Polk L200 Speaker Demo Reviews
Comments
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Awesome thread so far. Where are we at with who is getting them next?Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
Well the walnut ones are headed from Texas to Cali next week. I guess the Arizona boys @codycatalist and @steveinaz didn’t want a demo?!? Makes sense with Cody, new marriage new baby he’s a little preoccupied. But what else does Steve have to do 😂???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
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 Harmon Kardon HK3490; Bluesounds Node N130; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer -
Well the walnut ones are headed from Texas to Cali next week. I guess the Arizona boys @codycatalist and @steveinaz didn’t want a demo?!? Makes sense with Cody, new marriage new baby he’s a little preoccupied. But what else does Steve have to do 😂???
Psh I have no music room anymore. I'd rather not demo them in my garage!Just a dude doing dude-ly things
"Temptation is the manifestation of desire which equals necessity." - Mikey081057
" I have always had a champange taste with a beer budget" - Rick88
"Just because the thread is getting views don't mean much .. I like a good train wreck doesn't mean i want to be in one..." - pitdogg2
"Those that don't know, don't know that they don't know." - heiney9
"Audiophiles are the male equivalent of cat ladies." - Audiokarma Member -
I've spent more than enough money lately on audio, I don't need new temptations.Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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In the interest of full disclosure, I should point out that the acoustics in my room are somewhat lively. So, your results may vary when/if you try these out for yourself. Now, on to the review:
As others have already stated, the build quality is quite nice; the cabinets are inert and the fit and finish is excellent. I like the black ash wood veneer but the glossy lacquer on the fascia wasn’t to my liking. Thankfully, that’s easy to cover up by just putting on the included magnetic grills. However, I’m used to seeing the drivers on my KEFs so I do usually prefer the looks of a speaker sans grill but, in this case, having the grills on didn’t look all that great to me either. Of course, that is a completely subjective opinion and it has little to do with the performance of the L200’s. But, in regards to performance, as I started listening to the L200’s, I went through albums and tracks with which I was very familiar throughout the 2-week trial period and there was nothing I played that didn’t work well with these speakers.
After swapping out my KEF Q150 bookshelf speakers for the Polk Legend L200 bookshelf speakers, the difference in sound was apparent immediately. I was quite impressed by the sound quality of the L200’s right off the bat. The midrange clarity and forwardness was the first thing that stood out to me.
In addition, the treble is non-fatiguing and presents a very good level of detail but it was never fatiguing. As to the bass response, these do a great job with the low end for bookshelf speakers. Now, if you had me blindfolded, I don’t think I’d mistake them for floorstanders but, I can say that they do very well on their own at providing ample bass for most music. Obviously, if you want the full frequency range from them, you’ll want to pair them with a sub. I had my KEFs paired with a sub and I tried the L200’s with the sub as well. With the sub, the L200’s perform splendidly, providing a rich, full, sound that you can listen to for hours on end without any issues. While these speakers aren’t what I would call ‘lively,” I would say that there isn’t anything that they do wrong. They are not, in my humble opinion, as “polite” as the LSiM speakers that I had here for a brief period; instead, they are thoroughly enjoyable without any major faults. These speakers are a pleasure to listen to.
I noticed that the vocals are where these speakers shine. There are a lot of vocals in songs I’d heard many times (background/supporting) that weren’t as clear to me as they are with the L200’s and that really made me take notice of how special are these speakers. On some material, the sound enveloped me on the sides, extending well beyond the boundaries of the cabinets. The separation between the instruments is very, very, good. It was easy to pick out where the performers and where each of the instruments are located within the soundstage. I never felt that the speakers weren’t doing a good job of conveying the recorded material to me. Sometimes, just a smidge up on the volume dial made a very big difference in the presentation. However, I never got past 10 o’clock on the dial in my 740 square foot (open floor plan) apartment and I was hovering around a 70-73 dB average while easily hitting peaks in the very low 80 dB range. Whether I was sitting in the sweet spot or on the opposite side of the apartment, as music played in the background, I never felt the need to go louder than those levels (but not all recorded music is recorded at the same level so I got a few surprises from time to time). The sweet spot seemed to me to be a little narrow but once in it, the center image was locked in and quite strong. I understand that Polk put a lot of work into developing the Legend line of speakers and I think it really shows here with the L200’s. I would be hard-pressed to say that these speakers aren’t worth having in my home after spending 2-weeks with them.
