What got you hooked on Polk

polkrt3000p

What made your mind up and said those are the speakers I'm getting.

rromeo923

Well i bought my original Monitor 7's for cheap off of craigslist just for a basement rig. Not even sure why except they were cheap and I had heard good things about Polk. That is when I got on this forum and I saw everyone talking about SDA's. Well I had to get some so I got 1C's. Well everyone talked about mods and upgrading. Ok that sounds like fun. Done!

Well that was a couple of years ago now. Last month I went to Polkfest and was blown away with how nice, accommodating and professional Polk Audio is as a company. I have also had the pleasure of dealing with a number of the people on this forum. Everyone is so helpful from the forum members all the way up to Polk employees and Polk Corporate. Polk is a one of a kind company and when I do buy new speakers Polk will be the first place I go.

Not sure if I answered your question but that is how I feel about Polk audio. No other company comes close in customer service and support.

specd_out

When I was growing up my dad was into audio. He had a Polk Rm3000 set with a Carver TFM-15 and C-16 Preamp. When I got older I went looking for a quality polk satellite set and walked into a Sound Advice store closing and they had 2 Cherry Rtia5s for $400.
Its been about 5 years since then, always been chasing that sound I remembered from my dads system. I had the Polks and they where great but not the same. Not saying the RM 3000 was better, but I was striving for a certain sound. After I got the Carvers I found it. Something about that combo just works for me

Now I have Rtia5's a Carver M1.0t and C-1 preamp.

cowtrimmer

I went to a audio store and listened to a pair of LSiM705 speakers in a two channel setup with a turntable and thought for this price point it has to be a good company. I went home and did a polk monitor series remodel of my TV room. I still have the LSiM series on my music wishlist for my stereo upstairs. .

Devlon

I was not that familiar with Polk at first. But over about a 3 year period I spent thousands on buying speakers just to try them out. I would listen, make notes, and then re-sell them. In my price range I bought JBL, Klipsch, Wharfedale, Mirage, Paradigm, Bose 901's, Audio Centron, Polk RTi and TSi series, etc, etc. After 3 years I came to the conclusion that the Lsi's were the winners. Also after hearing a cross-over mod done on them I am about ready to take them to the next level.

cnh

To be quite honest, the only thing I remember about Polks was that something like Monitor 5 Jrs. were ubiquitous in Sam Goody stores in NYC in the '80s, where I lived during that time. I remember "not" liking that plastic dome tweeter much and feeling that Sam had not set those speakers up properly, but they were "pretty".

I next encountered Polk at my local Circuit City, where Doro was the online Polk rep. Who popped in and out. What I noticed, even of the entry Monitor 70s, 60s and 50s displayed there was how much cleaner and more detailed they were than just about everything else CC offered. I was pretty active on the CC forums, as was Mark. So I finally bit the bullet and bought a complete Monitor system for a new HT in the new house we bought (actually an old house). Eventually, I got an Onkyo TX-SR 805 to power everything and upgraded my sub from the Polk PSW 12 (my first, which I still use in the basement).

As CC went under I remember Mark (doro) referring me to something called the Polk forums! So I registered and took a look! I learned more in a year than I had in the last five here. Subsequently, I put together another HT in the basement, bought the classic Polks below, mostly from forum members. Got into separates and tubes and the rest is history! I can't say enough about this site and the people on it! Except, thanks!

cnh

polkfarmboy

I remember my first rti setup that just me fall in love with audio and that system I had was divine. I remember watching an asian movie called 'the chaser' and a scene where it was raining. The sound just came from above and beyond me 360 of audio candy. From that moment I was hooked and just knew I had to get deep into this world

HHStuart

I owned Dynaco's back in the seventies and wanted to upgrade in the late 80's. I went in to listen to some POLK SDA 2's and liked them a lot. I listened to them next to Bose 901's and I learned why Bose doesn't like to set up test comparisons. I got away from playing music so much in the 90's but I after I picked up some LSI's when one of the HI-FI stores went under and I got a bunch of SACD's, my interest got rekindled. I have been discovering new music ever since.

