Polk L200 Speaker Demo Reviews
Comments
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Get the kitteh to ghostwrite it for you. It's OK -- and they have excellent high frequency hearing, anyway.
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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 -
I will NOT be writing a review like that.
You or anyone else😁. Don set the bar high, very, very high.Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden -
Thus far starting with music I recognize, though!Main: Polk Rti-38
Center: Polk Csi-40
Rear: Polk Fxi-30
Sub: SVS PB10-isd
Receiver: Marantz SR-5007
Buttkicker Mini Concert x 4 -
This may be out of place in this thread, but I am not sure where else to put it.
Reflecting on the comments so far -- as the demo rolls on across this great land,
it'd be really cool, if someone gets a chance, to compare the L200s to some other small stand-mount two-ways, both "peer level" (e.g., the ever-popular KEF LS50) and lesser (even cheap!) but popular models. I'd love to read what folks think about these compared to loudspeakers of similar size and/or configuration.
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Did you listen to Steve Guttenberg's impressions vs. the LS50?mhardy6647 wrote: »Reflecting on the comments so far -- as the demo rolls on across this great land,
it'd be really cool, if someone gets a chance, to compare the L200s to some other small stand-mount two-ways, both "peer level" (e.g., the ever-popular KEF LS50) and lesser (even cheap!) but popular models. I'd love to read what folks think about these compared to loudspeakers of similar size and/or configuration.
2.2 Office Setup | LG 29UB55 21:9 UltraWide | HP Probook 630 G8 | Dell Latitude | Cabasse Stream Amp 100 | Boston Acoustics VS 240 | AUDIORAX Desk Stands | Mirage Omni S8 sub1 | Mirage Omni S8 Sub2 -
When they eventually find their way to Casa De Furballs (don't worry, the cats are not allowed in my cave), I will be comparing them directly with the following 2 ways:
Usher V-601s
Polk Audio LSi7s
Polk Audio Monitor 5 Series 2s with updated crossovers
And trying to get my buddy Joel to bring over a pair of his B&W CM5s with the carbon tweeter from the new 700 series."Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."
"Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip -
Cool. My Taylo Reference Monitors are similarly sized two-ways, and I would've brought my LSi-9's back from the GF's to put up against the L200s but thought my time would better be spent putting the L200's directly up against the 703's. I also thought about putting them up against my Monitor 4 and 5 Peerless but again wanted to spend as much time with the 703's as possible with the different amps.
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I don't think that was a bad decision at all!
I just would be really interested to hear folks impressions against some other current popular loudspeakers of similar dimensions, configuration, and/or price.
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The L-200's are on my short list
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Late to the party. Great review Don!
I still have kef ls50w powered i will be putting them against when they are in my hands.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. -
Will be waiting patiently for this one!Late to the party. Great review Don!
I still have kef ls50w powered I will be putting them against when they are in my hands.
2.2 Office Setup | LG 29UB55 21:9 UltraWide | HP Probook 630 G8 | Dell Latitude | Cabasse Stream Amp 100 | Boston Acoustics VS 240 | AUDIORAX Desk Stands | Mirage Omni S8 sub1 | Mirage Omni S8 Sub2 -
me, too, although -- I have to admit that I'd actually be more interested in the unpowered version as a comparator... less variables.
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mhardy6647 wrote: »me, too, although -- I have to admit that I'd actually be more interested in the unpowered version as a comparator... less variables.
Well, I have the KEF Q150’s here that I’ll be comparing to the L200’s. Not quite a KEF LS50 but it does have the exact same 5.25” UniQ driver!
Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
Cool. My Taylo Reference Monitors are similarly sized two-ways, and I would've brought my LSi-9's back from the GF's to put up against the L200s but thought my time would better be spent putting the L200's directly up against the 703's. I also thought about putting them up against my Monitor 4 and 5 Peerless but again wanted to spend as much time with the 703's as possible with the different amps.
Would love to hear a comparison with the Lsi9s!
I really like those speakers, found the lsim 703 to be a bit better in clarity and definition and a few other key ways, but to me a bit strong on the top end.
Looking forward to your comparsions! -
I will not post this as a "review" but as an "experience". I don't know of one person who could top Don and his review so mine will probably be boring to most. It is what it is...
