How "Polked" are you?

Cs400
(2) Cs350
Rm302
Ls50
Ab805
Ab855
(2) Ab705
(4) Ab755
65rt
Sc65
(2) 80fx ls
Several subs
Sda 2btl
Sda 4.1tl
Sda srs 3.1
T10?
M3
(2) m5

Almost an equal number of ADS

2.3TL fully modded
4.1TL
RTA 12C modded
LSiM 704C stock

Check my sig plus an old 8" powered Polk sub - not up to the "sig's" performance level.

I'm not very "Polked" at all, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to be. When I was in my early teens, and in my late teens, there were two pairs of speakers I always wanted. In my early teens, it was the Polk SDA and/or Monitor series. In my late teens, it was the NHT 3.3 and/or 2.9.

Well, 11 years after they debuted, I finally got myself a pair of NHT 2.9's at a great deal. They were/are everything I read about all those years in the stereo mags, and then some. The only reason I'm not using them now is because I just can't get them to cooperate with our current apartment. I just can't get the spacing and positioning right to get them to sing, which brings me to Polk...


My very first Polk's are a pair of PSW505 subs that are sitting in our daughters bedroom with a kitty bed on them. The cats love sleeping in that bed, and it's a good way to protect the tops of the subs. I bought these after selling my last SVS sub.

The PSW505's were run with a pair of AV123 X-Statik speakers that I now use as surrounds. They're great speakers but lack the lowest octave of bass. I also have the matching X-Voce center channel that I also still use. It's the best sounding CC that I have heard at anything below $4k.

I stopped using the Polk subs for music when I got a pair of Genesis Physics II's that I restored and completely rebuilt the crossovers in. I used the Polk subs as speaker stands for the Genesis speakers and only used them with movies. The Genesis speakers actually put out better, lower bass than the PSW505's when it comes to music. They just can't move enough air though for movies.

I stopped using the subs altogether once I got the NHT 2.9's as they extended deeper than the Polk subs do. There's no need for subs that extend down to only 24Hz when you have a pair of towers that extend down to 18Hz.


Now I'm running a pair of RTi12's and have the NHT 2.9's stored at my brother's house for the reasons explained above. The RTi12's sound just about as good as the NHT's surprisingly enough, but with even better quality bass, and with even more usable output down around 18Hz.

So that's my list for now...

• PSW505 x 2
• RTi12 x 2

I will eventually grow that list out, but with some vintage Polk's such as the SDA and Monitor series. I've never heard a pair or even seen a pair in person, but I know I'll like them regardless. It's just a matter of finding a pair in good shape at a decent price.

xcapri79 wrote: »

@Chops, I'm curious as to why you went with a pair of Polk RTi12's vs a pair of LSi15's for two channel music?

The simple answer is that my brother already had the Polk's and we swapped speakers.

He's now running the NHT's in his system. He's got the better room layout for them than I do. He also didn't like something in the midrange with the Polk's. I didn't either when they were in his system. However, after bringing them over here and running them on my system, the midrange sounds just fine. Very neutral and natural.

It might have had something to do with the dual Emotiva XPA2 Gen 2 amps he was running at the time. Those amps are great for HT use, but not for 2-ch music use. He now runs a Marsh A-200s which sounds tons better on those old NHT's of mine.

I saw a pair of LSi25's in the FS section and was getting excited due to the greatly reduced price. I was about to contact the seller until I noticed a few posts towards the end where they had already sold.

And if they ever showed up on the market at a good price, I would certainly entertain a pair of Polk SRT's! Definitely the old SDA also.

SL2000 Monitor 5's
Peerless RTA-12B, Monitor 5, and Monitor 4's
Monitor 4's with the triangle looking plastic fronted tweeter
My dad has the first 2.3's with SL2000 that he bought in Germany during Desert Storm

My first home theater system consisted of:

Fronts: Polk Audio Monitor 50
Center: Polk Audio CSiA4
Surrounds: Polk Audio RTi4
Sub: Polk Audio PSW 505

So, my first home theater system was definitely "Polked". (Pair those speakers with my Yamaha RX-V663, and, yes, my ears did bleed when I cranked it. )

In my present system, I have Polk Audio RTi6's as my surrounds.

monitor 55t x 2
monitor 65t x 2
monitor 75t x 2
tsi200 x 2
csi5 x 1

R15 pair
R30 pair
Csi3
Rti10 pair
Csi5
Fx500 pair
Rti4 2 pairs
Lsim705 pair
Lsim706c

Lol I have accumulated these over the last ten years.

(presently own)
SDA CRS (pair)
RT55i (pair)
RT35i (pair)
RTi38 (pair)
CS400i (center)
PSW450 (sub pair)
PSW111 (sub)

(recently sold)
RT800i (pair)
Monitor 5Jr+ Series 2 (pair)

wow...answering honestly makes me realize I need a support group for hoarders and to clean out the closet...

RT5000p
CS400
RT8
LSi25
LSi9 (2 pairs modded)
LSi7 (sonocapped)
LSiC (4)
LSiFX (2)
LSiM 705 cherry
LSiM 703 (1 pr cherry 1 pr mahogany
LSiM 706c (1 cherry 1 mahogany)
rt 500 fx
RTA 15TL (modded)
SDA 2.3 (modded)

I guess they say admitting you have a problem is the first step...

SDA-SRS 3.1TL's
SDA-1C
CS-1000p
CS-400
Monitor 5jr's
RT-35i's
RT-55's
PSW-200's (2)
PSW-150's (2)
AMR5
AMR-SW

ken brydson wrote: »

TCK wrote: »

You are a sick man....

If this is sick, I don't wanna be well!

la2vegas wrote: »

TCK do you mind if I start calling you Noah

They all have their place in the arc, 2 X 2

aprazer402 wrote: »

Very nicely staged. Good photography. Looks like an advertisement. Nice job! from one Polk hoarder (collector-aficianado) to another. Cheers.

Thanks! I thought it looked like a Polk dealership from the 80s too