🎯R200: bit.ly/3zvBfRp, bit.ly/39rRaZP, amzn.to/3Cyh0Ec* 🎯R200AE: bit.ly/3F9vApU • bit.ly/3AUFkBK ❤ CLICK ❤ THANKS to highlight your question &/or support the channel! ✅ IF IT’S IN THE VIDEO, IT’S IN THE DESX ☝CLICK “MORE” ✅ RULES: NO OUTSIDE LINKS OR PERSONAL INFO. PLEASE STAY ON TOPIC AND BE RESPECTFUL
Andrew, could you make a video about subwoofers for 2.0 stereo systems? There's so many brands and models... I would like to buy one entrance model but I already don't know what is the best for me. Thank you!
I'll say this as someone who works in the technology field: early adopters almost always pay more and get less for their money than they will versus waiting for a second generation or follow-up of a product. Trickle down tech happens in every segment of technology and it's good. It brings more reasonably priced features to a wider market. I feel bad for Legend owners but that is the cross many early adopter bear. You can't look back just enjoy the product you chose.
If money is not a major concern of the buyer then it is in fact preferable to be an early adopter if you are getting a better product as soon as possible. That is the trade-off. It’s down to the individual as to whether or not the extra cost is worth it. I’m with you and I’ve learned my lesson on early adoption, however if I had considerably more money I expect my opinion might change to some extent.
It's more like a tax for earlier access to the tech that will be in a less polished state, although a lot of times early adopters don't take the full hit as they sell the previous generation off to offset the cost. So it's more like an upgrade fee in that case.
First generation is always more expensive amd will have bugs that the next gen hopefully will have addressed. However, one should not discount the excitement and joy experienced when you take the plunge on the first gen product. It's your excitement and joy that make you say "Yes! I will do this"
I think this is great for the community. It makes these products and experiences more accessible. It also allows for better competition with soundbars. Also people are so pressed about the price and how “ there’s no way it sound better than “insert more expensive brand here””. Get over it. Price isn’t always an indication. Great review as always. I hope to be able to listen to those myself
@@KristiWright Please do all real audiophiles a favour by being part of the audiophile community as you always do and making superficial and rude audiophiles insulted and belittled by your involvement, knowledge and contribution to the audiophile community. The more insulted they are about it, the better you are and honestly it's ridiculous these rude af people are stopping others from being audiophile either because they are beginners or of a different gender. These people are bad for the audiophile industry too, tbh.
Your review pretty much summarizes the Polk sound from the 80’s and 90’s. I still have my Polk Monitor 10Bs and you could have been describing them. I love the sound.
Bronze 100 over R200, Fully AGREE with Kristi! And personally my ears and wallet do to. Have Bronze 100 paired to a Marantz 100w p/channel amp and oh my goodness, "Are these FUN" -Andrew Robinson
still using my Vintage Polk RT3 (circa 1996/97) . A well Used pair of Speakers .Originaly bough as part of a surround sound set up in 1996.Changed over to Dolby digital amp with Kef 3005SE in 2008, and moved the Polks over to use as computer speakers ,in conjunction with a small class D SMSL Q5 Pro amp.They still sound really great even now.
The turbine look of the mid-woofer is a technical choice by Polk because it is suppose to make the driver stiffer and less prone to breakup modes. Great video as usual!
I've had the R200's for 3-4 weeks now. I"ve run them in a couple two channel set-ups and my home theater. I used the Iota SA3 and two PA3's as monoblocks, Peachtree Nova 300 and the Denon X6700H. I'm enjoying them very much and so far I don't regret the purchase. Great reviews and keep up the great work
Saw this was 20 minutes long and instantly knew Kristi was back. All is well with in the world now! Also, a question: what midrange center speaker would you recommend for a 5.1 home theatre?
If you buy these. make sure the stand put the tweet at the exact height as you ear in the listening position. get just 2" off above or below, and the ring radiator falls off at 15Khz. stay locked in at ear height and they sound good.
If the Legend series ends up going bye-bye the L600s are going to be a must buy for me. That is the best speaker in the line that nobody has given a real look at.
I love Polk speakers. I think they make great affordable speakers with a finish that always exceeds their price point. Is great to hear to Kristi again!!
I just listened to this R200 with Hegel H120..... This thing is Crazy Awesome for the money. I also have the B&W 606 original. Totally agree with you the top end has more clarity BUT just FAR TOO MUCH. This R200 has wide soundstage, plenty of bass, deep bass not punchy BUT not as refined as those Expensive $5K+ Speakers. This may probably be the best buy for entry level bookshelves. Also I do think it is more suitable for AV.
It's the Hegel.... Try pairing that amp with the Polk R700 and you will die. You can still find the R700's for about $900 a piece and I prefer listening to them over my other speakers (B&W, KEF, Klipsch). Played them with both digital gear (Peachtree) and an old NAD Silverline SS. The R700's are just....phenomenal for the price.
I'm treble sensitive and these speakers, when I had a chance to demo them, were just about perfect for my needs. They're neutral with a mild bass bump. Hearing from the rep at the audio show, they do really prefer to be at least two feet off the wall for optimal performance, and that was how he had them set up in the room. Dude was also running them off of a source stack worth, like, 12 grand, so that probably impacts how amazing they sounded in the room.
Wanted to post here and thank Andrew and Kristi for their review of this speaker and the Onkyo 5100. I had gone with the Jamo S803 line, but was experiencing ear pain from it. I received guidance to get silk dome tweeters and switched to these for my home theater. Thank you for your time and effort.
I love Kristi"s imput on these reviews. It is what you hear! Full stop. It can be how a component looks. And it can be about the connectivity of a component. Customers get more for their money when they assess for themselves & prioritize their preferences.
The MA Bronze 100 will appeal more to normal listeners because of that thump and zing but midrange is too recessed for any critical listening. The R200 is just a very neutral speaker (which is way harder to come by compared to V/U/W shaped speakers) which will appeal to more serious listeners. Now neutral speakers usually arent great for movies, which is surprising because the R200 just works great! I love my r200s for movies and diamonds 12.2 for music.
@@Soaringkiwi1 Diamond 12.2 compared to the R200? In the treble, the R200 might sound more extended, but only if you have them pointed directly at you. The RR tweeter falls off FAST off axis, the 12.2 dont. The mids totally go to the 12.2, although the r200's mids are warm, they lack that body and 3 dimensionality of the 12.2. Bass punch and slam goes to the R200 but the 12.2 goes deeper when called for. The R200 can handle a ton of power, the 12.2 not so much.
Awesome review. I never heard the Legend but I’m so glad you have. This has to be the best review is the Reserve series to date. Interesting the R100 isn’t super thick on the bottom end. I’ve heard the same thing that you mentioned from others. Either way, my favorite polks thus far
As someone who clearly likes these speakers, would you still recommend them if I cannot place them further than 12" from the wall? I like clean bass and am hoping to avoid a boomy sound. I keep seeing comments that these do better when placed further away from the wall.