Anyway, I had these for two weeks and would like to post my impressions from the beginning. Packing is "ok", I would expect more protection for a speaker that costs $1800 retail (not Jesse's extra padding as that was excellent). Maybe Polk did drop tests and what not but I'm not convinced these wouldn't be damaged in shipping.
Aesthetics - The black ash is darned nice looking. Not all the way smooth on the sides, as I found out when my gloves got snagged a few times putting them in their places, but attractive non the less. This is the first time I've dealt with magnetic grills and boy do they stick! I got the grills close to the speakers and they "snapped" into place. It surprised me how strong those 8 little magnets are. Good thing they have padding on them but if that padding ever comes off hope the owner will notice it, probably scratch that glossy front. I didn't care for the big Polk logo on the grills, to me, a smaller version would have been better. I never did listen with the grills off since I couldn't seem to get over the funny look of the driver. It seems "gimmicky" but when the music was on I forgot all about it.
Equipment used was exclusive - Onkyo A-9070 integrated, Onkyo C-7000R CDP, and Yamaha BDA1010 BDP. I put the L200's directly on top of my RTA 8t towers so that's about 33.5 inches high (more on this later). Talk about a solid foundation for a bookshelf. My 8t's are also spiked to the floor. I've only had Polk speakers since the late 80's, 5B's, 11tl's, 7C's, SDA 2A's, 4.5's and my 8t's (plus some smaller ones which I can't remember). The 8t's have been my keepers through everything since they do everything well and don't need a lot of space. So..., I've always been a tower guy.
The L200's surprised me in a big way. My "limited" experiences with bookshelves is usually the same. A little brite, not much in the way of bass and not very well balanced between the driver and tweeter. This was not the way I heard the L200's. My 8t's go lower in the bass regions, obviously, but not by very much. The tweeter is very smooth and the midrange flow between the driver and tweeter is extremely good. With little volume I could feel the vibrations in the floor through the carpet, from a bookshelf!
To say that these bring out all of what's in the music would be an understatement. On Clint Black's "Like The Rain" I could hear how close he was to the microphone each time he sang. With another one of his songs, can't remember which one, I think someone accidentally put the microphone directly over the snare drum. The constant tap, tap, tap was annoying to say the least. Never noticed that before! With Telarc's 1812 Overture (1979 version I've had since '88) I actually jumped when the canon's went off. I knew they were coming up (and, yes, I know how to control the volume with this piece) and I was still surprised at how real they sounded. Never done that in all these years and I've listened to that on every system I've had! My wife actually did not like the L200's for this very reason. Music that sounded good to her in the car or her little kitchen stereo sounded like crap. She knew it was the recording but talk about bursting a bubble (she's listened to all my stereos and does appreciate good sound). However, that's the reason I liked them so much. As is usual with CD's the older ones sounded better, probably, most likely, recorded better. And that's what it's all about, how was it recorded? I did listen to some rock as well and that's what it boiled down to. So..., if you thought something sounded good before but sucks now, you're forewarned (in a bigger way than what I thought was possible). I only watched one movie, John Wick 3, since HT is so way down the ladder for me. They did well but, like I said, don't dig like my 8t's.
As far as the height of the L200's I would have liked to lower them about 6 inches or so. I would think they would improve with tinkering on height. However, after hearing the bass response of these bookies on my 8t's I don't think I could find any speaker stands on the market that could compare. Meaning, I'd have to make my own, same width/depth as the L200's, put a bunch of weight in the bottom and spike 'em to the floor. I'm probably wrong but I'm convinced that's why the bass was so good on these, in my own space.
After hearing these in my own home, with my own gear that I currently own, I like them very much! I don't know if it's just synergy with what I have but dang, these little bookshelves sound full and sweet. I do have some other equipment I was going to put into the mix but I figured, why? With the sound I was getting out of them I didn't feel like changing anything. The sound stage was pretty normal for non-SDA's, a couple feet outside the speakers. Depth was good, but, not anymore than what I'm used to. What these L200's did well was flow. Words to describe them, to me, would be "fluidly analytical" or "analytically fluid". A bookshelf to sound like these did was a new experience for me, and I liked it. The 8t's are a warmer speaker but that by no means means that the L200's are shrill. Very much to the contrary, they are more "real". Could these replace my 8t's after all these years? Pretty much and I never thought I'd say that about a pair of bookshelf speakers, ever.