adb3da

I bought a pair of RT16s from United Audio Center on clearance for $400 in about '97. I was in high school at the time. I am listening to those same speakers as I type this. Have added some other Polks since that time.

dkg999

Matt Polk wearing a white lab coat.

tommyt21

Newegg...LOL thats what got me hooked I then found this forum. Since joining this forum I have purchased the following

T90e's
Celestion
Cs10
Cs20
Monitor 30's
Monitor 40's
Psw10
Psw505
Hsu VTF2- MKIV
RtiA7's
RtiA1's
CsiA4
CsiA6
Pioneer 512
Pioneer 1011
Pioneer Elite SC-35
Emotiva Xpa-3
Belkin PF60...
3 Bluray Players & 110 movies
Started a Fortress Mod, Recieved free Kimber Kables ICs and Audio Quest speaker wire.

Im Starting to think that maybe I shouldnt visit the Forum anymore.. Its costing me a arm and a Leg. When you become a member here maybe they should have a wallet warning..LOL

polkrt3000p

I remember my brother and I heading to Bismark, Pacific Sound back around 1985. Thinking he was going to buy a rack stereo with everything including 12 inch speakers for around 1000 or so. The sales guy sat us down and we starting listen to the Polk Monitor series starting off with the 5jrs. As the prices go up I each of course sounded a little better. I was expecting my brother to say, I am going to just get a rack stereo and be done with it. He never indicated what he was going to get, we ended up walking out with the Monitor 12s the largest in that listening room. That same day I seen the SDA SRS for the first time, and I thought wow someday I am going to have them. We went home and he got a intergrated amp, CD player and a few Dire Straits CD's and we got home and he seperated the speakers across his living room around 20 feet. All I can say I was truly amazed they sounded better then in the store. I was in Audio Nirvana, I could not believe what I was hearing, I never heard anything that clear and precise before. At that moment, I was hooked, I knew that I was going to get a set someday, I was around 12 years old at that time. When I got my first job out of college I bought my first set of Polks RT3000p. I was amazed on the sound quality and loved them ever since. Later on is history, started reading on the forum and decided to take the plunge and set out and find a set of SDA SRS 1.2Tls and havent been happier. I use a set of RT100s upstairs, my 9 year old uses Monitior 5s. By the way my brother still has the Monitor 12s and they still sound awesome after all these years of use. Got my sister on Polks, my Mother has a set as well. Anyway if I lived by the headquarters I would be working or volunteering there. Someday I might upgrade my RT100 and get the LSI series for the upstairs rig.

Timothy Smith

In the late 70's while in college in Ann Arbor Michigan I went to a stereo store called "Absolute Sound", and heard a set of Polk Monitor 10's playing. It was the first time I had heard speakers that sounded like music instead of like speakers. I knew I had to own some. Scrimped and saved and finally bought some.

EndersShadow

LOL. I am one of the new school guys.... I orginally heard my first polks in my car 5 years ago when I got 2 sets of DB6501 components for my Jetta. I knew the name and liked the sound (or noticed it was much better than stock car speakers). From there my first "real" tast was a pair of Monitor 60's about 3 years ago because the Monitor 70's were NOT availible from newegg when my girlfriend (now wife) was looking to buy them for me for christmas. I did no listening at all to the speakers, bought them solely on price, looks, reviews at the time and brand name.

From there I rolled through a entire Monitor home theater (Monitor 60 fronts, CS2 center, Monitor 40 rears) then a mixed setup (Monitor 60 fronts, CS2 center, R50 surrounds) with a CS1 and Monitor 40 setup in my bedroom.

I then sold the R50's and CS1, gave the Monitor 40's and CS2 to my dad and moved up to the LSi setup thanks to purchasing the LSi 15's from NooshinJohn before he moved to Cali, a LSiC from doro and ran it with a pair of Inifinity Primus 162 surrounds. Then this year I finally completed the LSi setup with some LSi f/x's from pearls001 if I remember correctly.