@@ryanw8664 It really depends on roomacoustics and size room. I have a large room, but still needed around 20" (minimum) from the wall to get the best. Btw, you can plug them with some creativity, just use some cotton props to fill the 3 spaces in the port (or 1 or two, etc). With some care you can really finetune the bass to best proportions, relative to your wall.
I am a Polk fan, my whole 5.1 set up is Polk Audio speakers. For me, and I'd say for most Polk fans, the Legend series is out of our price range. Polk has made a name for themselves for making affordable speakers. The Legend Series are not affordable. I don't think their sales are very large for the Legend as it is a niche market. The Reserve series is a nice step up from Signature series and I think Polk will sell a lot of them.
Revisiting this video as the R200 is currently an ASR favorite due to its extremely flat response across the frequencies with a - wait for it - almost half db rise in treble per the spinorama measurements I’ve seen. Those are some experienced ears you’ve got there.
I have a/b the legend 100 vs the reserve 100 just a few days ago. They are close in terms of tonality but the L100 wins in overall smoothness and refinement which is worth paying the extra for. We were using modest electronics, just a nad368.
I'm sure some will say I'm an idiot because of course speaker break-in is silly voodoo stuff but...........these seemed to really improve after about a week of solid use. I had buyer's remorse at first. I thought they sounded muddy. But now they sound fantastic.
Hi! Nothing voodoo. "Rigid" materials need to soft up while moving. At the woofer the "spider" needs time to break in, at the tweeter the little surround needs to break in, in the crossover parts the electric charge (caps) fill then empty periods happening. I heard very old bookshelf loudspeakers (30 years) with very soft, full bodied sound (awesome bass).. we did not belive-measured the bass response-the very old 8" paper fabric cone woofer with soft rubber surround and time-softed up spider could get down to 25 Hz!
I am glad you were finally able to test the Polk Reserve series. I got my signature series S60E tower speakers about a month or 2 before the Reserve series was announced. Was a little annoyed that happened. But still Very happy with my speakers. to me Polk speakers sound very lively. I find it balances well between movies and music. Placement for the S60E tower speakers also came down to placement in the room, even though it has a base port. Cause the bass can be a bit much. I tone down the bass a little for my preference to my ears. My speakers just get better when the volume goes up, it scales so well with the volume knob. I hope that you get an opportunity to now test the Reserve Tower speakers. Would love see see your opinion on their base port and a speaker with more drivers on it. Great review
Big fan of Polk and owned the SDA CRS + speakers in the 80s that I held onto for 30 years. I now have the entire LSIM series for my home theater that I got for a steal when the line was discontinued.LSIM is very power hungry and needed a Parasound amp to bring them alive. Thanks for this review since I often wondered what the Legend series was all about.May try the Reserve if I get tired of the LSIM line.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I enjoyed the entire video! I loved that there was 10 Minutes of Kristi's Comments. Love hearing from her, she is similar to the way my wife likes/describes speakers that i bring home. My wife's favorite speakers are the JBL L110
I love my Polk RTi A9’s. They are bass heavy like these and power hungry. I love seeing Polk on your channel and I’m even happier that they’re starting to become more accessible. Yea, I’m ok with Polk “trickling down” their tech. I’m a very budget conscious consumer, so I’m not really the right one to answer lol
I had the Polk Rti-12s. And I think the Rti line could be compared to the signature line. The reserve line is different sounding from what all the reviews . More flat and laid back I guess.
Thanks for your comment. I am interested in the R500 but cannot move them more than 12" from the wall. Would you be willing to test yours at that distance for me? I'm wondering if the sound becomes too boomy at that distance.
@@ryanw8664 I am married and so have to move the R500s near 12" or so from the front wall after every serious listening session to keep them out of my wife's way. When I play them from that position I don't notice too much bass boom these days. But there are a couple of things that have changed for me. One is that I put some diffusion panels on the front wall--that has helped with overall room sound. The second is that I'm on the third amplifier with these speakers--my Bryston 3B blew a power-transistor. And what I can say is that the bass is remarkably determined by the amp. If you have an amplifier with a lot of headroom and controlled bass, you should be fine--I think the X-Port on the R500s works really well to minimize pressure and dispersion. But some amplifiers are bass fat and the R500s need more room to breathe in that case--in my experience. Good luck!
@@hocktooey Hey, thanks a lot for your detailed response! I really appreciate it. LOL the married comment. I would be pairing these with a Yamaha RX-V6A, which is a somewhat entry level AV receiver but with 100W per channel I am hoping it will be enough.
My first speaker was the Polk T-15, which left a bad taste in my mouth when it came to Polk. It's great that they have something similar to the Debut Reference or 600m. It's great to have more options for budget speakers. Also, love Kristi's input!
@@KristiWright You surprise me! The 600M sits in my living room and were a huge improvement over a pair of ancient JBL bookshelf speakers (J520M) I previously owned. I hope you don't mind me asking, do you recall what you didn't like? Any criticism I have is that the 600M is that they have me wanting more. My wife and I didn't want tower/floor speakers to overwhelm this room in size and sound but in retrospect given the larger size of the 600M as bookshelves and I have them sitting on stands anyway...we should have considered spending a little more on floor speakers.
Polk has been born again great since 2021 or so. The Reserve series is amazing. The whole line. I'm shocked the cabinets are so inert and solid for speakers made in China. Better cabinets than my amazing, made in England Bowers & Wilkens DM603 S3 towers, which I have given away to a happy audiophile.
I have older but very capable Polk LCR and Subs for my home theater setup. Not surprised these are recommended for home theater. Have never had any complaints all these years, and even now in my upgraded Atmos system, the Polks are really great. Your review makes these speakers seems like they might be a nice upgrade for me, which I've been considering for no other reason than I just might like a minor change to my system. Thanks!
I bought Infinity Interlude speakers based on trickle down tech from the Prelude and Intermezzo lines of speakers. And i was not disappointed still have them today. Upgrading my components improved the sound. The electronics stand at a Carver AV 705x amplifier, and a Marantz av7005 pre-processor.
These speakers are excellent! I have ran A B testing against the ES20 which seemed more intelligible but after running YPAO on my Yamaha the dialogue significantly improved and it sounded noticeably better but not by much.
Thank you for reviewing budget speakers, for someone where high end and expensive speakers are hard to come by from (im from asia) where they live and costs a fortune. Settling for entry level is practical and your reviews help a lot, especially auditining speakers are not accessible
Again, great review. Any plans for reviewing the R700's? Curious to get your opinion; the R700's seem an incredible value for a 3 way floor standing speaker and Polk seems to have realized not everyone wants to spend a ton on a high powered amp.
design wise the tweeter remind me a lot of Scan Speak tweeters - if I'm gessing correct the linearity of the tweeter do not surprise me I like the Scans a lot for being linear and rich on detail - without being harsch - fits nicely into your comparison with the B&W 600 btw - thank you Kristi for being back in action - like your complementing views / 2nd opinion
Brilliant review, much appreciated honesty and overview..as usual. Would you please review the Polk R700 floorstanding model. Would really appreciate your take, Thanks!
