🎯R200AE: bit.ly/3F9vApU • bit.ly/3AUFkBK 🎯R200: bit.ly/3zvBfRp, • bit.ly/39rRaZP • amzn.to/3ugsv0V ❤ *CLICK ❤ THANKS to highlight your question &/or support the channel!* ✅ *IF IT’S IN THE VIDEO, IT’S IN THE DESX ☝CLICK “MORE”* ✅ *RULES: NO OUTSIDE LINKS OR PERSONAL INFO. PLEASE STAY ON TOPIC AND BE RESPECTFUL*
have your heard the rti/rtia line and how do you think they compare to the reserves? worth replacing a full 7.1.4 system with the reserve bookshelves / r500/r700 or not that huge of an upgrade for movies and better to just get an even better pair of speakers for 2 ch listening? how would you feel about mixing surround rtia's with reserve lcr? thanks for the great content very enjoyable channel to watch.
To be honest Polk should be thanking you! Your review and comparisons are why I bought the 700's! And I humbly think because of you the 700's are constantly sold out!🤔
There is a great thing that happens when we watch you and Kristi review. Suddenly we just feel a part of the family. The video, audio, vocal tones, back and forth dialogue, all of it... You guys just do an amazing job at making us feel a real part of the family.... Thank you.. Love you guys!!
My Polk story starts with speakers my dad purchased in 1991. He purchased the Polk RTA 11T. He still has the speakers today in excellent condition. Sadly, they have became a decorative piece as he does not anything to power them. This Christmas, that will change.
Called into a HI-FI shop today and by pure chance they had the R200 and the 200AE side by side. Both hooked up to the same entry level Yamaha 2 channel amp using the same speaker cables. One to speaker A and one to B. Identical stands. Was just in an open floor environment part of the shop so not the ideal acoustic environment but same for both speakers. I could stand back and the sales guy switched back and forth between the two for a few different songs. I could here a difference in the two quite easily. The AE were slightly more extended in the top end and slightly more prominent midrange. Sounded more mature and refined. Not night and day difference but noticeable. Just thought it was worth putting it here.
I really like that in your reviews you mention how a speaker sounds with different types of music and how the speakers sound with varying qualities of recordings. So many speakers sound amazing with a certain type of music or "audiophile recording", but when listening to many varieties of recordings it can be disappointing. I bought the Polk R700 and while they may be not quite as revealing as some speakers on certain types or quality of music they are wonderful to listen to on a day to day basis. I personally would take that over a speaker that sounds great with a few select songs. Keep up the great honest reviews. It really helps these days when it is do hard to actually demo equipment in an audio store.
Congratulations to Polk Audio for 50 years of Audio Excellence! Owned Polk S4, RT16, CS250 upgraded to CS350. Sold/Installed Polk Audio Products for 15 years both Retail and Custom Home Theater. Toured the Headquarters after winning a sales contest. Regarding the review, I love the honesty by both Andrew and Kristi. I share the same thoughts and feelings regarding both the design and the marketing of this speaker. Personally, I'd love to see the LS90's in Rosewood High Gloss make a comeback in some form.
My brother as a concert pianist bought Polks back when I was raising 3 small children and I envied him. Having met and talked to Sandy Gross I respect any brand attached to that man and love the Golden Ear reference system in the Family house.
Because of your honest reviews, I replaced my Polk Signature series with the reserve series. 2 R700, 1 R400, 4 R200, 2 R900. Very happy! Thanks for your great reviews. Take this post to Polk and let them know you are selling speakers for them. Now my daughter with her new house is starting out with my Signature Series. Great Speakers!
My Polk story: back when I was living in Brazil, I had a pair of Polk's TSx220b bookshelf speakers. Sadly, they were paired with a receiver that was not able to drive them to their full potential. Long story short, I moved to Europe after selling house, car, and everything else but the speakers. I brought the damn speakers all the way with me to Portugal just to find out how good they are coupling them with my newly bought Cambridge Audio AXR100 (thanks to Kristie's review I bought them btw). Now I'm a happy owner of a pair of Polk speakers after what... I guess almost 10 years since I bought them :D
Oh....I LOVE the idea of them re-releasing the Monitor 7 in an updated form! Hopefully they listen to you on this one! I think there are enough people that are going back to that style of speaker that they could definitely sell. I agree that that would have been THE WAY to do a 50 year celebration for sure! As always, thank you for what you both do and the time and effort you put into all of these! LOVE the channel!
I've never owned a pair of Polks, but my audio-geek grandmother had a pair of their big SDA towers, powered by a Yamaha integrated and seperate power amp. The speakers flanked her big bulbous 35" mitsubishi console TV and almost perfectly matched its height. She passed on in '91 but my grandfather kept the system intact pretty much up until he passed in 2009, so I got to play with it a bit as an adult. The Bass knob was still at 4 o'clock because Grandma was all about that bass. She was much of the reason why I got into audio and also into New Age and Electronica music in particular. She actually got me my 1st real stereo at age 5, an Emerson all-in-one with a turntable, am/fm, cassette, and particle-board speakers, so not great but pretty fancy for a 5 year old, when other relatives thought I should just be happy with Fisher Price.
Simply put, YOU ARE NEVER WRONG FOR PRESERVING YOUR INTEGRITY!! I hope that you know if, for nothing else, you and your channel are greatly appreciated and respected for that reason. 💯 Thank you for your honesty, and continue to keep up the great work. 👍🏿
Isaac - So sorry that we missed your Super Chat question during the livestream on 2/9/2023. We've added an answer for you in the comments. ruclips.net/user/liveOqSKx2lmaEM
Andrew on this one I’m 💯 percent in your corner!!! Sorry Kristi I’ve got to disagree with you! It wasn’t stupid of Andrew to politely turn down Polks sponsorship on this release. Andrew gets to avoid any claim of being biased or having a conflict of interest, selling out, or any appearance of anything like that! He did the right thing and protected your channels integrity! So congratulations on always managing to have integrity, doing the right thing and reaching three hundred thousand subscribers!!! Wow! What an accomplishment!!! You more than deserve it! Thanks for all the hard work, I for one deeply appreciate it!❤👍🙏👏🙌🍾🎊🤗
Great review and congratulations on the 300k! I bought my polks in 1984 when I was a senior in high school. I purchased the Monitor 7Bs. I really wanted the 10s , but they were more than I could afford. My dad actually bought the 10s which I would swap out when they went away on weekends. The best part about this is I still have them too this day and I am currently running them on my main system. They still amaze me at how big a soundstage they present and the almost holographic imaging they produce.
Congratulations on 300k! You are great, I’m confident you will be at 500k soon. Keep up the good work. A bonus for a great year is well deserved. Thanks
I know many may disagree but I have BW 603s2 and Dynaudio focus 140...but I just cannot switch back to them after I got the R200's. I just love their smoothness without losing details. Just so easy to listen to, no fatigue at all. Oh I did compare the R200 to focal chora and BW forgot the numbers on the new ones..but the R200 always made me feel very relaxed and left me smiling. That's why I got them. I must Wonder how good these anniversary editions are!🙂
I agree. Would have LOVED to have seen them re-release an updated Monitor 7 this year for their 50th!! Yes....that was definitely a serious missed opportunity especially with the retro look of many speakers these days.
Polk has topped lists of home theater best-per-dollar lists for ages... though my first experience with them actually came through car audio. After years of big American 80s SUVs (and cramming a WAY too large subwoofer box into a Honda CRF) I decided to downsize to a nice, punchy little Polk x MOMO 10" in a sealed MDF box I made in my parents' garage in the mid 00's. That thing pounded out bass notes for several years before finding it's way to the back of my garage. Over a decade, 5000 miles, and three moves later I dusted it off and shoved it under the desk in my home office. The box has seen better days and the vinyl on the outside is peeling a bit, but let me tell you - that thing still absolutely kicks! Nothing short of phenomenal stuff!