My music selections ranged from classical, to female vocalists; to various test tracks I’ve picked up/gone through over the years, and also to music with which I am very familiar. I was streaming music on Tidal, Amazon Music HD, and my own FLAC files on my hard drive through the Bluesound Node2i. Thanks to Drew, the ones and zeros from the Node 2i were fed through a Benchmark DAC3 B that I have on loan (thanks brother!). Of course, I also tried many vinyl selections on both of my setups and I was very impressed with the playback through the L200’s, especially an original pressing of Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms. For my vinyl playback, I have one solid-state setup with an Art DJ Pre II phono preamp that I use with my Audio-Technica AT120XUSB and a tube setup that I use with my Bottlehead Reduction + Integration upgrade tube phono pre that I use with my Fluance RT82. The Bottlehead uses a pair of Amperex PQ white label 6922 tubes.
I was concerned that my integrated amp wouldn’t have enough power to drive the L200’s. Surprisingly, the NAD C 316BEE integrated amp handled the L200’s easily and I was never even close to being short on power or feeling like something was missing from the music throughout my time with them. Based on what others have said, these speakers respond well to use with more refined gear and I have no reason to doubt that but, if an integrated is all you have, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed (I wasn’t).
And this leads me to my final thoughts. Even though the L200’s are well out of my price range, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t strongly consider them if I had that amount to spend on a pair of speakers. Spending these last 2-weeks with the L200’s has made it very clear to me that my Q150’s are not delivering the entire spectrum of sound to my ears and I have thus begun a trial of several different bookshelf speakers to try and find something within my budget that will get me closer to the sound of the L200’s. Ya, they are that good.Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
Nice write-up, @halo. Thanks!
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Yes, very well done. I look forward to these reviews and yours is eloquent and thoughtful. On a side note I also really like those Amperex PQ 6922 white label tubes. 😉.
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Nice review! I totally agree with your point on integrated amps. I found the L200's very power friendly with mine as well...Remember, when you're running from something, you're running to something...-me
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Well the walnut ones are headed from Texas to Cali next week. I guess the Arizona boys @codycatalist and @steveinaz didn’t want a demo?!? Makes sense with Cody, new marriage new baby he’s a little preoccupied. But what else does Steve have to do 😂???
So you have demo’d them and sent them to Coolsax? So I should have them in a a week or two? Is that still correct?
Rooftop59
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Yes, very well done. I look forward to these reviews and yours is eloquent and thoughtful. On a side note I also really like those Amperex PQ 6922 white label tubes. 😉.
Thank you Don, I appreciate your kind words. That is high praise coming from the man who set the bar so high in the beginning of this endeavor.Nice review! I totally agree with your point on integrated amps. I found the L200's very power friendly with mine as well...
Thank you! I feel it is imperative to point out that the NAD C 316BEE integrated amp that I used is rated for use with speakers rated at 4 ohms (and that it is thought to pack more power than its conservative rating would belie). You know, for the sake of those on the internet that come across these reviews looking for advice/answers.
Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
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Very good write up Victor! My first day with the L200's is proving to be right in line with your assessments.
I would be interested in your comparisons between the L200's and your new LSMi 703's after you've had some time with them. -
Man, Victor just left an apple on the teachers desk with that review. Nice write up pal, real nice.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 -
Man, Victor just left an apple on the teachers desk with that review. Nice write up pal, real nice.
lol. I did say that I didn't like the aesthetics. Thanks TonyAudio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
Mike Reeter wrote: »Very good write up Victor! My first day with the L200's is proving to be right in line with your assessments.Mike Reeter wrote: »I would be interested in your comparisons between the L200's and your new LSMi 703's after you've had some time with them.Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
Actually b/c of the holidays the order in Texas got switched around.. I've already had them and I gave them to Rooftop a bit ago. I haven't gotten my review up yet as its been busy around here.. i'll try to this week.Main 2ch -
BlueSound Node->Ethereal optical cable->Peachtree Audio Nova 150->GoldenEar Triton 2+
TT - Pro-ject Classic SB with Sumiko Bluepoint.
TV 3.1 system -
Denon 3500 -> Dynaudio Excite 32/22 -
Nice write up Victor.
