Why is Polk not respected?

Ron-P

A thread over at the HomeTheaterForum.

Click Here


Peace Out~:D

RuSsMaN

I think they covered it pretty well, focus on the audio 'elitist'.... and audio snobbery to a degree....

But hey, what do they know, quite a few own RTA11's, and think they sound GOOD......

Cheers,
Russ

iDoNtKnOe2k1

one think i hate about polks (no offense you polkers) is that they change models too often. A few years later your new polks are old style. And also the price drops too quickly. You loose money. Klipsch's refence series speakers have been around for a while and the price stays the same. I brought some a year ago and they are still at 899.99 a pair.

TroyD

somewhat disagree there brocheese.......

Essentially, the fundamental lines haven't changed THAT much.....the RT line, in it's various incarnations, has been around since the mid 90's. Every company, even Klipsch jockeys there speaks around from year to year....

Before that the RTA and LS lines were the early to mid 90's....before that you had the Monitor and SDA lines which were around for a LONG time...

just my .02 on that side of it.

As for the other end of it, that's PURE snob factor. If you line up the offerings in at a given price point, let's say a bookshelf like the RT35i and you line up the ones from Boston Acoustics, B&W, Paradigm etc etc etc.....well, to be honest they are all decent speakers ( I didn't include Klipsch due to the horn and pretty much you are either a Klipsch dude or you aren't) and the differences are going to come down to personal preference. I don't put much stock in to claims that "the Polks I bought 10 years ago are great but they only make crap now" either. I think Polks commitment to a quality product is just as solid as it ever was. The new ones might not be what YOU are looking for but to dismiss them out of hand doesn't hold water either. Taken even further, I dismiss the claims of those who say that, for example, the RT35i is great but the RT55i sucks.....for your tastes and purposes maybe, but they each do what they are designed to do pretty well........

OK, I'm spent.....................


BDT

mantis

Really your right,
But the fact remains that speciality audio stores, custom Install Polk doesn't live.I think they should but don't.Where Polk desided to market there speakers is a good one...mid priced speakers, the lsi is still considered mid fi...more at the top of the bunch so to speak.
I Polk got into a couple of better stores, I think the respect thing would change.As we all know that when you go to Circuit City for a demo, it turns out................you fill in the blank.Last time i tried, I left descusted that the new rti line sounded so poor,If they sound good I couldn't tell from the demo's I had.Simply put terrible.
The lsi line could gain respect back in Polks name but selling them where they do isn't going to help.

juice21

it's sad how much where a speaker is sold determines people's opinions of the overall quality of the speaker. there is no doubt in my mind polk lost some 'hi-end' customer's when they took on CC, but at the same time, they gained a whole lot more 'average' ones. it is sad that you can't get a proper listen at most local CC's. (i am thankful that i have a hi-fi shop by me that carries the polk line, and i was able to get a decent listen before buying.) all that i am saying is that where something is sold shouldn't be the deciding factor on how 'quality' the product is, but it seems that is all too often the case in the world of hi-fi...

mantis

Juice,
remember this...its not just where its what happens when your in there.You can put really good speakers in CC and if you can't hear them go as good as they can be, you are killing the purchase.the quality of salespeople helps a ton,if they knew there products, customers could have a better experience.All they need to do is build a room for demoing speakers, not 50 pairs at once with background noise everywhere.Alot can be said on this...I have plenty so say, but i will let the stores speaker for thereselves.

juice21

oh, i totally agree. the one request i would have of polk, is that they insure a proper demonstration of their speakers, wherever they are sold. customer service is great with polk, and it goes a LONG way to keep a happy returning customer. it would be nice if everywhere you could demo a polk would be an ideal listening environment, but that is just wishful thinking...

lax01

For one, why do you guys even care what other people think?

Are you satisfied with your investment in speakers? Do your Polks sound good?

Are you happy you didn't empty your wallet to buy the absolute best?