"Sunday best" is spot on, nice analogy. Re-releasing is a good trend I think... I think their take on this "revised nostalgia" (isn't it always) would be a success.. I just bought some used wharfedale lintons, so i'm testifyin'...😋
I love music. I've heard multiple different speakers over the years at friend's houses and I bought a few different brands , but always come back to Polk! they just have that certain sound or something about them that's just a little different. And I love it! My first pair I bought was the rti A1. And now have the r700s love love them. Thank you andrew ,Kristi and polk! I admire your honesty and integrity !
Polk is my first and only hifi speaker purchase. I don't know what model but it's a soft dome tweeter with 2x 6.5" drivers about 20 years ago and I still use and love them today. Lots of electronics have come and gone but the Polks are a staple that will always be hooked up.
Started in 1989 with the Monitor 12 series II: awesome sound,,,sold them after 30 years of flawless performance. Now enjoying the S60’s and again extremely satisfied: “Polk-4-Life” thx for another great review!!!
I have always had a soft spot for Polk. Might be from the military in Germany. They offered an easy to drive speaker with good looks for a fair price. Sound was good. Not crazy amazing but who cared! I bought my 1st pair (5jrs) in ‘91 and enjoyed them thru Nirvana & Soundgarden. They are now my rear speakers and a newer set of Tsi300s are my fronts. No complaints but have to admit the lumina IIs are calling, before this review of course! Thanks for all you do!
QOTD: I purchased the R200s earlier this year after hearing them at Axpona. Like anything else, it took me some time to get used to the sound with my amp and ears. That said, next time Andrew, take the $$$. LoL! Happy Wife, Happy Life! Nice job, keep up the good work.
My Polk Story starts with my brother who had an old set of RTi speakers which I got as hand me downs in 2003, from there I continued to get his old speakers which were always an upgrade and I passed mine on to my friends, my brother hasn't bought speakers in awhile, but since then I got a 4 set of LS (265-LS, 900 LS) in walls which then he followed suit. Right up until today which, I just completed my purchase of the R200's with the R350 aswell. It should be a great Christmas.
I'm buying the Polk audio AE speakers for my Christmas present. I don't really need them I All ready have all there Lsim series but I love the finish and I will only buy Polk audio. Have a great day ! Oh by the way I have a mastiff St. Bernard mix that weighs 217 lbs.
In my opinion, I have both and I have bought them for months and I can tell you that there is a sonic difference, in the clarity, depth, in how it holds the notes of the instruments, there is a difference, and it is noticeable in the cabinet too, vibrates less, responds better, in short the speakers are even more transparent, more precise and with a better sonic image.
I've opened up my Polk r200AE's. The crossover is definitely a decent upgrade. Including air core inductors and decent caps However still with sand cast resistors. I ended up going further with upgrades by replacing resistors and caps with even better yet. Definitely worth the buy for about £600. Not so much in the US market where the markup is abit steep.
Great review Andrew. I am a Klipsch guy and have been for years so that's where I will stay. But congrats to Polk for 50 years in the business. You and Kristi rock!
Your reviews opened my eyes back to Polk with the R700's. Your commentary with data, just so easy to process. Even my non audiophile wife (though into the HT) will watch when I put you guys on. Keep it up. Congrats on 300K!
I still have my 3.1 TL's from the 90's. Rebuilt the crossovers and changed out the tweeters with the extras I had on hand a few years ago. Use to go through tweeters in my earlier years. 😁
Polk story started in Car audio with the separates, all 4 corners, loved the sound.. Clean clear, devoid of the flashy gimmicks… Thanks for the great review and content.. Congrats on 300k
After having a used set of Polk MM3s in my car in high school, I grabbed a pair of the new S4s in 1991 for my small college dorm room. I still have them and still love them for moderate listening levels in the FR. I’ve had other speakers come and go, but I’ll never let go of my S4s. They’re not perfect, but at the time they punched way above their weight class and I just fell in love with them.
I've been a Polk fan for a long time...I am still using Polk towers (RT-8) and a PSW-120 powered sub that I bought in 1996. They still sound fantastic. I know they've been through a period where their build quality wasn't as good as the early years, but their focus has always been on a quality sounding speaker at a price that is affordable. For that I applaud them and congratulate them on 50 years, which is not easy to do in the audio field where we've seen new shiny brands come and go. These new models they're coming out with seem to be heading back to the early years. And I like the cherry wood finish, it looks classy to me not dated, but then again I am an old guy...
My first pair of Polk speakers was the 2nd from the top SDA . I loved them yet I have never bought another pair of Polks. This latest offering from Polk has piqued my interest. Thank you for your honesty. It is greatly appreciated.
This product makes total sense to me. It is primarily about increased pride of ownership. I have no problem with that. Similar to buying an Acura instead of a Honda.
I bought a pair of Polk Monitor 10B brand new in the 80s and still have them, they are fabulous. They are my speakers for vinyl listening, will never let them go. I agree, Polk should have re-released their first model for the anniversary.
"A speaker in it's Sunday best" loved that comment Kristi! That being said maybe Polk said "Hey...we have this relatively affordable speaker that we think we've done an amazing job with and let's give it a little spruce(cherry) up". I am listening to recapped, resealed and retweetered (RDO198's) Monitor 7c's in my living room. My god do these sound amazing!! Purchased them 2 years ago from a guy on FB and he had done all the necessaries. Purchased them for $175 and met local for the deal. I can not imagine that offerings such as the KLH5's or the new Wharfedale box offerings would sound any better. I've taken the trash out when they are playing at a nice volume. I'm 20yds away and i can hear the quality of these speakers. It's just THERE! Mat Polk was quoted as saying he was most proud of the Monitor 7. Think i dun good! :) So yeah....Polk fan!! There's more to my Polk 5jr story but that is another positive story for another life....lol
I had a pair of the Monitor 7c, and agree it would have been very cool if they had come out with an updated version with the drivers from the Reserve series. Wish I still had them, but we don't always make the best decisions in our twenties. As far as price goes, an extra $500 for a nicer finish is hard to swallow. The only thing that would justify that large of an increase is being limited to 1000 pairs. Finally, congrats on hitting 300k subs. I love how you and Kristy present your reviews is a calm, and detailed manner as if you are sitting around with friends just having a conversation.
Thank you both for another great, honest and insightful review. Love the thoughtful approach to everything you guys do. Agree with you Andrew, Polk could have killed it with the rebirth of one of their origin speakers, à la Mission or PSB... Anyway, they still have a killer speaker with their RT200 so kudos to them. I still see Polk as the brand that gives you access to great honest sound at reasonable price. Very much enjoyed my first pair of Polk 25 years ago for my home theater. And shame on me for not remembering the model number! But I remember hearing it at Best Buy in Canada at the time, and loving its sound for the reasonable access price. Got lucky to be in a position to upgrade along my journey, but can't underestimate the importance of brands that make this passion of ours accessible to the masses. They make the passion for sound possible. So kudos again to Polk!
Really enjoyed the history part of this review. Classy touch. We’ve owned Polk in the past. A lovely brand with great sounding speakers and reasonably priced! I’ve owned both floor standing and surrounds from Polk more recently. I actually don’t mind that retro cherry look….🎉
I told Polk I felt it was a missed opportunity. I suggested they should have picked one of their best selling speakers from each decade and rereleased it. For me the LS series was my introduction to Polk.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews You raise a good question: my Polk RT35i/RT25i’s are 21 years old and sound as good as ever. They should continue to perform well for the foreseeable future, agreed? Thank you Sir!
Really appreciate your work, great video as always! Usually I unsubscribe reviewers after a while because I got what I was searching for, but with you two it's different. I just enjoy watching your reviews because I don't feel the need to watch another one to have a neutral opinion, lol 😆 Always up to date, love it!
PS - My first step into polk was a set of Monitor 50 about 15-20 years ago??? They stayed with me for YEARS!!! Polk is just that company that brings amazing value for the buck, similar to Emotiva..... :)
After buying my share of great bang for the buck black ash vinyl speakers, I've come to the conclusion that there's nothing wrong with paying more for nice cabinets.
