Please Click the like button on the video. It does help my channel out and BEST of all, it doesn't cost you anything haha. To Enter For The Giveaway: 1. Comment on the video (1 entry) 2. Like The Video (1 entry) 3. Click and check out this link : howl.me/chm0sFygWWJ (1 entry) *** Only Subscribers To The Channel Qualify *** 0:00 Intro 1:33 Polk R700 Sound Quality 11:15 Giveaway Announcement 12:46 Polk R700 Build Quality & Room Placement 19:33 Gear Matching 24:45 Polk Speaker Comparisons Polk R700: shop-links.co/chkAGVuuZaM
This giveaway is insane. When u look at the Polk R 700s u would probably think bass cannons but the Power port 2.0 technology really shines and keeps the bass so clean sounding when I heard them. I bought the Reserve 200s and I'm really happy with them.
The fact that Polk is able to do something like this just makes me wish Energy could have figured out how to stay relevant enough to stick around. We need more brands back in this value + world beating space.
@@Eron55555 I still have them as well, and they are still surprising me often and only paid 999$ for the pair, I'm sure they're still hard to beat with their Kevlar woofers but I'd like a review as well to compare before spending too much on today's speakers...I chose them over klipsch for their more neutral sound and I'm not disappointed...I almost regret I didn't get the Veritas back in the day...
Yeah the R700 can play in a small space and with 20 watts but they transform into another beast when fed loads of power and a bigger space. Paired it with a Crown 2502 and a D90SE DAC in a 6m x 9m meter room and the R700 hanged with the best of speakers I heard in the very same room. Of course the R700 would sound less detailed in the mids and highs next to speakers with boosted highs, but with that in mind, they are near flawless. Dispersion isnt that great, so a carefully calculated toe in is needed. 15 degrees off on-axis works best in my case. Imaging and soundstage are beyond excellent in the right sized room.
I have the L600 which are basically the same speakers and I agree with your assessment completely. Based on the gear you are using, I'm not shocked you are happy with the results. Pairing either speaker with high quality gear will be rewarded mightily. 2 ohm stable amps are ideal because these will run down to 3.4 ohms but you can likely get away with a 4 ohm stable amp if you keep the volume away from max. When your amp is running out of spec those low impedance drops often cause distortion and for sure higher current draw. Doing so might lower the amps lifespan or shut it down if it can't handle the power draw. The only tower/floorstanding speakers I could find that sounded better than them cost $25K a pair. I got the L600s for 3K! Because those very costly Focal towers were only giving an extra 7-8 percent improvement in sound I just put all the savings into gear to make up the difference and then some! Polk really has something special here with both the Reserve and Legend lines but you aren't going to fully hear it if you don't power them correctly.
The port design integrated with the spikes is something special & really impressive at this price point. I can see it maintaining composure at higher levels of bass. Instead of a back or front port overloading the room, this is 360 degrees. Vibrations are also damped down by the spikes. Great design.
The port is likely tuned somewhere in the 30's or 40's, and as we know with subwoofers, those sounds become non-directional. Therefore it does not matter where the port is on the enclosure.
what do you think of a NAD M10 running these r700's im thinking of upgrading my speakers having bought the M10 last year, i have around a £2k budget i was looking at Q acoustics concept50 but the reviews ive seen on the r700 have me swaying towards them
We are living in a golden age of audio equipment. Top notch sound and build quality for relatively low pricing. The Polk R700 is a prime example. Thanks for this review.
Yes, I agree. I've been selling high end audio for forty years and we are at a peak moment. It's so cool. Such good sound. Every day is a new day full of aural surprises.
I love how Polk Audio seems to make really good gear at affordable prices. Although the new mid/woofer cone design the tweeter (ring radiator) has been used by polk for a long time. Kudos to them because from my experience a ring radiator can seem directional and beamy. Polk seems to get how it should be done. Keep doing a good job.
I might not be able to afford the R700 right now but it has replaced the Wharfedale Linton and the Buchardt S400 MK II as my must have dream speaker. Your review cinched my choice after seeing another reviewer’s, that I like, review. Having two reviewers I like, have similar reviews, has me in love with these speakers. Bravo to you!!!
Hello Jay, on your amazing review of the KLH Model 5 you mentioned the Soundstage been 3D. How would you compare the Soundstage of the R700 against the model 5 ? Thanks 🙏🏻
I've been a Fan of Polk Audio since I was a little child listening to my dad's RT-600's. The R700 looks like a respectable speaker relative to its sensational price point. I Love the use of the two 8" woofers, along with the downfiring port. Most people don't like big speakers in their house, but I believe big speakers produce big sound, and I will never be one to complain. Thank you for your review of these speakers :)
Polk has a serious problem with R700 vs L600/800. The R700 bests the significantly more expensive L600 & L800. They’re having a sale but they still haven’t adjusted their pricing relative to performance. I guess they can’t really increase the price of R700 too much but also apparently reluctant to lower the L600/800 accordingly.
Jay, you do a really good job of explaining the overall sound signature and best use cases for the speakers. I don't think I would use them in my critical listening room, but would definitely buy them for my home theater room.
For what ever it is worth, another reviewer disagrees with Jay's assessment of soundstage. They claim Jay's room is too small and he is listening in the nearfield whereas they have a larger room and they are listening further back. I am curious as to the dimensions of Jay's room? In the end, we all have our own preferences. And how will it sound in our room with our equipment?
The polk audio speakers are really nice too bad we could not hear them but i wouldn't enjoy them very much so with that receiver Because i love bass in a speaker with quality.
@@stanstanly3812 Nah just wait for a sale. They have them all the time. They dropped to 825 during one of them! These are certainly worth 899 without a doubt however! *edit* Now on sale for $825. That is a steal when powered properly.
if the midrange and treble do not have good sound or good enough, it does not help if the speaker has good bass! it's not just about as much bass as possible. everything should slide together to give good sound
R700 are awesome value for money and would love to upgrade to these from my current active speakers along with an integrated amplifier. I'm currently using a Pontus2 and would like to get more out of it than my current speakers allow me to. Well done on another great review and I'll be saving my pennies for a new pair of these👍
This video teaches us that mixing and matching is an essential part of a well-balanced audio set. In this case, the slightly weaker midrange of these speakers is combined with a nice tube amplifier, which in turn contributes to a better listning experience for the music from this installation. Another facet of this speaker/amplifier combination is that a good installation doesn't have to be extremely expensive, as long as you properly match components. so far my two cents and thanks for the convincing lesson Jay!
