Polk Signature Series Official Discussion
Comments
-
Gatecrasher wrote: »Perhaps the real question here is have you sat down and tried a few high end amps and if so, which ones? I ask for specifics because you're always so vague. You also talk in circles to avoid answering specific questions, so I'm hoping for something different this time.
I think the real question some of you guys who are so opinionated on this subject might want to consider is that while your "stereotype" of AVRs (no pun intended) is based on older equipment as Tony mentioned, you probably haven't really had the opportunity to evaluate the more modern modern AVRs. AVRs produced after 2010 are different animals than the type we grew up with.
Also, comparing high end amps to lower end (and significantly less expensive AVRs) will always help to reinforce your stereotype but that's about all it accomplishes. On the other hand one could take a modern high-end AVR and blow away a lower end far less-expensive separate amplifier, but that wouldn't really be too surprising either to most people.
Separates won't always outperform an AVR but an advantage that a separate has is that they can offer more flexibility down the road. Also separates tend to be geared more towards the higher-end while AVRs come in all flavors.
Mostly the points of contention that happen on the forum comes from the various levels of audio members have experience with. One level is always at odds with another.....don't waste your money/you need to spend big bucks yada yada. Those are extreme examples but it happens all the time.
My suggestion is to listen....listen before typing, listen to what a poster is asking for. Stop typing if the conversation goes outside your area of expertise/experience. Do that, and these trivial arguments would disappear.
I would agree, but somewhat Not exactly for the reason you state.
'If you heard better you would not say that"
That is actually a huge assumption, that anyone that dares to defend or say good about anything inexpensive, must not know any better.
The "Assumption" is what irks most people.
Some describe everything in audio as either Utterly Fantastic or Utter Crap.
That irks some people.
In the end it comes down to something I mentioned before.
"You must agree or be bashed"
Quit assuming (not you in particular tony) someone that does not agree is not agreeing due to lack of experience.
Sometimes, people simply do not agree for many reasons. -
Sure, we all may not agree for various reasons....many of us have opposite opinions, even among we old timers.
But....we all get along, why is that ? You can respect differences of opinion and be civil, as long as a basis for those opinions are explained. I read it on the internet, for example, is not comparable to experience. Nor is one persons experience a mirror of anothers just on principle.
I don't know anyone here who holds the "You must agree or be bashed" mentality. Could be maybe a failure to explain your stance on subjects thoroughly enough for others to understand ? Don't know....
Maybe point me to an example.
I'm certainly not going to stand up for every member here, lots of them I don't know well enough to do so. The many that I do know however, are very informative and helpful to others. Opinionated...absolutely, brash at times....yup, but also give you the shirt off their back in order to help you out.
Online forums....you have to get to know the many personalities your dealing with. It's easy to get offended if you don't, and easier to get offended if you don't even try. Much like being the new guy at work, you get to know people before knowing what to say to them. This isn't rocket science here, it's normal human behavior and comradery. We joke, poke fun at each other, take shots at one another....while discussing audio and other topics. Things most do within their own circle of friends.
Like I said before, if one was to STOP typing when a conversation reaches outside their realm of expertise/experience, and instead listens for a bit, arguments would be less and you may gain some informative knowledge along the way.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
I would agree, but somewhat Not exactly for the reason you state.
'If you heard better you would not say that"
That is actually a huge assumption, that anyone that dares to defend or say good about anything inexpensive, must not know any better.
The "Assumption" is what irks most people.
Some describe everything in audio as either Utterly Fantastic or Utter Crap.
That irks some people.
In the end it comes down to something I mentioned before.
"You must agree or be bashed"
Quit assuming (not you in particular tony) someone that does not agree is not agreeing due to lack of experience.
Sometimes, people simply do not agree for many reasons.
This entire post is avoidance, assumptions and deflection. It is also an attempt to dictate to others how to think and speak, which isn't going to happen, so quit trying.
Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Perhaps the real question here is have you sat down and tried a few high end amps and if so, which ones? I ask for specifics because you're always so vague. You also talk in circles to avoid answering specific questions, so I'm hoping for something different this time.
Well?Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Why don't you clean them up real nice and start a "Good Karma" thread with them for your Polk brethren?
I'm in. -
Ummmm......no.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
It was just a suggestion. I mean if they are just collecting dust.........
-
More pot stirring, eh gate.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Hey Jimbo,
sorry, missed your message up there in the fray of the amp vs AVR argument. I wondered for a minute how I even got here. Be nice if someone would look back and identify the beginning of that tangent and either move it to its own thread or delete it and the related others altogether. It's making an embarrassing mess of what could be, IMHO, a more valuable thread full of Q&A and feedback on the Signatures, though I think I'm guilty of encouraging the derail as well, not realizing the futility. (admittedly guilty on other threads as well)
Anywayyy...