My Polk Lsim707 are Amazing! Was at the Audiofest last month: listened to Concept 50, Perlisten, four Forte IV (3D setup and I must say 707 competes with $20-$50K speakers I listened to SUBJECTIVELY. My wife is picky and I have to keep her happy 😊 (she’s sensitive to sharp treble)
I've been a HUGE fan of Polk since my first Mobile Monitor separates purchase from The Good Guys back in the early 90's. I have subsequently amassed multiple pairs of monitors from their original Monitor line to their RT series and I would undoubtedly be onboard with a modernization of the Monitor 7's(their original cabinets were definitely substandard)but they sounded amazing(and I own 2 pairs). Their trilaminate tweeter is undoubtedly one of the best dome tweeters ever made. Thank you guys again for the great reviewing!
Bought the r200s months ago, wish I knew these were coming, they’re gorgeous, though I’ll be honest I’d be annoyed if these were drastically different sounding from the originals lol
I have a pair of Monitor 4's from the late 80's I bought brand new had 33 years now. They are still hooked up to my HR752 Carver Receiver. Sound great for their age and as you know Carver has the power to drive anything. Think I'm going to listen to them right along with my more recent additions, a pair of Polk TSi 300 Floor Standing speakers. Bought earlier this year as a clearance ending this line of Polk speakers for $270.00 Canadian about 200 American. I put on The Wall by Pink Floyd on Cd a UK Pressing re-released in 2016. Sounds great on my old Sony CDP608ESD their top player from 1987. Love your channel and keep on doing the honest reviews you do without selling out.
Thank you for making an independent and thorough review instead of a sponsored one. Viewers like me count on both of your opinions for our purchase decisions. I am personally too vested into Sonos but I used to have a Polk audio speakers in my hp pavilion computer way back in 1990s and was a crazy fan of those ❤️. Happy holidays 👍
Congrats on 300k!!!! you guys are the best!!!! That white finish looks so nice. And they really build a quality product for the $$$ Thanks again see you Sunday.
Cherry finish is kind of a standard for look.. and I love it.. if I had to pick anything I absolutely despise, it would be black piano finish. It was nice when NHT was using it back in the 90s.. but it got old fast. Cherry is classic and desired, like a navy blue pinstripe and a nice pair of dark leather shoes with a mirror shine
Hi guys, first of all, really appreciate the choice made to honestly review the speakers instead making a campaign ad. As a frequent watcher of your channel, it does make me wonder, have you guys done promotions before? And do you disclose them in the video? I think it's a problem with reviewers on RUclips in general that they can be "bought". And I especially appreciate your channel because you often show an honest opinion, such as the Samsung QLED or the overly bright B&W 600 line. Perhaps it is something you guys could address in a video sometime, and if you do do promotions, share how you indicate it, or plan to do so. Please keep up the great work!
Thank you for watching. Any and all sponsorships that we've done or continue to do on this channel are always disclosed in full, both verbally and in writing ON THE VIDEO as well as in the description. An example of how we handle sponsors can be seen in our many KEEPS ads or messages you may have seen in our videos. In those instances we have stated and show you, the viewer, in plain english that you are watching sponsored or paid content/messaging on behalf of a brand, which in this example would be KEEPS. This is our policy and it goes beyond what is required of us by RUclips and the FTC because we don't want there to be ANY ambiguity. Some creators check the RUclips box for "paid promotion" which puts a small bug on the screen for the first five seconds of the video (we do this too BTW) but they (other creators) rarely circle back with their viewers to say "who paid". In other words, payment could've come from a third party or it could've come from the brand or product being "reviewed". Technically, other creators are not wrong or breaking the rules for doing this or disclosing in this way --they are after all notifying you that the video was sponsored. We simply take things a step further by saying which portion of the video is sponsored and by whom so you know when you're watching an "ad" and when you're not. Furthermore, we do not allow brands to sponsor their own reviews --that's just our rule. 95% of the videos you see on this channel have no sponsor, or ad read in them; regardless, the other 5% that are, are always disclosed up front and in full.
My polk story is short. Bought a pair of budget polk towers around 2005, and was instantly underwhelmed. Went from a much larger woofer to the slim modern tower, and it sounded thin. Gave em to a buddy who has a smaller listening room, and they sound fine with his gear. Hes still rockin them
Congratulations 🎉 on hitting 300k! Neat acoustics here in the U.K. recently did a 30th anniversary Ed of the neat petite speakers there were only a 100 pairs made. What is cool is they were so well received they have resulted in the for general sale neat petite classic speaker which is getting amazing reviews. Really want to hear a set for myself.
I'm a Polk fan. I currently have their TSi500s, CS10, and TSi200s for my bed layer and OWM5s for my atmos speakers (I won't tell you how many...14). I look to upgrade to R700s, R400 and R200s for my bed layer sometime soon and am anxious to pull the trigger, although most are out of stock right now. I believe in value and have always felt Polk brought that and continued that with the Reserve line. Thank you for your reviews.
I have a pair of old large SDA speakers...for years. Hard to find a replacement that sounds much better for lots of $$$$$. Love your videos. Mr. Pete----------> aging hippie
My Polk story: never owned any Polk speakers but did purchase a Polk Audio XRt12 XM reference home tuner that has served me well for many years and something i use on a regular basis.
I guess ill need to get a pair of the original R200 and have a listen for myself. ~20 years ago i saved all of my pennies and bought a pair of RTI10 Towers in the Black Ash finish and loved them, I still have them today but they are in storage and this video makes me want to get them out. They are something like 60 lbs each and were my first pair of speakers that were not the standard MDF cabinet. I later had a pair of RTI6 in the cherry finish and they were indeed beautiful, but cherry was also not for me and i later sold them. During that time i thought polk was the greatest thing since sliced bread, i participated in the polk forums pretty heavily and enjoyed the community they provided. I aspired to some day listen to a pair of LSIs because in my mind, they must have been spectacular. At ~18 years old i had built a full 7.1 setup in my bedroom with RTI 10, RTI 6, and RTI 4 speakers paired to a Harmon AVR354 receiver and carver 2 channel amp and loved them. I think this infatuation with polk was mostly due to the limited exposure that i was able to have locally to different brands, back then we had bestbuy and circuit city across the street from each other and the alternatives to polk were Sony, Blose, Yamaha, KLH, Boston, JBL and a few others. The fact that these stores carried multiple brands meant that their average speaker pair was in the 500-1000$ range, my local circuit city only carried the monitor line, so the Polk RTI 10 were the first speakers i ever bought without being able to listen first, and i couldn't have been happier with the purchase. As time has gone on i have tried new things, but those speakers were the ones that i always hung onto and never sold. I moved them across the country, through five different homes, and they hold a place in my heart as my first "real hifi" purchase. I think for me personally i don't currently look to polk as a hifi brand, and its honestly because of cost, in a world where you "get what you pay for" I for some reason sort them as a budget brand and when I'm shopping for speakers i start at a price-point that filters out the polk line. I also like to "try new things" and I've "had polk before" , but maybe 20 years is long enough to revisit and see what they have been up to. As always i appreciate the review and more importantly the candor and transparency that your channel shows, its something that i strive to have in my content as well. Kristi, as always i appreciate your perspective, you are truly what makes this channel unique compared to Randy, John Darko, Nemo, etc (who are all great in their own right but have similar content). I appreciate that you care about a lot of the same things that my wife tends to notice when i bring something new home. Congrats on 300, (which is now 301 in less than a week) I would be surprised if it takes you more than a year to get to 500 from here.
I had already bought these and didn't expect a big difference from my L100s, but.... the bass! The cherry wood is not my fave. I would have rather had walnut to match my room, but my wife doesn't mind. I did buy them more for the collector factor, but very happy with them. Enjoyed your review as usual!