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Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
Dynaudio Contour 1.3 mkii vs Polk L200
Intro: The packaging is difficult to evaluate since @f1nut reinforced and double boxed them, but I do feel confident in saying that if these are shipped as is without a double box, there will be lots of damaged speakers. The aesthetics are, of course, a matter of personal taste. While I like the walnut veneer better than the cherry on the LSiMs, I think that overall the LSiM703s were better looking speakers. The L200 drivers—while provocative—are a bit to modern and esoteric for my liking. But again, that is a matter of personal taste.
Use: For this review, I put them in my main system in place of my Dynaudio Contour 1.3 Mk.II and ran them exclusively for almost 2 weeks, including casual TV viewing, lots of Netflix streaming (Outlander sounded good!) and lots of background music. I am comparing them to the Dyns, because, well, that’s what I have, and I don’t have as much experience with high end speakers as lots of folks here. Keep in mind that the Dyns were $2400 in 2000, which would put them around $3600 today, about twice as much as the L200s.
System: Bryston BDP-1 (AES-BUS) Cambridge 851c (as DAC via balanced cables) Cambridge 851a integrated L200s (via cheap in-wall cables…ugh). My room is HUGE and lively, feeding directly into a couple other rooms. The house is 4300 sq ft, and when playing music on this rig you can easily hear it upstairs. All hardwood and vinyl plank, lots of almost floor to ceiling windows.
I turned the sub off, sat down and compared the following tracks:- Chris Stapleton – “Millionaire” (Qobuz 96/24): The initial pluck of acoustic has more body or meat on it with the 1.3 Mk.IIs, while it has slightly more shimmer with the L200s. Chris’s voice is slightly more recessed with the 1.3 Mk.IIs, but the nasally quality of his voice is really emphasized by the L200s. Both do a very good job with layering and separation of instruments, and both lay a solid bass/kick drum foundation.
- Corinne Bailey Rae – “Girl put your records on” (cd flap rip): The bass on both is very strong, I really feel no need for a subwoofer. On the L200s the bass sounds ever so slightly synthesized—like the rough edges when the bass player slides from one note to another over the fretboard which should have some grit—gets smooth over just a tad. The 1.3 Mk.IIs have that grit. Similar with her nasally alto—which is fairly thin and the break between chest to head voice is easily discernable on both—but every once in a while there is some gravel in her voice, and this is smoothed over by L200s and more easily heard on the 1.3 Mk.IIs. But overall, very close…
- Shelby Lynne – “Just a little lovin’” (Qobuz 192/24): sparse, well recorded song. Drenched in reverb, giving the instruments a great sense of space. On the 1.3 Mk.IIs the bass sounds nice and fat like it should, extends really (a low A flat on a five string),and the bass does not drop off at all in volume. Shelby’s voice floats out in front like it should, the high hat and rid symbols have nice shimmer and decay without drawing undue attention to themselves. On this track I actually like the L200s a bit better. The bass isn’t as fat which brings more attention to the grittiness of the fret slides. The reverb is also slightly more accentuated which gives the song a slightly bigger feel, like you’re in a slightly bigger hall. But the symbols don’t sound unnatural, just ever slightly more prominent.
- John Mayer – “Wait till tomorrow” (flac cd rip): Pretty bad recording, incredible musicianship. Pino Palladino’s bass is slightly fatter on the L200s and the drums (which tbh sound like a toy kit) are pushed slightly into the background on the L200s. The drums are a little more forward and prominent with the 1.3 Mk.IIs, and the insanely fast bass on the solo breakdown is easier to follow on the 1.3 Mk.IIs. They seem a bit better with pacing and speed, which is part of the Dynaudio house sound and something their speakers tend to excel at…
- Herbie Hancock (w/ Norah Jones) – “Court and speak” (Qobuz 96/24): excellent recording, piano sounds very natural on both. The reverberation inside the piano at opening is very clear in the right speaker on both. Two things stand out: soundstage is a bit bigger on the 1.3 Mk.IIs, about two feet beyond the speakers. The L200s don’t have the same effect. Also, high hat and symbols are more prominent on L200s, as are the highest notes on the tenor sax solo.
- R+R=Now – Collagically Speaking tracks 2 and 3 (Qobuz 96/24): Robert grasper, Derrick hodge, and a bunch of other young jazz studs who combine amazing jazz musicianship with r&b. Well recorded album, much harder to discern much difference. I wanted to listen to this album because 5 string bass goes very deep, and on track 3 “by design” the soundstage is HUGE. Doorbells and chimes, radio talk samples, ocean sounds, etc., are coming from all over place. The L200s showed they could extend beyond speakers several feet, and there was a bit of height as well. Satisfying overall, but then there come the 1.3 Mk.IIs. Several sounds appear to come from up above and the the side of my right ear, the ocean sounds are well above speakers, and chimes are coming from all over, just a massive presentation, not something I get with most rock, country, or jazz combos.
