I am not considered to be an audiophile because I listen on Polks. Fortunately, what others think of me does not in any way lessen my enjoyment of music on them 😀😀😀
Same here, the marginal return in high-end world is so f*#%ing little that so-called audiophiles get pissed off of others' enjoyments - I have pairs of RTi-A9, A5 and Monitor 75T, and I love the way each of them perform!
Polk has consistency issues. Sometimes their products are great, while other models are not. Audiophile snobs thinks this makes them easy to dismiss. They really aren't. It's representative of a large audio company having to roll out experimentation which is hit and miss. They're a fine company. Keep them on your back radar as they roll out new stuff. Sometimes you can pick up a great model on the cheap for a second or third system or as a gift. Polk is a much needed company and appreciated.
@Fat Rat What CEO would say, "pick some of our products up on clearance, they're great." Haha "Not all of them, mind you. Many of them suck. But keep your eyes peeled for a steal. Some of our products are amazing bargains."
@Fat Rat That's how I would like to see it too. Anyone who wants to pursue the best sound possible within his budget, is an audiophile to me. Reality is sort of like this. You can get better audio fidelity with a US$30 BLON03 earbud + modern smartphone than you get from some even very expensive audiophile systems. Kids need to learn what they are missing and it doesn't cost a lot to get started.
@Fat Rat It's more of a product management thing I'm talking about. For gaining back the excitement of audiophile performance, you have to do it with very affordable products. Young people buy everything online and have no idea about how good the sound quality is until they get it home. A company like PS Audio could sell a US$30 premium performance earbud and spread the brand awareness to younger people and later sell their more pricey products inc. amps, DACs and speakers as these customers grow up. Audio brands need brand building strategies or the brand awareness and sales will eventually go down.
I've been in (used to even work in) car and home audio for 29 years (though now a software developer). I absolutely love polk audio. I think the reason people hate them (which is news to me) is because they sound so damn good for the price range and it makes them feel silly that they spend so much. The truth is they hit way above their weight class. If somebody spends $10,000 on a speaker they don't like to be told that they could have gotten the same sound for $1500, so they convince themselves that their garbage in some way to make themselves feel better.
I agree. Bought Polk Studio Monitor 10As in August 1982 & they still are doing the audio work in my A / V system. My brother has been thru 4 different high end speakers in that time. Love my Polk SM 10As for 42 years. BTW I still have the receipt & remember driving 25 miles to an open box sale to get them.
@@ag4allgood and they last forever since they use a rubber surround and not a foam one on their drivers and can take a little bit of abuse. I love that fact I don't have to worry about re-foaming them.
I have a pair of Polk Audio bookshelf speakers that I bought 37 years ago while still in high school. They still sound amazing! Screw the so called "audiophiles"
I own a pair of the Polk Audio Signature 60 series tower speakers. They are 7 feet apart with a very slight toe-in, I sit roughly 7.5 feet away. Very happy with the way they sound. Good lows and although my 64 year old ears roll off at 16KHz, I'm happy with the highs as well.
Sandy Gross went on to found another relatively affordable speaker company, Definitive Technology. My PS Audio S300 amp powers my Def Tech 9060s, assisted by the built-in 300 watt power amps in the subwoofer base of each speaker. They sound great to my older ears and to everyone who hears them. No one has accused them of being audiophile speakers, but I notice that Sandy Gross’s current company’s Triton speakers, which do get high marks from the audiophile reviews, incorporate much of the Def Tech design concepts. I think Sandy is a speaker genius or at least employs folks who are. He tends to put his principal effort into the actual speaker performance and no more than necessary into the cabinetry.
I have a polk sound bar at home that I think is terrible. The LG one I had before it sounded way better and I paid $100 more for the polk. The subwoofer is practically non existent.
A few years back, following your recommendations to use subs Paul, I bought two 12" subs by Polk on an incredible deal at Newegg, of all places. I've been totally satisfied with them and have never felt the need to upgrade from them to match my admittedly much more highly regarded other components. Probably the best $325, inc. delivery, I've ever spent.
I own the lsim 707s and lsim 703s. They are amazing speakers. Always been a polk fan. They rival some of the best speakers out there!!!! They just need some good electronics driving them. I find this model to be considered high end. They have everything a high end speaker has, complex crossover system, furniture grade cabinets, and top of the line technology. Polk allows the consumer to choose how much they are willing to invest in great sound by offering various priced speakers.
Yup once you’ve hit a certain pricepoint, every extra dollar goes to exclusivity and visual design. Not electrical design. For example, compare the crossover in a $3,000 dollar speaker with a $30,000 counterpart. You’ll see no noteworthy difference.
@Fat Rat No one with a bit of education in electronics uses Duelund components 😆 The Rubycon, Panasonic, Nippon or Nichicon caps that are in every half decent speaker is as good as it gets. Instead of removing the iron core which may damage the coil and lowers the inductance, you might as well just shield it properly (if the lazy manufacturer didn't already do that).
@@QoraxAudio I ran my RTA 12Cs with a Counterpoint SA 5.1 with Amperex 6DJ8s and dual mono GFA 555s. Front end was a Linn clone, VPI and Sumiko Talisman. I coupled the drivers and passive radiators to the box with Mortite and had 'em on TipToes. Kimber Cable and AQ interconnects. The preamp developed a low-level buzz that even Michael Eliott, the freaking DESIGNER, couldn't run down (well, he was busy building $25K amps for Japan, too, so...) Sold it to a cat in Chicago and miss it. Won't replace the Polks, but I'd like to build a pair of Linkwitz (R.I.P.) Orions and/or Nelson Pass Kleinhorns. Unfortunately, >65, wheelchair, Charcot-Marie-Tooth 1a.
The original SDAs were the GOAT of in home stereo sound stage. i had a friend back when i bought my SDAs in 1985 ,that was a certified audiophile snob . when i told him about the SDAs he laughed and i retorted with , " ok smart ass " come over tomorrow and have a listen . he brought his own music , put it in my cassette tape player ( that's all we had in those days 😂) became quiet as he listened and when the song ended he turned to me and said " shit man , you were right " .he said where did you buy them and drove there that weekend and bought the biggest ones they had .😎
I'm still using my old RT1000i tower speakers with built-in powered subwoofers. I can afford better now, but can't bring myself to part with these old friends.
And why would you? It's diminishing returns at a certain point. It was only after Polk sold to China that about 5 years later they took a nosedive sadly. Still good, but cheaply made overall vs the "good old days" of Baltimore manufacturing.
@@summushieremiasclarkson4700 For sure! I always love a company to manufacture the goods it engineers in its own country. I like OnePlus (the phone company) because they're Chinese engineering and they're manufactured in China. Fine product. Polk Audio is an American company. It was nice when they were manufactured here too. Not to say the new stuff is garbage, but they're certainly less quality than before. When you're building something for someone else, you don't care as much as if you were building it for yourself.
@@BrianRoediger indeed sir. I would prefer, for instance, when purchasing a Toyota Camry, that it be manufactured in Japan. It's just common sense really, when it is manufactured in the home nation, it becomes a matter of national pride, any compromise in quality reflects poorly on the worker, the company and the nation. Every effort is then made to ensure the finest quality products leave the factory.
I've owned Paradigm, Def Tech, Klipsch, Boston, PSB, and others but I keep coming back to Polk Audio. I think my RTi-A1's sound great. Awesome performance for under $200/pr.
I owned the Polk SDA CRS+ for thirty years and they were more then amazing. I just replaced them with the LSIM 707 and 706C and if setup properly they will astound you.
I agree with this video. I’m not a “discerning audiophile” who spends tens of thousands of dollars on equipment. The audiophiles who knock Polk Audio don’t represent the vast majority of people who actually buy the largest volumes of audio equipment. Sure, they have had their lemons (as has everyone else), but in general Polk Audio speakers have been decent quality with decent sound for the working class who enjoy listening on equipment they can afford. No one can deny Polk speakers are engineered very well for their price point. In the past few decades where hundreds of names in true audiophile equipment have come and gone along with many who made inexpensive disco pumper garbage, Polk Audio has stuck around. Why? Because they make decent products folks can afford, they have remained a step above the bottom feeders, AND equally important they build products that can be sold at a profit for stores and the manufacturer in order to remain in business.
I have some Polk Monitor 7s and they are truly great speakers. The big 10” passive radiator is some awesome engineering. The older Polk stuff is definitely not bad.
Such B.S.! I've never heard that Polk Audio is 'dissed' or 'hated', even today. In the last decade or so alone, they offered a good quality and price range of various speakers that actually sound really great. If you go back to the 80's, Polk was considered a GREAT higher end speaker company that garnered rave reviews. Their 'Monitor series' were priced well, and an affordable entry into 'higher end' sound. I still have my very first pair of quality speakers, the Polk Audio Monitor 10 series, which still sound phenomenal today! They have aged better than me!
It's not BS. This is a lot of criticism and mocking of Polk speakers online. I like Polk. I set up a Polk home theatre system and I love it. The knocker's are out there though.
There it is in a nutshell, affordable. Audiophiles don't want what the masses can get even if it is good. How can they brag that they have a unobtanium speakers when everyone has them? There is nothing in a speaker system that can justify some of the costs that some of the high end people want. In a day and age that chips and caps cost pennies, the average speaker cost a couple bucks and the production of boxes can also be done for a couple bucks each, builders wanting thousands and thousands is nuts for the most of us and Polk knew it and filled the void.
My Polk Rti12's are quite nice. Very impressive engineering. Great sound stage and imaging. Tremendous speaker value. Thank you, Polk, for making an affordable quality speaker.
