Your least favorite Polk speakers?

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HTguru1982
HTguru1982 Posts: 1,066
edited September 2013 in Speakers
Anyone ever have any Polks that they just couldn't stand? Perhaps you heard great things about them only to be disappointed?

Mine would probably be the RT25i.
Display: Sony 42" LCD
Sources: Harman Kardon DVD-27,
Panasonic DMP-BDT110 blu ray player
AVR: Sony STR-DA2400ES
Amps: Sonance Sonamp 260(fronts),
Kenwood KM-894(surrounds)
Fronts: NHT 2.5
Center: NHT VS-1.2A
Surrounds: NHT Super One
Subwoofer: SVS PB10-ISD
Post edited by HTguru1982 on
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,100
    edited August 2013
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    I'll go for those ugly little egg-shaped pos that came with HP and other desktop PC's...
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • Elementtw1023
    Elementtw1023 Posts: 15
    edited August 2013
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    T15's
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited August 2013
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    I can't blame the speaker, but my first HT system was Polk RM6000 speakers, and they easily caused the AVR to shut down. This was my entry into HT, and I fell for the Crutchfield ad of a great HT with this AVR speaker combo. While they probably aren't bad speakers, for me they didn't work.
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,071
    edited September 2013
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    Technically...

    4e5d7c080aa00_93064n.jpg
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,056
    edited September 2013
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    RT800's- I always felt they where missing something. Not on the same level as the mighty RT55's.
    LSI9's- I owned them and really wanted to believe in the hype of how good they where. After a while I had to get them out. I owned the entire LSI line and felt these where a bad example of that line.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 7,976
    edited September 2013
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    HTguru1982 wrote: »
    Anyone ever have any Polks that they just couldn't stand? Perhaps you heard great things about them only to be disappointed?

    Mine would probably be the RT25i.

    Im surprised at that. I have owned lots of small polk bookies, and the rt25i is probably my fav. In some ways i like them better than the lsi7s. pretty flat frequency response, surprising bass, nice detail without being harsh. But different strokes...

    PSW10 BY FAR. Its barely better than a cheap arse HTIB sub...
    Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es; Squeezebox Touch with Bolder Power Supply
    Game Room 5.1.4:     Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra
    Bedroom 2.1    Cambridge Azur 551r; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer
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  • leftwinger57
    leftwinger57 Posts: 2,917
    edited September 2013
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    About 6 years ago when I was shopping for a H/T set up I went to 6th Ave, Electronics.A store that no longer exsists.So i go and I'm not on line yet so I don't know about the huge discount savings and possible free shipping and all that.I told the dude what my budget was and he showed me multiple sets of smalls.The Klipsch # 500s which I went with, Def Tec, possibly KEF? and some Polk smalls. The Klipschs were so much clearer, concise and came w/ mounting brackets so w/ the avr I chose it just beatout everything I saw and heard.Sorry no model #s I just ignored them after hearing the #500s.
    2chl- Adcom GFA- 555-Onkyo P-3150v pre/amp- JVC-QL-A200 tt- Denon 1940 ci cdp- Adcom GFS-6 -Modded '87 SDA 2Bs - Dynamat Ext.- BH-5- X-Overs VR-3, RDO-194 tweeters, Larry's Rings, Speakon/Neutrik I/C- Cherry stain tops Advent Maestros,Ohm model E

    H/T- Toshiba au40" flat- Yamaha RX- V665 avr- YSD-11 Dock- I-Pod- Klipsch #400HD Speaker set-

    Bdrm- Nikko 6065 receiver- JBL -G-200s--Pioneer 305 headphones--Sony CE375-5 disc
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  • Mystery
    Mystery Posts: 2,546
    edited September 2013
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    Monitor 4.6

    Klipsch RB81, KG3.5, B&W DM602.5, Polk.
    Subwoofers: Klipsch RW10, Triad ProSub Bronze.
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  • specd_out
    specd_out Posts: 505
    edited September 2013
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    T15. as surrounds they are tolerable but only just. as mains, forgetaboutit
    HT Rig Samsung 64F8500 |Pioneer Elite BDP-52FD|Pioneer Elite VSX-32| Two Carver TFM-15cb Bridged for mains|Polk Audio RTiA5 Cherry|Polk Audio CsiA6 Cherry|Polk Audio T-15 Heights|Polk Audio FXia6 Surround|DIY 8cuft Dayton Ultimax 15" powered with a Crown XLS1000
    2Channel Rig Polk Audio LSi9 Cherry| Carver C-1BillD Mod|Carver M1.0t MkII Opt2|Pro-ject RM 1.3|SpeedBox S|AQ King Cobras|AQ Rocket88|
    ISF Level 2 Certified Calibrator
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,572
    edited September 2013
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    Those little PC speakers are/were horrible!