I appreciate the way u didn't hold it against Polk by the way its always been a cheep speaker. To me I've had up to 64 polk speakers down to 59 now including subs. I always wanted the Lsim 707s but before I could save for them they quit making them. I have the denon x8500 that's runs my Rti 9s and 7s but ever since I heard these in Co there's no doubt I'm getting the R700 I have the Lsim 706c which has about the close to tweeter. I believe in Polk buy after all my polks I can't even get them to give me coupons or anything so I'd lv it if u let me win yr set. I use samsung, Polk and denon. I just a old broken down guy that lvs music and theater with my 85in samsung Q tv
Thanks for this review, Jay, and for adding that the R700s can also work well in smaller rooms. My experience over many decades has taught me to expect that Polk Audio speakers can be expected to give pleasure with a wide range of music.
Polk have hit the spot and made the speaker most folk really want, rather than the speaker they think they want, or the speaker manufacturers think they should have! Listenable and flexible, with scale and balance to the fore.
I just bought the R500s on Crutchfield’s site while they were on sale for $1000 a pair. I had wanted to hear them ever since watching Shawn’s review from over a year ago. They are spectacular. I can only imagine the sheer grunt these R700’s beasts will bring to the table. PLUS the Doge 10, are you kidding?? Sign me up and thank you for all the great reviews.
I wonder how these would match up against their R200 and a pair of well-integrated subwoofers. Either way, these floorstanders represent a killer value! Thanks for reviewing them - it’s so rare for YT reviewers to look at floorstanders!
I owned the R200 for almost a year paired with a single svs 2000pro. For the money that pair was pretty good in my opinion. I've had the R700 for a few months now and in comparison to the R200 it seems to throw a bigger presentation, better mid bass. The mid/highs sound is basically the same between the 2..but when I put the R200 next to the R700 and AB'ed them the R700 just sounds better, the mid to low bass is more seamless compared to the bookies & sub. I use REW and DSP's to try and integrate subs and adjust the speakers in room FR. Bigger soundstage from the R700. The neutrality and tone is basically the same though. If one likes that sound the R200 is the cheaper way to get it. You will notice if you put better components or upgrade gear around them. Good all around speakers.
Great review! It’s good to see that Polk is making a come-back in high end audio. I felt for a long time Polk was chasing the regular Joe mass-consumer market and delivering a mid to low-fi product. Lately, it seems Polk is getting serious about making seriously competitive high-end speakers and I’m looking forward to hearing a pair. They’ve certainly got my attention.
Thanks Jay , another great review . It’s very impressive how Polk has squeezed such quality into the price. The size of these and the fact that placement doesn’t require a lot of distance from wall is amazing.
I'm planning a major speaker upgrade for my home theater and hadn't seriously considered the Polk Reserve series into consideration. I like the matte finish (just wish they came in white)and the amount of R&D that has gone into them. The R700s are now on my list of contenders!
Jay that giveaway has just given me a headache trying to enter,,, turn it in mate... If your going to have give a ways, don't make us go round the houses just to enter,, come off. it mate.. I was enjoying my evening until that palaver.. Regards Antony.
Looks like everyone else is entering fine. Not sure how to make it simpler than “comment. Click the link. Answer a question.. all of which is 1 entry each” 🤷♂️
To make a speaker under $2k I would assume they had to cut costs on the crossover components. I would be very interested to see you re-review them after upgrading the crossover components.
The previous Lsim series was much better. I have the 707s as my rears. Go listen to those. Google the internals of the 707s and see what value those were! Polk actually went backwards a bit on this series. Ohh and the previous 703 is far better than the new two way bookshelf in the legend series. The 703 is a far better speaker in every way.
Brasil here…I have a big 60 m2 room and was thinking in the R600 or the R700 too. As some people said that an over 100 watts/channel amplifier was needed to drive the R700 I bought the R600 to connect with my Cambridge CXA81. I am getting a great sound! But we audio lovers always want more…🧐😀😀😀
I’ve been a Polk fan since the old days when they made the original SDA series. Glad to see them raising the bar again in an affordable floor standing speaker.
I was especially impressed with your favorable comparison to the Klipsch Cornwall. I am familiar with their capability, and for the Polks to exceed that is quite impressive.
Man..great review. Really enjoyed the formatting, and spending time on placement for towers on the more monster side. It’s exciting - almost incomprehensible- how great components and speakers have improved at this price level. Particularly these speakers. To think that with some careful pairing you can get these close to a couple of Sabrinas or Pendragons?!? Anyway, thank you for bringing an education to affordable and well - designed equipment 🙏🏼👍🏼
I'm glad I found your review. I've been looking for some larger speakers to replace my 5.1 setup in my living room. I wanted speakers with more punch than my Paradigm Monitor 7 v5. I've looked at speakers up to $5k per pair and even higher. But the costs add up, and even with the modestly priced Polks I'm looking at almost $5k for a full set not counting subwoofers. So if these are as good as you and everyone else are saying, then I hope these will satisfy my desire for more dynamic movies and music.
Great video, very helpful to hear your assessment of R700 Polk speakers!! - It's hard to believe what the speakers bring to the table at his price point. Now we just need Polk to raise the bar in the midrange and high frequencies to provide the crazy " Audiophiles " out there the Speaker of their dreams for an unheard of price point!
Great review! These R700's are getting universal praise across he board by many of the established reviewers. Amazing value for the money! It's making me wonder if I made the right choice in recently purchasing Sonus faber Sonnetto's at more than twice the price!
