New Polk Monitors

logos424 · February 2005

Hello from Canada:
Anyone have experience with the new Polk monitors?
I am starting a HT system and I did not want to spend alot of money so I started by purchasing a CS1, two monitor 40s (going to turn 40s into rears) and got the PSW10 for free from that Christmas deal. I have a jvc I purchased a couple of years ago (Had no idea what I was doing then). Anyway next I am going to purchase:
- Monitor 60s or 70s for my mains.
- Possible a Yamaha HTR 5790 or RXV 1500 reciever.
- Paradigm PS1200 for a sub (chuffing on the PSW10 is driving me nuts! Seems to get worse as I break it in)
Anyway let the comments flow.... Tell me what you think about the new monitor series and what would be a good reciever and Sub to go with the system.
PS. If you don't like the Yamaha tell me why. It seems like a good reciver to me.

Willow · February 2005

Welcome

As far as your Yammy some may say it's bright, I use a yammy, yours has preouts good job! you can use those down the line.
Sorry about I don't know anything about the monitors.

PolkThug · February 2005

Since you are going to have a sub, you just need Monitor 50's for the fronts, they will be solid down to your crossover point. I don't know about that Paradigm sub, but I recommend SVS.

Regards,
PolkThug

logos424 · February 2005

Hey any ideas on subs? Ie. Paradigm ones? Guy at work is a Paradigm freak and I have to admit I like the sound of the subs. Speakers to but I did not want to spend that much.

logos424 · February 2005

I was thinking I wanted to get it louder than the 50s could manage (love driving my roomate bonkers). Besides I thought that your supposed to have your fronts bigger than your rears.

Willow · February 2005

PT is right save our cash and buy a Kick A$$ sub, you don't need big mains that will suck the life and jiuce out of your receiver whne your good sub will power the lows. I don't know about the par sub. I can tell you when I upgrade my sub it'll either be a DIY(hopefully with the help from Gatemplin) or an SVS. the only place in ottawa that sells the monitors is the Brick and I never go there

logos424 · February 2005

Ok. What's a good sub for say no more $600 -$700 US?
Any ideas on a reciever that might make my speakers seem less bright as well? Been reading around and that seems to be a big complaint about the monitors.

PolkThug · February 2005

www.svsubwoofers.com

Willow · February 2005

the new PB10 delivered to canada with all the fees about 700$cad

PolkThug · February 2005

Originally posted by logos424
I was thinking I wanted to get it louder than the 50s could manage (love driving my roomate bonkers). Besides I thought that your supposed to have your fronts bigger than your rears.

The 50's have an 89db efficiency.
The 60's and 70's have a 90db efficiency.

logos424 · February 2005

Checked the SVS website. Those cylinder series subs any good? I have my system set up in the basement so if I spend less on the speakers I am going to spend more on the sub.

Willow · February 2005

they are as long as it's the powered one, but check out the price thats why I suggested the PB10

http://www.svsubwoofers.com/subs_pb10_isd.htm

logos424 · February 2005

Just so you guys know I am going to be using this for music too. That was why I was looking at the 60s over the 50s. Also what's the differance between 89db and 90db? Always see this listed and talked about but I am not sure what it means.

MSkeezer · February 2005

Don't worry about Paradigm. They make great subs.

Mjr7531 · February 2005

Originally posted by PolkThug
The 50's have an 89db efficiency.
The 60's and 70's have a 90db efficiency.

I think he meant meant power handling, and I am a proponent of large mains, I'm saving up for a pair of large mains myself (RTi12 or 10s can't decide) and I always run my mains full signal, it's all what you like really.

aubrey jeffcote · February 2005

I'm running Monitor 40's,CS1,Monitor 30's + a PSW10 with a Harmon Kardon AVR430 and I personally think they sound great.I adjusted the sub to just compliment the rest of the system,not to overpower them.Mainly used for music,movies sound pretty good too.For my taste bookshelves with a sub deliver a more open sound,and while the M's are a little bright the HK tones them down quite nicely.

S_rangeBrew · February 2005

Originally posted by logos424
Hello from Canada:
Anyone have experience with the new Polk monitors?

I'm testing a pair of the Monitor 30s I got at Circuit City against some JBL E20s I got at Best Buy. They are both small bookshelf speakers, the JBLs being smaller.

The Polks are more efficient (they play louder with the same power input) and brighter than the JBLs. Very different sound between the two. Right now, the extra brightness of the Polks is more annoying than the muffled sound of the JBLs, but I'm still breaking them in.

I find it interesting that the 1" fabric tweeter on the Polks has a sharper sound than the small 3/4" titanium tweeter on the JBLs. I had always heard that metal tweeters were supposed to be the sharp ones. I guess it's not always true.