    I did not find the S10's to be all that great either.
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,081
    edited September 2013
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    HTguru1982 wrote: »
    Anyone ever have any Polks that they just couldn't stand? Perhaps you heard great things about them only to be disappointed?

    Mine would probably be the RT25i.

    Really, what was the issue? Stereophile raved about them. I bought a pair and they are fantastic, IMO. They do vocals and acoustic music superbly. Even better than my modded 5B's. They are very natural and uncolored. They even put out a decent amount of bass, for a small speaker and the bass sounds realistic within the limited freq range. So many small bookies can sound strained and boomy.

    Just wondering why you didn't like them? Your opinion is certainly the exception for those little buggers. They need to be on proper stands and in a smaller room.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,081
    edited September 2013
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    I was the most disappointed in LSi 9's. I really tried to like them, but they had such an unnatural upper bass hump that to my ears was annoying. The ring radiator tweeter was excellent, but in the end they sounded a tad too bloated on most music. After hearing people talk about the x-over modification, I might give them a try again someday and mod the x-overs.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,042
    edited September 2013
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    I never liked the Monitor 5 JR's.
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  • kevhed72
    kevhed72 Posts: 4,959
    edited September 2013
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    S-4 bookshelves. They now reside in my garage setup.
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  • Mikey081057
    Mikey081057 Posts: 7,127
    edited September 2013
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    Polk M2

    These were supposed to be Satellites so I launched them out the window.

    99117b.jpg
    My New Year's resolution is 3840 × 2160

    Family Room| Marantz AV7704| Usher Dancer Mini - 2 DMD Mains |Usher Dancer Mini-x DMD's Surrounds | Usher BE-616 DMD Center | SVS Ultra Rear Surrounds | Parasound Halo A21 | Parsound Halo A52+ | MIT Shotgun S3's | Dual SVS SB 4000 Ultras | Oppo UDP 203 | Directv Genie HD DVR | Samsung 75" Q8 QLED | PSAudio Stellar GCD | Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ | Lumin U1 Mini | HP Elite Slice PC | ROON'd for life |

    ManCave: HT:Polk LSiM 706VR3 LSiM 703's LSiM 702's|| Marantz AV7002 AV PrePro Sunfire TGA-7401| Sony PS4 Pro| Sony PS4 Pro|SVS PB13 Ultra| Oppo UDP 203 | Music Hall MMF 5.3se TT w/ Soundsmith Carmen | Samsung 55" SUHD TV | Sony PS4

    Patio | Polk Atrium 8's | Yamaha R-N303BL |

    Office BlueSound Node| KEF LS50 | Peactree Nova 125SE |

    Bedroom | Focal 905's | Chromecast Audio |

    Garage | Polk Monitor 5B's

    Closet Yamaha M80 | 2 Polk MP3K subs| Yaqin MC100B with Shuguang Treasures KT 88's & CV181Z's | Tesla E83CC's | Marantz 2252B | Marantz 2385 |Polk SDA SRS 2.3 | LSiM 705's |
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,043
    edited September 2013
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    The Monitor 12 - too much of a good thing.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,030
    edited September 2013
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    By large and far the RTi70 and its entire line, apparently Polk was aware as it only took two years for a complete redesign!
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • soundfreak1
    soundfreak1 Posts: 3,387
    edited September 2013
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    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    The Monitor 12 - too much of a good thing.

    I agree no detail at all and booooooomy as hell, would make a decent party speaker at best!
    Main Rig:
    Krell KAV 250a biamped to mid/highs
    Parasound HCA1500A biamped to lows
    Nakamichi EC100 Active xover
    MIT exp 1 ic's
    Perreaux SA33 class A preamp
    AQ kingcobra ic's
    OPPO 83 CDP
    Lehmann audio black cube SE phono pre, Audioquest phono wire (ITA1/1)
    Denon DP-1200 TT. AToc9ML MC cart.
    Monster HTS 3600 power conditioner
    ADS L1590/2 Biamped
    MIT exps2 speaker cable
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  • HTguru1982
    HTguru1982 Posts: 1,066
    edited September 2013
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    rooftop59 wrote: »
    Im surprised at that. I have owned lots of small polk bookies, and the rt25i is probably my fav. In some ways i like them better than the lsi7s. pretty flat frequency response, surprising bass, nice detail without being harsh. But different strokes...