I've had these for about a month or so. They replaced my older PSB Alpha B1's in my home theatre 2.1 setup (which have now been moved to my desktop computer). Like Kristi, my wife has hearing loss, but it is severe enough that she uses hearing aids. Her first reaction to the Polk Reserve is how much more she could hear from the Reserve R200's vs my old PSB speakers (or the Mirage Nanosat system I had before then). Its a much "richer" sound, as the PSB's lack bass extension, even with the subwoofer (very large, open concept room). I power them with a Yamaha RX-S601 AVR. Definitely need to turn up the volume vs. the PSB's, but there is plenty of headroom left in the amp. Extreme off-axis response isn't as "good" as the PSB's, but that's what I wanted. My master bedroom is adjacent to the living room, so the sound doesn't carry into the bedroom as much if one of us is trying to sleep while the other is watching TV. Awesome all-round speaker for music and home theatre. Watching Bruce Springsteen's Western Stars movie would give me goose bumps with these speaker, sounding almost as good is almost as the movie theatre where I first saw it. In another show we were watching (can't remember which one), there was a deep base rumble and you could feel the bass wave move across the room. My wife was like "Did you feel that?!?!" I'm incredibly happy with mine, and I haven't even started messing around with positioning yet as I'm still waiting for my new stands to get delivered.
Just a follow-up on my earlier comment. I just got in 30 inch stands for my R200's. The additional height has definitely brought up the treble response vs. my previous speaker placement (about 25 inches). So if you are finding the treble to be more muted than you would like, try raising them higher and see how that works for you.
Very detailed, resolution top rate, fun with movies. For me, not so much for music. I felt they were kind of boring (unengaging), a very flat soundstage and i was looking for any depth. I much preferred my budget Triangles and Focal W series over the Quads for music even though the Quads had better resolution. For the price, they were disappointing to me for music. Used a Hegel and a moderately priced Soundartist SA-200IA. The Soundartist has a very pronounced upper mid through highs which made it sound overly bright and harsh. They added some life to the Quads but I still didn't like the overall results. Soundartist and Focal definitely not a match. Both the Quads and the Soundartist were returned. But Tharbamer likes the Quads and Jay the Soundartist. Just sharing my experience.
Personally, Polks are the best speakers outside of DIY kits *to* cannibalize. The older Monitor 4-7 series are great to mess around with and try out newer parts. I made a pair of 5jrs sound an par with KEF iQ30s upgrading the crossover parts & sticking older Peerless tweeters from a M&K bookshelf line from 1982 all for less than $200 with the bonus of practicing skills and having fun. It sounds like the Polk engineers are doing the same thing...
I've been excited for this review for so long! And I'm so grateful for Kristi's commentary being back - my fiance and I missed it! I'm curious if you're planning to do a full Polk reserve HT setup and review?
These may make an appearance in a couple more reviews we have on the books but a full HT review with these is not likely to happen. But as mentioned in this video, they make a great HT set up.
Would love to see your review of the new Elac uni-fi reference. I bought Elac debut reference just a few weeks before you reviewed it. I was quite underwhelmed by the performance and then you put to words what I was hearing :) Welcome back Kristi! 👌
Thank you, Tomislav. Not sure if we'll be reviewing the new Elacs. They forgot to include us when those launched 😅. I reached out about them and they said they would send them but so far that hasn't happened.
I have the L100. Love them but I have them with the emotiva A300. My room has some diffuser panels which have helped. I think both our opinions are formed by our rooms. In mine the Klipsch RM600 are annoyingly fatiguing and the Legends Twitter is crisp but pleasant. I think it’s the difference is in our rooms.
I like Kristi's take on these speakers. I didn't see the point of Andrew going back over what she said as if it needed clarification. We all know what she means. Having said that, I love the fact that both Andrew and Kristi put themselves out there time and time again. It can't be easy to give a public opinion knowing that some people just love to disagree.
I lean to the brighter side too, especially at my age. Maybe more to the Klipsch, although sounds like the bass may be more full on the Polk than the Klipsch RP 600m. Kristi is back, Great !! I agree with Kristi's 'U' curve. Great review, thanks.
Mid way through your section of this - I got to thinking about how the descriptions of high-frequencies, of many of the speakers in your space, have been presented and .. I wondered.. " how much of the room there is colouring the experience ". I mean, of course, it is, like everyone's room will change the overall loading or reflection interference of the speakers, ..but I've tried to find some measure of similarity across all your reviews to nail down a valuable gauge/measure/comparative perspective on sounds. I appreciate the methods of not having measurements as data or machine complied, however evaluative language and "Better / worse " is a matter of judging based on something. For me, listening to your flavour of review means I need to learn more about how YOU hear things ..and find a common enough denominator/description.. to translate your subjective experience against itself. ( make sense?) For me .. the MOST valuable thing you said in the entire video was on the topic of " how it sounds against these other models " - because that places what you are hearing/saying.. in a scale .. for us to relate to (on only your terms, even when we cannot hear what you are) Hope that is somewhat clear & useful feedback. I'm 100% more a fan of Sonus Faber ... I enjoyed the B&Ws2AE speakers more. I prefer "articulate" and I do deaden out my room to eliminate reflective interferences. I was leaning towards the reserve series, having listened to others (including the engineers of these Polk series) talk about how "hi-Res" certified the tweeter is. .. but when you say it's balance .. THAT is what made me wonder what is going on with your space. ... Always a matter of 'each-their-own', especially with a sensory experience and I, do appreciate what you are Kristi are doing here.. Thank you both. Keep at it - Kudos on 200K
Well done video. Great explanation of what the difference in sound between the polk and comparable other speakers is. I could almost hear the speakers sound signature as you and Christie went back and forth giving your interpretation of it.
Andrew, please grab those R700 to review. Also, step back a series and review the Signature S60. Trickle away, the L series is just too high for what they offer.
You should. I would be curious how these compare to the older RT line. I imagine it's going to be a little better or at least more refined, but hey, if the older RTs are working for you, no need to upgrade. Thanks for tuning in!
I had the Rti-12s powered with two parasound HCA-800ii into mono. And They were not flat sounding , bright but not overly bright. but with a lot of bass. I really loved them. I think that the reserve l think the reserve line is taking another direction . Thanks for the review. I am vary close to making a purchase on these.
I had the Rti-12s powered with two parasound HCA-800ii into mono. And They were not flat sounding , bright but not overly bright. but with a lot of bass. I really loved them. I think that the reserve l think the reserve line is taking another direction . Thanks for the review. I am vary close to making a purchase on these.
Would it be good to mount these Polk R200 speakers up on the wall and use as front height speakers for movies, music concerts and get 3D Auro reciever in a 5.1.2 setup ?
Good video👍🏽 question do audiophiles not use the bass and treble knobs? Seems like a couple of simple to the left or right would tame and enhance the bass and high frequencies. Also, could you take a survey of how many bookshelf listening fans out there use a sub? I can't see why anyone wouldn't. Thanks ✊🏽
@@KristiWright At this point I just skip to the Kristi Section. I can usually gauge the excitement from there. Then roll back for a more technical evaluation.