Unless you went into deep debt to buy them, I doubt you made a mistake. I got the Polk 700 (refurbished), enjoy the heck out of them, don't plan to upgrade within the next 10 years..( how long it's been since I got the Klipsch rp81 pair before this) BUT.. seems a lot of reviewers think more highly of the sonus-faber mids/highs. I didn't want to spend that, but I bet you got something for the extra $$.
Yeah Polk killing it !! I told Danny @GR research my Polk lsim703 flew under the radar !! Danny was shocked to his core with Lsim 703 measured performace Danny said they compete with his xtream series ans build of Lsim one of the best for price Polks out measured Wilson audio $20k speakers Danny was building xover for but now Polks have $1300 covers 😆 Thanks Jay Polk under rated top level engeeners
I think ( TO ME Personally ) speakers like the R700 represent the perfect sweet spot. Spending $2000 on a pair of towers is still $2000 so its not cheap but its doable for what you get. I cant fathom a pair of $25,000 PS Audio speakers are $23,000 better.. I just cant see it being justified at all besides having too much money or bragging rights. I wouldnt doubt they are better but they cannot be that much better.. Great review on the R700's, Im still enjoying my 1980s ADS speakers which can still hang and sometimes surpass more modern speakers.
Greetings Jay, Just admire your precise presentation. What a fabulous Giveaway ! A complete Audiophile System which I can only dream of. Polk R700 towers are pretty peppy place any where,big bass-boss solid built speakers. Doge 10 Tube integrated amplifier will boost its dynamics. And the iFi Zen streamer will complete the incredible set up. I am in to win. You simply Rock. Best wishes Jay. 😊🙏💐🎶
🤔Funny how you say that people typically don't associate the name Polk with quality speakers. A half century ago, when Matthew Polk started the company, the Polk loudspeaker became synonymous with quality for a while. Selling the company probably was the detour on image, but I haven't been "monitoring" Polk speakers for the for the last 35 years, so I can't offer much "detail."😉 PS.. see what I did there? lol
I don't know man. Not sure about your amp or what not but I have listened to a lot of speakers. I have the R700's,ls50 metas and ked 750's. All in different rooms. The R700's are extremely good. You may be using a bad pre amp.
Jay, you always do a thorough job with your reviews. Glad you reviewed the R700. My first exposure to Polk was years ago when a friend bought a set of 10A's. Those blew me away. Since, I have always been curious about how they evolved their line-up. The R700 is right in my price range. I have a pair of 8 Ohm Infinity Kappa 7.1 Series II's that I love and use to test the Hafler amps I upgrade, but I also would like a high quality 4 Ohm speakers to test them with. These might be just what I'm looking for.
Jay, great video as always! I have a question... would it be better to run 200's with a musical sub like a Rel? I mean more focus and better Soundstage? Anyway again, great video and keep it up!
The down firing port is a game changer. Makes the speaker insensitive to room positioning.. Good job Polk! Polk has come out with all guns blazing. Let's see what the competitor has to offer. I love competition ;-o
I just got the R500s in my living room to audition when this video came out. Thanks a lot! Now I have to decide whether to send them back and upgrade to these larger units. The R500s sound great, beautiful with music and nice and punchy. Now that I know the flavor, the idea of getting a greater sense of scale and impact is very tempting!
Excellent large speakers can just give a better experience than comparable quality bookshelf speakers. I like the fact that these have more placement options. Not everyone has the room to put speakers out into the room. That gives them a better WAF too.
I have been looking at all the reviews and sound demos on the R700 and have included them as a possibility as my next choice . I have a Rotel integrated amp and trying to decide what speakers to go with . Right now I have some older definitive technology as my main ones . Thank you for your input
I fell in love with the super similar L600 Towers using a very powerful Rotel 1592MII integrated: 225/365 proven clean watts at 8/4 ohms, with 640 damping factor for thunderous bass and firm and quick driver control. Semi bright sounding gear (like the Rotel) will be perfectly tamed by the ring radiator tweeter, which for me made them sound almost as good as some of the higher end tweeters. Rotel tends to be more detailed but to me it presented great musicality when paired with the Polk and never sounded overly clinical. 9.8/10 would recommend that pairing, mostly thanks to the huge power available on that unit. The grip that unit had on the L600's wolfers was extremely impressive but would have STILL been better if using a better quality 2 ohm stable amp thanks to impedance dips of 3.3 ohm. The R700 are slightly better at 3.6 but to get perfectly clean bass at high volume and to protect your amps components, snagging a 2 ohm stable amp with more powerful or dual power supplies is ideal. The used market is a good way to find some amazing deals on such amps. If you use a 4 ohm stable amp ohm just keep the volume away from max and you will be fine and likely experience nearly perfect results anyway, at least when using the slightly easier to drive R700 towers. Cheers!
Wondering about these speakers vs the new Klipsch RP-8060FA2.... Waiting for more reviews on the Klipsch...But these Polk speakers seems to check most of the boxes.
I had the RTi12 years ago and they were an incredible speaker for the money, Im actually in the market for a set of speakers I just sold my Cornwalls because i needed some quick cash
Nice video, thank you! I am a headphone user so I have some DACs and Headphone Amps that can be Pre-Amps. Would like advice from anyone here. I have a study room that measures 4.25 length x 3.15 width x 2.48 ceiling in meters (13’1” x 9’10” x 8’1”). Both sides are lined with bookshelves with a work desk at the end. So my nett space is 3.9 x 2.35 x 2.48 meters (12’10”x 7’9” x 8’1”). Will the R700 be suitable or should I get the R200 with a subwoofer instead? Which Amplifiers and Models will work with each of the above? What else must I do (such as room treatments, etc)? Thank you for your advise!
These have been on my radar for a few months, they appear to be a good combination of the modern design style with a more old school design with larger drivers.
Yamaha RX- 683 20 Years old 2 Onkyo Fusion AV S-31 12" 3 way 2 Micca center speakers 2 sonys (very smal 3 inch) for the surround. And 2 Pioneer S-H452F-K for back surround... Is all I got.🥺 This will be a dream for me. Thanks for shareing and time.