Honestly I prefer the non ae walnut finish by far, I'm sure these are higher quality and a better finish, but the design of the walnut is just much better.
At 1:03 in the top right you can see the Polk A-10. Second in from the right. I have a MINT set that are STUNNING. I wish y’all could hear them. I have the original boxes and all packing. The peerless tweeter, dual drivers and passive radiator in the fully sealed system is an experience you have to have…. 😍😍😍😍. Wish we could share photos…
Holy cow 300k. Congrats and what a blessing that it happened on Thanksgiving. You guys are so amazing. Please don't ever stop what you're doing. As far as Polk goes, I have been Polk fan for more years than I can recall. Their speakers just sound f**kin fantastic and punch far beyond the price point in my opinion. I currently have 5.2.4 Signature Series in our set up. I've had my eye on the Legend Series for a long time, BUT, your review on the L800's still has me pondering if I should snag those up or not. Plus the wife give me "that look" whenever I mention spending more on speakers lol. Anyways, as always thank you for such an incredible review. I also want to say kudos to you for not taking any payment from Sound United. Your reasoning makes all the sense in the world! Happy Holidays to both you and Kristi! Stay blessed you guys!!
I picked up a pair of Sonus Faber lumina ii Wenge in flawless condition for 700 after seeing your review. I think they're awsome. I have them paired with Rel t5x and that did the trick. Sound primo. Happy Holidays to you.
Man, I'm feeling a certain type of way. Polk Audio was created a year before I was born. I don't feel like I've been around that long. Well, my wife was born in 72, I guess I can tease her that she's 50 and I'm not. I just never imagined some company's celebration of long existence to nearly coincide with my history. I don't have any physical history with Polk. I never owned a pair. I DO remember reading those ads with Mathew Polk in Stereo Review and Home Theater magazines in my younger years. There was one set that I really wanted to own at one point. I don't remember the model but there were these powered bass modules along with passive "stand mounts" that could be set on top of the power modules to look like towers. Is the R200s the only Polk speakers getting the Anniversary treatment? As far as the white finish, it seems that you can get the R600 and R500 towers in white.
Nice review! Polk were the first speakers I bought that were not part of a set. The Monitor 40’s were not perfect, but loved them. When it was time to upgrade, I went up market in the same brand. Polk seems to get a lot of sh!t from audiophiles as not being good speakers. When I spent time driving around testing other brands, I kept coming back to the Polk sound thinking I liked it more. To each their own, only person that needs to love your system….
Kristi has a valid point. Maybe Polk could have done something what Monitor Audio did to their silver 100 7g in green color which is gorgeous as a 50th year edition collectible. The price hike for this limited edition is justified
You guys are awesome. I can't wait for your reviews every week. But, why no Paradigm? Particularly the Founder 100s. I'd also like to see you review the Seismic 110 as well.
One of your best review/documentary on AE!! Yes the finish does add that beauty but to add that extra difference in $ for something else. You know you have to buy a new lp or cd to try them out …👍🏼
I bought myself a pair of Monitor 4s for my birthday. Have them hooked up as we speak. I like them....and if I have the ability to afford a better / later model I wouldn’t hesitate 😁🙏
I appreciate your honesty in doing an unbiased full review. I know you do this to make a living and it's always hard to turn down money. Here's my fraction of a penny worth of involvement as thanks. Just keep doing what you do. I would be strongly tempted to buy the AE, as I'm a really big into collector's editions, except for the fact that we, too, are not pro cherry wood. So we're still looking at the Walnut. Currently waiting on the R700 to come into stock in Walnut. Going back and forth between The R700 and the Linton 85. Both of which you spoke highly of. Just can't find good comparison between the two as they are entirely different styles.
Congrats Andrew and Kristi on 300K!! QOTD: I’ve had the Polk RTi series (RT35i/25i/Cs245i) in my home theater for 21 years and they sound as great as ever. Matched with newer Onkyo AVR and dual SVS subs. I have the upgrade bug but this system sounds too good!!
I first owned a pair of 5 Junior+ Polks. Still have them. They do my rear surround in my room. They were replaced by SDA CRS+ and I have had these for over 20 years. Still love them. However, I am intrigued by the Reserve line. SDA though. This tech is amazing!
My Polk Audio Story Over 25 years ago I picked up a very nice pair of Polk Audio Monitor 5jr + speakers that are in Black Ash. I bought them at a garage sale from a Denver University student that wasn't able to take them with him on his move home after using them for a couple of years. I have them paired with a vintage Sansui reciever and a Sansui Graphic Equalizer. They still sound fantastic in my small listening area with a Thechnics SL-D303 direct drive turntable and my small collection of vinyl LPs and my CDs and player. Also for movies I have a Samsung QLED 4k TV also paired with a Polk Audio S2 Ultra-Slim sound bar with sub woofer.
It is reviews like this that I always tell people. This is the reason why I support you guys so much. The fact that you guys never take payouts and you stay humble and true to the craft and this is why I follow your blueprint and I appreciate everything that you do for the audio and video community. Congratulations again! Now You're at 301,000k and you know I will continue supporting you guys. Even when you get to the point where you're too big to respond to me 😁. On the other hand I do think Polk missed out on a real opportunity to really do something a lot more spectacular. But I will say I'm sorry Kristi but I love that cherry finish call me old school all you want
Your support means the world to Kristi and I and we hope you know that. Your comment brings up a common thread happening in this space and I'm sure across RUclips in general - and that is integrity vs money. What we don't do is take money without disclosing it to our audience. There is a difference. It's a nuanced discussion - one that I feel needs addressing with the community at large. As someone who is working to grow your own channel, I think you'll have a better understanding of what I'm saying as time passes. Creators are often vilified for earning any type of living on RUclips - whether it is through Adsense, affiliate sales or sponsorships - and that's unfortunate because I think it not only simultaneously inhibits the creator's growth but fractures trust and breeds animosity with the audience which in turn can create the potential for anxiety for the creator and I'm guessing the brands as well, for they too face backlash.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews this is why I keep my content fair and I keep my content true to what I do and what I love to do. The second I stop putting my heart into my content and take a pay out I'll stop and shutdown my channel.. I follow what you guys do because you've always been a huge influence on my channel. I appreciate you both as well
🎯R200AE: bit.ly/3F9vApU • bit.ly/3AUFkBK
🎯R200: bit.ly/3zvBfRp, • bit.ly/39rRaZP • amzn.to/3ugsv0V
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You gotta listen to swan d200
have your heard the rti/rtia line and how do you think they compare to the reserves? worth replacing a full 7.1.4 system with the reserve bookshelves / r500/r700 or not that huge of an upgrade for movies and better to just get an even better pair of speakers for 2 ch listening? how would you feel about mixing surround rtia's with reserve lcr? thanks for the great content very enjoyable channel to watch.
To be honest Polk should be thanking you! Your review and comparisons are why I bought the 700's! And I humbly think because of you the 700's are constantly sold out!🤔
There is a great thing that happens when we watch you and Kristi review. Suddenly we just feel a part of the family. The video, audio, vocal tones, back and forth dialogue, all of it... You guys just do an amazing job at making us feel a real part of the family.... Thank you.. Love you guys!!
We are so glad you feel that way. We sincerely appreciate your kind words and continued support!!
Yup, ultimately, it's all about FAMILY!!!
My Polk story starts with speakers my dad purchased in 1991. He purchased the Polk RTA 11T. He still has the speakers today in excellent condition. Sadly, they have became a decorative piece as he does not anything to power them. This Christmas, that will change.
Bring those speaker back to life! Thank you for sharing!
My Polk Audio journey started in 1989. Monitor 5b Jrs with silver line tweeters. Still have them - 2 pairs. Fun easy going speakers.
What do you think of the older polk rt-10s... Love your podcast
Called into a HI-FI shop today and by pure chance they had the R200 and the 200AE side by side. Both hooked up to the same entry level Yamaha 2 channel amp using the same speaker cables. One to speaker A and one to B. Identical stands. Was just in an open floor environment part of the shop so not the ideal acoustic environment but same for both speakers.
