Buy the Polk Audio Reserve R700 from Crutchfield here: howl.me/cmE2bz1BlMl And be sure to check out Crutchfield's "Real Deal Days" sale via their homepage here: howl.me/cmFsSSbVuYH These links earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you which helps me keep bringing you free, objective reviews. I appreciate your support!
Hi Erin, Always Enjoy your Videos. Wonder if you can Suggest an Amp/receiver to me. Right now I am Using an Onkyo TX-SR 605 receiver driving my Polk XT 60's Now I know that It is Supposed to get hot I just find it getting too hot so I thought it may be ready for the Grave, so was Looking for another one, But I am On a Budget So Can't afford anything too expensive, Interesting the Yamaha you picked I actually picked out from the Specs, But when I seen the Price I said, That Figures, anything I like I can't afford. What Yamaha would you suggest to drive these Speakers Comfortably, I can listen to any music, I don't listen to country though everything else is Open to me. I listen Via CD, and Might consider Amazon Prime Music so that might be a feature I would look for but Not needed, And I have a Powered Sub as well. Cheers, Robert MacDonald P.S. Did I mention I enjoy your Channel
I just bought the KEF R3 Meta partly because of your review (I also had an extensive listening session at the store). I cannot be more happy! Thank you for all the great content!
When I first got these speakers, I was concerned about the forward sound - until I toed them in... and the sound was so much smoother! This is an example of a review providing deeper insights using data vs the reviews that simply use flowery words.
Man muss diese Lautsprecher einfach hören. Erst danach kann man darüber reden wie gut sie klingen. Ich habe meine jetzt seit über einem Jahr und bin immer noch überzeugt.
Thank you for being one of the few reviewers that provides both subjective and objective data! I am recently getting into hifi so ill def be looking through ur affiliate links.
Yeah, this is critical for me now. I don't trust companies that don't post measurements or let their speakers be measured. Ascend Acoustics and Neumann do great with this.
Funny, the tweeter is my favorite part of these incredible speakers. If your a classic rock guy, you'll love how these tame all those terribly recorded albums we love.
A few months ago I watched dozens of hours of your videos along with a few other TH-camrs. Many of the same videos over and over. In the end, I upgraded from a ~5 year old 5.1 Jamo S803 package to a 5.1.4 Polk R series + RSL Speedwoofer 12S. R700 + R900 + R400 + R200. I know the center channel is a compromised design, but I like when things match. Love the upgrade. Love your content. I'm a sucker for stats so the Klippel is king and your easy to understand explanations are priceless. Glad to see the R700 made your list!
Thanks for everything Erin! I now am able to enjoy this beautiful hobby in a new way by being able to consult potential buyers at a local hi-fi store I recently started working at as a part time gig - all credits to you ❤ Lots of love from Adelaide Australia!
I have had a pair of R700's for 18 months now and love them, in the year preceding this purchase I had auditioned more than 10 comparable (relatively) 2 and 3 way Floor standers. A couple of issues mentioned here I would like to comment on: I have my speakers positioned 310mm (12") from the rear wall and 550mm (21") from the side walls with a 7deg toe-in and 3.6m (12 Feet) from the listening position. There is no bass boominess, the bass is tight and smooth (stunning in fact even at low volume) Being able to position them relatively close to the rear wall I feel comes down to the down-firing bass port. In contrast the B&W CM7's I had before replacing with the R700's, had a rear bass port and needed to be 600mm away from the wall which was a pain because the front of the CM's were over 1metre (3'4") into the room. As for the tweeter mismatch, I don't think anyone would listen at 90Dbl+ in their media room or lounge room, so as Erin said: not an issue at all. My personal experience is, the sound at all levels is balanced, smooth, crisp and revealing.
@@induction7895 Generally no, I have my Denon AVC-X8500HA bass set to LFE rather than LFE+Mains and listen to my records in 'pure audio' so the Subs (pair of SVS 3000's) don't engage.....but some records I have sound better with sound mode set to 'auro-2d' leaving the Fronts set to 'Large'. This setting which engages the Subs improves the soundstage of some records incredibly. My experience so far (limited because I don't often use my system as home theatre) is if you are watching movies, most movies will require you to set the Fronts to 'Small' or the bass is overpowering when using DTS or Dolby/Dolby Atmos. For the record, Paired with the R700's are a R400c centre, R200's rears and of course the SVS's I just experimented with things, and of course your setup may yield different results....but I hope I have given you a starting point.
@@induction7895 No generally….I mostly listen to my records with the Amp’s (Denon AVC-X8500HA) Bass set to LFE rather than LFE+Mains, the sound mode set to ‘Pure Direct’ (strictly 2 channel) and the R700’s set to Full Range ie. ‘LARGE’ so the Subs (2 x SVS 3000’s) aren’t engaged. Some records (low bass recordings) I have however sound better using the sound mode ‘Auro2d’ where the Subs are engaged giving a much better soundstage. I leave the FRONTS set to ‘LARGE’ mostly, but sometimes if there is a little boominess, I will change them to “SMALL’ with crossover set to 60HZ (the R200 REARS and the R400c CENTRE are always set to 80HZ) When watching movies in DTS or Dolby/Dolby Atmos, best to have the FRONTS set to SMALL/60HZ or the excessive bass will ruin the experience…. Getting back to low bass recordings, you could try LFE+Mains/'Pure Direct' rather than 'Auro2d' to engage your sub(s) You just need to experiment with your own system, but I hope I have given you a little to go on.
I’ve had these for about 9 months now and for the money I coine happier! The front baffles need to be about 4 feet from the front wall and a couple feet from the sides. Mine are toed in slightly and my soundstage is deep and broad and very well defined. I don’t notice the 4kHz issues mentioned at all. I’m considering an upgrade to Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII G2 but am in no hurry to drop$8k! These Polks are a winner! I am also using a pair of RELs for sub-bass…
Glad to see Polk still making good speakers! Would be interested to hear your balanced take on any of these: • Paradigm Founder 40B • Kerr Acoustics K300 mk2 • Diptyque DP107 • Fyne F500SP, F1-5 • Audiovector R1 Arreté
Wow I'm surprised! I had this speaker but it was a bit boomy in my room. I need to work around those nodes. Got a speaker with DSP. Thanks for the measurements! Love it!
Thanks for your great reviews Erin. I use these with an AVR as preamp and Audyssey MultEQ-X smoothing the bass up to room modal freq of about 250 Hz. They don't need any EQ above 250 Hz. The 15-40 Hz range I hand off to a couple of subs. I've never had such chocolatey and authoritive bass before.
First, yes, Crutchfield is awesome. Their excellent service makes them my absolute first choice. The Polk Reserve series 500/600/700 all represent outstanding value. And they are all different from each other....not just slightly larger clones of the same speaker as you go up the line. The significantly smaller 500 is back ported whereas the 600 & 700 are down ported. The 500 would do very well in a small room BUT the bass is lacking compared to the 600 & 700. With a sub the 500 provides excellent sound for the dollar if space is limited but there's room for a sub somewhere. Then, the 600 makes a huge jump in the depth of the bass from the 500....a world of difference/next level. Just as Erin said in this review about the 700...that you could get away without a sub if you wanted too. Well, the 600 is the same.... excellent bass for a speaker of this size and you wouldn't necessarily miss a sub if practical reasons require omission. Another thing about the 600.... it is much smaller physically than the 700 so if space is tight and/or the budget is tight, the 600 still has superb overall sound for a speaker in this price range. I hope Erin gets a chance to review the 600 now that he has experienced the 500 and 700. The 600 is outstanding if the 700 is a bit too big for the space. Polk did a very nice job with this series, and the cabinets are very solid and attractive. In their respective price range the Reserve series is hard to beat.