Yes, enjoying them so far. Had them running non-stop since last Thursday, but not at performance volume until last night. I think the drivers still need some time, and others say they continue to smooth out. Got them in the main combo system for now. They seemed a little tubby in the male vocals last night for TV in stereo mode with no sub, but again, need to mess with setup and placement a bit.
No rush, they'll be around
You might even nab some on CL or an F&F at some point.I disabled signatures. -
-
Hey Jimbo,
sorry, missed your message up there in the fray of the amp vs AVR argument. I wondered for a minute how I even got here. Be nice if someone would look back and identify the beginning of that tangent and either move it to its own thread or delete it and the related others altogether. It's making an embarrassing mess of what could be, IMHO, a more valuable thread full of Q&A and feedback on the Signatures, though I think I'm guilty of encouraging the derail as well, not realizing the futility. (admittedly guilty on other threads as well)
Anywayyy...
Yes, enjoying them so far. Had them running non-stop since last Thursday, but not at performance volume until last night. I think the drivers still need some time, and others say they continue to smooth out. Got them in the main combo system for now. They seemed a little tubby in the male vocals last night for TV in stereo mode with no sub, but again, need to mess with setup and placement a bit.
No rush, they'll be around
Might even nab some on CL or an F&F at some point.
Top of page 15, the thread went off on a tangent about power of receivers, and how they are rated and impedances of speakers etc. -
Peripheral Information - good
Limited Peripheral Discussion - good
Incessant, off topic, dead horse beating - not helpfulI disabled signatures. -
Skip, which Signatures do you still have in house?
Which have you run with the Ampino?
In my audition time with yours, agreed, I was pleasantly surprised at the sound quality of that little unit with the other Polk speakers I tried with it, like the M10s and 703s. Can't remember whether I tried it with LSi7s, but I do recall being generally impressed with the sound quality and performance for its size, weight, and build. I didn't expect much at all from it. Wasn't impactful or as controlled as other gear, but it had pleasing presentation and detail. Really, I can't describe it better than what you said - romantic. Hard to define until you hear it. Like trying to describe a color to someone.I disabled signatures. -
My S60s are still quite new and it will take some time for them to break in. However, I'm still loving the sound on a daily basis for TV, music, and movies.
I was in a Miles Davis mood the other night. Even with a 2.0 configuration, the sound was fantastic (disclaimer: the S60s were connected to my Crown XLS amp). I did eventually turn on my BIC F12 subwoofer to appreciate the depth from the sound of a double bass instrument. I toggled through most of the presets on my Onkyo TX-NR828 to test 5.1 and 7.1. The S20s really shined in All Ch Stereo mode from the rear. Most of the other modes were too limiting - Stereo and All Channel Stereo were my preferred listening modes given the type of music I was listening to. Between the sound and short glass of straight Disaronno, I got lost in the sound for a good 45 minutes to 1 hour. Huge fan of the Signature series....Living Room:
Samsung UN50HU6950FXZA with SEK-3500U/ZA Evolution Kit || Onkyo TX-NR646 7.2 (Atmos Config) || Polk TL3/TL2 Sats || Klipsch R-10SWi Sub || Nvidia Shield || Xbox One S
Media Room:
Sharp LC-70LE757 || Onkyo TX-NR828 7.2 || Crown XLI800 Amp || Polk Signature S60 L/R S35 Center S20 (Sides) S10 (Rear) || BIC F12 Sub|| Windows 10 HTPC || Xbox One || Sony BDP-S5100 Blu-ray Player -
I have a quick note on the s35. I was getting some sort of weird resonance peak with certain dialogues. Especially with lower pitched female dialogues. I ended up putting some small prices of foam right under the ports. This seemed to solve the problem. I believe these somehow we're interacting with the TV stand it sits on.
-
I just put an Anthem 225 behind the S60's, and it is nothing but goodness.2 channel: Anthem 225 Integrated amp; Parasound Ztuner; TechnicsTT SL1350; Vincent PHO-8 phono pre; Marantz CD6005 spinner; Polk SDA2BTL's; LAT International speaker cables, ZU Mission IC's and power cables all into a PS Audio Dectet Power center.
Other; M10 series II, M7C's, Hafler XL600 amp, RB-980BX, Parasound HCA-1500 amp , P5 preamp, all in storage. All vintage Polk have had crossover rebuilds and tweeter upgrades.
The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
It is imperative that we recognize that an opinion is not a fact.
Imagine making politics your entire personality. -
Don't know, they are collecting dust right now.