Are they worth it? That's the $1800 question. Wish I had an answer for you but, to me, if I had the scratch, I'd probably be a little closer to the poorhouse.
Many thanks to Polk and Jesse for getting this set-up and going! I thoroughly enjoyed my time!Remember, when you're running from something, you're running to something...-me -
Excellent review.
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Great write-up.
Also had a chance to hear the l200 yesterday but it was straight out of the box and thus not yet broken in but just like you, it made me rethink everything I knew about bookshelf speakers in general. It absolutely did not have that 'small' sound I normally expect of them. -
Nice review. Thanks for sharing your impressions. These speakers look like winners so far.
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Reading the review makes me wish I could get them back for awhile. And its only been two weeks.
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Great review.Yamaha RX-A2070, Musical Fidelity M6si integrated amp, Benchmark Dac1, Bluesound NODE 2i, Audiolab 6000CDT CD Transport, Parasound Zphono USB Phono Preamp, Fluance RT85, Ortofon 2M Bronze, Polk L600's, L400, L900's, RC80i's, SVS 3000 Micro, Audioquest Interconnects and Digital Cables, Nordost Silver Shadow Digital Cable, Cullen Gold and Crossover Series Power Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 12AWG OCC Speaker Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha Analog Interconnect Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 11 OCC Custom Power Cable, Signal Power Cable, Furman PL-8C 15 Power Conditioner, Sony 65" 900F, Sony UBP-X700, Fios, Apple TV 4K, Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables.
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So I am the next (current) recipient of the L200s.
I will give some initial impressions as well as an overview of what my plan is for listening to them and comparing them to other similarly capable bookshelf speakers.
First and foremost, a HUGE shout out to Jesse for arranging all of this. His work behind the scenes has given us an opportunity to "try before you buy" or even just a chance to get your ears on something different with your own gear/room.
So my initial impressions of the L200s...they definitely punch above their size. While they don't dig as deep as my towers in my office, they are only lacking a little bit in the lowest octaves.
The mid-range and high end of the frequency range is definitely as Scot describes as above, "analytically liquid". They seem to lack a bit of the warmth of my Silverlines but that doesn't mean they are harsh in any way. The tweeter just has a bit more of an edge to it.
My listening plans are to just be as a 2 channel. No movies but I can definitely see these shining in a home theater system as that analytical edge they have gives them some dynamics that are a welcome addition to a theater but may be considered "cold" when listening music.
I have arranged a bit of a battle royale with a group of bookies I already have on hand along with a pair of bookies a friend is loaning me.
The L200s will be put up against the following:
Polk LSi7s (Stock)
Polk Monitor 5 Series II (RD0198s, Sonicap/Mills crossovers)
Usher Audio V-601s (Stock)
Wharfedale Denton 80th Anniversary (Stock)
B&W CM5s (Tweeters upgraded to the currect 700 series B&W tweeters, otherwise stock)
My plan is to take a selection of music (CDs, SACDs, DSD files, records) and to play the same track list on each pair of speakers while noting where each pair excels, falls short, or just does its job.
I will then do an over-all comparison between the results and my own personal observations.
I am also going to have a couple of friends sit in on some listening to get their impressions.
Associated gear is as follows:
Rotel RC-1578 Pre
VTL Compact 100 EL34 based monoblock amplifiers
Denon DVD-2900
Northstar Designs Incanto DAC
Asus Laptop (It is a fanless/SSD based laptop) for DSD/FLAC
ROON Server serving up digital files
Nordost Heimdall SCs
Onix Rocket ICs (RCA and XLR)
Pangea PCs
A snap of the layout...all speakers will utilize the same stands and same placement. I know it isn't ideal but it is what I have.
"Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."
"Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip -
I should have mentioned that my 8t crossovers are redone with Clarity Cap ESA/Mills. I also glued the drivers and sealed the inside of the cabinets where it was suspect. So..., they aren't stock by any means. My interconnects are Signal Cable, nothing special, and my speaker wire is 30+ year old Phoenix Gold that still looks new with Nakamichi bananas. A regular Joe's rig and the L200's still sounded phenomenal! Don, I miss them already too.