🤗 GREAT NEWS FOR NEW PEOPLE…WHO ARE MOVIE 🍿 WATCHERS…. And I AM AGAIN AGREEING WITH KRISTI’s THINKING 🤔🤔 and they are great to look at 👀….and a good bang for the buck👍😎😍😍😍
I am always into use of the same components in less expensive gear. In this case using the same drivers is a really good value for those chosing the R's.
Have 3 stereos at the, & one of my favorites is with a vintage Receiver & a pair of Polk Audio Monitor Series 2’s. Awesome sound. Very warm & great low response. Love your reviews. Best of ones I see & I subscribe to several. Keep up the good work!
It’s not a tumor! Not a tumor. 🤣 Definitely better integration with these, although I still think Jamo has done the best job with that on the Studio 8 line.
Thanks Andrew I’ve been waiting for your review of this speaker as I was considering it and the Focal Chora 806. You have helped me immensely in this regard with this review!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Definitly leaning toward Focals as it’s more of what I was looking for. The sonus fabers are a bit out of my budget range. Thanks for inquiring . Best wishes to you and Kristi . Won’t miss any of your reviews ! Best brunch in town!
Kristi is 100% correct about hearing impaired folks that need a voice matched center. My Wife is hearing impaired since a Toddler (Hospital medical screw up). She hears voices in a movie much clearer with a CC Speaker than the Phantom Center created by my 2 channel setup. When Audiophool's say "I don't need a CC, my two channel is better". I call B.S. So did I win the Forte's in the backdrop of your Video Guys ? 😊 All The Best, Joe Goswami
Makes a huge difference!! Although, the Focal Diablo Utopias were pretty good (among the better) in terms of intelligibility for a 2 channel set up. But for 17 grand I kind of expect them to make me dinner while also being able to understand what is being said. :-)
@@KristiWright 🤣 That’s hilarious ! Good point. The other thing with hearing impaired folks like my Wife that have limited high frequency hearing (her’s is 5k and that’s it - she’s lucky to have any natural hearing to begin with). She can sense when something sounds “good” to her. Where my hearing is barely 13k, when I like the sound of something, so does she. As your Hubby says “it’s your system and you decide what sound you like”. I’ve stole that from him several times on my Videos and I ain’t payin’ him any royalties. ✌🏾
@@joeygsaudiochannel3972 That's cool. At least you don't copy our whole ass title like a certain reviewer. Y'all lucky we don't have a legal department just yet. 😂
@@andrewrobinsonreviews 😂. I’m not that creepy Jazz Guy and Kudos for the letter you wrote. As I’ve said over and over again. All SG had to do was a quick edit on his cell phone and there’d be no Controversy. Congratulations on all the success. “Now about those Forte’s”….😊
Kristi, will you be trying to get any of the new Paradigm "Founder" series speakers to Review? Thanks in advance. p.s. please do another live stream soon! P.P.S...Andrew watch out, seems like Kristi is becoming the true star of this channel.
Wish they had a 3-Way center, which is a shame. The reason I returned theses for MA Silver 100 and MA C350. Those MA Silver 100 and MA C350 are just a different animal. These Polks speakers are pretty good from the time I spent with them. These speakers need a true 3-Way for movies to add that sprikle. Great video.
A have the r700 and they rock if you give them power.. A use Technics su G700 Biamp whith Crown xls 2505 LP CROSSOVER set to 200hz makes the midrange mutch clener sounding.. kombine this and the LAPC mode on the Technics and the resoult is pure Magic.. Strong punchy BASS clear midrange and airy high frequency.. Highly recomended👍✌
Polk has long been a company that trickled down its tech. In the mid-90s every audio magazine carried the Polk ad with those giant 8-midbass speakers sat atop their companion subwoofers, for those who wanted Stonehenge in their living rooms. A couple of years later their driver design ended up on Polk's middle lineup. So I'm not surprised to see them still doing it. I'd say if you bought the more expensive speakers, make them your new killer surround speakers and get a pair of the new ones for up front.
Good solid review! I have been a big fan of Polk especially there vintage Monitor series. They had lost their way a bit in the past 10 years solid budget brand that punched above their price. Based on this review it sounds like they are back!
Trickle down production is great for the consumer. It’s Polk Audio attempt to get new customers who can’t afford speakers from their flagship speaker line, get a taste of what’s up line and potentially purchase one of their premium speakers. Secondly, Polk has to remain competitive as the bookshelf space and this is a good move on their part.
🎯R200: bit.ly/3zvBfRp, bit.ly/39rRaZP, amzn.to/3Cyh0Ec*
🎯R200AE: bit.ly/3F9vApU • bit.ly/3AUFkBK
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Wife tried to enter the contest and it said she was flagged as spam.
It's a good move. People who adopt early know what they're doing...spending more money for an advanced peek. There's a market for that.
Andrew, could you make a video about subwoofers for 2.0 stereo systems? There's so many brands and models... I would like to buy one entrance model but I already don't know what is the best for me. Thank you!
How does it compare to the R100?
I'll say this as someone who works in the technology field: early adopters almost always pay more and get less for their money than they will versus waiting for a second generation or follow-up of a product. Trickle down tech happens in every segment of technology and it's good. It brings more reasonably priced features to a wider market. I feel bad for Legend owners but that is the cross many early adopter bear. You can't look back just enjoy the product you chose.
There would be no
trickle-down products without the early adopters. So thank you, whoever you are!
If money is not a major concern of the buyer then it is in fact preferable to be an early adopter if you are getting a better product as soon as possible. That is the trade-off. It’s down to the individual as to whether or not the extra cost is worth it.
I’m with you and I’ve learned my lesson on early adoption, however if I had considerably more money I expect my opinion might change to some extent.
@@RasheedKhan-he6xx Early adopters can be typified as the willing sacrificial lambs.
It's more like a tax for earlier access to the tech that will be in a less polished state, although a lot of times early adopters don't take the full hit as they sell the previous generation off to offset the cost. So it's more like an upgrade fee in that case.
First generation is always more expensive amd will have bugs that the next gen hopefully will have addressed. However, one should not discount the excitement and joy experienced when you take the plunge on the first gen product. It's your excitement and joy that make you say "Yes! I will do this"
I think this is great for the community. It makes these products and experiences more accessible. It also allows for better competition with soundbars.
Also people are so pressed about the price and how “ there’s no way it sound better than “insert more expensive brand here””. Get over it. Price isn’t always an indication.
Great review as always. I hope to be able to listen to those myself
Always been a Polk fan. Got a full set of the Signature Series. Great speakers even better price.
When I heard Kristi, I was overjoyed! Welcome back and keep on truckin', you two!
That’s so sweet of you to say. 😍
Agreed their dialogue is my favorite parts of the vids/reviews.
@@KristiWright Please do all real audiophiles a favour by being part of the audiophile community as you always do and making superficial and rude audiophiles insulted and belittled by your involvement, knowledge and contribution to the audiophile community. The more insulted they are about it, the better you are and honestly it's ridiculous these rude af people are stopping others from being audiophile either because they are beginners or of a different gender. These people are bad for the audiophile industry too, tbh.
Your review pretty much summarizes the Polk sound from the 80’s and 90’s. I still have my Polk Monitor 10Bs and you could have been describing them. I love the sound.