News to me! I have the entire RTiA line, including centers and surrounds, bookshelf speakers and 8 RTi A9s in various roles throughout the house. I wouldn't trade them for anything. They are the sound of music for me.
Rti A5 was all I could afford back in the day. Still using for fronts w a Marantz MM7025. Sound great. R700 look great but not sure if it would just be a somewhat lateral move.
@@kevin_m I picked up a pair of R700s and the R400 center for a 3.1 setup I have. They sound great and would be an upgrade from the A5s. But the A9s are still my favorites.
@@reason2463 oh excellent! I think an upgrade will have to wait for me until I have more space. Currently in a good size condo but can only JUST fit the a5 w a sub next to the right ch. I think the r700 have a substantially larger footprint. Have fun with your setup!
I have just exchanged my recently purchased soundbar and subwoofer for a POLK soundbar and subwoofer. The previous equipment had a fault so the shop offered to let me exchange it for another brand at the same price point. I had never heard of Polk but decided to give it a go. Wow! I could immediately see and hear that this was of a superior quality. So I was a little surprised to come across this RUclips (clickbait??). Surely any comment on people 'hating' Polk is because insecure audionutters look at the price and declare them inferior. I would love to read BLIND tech reviews i.e. the reviewer just listens but does not know what equipment they are listening to.
Their new reference line is amazing. I'm not the biggest fan of their subwoofers, but I'm not really a fan of anyone's subwoofers (save for maybe Seaton and JTR). That said, they make great stuff and phenomenal prices!
Audiophiles hate Polk because they sound just as good and sometimes outperform speakers they themselves spent enormous anounts of money on. Polk towers are well balanced unlike some higher end models that have very forward vocals.
Up until very recently I ran a pair of LiSM 707's on my main system powered by a $17k T+A PA3000HV amp, the better electronics you throw at the 707's the better they perform - they hit way above their price points.
My stereo/surround consists of a pair of Polk RtiA9 with Advent center and Baby II surround. Coupled with a pair of BIC 12" subs, this system rocks movies and sounds so nice in stereo mode. The entire setup was under $2000, including the Onkyo TX-SR703 reciever. It sounds fine to me, that's all that matters.
I have a couple sets of Polk SDA'S...I really like them...they are a great value also, You can get a very nice vintage speaker for a decent price. The Monitor 7 is also an honorable mention, also a fine speaker.
My first "real" speakers were Polk Monitor 10s. I chose them over some Missions (cannot remember the model). I used and loved them for a long time. Think I gave them away. Later, I had some towers (again I cannot remember the model). They were sweet until we had a break-in and they were stolen.
Yep Polk 10 monitors were amazing. Got mine in 1980 and they beat anything under 3x their cost. Any Polk speaker I bought after that however, have been very disappointing.
I need to try some of those. I can't afford "high end" speakers & using some Advent legacy right now. They're not bad, but definitely not great either. The Polk monitor 10s seem like a much better match for my Marantz 2220B as well...the Advents require a lot more than 20wpc.
Ditto, my first speaker purchase were the Polk 10 monitors, matched with an Acoustat 120 twin amp and a NYAL Moscode pre-amp. I still have the amp & pre-amp but do regret not keeping the Polks.... bought them around 1986
I've been reading & watching videos to decide if I'd like to try finding a pair, but I have a question... HiFi R makes no mention of these having passive radiators, but one video I watched shows passive radiators in them. So do they??? It also says they go down to 25Hz...is that correct as well??? That seems pretty good & I wouldn't need a subwoofer. Just trying to get a better understanding of these. I'm thinking about trying to find a good pair.
The idea behind the SDA line was to eliminate inter-aural cross talk. The fact that your right ear hears sound from the left speaker and your left ear hears sound from the right speaker. And muddies the imaging. They were innovative. Yes they changed when the company was sold. But they make some decent affordable products.
@@uglykidmoe150 No, the point is that no matter what you do with just the 2 speakers, they'll always overlap the ears because that's how sound works. Sound waves from the left speaker travels around your head and ends up in your right ear, and vice versa, making your mental image of where the sound is coming from less clear. The point of the SDA was that there were 2 speakers in each side, one designed to just play the sound and the other to play the sound but offset in time just enough that the sound waves hitting your opposite ear would effectively cancel out, eliminating that extra sound that travels to the wrong ear. It meant that the sound from the left speaker was perceived almost entirely on the left ear and vice versa, giving you incredibly good sound imaging.
@@hypersans6209 SDA was a Gimmick mostly. You do not get Good imaging, but simply hugely exaggerated and fake Imaging. Trust me, they do not enhance the reality, but simply make them sound appealing in a fake way.
The idea, was that if recordings were made with 2 microphones, it would capture the same imaging, but the real problem, SDA was a gimmick, as Recordings are NOT made the way they tried to explain how it all works. It is a very interesting experiment, but not remotely accurate.
Having been an ardent audiophile for these best 40 years (of my 51) ofmy life I've always done my best to "upgrade" with each new speaker or component purchase. My Snell Type KII's were replaced by a pair of Polk LSI9'S. Built my own stands and filled them with #9 lead birdshot. Those Polks amazed me for a solid 15 years paired with M&K v-125 subs, and later the addition of a Velodyne. Driven by SAE separate pre and power amps. This set-up is currently on stand-by and lately the Amp has been a Nakamichi AV1 receiver driving Bowers and Wilkins DM7 MkII and same subs. Point is, I'm not made of money and ecstatic with the performance of some 30 and 40 year old equipment in my listening room. Set-up IS critical but....I herein declare that the Polks, short of burning up will always remain in my listening room. They have more than once sent chills through me and at EVERY listening session put a grin on my face. 15 years is a long time to be satisfied, especially someone who once sold hi-fi gear for a living, and has auditioned equipment FAR beyond what my budget allows.
I just bought a receiver/speaker bundle(Denon/LSi9's for $125!) with the intent of giving the Denon to my parents and selling the Polks for a profit. While making the demo video I was blown away by the RICH/FULL sound coming out of the LSi9's. Only tested 3 songs and that's all it took to convince me that not only are these keepers, but in my list of BEST speakers I've ever heard! They sound high end, look high end, and sure weigh high end(33lbs!)! Truly amazing speakers!
i think polk is one of the best 80's brands in speakers, they were making still 70's quality products in an era where everyone else started to make silly products
Got my Polk used ,god knows what it went through from the scuffs on it , and my friend totaled his car with them inside . Box smashes and splinters , Polk still fine
I have 4 Polk Audio T15 in my surround system, 2 center, two rear surround and a pair of B&W DM6 monitor loudspeakers for stereo and mains. No sub woofer needed. Sounds awesome.
Obsured,I've owned and sold high end speakers for over 20 years and my recent purchase Polk RTI a9,have to be 1 of the best sounding speakers I've heard in ages
I still have a pair of classic Polk Audio Monitor 10 speakers. Even at 30 years old, they are still some fine sounding speakers. I have replaced them but have never been able to make myself sell the Polks. I still go back and give them a listen from time to time.
Me too! I bought mine in the mid 80's, and am still blown away at how detailed, timbrally accurate, and full bodied they sound! I've purchased many others over the years, including Magnepan, but I always go back to the Polk Monitor 10's, and they still put a smile on my now older, wrinkled face (i'm 60 and purchased them in my 20's)!
I have a timbre matched polk RTxxi 7.1 surround setup powered by a Yamaha RX-Z9. My front L and R are a pair of RT55i set to large. In the center is a 1000W Velodyne sub with a remote control. My sweet spot is about 15 feet away. Put on some Gavin Harrison and I can feel the bass really thumping. Then I switch the Velodyne sub on and off and - no discernable difference! All that bass is coming from the RT55i bookshelf speakers. Truly incredible.
Being an owner of the SDA 1C's myself, I was so happy to hear this. Unfortunately I think they're still made in China unlike the originals which were hand-made in Baltimore.
Where does this question come from? Everyone that's owns Polk that I know is happy. I have the Lsim 705 the 706 and the 703 surrounds all powered by dare I say a receiver . Pioneer elite . I would be happy to blind test anyone with my system and confident they would be impressed with good quality sound. Clean and clear at every listening level . I invested about $6000 in everything ,do I need to spend $6000 just on cables to be called and audiophile? The laws of physics can not be broken ,math does not lie and The emperor has no clothing on !
I love Polk speakers. I have their 11T speakers which I purchased way back in the day. They sound great and listen to them quite often. n fact, I've been looking for a set of Pièce de résistance SDS SRS speakers to complete my stereo setup. I love Polk speakers of way back when.
i just bought a set of polk T15 bookshelf speakers. for the $80 for the pair im very impressed. i bought a 5.1 surround sound klipsch set and one of the speakers went bad after cranking them a little. i bought the polk to replace the bad speaker. i want to buy another T15 set and a T30 speaker for a complete 5.1 setup with the larger speakers. im quite happy with them. satellite speakers are too limiting. bookshelf speakers with larger woofers are better.
In my 7.4.4 sound system Paul, I employ as my front tower's, a pair of Polk Signature Series s60's, for me these being USA speaker's made in China, are the equivalent to my Accusound Australian speaker's made in China too, that make up the rest of my system, simply a lot of bang for the low budget bucks, I'm very happy with it all and enjoy daily.
I've bought several Polk Audio speakers over the years. I'm pleased with what they've done at their price points. I've recently purchased their Monitor 40 Series II bookshelf and their T50 tower speakers. I augment those with a Definitive Technology 10" subwoofer. I'm quite pleased with these choices, and I'm quite sure there are many examples of better speakers. I enjoy my music, nonetheless.