The Crutch field ad was hilarious & entertaining...i appreciate you making the sponser ad fun. I have & really like the R700's. They replaced the Wharfedale Lintons in my living room many months ago. I do feel the 3-5khz area needs good speaker placement & PEQ in my case to get it almost just right. Its not perfect & my main issue with them..but kinda easy to overlook when I consider how great the rest of the speaker performs. Other than that 3-5khz area the beaming of the tweeter is not an issue for me & as bad as it measures i still like the ring tweeter overall. I mentioned in your early video release post that i feel it performs best for me not going past the 85db in loudness..which is pretty loud in my room. I pulled the R700's out about a week ago to try the KEF R3 Meta. The R3 with sub is pretty good but I'd be lying if I didnt say i miss a few things that i get better when using the Polk's. Thanks for the data on these speakers Erin. It helps make sense as to what i was hearing & thinking. I'll do some things differently when I hook them back up.
I’m watching this vid, and have other R700 vids before, as I too have Lintons. What differences between the two and why do you like the Polks better than the Lintons?
@@kenstewart7811 I have to interject here.. I have a pair of Polk speakers, and I also have a pair of Wharfedale speakers, both are big, both are expensive, both are not current models, but I like them both for different reasons .. you can't expect everybody to choose the same speaker when polling between which two pairs that they like; that's an unrealistic expectation! 😵💫
I love my R700's, they have some issues but for the money, I'm happy! Erin, your voice is hard to hear at times in this video, sounds like the volume jumps very quickly. Otherwise, awesome video as always! 🤘
G'day from Perth Australia Erin. Thanks for the in depth review. There have been plenty of them since these where released and most end up with more positives. Im an old Polkie from way back and the Reserve series are the first offering for some time that takes me back to the good old days of the Polk Audio Monitor series in the 70's, 80,s & 90,s. Great sound for the money. I run my R700s with a Parasound 2250 power amp with a Vincent tube pre and they love the extra power on tap. They are not perfect. At times would like a little more air in the treble. Bass can be a bit overpowering in the certain circumstances. But i have found with some placement and feed them with a good quality source & power they perform well above the cost. Cheers.
Thanks for the review. I auditioned a pair in walnut. They looked the better of the two options but you can tell it’s not real wood. The bass was as good as I’ve heard from towers. The midrange was fine. The tweeter was average. They do need power to drive them. Was driving with a 200 WPC Rotel amp. I bought from Polk directly with 10% off and they even threw in a free sub! 45 day home trial. Returned free of charge for a full refund. I would recommend for towers under $2,000. Rock on.
Dude, I love the Crutcheld ad bahahhahhaha!!! Seriously, I love it…you’re as credible and impartial as they come man. Glad to see you’re finding ways to continue making it easier to pump out videos, offset some of the committment cost, and make some honest cheese.❤
I hope this helps you decision: I have had a pair of R700's for 18 months now and love them, in the year preceding this purchase I had auditioned more than 10 comparable (relatively) 2 and 3 way Floor standers. A couple of issues mentioned here I would like to comment on: I have my speakers positioned 310mm (12") from the rear wall and 550mm (21") from the side walls with a 7deg toe-in and 3.6m (12 Feet) from the listening position. There is no bass boominess, the bass is tight and smooth (stunning in fact even at low volume) Being able to position them relatively close to the rear wall I feel comes down to the down-firing bass port. In contrast the B&W CM7's I had before replacing with the R700's, had a rear bass port and needed to be 600mm away from the wall which was a pain because the front of the CM's were over 1metre (3'4") into the room. As for the tweeter mismatch, I don't think anyone would listen at 90Dbl+ in their media room or lounge room, so as Erin said: not an issue at all. My personal experience is, the sound at all levels is balanced, smooth, crisp and revealing.
Thanks for the informative review Erin.. Typically the various speaker compromises "should" naturally become less significant at higher price points, but I don't think it's reasonable to expect to eek out every aspect of performance at only $2k per pair. These R700's seem to meet compromised expectations reasonably well at their price point. Like any product, sale discounts always makes them more attractive than the standard street pricing.
I went to audio advise and listened to speakers up to 100k. These polk R700 speakers are a lot better than you're saying. I would be interested to see what wall is giving you bloated bass. I don't get that and my speakers are up against the wall
Very interesting comparisons! I sold my R500 for a pair of OG R5 specifically for use in an open concept space. Love the R5s but I have not been able to position them to produce the same level of holographic stereo the R500s could. They were great speakers if you could sit in front of them but not pleasant elsewhere in the space. That was the only thing the R500s did better, the slim form is nice but the finish is cheap compared to KEF.
when i listened my R7s i noticed when i listen to it, i miss the holographic thing vs my R300, I guess the R series are more controlled but narrow dispersion kill the holographic thing.
Yeah, at its current price it's hard to beat. I can't think of anything off the top that bests it at that price. At it's regular price it already represents a good value.
If you have the space for them you'll probably love them, though that's obviously a very personal thing. I've got a pair and have been really happy with them for the price. Only things I'd mention after listening to them for many months is they definitely need some space, both from the wall behind them, as well as corners; they can get a bit boomy in the lower frequencies otherwise imho. They also respond well to a bit of power. My space is too small and has issues with reflections (it's obviously in the specs, I underestimated their size at the time), but I've stopped over-analyzing them and have been doing what matters the most- enjoying music.
Wow dang! I have 5 of these along with other Reserve models. I also noticed distortion or issues at volume. It's the one issue that kept plaguing me after I started using True Target. I also had them all crossfired to slightly widen that sweet spot, so slightly off-axis. I still use two of the R700s on PC on-axis. I upgraded to Ascendos, but overall, I still think the reserve models sound great!
Erin, fantastic video. Your measurements and summary of dispersion width compared to other speakers, along with the comments on bass extension and off axis frequency response up top. What else is in your top 5 and which speakers do you actually see beating these including models above $2,500? Thanks!
Andrew Robinson loves these! I’m starting to think that Erin and him should have a chat 💬 and stream it! Two different styles and I appreciate both perspectives! Anyone else agree?
@Audfile 😂 I enjoy watching ARs videos and don't think he's that bad but you hit on something true in that latter part... what can you expect from west coast
I think these are really nice looking speakers, but not enough to replace my Arendal 1961 Towers I use with subs (which I bought largely because of Erin's review and I got them for a great price).
Hey Erin! Excellent video as always! I currently have the Klipsch RP8000FIIs in my 2 channel listening room. I also had the Polk R700s at the same time and completely agree with your reviews of both of these speakers. I'm looking to spend $4K -$6k on a new set of towers. My dream speaker would retain some high frequency sparkle (not all of it) like the Klipsch, but would have more bass and a more enveloping sound like the Polk's. I want to avoid using a Sub. Do you think the new MOFI 888's would work? Do you have a different recommendation? Thanks for all you do!
🇧🇷🎼 Brasil here. I bought last year a pair of R600 and a Cambridge CX A81. My room is big (60 m2) but I got a good volume at 10 o clock in the amp. Then some months after I bought a pair of R700 … the midrange is too much harsh compared with the R600. 😮 I am testing with A/B in the Cambridge….noticeably differencies! 😮😮😮
I get the feeling that Polk's marketing department wanted the specs to show 8/6/4 Ohm Amp compatibility. However, Engineer Scott Orth wanted the minimal 3.6 Ohm rating in the literature. He's said it over and over again that many speakers out there are 4 Ohm and few are actually 8 Ohm.
