENOMENAL to me, maybe that means something.
For those of you considering these speakers, I'm going to say you really need to hear these for yourself in a properly set up room. His room is not appropriate for speakers like these. If you're going to spend this kind of money on a pair of speakers, the room is a huge consideration. Expecting them to just work in any room isn't reasonable. Like trying to drive a supercar on Michigan highways. You can do it but it won't be what it could be. Set these up properly and you will be rewarded. The fun factor with them is huge. Great bass, an incredible sound stage, beautiful texture and detail. As for complaining about the amount of cables, that's kind of lame. You have 1 additional cable. If you enjoyed the original SDA series, you will enjoy these. If you didn't, no problem, they aren't for you. But don't let this review be the deciding factor.
What amplifier?
@@BobbyDazzler888 I've used several such as the Sunfire Cinema Grand, Bryston 4B and Vincent SP-331MK.
100%spot on .
couldn't disagree more . the great thing about SDA is it is relatively immune form its environment .
when i had mine the room they were in was totally ' unconditioned'
12 x20 , 16 ft ceiling on one side 8 ft on the other side . the speakers were set up at the long end and spaced according to the instruction that came with the manual . There was a couch in the sweet spot and that's it .
The huge sound stage for which the speakers were/are famous for jumps up and around the speakers as soon a the music starts .
a buddy of mine had the complete opposite room for his SDAs furniture every , clutter and obstacles everywhere and still the soundstage was the same as at my house .
the great thing about the original SDAs was they produced their effect regardless of the room .
The tweeters are scan speak premium drivers. This is obviously a superbly engineered speaker, and I wish I could hear them live...
I purchased the L800's and glad I didn't listen to some of the critics. I am absolutely happy with these speakers. I would suggest that if you purchase this speaker please make sure you run these using an Integrated Amp. Also, Any amp or amps that are not equipped with Balanced Differential Outputs are ok to use with the L800. If there is a possibility that you may have an amplifier with fully Balanced Differential outputs, it is recommended to contact the amplifier manufacturer to confirm.
what amp are you using
@@user-jx2fu7tk2f Marantz Model 30 Integrated Amp 200 Watts per channel.
@moretwocome21 so if I connect 600wpc they will be playing smoothly
@yournightmare9999 OOOO yes!
@@user-jx2fu7tk2f Marantz PM7000N Integrated amp and Marantz SR8015
Sounds like my v1 Allison One's where I re-tuned them by wiring the (Lead weighted!) 4ohm 10's in parallel and pulled the mids down, so I know about driving this kind of load. It's crazy the Harmon Kardon AVR630 seems to not mind driving them at all as it can bottom them out on organ music or the explosion at the end of Ready Player One without excess heat or distortion. But messing with the tweets are where things really changed... I shorted the 'outer' tweets leaving only the "inner" ones and with THEM pointed at my respective shoulder. This is what "fixed" em! Phasing issues with 2 tweets that are so far apart and on the horizontal plane on one speaker. These Allison's are also 2ft up on other speaker boxes, tilted forward for seated height listening and about 6ft from any wall in a 1000sft room. They didn't stop being picky till the 2nd 'outer' tweets were killed! I get the full-like soundstage and enveloping 'surround' you've described here when it's in the source, but now they are not picky about source or even head position like they where before. Tricks are not treats most of the time, right!? 😉
Hi Andrew, I would be very grateful if you could answer the questions I have asked in response to your first reply.
Great review and covered all bases. I am going to be updating to these from the LSiM707's anyway (in walnut), and the L400 too. What I have noticed with better speakers, good quality recordings sound amazing but on better quality speakers you feed them a crap recording, it sounds crap because it is highlighting the flaws in the recording. You have some el cheapo speakers, they handle the crap recording better because they don't have the same detail.
I agree
Wow. I have a pair of late-80's Polk SDA SRS2.3TL speakers, and I swore you were describing them throughout the ENTIRE review. I only paid $500 for mine is very good used shape so my impression of them is extremely high considering my value-to-dollar ratio! I absolutely agree that you had better already be in love with and very familiar the Polk SDA technology to shell out $6G's for these babies. It's probably not for everyone (or everyone's room for that matter). The other interesting thing is that I found when experimenting with different equipment to drive them that my vintage Kenwood KR-4070 provides the best sound and experience for me. I got a kick out of watching your review for the Pioneer SX-450 (very similiar to my Kenwood) and you mentioned how well it pushed the L800's. Perhaps I'm not crazy afterall?!
Great video and excellent review!
$4500 of that price is its paint job... Those tweet and mids are off the shelf Vifa and B&C drivers.
i thought i recognised those tweetes as some tymphany ones
Thanks Andew. I love all your videos, even the older ones.
Amazing ear opening wallet closing review, thank you Andrew.
thank you for watching!