I could stand back and the sales guy switched back and forth between the two for a few different songs. I could here a difference in the two quite easily. The AE were slightly more extended in the top end and slightly more prominent midrange. Sounded more mature and refined. Not night and day difference but noticeable. Just thought it was worth putting it here.
I really like that in your reviews you mention how a speaker sounds with different types of music and how the speakers sound with varying qualities of recordings. So many speakers sound amazing with a certain type of music or "audiophile recording", but when listening to many varieties of recordings it can be disappointing. I bought the Polk R700 and while they may be not quite as revealing as some speakers on certain types or quality of music they are wonderful to listen to on a day to day basis. I personally would take that over a speaker that sounds great with a few select songs. Keep up the great honest reviews. It really helps these days when it is do hard to actually demo equipment in an audio store.
Have a lot of respect for any company that can last 50 years in the audio business and still make a great product. My R700s are a great example.
Congratulations to Polk Audio for 50 years of Audio Excellence!
Owned Polk S4, RT16, CS250 upgraded to CS350. Sold/Installed Polk Audio Products for 15 years both Retail and Custom Home Theater. Toured the Headquarters after winning a sales contest.
Regarding the review, I love the honesty by both Andrew and Kristi. I share the same thoughts and feelings regarding both the design and the marketing of this speaker. Personally, I'd love to see the LS90's in Rosewood High Gloss make a comeback in some form.
I respect Andrew's honesty. Thisnis why I love this channel.
My brother as a concert pianist bought Polks back when I was raising 3 small children and I envied him. Having met and talked to Sandy Gross I respect any brand attached to that man and love the Golden Ear reference system in the Family house.
Because of your honest reviews, I replaced my Polk Signature series with the reserve series. 2 R700, 1 R400, 4 R200, 2 R900. Very happy! Thanks for your great reviews. Take this post to Polk and let them know you are selling speakers for them. Now my daughter with her new house is starting out with my Signature Series. Great Speakers!
Kudos for not taking the money !! Your reviews are always honest and with integrity,Great review keep them coming !!!
I have a pair of Monitor 10Bs that were my main speakers for over 30 years. I still love them.
My Polk story: back when I was living in Brazil, I had a pair of Polk's TSx220b bookshelf speakers. Sadly, they were paired with a receiver that was not able to drive them to their full potential. Long story short, I moved to Europe after selling house, car, and everything else but the speakers. I brought the damn speakers all the way with me to Portugal just to find out how good they are coupling them with my newly bought Cambridge Audio AXR100 (thanks to Kristie's review I bought them btw). Now I'm a happy owner of a pair of Polk speakers after what... I guess almost 10 years since I bought them :D
Oh....I LOVE the idea of them re-releasing the Monitor 7 in an updated form! Hopefully they listen to you on this one! I think there are enough people that are going back to that style of speaker that they could definitely sell. I agree that that would have been THE WAY to do a 50 year celebration for sure! As always, thank you for what you both do and the time and effort you put into all of these! LOVE the channel!
I've never owned a pair of Polks, but my audio-geek grandmother had a pair of their big SDA towers, powered by a Yamaha integrated and seperate power amp. The speakers flanked her big bulbous 35" mitsubishi console TV and almost perfectly matched its height. She passed on in '91 but my grandfather kept the system intact pretty much up until he passed in 2009, so I got to play with it a bit as an adult. The Bass knob was still at 4 o'clock because Grandma was all about that bass. She was much of the reason why I got into audio and also into New Age and Electronica music in particular. She actually got me my 1st real stereo at age 5, an Emerson all-in-one with a turntable, am/fm, cassette, and particle-board speakers, so not great but pretty fancy for a 5 year old, when other relatives thought I should just be happy with Fisher Price.
Simply put, YOU ARE NEVER WRONG FOR PRESERVING YOUR INTEGRITY!! I hope that you know if, for nothing else, you and your channel are greatly appreciated and respected for that reason. 💯 Thank you for your honesty, and continue to keep up the great work. 👍🏿
Isaac - So sorry that we missed your Super Chat question during the livestream on 2/9/2023. We've added an answer for you in the comments. ruclips.net/user/liveOqSKx2lmaEM
Yessss, keep making it better! Polk is killing it right now
Thanks for tuning in!
Andrew on this one I’m 💯 percent in your corner!!! Sorry Kristi I’ve got to disagree with you! It wasn’t stupid of Andrew to politely turn down Polks sponsorship on this release. Andrew gets to avoid any claim of being biased or having a conflict of interest, selling out, or any appearance of anything like that! He did the right thing and protected your channels integrity! So congratulations on always managing to have integrity, doing the right thing and reaching three hundred thousand subscribers!!! Wow! What an accomplishment!!! You more than deserve it! Thanks for all the hard work, I for one deeply appreciate it!❤👍🙏👏🙌🍾🎊🤗
Great review and congratulations on the 300k!
I bought my polks in 1984 when I was a senior in high school. I purchased the Monitor 7Bs.
I really wanted the 10s , but they were more than I could afford. My dad actually bought the 10s which I would swap out when they went away on weekends. The best part about this is I still have them too this day and I am currently running them on my main system. They still amaze me at how big a soundstage they present and the almost holographic imaging they produce.
You can say cherry finish is dated.. but everything goes in circles and it will be back in style some day.
Congratulations on 300k!
You are great, I’m confident you will be at 500k soon. Keep up the good work. A bonus for a great year is well deserved. Thanks
I know many may disagree but I have BW 603s2 and Dynaudio focus 140...but I just cannot switch back to them after I got the R200's. I just love their smoothness without losing details. Just so easy to listen to, no fatigue at all. Oh I did compare the R200 to focal chora and BW forgot the numbers on the new ones..but the R200 always made me feel very relaxed and left me smiling. That's why I got them.
I must Wonder how good these anniversary editions are!🙂
Don't they normally just add a new finish and perhaps change a capacitor brand or two? Shouldn't sound much different
I agree. Would have LOVED to have seen them re-release an updated Monitor 7 this year for their 50th!! Yes....that was definitely a serious missed opportunity especially with the retro look of many speakers these days.
Excellent review as usual. I’m a Polk fan and owner and thrilled to see them getting the attention they deserve.
The Reserve line deserves all the attention they can get, for it's a great, obtainable speaker line! Appreciate you watching!
Polk has topped lists of home theater best-per-dollar lists for ages... though my first experience with them actually came through car audio. After years of big American 80s SUVs (and cramming a WAY too large subwoofer box into a Honda CRF) I decided to downsize to a nice, punchy little Polk x MOMO 10" in a sealed MDF box I made in my parents' garage in the mid 00's. That thing pounded out bass notes for several years before finding it's way to the back of my garage. Over a decade, 5000 miles, and three moves later I dusted it off and shoved it under the desk in my home office.
The box has seen better days and the vinyl on the outside is peeling a bit, but let me tell you - that thing still absolutely kicks! Nothing short of phenomenal stuff!
"Sunday best" is spot on, nice analogy. Re-releasing is a good trend I think... I think their take on this "revised nostalgia" (isn't it always) would be a success.. I just bought some used wharfedale lintons, so i'm testifyin'...😋
Honesty is Always the Best policy. 👍 Kudos for speaking the Truth. We need more of that these days. 🙌✌️
I love music. I've heard multiple different speakers over the years at friend's houses and I bought a few different brands , but always come back to Polk! they just have that certain sound or something about them that's just a little different. And I love it! My first pair I bought was the rti A1. And now have the r700s love love them.
Thank you andrew ,Kristi and polk! I admire your honesty and integrity !
Polk is my first and only hifi speaker purchase. I don't know what model but it's a soft dome tweeter with 2x 6.5" drivers about 20 years ago and I still use and love them today. Lots of electronics have come and gone but the Polks are a staple that will always be hooked up.
