Have the R30s...Should I get the R50s?

PremierVenge · March 2005

Hello All,

I'm a newbie to the board...have been looking around and reading for about 3 weeks and have finally decided to try and get some help.

I just purchased the R30s about a month ago. I would like to use them as my surrounds and pick up the R50s for my fronts.

Is this okay to do?

Polks website says I should use the R30s for my fronts and the R15s for my surrounds but I was wondering if the 30/50 combination will sound just as good?

Any help is appreciated and just FYI, this site rocks!

Nemesis · March 2005

Welcome.

Yes 30's will be fine. Your rears will sound great, but..

There's really no reason to. Three ways (as the 30's are) are really overkill for surronds. You won't be using them to their full potential as rears don't quite require teh same sophistication as fronts. Now certainly they will work fine: trust me they will sound great. And the 50's are a worthwhile upgrade. If your dead set buy the 50s, go for it. You might be better off selling the 30's. They still seem new so you could get a decent amount of your money back. Or keep them use the 30's for the surronds:you'll have a system a hell of a lot better than mine.

Shizelbs · March 2005

Your idea sounds fine. My worry is that they would be too short. People tend to like surrounds to be slightly above ear level. You're not a 'small-person' are you? Anyways, there is no reason that you shouldn't use the R30s as rear surrounds.

I am guessing you got them pretty cheap, and used, regardless of what condition they are in aren't going to command much of a resale value.

Where did you get them? Some retail stores have upgrade policies. Something to think about.

TheReaper · March 2005

Personally, I think R30s make good surrounds when you have R50s for your mains (click on my system link). I have my R30s on 29 inch telephone-tables/plant-stands, this puts the main driver and tweeter up where they should be, and as a side benefit, the bass ports are around head level (increased bass response).

Before you get the R50s, I would listen to them first. The R50s have stronger highs than the R30s, and musically aren't everyone's cup of tea (personally I like mine).

PremierVenge · March 2005

Well, thank you for the replies.

I got the R30s brand new off of outpost a month ago for $120.00 shipped to my door, so I couldn't pass that up!

I just thought having the 30/50 combination would be better than the 15/30 or 20/30 combinations. My basement is like15 x 12 and I want it to rock for movies and cds, so I was thinking the bigger the better.

Am I wrong? Should I just get the R15s or the R20s? I also have the PSW202 and will be purchasing the center channel (CSi30 because I can't find the CSi20) when I get the next pair of speakers!

Help please...again!

And Thanks...again!

shaggypud · March 2005

Hey PV. I currently have the R50's for Fronts, R30's for Surrounds, CS1-Center and the PSW202 for my sub. I using an Integra DTR 6.5 receiver in basically the same size room. Although this is my 1st. HT system, I am quit happy with the sound for music/movies. I know there are better components out there, but to me..this setup was a good one to start out with.

Hope this helps.

Shaggy :cool:

TheReaper · March 2005

If you want louder, go with the R50s with the R30s for surrounds. Also, the R50s work good for HT.

PremierVenge · March 2005

Just an update...

Got a pair of R50s of ebay for $265 shipped to go with the R30s. I was tempted to get the R20s but I couldn't pass this deal up for a brand new set of R50s.

Thanks for all of the help polk'ers. Much appreciated!

Any recommendations on a receiver?

Currently have:

R30s -- Surrounds
R50s -- Fronts
PSW303 -- Sub
Will be purchasing a CSi20 or CSi30 for the center channel.

How nice of a receiver do I need? I was thinking about a nice Onkyo but I heard Harmon Kardon is the way to go...

Have the R30s...Should I get the R50s?

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