Polk has always made a good mix of speakers, budget minded and upwards to hi-end. It all boils down to what you are willing to spend. But with that said they have always made a decent speaker. I just recently put together a budget system with a Rotel RB990bx amp, topping D50s DAC, Definitive technology Pro sub 800 and the Polk S20 bookshelf speakers. This rocks, the s20's have good bass but I like a little thump now and then. The s20's were only $225 a pair on sale, they are impressive. The Polk Lsim 703s are next on the list.
I have a pair of Polk SDA CRS speakers, I've seen some with only 1 tweeter, while mine has the two tweeters, (does anyone know if there's a name change?), mine are true oak, I bought them in 1984 or 1985, they still sound as good today was when I bought them over 35 years ago. Yes, I paid just a little over 1000.00 for mine which included the stands. I still love them today.
I am from the UK and have had limited exposure to Polk but as I understand it, they were initially regarded as an innovative and well respected speaker brand. After the sell off they kind of morphed in to company selling lifestyle products (like Bose) with no truly hi end audiophile offerings.
@@r423sdex Yeah, I get that. Paul covered Bose in a video a while back. Their lifestyle all in one systems are loved by the general public and hated by audiophiles, although I believe their headphones are popular with everyone
Hello Paul, Maybe you can help me out (or someone reading this) with this question, as I am researching marine speakers for my motorcycle. The question is, what is the difference between your MM1 and DB series. I what a 6.5 up front and the 5.25 at the rear. Thank you, Tim.
Carver did the same thing with Sonic Holography. I actually use it in in my small, PC-dedicated system I have on my desk, with small Mission speakers. The soundstage expansion is amazing! I would not use it for critical listening, and it only works well at certain distances and angles, but when I sit on my desk both me and the speakers are in fixed positions, so that's fine.
I still own the same Polk Audio SDA speakers I purchased in 1986. After several upgrades to amps and source material, they still amaze casual listeners.
I own 4 pairs of Polks. The RTi28, RTi38, RTi4 and TSi100. I also use Polk subwoofers, PSW10 and PSW303 specifically. I have used Onkyo, Sony, and Fosi audio amplifiers to drive them and an RSL is on the way. Wiim minis, Sony CD/DVD players are used as sources and all goes through SMSL SU-1 DAC's before they get to their respective amps. I have several areas set up for music in our home. Clearly I am not an audiophile but I do enjoy wonderful music and I use speaker placement and where helpful, EQ via the wiim's to fine tune the performance. This has been an absolute blast as much of this gear has been purchased off of the used market. As I type this I am listening to jazz played through the RTi38's with the PSW303 picking up everything south of 80Hz. I don't hate Polk. I am grateful for them.
I use to be an audio snob but then I got married. I had to get rid of my big old circa-1970 ARs for something that would better fit in our living room. Polk's are a good compromise, just like good marriages. I first got their entry level bookshelf speakers with a sub and center channel. They served their purpose. I eventually upgraded them to their mid-tier line and I am very pleased. Even my wife noticed how much better they sounded compared to the entry level ones. Most people who think of Polk think of the cheap entry stuff they sell at Best Buys. They sell more than that. I was able to get decent sound without pillaging my kids college account and my IRA. I love your videos. They show me much things have changed since I did PA for crappy bar bands and got my FCC first class.
I'm just fine with my Polk center channel & surrounds. I've also used Polk ideas as Paul described by out of phase signal between speakers. Dramatically widens the sound stage.
Paul, first off, I didn't know people hate Polk. I'm surprised. But, then, I've sorta lost touch with high end audio. I've started watching your channel to re-kindle my interest and learn about the state-of-the-art. I heard my first Polk Audio speakers in the mid-1980s. I was about 20 years old, and I was house sitting for my boss at the time (who managed a camera shop! I was a medium format guy, myself - never got to play with the big view cameras. So sad!). I was blown away by, what to my perhaps inexperienced ears, was the fidelity of those Polk speakers. I always hoped I would own a set of my own someday. That, and a pair of Klipsch horns. I note, now, that Polk Audio's offerings bear little resemblance to what I recall from the 1980s.
In the '80s I first became aware of Polk speakers, seeing the ads with Matthew Polk in the white lab coat, kinda resonated with the inner engineering geek in me. I don't know, he just seemed like a person who stood behind his speaker designs. Heck, if he didn't, he would not be in those ads. I have owned both home and car audio products from Polk. To name a few, RT55, RT35, RM101, Monitor Series 2 5JR, small passive PC speakers, and some 5.25 inch 2-way car speakers. I have my eyes on the LSi9 ones, the RTiA3 ones, and some others. The performance/quality you get at such a low price point is really hard to beat. I don't own any new ones to give my opinion on, but I'm sure the bang-for-the-buck is still there. Lastly, I enjoy your vids Paul. Fun, transparent, and informative.
I've loved my Polk stuff from my old Polk car db12 subwoofer to my Goodwill Polk monitor 5s which were mint practically like new for $25! What a find! I was blown away at the amount of bass from just that little woofer and passive radiator, that's some engineering for the day, I have a home theater setup but want to build a room in my basement and would love to piece together using vintage monitor series setup with a set of SDA1 for mains and many even build some nice subs using Polk MM series car audio drivers
In India polk has always been regarded as an automobile speaker brand of repute..I have always been a klipsch fan owing to an affinity to horns..in my quest to add another stereo set up with a pair of bridged nads I was naturally considering RF 7 mark 2s…but then i chanced upon a review( paid of course) of polk legend 800Ls and took a leap of faith and I am not regretting it for a minute..blown away literally by the Polks. Maybe its the rotels vs the nads in my 2 separate set ups? Who knows!
Hate is strong word. I don't think most people hate Polk products. The concern is the too much undeserved attention is given to a few companies like Polk and Klipsch, while other excellent products go unnoticed. Constant gushing over mediocre products by RUclips and Stereophile only adds to the problem. BTW I thought Polk speakers from their classic years, ie., the 10A to the SDA series sound lovely. Matthew Polk's advertising might have been over the top and heavy handed but overall I loved old Polk speakers. Their recent stuff is more forgettable but certainly not hate worthy.
My vintage Polk 10's still sound AMAZING! I often marvel at how well they present the music to my now aged 60 year old ears! I've had these speakers (and many others) since I was in my 20's, and have loved them since. I have used so many different amps and other analog and digital sources over the years, ranging from vintage Pioneer SX series receivers, to Onkyo (M508) and McIntosh (MC162) amps, and cheaper Chinese tubed preamps and amps, and they all showcased the great musicality emanating from these Polks. One must remember that Polk Audio started and flourished around the time that was defined as 'The Golden Age Of Hifi', and the early, mostly affordable Polk speakers enabled so many music fans to take advantage of the great equipment that was around 'back in the day'!
I bought a pair of Polk Audio monitor speakers back in the mid 1970's and they blew me and everyone who heard them away. I still have them, but now use a Polk S4 sound bar on my TV. takes up less room and still sounds great.
I have a high end audio system at home. Aerial Acoustics speakers, Levinson amp, AR tube preamp, all the hose sized cables etc. I also have a small cabin in the country. A very modest little place but I wanted some audio there. Got a used NAD BEE 316 for under $200, a used Schiit Modi DAC and a used pair of Polk Audio Monitor 70 speakers also for less than $200 I was shocked at the sound quality out of this under $500 system. The sound stage is amazing. When I'm down there I do not feel like I'm missing out on anything. Audiophiles love name dropping and everyone knows that if it isn't a big name it can't possibly sound good. Sometimes I feel sorry for hard core audiophiles. They never seem satisfied.
Yes! Signature Series S55’s owner here🙋🏾. Just had a long listening session, and am still smiling. No ear fatigue whatsoever. Can’t find any fault with them.🤷🏻♂️
I've had Polk Audio as my main speakers since roughly 1990. My first pair was the SRS SDA 2.3 model that was mentioned here. They fit in just fine playing the audio from my other gear, such as: Bang & Olufsen Beogram 8000, Nakamichi Dragon, Nakamichi RX-505, Luxman R-117, Clearaudio Concept turntable, Yamaha DSP-A1, Nakamichi 730 receiver, Sony DAT machine, and so on.....
Attention Fashionistas: announcing the new line of POSE loudspeakers. They look marvelous! The sound is meh, But they look marvelous! That is what is what's really important, isn't it Darlings.
i developed tinnitus listening to polk towers played loudly for many hours over the years while under the influence of various substances, mainly booze. i suspect that would have happened with any brand. lol
I had a pair of Polk Audio R50 speakers 🔊 from Craigslist for 50 bucks. Needed a new tweeter so I replace both and thought they sounded just fine. Replaced them with Cambridge Soundworks Tower speaker for 120 a pair. My son has the Polk Audios along with a turntable and receiver I gave him. And they still sound great.
