Polk Audio Speakers

Hello, everybody. this is my first post on the Audio Hardware forum and I have a question: my neighbor just gave me the following:
Pair of Polk Audio RT800i floorstanding loudspeakers
One Polk Audio CS245i center channel
One Polk Audio PSW250 powered subwoofer

Are these considered to be respectable?

 

For what you paid? Hell yeah!

But seriously, I'd consider the RT800is respectable. The sub is not great and I have no idea about the center channel speaker.

Listen to them and tell us what you think.

 

Yes the mains and centre will be quite good.

 

Thanks. Someone told me they are considered "entertainment center" speakers, which I think was meant to translate to TV, which is not my intention for them

 

For just music, I would try the towers and sub with as low a x-over point as I could manage. I'd have no use for a center speaker. Not bad for the $!
-Bill

 

Thanks, this is helpful.

 

They are meant to be home theater speakers first and foremost, which they will do a very respectable job of. For 2 channel music you may find them wanting a bit, but that may also depend on what speakers you are used to and what kind of music you prefer.

 

Thanks.

 

They are decent for sure. If you rather like how they sound, reply/PM me and I'll post a litany about how to upgrade them with bracing, stuffing, coating.

 

OK, thanks. It'll probably be a while before I set them up.

 

I use Polk Monitor 30s for all my listening and home theater needs. CS-1 center channel and PW10 subwoofer, all Polk. I notice nothing lacking musically with these speakers. And for free? yeah, you did alright.

 

About twenty years ago i bought a modest pricec pair of towers, a center, sub, and back surrounds. My primary motivation for going surround was for movies ( I had pre teen kids who demanded to be entertained!)

Polk makes solid lower mid quality speakers, and given they are free, and you are on the way. The ones i auditioned in the past had a nice low end, but could be a little too much on the treble, just roll a little off. I. Not an audio snob, just suggesting how the get the best out of what got.

After a while, i discovered music mixed and mastered for surround sounded pretty special too. (SACD and DVD Audio, and now ablu Ray Audio. This led to lots more upgrades and purchases along the way, but its all been good. Enjoy the journey!

 

Thanks, I'll keep your advice in mind.

 

B. Bu Po,

Greetings, like your Polk stuff! Polk speakers are so hard to beat, with what you get for your dollar (in your case, even better!)

I started with a pair of Model 70's for the fronts. Soon afterward, I purchased a pair of Model 60's for the rears. I has a CS2 for the center channel. Decided to add a Sub, PSW-505. For a little over $200, it kicked some butt. Played Batman Begins, the rear window was shaking!

I could listen to the Model 70's forever and never experience listening fatigue. The tweeters are just not harsh at all. I like the fact that Polk speakers are full sounding speakers. Matthew Polk has a nice YouTube video on that subject, shown with the Series II.

If you have not, please take the time to warranty register your Polk's. You can do it on the Polk web site. Your Polk's have a 5-year, parts and labor warranty. You are unlikely to have any issues with a cone speaker. It is easy to blow the tweeters.

If you do, they replace them right away under warranty, but if you r HF goes out, you have a sonic imbalance in that speaker until you replace the tweeter. Ahead of time, you may want to acquire a TORX T-15 tool. Unless they have made a change here, that is what you will need to unscrew the tweeter. If you buy one, check it out to make sure it fits, so you can return it if it doesn't. If you notice a speaker sounding dull, you have blown the tweeter.

I did this three times. Once blowing two while calibrating the HT system, and once, one just went out without explanation.

If you are balancing the volume levels for HT, do not use pink noise at a level above 75dB. If you plan on leaving the test tone on for more than the few seconds it takes to adjust the volume level, take the level down to 70dB.

It is OK to adjust the individual speakers at 70dB. The main thing is just calibrating them so they play at the same level.

When you get on the Polk web site, you will be invited to sign up to receive emails for special offers, DO IT!

You will receive an email now and then, not to often. Usually, it will be something like 30% off in-wall speakers or something like that.

However, for the past several years, every year, they hold a 50% off sale on everything on their web site. It is only for customers who sign up and receive their newsletter. This has been happening toward the end of November each year. The sale is only for a week or 10-days. There is no mention of it on their web site. You just enter the Promo Code, they give you in their email, when you check out.

Each year, I take advantage of this annual sale Got some TSi towers for my friend last year 50% off. These are really good deals, considering that Polk already represents a good value. Bought $1,500/pr. RTi-A9's for $375/ea. These are huge! Subs at half off. An extra sub in your system brings out the bass, reducing localization. Earlier this year, they had a sale on their LSiM line, saved $2K on a pair of 707's. When you see them, they don't even look like Polk's, they weigh 99.1-lbs. each and look like something out of a high end audio store.

You are gonna love your Polk's. Your a Polkie now!

S&G

 

I still use Polk RTi4s as surrounds. That good.

And - there is buzz for something new on the way from Polk. Stay tuned.

 

So I'm a Polkie now! Who'da thunk it? I still haven't set them up. The likelihood of my blowing a tweeter seems remote as I am an apartment dweller. Thank you for your encouragement and advice! And please call me B. Bu.

 

I'd better sign up on their website, toot sweet!

 

I ran a pr of 1oAs for > 20 yrs.