Sound has done nothing but gotten better as I moved from Monoprice to Signal Cable, to Audioquest to MIT to Kimber Kable IC's and SC's. Along with going with a dedicated Carver 5 channel amp.

heiney9

White lab coat was very cool in Polk ads.

A friend had a pair of original SDA 1's in the mid 80's. Always was hooked on Polk after that. Ended up selling a lot of Polk's in the late 80's early 90's at the local high end dealer where I was a salesman.

H9

oldmodman

Back in the 80's I was visiting a Stereo store called Shelly's Audio and they had just received the Polk SDS speakers and were setting them up. I hung around for a while and listened to them while all the salesmen were testing them out. From the first listen I knew that someday I would own a set.

In the meantime I had a pair of Altec "Voice of the Theatre" speakers that a friend of mine had custom built for himself. They were made out of one inc marine grade plywood instead of the thinner 1/2 inch wood that the Altec factory used. And duplicated every Altec internal dimension.
And I had all JBL or James B. Lansing components in them. Yes, they were really really loud.

Kept them until I found a pair of Klipschorns for an insanely cheap price. They needed everything. Some previous owner had replaced every Klipsch component with industrial JBL ones. So I parted out the JBL components and bought all new Klipsch components to totally rebuild the Klipschorns. The cabinets needed refinishing so I did that too. Still have the K-horns today.

But since I have retired I decided to search for the speakers that I have always wanted.
I now have a pair of SDA-SRS 3.1tl's. a pair of SDA-SRS 2.1tl's, and hardest of all to find, a set of SRTs
All are slowly being modded to the limit of my abilities. Next mod will be the VR3 Gimpod boards with all new component mod. Just have to psych myself up to spend the money. I know it's worth it even though the speakers sound so damn good stock.

hochpt21

I got married and we bought a house 3 years ago. I set up the MTX speakers that had just finished their third tour of abuse (my brother, then sister, then me in college). Wife said no way those are going in my living room.

Stopped at a Best Buy and listened to every speaker they had hooked up. The polks just stuck out to me the most. A few weeks later I ordered M70's off Amazon and I was started.

I've since picked up M50's, M30's, CS1, CS2, PSW10, another CS1 and my LSi15's. The monitor series serves it's purpose for HT and the 15's are beautiful for 2 ch.

I will probably roll with the 15's for awhile, but the LSiM 705's are on my list. Both times I have heard them I have been very impressed.

mrbiron

It was the pictures rick was posting in the pic thread. Was looking for **** and bought an rtia system.

brgman

Sitting in my buddy's house in the mid 70's doing bong hits and listening to a TEAC R2R through polk 10's.
Then my late uncle had a few sets and settled on RTA12's with his Carver/Phase Linear/Thorens rig.
Later in the 80's a different friend i shared a house with worked for Polk and brought home a different set of speakers each weekend to check out.I'll never forget hauling the 2.3's in thru the front door that Friday night.Killed me to send them back Monday.
Sadly he is long dead now but his memory lives on in my 2.3tl's!
You couldn't be into audio around Baltimore in the 70's and 80's without digging on some Polks.

Oldmanind

A new set of rt 1000 with the built in powered sub

hochpt21

mrbiron wrote: »

It was the pictures rick was posting in the pic thread. Was looking for **** and bought an rtia system.

lmao...

gce

The sound, the quality and the price!

halo71

mrbiron wrote: »

It was the pictures rick was posting in the pic thread. Was looking for **** and bought an rtia system.

That's awesome! lol




For me it was being a kid and hearing my Dad's big SDA's. We (kids) where not supposed to touch his stereo. But every chance I got while he was working late, out playing "tennis" (<-code word for getting strange behind Mom's back) I was listening to Pink Floyd, ELO, Zeppelin etc etc.

gudnoyez

The Wife, we were wanting a new HT rig, I bought A Denon AVR and had my heart set on either Klipsch or Energys. The wife liked the Polks that she saw at best buy The TSI 400's and TSI 200's I thoght they sounded ok but did not care for the piano black caps, I gave in to her demands we got the TSI 200s a cs10, a PSW111 and TSI 400s they were out of stock on the 400s and I did not want the displays. we got everything in my truck except the 400s which were promised to us in a few days.