I have to agree. Polk tries to make it look like they're offering offering you something absolutely fantastic for the money, but the reality is, instead of playing games with these fancily named tweeter designs, they should just stick with the standard soft dome tweeers and everybody would probably be much better off. In my experience, Polk has always sermed to have had less trouble offering pleasing lows in comparison to their highs at higher SPL's, irrespective of the data. I ❤ how data can prove to us what's actually happening.
@@dewey79 If that tweeter gets better with time, I'd be worried that it will eventually go bad, very similar to an experience I had with Polk SL2500 tweeters from 30 years ago. The speakers needed crossover upgrades after 10-15 years, and then eventually the tweeters became the problem, to which I attributed to ferrofluid at the time. I still believe that's why they started sounding more and more ratty. Changed tweeters, problem solved. Started using the RD0198's that were the OEM replacements from Polk for the SL's at the time.
Possibly, but the overall response became smoother and more pleasing with room filling dispersion at various levels. The tweeter compression at those decimal levels are probably by design to protect the tweeter.
@@dewey79 With regard to my comments, that amount of compression at that SPL at above 4kHz doesn't bother me; in fact, I believe, as Erin stated, that it shouldn't impose a problem for most people. I was referring more to the dispersion characteristic, that I would've preferred soft dome tweeters, but certainly not a dealbreaker, especially at the asking price. I think the R700 is a reasonable value, but I'm lucky enough to already have multiple keepers (to satisfy my tastes in my environments), including a floorstanding pair of speakers on short stands from the $2k price range that I'm grateful for, to enjoy on a regular basis.😉 Thanks for your thoughts on this. I enjoy hearing other perspectives.
Definitely. I actually have both and have a hard time deciding which pair I like better lol. But the KEF's infinitely easier to drive for sure. I have them hooked up to 100w tube amp and they absolutely sing. Meanwhile, the R700's are taking nearly 500w per channel.
Did you ever tried and listen to a pair of Phonar edma's. Edwin Maas is using phobars as donor speakers and makes some upgrades on them so they will be labeled as Edma speakers. The upgrades contain other filters and cable inside the cabinet, better tweeters etc. I really like to know what's your opinion off these speakers. They come I different models and price ranges. I think they can easily beat high end brand speakers that are 3 or 4 times more expensive.
I have polk R700's close to the wall with no boomy bass. The down firing port makes it to where it takes care of boomy bloated bass. I recommend putting them next to a wall.
Mine are pretty close to the wall as well with no issues. I put some Iso-Acoustic pucks rated a 20lb a piece under each foot & improved the overall sound as well. I have tile floors though.
@@NosEL34 didn't need pucks. The purpose of the down firing was so you can put it against the wall. I don't understand why he is the only person that has this issue
Do you use an equalizer at all? Just curious. Mine are pretty close to the wall. I lowered nearly all frequencies around 4db or less on the eq except bass and it came alive in the low end without muddiness.
Sorry, slightly OT: Did you change something on your microphone settings lately. It sounds a little strange, as if some kind of NC is active when you speak. Apart from that, nice review, as always. 😄
@ErinsAudioCorner Erin My Man Thanks a ton for this review. I have waited almost a year for You to review these. I sure had a feeling that they would make it to Your top Five under $ 2500. The Floor ported reserve models perform far better than the rear ported ones. The only model left in the reserve series that You haven't reviewed yet is the R600 which is again a floor ported one. Hope You can do a review on the R600 as well. I would love to hear Your personal opinion and a comparison on the sound quality of the R700 vs Linton Your other favourite. Your Work here is highly appreciated. Keep up the great reviews and GOD Bless.
@@ErinsAudioCorner My pleasure Man. If You can, please do offer Your subjective preferences of the R700 and Linton. These are priced very close and Your personal opinion on these Would help Me out very much. Thanks.
I personally still prefer the Linton for the overall tonal sound. But the Polk has better distortion and dynamic range. Either way, if you happen to order speakers through crutchfield, just a friendly request to use my affiliate link.
@@ErinsAudioCorner Thanks Mate for the reply. As much as I would have liked to use Your affiliate links, just to say thank You for all Your great work, I regret that I can't do that because I stay in India and We don't have shipping here from crutchfield.
Erin, I have a few questions for you... I have owned a pair of Polk R700s for about a year now. They sound great except for one thing, they do not image depth that well. How does the JBL Studio 698 compare in imaging to the Polk? What about the JBL Studio HD3800? Is there that much difference between the two JBLs in performance (I raised the question because Crutchfield has a great sale on the JBLs right now)? Thank you in advance.
Thanks Erin. Wondering what you mean by "low level dynamics"? I get compression can reduce dynamics at high levels, but what would impact dynamics at low levels?
I wish you would review the HECO Aurora 1000. I had these and the Polk R700's at home side by side and maybe, just maybe, the Polks were 1 to 2% better (bass), but the HECO's were only about $1200.
Thanks for the informative review. I wonder, as an R500 owner, how big a step up these are. I think you're saying that the tweeter is similar--less "shouty"?--and that there is significantly more bass. But is the tonality of these speakers similar? Does the midrange present a more accurate representation of instrumental timbre? My R500s are a good fit for my smallish room, and with dual subs, I'm satisfied with the low-end pressure. Additionally, with 300+ watts per, they sound full at low volume levels. You noted that the R700s play well at low levels, which is a big plus in my book. Anyway, I am just curious about the differences in the Polk Reserve line's sound character. Thanks again!
The 500 with a sub (or 2!) are great together. From my experience if you couldn’t have a sub you would want, NEED the 600…. But you’re good… not really missing anything with your combo!
I enjoy your reviews. I wonder if you would consider reviewing the Bryston Model Ts. I’m intrigued how the speakers measure (especially with the dial tweeters) and your objective impressions on how they sound.
@ErinsAudioCorner I have the Polk XT20 bookshelves you reviewed in my 5.2.4 living room setup with two Starke sw15 subs. If I upgraded my LCR to the Reserve series. Would the R700 be worth the price over the R200 since I cross over everything before 80hz to the subs? Also do you think from reviewing both is there a big performance jump between the XT and the Reserve? Thank you for all you do!
😂 I feel sorry for you . I’m 60 and can’t hear anything that you are saying are there short comings . I love them with my Rotel 1592 MKII and Eversolo DMpA8 . The Rotel even has a jack to plug in my Focal Elex headphones . I don’t have to pay that youth tax anymore. On I forgot my Rel classic sub 👍
Hey Erin. I have the R700 and like them, but like most audiophiles I'm always thinking about upgrading. Do you have a suggestion as to what you would consider the next level up speaker?
As always, great review. Just wondering, for those who need to place their speakers closer to the front wall, would the added bass boominess be tamed with a sub crossed at 80hz? Or would it just be more practical to get the R200 + sub for that sort of placement scenario?
I like the extra dynamics that the (2) 8's get you. But it might be overkill if you plan to use a subwoofer. I'd probably consider going with the R500 as a good middle ground.
Lol these are easily better than the SVS Evos just reviewed for 38% the cost. Kinda funny that Erin reviewed the SVS's then showed how you can get way better at the same $5k price, and then better at $1.9k.
Fantastic review, when objective data meets opinion, thank you, I would like to suggest you if you can try the Wharfedale evo 4.3 as being the cheaper version of the aura, would be nice, keep up the good work
Great review! Did the Yamaha RN2000a have enough power to play the Polks loud? I’m interested in this amp but I’m a bit scared of its advertised 100 watts. Thanks!