Personally, I am very satisfied with my investment in Polk. I think they are great speakers that have great value. My Polk sound better than a lot of Hi-Fi Audiophille shops for one reason. I take the time to tweak and customize my speakers.
I am very happy that Polks aren't a high-dollar speaker because if they were, I would have never been able to afford such great quality for so low of cost.

Do you get my point? Let the people that bought overpriced speakers **** and moan about Polk because to tell you the truth, they probably can't hear the difference between their High-Dollar Speaker and our Polks.

mantis

lax01,
I understand were your comming from but I don't care what other people think of my speakers.When I want to buy new speakers, I want to hear what they can do before I bring them home.Truthfully I have out grown my Polks, I'm building a new house,building a stand alone theater with a screen and Projector,I'm redoing all of my current gear.Polk doesn't fit in anymore.They did in my exsisting living room home theater setup,but will be left behind in my new theatre room.I wanted to listen to the LSI line, I got 2 demo's, one at Home Entertainment last year, and One in a New Jersey killed Polk dealer,it was Interstate electronics.I was dissapointed.
But the current rti line I find not to sound as good as mine do at all.The demo you get is horrible.I can't buy any audio gear that way.

cruiser3

Actually, Im happy they are not in those 'high end' stores. Polk would be forced to charge those high end prices. Im very satisfied that Polks are one of the best kept secrets......*L*

TroyD

Matt Polk said that his goal is to (paraphrase) put great sounding speakers in as many homes as possible.....If that is your philosophy (and I agree with it) the decision to let CC carry Polk is an excellent idea. Grant you, you can't get a good critical demo at CC. What you can get is a decent idea what Polk sounds like against the other speakers in CC. (note: a CC shopper probably isn't likely to visit a high end shop) So against the Jensens and DCM's etc etc...the Polks will shine. I'll bet that Polk moves a hell of a lot more product now than it did before, which serves Mr. Polks stated goal. I'd bet that more folks listen to Polks than do Boston Acoustics, Paradigm, AR etc etc......So Polk is doing something right.

Now, I know that the Klipsch guys turn thier nose up at Polk because Polk is at CC. Well, pay attention, Klipsch sells gear at the military exchanges which is EXACTLY like selling at Wal-mart. Think you get a crappy demo at CC? Visit a local military exchange. Of course, they will say that they are just trying to serve the military folks with great bargains. HORSE HOCKEY. The exchange service is one of the larger retailers in business with a target audience (18-21 yr olds with a decent amount of disposable dollars) that is RIPE for the taking

Polks obviously aren't for every consumer, if you are scoping out Dynaudio, ML and the like, absolutely, you have probably about exhausted the limits of the RT line and that's cool. The RT line wasn't designed to compete with those type lines anyway.

As far as the LSi line goes, it's new ground for Polk...it's going to take time. The good press is rolling in, check the Absolute Sound review.....The comforting thing is that Polk has the resources to make the commitment to establishing the line due, in no small part to the large number of boxes going out the door at your local CC.

Anyway, that's the way I see it.

Chief WFR

GZ

IMO speakers are the most subjective part of any 2 channel or HT setup. We set a budget and buy what sounds the best to us, right? Sure, I'd love a Martin Logan setup, but I want to eat too. There are more brands of speakers out there than any other piece of AV gear. Why? Beacuse everybody has different listening tastes. If not then they couldn't all survive in the marketplace. The heck with all the snobs. I agree the auditioning environment makes a huge impact on how speakers sound in a store. That's why most reputable B&M places offer a return policy if you don't like the way they sound in your own home. I had the pleasure of auditioning my first pair of Polks in a decent listening room, not at CC. The salesguy was knowledgable and courtious. He said try them for a week, if you don't like them, bring 'em back. I'm extremely pleased with my Polks. If I wasn't I wouldn't be listening to and enjoying them right now. They have our respect, otherwise we wouldn't all own them, right?