BTW, we haven't heard much anything from Group "A" on this thread, Bueller?, Bueller?...Remember, when you're running from something, you're running to something...-me -
Funny (not the ha-hakind; the other kind). I didn't find them (the L200s) to be analytical at all. They had nice resolution -- but utterly no edge as I heard them. Other than having nicely extended (although extremely smooth) treble, I found their presentation quite mellow and a trifle warm.
Just sayin'.
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@smglbrth nice write up!.Did you have a shot to try them with a sub?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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mhardy6647 wrote: »Funny (not the ha-hakind; the other kind). I didn't find them (the L200s) to be analytical at all. They had nice resolution -- but utterly no edge as I heard them. Other than having nicely extended (although extremely smooth) treble, I found their presentation quite mellow and a trifle warm.
Just sayin'.
Don't mistake fluidly analytical (Copyright 2019 by smglbrth) for edge. Also bear in mind that my every day speakers are extremely mellow and easy to listen to.
One thing I did notice immediately using on of Skip's demo songs, is that there is a definite demarcation point to the left and right edges of the sound stage. A lot of the music that would use a traditional 4 or 5 piece band layout hides it well because the soundstage shouldn't go that far beyond the edges of the speakers but with this particular song that truly wraps around the sides of the the listening position, it stops 2 feet out from each side of the L200s. Not bad mind you, just different.
Listened for a good 3 hours last night so I will be taking a break tonight."Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."
"Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip -
mhardy6647 wrote: »Funny (not the ha-hakind; the other kind). I didn't find them (the L200s) to be analytical at all. They had nice resolution -- but utterly no edge as I heard them. Other than having nicely extended (although extremely smooth) treble, I found their presentation quite mellow and a trifle warm.
Just sayin'.
Don't mistake fluidly analytical (Copyright 2019 by smglbrth) for edge. Also bear in mind that my every day speakers are extremely mellow and easy to listen to.
One thing I did notice immediately using on of Skip's demo songs, is that there is a definite demarcation point to the left and right edges of the sound stage. A lot of the music that would use a traditional 4 or 5 piece band layout hides it well because the soundstage shouldn't go that far beyond the edges of the speakers but with this particular song that truly wraps around the sides of the the listening position, it stops 2 feet out from each side of the L200s. Not bad mind you, just different.
Listened for a good 3 hours last night so I will be taking a break tonight.
Self-expression was never my best thing
I just meant that they struck me as mellow and not at all analytical (neither fluid, solid, gaseous, nor even plasma).
Thass all. -
mhardy6647 wrote: »mhardy6647 wrote: »Funny (not the ha-hakind; the other kind). I didn't find them (the L200s) to be analytical at all. They had nice resolution -- but utterly no edge as I heard them. Other than having nicely extended (although extremely smooth) treble, I found their presentation quite mellow and a trifle warm.
Just sayin'.
Don't mistake fluidly analytical (Copyright 2019 by smglbrth) for edge. Also bear in mind that my every day speakers are extremely mellow and easy to listen to.
One thing I did notice immediately using on of Skip's demo songs, is that there is a definite demarcation point to the left and right edges of the sound stage. A lot of the music that would use a traditional 4 or 5 piece band layout hides it well because the soundstage shouldn't go that far beyond the edges of the speakers but with this particular song that truly wraps around the sides of the the listening position, it stops 2 feet out from each side of the L200s. Not bad mind you, just different.
Listened for a good 3 hours last night so I will be taking a break tonight.
Self-expression was never my best thing
I just meant that they struck me as mellow and not at all analytical (neither fluid, solid, gaseous, nor even plasma).
Thass all.
That might be a result of the gear used to drive them. What is the associated gear, electronics, interconnect and power cables.
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. -
@smglbrth nice write up!.Did you have a shot to try them with a sub?
Nope, no sub. I've only had one sub and that was for HT. I have no idea where it is now, Don would know.
"Copyright 2019 by smglbrth"..., cute, I like it!Remember, when you're running from something, you're running to something...-me -
That sub went to a friend of mine. I didn’t have a sub handy for my demo either but I never felt the need for one. I was listening rather near-field but the low end is remarkable for bookies.