@@kevintomb I’ve always liked having lots of power. It seems to make for a more effortless sound along with other things. However I understand wattts arnt everything and current has allot to do with it. I think the Yamaha probably has lots of current
It definitely did the job. Cheap plug, I know, but if you do wind up getting it please consider using my affiliate link below. It earns me a commission but doesn’t cost you anything extra. It would be appreciated. howl.me/cmxM2cdIqg3
I would also like to share my experience with shipping. I purchased a set from B&H. One speaker arrived damaged. Both boxes were beat to hell. Shipping was standard FedEx shipping. I was surprised to see via my door camera that the fedex guy was lifting these without a hand truck, carrying them. Keep in mind the box is 92 pounds! Crazy! They shipped from NY, I live in Idaho. I’m guessing they had a rough ride and transferred a couple times before they arrived at my doorstep. To B&H’s credit they promptly replaced the speaker. 1 week later the a speaker arrived damaged, again! This time I was home at the time of delivery. Same delivery method and delivery guy. I asked if I could open the box and inspect being the box looked terrible, driver was okay with this. Sure enough the cabinet had a huge amount of damage. I refused the delivery. I ended up ordering from Audio Advice. The sales rep was super awesome, offered me a discount, also told me given the weight of these speakers they would be dropped shipped, meaning on a pallet wrapped tightly. Still, free shipping. Awesome! Sure enough a couple days later speaker arrived without issue. The box was looked like it hadn’t even been touched. Anyway, I’d recommend ordering from a company that can drop ship the speakers. Cheers. Oh, these speakers are perfect from me, coming from 15+ years as a Klipsch owner. These surpass Klipsch in terms of performance and neutrality. They excel wonderfully with mkvies and 2-channel listening, especially the ladder. They are paired with a Polk Legend 400 Center. \,,/
That’s surprising considering the level of packaging Polk provides with these speakers! That said, that is another great thing about Crutchfield…. they overbox everything (most everything I think) that gives considerable extra shipping protection. And any problems… Crutchfield is great to deal with. Can you tell I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with them lol.
@@festerofest4374 I don't blame Polk's packaging at all. The problem was that Amazon shipped these speakers like they do much lighter items and not like freight. Every single box that showed up was banged up and one side completely open. You knew it was going to be bad before even removing the speakers from the box.
I blame Polk packaging for being substandard. I’ve seen them banged using Polk website! Come on guys companies have been double boxing speakers for years
I purchased a pair of the R700’s about a year ago from Crutchfield for my home theater system. Polk has done something I’ve never seen in a speaker design that has given me a bit of trouble. The woofers are phased opposite of the standard phasing. I confirmed this the old-fashioned way with a AA battery. When tapping the speaker leads to the battery and adhering to positive on the speaker to positive on the battery, the woofers pull in and not out like you would expect. I double checked this with several other speakers, they all push out which is what I would expect. It’s not noticeable in a two speaker set up configuration that doesn’t include a subwoofer or surround speakers. I contacted Polk and finally got someone on the phone that could confirm what I was talking about, but he wouldn’t really answer why they did it. It is a very linear speaker, but the weird phasing presents problems in my system. I would love to know if anyone else has experienced this.
The phase at the crossover is what matters. If it means wiring a woofer or midrange out of normal polarity then that’s acceptable. Not abnormal to see this. 👍
@@sushanthr77 When I ran the system setup on my Yamaha AVR, it indicated the front mains were out of phase. I double checked the connections at the speakers and at the amp and everything was correct. I reversed the leads and ran the setup again and everything checked out ok. I called Crutchfield and was told that those auto setups are sometimes wrong. NOT! That is why I checked to see if the woofers were wired out of phase from the factory. I then called Polk to ask why the woofers were reversed phased, got passed upstream three times and finally got somewhat of an answer. That said, I could hear something wasn’t right.
In your measurements did you see that the woofers are out of phase with the mid/tweeter? Polk explained because of the 2nd order filter that this is normal.
I used to run the Polk LSIM series for my front stage. I still have the center speaker. I’ve always thought that even though it was a 3 way, that it didn’t sound super great off axis and suspected the ring radiator tweeter. Pretty much confirmation here.
@@ufarkingicehole 705s have more drivers. I have the 706 center channel and sold my 703 stand mounts. I would expect the standard three-way crossover would work.
I have r700s and feel it is lacking dynamics at times with my marantz c40 driver 9 speakers. Thinking of a 200 wpc stereo amp that can handle 4 ohms. Has any anyone else tried such high wattage and seen good results on the r700s or is it overkill.
Buy the Polk Audio Reserve R700 from Crutchfield here:
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And be sure to check out Crutchfield's "Real Deal Days" sale via their homepage here:
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These links earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you which helps me keep bringing you free, objective reviews. I appreciate your support!
Thanks for the review !!! Any chance you can get your hands on the Revel f208 ?
Hi Erin, Always Enjoy your Videos. Wonder if you can Suggest an Amp/receiver to me. Right now I am Using an Onkyo TX-SR 605 receiver driving my Polk XT 60's Now I know that It is Supposed to get hot I just find it getting too hot so I thought it may be ready for the Grave, so was Looking for another one, But I am On a Budget So Can't afford anything too expensive, Interesting the Yamaha you picked I actually picked out from the Specs, But when I seen the Price I said, That Figures, anything I like I can't afford.
What Yamaha would you suggest to drive these Speakers Comfortably, I can listen to any music, I don't listen to country though everything else is Open to me. I listen Via CD, and Might consider Amazon Prime Music so that might be a feature I would look for but Not needed, And I have a Powered Sub as well.
Cheers, Robert MacDonald
P.S. Did I mention I enjoy your Channel
Man that Crutchfield sponsor ad is outta control 😄😄
Like for the Crutchfield ad's stellar production values.
Best thing I’ve seen all week hahahah
I just bought the KEF R3 Meta partly because of your review (I also had an extensive listening session at the store). I cannot be more happy! Thank you for all the great content!
I’m glad to hear that you like those! I hope they last you a very long time and bring lots of happiness.
When I first got these speakers, I was concerned about the forward sound - until I toed them in... and the sound was so much smoother! This is an example of a review providing deeper insights using data vs the reviews that simply use flowery words.
Man muss diese Lautsprecher einfach hören. Erst danach kann man darüber reden wie gut sie klingen. Ich habe meine jetzt seit über einem Jahr und bin immer noch überzeugt.
Thank you for being one of the few reviewers that provides both subjective and objective data! I am recently getting into hifi so ill def be looking through ur affiliate links.
Sweet! Thank you!
Yeah, this is critical for me now. I don't trust companies that don't post measurements or let their speakers be measured. Ascend Acoustics and Neumann do great with this.
Best customer support crew I’ve ever seen. 😂
Your new brick background wall is cool! Love your work and will be buying through your link when I decide on new speakers.
Awesome, thank you!
Female vocals sound sparkling lovely lush on polk speakers !
Lol I never thought I'd laugh at Crutchfield ad. They should hire you to be their spokesperson
Funny, the tweeter is my favorite part of these incredible speakers. If your a classic rock guy, you'll love how these tame all those terribly recorded albums we love.
Hello
What .
@@r423sdex what?
A few months ago I watched dozens of hours of your videos along with a few other TH-camrs. Many of the same videos over and over. In the end, I upgraded from a ~5 year old 5.1 Jamo S803 package to a 5.1.4 Polk R series + RSL Speedwoofer 12S. R700 + R900 + R400 + R200. I know the center channel is a compromised design, but I like when things match. Love the upgrade. Love your content. I'm a sucker for stats so the Klippel is king and your easy to understand explanations are priceless. Glad to see the R700 made your list!
Wow, nice upgrade
Thanks for everything Erin! I now am able to enjoy this beautiful hobby in a new way by being able to consult potential buyers at a local hi-fi store I recently started working at as a part time gig - all credits to you ❤
Lots of love from Adelaide Australia!