I'm debating on what towers to get, I have SVS sb 3000 subwoofer, so maybe R 700 not good idea since I will be using the subwoofer. ? Also I do not have receiver or amplifier, using klipsch McLaren fives. So looking for towers, receiver/amp to pair with sb3000.
R700.. vs Elac Uni-fi reference UFR52.. or perhaps Buchardt A700. I'd be curious how the A700 compares to a similarly priced and moderately priced power-speaker combo of the R700 or Elac, or if it’s just in a whole nother realm with the paper woofer, mastertunings and room correction.. and the amp and crossovers already high quality and the perfect match for the drivers. My assumption is the Polks have more bass extension and power, while the Buchardts and Elacs having better imaging, soundstage, mids/highs details, and the Buchardts having more bass detail than the Elacs and Polks.
These appear to be the speakers I've been waiting for for years. Just can't wait to hook up a pair of them to my Ashly FDX series III, FTX-2001 ( mega MOSFET brick ) Bad news is: , I am finding it almost impossible to get hold of a pair of these in the United Kingdom 😢
I have a pair of diminutive Dali Menuet SEs which I use with a REL Tzero sub. For me, the bass is plenty enough -- truly astounding with something like Bela Fleck's "Flight of the Cosmic hippo" or lots of Marian Hill's stuff. Would the Polk R700, which Andrew Robinson has also just enthused over, offer anything more? I dunno. Andrew says they're good even at low volumes, which is a plus, but what about the mids and highs? This is where the Menuets particularly excel. Were I ever to get a pair of R700s, I'd give them a fair hearing. Had I an unlimited budget, I'd fill my house with all sorts of gear, listening to this or that according to mood...
I do like what I saw when I clicked that link, however if it is priced anything close to the bigger brother (Odyssey Neo G9) then that will have to be a pass for me. Can't justify over $3000 NZD for a monitor, I could buy the 42 inch LG C2 or the new QD-OLED by Samsung. As for the Polks, I have experience (in the past) selling the Polk Audio Signature series but was underwhelmed with their performance, bass sounded muddy, mid range was nice but the top end/tweater was lacking in information. I am keen to give these a listen to see how they have improved!
Jay, I have a question for you. You have me looking at getting either the R700 or the R200. However, I’m able to get used SVS ultra bookshelves for $650. That’s the same price as new R200s. Which one would you choose, the used SVS or new R200?
I'm just returning to audio after several years away I'm looking to build a newer system. I've been looking into emotiva. Now seeing the new polk, I'm very interested. Thank you for your videos. I'm learning alot about current audio
Hello Jay - another great review !! I like you comment - "there is no replacement for displacement" I had pair of EPI 200C floor standers (Focal type tweeter 8" bass with a flat 12 passive radiator)the kick drum would punch you in the chest, but still overall very musical - (bookshelf speakers can't provide the scale) hooked to Onkyo Integra Separates 105 RMS per, Dual DD - Ortofon MC - (All were stolen) Building a new system and would love to have a pair of Polk R700
Well, I contacted some sellers to ask for theirs advises yelling them I own a pair of Tannoy xt8f. According to them, they don't recommend me to replace tannoy xt8f by polk r700. There would be a risk of finding a cold sound from Polk. A match between tannoy xt8f Vs Polk r700 would be interesting ( 20cm tweeter). What you describe in your video as to Polk's bass is what I found in tannoy xt8f.
Please Click the like button on the video. It does help my channel out and BEST of all, it doesn't cost you anything haha.
To Enter For The Giveaway:
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*** Only Subscribers To The Channel Qualify ***
0:00 Intro
1:33 Polk R700 Sound Quality
11:15 Giveaway Announcement
12:46 Polk R700 Build Quality & Room Placement
19:33 Gear Matching
24:45 Polk Speaker Comparisons
Polk R700: shop-links.co/chkAGVuuZaM
That speaker is a dreamspeaker for me, I realy hope the hifi system will be mine 😍
@@magnusblom44 best of luck !
@@Jayiyagi
I keep my fingers crossed 🙂
It is always great to see a audio review where value and sound come together, even better when sound exceeds the value
This giveaway is insane. When u look at the Polk R 700s u would probably think bass cannons but the Power port 2.0 technology really shines and keeps the bass so clean sounding when I heard them. I bought the Reserve 200s and I'm really happy with them.
Hook it up Jay! I’ve tried out the R200 and loved the sound so even more excited to hear the R700. Someone is doing something right at Polk!
The fact that Polk is able to do something like this just makes me wish Energy could have figured out how to stay relevant enough to stick around. We need more brands back in this value + world beating space.
Energy and Mirage made some great speakers back in the days.... unfortunately these companys don't exist no more... sad...
I have Energy RC-70 towers. Would love to see a vintage review of these with some of the reviewers out there today.
@@Eron55555 I still have them as well, and they are still surprising me often and only paid 999$ for the pair, I'm sure they're still hard to beat with their Kevlar woofers but I'd like a review as well to compare before spending too much on today's speakers...I chose them over klipsch for their more neutral sound and I'm not disappointed...I almost regret I didn't get the Veritas back in the day...
Yeah the R700 can play in a small space and with 20 watts but they transform into another beast when fed loads of power and a bigger space. Paired it with a Crown 2502 and a D90SE DAC in a 6m x 9m meter room and the R700 hanged with the best of speakers I heard in the very same room. Of course the R700 would sound less detailed in the mids and highs next to speakers with boosted highs, but with that in mind, they are near flawless. Dispersion isnt that great, so a carefully calculated toe in is needed. 15 degrees off on-axis works best in my case. Imaging and soundstage are beyond excellent in the right sized room.
It's the Soundstage big ?
I have the L600 which are basically the same speakers and I agree with your assessment completely. Based on the gear you are using, I'm not shocked you are happy with the results.
Pairing either speaker with high quality gear will be rewarded mightily. 2 ohm stable amps are ideal because these will run down to 3.4 ohms but you can likely get away with a 4 ohm stable amp if you keep the volume away from max. When your amp is running out of spec those low impedance drops often cause distortion and for sure higher current draw. Doing so might lower the amps lifespan or shut it down if it can't handle the power draw.