 

Right you are, they will announce the Signature series next month!

You should be the OP to announce and get feedback on their new product line.

 

The RTi line, WOW! The RTi A9's are a great front speaker. They (a4's) pair well for rear speakers. Rear speakers are important, though some do not think so. You have the right idea.

I use a separate amp with two inputs for the rears. One input is for HT from the processor and the other is for stereo, from the pre-amp out's. The rear amp is a small 50-watt Fusion Flex amp from Emotiva. It has two inputs. When in HT, the right rear speaker is connected to the amps right output. With stereo, I reverse the leads on the 2nd input.

I have a room that is roughly 450 sq. ft. room. This gives me lot's of room to play. I two credenza's, one on each side of the rear of the room. Not put there for audio, they just happen to be there. I use some Klipsch (WF-35's) tower speakers, sitting on them. This is good, because it elevates the sound over other things in the room.

If I didn't already have the WF-35's, I was tempted to buy a pair of RTi-A7's for the rear. The Klipsch are a better fit for me, because they are thinner.

 

(sorry, my post was meant as a reply to yours) So I'm a Polkie now! Who'da thunk it? I still haven't set them up. The likelihood of my blowing a tweeter seems remote as I am an apartment dweller. Thank you for your encouragement and advice! And please call me B. Bu.

 

I will tell you, that when I bought my first pair of Polk's, back in 2011 I was not expecting all that much, really.

In the past, I was never much of a home audio, type of guy. It was all rock back then. We all went to concerts, home speakers, did not give me the experience I was looking for. Pro audio stuff, could take just about anything you could throw at them.

Fast forward 4-decades. Had been away from 2-channel stereo for over twenty years. During the 90's I set up a basic HT surround, built up a VHS movie collection of 3,700 tapes, 99% used. Got out of that about 15-years back.

Thought that MP3 music had really started to improve, got player, get IEM's. That was back in 2011, never thought I would own another speaker or amplifier.

Since I was doing research on IEM's, I came across Head-Fi.org, ended up joining.

One thing led to another. I thought about a small but quality headphone amp for the bedroom, maybe tubes? I was reading about tubes. I didn't have any idea prior that they were still around, but, I see that they are.

I run a small motel in Fort Lauderdale. I thought I would set up a small HT in the office so we could watch movies. I needed speakers. I would cringe at some that I would see in the big box stores. I found some Polks's online at a reasonable price and bought them. Was in H.H. Gregg and they had a pile of Sony streaming boxes on clearance for $49. I said, what the heck? Let's do it.

I had a TT bought to do needle drops of some records I had been given.

When the Polk's first arrived, I didn't even have an amp. I bought a Lepi for $22, and this is what the Polk's played through, before I acquired the Peachtree Nova as a factory refurbished unit.

I started streaming paid Pandora, through the Peachtree and the Polk Model 70's. I could not believe how good everything sounded, better than I would have ever thought. I turned up the volume, the Polk's would play louder and fuller. I turned up the volume more, they got louder and fuller still.

I really was dumbfounded? These sound like real speakers. I know that statement sounds kinda like a oxymoron because, they were real speakers. They just were more of a real speaker, than I would have expected at that price point.

I never set up the HT, I never brought the system into the bedroom. I just stayed and listened to stereo in the office, mesmerized.

I have two nice pair of IEM's a nice set of HiFiMan planer headphones, I never listen to anymore. That is because the sound outside of my head was infinitely more satisfying than having the sound inside of my head.

Wondered across SHF, read read and read some more, and the rest is history.

With your Polk's, YOU are going to really get into a different listening experience. You will love what you will be hearing (remember, I told you that! ).

So now Mr. Polkie, lets get the move on and get your equipment listed in your profile!

BTW... As I am writing this, I am still sitting in my office, listening to my $49 streaming box, playing jazz on Pandora. More speakers and amps. As the say, the more things change, the more they stay the same!

Can't wait till you get things set up. Because I can't wait to here you talk about your Polk's and sound system like me!

S&G

 

Nice testimonial, S&G! Thanks. I will definitely remember you to the Forum when I get them set up (I'm waiting for my friend to take back his loaner speakers). The rest of my system is cheap: a 1972 Pioneer 626, Rega Planar 3 turntable with a Dynavector 10x5 cartridge. My speakers before the loaners (which I think are Altec) were re-coned 1972 Advents until my membrane disintegrated (and you know how that can hurt a guy).

 

It's a sad day, when audio you love, finally bites the dust.

Nothing wrong with your equipment. I am having fun, playing with all sorts of gear. Speakers are my favorite things audio. I'm not saying that what is upstream is not important, it is. But, no matter what is upstream, the sound has to eventually emerge from the speakers. Good speakers (and halfway decent gear) = Good Sound! And that is all that matters, boys and girls.

I think it is a real blessing, that in our current era, where about anything you buy is pure crap, that you can still get good speakers like Polks for a very reasonable price.

New Egg sells the Monitor 60's for $120, usually with free shipping (IIRC).
Buy and working receiver off of eBay, add a mini phone jack to RCA extension cord and you have a nice sounding stereo for around $300.

BTW, what area of the country are you in?

 

I am in San Francisco.