Bronze 100 over R200, Fully AGREE with Kristi! And personally my ears and wallet do to. Have Bronze 100 paired to a Marantz 100w p/channel amp and oh my goodness, "Are these FUN" -Andrew Robinson
still using my Vintage Polk RT3 (circa 1996/97) . A well Used pair of Speakers .Originaly bough as part of a surround sound set up in 1996.Changed over to Dolby digital amp with Kef 3005SE in 2008, and moved the Polks over to use as computer speakers ,in conjunction with a small class D SMSL Q5 Pro amp.They still sound really great even now.
The turbine look of the mid-woofer is a technical choice by Polk because it is suppose to make the driver stiffer and less prone to breakup modes. Great video as usual!
I've had the R200's for 3-4 weeks now. I"ve run them in a couple two channel set-ups and my home theater. I used the Iota SA3 and two PA3's as monoblocks, Peachtree Nova 300 and the Denon X6700H. I'm enjoying them very much and so far I don't regret the purchase. Great reviews and keep up the great work
I purchased a pair of Polk SDA1a speakers back in '86. Still have them. Still love them. Who needs a subwoofer with these?
Saw this was 20 minutes long and instantly knew Kristi was back. All is well with in the world now! Also, a question: what midrange center speaker would you recommend for a 5.1 home theatre?
If you buy these. make sure the stand put the tweet at the exact height as you ear in the listening position. get just 2" off above or below, and the ring radiator falls off at 15Khz. stay locked in at ear height and they sound good.
If the Legend series ends up going bye-bye the L600s are going to be a must buy for me. That is the best speaker in the line that nobody has given a real look at.
I love Polk speakers. I think they make great affordable speakers with a finish that always exceeds their price point.
Is great to hear to Kristi again!!
Polk fan & owner of Signature Series S55’s.😎👍🏼
I just listened to this R200 with Hegel H120..... This thing is Crazy Awesome for the money. I also have the B&W 606 original. Totally agree with you the top end has more clarity BUT just FAR TOO MUCH. This R200 has wide soundstage, plenty of bass, deep bass not punchy BUT not as refined as those Expensive $5K+ Speakers. This may probably be the best buy for entry level bookshelves. Also I do think it is more suitable for AV.
It's the Hegel.... Try pairing that amp with the Polk R700 and you will die. You can still find the R700's for about $900 a piece and I prefer listening to them over my other speakers (B&W, KEF, Klipsch). Played them with both digital gear (Peachtree) and an old NAD Silverline SS. The R700's are just....phenomenal for the price.
I'm treble sensitive and these speakers, when I had a chance to demo them, were just about perfect for my needs. They're neutral with a mild bass bump. Hearing from the rep at the audio show, they do really prefer to be at least two feet off the wall for optimal performance, and that was how he had them set up in the room. Dude was also running them off of a source stack worth, like, 12 grand, so that probably impacts how amazing they sounded in the room.
Wanted to post here and thank Andrew and Kristi for their review of this speaker and the Onkyo 5100. I had gone with the Jamo S803 line, but was experiencing ear pain from it. I received guidance to get silk dome tweeters and switched to these for my home theater. Thank you for your time and effort.
I love Kristi"s imput on these reviews. It is what you hear! Full stop. It can be how a component looks. And it can be about the connectivity of a component. Customers get more for their money when they assess for themselves & prioritize their preferences.
The MA Bronze 100 will appeal more to normal listeners because of that thump and zing but midrange is too recessed for any critical listening. The R200 is just a very neutral speaker (which is way harder to come by compared to V/U/W shaped speakers) which will appeal to more serious listeners. Now neutral speakers usually arent great for movies, which is surprising because the R200 just works great! I love my r200s for movies and diamonds 12.2 for music.
How would you compare the diamonds in the treble
@@Soaringkiwi1 Diamond 12.2 compared to the R200? In the treble, the R200 might sound more extended, but only if you have them pointed directly at you. The RR tweeter falls off FAST off axis, the 12.2 dont. The mids totally go to the 12.2, although the r200's mids are warm, they lack that body and 3 dimensionality of the 12.2. Bass punch and slam goes to the R200 but the 12.2 goes deeper when called for. The R200 can handle a ton of power, the 12.2 not so much.
Awesome review. I never heard the Legend but I’m so glad you have. This has to be the best review is the Reserve series to date. Interesting the R100 isn’t super thick on the bottom end. I’ve heard the same thing that you mentioned from others. Either way, my favorite polks thus far
Damn right it's the best one, Randy. 😂
That should have been the title. LOL.
@@KristiWright humble as ever
@@cheapaudioman 😇
You know I'm just messing with you, Randy. ❤️
if anyone gets these, they REALLY like to be ear level or higher....emphasis on higher. Got em....love em....will be my last speaker for a while.
As someone who clearly likes these speakers, would you still recommend them if I cannot place them further than 12" from the wall? I like clean bass and am hoping to avoid a boomy sound. I keep seeing comments that these do better when placed further away from the wall.
@@ryanw8664
It really depends on roomacoustics and size room. I have a large room, but still needed around 20" (minimum) from the wall to get the best. Btw, you can plug them with some creativity, just use some cotton props to fill the 3 spaces in the port (or 1 or two, etc). With some care you can really finetune the bass to best proportions, relative to your wall.
I am a Polk fan, my whole 5.1 set up is Polk Audio speakers. For me, and I'd say for most Polk fans, the Legend series is out of our price range. Polk has made a name for themselves for making affordable speakers. The Legend Series are not affordable. I don't think their sales are very large for the Legend as it is a niche market. The Reserve series is a nice step up from Signature series and I think Polk will sell a lot of them.
Polk fan over here!🙋♂️… I must say I like the looks of the Signature Series more.
At this price point polkR200 are difficult to beat. The strong and special quality is sweet lovely female vocal which is unmatched.
Revisiting this video as the R200 is currently an ASR favorite due to its extremely flat response across the frequencies with a - wait for it - almost half db rise in treble per the spinorama measurements I’ve seen. Those are some experienced ears you’ve got there.
Appreciate that.
I have a/b the legend 100 vs the reserve 100 just a few days ago. They are close in terms of tonality but the L100 wins in overall smoothness and refinement which is worth paying the extra for. We were using modest electronics, just a nad368.
I use 4 of these on my sim racing rig and they are amazing. The neutral tweeters are perfect for up close listening.
I'm sure some will say I'm an idiot because of course speaker break-in is silly voodoo stuff but...........these seemed to really improve after about a week of solid use. I had buyer's remorse at first. I thought they sounded muddy. But now they sound fantastic.
Hi! Nothing voodoo. "Rigid" materials need to soft up while moving. At the woofer the "spider" needs time to break in, at the tweeter the little surround needs to break in, in the crossover parts the electric charge (caps) fill then empty periods happening. I heard very old bookshelf loudspeakers (30 years) with very soft, full bodied sound (awesome bass).. we did not belive-measured the bass response-the very old 8" paper fabric cone woofer with soft rubber surround and time-softed up spider could get down to 25 Hz!