I was thinking this would be an excellent choice
Excellent actionable review and nice space for the video background
All in all fantastic content
Thank you very much!
I have had a pair of R700's for 18 months now and love them, in the year preceding this purchase I had auditioned more than 10 comparable (relatively) 2 and 3 way Floor standers.
A couple of issues mentioned here I would like to comment on:
I have my speakers positioned 310mm (12") from the rear wall and 550mm (21") from the side walls with a 7deg toe-in and 3.6m (12 Feet) from the listening position. There is no bass boominess, the bass is tight and smooth (stunning in fact even at low volume) Being able to position them relatively close to the rear wall I feel comes down to the down-firing bass port. In contrast the B&W CM7's I had before replacing with the R700's, had a rear bass port and needed to be 600mm away from the wall which was a pain because the front of the CM's were over 1metre (3'4") into the room.
As for the tweeter mismatch, I don't think anyone would listen at 90Dbl+ in their media room or lounge room, so as Erin said: not an issue at all. My personal experience is, the sound at all levels is balanced, smooth, crisp and revealing.
Do you use a subwoofer with these?
@@induction7895 Generally no, I have my Denon AVC-X8500HA bass set to LFE rather than LFE+Mains and listen to my records in 'pure audio' so the Subs (pair of SVS 3000's) don't engage.....but some records I have sound better with sound mode set to 'auro-2d' leaving the Fronts set to 'Large'. This setting which engages the Subs improves the soundstage of some records incredibly. My experience so far (limited because I don't often use my system as home theatre) is if you are watching movies, most movies will require you to set the Fronts to 'Small' or the bass is overpowering when using DTS or Dolby/Dolby Atmos.
For the record, Paired with the R700's are a R400c centre, R200's rears and of course the SVS's
I just experimented with things, and of course your setup may yield different results....but I hope I have given you a starting point.
@@induction7895 No generally….I mostly listen to my records with the Amp’s (Denon AVC-X8500HA) Bass set to LFE rather than LFE+Mains, the sound mode set to ‘Pure Direct’ (strictly 2 channel) and the R700’s set to Full Range ie. ‘LARGE’ so the Subs (2 x SVS 3000’s) aren’t engaged.
Some records (low bass recordings) I have however sound better using the sound mode ‘Auro2d’ where the Subs are engaged giving a much better soundstage. I leave the FRONTS set to ‘LARGE’ mostly, but sometimes if there is a little boominess, I will change them to “SMALL’ with crossover set to 60HZ (the R200 REARS and the R400c CENTRE are always set to 80HZ)
When watching movies in DTS or Dolby/Dolby Atmos, best to have the FRONTS set to SMALL/60HZ or the excessive bass will ruin the experience….
Getting back to low bass recordings, you could try LFE+Mains/'Pure Direct' rather than 'Auro2d' to engage your sub(s)
You just need to experiment with your own system, but I hope I have given you a little to go on.
I'm here for the Crutchfield ad, LoL. I'm glad that if you are doing ad spots they are creative and funny!
I am glad you are getting sponsors.
I’ve had these for about 9 months now and for the money I coine happier! The front baffles need to be about 4 feet from the front wall and a couple feet from the sides. Mine are toed in slightly and my soundstage is deep and broad and very well defined. I don’t notice the 4kHz issues mentioned at all. I’m considering an upgrade to Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII G2 but am in no hurry to drop$8k! These Polks are a winner! I am also using a pair of RELs for sub-bass…
Glad to see Polk still making good speakers!
Would be interested to hear your balanced take on any of these:
• Paradigm Founder 40B
• Kerr Acoustics K300 mk2
• Diptyque DP107
• Fyne F500SP, F1-5
• Audiovector R1 Arreté
Wow I'm surprised! I had this speaker but it was a bit boomy in my room. I need to work around those nodes. Got a speaker with DSP. Thanks for the measurements! Love it!
Thanks for your great reviews Erin. I use these with an AVR as preamp and Audyssey MultEQ-X smoothing the bass up to room modal freq of about 250 Hz. They don't need any EQ above 250 Hz. The 15-40 Hz range I hand off to a couple of subs. I've never had such chocolatey and authoritive bass before.
First, yes, Crutchfield is awesome. Their excellent service makes them my absolute first choice.
The Polk Reserve series 500/600/700 all represent outstanding value. And they are all different from each other....not just slightly larger clones of the same speaker as you go up the line. The significantly smaller 500 is back ported whereas the 600 & 700 are down ported.
The 500 would do very well in a small room BUT the bass is lacking compared to the 600 & 700. With a sub the 500 provides excellent sound for the dollar if space is limited but there's room for a sub somewhere. Then, the 600 makes a huge jump in the depth of the bass from the 500....a world of difference/next level. Just as Erin said in this review about the 700...that you could get away without a sub if you wanted too. Well, the 600 is the same.... excellent bass for a speaker of this size and you wouldn't necessarily miss a sub if practical reasons require omission.
Another thing about the 600.... it is much smaller physically than the 700 so if space is tight and/or the budget is tight, the 600 still has superb overall sound for a speaker in this price range.
I hope Erin gets a chance to review the 600 now that he has experienced the 500 and 700. The 600 is outstanding if the 700 is a bit too big for the space. Polk did a very nice job with this series, and the cabinets are very solid and attractive. In their respective price range the Reserve series is hard to beat.
Crutchfield should sponsor all your videos with the condition for a new ad like this every month. I’m here for it 😅
The Crutch field ad was hilarious & entertaining...i appreciate you making the sponser ad fun.
I have & really like the R700's. They replaced the Wharfedale Lintons in my living room many months ago. I do feel the 3-5khz area needs good speaker placement & PEQ in my case to get it almost just right. Its not perfect & my main issue with them..but kinda easy to overlook when I consider how great the rest of the speaker performs. Other than that 3-5khz area the beaming of the tweeter is not an issue for me & as bad as it measures i still like the ring tweeter overall. I mentioned in your early video release post that i feel it performs best for me not going past the 85db in loudness..which is pretty loud in my room.
I pulled the R700's out about a week ago to try the KEF R3 Meta. The R3 with sub is pretty good but I'd be lying if I didnt say i miss a few things that i get better when using the Polk's.
Thanks for the data on these speakers Erin. It helps make sense as to what i was hearing & thinking. I'll do some things differently when I hook them back up.
NOS.EL34 👍
I’m watching this vid, and have other R700 vids before, as I too have Lintons. What differences between the two and why do you like the Polks better than the Lintons?
@@kenstewart7811 I have to interject here.. I have a pair of Polk speakers,
and I also have a pair of Wharfedale speakers, both are big, both are expensive, both are not current models, but I like them both for different reasons .. you can't expect everybody to choose the same speaker when polling between which two pairs that they like; that's an unrealistic expectation! 😵💫
Thanks Erin! Been looking forward to this one for some time... excited to see the data!
Appreciate the new (for me) graphics showing what you mean by toe in etc.
I love my R700's, they have some issues but for the money, I'm happy!
Erin, your voice is hard to hear at times in this video, sounds like the volume jumps very quickly. Otherwise, awesome video as always! 🤘
The one we have been waiting for!
G'day from Perth Australia Erin.
Thanks for the in depth review. There have been plenty of them since these where released and most end up with more positives.
Im an old Polkie from way back and the Reserve series are the first offering for some time that takes me back to the good old days of the Polk Audio Monitor series in the 70's, 80,s & 90,s. Great sound for the money.