    PSW10 BY FAR. Its barely better than a cheap arse HTIB sub...

    heiney9 wrote: »
    Really, what was the issue? Stereophile raved about them. I bought a pair and they are fantastic, IMO. They do vocals and acoustic music superbly. Even better than my modded 5B's. They are very natural and uncolored. They even put out a decent amount of bass, for a small speaker and the bass sounds realistic within the limited freq range. So many small bookies can sound strained and boomy.

    Just wondering why you didn't like them? Your opinion is certainly the exception for those little buggers. They need to be on proper stands and in a smaller room.

    H9

    My experience with them is a bit different. Boxy is the right word. I also felt the same about the CS245i when I had it years ago. The step up models sound much better to my ears.
    Display: Sony 42" LCD
    Sources: Harman Kardon DVD-27,
    Panasonic DMP-BDT110 blu ray player
    AVR: Sony STR-DA2400ES
    Amps: Sonance Sonamp 260(fronts),
    Kenwood KM-894(surrounds)
    Fronts: NHT 2.5
    Center: NHT VS-1.2A
    Surrounds: NHT Super One
    Subwoofer: SVS PB10-ISD
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  • nguyendot
    nguyendot Posts: 3,594
    edited September 2013
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    Rti70s
    Main Surround -
    Epson 8350 Projector/ Elite Screens 120" / Pioneer Elite SC-35 / Sunfire Signature / Focal Chorus 716s / Focal Chorus CC / Polk MC80 / Polk PSW150 sub

    Bedroom - Sharp Aquos 70" 650 / Pioneer SC-1222k / Polk RT-55 / Polk CS-250

    Den - Rotel RSP-1068 / Threshold CAS-2 / Boston VR-M60 / BDP-05FD
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,081
    edited September 2013
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    HTguru1982 wrote: »
    My experience with them is a bit different. Boxy is the right word. I also felt the same about the CS245i when I had it years ago. The step up models sound much better to my ears.

    I see. I also had a pair of RTi 38's and the difference was very noticeable. The RT25i's were a lot better to my ears. I never would describe them (RT25i) as boxy, in fact one of their main strengths is how open they sound (to me). Anyway, different strokes and experiences. Thanks for clarifying.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • leftwinger57
    leftwinger57 Posts: 2,917
    edited September 2013
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    Launched out of a window.That's the f#&king funniest thing I've seen/heard here since "gradtuitous audio ****"......
    2chl- Adcom GFA- 555-Onkyo P-3150v pre/amp- JVC-QL-A200 tt- Denon 1940 ci cdp- Adcom GFS-6 -Modded '87 SDA 2Bs - Dynamat Ext.- BH-5- X-Overs VR-3, RDO-194 tweeters, Larry's Rings, Speakon/Neutrik I/C- Cherry stain tops Advent Maestros,Ohm model E

    H/T- Toshiba au40" flat- Yamaha RX- V665 avr- YSD-11 Dock- I-Pod- Klipsch #400HD Speaker set-

    Bdrm- Nikko 6065 receiver- JBL -G-200s--Pioneer 305 headphones--Sony CE375-5 disc
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  • RamZet
    RamZet Posts: 792
    edited September 2013
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    Wow @ the PC speakers.
    I remember trying to play Counter Strike on my Purple Compaq with them. Awful little speakers. I upgraded to Altec Lansing VS4######.
    http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3296569

    I think the dial up speaker inside the computer sounded better then the polk desktop speakers.
    B&W CM9Classé Sigma
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited September 2013
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    The Model 9. Off the chart cool factor (rare)...but sounded like dung.

    Surprised at the RTi25....I thought it was a great speaker.

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,576
    edited September 2013
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    Mikey081057 wrote: »
    Polk M2

    These were supposed to be Satellites so I launched them out the window.

    99117b.jpg


    Classic!!!:biggrin: bet they flew like a rock.:arrowd:
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,043
    edited September 2013
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    TroyD wrote: »
    The Model 9. Off the chart cool factor (rare)...but sounded like dung.

    Surprised at the RTi25....I thought it was a great speaker.

    BDT

    The 9A, with the peerless tweeter instead of the piezo, really ain't half-bad. Really.
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited September 2013
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    I had the piezo....

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited September 2013
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    1.2TL's. Because I don't have the space or the money for them. :lol:
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 10,716
    edited September 2013
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    The ones I want but don't have. :cheesygrin::evil:
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  • Mystery
    Mystery Posts: 2,546
    edited September 2013
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    Looks like this thread will have every Polk model soon if we start adding what we don't have in the list. :rolleyes:

    Klipsch RB81, KG3.5, B&W DM602.5, Polk.
    Subwoofers: Klipsch RW10, Triad ProSub Bronze.
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