Yeah, I've never really heard anyone say that too often at all before either... Ever since I was about 10 or 12 years old at least, I've always been a major audio enthusiast with a really great "ear" for truly HIGH Quality sound, frequency response, distortion levels, vocal and instrument clarity, imaging, depth, soundstaging, etc., because I was shown and taught exactly how *amazing* REALLY good sound systems could and *should* be, and what to listen for and appreciate about them, AND also what to stay away from as much as possible, (i.e. clipping, distortion, etc.), by other audiophile friends and even *family* when I was a kid. So as a result of that "ear training" when I was young kid, I've also almost always been at least a "low budget" audiophile my entire life, ever since I was about 16 years old! I'm 46 now, with those many decades of "experience" and awareness of and at least a basic knowledge of the truly High-End (AND of course the NON "high-end" for comparison), audio world, and this video here is really only the 2nd or maybe 3rd time I've personally ever heard anyone say that they disliked or "hated" Polk Audio, especially if referring to their really cool, great sounding speakers from the 80's!... I actually have a pair of the original 1987 model Polk Audio SDA2 speakers in my current living room "home theater"/music listening space, and I absolutely LOVE them! I had found them used, but still in good cosmetic condition and perfectly working, at my local Goodwill with a $50/pair sticker on them... However, I had bought them on a Monday, which as anyone who shops GW regularly knows; Monday is their "storewide 25% off discount day", AND they don't charge tax on their purchases either because they are supposedly a non-profit company, (IDK if that's really true or not, but whatever), so basically, on that day I got those Polk SDA2 tower speakers for a VERY nice total cost of only $37.50 for the pair!... I also had previously found a used pair of the Polk Audio Monitor 10 speakers, (which are VERY similar to the SDA2 looks-wise, but without the interconnect cable and with a slightly shorter cabinet and a 10" rather than a 12" passive radiator), at my local Savers thriftstore a few years earlier for only $30/pair asking price, which I had also bought with a 30% off discount coupon, (so I actually got those for $21/pair!), and those were also in excellent overall condition, (other than a few scratches and dust all over them), and I really loved their overall sound quality and presentation, so I already knew that the SDA2 models were going to be *at least* as good as the Monitor 10s I already had, if not even better, so as soon as I saw those SDA2s at my local GW store I immediately tested them out in store and of course bought them!... Actually, by now I have experimented around with both models and compared them side by side, and the only real, major difference between them is the interconnect cable, and without it connected both the Monitor 10 and SDA2 are very similar sounding, both with a very pleasing overall sound quality, and yes, the SDA2 pair DOES function as a "regular" speaker without the interconnect cable between them, with all drivers still operational and producing good sound, but once you connect the interconnect cable they REALLY come to life, providing that "3-dimensional" or "holographic" soundstage that Paul mentions, which is totally mind blowing really! One has to hear it to believe it! The really cool thing is that the SDA2 operates completely fine as a "regular" speaker even without the interconnect cable connected, but sounds all the MORE amazing when it actually IS connected!... So, me being the "technical nerd" that I am, and considering I bought these SDA2s used with no manufacturer warranty or anything, I decided to take them apart and study their crossover design and wiring to see exactly what is going on inside them to make them sound the way they do, and WHY they sound different with and without their interconnect cable hooked up... So, for any of us "techie" "audio nerds" who care; what they are actually doing, ( *with* the interconnect cable connected), is essentially sending a slightly out of phase portion of each channel's midrange signal, bass cut, to the other speaker on each channel's *outer* driver, (relative to the listening position), therefore creating a "mix" of sound of a little bit of *both* channels in *each* channel, all the while with each channel still playing *primarily* that specific channel, (moreso on the *inner* drivers on each channel), therefore creating an almost unbelieveable "depth" to the image of sound, kind of like you are totally immersed in a 3-dimensional "holodeck" scene on Star Trek! Lol! It's kind of difficult to explain, you just have to hear it for yourself to get a grasp of it in your mind, but the overall presentation is totally awesome!... AND really, totally *different* from any other type or brand of speakers, but in a very GOOD way, IMO! Now that I know exactly how these speakers work and why they do what they do, I might even try to modify my pair of Monitor 10s also to be able to be wired together in the same way as the SDA2s are, just as an "experiment", because both models use the same drivers and have almost identical driver baffle layouts, and similar basic crossover designs, so I think I might try that... At the very least, if it doesn't work the same with the Monitor 10s for some reason then I can always disconnect the interconnect cable and just use them in "standard" mode as they were originally wired!... And this interconnect wiring method that some of the older, upper-end original Polk Audio models used, and the associated "mixing" of the different channels and the slight phase shifting they do to create their "holographic" style imaging, is maybe ultimately why that *some* audiophile "purists" hate on Polk Audio speakers, because they aren't reproducing the soundstage and imaging in the "traditional" way, as most all other speakers are, with ONLY, truly dedicated and totally separated left and right channels... But whatever; if one really wants to, they can just totally *disconnect* any model's associated interconnect cable, (not all Polk speakers have them, actually most models DON'T), and then just use them as more "standard" speakers if you more prefer that type of sound... But me personally, I kinda really DO like the sound that the interconnect cable provides! (I actually put a switch on mine so I can instantly show people who listen to my system the difference it makes.) Most people who hear them are totally blown away by how awesome they are! Any of the younger generation especially has never heard anything so totally "immersing", especially since most typical "average consumer" people nowadays just listen to their music on their damn *cellphone* or a tiny little portable blutooth speaker that doesn't even give them basic *stereo* sound, not to mention it's shitty overall quality to begin with! Lol!... Anyway, that was a "mini novel", (Lol!), but for any of us who know Polk Audio is at least a totally respectable speaker company, with quite a few very interesting and really good sounding speaker models over the years, (especially if/when compared to anything in the more "modest", "normal consumer" price range!), it's actually not very often that people "hate" on Polk Audio speakers in reality!... A select few total "audio snobs" and absolute "purists" maybe, but MOST people think that Polk Audio speakers sound pretty darn good, especially considering their more "average consumer" price ranges! (And even better if you find a good condition pair of any of them used!)
The shop I worked in during the late 80's had a pair of reference speakers from Polk that were high end. They were tall, 3 way, towers in a large rosewood cabinet, with two mids, two woofers, and a soft dome tweeter. They sounded amazing. I had two sets of their entry level speakers and thought they were a bit muddy and lack clarity, however they came with a 5 year warranty, and could take a beating. Today, they seem to be into the home theater market. You can get a large and decent sounding multi channel rig on a serious budget. Still not my cup of tea. The audiophile hates when people put quantity over quality. I would rather start with a pair of exclent speakers than a room full of mediocre ones. Is that snobery? IDK. The Polk fans seem like a humble crowd. I never been a hater, dispute that they are not my first choice. They are a good value for theater.
![Lil Uzi Vert - We Good [Official Audio]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DrSfBULAsek/mqdefault.jpg)
I am not considered to be an audiophile because I listen on Polks.
Fortunately, what others think of me does not in any way lessen my enjoyment of music on them 😀😀😀
Ah well, you watch the channel of PS Audio, so you’re part of the “HiFi family” - according to Paul 😜
@Fat Rat Yeah... the occasional mafiabose. Bad to your health 😜
Polk RTi A9's are awesome.
Im more of a cinephile than an audiophile so for the price i got my setup for, my movies sound amazing in my home theater with my Polks.
Same here, the marginal return in high-end world is so f*#%ing little that so-called audiophiles get pissed off of others' enjoyments - I have pairs of RTi-A9, A5 and Monitor 75T, and I love the way each of them perform!
Wow-- didn't know people disliked Polk Audio. I always thought they were well regarded within their price range. The ones I've heard sounded fine.
Polk has consistency issues. Sometimes their products are great, while other models are not.
Audiophile snobs thinks this makes them easy to dismiss. They really aren't. It's representative of a large audio company having to roll out experimentation which is hit and miss.
They're a fine company. Keep them on your back radar as they roll out new stuff. Sometimes you can pick up a great model on the cheap for a second or third system or as a gift.
Polk is a much needed company and appreciated.
@Fat Rat profit/loss? Huh?
@Fat Rat What CEO would say, "pick some of our products up on clearance, they're great." Haha
"Not all of them, mind you. Many of them suck. But keep your eyes peeled for a steal. Some of our products are amazing bargains."
@Fat Rat Ok, I'm the CEO. I'm trying to remain hidden and still defend Polk in the most limp dick inconspicuous way possible, lol.
@Fat Rat what does he give away?
The Common people own Polk , Therefore audiophiles hate them.It’s in the Audiophile Club rule book.
I coulda sworn I saw Daphne dusting Frasier's Polk R50s. Lmao
Peasants purchasing Polk don't get the rule book.
You are right. I believe that one major reason audiophiles are slowly disappearing is this attitude that only very expensive gear counts.
@Fat Rat That's how I would like to see it too. Anyone who wants to pursue the best sound possible within his budget, is an audiophile to me. Reality is sort of like this. You can get better audio fidelity with a US$30 BLON03 earbud + modern smartphone than you get from some even very expensive audiophile systems. Kids need to learn what they are missing and it doesn't cost a lot to get started.
@Fat Rat It's more of a product management thing I'm talking about. For gaining back the excitement of audiophile performance, you have to do it with very affordable products. Young people buy everything online and have no idea about how good the sound quality is until they get it home. A company like PS Audio could sell a US$30 premium performance earbud and spread the brand awareness to younger people and later sell their more pricey products inc. amps, DACs and speakers as these customers grow up. Audio brands need brand building strategies or the brand awareness and sales will eventually go down.
I've been in (used to even work in) car and home audio for 29 years (though now a software developer). I absolutely love polk audio. I think the reason people hate them (which is news to me) is because they sound so damn good for the price range and it makes them feel silly that they spend so much.
The truth is they hit way above their weight class. If somebody spends $10,000 on a speaker they don't like to be told that they could have gotten the same sound for $1500, so they convince themselves that their garbage in some way to make themselves feel better.
Amen.
I agree. Bought Polk Studio Monitor 10As in August 1982 & they still are doing the audio work in my A / V system. My brother has been thru 4 different high end speakers in that time. Love my Polk SM 10As for 42 years. BTW I still have the receipt & remember driving 25 miles to an open box sale to get them.
@@ag4allgood and they last forever since they use a rubber surround and not a foam one on their drivers and can take a little bit of abuse. I love that fact I don't have to worry about re-foaming them.
I never heard of Polk being bad. All I remember is quality.
I didn't know Polk became the new Bose to some people. That's some bullshit.