It's cool to see someone who didn't just keep buying one thing after another. Enjoy them for 20 years more.
Started in 1989 with the Monitor 12 series II: awesome sound,,,sold them after 30 years of flawless performance. Now enjoying the S60’s and again extremely satisfied: “Polk-4-Life” thx for another great review!!!
I have always had a soft spot for Polk. Might be from the military in Germany. They offered an easy to drive speaker with good looks for a fair price. Sound was good. Not crazy amazing but who cared!
I bought my 1st pair (5jrs) in ‘91 and enjoyed them thru Nirvana & Soundgarden. They are now my rear speakers and a newer set of Tsi300s are my fronts. No complaints but have to admit the lumina IIs are calling, before this review of course!
Thanks for all you do!
QOTD: I purchased the R200s earlier this year after hearing them at Axpona. Like anything else, it took me some time to get used to the sound with my amp and ears. That said, next time Andrew, take the $$$. LoL! Happy Wife, Happy Life! Nice job, keep up the good work.
My Polk Story starts with my brother who had an old set of RTi speakers which I got as hand me downs in 2003, from there I continued to get his old speakers which were always an upgrade and I passed mine on to my friends, my brother hasn't bought speakers in awhile, but since then I got a 4 set of LS (265-LS, 900 LS) in walls which then he followed suit. Right up until today which, I just completed my purchase of the R200's with the R350 aswell. It should be a great Christmas.
I'm buying the Polk audio AE speakers for my Christmas present. I don't really need them I All ready have all there Lsim series but I love the finish and I will only buy Polk audio. Have a great day ! Oh by the way I have a mastiff St. Bernard mix that weighs 217 lbs.
In my opinion, I have both and I have bought them for months and I can tell you that there is a sonic difference, in the clarity, depth, in how it holds the notes of the instruments, there is a difference, and it is noticeable in the cabinet too, vibrates less, responds better, in short the speakers are even more transparent, more precise and with a better sonic image.
That's great!
I've opened up my Polk r200AE's. The crossover is definitely a decent upgrade. Including air core inductors and decent caps However still with sand cast resistors. I ended up going further with upgrades by replacing resistors and caps with even better yet. Definitely worth the buy for about £600. Not so much in the US market where the markup is abit steep.
Great review Andrew. I am a Klipsch guy and have been for years so that's where I will stay. But congrats to Polk for 50 years in the business. You and Kristi rock!
Thanks so much!
Congrats on the 300K subs. That is a pretty cool achievement and a testament to the quality videos you're making.
Your reviews opened my eyes back to Polk with the R700's. Your commentary with data, just so easy to process. Even my non audiophile wife (though into the HT) will watch when I put you guys on. Keep it up. Congrats on 300K!
I still have my 3.1 TL's from the 90's. Rebuilt the crossovers and changed out the tweeters with the extras I had on hand a few years ago. Use to go through tweeters in my earlier years. 😁
Polk story started in Car audio with the separates, all 4 corners, loved the sound.. Clean clear, devoid of the flashy gimmicks…
Thanks for the great review and content.. Congrats on 300k
After having a used set of Polk MM3s in my car in high school, I grabbed a pair of the new S4s in 1991 for my small college dorm room. I still have them and still love them for moderate listening levels in the FR. I’ve had other speakers come and go, but I’ll never let go of my S4s. They’re not perfect, but at the time they punched way above their weight class and I just fell in love with them.
I've been a Polk fan for a long time...I am still using Polk towers (RT-8) and a PSW-120 powered sub that I bought in 1996. They still sound fantastic. I know they've been through a period where their build quality wasn't as good as the early years, but their focus has always been on a quality sounding speaker at a price that is affordable. For that I applaud them and congratulate them on 50 years, which is not easy to do in the audio field where we've seen new shiny brands come and go. These new models they're coming out with seem to be heading back to the early years. And I like the cherry wood finish, it looks classy to me not dated, but then again I am an old guy...
My first pair of Polk speakers was the 2nd from the top SDA . I loved them yet I have never bought another pair of Polks. This latest offering from Polk has piqued my interest. Thank you for your honesty. It is greatly appreciated.
This product makes total sense to me. It is primarily about increased pride of ownership. I have no problem with that. Similar to buying an Acura instead of a Honda.
I bought a pair of Polk Monitor 10B brand new in the 80s and still have them, they are fabulous. They are my speakers for vinyl listening, will never let them go. I agree, Polk should have re-released their first model for the anniversary.
I had a pair of those and SO regret letting them go.
I agree with Andrew. American speaker, 50 years- would be an opportunity hightlight why they are still here.
"A speaker in it's Sunday best" loved that comment Kristi! That being said maybe Polk said "Hey...we have this relatively affordable speaker that we think we've done an amazing job with and let's give it a little spruce(cherry) up". I am listening to recapped, resealed and retweetered (RDO198's) Monitor 7c's in my living room. My god do these sound amazing!! Purchased them 2 years ago from a guy on FB and he had done all the necessaries. Purchased them for $175 and met local for the deal.
I can not imagine that offerings such as the KLH5's or the new Wharfedale box offerings would sound any better. I've taken the trash out when they are playing at a nice volume. I'm 20yds away and i can hear the quality of these speakers. It's just THERE! Mat Polk was quoted as saying he was most proud of the Monitor 7. Think i dun good! :) So yeah....Polk fan!! There's more to my Polk 5jr story but that is another positive story for another life....lol
I had a pair of the Monitor 7c, and agree it would have been very cool if they had come out with an updated version with the drivers from the Reserve series. Wish I still had them, but we don't always make the best decisions in our twenties. As far as price goes, an extra $500 for a nicer finish is hard to swallow. The only thing that would justify that large of an increase is being limited to 1000 pairs. Finally, congrats on hitting 300k subs. I love how you and Kristy present your reviews is a calm, and detailed manner as if you are sitting around with friends just having a conversation.
Thank you both for another great, honest and insightful review. Love the thoughtful approach to everything you guys do. Agree with you Andrew, Polk could have killed it with the rebirth of one of their origin speakers, à la Mission or PSB... Anyway, they still have a killer speaker with their RT200 so kudos to them. I still see Polk as the brand that gives you access to great honest sound at reasonable price. Very much enjoyed my first pair of Polk 25 years ago for my home theater. And shame on me for not remembering the model number! But I remember hearing it at Best Buy in Canada at the time, and loving its sound for the reasonable access price. Got lucky to be in a position to upgrade along my journey, but can't underestimate the importance of brands that make this passion of ours accessible to the masses. They make the passion for sound possible. So kudos again to Polk!
I have the RtiA1. Surprisingly excellent. Bought 5 years ago for $189. Look up the specs online. Well made bookshelves.
Really enjoyed the history part of this review. Classy touch. We’ve owned Polk in the past. A lovely brand with great sounding speakers and reasonably priced! I’ve owned both floor standing and surrounds from Polk more recently. I actually don’t mind that retro cherry look….🎉
I told Polk I felt it was a missed opportunity. I suggested they should have picked one of their best selling speakers from each decade and rereleased it. For me the LS series was my introduction to Polk.
I bought the Polk R500 and R900 Atmos speakers. Love them both! I see myself keeping these for a long time.
If you take care of them, they should last you a "lifetime" because good speakers never go out of style.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews You raise a good question: my Polk RT35i/RT25i’s are 21 years old and sound as good as ever. They should continue to perform well for the foreseeable future, agreed? Thank you Sir!
Now for the review Polk doesn't want you to do. R200 vs L200.
Really appreciate your work, great video as always! Usually I unsubscribe reviewers after a while because I got what I was searching for, but with you two it's different. I just enjoy watching your reviews because I don't feel the need to watch another one to have a neutral opinion, lol 😆
Always up to date, love it!
PS - My first step into polk was a set of Monitor 50 about 15-20 years ago??? They stayed with me for YEARS!!! Polk is just that company that brings amazing value for the buck, similar to Emotiva..... :)
After buying my share of great bang for the buck black ash vinyl speakers, I've come to the conclusion that there's nothing wrong with paying more for nice cabinets.