Both of these are pretty close to the lowest end speakers these companies make, but I suspect they reflect the general sound quality both companies carry throughout their speaker lines. You really have to A/B them.

I'm using the Pioneer 1014tx. It's truly awesome for the price. Whatever you get for a reciever, make sure it is THX certified. A THX device *needs* to put out the advertised power. No messing around. The 1014tx is THX certified, and it puts out *MORE* power than rated.

Anyway, have fun listening!

F1nut · February 2005

Originally posted by S_rangeBrew

Whatever you get for a reciever, make sure it is THX certified. A THX device *needs* to put out the advertised power. No messing around. The 1014tx is THX certified, and it puts out *MORE* power than rated.

I think you are putting more into THX than is actually there. Many believe it's not much more than marketing hype including me as you'll never see it on the really good stuff.

aubrey jeffcote · February 2005

I agree with F1nut about THX.Don't know for sure but suspect the certification involves a payoff.

Tour2ma · February 2005

Originally posted by S_rangeBrew
Both of these are pretty close to the lowest end speakers these companies make, but I suspect they reflect the general sound quality both companies carry throughout their speaker lines.

I suspect you are wrong... Polk uses budget drivers in their budget line, i.e., the Monitors. Both the RTi and LSi lines sound very different...

That said, yup the Monitors are bright out of the box, but by most accounts here, they smooth out after a couple hundred hours of listening.

logos,
E-mail the folks at SVS, if their line interests you. They'll steer you to the right models for your budget and listening space.

As for which Monitor to buy... not sure you can make a bad choice, but (assuming you have adequate power available) the higher you go in the line, the less you will need the sub for 2 ch listening.

In a compsrison of the 70's and 50's, I liked the 50's a bit better and found that with about 2 more dB dialed up on the HK AVR that was driving them, they matched the 70's output... While the 60's were not in this test mix, later listening confirmed them a worthy middle ground.

S_rangeBrew · February 2005

Originally posted by F1nut
I think you are putting more into THX than is actually there. Many believe it's not much more than marketing hype including me as you'll never see it on the really good stuff.

I would have agreed with you a couple of years ago, as I saw the THX logo on all sorts of crap. However, looking at published specs vs. the actual tested output of amplifiers recently, the THX certified ones *do* generally put out their rated output, something that can't be said for many of the non-THX ones.

As far as payoffs go... you're right, they do pay. They are paying for the hope that consumers think THX actually means something. In you folks cases, they have failed. In my case, they have succeded. I'm still skeptical on things besides amplifiers, though.

Mjr7531 · February 2005

If you like THX certification, by all means, use it, it is a very good way to tell if the equipment has been quality tested, but don't forget to check non THX equipment, and when you do look into non-THX equipment, also look into how they bench tested the amplifier, it's always in the product manual.

S_rangeBrew · February 2005

Originally posted by Tour2ma
I suspect you are wrong... Polk uses budget drivers in their budget line, i.e., the Monitors. Both the RTi and LSi lines sound very different...

That said, yup the Monitors are bright out of the box, but by most accounts here, they smooth out after a couple hundred hours of listening.

I was just looking at the specs on the LSi bookshelves. Cast aluminum baskets, ring tweeters. Wow. Totally different construction. And Wow... they cost a lot more!

The RTi4s are in my price range, and also have a different tweeter than the Monitors. I wish CC still sold them, the closest dealer is 2 hours away.

I doubt I'll be able to give them a couple hundred hours break-in time before I have to make my decision, unfortunatly. I *am* playing them a lot for two weeks, so we will see how it turns out at the end.

logos424 · February 2005

Awsome responses...Thanks.
Anyone have experience using the Yamaha recievers I mentioned above with Monitors? I already have the CS1 and Monitor 40s so as soon as I can afford it I am going to buy the Monitor 60s and the reciever is still up in the air.

Tour2ma · February 2005

Just had a discussion about Yammie in another thread.

Historically Yammie gear tended to be "bright". Some stated that more recent models are not so bright as their predecessors.

I'd recommend caution, and a good, long audition before I paired the two. Bright electronics plus bright speakers are going to be fatiguing...

MrAnderson · March 2005

Originally posted by logos424
Just so you guys know I am going to be using this for music too. That was why I was looking at the 60s over the 50s.

I bought the T90E's from Tweeter and I believe they are similar to the M60's. You might want to check those out because they are cheaper. I paid $350 for a pair and I have no complaints.

MrAnderson · March 2005

Originally posted by F1nut
I think you are putting more into THX than is actually there. Many believe it's not much more than marketing hype including me as you'll never see it on the really good stuff.

All it does is put more money in Lucas's pocket.

New Polk Monitors

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