Jesse,
What is your impression/thoughts of the S20 bookshelf speakers? -
From limited use I'd say they sound very good at their price point.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
I brought the sub into the mix a couple of nights ago (HSU VTF-15), crossed at 70Hz. Running on the main combo system with Halo C2/HCA-2205. Still have some playing around to do, but adding the sub seems to have cleaned up some stuffiness I was experiencing in some pieces in the lower male vocal range. Wondering whether I was just asking them to do too much at volume in running them full range before?
I have to say, while the S20s are enjoyable for music, I think they do particularly well in 2.1 HT mode. I'm not much of an HT guy at all, but was really enjoying the detail and immersion in a film I was watching the other night - Midnight Special. The new Darth Vader's in it, but he's just a timid NSA analyst this time. No light saber. Again would have to compare more closely but they seem more detailed than 703s for HT. Very clear and crisp, but not harsh. In Midnight Special (neat film, btw), there was a quiet scene where I could hear the engine of a vehicle ticking. You know that sort of mechanical, sewing machine kind if sounds engines make? That. Very subtle, but either the audio track for that film was just particularly more detailed than I've noticed before, or these speakers resolve very nicely. Of course crashing satellite and chase scenes were very engaging. I can see how some people can enjoy 2ch all around and skip surround setups altogether.
Got SOMA FM's Folk Forward station going right now in 2.1. Folksy kind of music sounds really nice on these. Very chill.
http://somafm.com/folkfwd/songhistory.html
This sub bit sort of echos what Cathy and Loren have shared in their experiences with their Signatures, Loren specifically speaking to his secondary setup with S20s.
I think with the proper placement in smaller spaces, one could get away nicely with 2.0, but for a fuller sound, a sub fills out the experience nicely. A real pleasure.
Here are a few new artists and tracks I've enjoyed in this setup for anyone into modern folk- Nadia Reid - Call The Days
- Asgeir - Summer Guest
- M. Ward - Oh Lonesome Me
- Barna Howard - Lend Me a Moment
- Wolf Larsen - Two Doves
- Whetherman - The Circle
- Avalanche City - You and I
- Innocence Mission - Follow Me
Post edited by msg onI disabled signatures. -
Ha, speak of the devil - John Prine's Everybody just cued up on the radioI disabled signatures.
-
Ha, speak of the devil - John Prine's Everybody just cued up on the radio
Wow, I forgot about about John Prine. I think I only ever owned his first album but I like it a lot. -
If I may ask, with what other speakers in this price range (new) have you compared the S20's? -
I do like the S20 for music... Nice bookshelf speaker.
I did a GI party to my house yesterday (major cleaning) had the down stairs S60 rocking all morning. In the afternoon we did the upstairs I was playing some Billy Joel and the wife kept stopping and just sitting to listen. My bedroom HT is not the most favorable setup either but the S20 still sound great.
I keep thinking of making some speaker stands and hooking the S20 up in my main HT. Problem is the wife might like the looks so my S60 would be on the out list which is not going to happen.When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.Family Room:Samsung UN75RU710DFXZA, Denon AVR-X4400H, Emotiva XPA3 GEN3Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM, WD Live HUB .Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15Sub: SVS SB2000 Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Cerwin Vega AT-12 (blasters) SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music -
Just tell her that you'll see to the audio, and to get back in the kitchen and finish making your samwich.I disabled signatures.
-
Just tell her that you'll see to the audio, and to get back in the kitchen and finish making your samwich.
Way off topic but my wife would not be in the kitchen making something for me...When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.Family Room:Samsung UN75RU710DFXZA, Denon AVR-X4400H, Emotiva XPA3 GEN3Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM, WD Live HUB .Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15Sub: SVS SB2000 Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Cerwin Vega AT-12 (blasters) SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music -
I just had to hop on to say that I continue to be impressed with the Signature S20's.
I've had these things running pretty much non-stop for the past two weeks, and with the sub in the mix for the past week or so. Can't remember whether I've mentioned this before, but I swear, had the Signatures been available back in late 2013 when I was first getting into this, I'm not sure I'd have gone as far into audio as I have, as I would probably have been satisfied enough with them to not feel the need to go any further. Even with the (limited) exposure I've had to other Polk speakers, like LSiM and some of the smaller vintage models, these S20s are proving very capable and pleasing to my ear. 703's have sort of been my reference favorite for pleasing sound and overall capability. I think they may be a little more laid back and better suited for music than the S20s, definitely offering greater lower frequency performance, for example, for me, able to run full range with no sub, but man, these S20s are proving to be a real pleasure and blend very nicely with a sub. Polk has truly done a really nice job with these. From the feedback I've read from the owners of the larger speakers in this series, this seems the general consensus among other long time Polk owners.
No brainer for entry-budget/mid-budget speakers, imho, for combo use systems.I disabled signatures.
https://youtu.be/c86gKHCuNGM?t=13s