I am glad you were finally able to test the Polk Reserve series. I got my signature series S60E tower speakers about a month or 2 before the Reserve series was announced. Was a little annoyed that happened. But still Very happy with my speakers. to me Polk speakers sound very lively. I find it balances well between movies and music. Placement for the S60E tower speakers also came down to placement in the room, even though it has a base port. Cause the bass can be a bit much. I tone down the bass a little for my preference to my ears. My speakers just get better when the volume goes up, it scales so well with the volume knob. I hope that you get an opportunity to now test the Reserve Tower speakers. Would love see see your opinion on their base port and a speaker with more drivers on it. Great review
Big fan of Polk and owned the SDA CRS + speakers in the 80s that I held onto for 30 years. I now have the entire LSIM series for my home theater that I got for a steal when the line was discontinued.LSIM is very power hungry and needed a Parasound amp to bring them alive. Thanks for this review since I often wondered what the Legend series was all about.May try the Reserve if I get tired of the LSIM line.
These would be amazing in a Surround Sound System. They look beautiful too
Watch the whole video, I think you'll like the 2nd half of the video 😉
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I enjoyed the entire video! I loved that there was 10 Minutes of Kristi's Comments. Love hearing from her, she is similar to the way my wife likes/describes speakers that i bring home. My wife's favorite speakers are the JBL L110
So nice to hear the back and forth between both of you once again!!🙃
Thanks, Josh.
I love my Polk RTi A9’s. They are bass heavy like these and power hungry. I love seeing Polk on your channel and I’m even happier that they’re starting to become more accessible.
Yea, I’m ok with Polk “trickling down” their tech. I’m a very budget conscious consumer, so I’m not really the right one to answer lol
I had the Polk Rti-12s. And I think the Rti line could be compared to the signature line. The reserve line is different sounding from what all the reviews . More flat and laid back I guess.
Crisp and well formulated as always... but I'm really waiting for your review of the Dynaudios..
I like the 30" from the front wall suggestion for bass control. I've tried this with the R500 to great success. So, thanks!
Thanks for your comment. I am interested in the R500 but cannot move them more than 12" from the wall. Would you be willing to test yours at that distance for me? I'm wondering if the sound becomes too boomy at that distance.
@@ryanw8664 I am married and so have to move the R500s near 12" or so from the front wall after every serious listening session to keep them out of my wife's way. When I play them from that position I don't notice too much bass boom these days. But there are a couple of things that have changed for me. One is that I put some diffusion panels on the front wall--that has helped with overall room sound. The second is that I'm on the third amplifier with these speakers--my Bryston 3B blew a power-transistor. And what I can say is that the bass is remarkably determined by the amp. If you have an amplifier with a lot of headroom and controlled bass, you should be fine--I think the X-Port on the R500s works really well to minimize pressure and dispersion. But some amplifiers are bass fat and the R500s need more room to breathe in that case--in my experience. Good luck!
@@hocktooey Hey, thanks a lot for your detailed response! I really appreciate it. LOL the married comment. I would be pairing these with a Yamaha RX-V6A, which is a somewhat entry level AV receiver but with 100W per channel I am hoping it will be enough.
My first speaker was the Polk T-15, which left a bad taste in my mouth when it came to Polk. It's great that they have something similar to the Debut Reference or 600m. It's great to have more options for budget speakers. Also, love Kristi's input!
I did not like the Elacs at all and the 600M is one of the few Klipsch speakers I didn't love. The R200 would get my vote over those two.
@@KristiWright You surprise me! The 600M sits in my living room and were a huge improvement over a pair of ancient JBL bookshelf speakers (J520M) I previously owned. I hope you don't mind me asking, do you recall what you didn't like? Any criticism I have is that the 600M is that they have me wanting more. My wife and I didn't want tower/floor speakers to overwhelm this room in size and sound but in retrospect given the larger size of the 600M as bookshelves and I have them sitting on stands anyway...we should have considered spending a little more on floor speakers.
I replaced the T15 with micca MB, cheaper and better highs
Polk has been born again great since 2021 or so. The Reserve series is amazing. The whole line. I'm shocked the cabinets are so inert and solid for speakers made in China. Better cabinets than my amazing, made in England Bowers & Wilkens DM603 S3 towers, which I have given away to a happy audiophile.
So good to have Kristi back.
Ok.. now I may look at Polk speakers. I’m glad I watched this review. Thanks to you both.
I have older but very capable Polk LCR and Subs for my home theater setup. Not surprised these are recommended for home theater. Have never had any complaints all these years, and even now in my upgraded Atmos system, the Polks are really great. Your review makes these speakers seems like they might be a nice upgrade for me, which I've been considering for no other reason than I just might like a minor change to my system. Thanks!
Sooo good that you kept the Klipsch Forte's set up in the living room. I see. Actions > Words :)
I bought Infinity Interlude speakers based on trickle down tech from the Prelude and Intermezzo lines of speakers. And i was not disappointed still have them today. Upgrading my components improved the sound. The electronics stand at a Carver AV 705x amplifier, and a Marantz av7005 pre-processor.
I love when one of your review settle things early. That bass issue does it for me. Thank you
These speakers are excellent! I have ran A B testing against the ES20 which seemed more intelligible but after running YPAO on my Yamaha the dialogue significantly improved and it sounded noticeably better but not by much.
Thank you for reviewing budget speakers, for someone where high end and expensive speakers are hard to come by from (im from asia) where they live and costs a fortune. Settling for entry level is practical and your reviews help a lot, especially auditining speakers are not accessible
Again, great review. Any plans for reviewing the R700's? Curious to get your opinion; the R700's seem an incredible value for a 3 way floor standing speaker and Polk seems to have realized not everyone wants to spend a ton on a high powered amp.
design wise the tweeter remind me a lot of Scan Speak tweeters - if I'm gessing correct the linearity of the tweeter do not surprise me
I like the Scans a lot for being linear and rich on detail - without being harsch - fits nicely into your comparison with the B&W 600
btw - thank you Kristi for being back in action - like your complementing views / 2nd opinion
Brilliant review, much appreciated honesty and overview..as usual. Would you please review the Polk R700 floorstanding model. Would really appreciate your take, Thanks!
I've had these for about a month or so. They replaced my older PSB Alpha B1's in my home theatre 2.1 setup (which have now been moved to my desktop computer). Like Kristi, my wife has hearing loss, but it is severe enough that she uses hearing aids. Her first reaction to the Polk Reserve is how much more she could hear from the Reserve R200's vs my old PSB speakers (or the Mirage Nanosat system I had before then). Its a much "richer" sound, as the PSB's lack bass extension, even with the subwoofer (very large, open concept room). I power them with a Yamaha RX-S601 AVR. Definitely need to turn up the volume vs. the PSB's, but there is plenty of headroom left in the amp. Extreme off-axis response isn't as "good" as the PSB's, but that's what I wanted. My master bedroom is adjacent to the living room, so the sound doesn't carry into the bedroom as much if one of us is trying to sleep while the other is watching TV. Awesome all-round speaker for music and home theatre. Watching Bruce Springsteen's Western Stars movie would give me goose bumps with these speaker, sounding almost as good is almost as the movie theatre where I first saw it. In another show we were watching (can't remember which one), there was a deep base rumble and you could feel the bass wave move across the room. My wife was like "Did you feel that?!?!" I'm incredibly happy with mine, and I haven't even started messing around with positioning yet as I'm still waiting for my new stands to get delivered.