I run my R700s with a Parasound 2250 power amp with a Vincent tube pre and they love the extra power on tap. They are not perfect. At times would like a little more air in the treble. Bass can be a bit overpowering in the certain circumstances. But i have found with some placement and feed them with a good quality source & power they perform well above the cost.
Cheers.
I think you did a great job of describing them 👍
Erin can you do a review of the KEF 950/550 Towers? Data for them are lacking. They could be a poor man’s 888.
I'd really like to. I'll reach out and see if they'd be willing to send some my way.
Thanks for the review. I auditioned a pair in walnut. They looked the better of the two options but you can tell it’s not real wood. The bass was as good as I’ve heard from towers. The midrange was fine. The tweeter was average. They do need power to drive them. Was driving with a 200 WPC Rotel amp. I bought from Polk directly with 10% off and they even threw in a free sub! 45 day home trial. Returned free of charge for a full refund. I would recommend for towers under $2,000. Rock on.
Great review as always, Erin. Maybe one day you’ll review the Polk Audio Legend L800s!
Not surprising that it's sensitive to toe-in, ring radiators beam very early compared to domes.
Dude, I love the Crutcheld ad bahahhahhaha!!! Seriously, I love it…you’re as credible and impartial as they come man. Glad to see you’re finding ways to continue making it easier to pump out videos, offset some of the committment cost, and make some honest cheese.❤
Awesome! Thank you!
Great review!! This Polk R700 and JBL Studio 698 are on top of my list. I thinking to update my system but can't decided which of these two to take...
I hope this helps you decision:
I have had a pair of R700's for 18 months now and love them, in the year preceding this purchase I had auditioned more than 10 comparable (relatively) 2 and 3 way Floor standers.
A couple of issues mentioned here I would like to comment on:
I have my speakers positioned 310mm (12") from the rear wall and 550mm (21") from the side walls with a 7deg toe-in and 3.6m (12 Feet) from the listening position. There is no bass boominess, the bass is tight and smooth (stunning in fact even at low volume) Being able to position them relatively close to the rear wall I feel comes down to the down-firing bass port. In contrast the B&W CM7's I had before replacing with the R700's, had a rear bass port and needed to be 600mm away from the wall which was a pain because the front of the CM's were over 1metre (3'4") into the room.
As for the tweeter mismatch, I don't think anyone would listen at 90Dbl+ in their media room or lounge room, so as Erin said: not an issue at all. My personal experience is, the sound at all levels is balanced, smooth, crisp and revealing.
Thanks for the informative review Erin.. Typically the various speaker compromises "should" naturally become less significant
at higher price points, but I don't think it's reasonable to expect to eek out every aspect of performance at only $2k per pair. These R700's seem to meet compromised expectations reasonably well
at their price point. Like any product, sale discounts always makes them more attractive than the standard street pricing.
@@shipsahoy1793 you nailed it. 👍
Thanks for the metric values when giving dimensions and weight. Much appreciated by every other country in the world! 😂
Sincerely, thank you.
I went to audio advise and listened to speakers up to 100k. These polk R700 speakers are a lot better than you're saying. I would be interested to see what wall is giving you bloated bass. I don't get that and my speakers are up against the wall
Agreed. Cannot beat Crutchfield customer service.
excluding tweeter output issues at very high levels, close to ideal, especially for the price!!
love to see a review of some of Polks cheaper stuff like the ES60 Towers and their current subwoofers.
Very interesting comparisons! I sold my R500 for a pair of OG R5 specifically for use in an open concept space. Love the R5s but I have not been able to position them to produce the same level of holographic stereo the R500s could. They were great speakers if you could sit in front of them but not pleasant elsewhere in the space. That was the only thing the R500s did better, the slim form is nice but the finish is cheap compared to KEF.
when i listened my R7s i noticed when i listen to it, i miss the holographic thing vs my R300, I guess the R series are more controlled but narrow dispersion kill the holographic thing.
You look great with hair. Like a true good ol boy.
The 700 is the one I have had my eye on and it just went on sale on crutchfield.
Yeah, at its current price it's hard to beat. I can't think of anything off the top that bests it at that price. At it's regular price it already represents a good value.
If you have the space for them you'll probably love them, though that's obviously a very personal thing. I've got a pair and have been really happy with them for the price. Only things I'd mention after listening to them for many months is they definitely need some space, both from the wall behind them, as well as corners; they can get a bit boomy in the lower frequencies otherwise imho. They also respond well to a bit of power. My space is too small and has issues with reflections (it's obviously in the specs, I underestimated their size at the time), but I've stopped over-analyzing them and have been doing what matters the most- enjoying music.
@@_shaggyrogers_ and they are in my price range.
Crutchfield is awesome! I've been a loyal customer for years.
Wow dang! I have 5 of these along with other Reserve models. I also noticed distortion or issues at volume. It's the one issue that kept plaguing me after I started using True Target.
I also had them all crossfired to slightly widen that sweet spot, so slightly off-axis. I still use two of the R700s on PC on-axis.
I upgraded to Ascendos, but overall, I still think the reserve models sound great!
Thanks Erin.. Always Rock-Solid Info!!
Erin, fantastic video. Your measurements and summary of dispersion width compared to other speakers, along with the comments on bass extension and off axis frequency response up top.
What else is in your top 5 and which speakers do you actually see beating these including models above $2,500? Thanks!
They were the heaviest speakers I could afford. You dont need a crazy expensive amp to power properly, running a Cambridge AXR100
Andrew Robinson loves these! I’m starting to think that Erin and him should have a chat 💬 and stream it! Two different styles and I appreciate both perspectives! Anyone else agree?
Hell no. Erin is a reviewer. Schmucky and his husband are salespeople.
@Audfile 😂 I enjoy watching ARs videos and don't think he's that bad but you hit on something true in that latter part... what can you expect from west coast
@@user-gs4oi1fm4lthey live in Texas ya DA
They do have similar favorites like the Linton's and R700.
@@user-gs4oi1fm4l Texas isn’t the west coast bud
I think these are really nice looking speakers, but not enough to replace my Arendal 1961 Towers I use with subs (which I bought largely because of Erin's review and I got them for a great price).
Hey Erin! Excellent video as always! I currently have the Klipsch RP8000FIIs in my 2 channel listening room. I also had the Polk R700s at the same time and completely agree with your reviews of both of these speakers. I'm looking to spend $4K -$6k on a new set of towers. My dream speaker would retain some high frequency sparkle (not all of it) like the Klipsch, but would have more bass and a more enveloping sound like the Polk's. I want to avoid using a Sub. Do you think the new MOFI 888's would work? Do you have a different recommendation? Thanks for all you do!
🇧🇷🎼
Brasil here. I bought last year a pair of R600 and a Cambridge CX A81. My room is big (60 m2) but I got a good volume at 10 o clock in the amp.
Then some months after I bought a pair of R700 … the midrange is too much harsh compared with the R600. 😮
I am testing with A/B in the Cambridge….noticeably differencies! 😮😮😮
I get the feeling that Polk's marketing department wanted the specs to show 8/6/4 Ohm Amp compatibility. However, Engineer Scott Orth wanted the minimal 3.6 Ohm rating in the literature. He's said it over and over again that many speakers out there are 4 Ohm and few are actually 8 Ohm.
Thank you for your detailed review.
They seem like a good value.
Dear Polk, it's time to dump the ring radiator tweeter & go with something better. It has let down several of your otherwise fine designs!
I have to agree. Polk tries to make it look like they're offering offering you something absolutely fantastic for the money, but the reality is, instead of playing games with these fancily named tweeter designs, they should just stick with the standard soft dome tweeers and everybody would probably be much better off. In my experience, Polk has always sermed to have had less trouble offering pleasing lows in comparison to their highs at higher SPL's, irrespective of the data. I ❤ how data can prove to us what's actually happening.
