Best Of

I put together my first system around 1978. I was continually upgrading the components. Mainly the speakers up to 1988. That’s when I first listened to Polk speakers at a Paul and Tony’s stereo store in state college PA. I got to listened to the SDA line and loved them, but at the time could not afford them. I decided on the RTA 8t’s at that time which I still have.

I purchased a pair of SDA SRS 2.3’s 10 - 15 years ago as an upgrade. The 2.3’s have had the crossovers upgraded, the addition of a Dreadnaught, and are in a dedicated two channel system.

During the last few years I built a home theater with L600 mains, L400 center, 2 pairs of R200’s for the surrounds and rear surrounds and es10’s for the elevation speakers.

I feel fortunate to have found this website. The members first helped me when I got my 2.3’s and have helped me with additional upgrades.

John

My journey with Polk began via Crutchfield and two pair of db6901 component speakers that I bought for my Jetta. I loved them and the sound very much. When I registered them for warranty reasons it auto created me a forum name (HotSoup) which I hated.

From there I noticed that an online computer parts company I was using (NewEgg) carried Polk home theater speakers and I saw and lusted after the Monitor 70s.

My girlfriend (now wife) purchased a set of T90e’s (European Polk Monitor 60) for me for Christmas and I bought a matching Monitor CS1. This was back when there was no sales tax on online purchases which made the price more affordable for a kid living on his own making 23k a year.

From there I discovered that Fry’s had Polk LSi speakers and I realized I really wanted those, but since they were out of reach for me, I snagged just about every model in the Monitor series and ran a 7.1 setup in my modest 400 foot family room, a 3.0 setup in my bedroom and a 2.0 setup next to it on my desk.

I kept buying computer parts at Frys and used every opportunity to listen to the LSis. By this point I’d gotten involved in the forum (under this new better name) and was invited over to @nooshinjohn house for a GTG where I meet @indyhawg. I eventually acquired John’s LSI 15s when he moved and other various items between him and Jeff and some other local forum members and the rest is history.

Also shout-out to the RAS guys (@SCompRacer, @ALL212, @newrival and the others) for letting me crash their party with my gangsta rap and dubstep.

I’ve since met many many members over the years in IL, IN, TX, IA, NC to name a few and forged long lasting friendships with too many forum members to name.

Stereo Review magazine led me to Polk speakers back in my high school and college years. Bought a pair of Model 10Bs new from the local hi-fi store. That began a long-term relationship with the owner of the store and one of their salesmen. Spent more time in that store than I should've for the amount of money I ever spent there, but their graciousness with their time and demoing stuff they had a passion for whether they thought I could afford it, or not, really grew my interest in the hobby.

I upgraded to a set of RTA 15TLs from there in the early-90's, which I still have and use practically daily and which brought me to the forum a few years ago. That same dealer let @charley96 and me take a pair to other stores and demo those suckers against practically everything out there in the price range at the time and we kept coming back to the Polks. So, we both ended up buying them around the same time. (Maybe you can throw him in to the giveaway since I just told his story, too, and I think he is traveling this week?!) Feel like I should still have the original receipt somewhere, but it'd take me some digging to find it. Pretty cool seeing everyone else's, though!

I was totally out of the hobby for about 25 years due to my career, so it has been a lot of fun to come back into it with the 15s, rebuild them with much help from the forum and then upgrade the rest of my system around them!

My first Polks were RT1000P's with the psw10 sub for "free" with the purchase of the rt's. I'd been out of the stereo loop so to speak for several years so I went to a local Bernies (they're no longer around) and asked to buy the best speakers they had in their store. I was pointed to the rt1000P's by a couple of employees who assured me that these Polks were the ones. I followed their advice and brought them home. Despite my very best efforts though I was never able to get them to sound really good at my home. Because of that experience I kept my distance from anything Polk for a few years.

Then about 2006 a local stereo shop had a used pair of 2.3 non tls and I took a chance on them after reading glowing reviews here on the Polk forum. They were nothing like those rt's and I was smitten with the big sda sound. I spent 5 years with them modding them and reaping the benefits of even better sound. Then in 2011 a pair of 1.2tls became available from a member here and I just had to have them. That took some creative financing as they were a few states away, it was the day after Christmas and I was laid off for the winter. But despite those obstacles that turned into one of my better decisions as they're still with me after 14 years and sounding better than ever. Many pair of fine speakers have come and gone here since then including Altecs, Khorns, Concert Grands, ADS, Talon Khorus etc. and none of them have bumped the 1.2s from their spot.

A couple of lesser Polks that have been here are the outdoor monitors which are still here and a pair of CRS were here for a while.