Just a follow-up on my earlier comment. I just got in 30 inch stands for my R200's. The additional height has definitely brought up the treble response vs. my previous speaker placement (about 25 inches). So if you are finding the treble to be more muted than you would like, try raising them higher and see how that works for you.
Quad s2, review them! theres plenty of us who want to know what you think. Good to hear your side kick is back in the game. Well done guys 👍
Very detailed, resolution top rate, fun with movies. For me, not so much for music. I felt they were kind of boring (unengaging), a very flat soundstage and i was looking for any depth. I much preferred my budget Triangles and Focal W series over the Quads for music even though the Quads had better resolution. For the price, they were disappointing to me for music. Used a Hegel and a moderately priced Soundartist SA-200IA. The Soundartist has a very pronounced upper mid through highs which made it sound overly bright and harsh. They added some life to the Quads but I still didn't like the overall results. Soundartist and Focal definitely not a match.
Both the Quads and the Soundartist were returned.
But Tharbamer likes the Quads and Jay the Soundartist. Just sharing my experience.
Personally, Polks are the best speakers outside of DIY kits *to* cannibalize. The older Monitor 4-7 series are great to mess around with and try out newer parts. I made a pair of 5jrs sound an par with KEF iQ30s upgrading the crossover parts & sticking older Peerless tweeters from a M&K bookshelf line from 1982 all for less than $200 with the bonus of practicing skills and having fun. It sounds like the Polk engineers are doing the same thing...
I've been excited for this review for so long! And I'm so grateful for Kristi's commentary being back - my fiance and I missed it! I'm curious if you're planning to do a full Polk reserve HT setup and review?
These may make an appearance in a couple more reviews we have on the books but a full HT review with these is not likely to happen. But as mentioned in this video, they make a great HT set up.
Thank you, Scott. 😍
@@KristiWright Of course! We love hearing both of your opinions!
Thanks for the video
Would love to see your review of the new Elac uni-fi reference.
I bought Elac debut reference just a few weeks before you reviewed it. I was quite underwhelmed by the performance and then you put to words what I was hearing :)
Welcome back Kristi! 👌
Thank you, Tomislav. Not sure if we'll be reviewing the new Elacs. They forgot to include us when those launched 😅. I reached out about them and they said they would send them but so far that hasn't happened.
@@KristiWright yeah, I know. Last time I bought into hype, this time I'll just wait for your review or buy something else when I decide to upgrade :)
I would not wait on us for a review of the Elac.
I have the L100. Love them but I have them with the emotiva A300. My room has some diffuser panels which have helped. I think both our opinions are formed by our rooms.
In mine the Klipsch RM600 are annoyingly fatiguing and the Legends Twitter is crisp but pleasant. I think it’s the difference is in our rooms.
I like Kristi's take on these speakers. I didn't see the point of Andrew going back over what she said as if it needed clarification. We all know what she means. Having said that, I love the fact that both Andrew and Kristi put themselves out there time and time again. It can't be easy to give a public opinion knowing that some people just love to disagree.
Kristi is sometimes slow with the correct terminology so Andrew was just leading her in the right direction.
Welcome back Kristi you were missed! :)
Thank you 🙏🏻
So stoked to hear Kristi again! Great review.
🥰
💯
I lean to the brighter side too, especially at my age. Maybe more to the Klipsch, although sounds like the bass may be more full on the Polk than the Klipsch RP 600m. Kristi is back, Great !!
I agree with Kristi's 'U' curve. Great review, thanks.
Bass is there for the Klipsch, it's just punchier vs outright deep. Yes, Kristi is back today.
😍
Mid way through your section of this - I got to thinking about how the descriptions of high-frequencies, of many of the speakers in your space, have been presented and .. I wondered.. " how much of the room there is colouring the experience ". I mean, of course, it is, like everyone's room will change the overall loading or reflection interference of the speakers, ..but I've tried to find some measure of similarity across all your reviews to nail down a valuable gauge/measure/comparative perspective on sounds.
I appreciate the methods of not having measurements as data or machine complied, however evaluative language and "Better / worse " is a matter of judging based on something. For me, listening to your flavour of review means I need to learn more about how YOU hear things ..and find a common enough denominator/description.. to translate your subjective experience against itself. ( make sense?)
For me .. the MOST valuable thing you said in the entire video was on the topic of " how it sounds against these other models " - because that places what you are hearing/saying.. in a scale .. for us to relate to (on only your terms, even when we cannot hear what you are)
Hope that is somewhat clear & useful feedback.
I'm 100% more a fan of Sonus Faber ... I enjoyed the B&Ws2AE speakers more. I prefer "articulate" and I do deaden out my room to eliminate reflective interferences. I was leaning towards the reserve series, having listened to others (including the engineers of these Polk series) talk about how "hi-Res" certified the tweeter is. .. but when you say it's balance .. THAT is what made me wonder what is going on with your space. ... Always a matter of 'each-their-own', especially with a sensory experience and I, do appreciate what you are Kristi are doing here..
Thank you both. Keep at it - Kudos on 200K
Glad to see Kristi back!
🥰
I own the polk signature series, svs pb2000, and a marantz sr6015 and they absolutely kick, thanks for the videos guys!
I bet your system rocks! Thanks for sharing!
Have you ever heard an audiophile admit being wrong? LOL! So true Kristi :).
Well done video. Great explanation of what the difference in sound between the polk and comparable other speakers is.
I could almost hear the speakers sound signature as you and Christie went back and forth giving your interpretation of it.
How would you compare these Polk R 200’s to the Focal 806’s that you reviewed a while back?
Andrew, please grab those R700 to review. Also, step back a series and review the Signature S60.
Trickle away, the L series is just too high for what they offer.
I've been running Polk RT-12 tower speakers as my front L/R in my home theater, and I've loved them. I should check these out!
You should. I would be curious how these compare to the older RT line. I imagine it's going to be a little better or at least more refined, but hey, if the older RTs are working for you, no need to upgrade. Thanks for tuning in!
I had the Rti-12s powered with two parasound HCA-800ii into mono. And They were not flat sounding , bright but not overly bright. but with a lot of bass. I really loved them. I think that the reserve l think the reserve line is taking another direction . Thanks for the review. I am vary close to making a purchase on these.
I had the Rti-12s powered with two parasound HCA-800ii into mono. And They were not flat sounding , bright but not overly bright. but with a lot of bass. I really loved them. I think that the reserve l think the reserve line is taking another direction . Thanks for the review. I am vary close to making a purchase on these.
Hi. Great content as usual. I just want to ask what Subwoofer would you pair with the R200? Thanks!
Would it be good to mount these Polk R200 speakers up on the wall and use as front height speakers for movies, music concerts and get 3D Auro reciever in a 5.1.2 setup ?