madmax

Back when I bought my first SDA's they were in high end shops. Every model of the SDA line sounded totally different in the showroom. In my home they all sound the same. Something was not right. Some people want something exclusive and these days joe 6pack has polks. Mr Igottahavethebest is not going to buy the same thing joe 6pack has. No point here except that polk made a decision to sell to joe 6pack and maybe it was not a bad decision given where they were sold previously.
madmax

mantis

they were some good posts guys,
but why the attack on the so called Snobs of audio???I happen to work in that enviroment,I have met rich and powerfull men.I have been in there houses costing from 1 to 12 million dollars.Snobs is a poor word for the rich.Maybe a handfull are that way but not most who shop at our store.
Most of these guys are like guys like us but with a hell of alot more money to spend.They sit there like little kids after I set up there Wison Watt Puppies and Krell mono 600's.They listen with big grins on there faces, then they tip me very nicely for spending so much time getting there new babies sounding the best they can be in there home.
They are all just people,don't knock them for having more money then you and I.:)

TroyD

I think, or at least I, use the term audio snob when I refer to someon who dismisses a product on the basis of it's price or where it's sold or age (used gear is can be good gear). The opposite is also true as I don't think because a person is on a budget, he can't know or appreciate what good gear is......

BDT

weavercr

Well Said Troy.

I used to have a LARGE budget for audio gear, 70's and 80's. Now I make 1/2 the salary I did then and picked up a wife and 2 kids. Small budget for audio.

Was I a snob then or does this make me a snob now because I am on a budget. Does that mean I don't know or appreciate what good gear is because I dont buy new from HI End shops. I buy from CC and Used/demo gear.

TroyD

Charlie,

That makes us SMART consumers!! I just think if folks dismiss vintage gear, they are missing out on a world of good stuff. Essentially, speaker design hasn't fundamentally (emphasize fundamentally) changed in many more years than I have been alive.

BDT

Systems

The RT25i got budget spkr of the yr award from Stereophile for 2001, and the Stereophile Guide to HT gave Polk's newest HT- in- a- Box a good review. So there's some positive stuff out there, and as some have mentioned, the LSi line is already impressing some of the "high-end" reviewers.

nascarmann

That makes us SMART consumers!! I just think if folks dismiss vintage gear, they are missing out on a world of good stuff

Hell I agree 100%! Maybe we should wish everyone would buy only new gear? That sure would make it possible to find GREAT equipment for next to nothing. I have 2 pair of SDA-1C's that you can't tell they are a week old and have $875.00 in both pair? IMO, if I were to go out and replace them with something new in there "class" I would have to spend close to 4K or more? Same thing with my amps, but they are Yamaha and not many people think they are any good except me? So, what I am saying is I have about 4K in my system, not counting the TV, and the only thing that was bought new was the receiver, sub and M10's ( M10's bought new but vintage gear) and to have equipment all new that would compair would probably cost me twice that or more, probably a lot more?

Have a lovely day all!

joe logston

alot of high end co. cant build a speaker at a good price as polk can and will do. plus cc dont take that much commission from selling them , like a high end store would, and that makes a better savings for the comsumer. and polk haves all the latest technoalagy and nohow that the highin manufactors dont to make a speaker thats the best for the price

Ron-P

Some people need to spend big money buying from a hole in the wall snob-shop, that's fine. But me, Mr. I'm on a budget with a family cannot afford 5k speakers or more like 3k speakers with a 2k snob-shop mark-up.

Polk makes great speakers and offer them at great prices. Some think less of them because they are sold at CC, not me. Because I live on a budget, I will go to where I can land them for less.