The only tower/floorstanding speakers I could find that sounded better than them cost $25K a pair. I got the L600s for 3K! Because those very costly Focal towers were only giving an extra 7-8 percent improvement in sound I just put all the savings into gear to make up the difference and then some! Polk really has something special here with both the Reserve and Legend lines but you aren't going to fully hear it if you don't power them correctly.
Hi Jay, I really need your help to choose between those R700, the KLH Model 5 or the CSS-Audio Criton 1TD-X. Thanks!
The port design integrated with the spikes is something special & really impressive at this price point. I can see it maintaining composure at higher levels of bass. Instead of a back or front port overloading the room, this is 360 degrees. Vibrations are also damped down by the spikes. Great design.
The port is likely tuned somewhere in the 30's or 40's, and as we know with subwoofers, those sounds become non-directional. Therefore it does not matter where the port is on the enclosure.
what do you think of a NAD M10 running these r700's im thinking of upgrading my speakers having bought the M10 last year, i have around a £2k budget i was looking at Q acoustics concept50 but the reviews ive seen on the r700 have me swaying towards them
We are living in a golden age of audio equipment. Top notch sound and build quality for relatively low pricing. The Polk R700 is a prime example. Thanks for this review.
Golden age of expensive gear....I am not a rich man...I have to buy my gear second hand. Nice to look at all of the new stuff though
@@digidrum2003 don't worry. I shop second hand as well. You will find a pair for sale soon enough. Just set up alerts on 2nd hand sites.
Yes, I agree. I've been selling high end audio for forty years and we are at a peak moment. It's so cool. Such good sound. Every day is a new day full of aural surprises.
Good age.
@@MrSlickback2 have you found any of these second hand yet? thanks.
Would love to audition the polk R700s after hearing this review.
I love how Polk Audio seems to make really good gear at affordable prices. Although the new mid/woofer cone design the tweeter (ring radiator) has been used by polk for a long time. Kudos to them because from my experience a ring radiator can seem directional and beamy. Polk seems to get how it should be done. Keep doing a good job.
Do not ever sell yourself to any magic companies stay through to yourself because that’s what you have to be brother
I might not be able to afford the R700 right now but it has replaced the Wharfedale Linton and the Buchardt S400 MK II as my must have dream speaker. Your review cinched my choice after seeing another reviewer’s, that I like, review. Having two reviewers I like, have similar reviews, has me in love with these speakers. Bravo to you!!!
Hello Jay, on your amazing review of the KLH Model 5 you mentioned the Soundstage been 3D. How would you compare the Soundstage of the R700 against the model 5 ? Thanks 🙏🏻
I've been a Fan of Polk Audio since I was a little child listening to my dad's RT-600's. The R700 looks like a respectable speaker relative to its sensational price point. I Love the use of the two 8" woofers, along with the downfiring port. Most people don't like big speakers in their house, but I believe big speakers produce big sound, and I will never be one to complain. Thank you for your review of these speakers :)
Polk has a serious problem with R700 vs L600/800. The R700 bests the significantly more expensive L600 & L800. They’re having a sale but they still haven’t adjusted their pricing relative to performance. I guess they can’t really increase the price of R700 too much but also apparently reluctant to lower the L600/800 accordingly.
Jay, you do a really good job of explaining the overall sound signature and best use cases for the speakers. I don't think I would use them in my critical listening room, but would definitely buy them for my home theater room.
For what ever it is worth, another reviewer disagrees with Jay's assessment of soundstage. They claim Jay's room is too small and he is listening in the nearfield whereas they have a larger room and they are listening further back. I am curious as to the dimensions of Jay's room? In the end, we all have our own preferences. And how will it sound in our room with our equipment?
The polk audio speakers are really nice too bad we could not hear them but i wouldn't enjoy them very much so with that receiver Because i love bass in a speaker with quality.
These R700 are an amazing value and for $899, I don't think there is anything in this price range that beats it!
$1099.00
@@stanstanly3812 Nah just wait for a sale. They have them all the time. They dropped to 825 during one of them! These are certainly worth 899 without a doubt however! *edit* Now on sale for $825. That is a steal when powered properly.
@@stanstanly3812 825.00
always conflicted with polk, I have an older pair now that I am considering replacing. Maybe its time to bring Polk back to the mix
I like a speaker that is bottom firing like me
Oh kuma…
if the midrange and treble do not have good sound or good enough, it does not help if the speaker has good bass! it's not just about as much bass as possible. everything should slide together to give good sound
R700 are awesome value for money and would love to upgrade to these from my current active speakers along with an integrated amplifier. I'm currently using a Pontus2 and would like to get more out of it than my current speakers allow me to. Well done on another great review and I'll be saving my pennies for a new pair of these👍
what is the matching amplifier for this speakers
This video teaches us that mixing and matching is an essential part of a well-balanced audio set. In this case, the slightly weaker midrange of these speakers is combined with a nice tube amplifier, which in turn contributes to a better listning experience for the music from this installation. Another facet of this speaker/amplifier combination is that a good installation doesn't have to be extremely expensive, as long as you properly match components. so far my two cents and thanks for the convincing lesson Jay!
I appreciate the way u didn't hold it against Polk by the way its always been a cheep speaker. To me I've had up to 64 polk speakers down to 59 now including subs. I always wanted the Lsim 707s but before I could save for them they quit making them. I have the denon x8500 that's runs my Rti 9s and 7s but ever since I heard these in Co there's no doubt I'm getting the R700 I have the Lsim 706c which has about the close to tweeter. I believe in Polk buy after all my polks I can't even get them to give me coupons or anything so I'd lv it if u let me win yr set. I use samsung, Polk and denon. I just a old broken down guy that lvs music and theater with my 85in samsung Q tv
Thanks for this review, Jay, and for adding that the R700s can also work well in smaller rooms. My experience over many decades has taught me to expect that Polk Audio speakers can be expected to give pleasure with a wide range of music.