That tweeter gets better to me with time. It sounds amazing.
@@dewey79 If that tweeter gets better with time, I'd be worried that
it will eventually go bad, very similar to an experience I had with Polk SL2500 tweeters from 30 years ago. The speakers needed crossover upgrades after 10-15 years, and then eventually the tweeters became the problem, to which I attributed to ferrofluid
at the time. I still believe that's why they started sounding more and more ratty. Changed tweeters, problem solved. Started using the RD0198's that were the OEM replacements from
Polk for the SL's at the time.
Possibly, but the overall response became smoother and more pleasing with room filling dispersion at various levels. The tweeter compression at those decimal levels are probably by design to protect the tweeter.
@@dewey79 With regard to my comments, that amount of compression at that SPL at above 4kHz doesn't bother me; in fact, I believe, as Erin stated, that it shouldn't impose a problem for most people.
I was referring more to the dispersion characteristic, that I would've preferred soft dome tweeters,
but certainly not a dealbreaker, especially
at the asking price.
I think the R700 is a reasonable value, but I'm lucky enough to already have multiple keepers
(to satisfy my tastes in my environments), including a floorstanding pair of speakers on short stands from the $2k price range that I'm grateful for, to enjoy on a regular basis.😉 Thanks for your thoughts on this.
I enjoy hearing other perspectives.
Now you need to review the r600 😃 And the r7 meta too btw.
Another hidden gem worth checking out are the KeF Q950’s which are easier to drive and have a great soundstage.
Definitely. I actually have both and have a hard time deciding which pair I like better lol. But the KEF's infinitely easier to drive for sure. I have them hooked up to 100w tube amp and they absolutely sing. Meanwhile, the R700's are taking nearly 500w per channel.
@@ShootinItStr8can you explain further what you prefer from each? These are the leading contenders for my new speakers. Cheers!
@@ShootinItStr8can you explain further what you prefer from each? These are the leading contenders for my new speakers. Cheers!
Crutchfield's customer service is THE best! /,,/,
Did you ever tried and listen to a pair of Phonar edma's. Edwin Maas is using phobars as donor speakers and makes some upgrades on them so they will be labeled as Edma speakers. The upgrades contain other filters and cable inside the cabinet, better tweeters etc. I really like to know what's your opinion off these speakers. They come I different models and price ranges. I think they can easily beat high end brand speakers that are 3 or 4 times more expensive.
I have polk R700's close to the wall with no boomy bass. The down firing port makes it to where it takes care of boomy bloated bass. I recommend putting them next to a wall.
Mine are pretty close to the wall as well with no issues. I put some Iso-Acoustic pucks rated a 20lb a piece under each foot & improved the overall sound as well. I have tile floors though.
@@NosEL34 didn't need pucks. The purpose of the down firing was so you can put it against the wall. I don't understand why he is the only person that has this issue
Do you use an equalizer at all? Just curious. Mine are pretty close to the wall. I lowered nearly all frequencies around 4db or less on the eq except bass and it came alive in the low end without muddiness.
I have to use EQ/DSP with my R700 being close to the wall.. everyone's room is different though. @@aarongreen1420
Sorry, slightly OT: Did you change something on your microphone settings lately. It sounds a little strange, as if some kind of NC is active when you speak. Apart from that, nice review, as always. 😄
How are the R700s compared to SVS prime pinnacle??
ahh been waiting for this one for a while
I have these Erin . I'm powering them with a Rotel 1592 MKII . Should I set it up to power the on 4ohms instead of 8ohms ?thanks Erin .
@ErinsAudioCorner
Erin My Man Thanks a ton for this review. I have waited almost a year for You to review these. I sure had a feeling that they would make it to Your top Five under $ 2500. The Floor ported reserve models perform far better than the rear ported ones. The only model left in the reserve series that You haven't reviewed yet is the R600 which is again a floor ported one. Hope You can do a review on the R600 as well.
I would love to hear Your personal opinion and a comparison on the sound quality of the R700 vs Linton Your other favourite.
Your Work here is highly appreciated. Keep up the great reviews and GOD Bless.
Thank you very much for the kind words!
Yes, the 500 and the 600 are very different…. I found the 500 absolutely required a sub but the 600 did far better with the bass.
@@ErinsAudioCorner My pleasure Man. If You can, please do offer Your subjective preferences of the R700 and Linton. These are priced very close and Your personal opinion on these Would help Me out very much. Thanks.
I personally still prefer the Linton for the overall tonal sound. But the Polk has better distortion and dynamic range.
Either way, if you happen to order speakers through crutchfield, just a friendly request to use my affiliate link.
@@ErinsAudioCorner Thanks Mate for the reply. As much as I would have liked to use Your affiliate links, just to say thank You for all Your great work, I regret that I can't do that because I stay in India and We don't have shipping here from crutchfield.
Erin,
I have a few questions for you... I have owned a pair of Polk R700s for about a year now. They sound great except for one thing, they do not image depth that well. How does the JBL Studio 698 compare in imaging to the Polk? What about the JBL Studio HD3800? Is there that much difference between the two JBLs in performance (I raised the question because Crutchfield has a great sale on the JBLs right now)? Thank you in advance.
Thanks Erin. Wondering what you mean by "low level dynamics"? I get compression can reduce dynamics at high levels, but what would impact dynamics at low levels?
How do these stack up to the SVS Ultra towers?? I always wondered if I made the right choice with the Ultras. Love the look of the Polks.
Please review fyne 500sp . I think it will worth to be in your top 5 under 2500
I wish you would review the HECO Aurora 1000. I had these and the Polk R700's at home side by side and maybe, just maybe, the Polks were 1 to 2% better (bass), but the HECO's were only about $1200.
Nice background ... Thats really nice.
Hopefully you get to review that Yamaha amplifier as well.
It’s coming!
Thanks for the informative review. I wonder, as an R500 owner, how big a step up these are. I think you're saying that the tweeter is similar--less "shouty"?--and that there is significantly more bass. But is the tonality of these speakers similar? Does the midrange present a more accurate representation of instrumental timbre? My R500s are a good fit for my smallish room, and with dual subs, I'm satisfied with the low-end pressure. Additionally, with 300+ watts per, they sound full at low volume levels. You noted that the R700s play well at low levels, which is a big plus in my book. Anyway, I am just curious about the differences in the Polk Reserve line's sound character. Thanks again!
The 500 with a sub (or 2!) are great together. From my experience if you couldn’t have a sub you would want, NEED the 600…. But you’re good… not really missing anything with your combo!
I enjoy your reviews. I wonder if you would consider reviewing the Bryston Model Ts. I’m intrigued how the speakers measure (especially with the dial tweeters) and your objective impressions on how they sound.
🤣 Love the Crutchfield commercial.
@ErinsAudioCorner I have the Polk XT20 bookshelves you reviewed in my 5.2.4 living room setup with two Starke sw15 subs. If I upgraded my LCR to the Reserve series. Would the R700 be worth the price over the R200 since I cross over everything before 80hz to the subs? Also do you think from reviewing both is there a big performance jump between the XT and the Reserve? Thank you for all you do!
I think Polk missed the mark by not offering them in white.
They did, but they are no longer available in white.
😂 I feel sorry for you . I’m 60 and can’t hear anything that you are saying are there short comings . I love them with my Rotel 1592 MKII and Eversolo DMpA8 . The Rotel even has a jack to plug in my Focal Elex headphones . I don’t have to pay that youth tax anymore. On I forgot my Rel classic sub 👍
Hey Erin. I have the R700 and like them, but like most audiophiles I'm always thinking about upgrading.