I'd take the cheapest polk over the most expensive bose.
R. Kizer - Sad if it is.....
I'm extremely happy with my Polk 707's, can listen to them all day with no ear fatigue. They are built like a tank and beautifully styled.
I have a pair of Polk Audio bookshelf speakers that I bought 37 years ago while still in high school. They still sound amazing!
Screw the so called "audiophiles"
I own a pair of the Polk Audio Signature 60 series tower speakers. They are 7 feet apart with a very slight toe-in, I sit roughly 7.5 feet away. Very happy with the way they sound. Good lows and although my 64 year old ears roll off at 16KHz, I'm happy with the highs as well.
If you can hear up to 16k at age 64 then you are a fortunate anomaly. Most 64 year old males don't hear much past 10 or 11Khz and that includes me.
Sandy Gross went on to found another relatively affordable speaker company, Definitive Technology. My PS Audio S300 amp powers my Def Tech 9060s, assisted by the built-in 300 watt power amps in the subwoofer base of each speaker. They sound great to my older ears and to everyone who hears them. No one has accused them of being audiophile speakers, but I notice that Sandy Gross’s current company’s Triton speakers, which do get high marks from the audiophile reviews, incorporate much of the Def Tech design concepts. I think Sandy is a speaker genius or at least employs folks who are. He tends to put his principal effort into the actual speaker performance and no more than necessary into the cabinetry.
Polk is good if you don't want to break the bank and have more than a descent sound!
I know they have few expensive models too!
True.
The headline caught my attention. Polk audio speakers are freaking amazing! Polk 10bs have unbelievable imaging and staging.
Oh yes, absolutely! I own a pair of vintage Polk 10's, and they sound 'high end'.
Never heard a BAD sounding polk speaker.I think they sound pretty good myself.
I have a polk sound bar at home that I think is terrible. The LG one I had before it sounded way better and I paid $100 more for the polk. The subwoofer is practically non existent.
Nicholas Baker never heard any good soundbar. Would never waste money on those. No matter the brand.
@@jondoe6618 Sound bars are ghetto quality
The T15 are dull on treble and 130Hz bass honk
@@nicholasbaker2904 No offense bud but I wouldn’t really judge their quality on a sound bar. Sound bars don’t measure up to separate components.
Polk makes THE go-to budget subwoofer.
psw 505.... 10 years running for me.
A few years back, following your recommendations to use subs Paul, I bought two 12" subs by Polk on an incredible deal at Newegg, of all places. I've been totally satisfied with them and have never felt the need to upgrade from them to match my admittedly much more highly regarded other components. Probably the best $325, inc. delivery, I've ever spent.
I own the lsim 707s and lsim 703s. They are amazing speakers. Always been a polk fan. They rival some of the best speakers out there!!!! They just need some good electronics driving them. I find this model to be considered high end. They have everything a high end speaker has, complex crossover system, furniture grade cabinets, and top of the line technology. Polk allows the consumer to choose how much they are willing to invest in great sound by offering various priced speakers.
Yup once you’ve hit a certain pricepoint, every extra dollar goes to exclusivity and visual design.
Not electrical design.
For example, compare the crossover in a $3,000 dollar speaker with a $30,000 counterpart.
You’ll see no noteworthy difference.
@Fat Rat No one with a bit of education in electronics uses Duelund components 😆
The Rubycon, Panasonic, Nippon or Nichicon caps that are in every half decent speaker is as good as it gets.
Instead of removing the iron core which may damage the coil and lowers the inductance, you might as well just shield it properly (if the lazy manufacturer didn't already do that).
@Fat Rat Replacing resistors doesn't make any sense.
@@QoraxAudio I ran my RTA 12Cs with a Counterpoint SA 5.1 with Amperex 6DJ8s and dual mono GFA 555s. Front end was a Linn clone, VPI and Sumiko Talisman. I coupled the drivers and passive radiators to the box with Mortite and had 'em on TipToes. Kimber Cable and AQ interconnects. The preamp developed a low-level buzz that even Michael Eliott, the freaking DESIGNER, couldn't run down (well, he was busy building $25K amps for Japan, too, so...) Sold it to a cat in Chicago and miss it.
Won't replace the Polks, but I'd like to build a pair of Linkwitz (R.I.P.) Orions and/or Nelson Pass Kleinhorns. Unfortunately, >65, wheelchair, Charcot-Marie-Tooth 1a.
The original SDAs were the GOAT of in home stereo sound stage.
i had a friend back when i bought my SDAs in 1985 ,that was a certified audiophile snob . when i told him about the SDAs he laughed and i retorted with , " ok smart ass " come over tomorrow and have a listen .
he brought his own music , put it in my cassette tape player ( that's all we had in those days 😂) became quiet as he listened and when the song ended he turned to me and said " shit man , you were right " .he said where did you buy them and drove there that weekend and bought the biggest ones they had .😎
I'm still using my old RT1000i tower speakers with built-in powered subwoofers. I can afford better now, but can't bring myself to part with these old friends.
And why would you? It's diminishing returns at a certain point.
It was only after Polk sold to China that about 5 years later they took a nosedive sadly. Still good, but cheaply made overall vs the "good old days" of Baltimore manufacturing.
@@BrianRoediger they did? That's disappointing. Still love my s20, but made in the USA would have been nice, even if I'm not American.
@@summushieremiasclarkson4700 For sure! I always love a company to manufacture the goods it engineers in its own country. I like OnePlus (the phone company) because they're Chinese engineering and they're manufactured in China. Fine product.
Polk Audio is an American company. It was nice when they were manufactured here too.
Not to say the new stuff is garbage, but they're certainly less quality than before.
When you're building something for someone else, you don't care as much as if you were building it for yourself.
@@BrianRoediger indeed sir. I would prefer, for instance, when purchasing a Toyota Camry, that it be manufactured in Japan. It's just common sense really, when it is manufactured in the home nation, it becomes a matter of national pride, any compromise in quality reflects poorly on the worker, the company and the nation. Every effort is then made to ensure the finest quality products leave the factory.
I've owned Paradigm, Def Tech, Klipsch, Boston, PSB, and others but I keep coming back to Polk Audio. I think my RTi-A1's sound great. Awesome performance for under $200/pr.
Polk make great speakers! Legend in my eyes.
I owned the Polk SDA CRS+ for thirty years and they were more then amazing. I just replaced them with the LSIM 707 and 706C and if setup properly they will astound you.
I agree with this video. I’m not a “discerning audiophile” who spends tens of thousands of dollars on equipment. The audiophiles who knock Polk Audio don’t represent the vast majority of people who actually buy the largest volumes of audio equipment. Sure, they have had their lemons (as has everyone else), but in general Polk Audio speakers have been decent quality with decent sound for the working class who enjoy listening on equipment they can afford. No one can deny Polk speakers are engineered very well for their price point. In the past few decades where hundreds of names in true audiophile equipment have come and gone along with many who made inexpensive disco pumper garbage, Polk Audio has stuck around. Why? Because they make decent products folks can afford, they have remained a step above the bottom feeders, AND equally important they build products that can be sold at a profit for stores and the manufacturer in order to remain in business.
Probably because they are mass produced and you can buy them at a big box store...
I have some Polk Monitor 7s and they are truly great speakers. The big 10” passive radiator is some awesome engineering. The older Polk stuff is definitely not bad.
I have old monitor 7s ,they sound better than most of my friends stuff . Including JBL ,Bose Cerwin Vega,Etc.
I just commented on the engineering of my monitor 5s how the amount of bass from it's little woofer and the radiator was impressive for the size.
I like my monitor 5 with peerless tweeters.
Such B.S.! I've never heard that Polk Audio is 'dissed' or 'hated', even today. In the last decade or so alone, they offered a good quality and price range of various speakers that actually sound really great. If you go back to the 80's, Polk was considered a GREAT higher end speaker company that garnered rave reviews. Their 'Monitor series' were priced well, and an affordable entry into 'higher end' sound. I still have my very first pair of quality speakers, the Polk Audio Monitor 10 series, which still sound phenomenal today! They have aged better than me!
It's not BS. This is a lot of criticism and mocking of Polk speakers online. I like Polk. I set up a Polk home theatre system and I love it. The knocker's are out there though.
@@toby9999 Interesting. I've never run across the modern day Polk mockery. But I do run across the dissing of Bose, all the time. Thanks for the post.
Thanks Paul. I own the last three generations of flagship Polk, LSi25, LSiM 707 and Legend L800 and really enjoy them.
There it is in a nutshell, affordable. Audiophiles don't want what the masses can get even if it is good. How can they brag that they have a unobtanium speakers when everyone has them? There is nothing in a speaker system that can justify some of the costs that some of the high end people want. In a day and age that chips and caps cost pennies, the average speaker cost a couple bucks and the production of boxes can also be done for a couple bucks each, builders wanting thousands and thousands is nuts for the most of us and Polk knew it and filled the void.
You self expressed with such detail of truth.
My Polk Rti12's are quite nice. Very impressive engineering. Great sound stage and imaging. Tremendous speaker value. Thank you, Polk, for making an affordable quality speaker.
News to me! I have the entire RTiA line, including centers and surrounds, bookshelf speakers and 8 RTi A9s in various roles throughout the house. I wouldn't trade them for anything. They are the sound of music for me.
@@HTadd1ct The A9s are all I need. They handle 500 watts silky smooth, reserve, just 300, legend just 100.
Rti A5 was all I could afford back in the day. Still using for fronts w a Marantz MM7025. Sound great. R700 look great but not sure if it would just be a somewhat lateral move.