Just got my Reserve 700 on Friday and I love them. I'm only powering them with an Onkyo RZ50 but that's plenty enough for me. These speakers kick ass
Polk have hit the spot and made the speaker most folk really want, rather than the speaker they think they want, or the speaker manufacturers think they should have! Listenable and flexible, with scale and balance to the fore.
Jay, would you choose the R700 vs KLH Kendall?
You can't go wrong with speakers. The fact that you're giving away the whole sistem makes this combo even better. Thank you
This makes me wonder what's next from Polk!
I need a pair of these to replace my sonus faber electa amators
Darren you are such a goof. I think it’s been over a year now since you’ve been a patreon and it never gets old
@@Jayiyagi 2 years, and millions of dollars
Lol good one
I just keep watching Polk R700 reviews while I wait for mine which are on backorder!
I just bought the R500s on Crutchfield’s site while they were on sale for $1000 a pair. I had wanted to hear them ever since watching Shawn’s review from over a year ago. They are spectacular. I can only imagine the sheer grunt these R700’s beasts will bring to the table. PLUS the Doge 10, are you kidding?? Sign me up and thank you for all the great reviews.
Ahh man Good pick.
Just what I need to pair w/my Lsim 703's.
I wonder how these would match up against their R200 and a pair of well-integrated subwoofers.
Either way, these floorstanders represent a killer value! Thanks for reviewing them - it’s so rare for YT reviewers to look at floorstanders!
Well i have polk legend 100 with a sub and my god what a positive experience everyday with them
I owned the R200 for almost a year paired with a single svs 2000pro. For the money that pair was pretty good in my opinion. I've had the R700 for a few months now and in comparison to the R200 it seems to throw a bigger presentation, better mid bass. The mid/highs sound is basically the same between the 2..but when I put the R200 next to the R700 and AB'ed them the R700 just sounds better, the mid to low bass is more seamless compared to the bookies & sub. I use REW and DSP's to try and integrate subs and adjust the speakers in room FR. Bigger soundstage from the R700. The neutrality and tone is basically the same though. If one likes that sound the R200 is the cheaper way to get it. You will notice if you put better components or upgrade gear around them. Good all around speakers.
polk R500 i bet would do better in a smaller room compared to these lol
Great review! It’s good to see that Polk is making a come-back in high end audio. I felt for a long time Polk was chasing the regular Joe mass-consumer market and delivering a mid to low-fi product. Lately, it seems Polk is getting serious about making seriously competitive high-end speakers and I’m looking forward to hearing a pair. They’ve certainly got my attention.
Thanks Jay , another great review . It’s very impressive how Polk has squeezed such quality into the price. The size of these and the fact that placement doesn’t require a lot of distance from wall is amazing.
This make for me so much interest. I own focal bookshelves. They are opposite to Polks. And I miss lowend on them. I want Polks!
I'm planning a major speaker upgrade for my home theater and hadn't seriously considered the Polk Reserve series into consideration. I like the matte finish (just wish they came in white)and the amount of R&D that has gone into them. The R700s are now on my list of contenders!
They come in white and wood
@@broganjosh4729 White is discontinued.
Jay that giveaway has just given me a headache trying to enter,,, turn it in mate...
If your going to have give a ways, don't make us go round the houses just to enter,, come off. it mate..
I was enjoying my evening until that palaver..
Regards Antony.
Looks like everyone else is entering fine.
Not sure how to make it simpler than “comment. Click the link. Answer a question.. all of which is 1 entry each”
🤷♂️
To make a speaker under $2k I would assume they had to cut costs on the crossover components. I would be very interested to see you re-review them after upgrading the crossover components.
Jay, get G&R research to do a crossover upgrade?
@@philipciantar4824 Just pour some snake oil on top!!
Danny please chime in!
Not sure about this review. Fantastic but only has bass?? Mids and highs just ok. You don't make sense.
seems like it made a lot of sense to many folks out there including yourself. Not sure what you are confused about
The Reserve line from Polk really looks like a force to be reckoned with at this price point, would love to hear what they can do myself!
The previous Lsim series was much better. I have the 707s as my rears. Go listen to those. Google the internals of the 707s and see what value those were! Polk actually went backwards a bit on this series. Ohh and the previous 703 is far better than the new two way bookshelf in the legend series. The 703 is a far better speaker in every way.
I have the R600 and R700 on my list to audition. Not sure which one would be best in my 12' X 20' room.
Brasil here…I have a big 60 m2 room and was thinking in the R600 or the R700 too. As some people said that an over 100 watts/channel amplifier was needed to drive the R700 I bought the R600 to connect with my Cambridge CXA81. I am getting a great sound! But we audio lovers always want more…🧐😀😀😀
I’ve been a Polk fan since the old days when they made the original SDA series. Glad to see them raising the bar again in an affordable floor standing speaker.
I was especially impressed with your favorable comparison to the Klipsch Cornwall. I am familiar with their capability, and for the Polks to exceed that is quite impressive.
The Cornwall has no bass!!!
The polk actually has bass!!
ca someone explain why a speaker is proclaimed as a "home audio speaker" , surely if its a good speaker it does everything well
Because it is not a professional audio speaker
Man..great review. Really enjoyed the formatting, and spending time on placement for towers on the more monster side.
It’s exciting - almost incomprehensible- how great components and speakers have improved at this price level. Particularly these speakers. To think that with some careful pairing you can get these close to a couple of Sabrinas or Pendragons?!? Anyway, thank you for bringing an education to affordable and well - designed equipment 🙏🏼👍🏼
I'm glad I found your review. I've been looking for some larger speakers to replace my 5.1 setup in my living room. I wanted speakers with more punch than my Paradigm Monitor 7 v5. I've looked at speakers up to $5k per pair and even higher. But the costs add up, and even with the modestly priced Polks I'm looking at almost $5k for a full set not counting subwoofers. So if these are as good as you and everyone else are saying, then I hope these will satisfy my desire for more dynamic movies and music.
Great video, very helpful to hear your assessment of R700 Polk speakers!!