Overall, while I will be keeping my 1.3 Mk.IIs, I really enjoyed my time with the Polk L200s. There really was not a massive drop off in overall sound quality. While I ran my sub crossed over at 50 HZ (speakers running full range) during casual listening, I turned it off for the comparison, and both speakers sounded very good with tight, full bass on their own. While I wouldn’t want to trade my Dyns for the Polks, if I walked into a Hi-Fi store and compared these directly, it would be very hard to choose given the price difference. One could buy a really nice sealed sub with the savings, and that would be very tempting to me…
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
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 Harmon Kardon HK3490; Bluesounds Node N130; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer -
The L200's have landed at my home as of 5:15pm. They arrived in good shape and are hooked up and playing now. They are being fed by my Carver Statement Monoblocks, Pass Labs X0.2, Krell Evolution 505 SACD player. Cables are Audioquest Meteor 12ft Double BiWire, Audiquest WEL RCA from amps to preamp and Audioquest MacKenzie from the Krell to the preamp.
Initial impressions are that they image quite well, and present a tightly focused center image. They seem to disappear with a pretty deep and holographic soundstage... They also seem to LOVE some power being fed their way.
More to come over the next few days...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 -
So they sound fantastic on insanely good equipment... You suck.
Edit: That's just what I was thinking out loud John. Looking forward to your review...Gustard X26 Pro DAC
Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)
There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus -
So they sound fantastic on insanely good equipment... You suck.
Edit: That's just what I was thinking out loud John. Looking forward to your review...
Not so fast my young Padawan. This gear is also good at exposing serious flaws.The first of which is these Polk logos on the face of the grills are hideous to look at on a speaker of this caliber. They should have used the signature of Matt Polk from the old SRS badges IMHO...
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 -
First night is in the bag. I will be doing some tweaking of placement tomorrow, but so far they are sounding ok.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 -
Dynaudio Contour 1.3 mkii vs Polk L200
Great review & thank you for listing some tracks I can listen to on my speakers (as well as what you were looking for specifically with each track!).Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
@rooftop59 Solid review thank you!Klipsch The Nines, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
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I would like to start this with a Big Thank You to Jesse and the Polk Audio Reps that made this Demo of the L200's possible!
I also want to thank Forum Member "halo" for letting me intrude into his life and home to retrieve the L200's for my turn in the Demo lineup. I don't think he really knows just how much I enjoyed my time there. It was a pleasure for sure. Hopefully one day I can return the hospitality.
And, I also want to say that, I'm not as gifted with "Pen to Paper" as most of the Members that have submitted their reviews previous to this one!
I haven't had much experience with various brands and types of speakers over the years, I've been quite happy with the SDA's for quite some time now. I've tried other "Conventional" style speakers, but have always came back to the SDA Sound. I do have a pair of Modified CRS+ with the 4.1TL Upgrade that I would compare to the L200's.
Like others before me, I was impressed with the build quality and the Esthetics of the 200's. I had my time with the Black Oak models, and I didn't really object to the Gloss Black Baffles. Nice Grills, and I could live the Polk emblems. Overall, a nice looking Speaker.
A little run down on the Gear:
ModWright LS-100 Preamplifier
ModWright PH-9.0 Phono Preamplifier
Lampizator Amber 3 DAC
VAS Audio Citation II Mono Blocks (EL-34 Based)
Analog Source: VPI Classic 3 SE/SoundSmith Zephyr
Digital Source: Audiolab 6000 CDT/Streaming Flac Files and Qobuz.
Held together by MIT Shotgun S1 Speaker Wires and S1 I/C's, Audio Sensibility Digital Cables and PS Audio Power Cables.
Pair of Rhythmik F8 Subwoofers.
Room size is approx. 16' W x17' D x 9' H with two large openings into a much larger space. It's pretty much impossible to pressurize the room, but I have made some treatments and feel like it sounds pretty good.