@@kevin_m I picked up a pair of R700s and the R400 center for a 3.1 setup I have. They sound great and would be an upgrade from the A5s. But the A9s are still my favorites.
@@reason2463 oh excellent! I think an upgrade will have to wait for me until I have more space. Currently in a good size condo but can only JUST fit the a5 w a sub next to the right ch. I think the r700 have a substantially larger footprint. Have fun with your setup!
The Polk lsim703's that I bought new for $450 are quite amazing. I'd say it was probably the best audio deal I've ever seen.
I have just exchanged my recently purchased soundbar and subwoofer for a POLK soundbar and subwoofer. The previous equipment had a fault so the shop offered to let me exchange it for another brand at the same price point. I had never heard of Polk but decided to give it a go. Wow! I could immediately see and hear that this was of a superior quality. So I was a little surprised to come across this RUclips (clickbait??). Surely any comment on people 'hating' Polk is because insecure audionutters look at the price and declare them inferior. I would love to read BLIND tech reviews i.e. the reviewer just listens but does not know what equipment they are listening to.
Their new reference line is amazing. I'm not the biggest fan of their subwoofers, but I'm not really a fan of anyone's subwoofers (save for maybe Seaton and JTR). That said, they make great stuff and phenomenal prices!
Audiophiles hate Polk because they sound just as good and sometimes outperform speakers they themselves spent enormous anounts of money on. Polk towers are well balanced unlike some higher end models that have very forward vocals.
Up until very recently I ran a pair of LiSM 707's on my main system powered by a $17k T+A PA3000HV amp, the better electronics you throw at the 707's the better they perform - they hit way above their price points.
Had a pair of Monitor 5 back in the day. Loved those speakers.
My stereo/surround consists of a pair of Polk RtiA9 with Advent center and Baby II surround. Coupled with a pair of BIC 12" subs, this system rocks movies and sounds so nice in stereo mode. The entire setup was under $2000, including the Onkyo TX-SR703 reciever. It sounds fine to me, that's all that matters.
My side speakers are Polk, and I don't have a single negative thing to say about them.
Never knew that. I always regarded them as a very good product.
They are. It’s just people spread hate on a product most never even heard play, let alone own.
I got some old Polk Monitor 12s I like them. I met Mathew Polk back in the mid 90s.
I've got a pair of RTA 12Cs. They're happy with "Dark Side of the Moon" or Earl Klugh's "Late Night Guitar", and so am I.
@@Hippiekinkster I own four RTi 12 and matching center channel and very happy
I have a couple sets of Polk SDA'S...I really like them...they are a great value also, You can get a very nice vintage speaker for a decent price. The Monitor 7 is also an honorable mention, also a fine speaker.
I have a pair of B&Ws but i still love my polk rt7s they are the only pair of older speakers i have that i
refused to get rid of.
My first "real" speakers were Polk Monitor 10s. I chose them over some Missions (cannot remember the model). I used and loved them for a long time. Think I gave them away. Later, I had some towers (again I cannot remember the model). They were sweet until we had a break-in and they were stolen.
Yep Polk 10 monitors were amazing. Got mine in 1980 and they beat anything under 3x their cost. Any Polk speaker I bought after that however, have been very disappointing.
@@stonefree1911 I think I bought my 10s about 1981 or 2. I'm guessing someone, somewhere is still enjoying them.
I need to try some of those. I can't afford "high end" speakers & using some Advent legacy right now. They're not bad, but definitely not great either. The Polk monitor 10s seem like a much better match for my Marantz 2220B as well...the Advents require a lot more than 20wpc.
Ditto, my first speaker purchase were the Polk 10 monitors, matched with an Acoustat 120 twin amp and a NYAL Moscode pre-amp. I still have the amp & pre-amp but do regret not keeping the Polks.... bought them around 1986
I've been reading & watching videos to decide if I'd like to try finding a pair, but I have a question... HiFi R makes no mention of these having passive radiators, but one video I watched shows passive radiators in them.
So do they???
It also says they go down to 25Hz...is that correct as well??? That seems pretty good & I wouldn't need a subwoofer. Just trying to get a better understanding of these. I'm thinking about trying to find a good pair.
The idea behind the SDA line was to eliminate inter-aural cross talk. The fact that your right ear hears sound from the left speaker and your left ear hears sound from the right speaker. And muddies the imaging. They were innovative. Yes they changed when the company was sold. But they make some decent affordable products.
seems you could accomplish that by just changing the speaker connections on the receiver?
@@uglykidmoe150 No, the point is that no matter what you do with just the 2 speakers, they'll always overlap the ears because that's how sound works. Sound waves from the left speaker travels around your head and ends up in your right ear, and vice versa, making your mental image of where the sound is coming from less clear. The point of the SDA was that there were 2 speakers in each side, one designed to just play the sound and the other to play the sound but offset in time just enough that the sound waves hitting your opposite ear would effectively cancel out, eliminating that extra sound that travels to the wrong ear. It meant that the sound from the left speaker was perceived almost entirely on the left ear and vice versa, giving you incredibly good sound imaging.
@@hypersans6209 SDA was a Gimmick mostly. You do not get Good imaging, but simply hugely exaggerated and fake Imaging. Trust me, they do not enhance the reality, but simply make them sound appealing in a fake way.
The idea, was that if recordings were made with 2 microphones, it would capture the same imaging, but the real problem, SDA was a gimmick, as Recordings are NOT made the way they tried to explain how it all works. It is a very interesting experiment, but not remotely accurate.
@@kevintomb Do you have actual points besides "SDA is a gimmick" and "it's fake imaging and not how recording works"?
Still have my SDA 2'S !!
Having been an ardent audiophile for these best 40 years (of my 51) ofmy life I've always done my best to "upgrade" with each new speaker or component purchase. My Snell Type KII's were replaced by a pair of Polk LSI9'S. Built my own stands and filled them with #9 lead birdshot. Those Polks amazed me for a solid 15 years paired with M&K v-125 subs, and later the addition of a Velodyne. Driven by SAE separate pre and power amps. This set-up is currently on stand-by and lately the Amp has been a Nakamichi AV1 receiver driving Bowers and Wilkins DM7 MkII and same subs. Point is, I'm not made of money and ecstatic with the performance of some 30 and 40 year old equipment in my listening room. Set-up IS critical but....I herein declare that the Polks, short of burning up will always remain in my listening room. They have more than once sent chills through me and at EVERY listening session put a grin on my face. 15 years is a long time to be satisfied, especially someone who once sold hi-fi gear for a living, and has auditioned equipment FAR beyond what my budget allows.
I just bought a receiver/speaker bundle(Denon/LSi9's for $125!) with the intent of giving the Denon to my parents and selling the Polks for a profit. While making the demo video I was blown away by the RICH/FULL sound coming out of the LSi9's. Only tested 3 songs and that's all it took to convince me that not only are these keepers, but in my list of BEST speakers I've ever heard! They sound high end, look high end, and sure weigh high end(33lbs!)! Truly amazing speakers!
@@JamesBondSPY007 great score!!!! Keep those LSi9's, or if you don't, at least make a good profit. At the price you paid, you can't go wrong!
i think polk is one of the best 80's brands in speakers, they were making still 70's quality products in an era where everyone else started to make silly products
Very happy with my HTS-10 sub. It sounds fantastic, its smooth and hard hitting, way to must for the unit that I am in
I liked my HTS10 so much I bought another one for the win on sale new not refurbished
I'm also in a small space.
Amazing sound 👌
Got my Polk used ,god knows what it went through from the scuffs on it , and my friend totaled his car with them inside . Box smashes and splinters , Polk still fine
I've never hear of people hating Polk Audio, maybe Klipsch, but not Polk.
I have 4 Polk Audio T15 in my surround system, 2 center, two rear surround and a pair of B&W DM6 monitor loudspeakers for stereo and mains. No sub woofer needed. Sounds awesome.
Watching this clip and listening to you speak through my Polk SDA CRS+ speakers!
Obsured,I've owned and sold high end speakers for over 20 years and my recent purchase Polk RTI a9,have to be 1 of the best sounding speakers I've heard in ages
I still have a pair of classic Polk Audio Monitor 10 speakers. Even at 30 years old, they are still some fine sounding speakers. I have replaced them but have never been able to make myself sell the Polks. I still go back and give them a listen from time to time.
Me too! I bought mine in the mid 80's, and am still blown away at how detailed, timbrally accurate, and full bodied they sound! I've purchased many others over the years, including Magnepan, but I always go back to the Polk Monitor 10's, and they still put a smile on my now older, wrinkled face (i'm 60 and purchased them in my 20's)!
I have a timbre matched polk RTxxi 7.1 surround setup powered by a Yamaha RX-Z9. My front L and R are a pair of RT55i set to large. In the center is a 1000W Velodyne sub with a remote control. My sweet spot is about 15 feet away. Put on some Gavin Harrison and I can feel the bass really thumping. Then I switch the Velodyne sub on and off and - no discernable difference! All that bass is coming from the RT55i bookshelf speakers. Truly incredible.
Polk is making an SDA speaker again.
Being an owner of the SDA 1C's myself, I was so happy to hear this.
Unfortunately I think they're still made in China unlike the originals which were hand-made in Baltimore.
Where does this question come from? Everyone that's owns Polk that I know is happy. I have the Lsim 705 the 706 and the 703 surrounds all powered by dare I say a receiver . Pioneer elite . I would be happy to blind test anyone with my system and confident they would be impressed with good quality sound. Clean and clear at every listening level . I invested about $6000 in everything ,do I need to spend $6000 just on cables to be called and audiophile? The laws of physics can not be broken ,math does not lie and The emperor has no clothing on !