- It's hard to believe what the speakers bring to the table at his price point. Now we just need Polk to raise the bar in the midrange and high frequencies to provide the crazy " Audiophiles " out there the Speaker of their dreams for an unheard of price point!
Amazing how much speakers have improved despite the technology is basically the same for decades. Very good review.
One of the most accurate in its product class.
It has a neutral response in the regions that people are most likely to listen at
Hope they are as good as u say might go out and buy
Great review! These R700's are getting universal praise across he board by many of the established reviewers. Amazing value for the money! It's making me wonder if I made the right choice in recently purchasing Sonus faber Sonnetto's at more than twice the price!
Unless you went into deep debt to buy them, I doubt you made a mistake. I got the Polk 700 (refurbished), enjoy the heck out of them, don't plan to upgrade within the next 10 years..( how long it's been since I got the Klipsch rp81 pair before this) BUT.. seems a lot of reviewers think more highly of the sonus-faber mids/highs. I didn't want to spend that, but I bet you got something for the extra $$.
Yeah Polk killing it !!
I told Danny @GR research my Polk lsim703 flew under the radar !! Danny was shocked to his core with Lsim 703 measured performace Danny said they compete with his xtream series ans build of Lsim one of the best for price Polks out measured Wilson audio $20k speakers Danny was building xover for but now Polks have $1300 covers 😆
Thanks Jay Polk under rated top level engeeners
I think ( TO ME Personally ) speakers like the R700 represent the perfect sweet spot. Spending $2000 on a pair of towers is still $2000 so its not cheap but its doable for what you get. I cant fathom a pair of $25,000 PS Audio speakers are $23,000 better.. I just cant see it being justified at all besides having too much money or bragging rights. I wouldnt doubt they are better but they cannot be that much better.. Great review on the R700's, Im still enjoying my 1980s ADS speakers which can still hang and sometimes surpass more modern speakers.
I like to listen the Polk r700 speaker
I have been a fan of Polk for a long time. These speakers are getting strong reviews and I am seriously considering an upgrade. Thanks for the review.
These Polk speakers really have me intrigued, I want to try them in my room as well. Great job on the video brother.
Greetings Jay,
Just admire your precise presentation.
What a fabulous Giveaway !
A complete Audiophile System which I can only dream of.
Polk R700 towers are pretty peppy place any where,big bass-boss solid built speakers.
Doge 10 Tube integrated amplifier will boost its dynamics.
And the iFi Zen streamer will complete the incredible set up.
I am in to win.
You simply Rock.
Best wishes Jay.
😊🙏💐🎶
I purchased them and they were absolutely awful they muddy sounding, not clear at all. I ended up returning them.
Same here.
Ouch, have you bought anything else since returning them?
🤔Funny how you say that people typically don't associate the name Polk with quality speakers. A half century ago, when Matthew Polk started the company, the Polk loudspeaker became synonymous with quality for a while.
Selling the company probably was the detour on image, but I haven't been "monitoring" Polk speakers for the for the last 35 years, so I can't offer much "detail."😉
PS.. see what I did there? lol
I don't know man. Not sure about your amp or what not but I have listened to a lot of speakers. I have the R700's,ls50 metas and ked 750's. All in different rooms. The R700's are extremely good. You may be using a bad pre amp.
Are you replying to someone else? He literally said these were amazing speakers.
Jay, you always do a thorough job with your reviews. Glad you reviewed the R700. My first exposure to Polk was years ago when a friend bought a set of 10A's. Those blew me away. Since, I have always been curious about how they evolved their line-up. The R700 is right in my price range. I have a pair of 8 Ohm Infinity Kappa 7.1 Series II's that I love and use to test the Hafler amps I upgrade, but I also would like a high quality 4 Ohm speakers to test them with. These might be just what I'm looking for.
polks been on fire. I have the Polk r200s and they are amazing. Super clean, balanced sound. Highly reccomend.
these speakers rock bro
Jay, great video as always! I have a question... would it be better to run 200's with a musical sub like a Rel? I mean more focus and better Soundstage? Anyway again, great video and keep it up!
Very interesting product from the people at Polk ......... I'd love ❤ to give them an audition someday 😉👌.
The down firing port is a game changer. Makes the speaker insensitive to room positioning.. Good job Polk! Polk has come out with all guns blazing. Let's see what the competitor has to offer. I love competition ;-o
I just got the R500s in my living room to audition when this video came out. Thanks a lot! Now I have to decide whether to send them back and upgrade to these larger units. The R500s sound great, beautiful with music and nice and punchy. Now that I know the flavor, the idea of getting a greater sense of scale and impact is very tempting!
Excellent large speakers can just give a better experience than comparable quality bookshelf speakers.
I like the fact that these have more placement options. Not everyone has the room to put speakers out into the room. That gives them a better WAF too.
Good review and good to see Polk still kickin' it!
I have been looking at all the reviews and sound demos on the R700 and have included them as a possibility as my next choice . I have a Rotel integrated amp and trying to decide what speakers to go with . Right now I have some older definitive technology as my main ones . Thank you for your input
I fell in love with the super similar L600 Towers using a very powerful Rotel 1592MII integrated: 225/365 proven clean watts at 8/4 ohms, with 640 damping factor for thunderous bass and firm and quick driver control. Semi bright sounding gear (like the Rotel) will be perfectly tamed by the ring radiator tweeter, which for me made them sound almost as good as some of the higher end tweeters. Rotel tends to be more detailed but to me it presented great musicality when paired with the Polk and never sounded overly clinical. 9.8/10 would recommend that pairing, mostly thanks to the huge power available on that unit.
The grip that unit had on the L600's wolfers was extremely impressive but would have STILL been better if using a better quality 2 ohm stable amp thanks to impedance dips of 3.3 ohm. The R700 are slightly better at 3.6 but to get perfectly clean bass at high volume and to protect your amps components, snagging a 2 ohm stable amp with more powerful or dual power supplies is ideal. The used market is a good way to find some amazing deals on such amps. If you use a 4 ohm stable amp ohm just keep the volume away from max and you will be fine and likely experience nearly perfect results anyway, at least when using the slightly easier to drive R700 towers. Cheers!