☝
My Polk Lsim707 are Amazing! Was at the Audiofest last month: listened to Concept 50, Perlisten, four Forte IV (3D setup and I must say 707 competes with $20-$50K speakers I listened to SUBJECTIVELY. My wife is picky and I have to keep her happy 😊 (she’s sensitive to sharp treble)
I've been a HUGE fan of Polk since my first Mobile Monitor separates purchase from The Good Guys back in the early 90's. I have subsequently amassed multiple pairs of monitors from their original Monitor line to their RT series and I would undoubtedly be onboard with a modernization of the Monitor 7's(their original cabinets were definitely substandard)but they sounded amazing(and I own 2 pairs). Their trilaminate tweeter is undoubtedly one of the best dome tweeters ever made. Thank you guys again for the great reviewing!
Bought the r200s months ago, wish I knew these were coming, they’re gorgeous, though I’ll be honest I’d be annoyed if these were drastically different sounding from the originals lol
I have a pair of Monitor 4's from the late 80's I bought brand new had 33 years now. They are still hooked up to my HR752 Carver Receiver. Sound great for their age and as you know Carver has the power to drive anything. Think I'm going to listen to them right along with my more recent additions, a pair of Polk TSi 300 Floor Standing speakers. Bought earlier this year as a clearance ending this line of Polk speakers for $270.00 Canadian about 200 American. I put on The Wall by Pink Floyd on Cd a UK Pressing re-released in 2016. Sounds great on my old Sony CDP608ESD their top player from 1987. Love your channel and keep on doing the honest reviews you do without selling out.
Thank you for making an independent and thorough review instead of a sponsored one. Viewers like me count on both of your opinions for our purchase decisions.
I am personally too vested into Sonos but I used to have a Polk audio speakers in my hp pavilion computer way back in 1990s and was a crazy fan of those ❤️. Happy holidays 👍
Congrats on 300k!!!! you guys are the best!!!! That white finish looks so nice. And they really build a quality product for the $$$
Thanks again see you Sunday.
Thank you so much! The white looks legit for sure!
Cherry finish is kind of a standard for look.. and I love it.. if I had to pick anything I absolutely despise, it would be black piano finish. It was nice when NHT was using it back in the 90s.. but it got old fast. Cherry is classic and desired, like a navy blue pinstripe and a nice pair of dark leather shoes with a mirror shine
Long time lurker.... Polk is still winning from this review: I just ordered a pair of White R200s
I think you're going to love 'em.
They look absolutely gorgeous for sure
They are very nice!
Hi guys, first of all, really appreciate the choice made to honestly review the speakers instead making a campaign ad.
As a frequent watcher of your channel, it does make me wonder, have you guys done promotions before? And do you disclose them in the video?
I think it's a problem with reviewers on RUclips in general that they can be "bought". And I especially appreciate your channel because you often show an honest opinion, such as the Samsung QLED or the overly bright B&W 600 line.
Perhaps it is something you guys could address in a video sometime, and if you do do promotions, share how you indicate it, or plan to do so.
Please keep up the great work!
Thank you for watching. Any and all sponsorships that we've done or continue to do on this channel are always disclosed in full, both verbally and in writing ON THE VIDEO as well as in the description. An example of how we handle sponsors can be seen in our many KEEPS ads or messages you may have seen in our videos. In those instances we have stated and show you, the viewer, in plain english that you are watching sponsored or paid content/messaging on behalf of a brand, which in this example would be KEEPS. This is our policy and it goes beyond what is required of us by RUclips and the FTC because we don't want there to be ANY ambiguity.
Some creators check the RUclips box for "paid promotion" which puts a small bug on the screen for the first five seconds of the video (we do this too BTW) but they (other creators) rarely circle back with their viewers to say "who paid". In other words, payment could've come from a third party or it could've come from the brand or product being "reviewed". Technically, other creators are not wrong or breaking the rules for doing this or disclosing in this way --they are after all notifying you that the video was sponsored.
We simply take things a step further by saying which portion of the video is sponsored and by whom so you know when you're watching an "ad" and when you're not. Furthermore, we do not allow brands to sponsor their own reviews --that's just our rule. 95% of the videos you see on this channel have no sponsor, or ad read in them; regardless, the other 5% that are, are always disclosed up front and in full.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Amazing Andrew! Thank you for the great and clear response. You're setting a new standard for fellow reviewers.
My polk story is short. Bought a pair of budget polk towers around 2005, and was instantly underwhelmed. Went from a much larger woofer to the slim modern tower, and it sounded thin. Gave em to a buddy who has a smaller listening room, and they sound fine with his gear. Hes still rockin them
I’ve got a pair of Polk 10’s that I purchased in 1980. I still use them everyday as they are the main speakers in my TV room.
Congratulations 🎉 on hitting 300k! Neat acoustics here in the U.K. recently did a 30th anniversary Ed of the neat petite speakers there were only a 100 pairs made. What is cool is they were so well received they have resulted in the for general sale neat petite classic speaker which is getting amazing reviews. Really want to hear a set for myself.
I'm a Polk fan. I currently have their TSi500s, CS10, and TSi200s for my bed layer and OWM5s for my atmos speakers (I won't tell you how many...14). I look to upgrade to R700s, R400 and R200s for my bed layer sometime soon and am anxious to pull the trigger, although most are out of stock right now. I believe in value and have always felt Polk brought that and continued that with the Reserve line. Thank you for your reviews.
The Reserve line is, or ranks among the best affordable speaker line I have ever heard in 20+ years of covering this stuff professionally.
I have a pair of old large SDA speakers...for years. Hard to find a replacement that sounds much better for lots of $$$$$. Love your videos.
Mr. Pete---------->
aging hippie
Thanks Andrew for your honest opinion.
Always.
My Polk story: never owned any Polk speakers but did purchase a Polk Audio XRt12 XM reference home tuner that has served me well for many years and something i use on a regular basis.
Yes I heard them 50 years ago, stuck with Klipsch then and now. That was nice!
I guess ill need to get a pair of the original R200 and have a listen for myself.
~20 years ago i saved all of my pennies and bought a pair of RTI10 Towers in the Black Ash finish and loved them, I still have them today but they are in storage and this video makes me want to get them out. They are something like 60 lbs each and were my first pair of speakers that were not the standard MDF cabinet. I later had a pair of RTI6 in the cherry finish and they were indeed beautiful, but cherry was also not for me and i later sold them.
During that time i thought polk was the greatest thing since sliced bread, i participated in the polk forums pretty heavily and enjoyed the community they provided. I aspired to some day listen to a pair of LSIs because in my mind, they must have been spectacular. At ~18 years old i had built a full 7.1 setup in my bedroom with RTI 10, RTI 6, and RTI 4 speakers paired to a Harmon AVR354 receiver and carver 2 channel amp and loved them.
I think this infatuation with polk was mostly due to the limited exposure that i was able to have locally to different brands, back then we had bestbuy and circuit city across the street from each other and the alternatives to polk were Sony, Blose, Yamaha, KLH, Boston, JBL and a few others. The fact that these stores carried multiple brands meant that their average speaker pair was in the 500-1000$ range, my local circuit city only carried the monitor line, so the Polk RTI 10 were the first speakers i ever bought without being able to listen first, and i couldn't have been happier with the purchase.
As time has gone on i have tried new things, but those speakers were the ones that i always hung onto and never sold. I moved them across the country, through five different homes, and they hold a place in my heart as my first "real hifi" purchase. I think for me personally i don't currently look to polk as a hifi brand, and its honestly because of cost, in a world where you "get what you pay for" I for some reason sort them as a budget brand and when I'm shopping for speakers i start at a price-point that filters out the polk line. I also like to "try new things" and I've "had polk before" , but maybe 20 years is long enough to revisit and see what they have been up to.