I wish the Reserve series center channel was more similar to the L400 center. So I think that not enough has trickled down.
I enjoy your wife's comments. Even if everything she says is in up speak
Every comment sounds like a question.
Question? Wharfdale EVO 4.2 vs vs Polk R200
Kristi is back! I definitely have the same sound preference as Kristi, I love a punchy and fun speaker that gets me moving. Great review!
🙌
Good video👍🏽 question do audiophiles not use the bass and treble knobs? Seems like a couple of simple to the left or right would tame and enhance the bass and high frequencies. Also, could you take a survey of how many bookshelf listening fans out there use a sub? I can't see why anyone wouldn't. Thanks ✊🏽
Hey, so glad to hear Kriti's comments again!! 😃
Appreciate that.
@@KristiWright At this point I just skip to the Kristi Section. I can usually gauge the excitement from there. Then roll back for a more technical evaluation.
@Douglas Blake Thank you.
🤗 GREAT NEWS FOR NEW PEOPLE…WHO ARE MOVIE 🍿 WATCHERS…. And I AM AGAIN AGREEING WITH KRISTI’s THINKING 🤔🤔 and they are great to look at 👀….and a good bang for the buck👍😎😍😍😍
Thanks for watching! These were great for movies.
🤗 POLK DESERVES A 👏👏👏 for going in this direction 😎😍😍😍
I am always into use of the same components in less expensive gear. In this case using the same drivers is a really good value for those chosing the R's.
Have 3 stereos at the, & one of my favorites is with a vintage Receiver & a pair of Polk Audio Monitor Series 2’s. Awesome sound. Very warm & great low response. Love your reviews. Best of ones I see & I subscribe to several.
Keep up the good work!
It’s not a tumor! Not a tumor.
🤣
Definitely better integration with these, although I still think Jamo has done the best job with that on the Studio 8 line.
Haven't heard such a glowing review of Polk in years.
Was wondering if you were ever going to review these! Nice job.
Thanks Andrew I’ve been waiting for your review of this speaker as I was considering it and the Focal Chora 806. You have helped me immensely in this regard with this review!
So what's the verdict?
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Definitly leaning toward Focals as it’s more of what I was looking for. The sonus fabers are a bit out of my budget range. Thanks for inquiring . Best wishes to you and Kristi . Won’t miss any of your reviews ! Best brunch in town!
Kristi is 100% correct about hearing impaired folks that need a voice matched center. My Wife is hearing impaired since a Toddler (Hospital medical screw up). She hears voices in a movie much clearer with a CC Speaker than the Phantom Center created by my 2 channel setup.
When Audiophool's say "I don't need a CC, my two channel is better". I call B.S.
So did I win the Forte's in the backdrop of your Video Guys ? 😊
All The Best,
Joe Goswami
Makes a huge difference!! Although, the Focal Diablo Utopias were pretty good (among the better) in terms of intelligibility for a 2 channel set up. But for 17 grand I kind of expect them to make me dinner while also being able to understand what is being said. :-)
@@KristiWright 🤣 That’s hilarious ! Good point. The other thing with hearing impaired folks like my Wife that have limited high frequency hearing (her’s is 5k and that’s it - she’s lucky to have any natural hearing to begin with). She can sense when something sounds “good” to her. Where my hearing is barely 13k, when I like the sound of something, so does she.
As your Hubby says “it’s your system and you decide what sound you like”. I’ve stole that from him several times on my Videos and I ain’t payin’ him any royalties. ✌🏾
@@joeygsaudiochannel3972 That's cool. At least you don't copy our whole ass title like a certain reviewer. Y'all lucky we don't have a legal department just yet. 😂
Title, thumbnail, furniture...it's starting to get creepy.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews 😂. I’m not that creepy Jazz Guy and Kudos for the letter you wrote. As I’ve said over and over again. All SG had to do was a quick edit on his cell phone and there’d be no Controversy.
Congratulations on all the success. “Now about those Forte’s”….😊
which is better center speaker for small to medium room, polk r300, r350 or r400?
To give you an idea on how lasting top line Polks are, I sport a pair of RTA11TL’s I purchased new in ‘88. Still a flagship speaker but not the RTA15
I am very much satisfied with my Polk RTiA3 pair.
there's nothing wrong with that, it was a solid performing line
Mr Andrew. Thanks for good information or knowledge on your channel it's very helpful.
You are very welcome.
Welcome back, Kristi!
Thank you :)
Enjoyed the discussion between you and Christy..
As ever, ace video! I’m still using Linn and Kef Q’s, and music sounds good ☺️
Kristi, will you be trying to get any of the new Paradigm "Founder" series speakers to Review? Thanks in advance. p.s. please do another live stream soon! P.P.S...Andrew watch out, seems like Kristi is becoming the true star of this channel.
I have emailed them several times and they do not respond so no, I don’t think you’ll see paradigm or anthem here anytime soon.
@@KristiWright Hello Kristi, that’s unfortunate as it’s a speaker I’m interested in and would have loved to hear you insight. Take care, Brian.
Wish they had a 3-Way center, which is a shame. The reason I returned theses for MA Silver 100 and MA C350. Those MA Silver 100 and MA C350 are just a different animal. These Polks speakers are pretty good from the time I spent with them. These speakers need a true 3-Way for movies to add that sprikle. Great video.
You still have the monitor audios
A have the r700 and they rock if you give them power.. A use Technics su G700 Biamp whith Crown xls 2505 LP CROSSOVER set to 200hz makes the midrange mutch clener sounding.. kombine this and the LAPC mode on the Technics and the resoult is pure Magic.. Strong punchy BASS clear midrange and airy high frequency.. Highly recomended👍✌
Polk has long been a company that trickled down its tech. In the mid-90s every audio magazine carried the Polk ad with those giant 8-midbass speakers sat atop their companion subwoofers, for those who wanted Stonehenge in their living rooms. A couple of years later their driver design ended up on Polk's middle lineup. So I'm not surprised to see them still doing it. I'd say if you bought the more expensive speakers, make them your new killer surround speakers and get a pair of the new ones for up front.
Good solid review! I have been a big fan of Polk especially there vintage Monitor series. They had lost their way a bit in the past 10 years solid budget brand that punched above their price. Based on this review it sounds like they are back!
Trickle down production is great for the consumer. It’s Polk Audio attempt to get new customers who can’t afford speakers from their flagship speaker line, get a taste of what’s up line and potentially purchase one of their premium speakers. Secondly, Polk has to remain competitive as the bookshelf space and this is a good move on their part.
Thank you Andrew for your effort to bring us one of the best audiophile review channel !
I think my rti a 1's are better because I already have them. Is that a good reason 🤔 I don't know
Excellent summation and review!
Thanks for watching!
Just what I need while laying here with Covid. Thanks Andrew!
Hope you are feeling better soon, Jesse. Please get the 💉 if you haven't already.
@@KristiWright definitely will thanks! It was not fun but I am getting better.
@@Boskibro It's scary AF. We almost lost Andrew's mom to it and both his parents are now suffering memory issues post C19.
How do these compare to the wharfdale evo 4.1 as I was just about set to by them ( the evo 4.1 )