I decided to stop at American across the way thinking they would have the 400s there, the sales person said they only had the RTiA series I gave them a listen and they not only sounded better than the TSI,s to me I liked the looks of them better, the wife agreed and walked out of there with Rtia5's they had to back order the Rtia3's. I took the TSI200's back to Best Buy and canceled the order on the TSi 400s. I kept the cs10 and Psw111 but ordered a csia4 to match the A5's and A3's. I went to register my new polk stuff found out about this fine Forum and heard so much about the SDA's had to have some now own some 2B's and 2 pairs of CRS+s took the advice of fellow members and got seperates for them I'am hooked on Polk and love my Polks, ok I'am rambling I'm out

rpf65

My story of Polk starts a really long time ago. I guess it was about 35 years ago that an uncle had a pioneer reciever hooked up to a pair of cerwin vegas. Can't remember which models of either, but that really doesn't matter. Anyway, after about a year, he said he had new speakers, and to come over and listen. So I did, and they happened to be Polks, but I really don't remember the series.

Recently I bought this place, and like any guy am slowly furnishing in order of importance: any cheap chair, big screen tv, dinind room set, recliners (2) ht system, then maybe a couch. Anyway, remembered those polks, and was leaning toward deftech, compared to tsi series, and then heard rtia series. So the buying started.

smglbrth

Same time frame as others. Mid 80's started looking at, back then, "stereo stuff". Came across Polks and it was the looks that attracted me to them. Those nice shiny black drivers looked so cool and "high end" (heck, for back then they were). Bought a pair of Monitor 5B's and had Polk ever since. I like to think of it as a sports team. For some reason or another you pick a team and their "your team". I picked Polks and they've been "my speaker" ever since, yes, still the older ones with the "shiny black drivers"...

Conradicles

Monitor 10B

Toolfan66

Circuit City

RT55i's

soundfreak1

Traded a denon 1083 for a pair of rta12b's.

cfrizz

I decided I wanted to upgrade my system in 1990 as a birthday present to myself. I wanted to spend $2000.00 for everything. I walked into Tweeter and told the salesman this and he told me it couldn't be done for that amount of money. I turned around and walked back out. It was probably 5 years before I went back into a Tweeter store! I walked next door into Goodwin Audio and told the salesman what I wanted and what the Tweeter guy told me. He said flat out the guy was stupid. He then introduced me to my Polk RTA-8Ts, a Rotel RCD-855cd player, a Rotel 50 wpc amp, a Rotel preamp, and an Onkyo tape player. All for a little over $2000.00!

I still have the Polks, and the Onkyo, I passed on the pre & amp to my brother, they died at 18 years of age. I went back to that same store and upgraded to the Rotel RCD-1072 19 years later when it finally gave up the ghost.

My Polks have taught me what I like in a speaker and what to listen for. When I joined this club in 2004, I discovered what terrific company they are and how they stand behind their products decades later. I will always reward a company that makes excellent products and has outstanding customer service with my loyalty to their brand!

oldrocker

Had a pool party last year, my drunken neighbor didn't like my little boombox we were listening to, so he left and brought back a pair of speakers he had where he worked. He kept bitchin saying he would need help loading them in his truck "I wasn't riding with him" about 30 minutes later he pulls up and says help me unload these. They were monsters, we hooked them up in the garage and they sounded pretty good. Anyhow, about 2 months ago, he told me they had to go, taking up too much room in the basement he said, so I bought them for $50.00 bucks. I decidced to look them up and found this place and discovered what I really had. Hooked em up to a better amp and DAMN, these things rock!!!
I'm sure I'm the biggest Polk virgin here but thats how it goes!