Do you have a suggestion as to what you would consider the next level up speaker?
Did you see my review of the MoFi SourcePoint 888? That’s my “go to” under/at $5k/pair.
I'm only watching videos with Crutchfield ads in them going forward.
😂😂😂
Great review, thank you so much!
As always, great review. Just wondering, for those who need to place their speakers closer to the front wall, would the added bass boominess be tamed with a sub crossed at 80hz? Or would it just be more practical to get the R200 + sub for that sort of placement scenario?
I like the extra dynamics that the (2) 8's get you. But it might be overkill if you plan to use a subwoofer. I'd probably consider going with the R500 as a good middle ground.
I have them, a bit closer to the wall than I'd like to, due to necessity. After running dirac live it solved most issues with bass in this regard.
Lol these are easily better than the SVS Evos just reviewed for 38% the cost. Kinda funny that Erin reviewed the SVS's then showed how you can get way better at the same $5k price, and then better at $1.9k.
Fantastic review, when objective data meets opinion, thank you, I would like to suggest you if you can try the Wharfedale evo 4.3 as being the cheaper version of the aura, would be nice, keep up the good work
Best crutchfield embedded ad ever!! Haha 🎉
Seems like a good speaker. I do not like Polypropylene drivers though.
Great review! Did the Yamaha RN2000a have enough power to play the Polks loud? I’m interested in this amp but I’m a bit scared of its advertised 100 watts. Thanks!
LOL, in what world, did 100 Watts suddenly become, "Not enough power". Sorry, years ago, that was considered QUITE powerful..!
@@kevintomb I’ve always liked having lots of power. It seems to make for a more effortless sound along with other things. However I understand wattts arnt everything and current has allot to do with it. I think the Yamaha probably has lots of current
It definitely did the job. Cheap plug, I know, but if you do wind up getting it please consider using my affiliate link below. It earns me a commission but doesn’t cost you anything extra. It would be appreciated.
howl.me/cmxM2cdIqg3
@@ErinsAudioCorner I definitely would Erin but I’m in Canada. Thanks!
Erin you should review the KLH KANDALLS !¡!
Do NOT buy these from Amazon. They will come damaged. I’ve had three separate r700s come from Amazon damaged.
It's Amazon. When have they ever cared if something was fragile? It's a big ass heavy box. They are throwing it around like a tire.
I would also like to share my experience with shipping. I purchased a set from B&H. One speaker arrived damaged. Both boxes were beat to hell. Shipping was standard FedEx shipping. I was surprised to see via my door camera that the fedex guy was lifting these without a hand truck, carrying them. Keep in mind the box is 92 pounds! Crazy! They shipped from NY, I live in Idaho. I’m guessing they had a rough ride and transferred a couple times before they arrived at my doorstep. To B&H’s credit they promptly replaced the speaker. 1 week later the a speaker arrived damaged, again! This time I was home at the time of delivery. Same delivery method and delivery guy. I asked if I could open the box and inspect being the box looked terrible, driver was okay with this. Sure enough the cabinet had a huge amount of damage. I refused the delivery.
I ended up ordering from Audio Advice. The sales rep was super awesome, offered me a discount, also told me given the weight of these speakers they would be dropped shipped, meaning on a pallet wrapped tightly. Still, free shipping. Awesome! Sure enough a couple days later speaker arrived without issue. The box was looked like it hadn’t even been touched. Anyway, I’d recommend ordering from a company that can drop ship the speakers. Cheers.
Oh, these speakers are perfect from me, coming from 15+ years as a Klipsch owner. These surpass Klipsch in terms of performance and neutrality. They excel wonderfully with mkvies and 2-channel listening, especially the ladder. They are paired with a Polk Legend 400 Center. \,,/
That’s surprising considering the level of packaging Polk provides with these speakers! That said, that is another great thing about Crutchfield…. they overbox everything (most everything I think) that gives considerable extra shipping protection. And any problems… Crutchfield is great to deal with. Can you tell I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with them lol.
@@festerofest4374 I don't blame Polk's packaging at all. The problem was that Amazon shipped these speakers like they do much lighter items and not like freight. Every single box that showed up was banged up and one side completely open. You knew it was going to be bad before even removing the speakers from the box.
I blame Polk packaging for being substandard. I’ve seen them banged using Polk website! Come on guys companies have been double boxing speakers for years
Sounds like good value. Would be nice if you tested the Quad Revela 1 (great review at British Audiophile) and Revela 2.
Great review and comparisons.
When can we expect a custom tube-connector kit?
/s
Thank you Erin!
Wow! I was "Like" #300! I am Sparta! (... blame the algorithm for the lame comment)
I purchased a pair of the R700’s about a year ago from Crutchfield for my home theater system. Polk has done something I’ve never seen in a speaker design that has given me a bit of trouble. The woofers are phased opposite of the standard phasing. I confirmed this the old-fashioned way with a AA battery. When tapping the speaker leads to the battery and adhering to positive on the speaker to positive on the battery, the woofers pull in and not out like you would expect. I double checked this with several other speakers, they all push out which is what I would expect. It’s not noticeable in a two speaker set up configuration that doesn’t include a subwoofer or surround speakers. I contacted Polk and finally got someone on the phone that could confirm what I was talking about, but he wouldn’t really answer why they did it. It is a very linear speaker, but the weird phasing presents problems in my system. I would love to know if anyone else has experienced this.
The phase at the crossover is what matters. If it means wiring a woofer or midrange out of normal polarity then that’s acceptable. Not abnormal to see this. 👍
Integration with the sub shouldn't be a problem - just flip the phase switch.
@@RacingAnt But then the sub and R700’s are out of phase with the center and surround speakers.
What’s the observed impact on sound because of this? Also, how did you first notice the issue?
@@sushanthr77 When I ran the system setup on my Yamaha AVR, it indicated the front mains were out of phase. I double checked the connections at the speakers and at the amp and everything was correct. I reversed the leads and ran the setup again and everything checked out ok. I called Crutchfield and was told that those auto setups are sometimes wrong. NOT! That is why I checked to see if the woofers were wired out of phase from the factory. I then called Polk to ask why the woofers were reversed phased, got passed upstream three times and finally got somewhat of an answer. That said, I could hear something wasn’t right.
Erin, what's your advice for these speakers if you have to place them inside 1ft from a wall?
Use EQ and/or high pass them.
@@ErinsAudioCorner how effective do you think wall treatment would be using some Rockwool? Worth trying or not worth the effort?
In your measurements did you see that the woofers are out of phase with the mid/tweeter? Polk explained because of the 2nd order filter that this is normal.
Yes
Critchfield should hire you ASAP to lead the marketing department 😂
I used to run the Polk LSIM series for my front stage. I still have the center speaker. I’ve always thought that even though it was a 3 way, that it didn’t sound super great off axis and suspected the ring radiator tweeter. Pretty much confirmation here.
I own the lsim 705s. I added a pair of used aperion super tweeters. Definitely helped
@@ufarkingicehole Could be a fun project to upgrade it to a nice scanspeak or seas dome and adjust the crossover.
@@MechAdv I believe the crossovers are super complicated. I may eventually get a dsp.
@@ufarkingicehole 705s have more drivers. I have the 706 center channel and sold my 703 stand mounts. I would expect the standard three-way crossover would work.
I have r700s and feel it is lacking dynamics at times with my marantz c40 driver 9 speakers.
Thinking of a 200 wpc stereo amp that can handle 4 ohms.
Has any anyone else tried such high wattage and seen good results on the r700s or is it overkill.