Peace Out~:D

bkleinke

You nailed it Ron... its too bad a lot of people over at the HTF are of the 1st kind... at least the ones who respond to every post about what speakers someone should get

bounty5

Interesting thread. It just goes to show that there as many different opinions out there as there are people. I am a relative newcomer to the Polk line. I must say, there may be some better speakers out there (just as there are better everything) but for my dollar and system, these are just fine. I read a book by John Delorean awhile back titled "On a clear day you can see General motors". In it, there was a description of the actual differences between an early seventies Cadillac and a Chevrolet Impala. the difference in cost to produce was about $500, the difference in price was several thousand dollars. Just a thought when comparing items. Distribution and sales throughout the globe may necessitate using "mass" markets like CC, but this doesn't necessarily dilute the quality of the line, but actually may add profits and revenue which might never have reached the company before, thus lowering production costs, which in turn may then allow them to research and produce (the whole line) at a cheaper price for all. Loss leading with a low level line for market entry and foothold in any market is almost a necessity with the competition in the marketplace these days in the global marketplace and internet. Dollar for dollar (for me) i am more interested in what I think is good(for me) than what some audiophile websight or magazine says. Which in turn is suspect and biased to advertisers, stockholders, etc...goes on and on...

nascarmann

bounty5

Good post!

TroyD

....economies of scale.......

You are absolutely correct. Polk (due to volume sales) can afford to sell a better product at a lower price due to volume. And you are absolutely correct, For the sake of argument, take a pair of RT35i's and and a pair of Sonus Faber bookshelves. The Sonus are about 700 ( or whatever) or so more. There ain't, any way you cut it, even 200 more dollars worth of material in the Sonus, I bet it's less than 75. But, Sonus doesn't due the volume so they have to increase thier margins per speaker........Which also raises the snob appeal.

Just something to consider....

BDT

nascarmann

Another good post! Agree with snob appeal TroyD!

mantis

Rt35i's and Sonus Faber Bookshelf speakers aren't even in the same league.
Forget about built quality and materials for a minute.If you do a a-b compare...the rt35i's sound like a cheap speaker.The Sonus speakers in clearer and more accurate,The bass is tighter and cleaner.The high's are more control and natural sounding.
Listen up...you get what you pay for in audio.....every speaker
company wants to sell more speakers.They don't mark them up like crazy just because they are wrapped in Leather and have real wood side panels.Time and research goes into quality speakers,Polk costs what an average pair of speakers cost,and they are an average speaker.I feel Polk leads the way for average speakers, but they connot be compared to speakers like Sonus Faber.
If you keep them in there respected price class they will out shine just about everything on the market,take them out of that, and they get killed dead.
Stop picking on the people who have more money then you.
Let me ask you this in car terms....a BMW 540i,is it worth 55 grand???Or ae you better off with a 25 thousand dollar Chevy or Ford?Does the BMW out perform the chevey in just about everyway???And it cost's twice as much......
Is this a snob car or a quality road machine?
I will tell you this...bring any Polk speaker down to our store and I will prove how much better money can buy.
Just because someone doesn't buy used gear doesn't make them a snob.....have you ever bought a new car???Or is that snobby?If so then I must be a big snob.
I'm not a fan of used gear.....makes me a snob.
I like better speaker's that cost 5 times more than Polk's top of the line.............I'm now a snob.
Dismissing a peice of gear because it's cheap..welll I will have to agree, but if you demo it and it suck's...that another story.
I like good gear,I buy what I want,after hours even months of demoing,If this peice works for what I need it to do, thats for me,not just because it's priced high or considered the best.I make my own decesions on whats good and not.

mantis

You know what????
I think I will do some name calling on certian type of people.If you use a receiver for a preamp........you are a wanna be.( I would use ghetto but someone was offended by that,out of respeact I won't use that word).
Buying used gear ......float your boat your own way,I like warranties for where my money goes.
Having lots of money or living on a tight budget doesn't give you the right to judge other's.When you do this your no better than the other.
This post is not what I want to call people....just making a point!

OrangeToupee

I'm tired of Mantis and all of the wealthy people that he does installations for.

nascarmann

you use a receiver for a preamp........you are a wanna be

Maybe so? But no more than bi-wiring RT-1000i?