Thanks for your review. I have auditioned these and you came to the same conclusions as myself. If the recording has lost of seperation and is well recorded, it's magical. On more 'normal' recordings it sounds ok. The demo I had was amazing... With huge monoblocs... They need lots of Power!
Appreciate you sharing your experiences!
That's really one of the most powerful review I have ever heard even if am here 2 years late Bravo & thank ypu.
I agree about the Legend line and some orchestral music. I only had the L100s but on a few orchestral tracks with my eyes closed I got goosebumps because I felt like I was transported somewhere else. Like I could tell you how far the walls of the room they recorded in were exactly. But compared to the Spirit 4s it was too important to be in the sweet spot to get the effect. Which meant it only sounded good when I listened by myself. As soon as someone else sat with me no one was in the sweet spot.
Also, I rarely listen to orchestral music so I'd only get the benefit 2% of the time. At almost 1/3 of the price I went with the Spirit 4s. I do think about those couple tracks every now and then though. I could imagine if I lived by myself and didn't use a subwoofer I'd lean towards the Polk since the bass was much smoother due to their port tech.
Great vid again AR! Good to know how the L100 scales up
Great video! Love hearing your thoughts on everything. Keep it up.
Thank you.
Honesty is something often lacking among professional reviewers in our hobby. You did an incredible job of both articulating your points and giving your true experience. A+++
Well done mate, honest to goodness review. Could see how conflicted you were and your authenticity comes true.
I feel they should have made these 10k and made them fully active. Seems like the crossover is overly complicated to make this SDA work, when couldn’t they just do all of that in the digital domain?
My Focal 926s struggle with amplifier matching as well. What amplifier did you use that handled the 2ohm load best?
My Crown XLS DriveCore 2 did pretty good/great, but believe it or not a tiny little Pro-Ject integrated amp, the MaiA DS2, did the best. The Edge A2-300 and Marantz amps performed poorly (in my opinion) in comparison.
How do the L800 compare to the Cornwalls? I currently use NAD 787 as a preamp and the Emotiva XPA 11 for power? Not sure which is the best way to go? Love you feedback
Another reviewer said that you cannot use these speakers with a balanced power amp because that makes the imaging capabilities less effective. If true, that means that a lot of very good, powerful, and expensive power amplifiers would not work properly with these speakers.
*Ok so you are saying that, THIS is the replacement speakers I need for my new Recording Mastering Studio? Moresoo than the R700's?*
Caveats like these in my estimation become more common as you start to spend more and more on speakers. They become more demanding of component synergy, amplifier requirements, etc. The problem is that Polk Audio has always positioned itself as a mainstream brand for the everyday music lover. A speaker as polarizing as this would need to be sold in boutique hi-end stereo shops where a customer can be fully aware of what they're getting into, and not as something you purchase online at BestBuy (which is how most Polk is sold here in Canada).
P.S. Excellent review. Great production values, clear and in depth explanation, and a willingness to tell it how it is without sugar coating it. You're quickly becoming one of the best speaker reviewers on the platform.
Wow, great review! Thanks so much for the time and patience required to achieve the understanding and then the focus to put it all out there in a digestible presentation. Good job!
So maybe we (that would mean you, on our behalf) ought to look into the Polk L600? Perhaps they may posses the 'jack of all trades' demeanor that polk has been known for..
I think the L600 (or even 200 or 100) might be the "better" speaker on a whole even when compared to the L800. The L800 really is a specialty tool. Thank you for watching!
In the late 80s listening to good audience recordings of the Grateful Dead, the SDAs would put you right back in the arena like no other speaker could.
I appreciate your honest review but I wonder if the L800's were let down by your budget associated equipment.
Better amp and a wall on the right side would have made a big difference. $600 amp on a $6000 pair of speakers.
Great video. I'll hold off on these. I'll wait until they go on sale like the LSiM did. I currently enjoy my modded SDA-2B and will continue to do so.
That was an uncommonly useful review. Well done!
Driving hard loads as 2ohms and such is a matter of having a lot of current (amperes). Watts are good for high decibels of volume, but current (A/amperes) is needed to keep control of frequency response and such when there are dips of impedance...
brilliantly detailed and honest review as always.. thank you .. also Would you be able to listen to Tekton Design floor standing speakers?.. their Moab model especially.. I have been eyeing their double impact and moab speakers for a while.. there are no demo available for there speakers here but been hearing a lot of positive reviews with great price point as well as some controversial negative opinions regarding the speaker design.. not the best looking but i would love to see a review from you if possible :-)
Harikrishnan K M yes yes on the double impact
Wow so the crown amps that you love did nothing for these speakers?
They did just fine. Not sure why or how you came to that conclusion. The Pro-ject just did a little better (for me).
Crown makes the worst amplifiers.