Polk Audio is a very good brand. The RTI and LSI series perform really good. By the way please make a video on your camera and lighting gear.
I love Polk speakers. I have their 11T speakers which I purchased way back in the day. They sound great and listen to them quite often. n fact, I've been looking for a set of Pièce de résistance SDS SRS speakers to complete my stereo setup. I love Polk speakers of way back when.
i just bought a set of polk T15 bookshelf speakers. for the $80 for the pair im very impressed. i bought a 5.1 surround sound klipsch set and one of the speakers went bad after cranking them a little. i bought the polk to replace the bad speaker. i want to buy another T15 set and a T30 speaker for a complete 5.1 setup with the larger speakers.
im quite happy with them. satellite speakers are too limiting. bookshelf speakers with larger woofers are better.
Glad I found this. I still have my RM6900 5.1 rocking my living room. After nearly 20 years, they still sound great for my needs.
In my 7.4.4 sound system Paul, I employ as my front tower's, a pair of Polk Signature Series s60's, for me these being USA speaker's made in China, are the equivalent to my Accusound Australian speaker's made in China too, that make up the rest of my system, simply a lot of bang for the low budget bucks, I'm very happy with it all and enjoy daily.
I've bought several Polk Audio speakers over the years. I'm pleased with what they've done at their price points. I've recently purchased their Monitor 40 Series II bookshelf and their T50 tower speakers. I augment those with a Definitive Technology 10" subwoofer. I'm quite pleased with these choices, and I'm quite sure there are many examples of better speakers. I enjoy my music, nonetheless.
Polk is now a Sound United brand. Still the most reasonable speaker only manufacturer.
Polk has always made a good mix of speakers, budget minded and upwards to hi-end. It all boils down to what you are willing to spend. But with that said they have always made a decent speaker. I just recently put together a budget system with a Rotel RB990bx amp, topping D50s DAC, Definitive technology Pro sub 800 and the Polk S20 bookshelf speakers. This rocks, the s20's have good bass but I like a little thump now and then. The s20's were only $225 a pair on sale, they are impressive. The Polk Lsim 703s are next on the list.
I just rebuilt the crossovers in my Polk RTA-12C speakers bought in 1984. They sound better than new!
I NEED TO DO!!! Did you wind your own inductors? Madisound? Would be pleased to know! Peace!
I love how right after he reads the question he starts talking about the cameras in the room. Lol.
For over two minutes to add!😳.. and he took about 60 seconds to address the hate question. Classic case of click bait.
I have a pair of Polk SDA CRS speakers, I've seen some with only 1 tweeter, while mine has the two tweeters, (does anyone know if there's a name change?), mine are true oak, I bought them in 1984 or 1985, they still sound as good today was when I bought them over 35 years ago. Yes, I paid just a little over 1000.00 for mine which included the stands. I still love them today.
You can skip the first 3:23 minutes, and then he never really does answer the question. Waste of time.
I am from the UK and have had limited exposure to Polk but as I understand it, they were initially regarded as an innovative and well respected speaker brand. After the sell off they kind of morphed in to company selling lifestyle products (like Bose) with no truly hi end audiophile offerings.
Have you seen bose turnover, and now many jobs they create. They must be doing something right.
@@r423sdex Yeah, I get that. Paul covered Bose in a video a while back. Their lifestyle all in one systems are loved by the general public and hated by audiophiles, although I believe their headphones are popular with everyone
Hello Paul,
Maybe you can help me out (or someone reading this) with this question, as I am researching marine speakers for my motorcycle. The question is, what is the difference between your MM1 and DB series. I what a 6.5 up front and the 5.25 at the rear.
Thank you,
Tim.
I love polk audio and is all I own since 2001. they are some of the best out there and a great price.
Own some Polk RTA 15TLs from late 80's-early 90's and they sound amazing. Couldn't hate on them even if I tried.
Carver did the same thing with Sonic Holography. I actually use it in in my small, PC-dedicated system I have on my desk, with small Mission speakers. The soundstage expansion is amazing! I would not use it for critical listening, and it only works well at certain distances and angles, but when I sit on my desk both me and the speakers are in fixed positions, so that's fine.
Someone listened to Nickelback on Polks and it was over for them....
Who’s Nickelback?🤓
I still own the same Polk Audio SDA speakers I purchased in 1986. After several upgrades to amps and source material, they still amaze casual listeners.
I own 4 pairs of Polks. The RTi28, RTi38, RTi4 and TSi100. I also use Polk subwoofers, PSW10 and PSW303 specifically. I have used Onkyo, Sony, and Fosi audio amplifiers to drive them and an RSL is on the way. Wiim minis, Sony CD/DVD players are used as sources and all goes through SMSL SU-1 DAC's before they get to their respective amps. I have several areas set up for music in our home.
Clearly I am not an audiophile but I do enjoy wonderful music and I use speaker placement and where helpful, EQ via the wiim's to fine tune the performance.
This has been an absolute blast as much of this gear has been purchased off of the used market.
As I type this I am listening to jazz played through the RTi38's with the PSW303 picking up everything south of 80Hz.
I don't hate Polk. I am grateful for them.
I use to be an audio snob but then I got married. I had to get rid of my big old circa-1970 ARs for something that would better fit in our living room. Polk's are a good compromise, just like good marriages. I first got their entry level bookshelf speakers with a sub and center channel. They served their purpose. I eventually upgraded them to their mid-tier line and I am very pleased. Even my wife noticed how much better they sounded compared to the entry level ones. Most people who think of Polk think of the cheap entry stuff they sell at Best Buys. They sell more than that. I was able to get decent sound without pillaging my kids college account and my IRA. I love your videos. They show me much things have changed since I did PA for crappy bar bands and got my FCC first class.
I'm just fine with my Polk center channel & surrounds.
I've also used Polk ideas as Paul described by out of phase signal between speakers.
Dramatically widens the sound stage.
How do you go about to set them like that?
Polk Monitor 5s are great bookshelf speakers. I have loved all my Polk stuff. Great cost!!!
Paul, first off, I didn't know people hate Polk. I'm surprised. But, then, I've sorta lost touch with high end audio. I've started watching your channel to re-kindle my interest and learn about the state-of-the-art. I heard my first Polk Audio speakers in the mid-1980s. I was about 20 years old, and I was house sitting for my boss at the time (who managed a camera shop! I was a medium format guy, myself - never got to play with the big view cameras. So sad!). I was blown away by, what to my perhaps inexperienced ears, was the fidelity of those Polk speakers. I always hoped I would own a set of my own someday. That, and a pair of Klipsch horns. I note, now, that Polk Audio's offerings bear little resemblance to what I recall from the 1980s.
In the '80s I first became aware of Polk speakers, seeing the ads with Matthew Polk in the white lab coat, kinda resonated with the inner engineering geek in me. I don't know, he just seemed like a person who stood behind his speaker designs. Heck, if he didn't, he would not be in those ads. I have owned both home and car audio products from Polk. To name a few, RT55, RT35, RM101, Monitor Series 2 5JR, small passive PC speakers, and some 5.25 inch 2-way car speakers. I have my eyes on the LSi9 ones, the RTiA3 ones, and some others. The performance/quality you get at such a low price point is really hard to beat. I don't own any new ones to give my opinion on, but I'm sure the bang-for-the-buck is still there. Lastly, I enjoy your vids Paul. Fun, transparent, and informative.
I dont hate them at all. The monitor 60 is one of the best speakers under 200 bucks. And my Lsim703s are spectacular.
I've loved my Polk stuff from my old Polk car db12 subwoofer to my Goodwill Polk monitor 5s which were mint practically like new for $25! What a find! I was blown away at the amount of bass from just that little woofer and passive radiator, that's some engineering for the day, I have a home theater setup but want to build a room in my basement and would love to piece together using vintage monitor series setup with a set of SDA1 for mains and many even build some nice subs using Polk MM series car audio drivers
I have Polk, JBL and have owned Klipsch speakers.
Most of the time, I use headphone and a DAC from my computer.
I bought my pair of S-8 speakers in 1996 and... I still have them and they sound great!
In India polk has always been regarded as an automobile speaker brand of repute..I have always been a klipsch fan owing to an affinity to horns..in my quest to add another stereo set up with a pair of bridged nads I was naturally considering RF 7 mark 2s…but then i chanced upon a review( paid of course) of polk legend 800Ls and took a leap of faith and I am not regretting it for a minute..blown away literally by the Polks.
Maybe its the rotels vs the nads in my 2 separate set ups? Who knows!
Nice rig! Love the Manfrotto tripod. I have the same model, heavy, but solid in every way!
Hate is strong word. I don't think most people hate Polk products. The concern is the too much undeserved attention is given to a few companies like Polk and Klipsch, while other excellent products go unnoticed. Constant gushing over mediocre products by RUclips and Stereophile only adds to the problem.
BTW I thought Polk speakers from their classic years, ie., the 10A to the SDA series sound lovely. Matthew Polk's advertising might have been over the top and heavy handed but overall I loved old Polk speakers. Their recent stuff is more forgettable but certainly not hate worthy.
My vintage Polk 10's still sound AMAZING! I often marvel at how well they present the music to my now aged 60 year old ears! I've had these speakers (and many others) since I was in my 20's, and have loved them since. I have used so many different amps and other analog and digital sources over the years, ranging from vintage Pioneer SX series receivers, to Onkyo (M508) and McIntosh (MC162) amps, and cheaper Chinese tubed preamps and amps, and they all showcased the great musicality emanating from these Polks. One must remember that Polk Audio started and flourished around the time that was defined as 'The Golden Age Of Hifi', and the early, mostly affordable Polk speakers enabled so many music fans to take advantage of the great equipment that was around 'back in the day'!