As always i appreciate the review and more importantly the candor and transparency that your channel shows, its something that i strive to have in my content as well. Kristi, as always i appreciate your perspective, you are truly what makes this channel unique compared to Randy, John Darko, Nemo, etc (who are all great in their own right but have similar content). I appreciate that you care about a lot of the same things that my wife tends to notice when i bring something new home. Congrats on 300, (which is now 301 in less than a week) I would be surprised if it takes you more than a year to get to 500 from here.
I had already bought these and didn't expect a big difference from my L100s, but.... the bass! The cherry wood is not my fave. I would have rather had walnut to match my room, but my wife doesn't mind. I did buy them more for the collector factor, but very happy with them. Enjoyed your review as usual!
@@Pete.across.the.street Collectors don't need a market! we never sell the stuff we collect! LOL
Honestly I prefer the non ae walnut finish by far, I'm sure these are higher quality and a better finish, but the design of the walnut is just much better.
At 1:03 in the top right you can see the Polk A-10. Second in from the right. I have a MINT set that are STUNNING. I wish y’all could hear them. I have the original boxes and all packing. The peerless tweeter, dual drivers and passive radiator in the fully sealed system is an experience you have to have…. 😍😍😍😍. Wish we could share photos…
I started by my audiophile journey with Polk Monitor 10 in 1982 and a Yamaha CR1020 receiver. Wish I still have both units.
I bet it was a killer setup! Thank you for sharing!
I still have my 10’s! Paired them with a Carver Receiver!
Holy cow 300k. Congrats and what a blessing that it happened on Thanksgiving. You guys are so amazing. Please don't ever stop what you're doing. As far as Polk goes, I have been Polk fan for more years than I can recall. Their speakers just sound f**kin fantastic and punch far beyond the price point in my opinion. I currently have 5.2.4 Signature Series in our set up. I've had my eye on the Legend Series for a long time, BUT, your review on the L800's still has me pondering if I should snag those up or not. Plus the wife give me "that look" whenever I mention spending more on speakers lol. Anyways, as always thank you for such an incredible review. I also want to say kudos to you for not taking any payment from Sound United. Your reasoning makes all the sense in the world! Happy Holidays to both you and Kristi! Stay blessed you guys!!
Great review! 🔊 I still want to hear the R200's and the R700's it's a goal for next year! Cheers!
Thank you for your honesty, even though I can't afford the more expensive gear.
I picked up a pair of Sonus Faber lumina ii Wenge in flawless condition for 700 after seeing your review. I think they're awsome. I have them paired with Rel t5x and that did the trick. Sound primo. Happy Holidays to you.
Man, I'm feeling a certain type of way. Polk Audio was created a year before I was born. I don't feel like I've been around that long. Well, my wife was born in 72, I guess I can tease her that she's 50 and I'm not. I just never imagined some company's celebration of long existence to nearly coincide with my history.
I don't have any physical history with Polk. I never owned a pair. I DO remember reading those ads with Mathew Polk in Stereo Review and Home Theater magazines in my younger years. There was one set that I really wanted to own at one point. I don't remember the model but there were these powered bass modules along with passive "stand mounts" that could be set on top of the power modules to look like towers.
Is the R200s the only Polk speakers getting the Anniversary treatment?
As far as the white finish, it seems that you can get the R600 and R500 towers in white.
Nice review! Polk were the first speakers I bought that were not part of a set. The Monitor 40’s were not perfect, but loved them. When it was time to upgrade, I went up market in the same brand. Polk seems to get a lot of sh!t from audiophiles as not being good speakers. When I spent time driving around testing other brands, I kept coming back to the Polk sound thinking I liked it more. To each their own, only person that needs to love your system….
Kristi has a valid point. Maybe Polk could have done something what Monitor Audio did to their silver 100 7g in green color which is gorgeous as a 50th year edition collectible. The price hike for this limited edition is justified
Excellent video as always, I'm very happy with my R200 especially because I bought them on sale for only 580€ !
Not only that...but Bec they sound really good 🙂
You guys are awesome. I can't wait for your reviews every week. But, why no Paradigm? Particularly the Founder 100s. I'd also like to see you review the Seismic 110 as well.
They've asked, but Paradigm and Anthem fail to respond.
One of your best review/documentary on AE!! Yes the finish does add that beauty but to add that extra difference in $ for something else. You know you have to buy a new lp or cd to try them out …👍🏼
I almost pulled the trigger on these today, as I was scrolling to see if the R700 were back in stock!!! Bummed the 700 are just GONE....
I bought myself a pair of Monitor 4s for my birthday. Have them hooked up as we speak. I like them....and if I have the ability to afford a better / later model I wouldn’t hesitate 😁🙏
I appreciate your honesty in doing an unbiased full review. I know you do this to make a living and it's always hard to turn down money. Here's my fraction of a penny worth of involvement as thanks. Just keep doing what you do.
I would be strongly tempted to buy the AE, as I'm a really big into collector's editions, except for the fact that we, too, are not pro cherry wood. So we're still looking at the Walnut. Currently waiting on the R700 to come into stock in Walnut. Going back and forth between The R700 and the Linton 85. Both of which you spoke highly of. Just can't find good comparison between the two as they are entirely different styles.
Congrats Andrew and Kristi on 300K!!
QOTD: I’ve had the Polk RTi series (RT35i/25i/Cs245i) in my home theater for 21 years and they sound as great as ever. Matched with newer Onkyo AVR and dual SVS subs. I have the upgrade bug but this system sounds too good!!
I first owned a pair of 5 Junior+ Polks. Still have them. They do my rear surround in my room. They were replaced by SDA CRS+ and I have had these for over 20 years. Still love them. However, I am intrigued by the Reserve line. SDA though. This tech is amazing!
My Polk Audio Story
Over 25 years ago I picked up a very nice pair of Polk Audio Monitor 5jr + speakers that are in Black Ash.
I bought them at a garage sale from a Denver University student that wasn't able to take them
with him on his move home after using them for a couple of years.
I have them paired with a vintage Sansui reciever and a Sansui Graphic Equalizer.
They still sound fantastic in my small listening area with a Thechnics SL-D303 direct drive turntable
and my small collection of vinyl LPs and my CDs and player.
Also for movies I have a Samsung QLED 4k TV also paired with a Polk Audio S2 Ultra-Slim sound bar with sub woofer.
It is reviews like this that I always tell people. This is the reason why I support you guys so much. The fact that you guys never take payouts and you stay humble and true to the craft and this is why I follow your blueprint and I appreciate everything that you do for the audio and video community. Congratulations again! Now You're at 301,000k and you know I will continue supporting you guys. Even when you get to the point where you're too big to respond to me 😁. On the other hand I do think Polk missed out on a real opportunity to really do something a lot more spectacular. But I will say I'm sorry Kristi but I love that cherry finish call me old school all you want
Your support means the world to Kristi and I and we hope you know that.
Your comment brings up a common thread happening in this space and I'm sure across RUclips in general - and that is integrity vs money. What we don't do is take money without disclosing it to our audience. There is a difference. It's a nuanced discussion - one that I feel needs addressing with the community at large. As someone who is working to grow your own channel, I think you'll have a better understanding of what I'm saying as time passes. Creators are often vilified for earning any type of living on RUclips - whether it is through Adsense, affiliate sales or sponsorships - and that's unfortunate because I think it not only simultaneously inhibits the creator's growth but fractures trust and breeds animosity with the audience which in turn can create the potential for anxiety for the creator and I'm guessing the brands as well, for they too face backlash.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews this is why I keep my content fair and I keep my content true to what I do and what I love to do. The second I stop putting my heart into my content and take a pay out I'll stop and shutdown my channel.. I follow what you guys do because you've always been a huge influence on my channel. I appreciate you both as well
Is it still made in China like the regular R200?
Still love my Monitor 7's from 1978. An updated version would be really cool.
Great review and congrats on 300k!
Thanks!
Thanks, Brian!