Sweet speakers
Wondering about these speakers vs the new Klipsch RP-8060FA2.... Waiting for more reviews on the Klipsch...But these Polk speakers seems to check most of the boxes.
hey, can you pls advise here:
Polk R700 + R400 vs Q Acoustics Concept 50 + Concept 90
AVR is Anthem MRX 740, no other external amplifier
I'd love that Doge as an upgrade for my old Denon receiver. Curious how the new Polk compares to my older, more expensive Polk LSIM 707.
Good to see the followup on the Polk R200. I've watched this twice and somehow am missing you speak about treble and the tweeter. Thanx
I had the RTi12 years ago and they were an incredible speaker for the money, Im actually in the market for a set of speakers I just sold my Cornwalls because i needed some quick cash
Very interesting speakers from Polk. And its only marginally pricier than R200. Im really curious to audition them in person.
Nice video, thank you! I am a headphone user so I have some
DACs and Headphone Amps that can be Pre-Amps. Would like advice from anyone here.
I have a study room that measures 4.25 length x 3.15 width x 2.48 ceiling in meters (13’1” x 9’10” x 8’1”). Both sides are lined with bookshelves with a work desk at the end. So my nett space is 3.9 x 2.35 x 2.48 meters (12’10”x 7’9” x 8’1”).
Will the R700 be suitable or should I get the R200 with a subwoofer instead? Which Amplifiers and Models will work with each of the above? What else must I do (such as room treatments, etc)? Thank you for your advise!
What will be better stereo speakers for music between Polk R700 and Klipsch Forte IV?
Great review Jay, these speakers are huge but Polk keeps driving price and quality. I own the M60's and would love to own these.
These have been on my radar for a few months, they appear to be a good combination of the modern design style with a more old school design with larger drivers.
Yamaha RX- 683
20 Years old 2 Onkyo Fusion AV S-31 12" 3 way
2 Micca center speakers
2 sonys (very smal 3 inch) for the surround.
And 2 Pioneer S-H452F-K for back surround...
Is all I got.🥺
This will be a dream for me.
Thanks for shareing and time.
I'm debating on what towers to get, I have SVS sb 3000 subwoofer, so maybe R 700 not good idea since I will be using the subwoofer. ? Also I do not have receiver or amplifier, using klipsch McLaren fives.
So looking for towers, receiver/amp to pair with sb3000.
Here in Oz the price is 3K AUD. Convert that to USD that's more than double the price in US & Canada 😭
R700.. vs Elac Uni-fi reference UFR52.. or perhaps Buchardt A700. I'd be curious how the A700 compares to a similarly priced and moderately priced power-speaker combo of the R700 or Elac, or if it’s just in a whole nother realm with the paper woofer, mastertunings and room correction.. and the amp and crossovers already high quality and the perfect match for the drivers. My assumption is the Polks have more bass extension and power, while the Buchardts and Elacs having better imaging, soundstage, mids/highs details, and the Buchardts having more bass detail than the Elacs and Polks.
These appear to be the speakers I've been waiting for for years.
Just can't wait to hook up a pair of them to my Ashly FDX series III, FTX-2001 ( mega MOSFET brick )
Bad news is: , I am finding it almost impossible to get hold of a pair of these in the United Kingdom 😢
I have a pair of diminutive Dali Menuet SEs which I use with a REL Tzero sub. For me, the bass is plenty enough -- truly astounding with something like Bela Fleck's "Flight of the Cosmic hippo" or lots of Marian Hill's stuff.
Would the Polk R700, which Andrew Robinson has also just enthused over, offer anything more? I dunno. Andrew says they're good even at low volumes, which is a plus, but what about the mids and highs? This is where the Menuets particularly excel.
Were I ever to get a pair of R700s, I'd give them a fair hearing. Had I an unlimited budget, I'd fill my house with all sorts of gear, listening to this or that according to mood...
I do like what I saw when I clicked that link, however if it is priced anything close to the bigger brother (Odyssey Neo G9) then that will have to be a pass for me.
Can't justify over $3000 NZD for a monitor, I could buy the 42 inch LG C2 or the new QD-OLED by Samsung.
As for the Polks, I have experience (in the past) selling the Polk Audio Signature series but was underwhelmed with their performance, bass sounded muddy, mid range was nice but the top end/tweater was lacking in information. I am keen to give these a listen to see how they have improved!
Jay, I have a question for you. You have me looking at getting either the R700 or the R200. However, I’m able to get used SVS ultra bookshelves for $650. That’s the same price as new R200s. Which one would you choose, the used SVS or new R200?
Its an amazing speaker, and i would buy it, but theres one thing i cant buy this Speaker...POLK...maybe a Dynaudio sticker can fix it...
I'm just returning to audio after several years away
I'm looking to build a newer system. I've been looking into emotiva. Now seeing the new polk, I'm very interested.
Thank you for your videos. I'm learning alot about current audio
I was very intrigued by these, but their weakness is my biggest priority with high sound. That is imaging and spatial holography. Unfortunate.
Hello Jay - another great review !! I like you comment - "there is no replacement for displacement" I had pair of EPI 200C floor standers (Focal type tweeter 8" bass with a flat 12 passive radiator)the kick drum would punch you in the chest, but still overall very musical - (bookshelf speakers can't provide the scale) hooked to Onkyo Integra Separates 105 RMS per, Dual DD - Ortofon MC - (All were stolen) Building a new system and would love to have a pair of Polk R700
I have dual pb2000 pro svs subwoofers... Would you say just go with the r200 bookshelf speakers for the benefits you mentioned?
Well, I contacted some sellers to ask for theirs advises yelling them I own a pair of Tannoy xt8f. According to them, they don't recommend me to replace tannoy xt8f by polk r700. There would be a risk of finding a cold sound from Polk. A match between tannoy xt8f Vs Polk r700 would be interesting ( 20cm tweeter). What you describe in your video as to Polk's bass is what I found in tannoy xt8f.