I have a Polk home theature setup and it's awesome. Nothing mediocre about it.
I bought a pair of Polk Audio monitor speakers back in the mid 1970's and they blew me and everyone who heard them away. I still have them, but now use a Polk S4 sound bar on my TV. takes up less room and still sounds great.
My dad still holds on to his Polk RTi A1's till today paired withthe PSW125 sub , sounded great btw ❤️❤️❤️ paired it with a Marantz SR5009 receiver
I have a high end audio system at home. Aerial Acoustics speakers, Levinson amp, AR tube preamp, all the hose sized cables etc.
I also have a small cabin in the country. A very modest little place but I wanted some audio there. Got a used NAD BEE 316 for under $200, a used Schiit Modi DAC and a used pair of Polk Audio Monitor 70 speakers also for less than $200
I was shocked at the sound quality out of this under $500 system. The sound stage is amazing. When I'm down there I do not feel like I'm missing out on anything.
Audiophiles love name dropping and everyone knows that if it isn't a big name it can't possibly sound good. Sometimes I feel sorry for hard core audiophiles. They never seem satisfied.
I look at the comments and realize that many of Paul's subscribers have and love our Polk.
Yes! Signature Series S55’s owner here🙋🏾. Just had a long listening session, and am still smiling. No ear fatigue whatsoever. Can’t find any fault with them.🤷🏻♂️
I've had Polk Audio as my main speakers since roughly 1990. My first pair was the SRS SDA 2.3 model that was mentioned here. They fit in just fine playing the audio from my other gear, such as: Bang & Olufsen Beogram 8000, Nakamichi Dragon, Nakamichi RX-505, Luxman R-117, Clearaudio Concept turntable, Yamaha DSP-A1, Nakamichi 730 receiver, Sony DAT machine, and so on.....
Exceedingly happy with my pair of Polk s20s.
Attention Fashionistas: announcing the new line of POSE loudspeakers. They look marvelous! The sound is meh, But they look marvelous! That is what is what's really important, isn't it Darlings.
...and remember dahling, it is always better to rook mahvelous than it is to feel mahvelous! ; D
@@HareDeLune Exactement.
@@HareDeLune Note: previous comment should be read with [faux French accent font] selected.
@@stephensmith3111
It was! : D
Peter - Why do people hate Polk Audio?
Paul - Let me show you my camera gear & in answer to your question... I don't know.
🤣 Classic case of click baiting!
i developed tinnitus listening to polk towers played loudly for many hours over the years while under the influence of various substances, mainly booze.
i suspect that would have happened with any brand. lol
I had a pair of Polk Audio R50 speakers 🔊 from Craigslist for 50 bucks. Needed a new tweeter so I replace both and thought they sounded just fine. Replaced them with Cambridge Soundworks Tower speaker for 120 a pair. My son has the Polk Audios along with a turntable and receiver I gave him. And they still sound great.
Yeah, I've never really heard anyone say that too often at all before either... Ever since I was about 10 or 12 years old at least, I've always been a major audio enthusiast with a really great "ear" for truly HIGH Quality sound, frequency response, distortion levels, vocal and instrument clarity, imaging, depth, soundstaging, etc., because I was shown and taught exactly how *amazing* REALLY good sound systems could and *should* be, and what to listen for and appreciate about them, AND also what to stay away from as much as possible, (i.e. clipping, distortion, etc.), by other audiophile friends and even *family* when I was a kid. So as a result of that "ear training" when I was young kid, I've also almost always been at least a "low budget" audiophile my entire life, ever since I was about 16 years old! I'm 46 now, with those many decades of "experience" and awareness of and at least a basic knowledge of the truly High-End (AND of course the NON "high-end" for comparison), audio world, and this video here is really only the 2nd or maybe 3rd time I've personally ever heard anyone say that they disliked or "hated" Polk Audio, especially if referring to their really cool, great sounding speakers from the 80's!...
I actually have a pair of the original 1987 model Polk Audio SDA2 speakers in my current living room "home theater"/music listening space, and I absolutely LOVE them! I had found them used, but still in good cosmetic condition and perfectly working, at my local Goodwill with a $50/pair sticker on them... However, I had bought them on a Monday, which as anyone who shops GW regularly knows; Monday is their "storewide 25% off discount day", AND they don't charge tax on their purchases either because they are supposedly a non-profit company, (IDK if that's really true or not, but whatever), so basically, on that day I got those Polk SDA2 tower speakers for a VERY nice total cost of only $37.50 for the pair!...
I also had previously found a used pair of the Polk Audio Monitor 10 speakers, (which are VERY similar to the SDA2 looks-wise, but without the interconnect cable and with a slightly shorter cabinet and a 10" rather than a 12" passive radiator), at my local Savers thriftstore a few years earlier for only $30/pair asking price, which I had also bought with a 30% off discount coupon, (so I actually got those for $21/pair!), and those were also in excellent overall condition, (other than a few scratches and dust all over them), and I really loved their overall sound quality and presentation, so I already knew that the SDA2 models were going to be *at least* as good as the Monitor 10s I already had, if not even better, so as soon as I saw those SDA2s at my local GW store I immediately tested them out in store and of course bought them!...
Actually, by now I have experimented around with both models and compared them side by side, and the only real, major difference between them is the interconnect cable, and without it connected both the Monitor 10 and SDA2 are very similar sounding, both with a very pleasing overall sound quality, and yes, the SDA2 pair DOES function as a "regular" speaker without the interconnect cable between them, with all drivers still operational and producing good sound, but once you connect the interconnect cable they REALLY come to life, providing that "3-dimensional" or "holographic" soundstage that Paul mentions, which is totally mind blowing really! One has to hear it to believe it! The really cool thing is that the SDA2 operates completely fine as a "regular" speaker even without the interconnect cable connected, but sounds all the MORE amazing when it actually IS connected!...
So, me being the "technical nerd" that I am, and considering I bought these SDA2s used with no manufacturer warranty or anything, I decided to take them apart and study their crossover design and wiring to see exactly what is going on inside them to make them sound the way they do, and WHY they sound different with and without their interconnect cable hooked up... So, for any of us "techie" "audio nerds" who care; what they are actually doing, ( *with* the interconnect cable connected), is essentially sending a slightly out of phase portion of each channel's midrange signal, bass cut, to the other speaker on each channel's *outer* driver, (relative to the listening position), therefore creating a "mix" of sound of a little bit of *both* channels in *each* channel, all the while with each channel still playing *primarily* that specific channel, (moreso on the *inner* drivers on each channel), therefore creating an almost unbelieveable "depth" to the image of sound, kind of like you are totally immersed in a 3-dimensional "holodeck" scene on Star Trek! Lol! It's kind of difficult to explain, you just have to hear it for yourself to get a grasp of it in your mind, but the overall presentation is totally awesome!... AND really, totally *different* from any other type or brand of speakers, but in a very GOOD way, IMO!
Now that I know exactly how these speakers work and why they do what they do, I might even try to modify my pair of Monitor 10s also to be able to be wired together in the same way as the SDA2s are, just as an "experiment", because both models use the same drivers and have almost identical driver baffle layouts, and similar basic crossover designs, so I think I might try that... At the very least, if it doesn't work the same with the Monitor 10s for some reason then I can always disconnect the interconnect cable and just use them in "standard" mode as they were originally wired!...
And this interconnect wiring method that some of the older, upper-end original Polk Audio models used, and the associated "mixing" of the different channels and the slight phase shifting they do to create their "holographic" style imaging, is maybe ultimately why that *some* audiophile "purists" hate on Polk Audio speakers, because they aren't reproducing the soundstage and imaging in the "traditional" way, as most all other speakers are, with ONLY, truly dedicated and totally separated left and right channels... But whatever; if one really wants to, they can just totally *disconnect* any model's associated interconnect cable, (not all Polk speakers have them, actually most models DON'T), and then just use them as more "standard" speakers if you more prefer that type of sound... But me personally, I kinda really DO like the sound that the interconnect cable provides! (I actually put a switch on mine so I can instantly show people who listen to my system the difference it makes.) Most people who hear them are totally blown away by how awesome they are! Any of the younger generation especially has never heard anything so totally "immersing", especially since most typical "average consumer" people nowadays just listen to their music on their damn *cellphone* or a tiny little portable blutooth speaker that doesn't even give them basic *stereo* sound, not to mention it's shitty overall quality to begin with! Lol!...
Anyway, that was a "mini novel", (Lol!), but for any of us who know Polk Audio is at least a totally respectable speaker company, with quite a few very interesting and really good sounding speaker models over the years, (especially if/when compared to anything in the more "modest", "normal consumer" price range!), it's actually not very often that people "hate" on Polk Audio speakers in reality!... A select few total "audio snobs" and absolute "purists" maybe, but MOST people think that Polk Audio speakers sound pretty darn good, especially considering their more "average consumer" price ranges! (And even better if you find a good condition pair of any of them used!)
Thats incredible!
The shop I worked in during the late 80's had a pair of reference speakers from Polk that were high end. They were tall, 3 way, towers in a large rosewood cabinet, with two mids, two woofers, and a soft dome tweeter. They sounded amazing.
I had two sets of their entry level speakers and thought they were a bit muddy and lack clarity, however they came with a 5 year warranty, and could take a beating. Today, they seem to be into the home theater market. You can get a large and decent sounding multi channel rig on a serious budget. Still not my cup of tea. The audiophile hates when people put quantity over quality. I would rather start with a pair of exclent speakers than a room full of mediocre ones. Is that snobery? IDK. The Polk fans seem like a humble crowd. I never been a hater, dispute that they are not my first choice. They are a good value for theater.