I set the 200's up on the only pair of Stands that I have available, which were a little tall for them, it put the Tweeters at 42' above the floor. After some fine tuning, I ended up with the Speakers at 36" from the back wall to the front Baffle, 47" from each side wall, 7' apart c-c and 9.5' from my listening position, with a slight toe-in.
Victor had mentioned when I picked the 200's, that they excelled with Women's Vocals. So I dug out some samples to start off with.
Without getting into a long winded description of each cut I listened to, I'll just list the selections.
First up was "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan from the Surfacing CD.
Second was "Hello" from the Adele 25 CD
On to Qobuz for a 24/48 sample of Lady GaGa (don't judge) a tune from the Sound Track of, A Star is Born "Remember us this way"
A 24/192 sample of Norah Jones, "Come away with me"
And a duet from Mark Knopfler's Tracker LP with Ruth Moody "Wherever I Go"
I feel these Tracks literally put the Artist in the room. I was taken aback by the Clarity and Detail retrieval from the new Tweeters. A 'Detailed, yet smooth' presentation is the sound I've been chasing for several years. It can be a Tough Nut to crack, I felt the 200's delivered this aspect in spades. NO glare or fatigue what so ever. Although, I did find the Vocals a little recessed, but not to point of a distraction by any means.
So far too good, I selected a couple of Male Vocal examples that I consider to be very good also.
First up: Chris Jones, Title Track "Roadhouses and Automobiles"
Next, From the Chris Stapleton "Traveler" CD, "Tennessee Whiskey"
About all of the "Clapton Unplugged" CD
A MoFi LP of Willie Nelsons "Stardust"
Mark Knopfler cover of "Some Day" from "The Breeze" a Tribute LP by Clapton/Friends to JJ Cale.
And the title track of Merle Haggards "Kern River" LP.
The same Clear, Accurate Treble Presentation was exemplary. But, the 200's lack a little bit in the Lower end, as would be expected, in the size of my room.
So, I tuned in the Rythmiks to accompany the 200's and pulled out one my favorite LPs for Dynamics and Sonic perfection:
Steely Dans "Gaucho" and cued up "Babylon Sisters".
Next up: Dire Straits "Communique" LP, another Sonic Bliss gem.
I just kinda got lost and played several LP's, and the 200's were delivering all that good Analog Tone, Exceptionally Well.
The L200's took on another dimension in sound with the Subs doing the Heavy Lifting, MUCH FULLER Presentation! With what sounds like a "Seamless" transition between the Tweeter and the Mid Driver, the addition of the Subs (crossed over @ 50 hz) was just what they needed to be a very good, Full Range Speaker.
After a few days of listening to the L200's, I set up the CRS+'s for a quick comparison. A little to my dismay, the L200 Tweeters were Clearer and Cleaner that the RDO-198's. Of course the Stage Width was no contest, and the CRS's have a much Fuller Sound without the aid of the Subs, but the L200's were not embarrassed, at all.
I could "feel" the Emotion and see into the Music with these little Jewels.
If I could just find a pair of SDA's sporting that Ring Tweeter, I'd be a Happy Man. Wait a minute...I think Polk Audio just released something along those lines
I will wrap this up by saying that, in a few short years my wife and I will both be Fully Retired. We will be moving closer to Family and Friends, and will be "Downsizing" our home considerably.
I'm sure that I won't be afforded the Space that I enjoy now for a Music Room, and will more than likely be making the best of a smaller space. I can see myself having a Tubed Integrated and a nice pair of Bookshelf Style Speakers.
The L200's will most definitely be on my "List". I was impressed with the L200's and I think Polk did a great job on the Legend Series.
There is a Polk "Legend" Dealer hosting a Demo of the L800's next month, I'm almost afraid to attend
Post edited by Mike Reeter on -
Mike Reeter wrote: »I just kinda got lost and played several LP's, and the 200's were delivering all that good Analog Tone, Exceptionally Well.
Don't ya' just love it when that happens?
BTW, nice write up for not being a pen to paper kinda guy.
Tom
~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
Mike Reeter wrote: »I just kinda got lost and played several LP's, and the 200's were delivering all that good Analog Tone, Exceptionally Well.
Don't ya' just love it when that happens?
BTW, nice write up for not being a pen to paper kinda guy.
Tom
I do, and Thank You
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Excellent review. You made me realize I should have played some Knopfler with Ruth Moody when I had them. They sure look good in your set-up too!
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Nice review...you seemed to really enjoy your time with them. Btw....super nice system you have there. Congrats man.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