About time for some new speaker models???

StopherJJ1980

Hi guys, I havent posted on here in awhile and I think the reason is because it has been forever since polk put out a new speaker! Seriously it was 2003 i think when the RTi's came out and 2002 for the LSi's. I mean I guess they threw us the surroundbar but thats just kinda gimmicky... And then this Isonic and XM receiver... I dont know I just think its boring. Give us some new stuff! Stick to your bread and butter. Not that the RTi's and LSi's are lacking or NEED improving, its just nice...

And for that reason the boards get boring, its just the same newbie questions over and over or debating which polk speaker is better than whatever other polk speaker over and over.

Is anyone with me on this or am I just flapping my gums and complaining too much?

mrbigbluelight

I don't really see the Surroundbar as being "gimmicky". I haven't had the opportunity to hear them myself, but some of the regulars on here have given them pretty good marks.

And I think the Isonic is merely Polk's response to market demand, and a response that was done in rather fine fashion.

If Polk starts doing research on variable damping shock absorbers, than I just might have to rethink that position, though.

faster100

It is time for a change/update....

dorokusai

Be patient, be patient.

RuSsMaN

......and be proud - a speaker line should remain competitive for several years in its market - very few manufacturers can actually pull that off.

Seriously, would you feel all warm and fuzzy buying a speaker, knowing it would oop in 2 years?

Cheers,
Russ

SolidSqual

YEah I like the fact that new models are not pouring out every month so you get pist you didn't wait a few months to buy so you could get the latest feautures. We wouldn't want polk to go the way of the apple iPod would we?

Drumingman

Gee, 3 or 4 Whole Years. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

GATOR3000

Drumingman wrote:

Gee, 3 or 4 Whole Years. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

You took it right out of my mouth!!!.....My doctor always tells me the same thing. I just got Lsi15's and one of the reasons was that this speaker has been around for a while.

I don't think anyone likes the feeling of being outdated if you know what I mean?

Gator

cfrizz

Do you really want speakers to turn over as regularly as receivers?:eek:

Holydoc

SolidSqual wrote:

We wouldn't want polk to go the way of the apple iPod would we?

Umm...Heck yea we would! Do I want Polk to be one of histories most successful products? Oh yeah!

Not sure what that has to do with getting a new speaker line out on the streets, but if it brings on the same success as the IPOD, bring it on!

Holydoc

cfrizz wrote:

Do you really want speakers to turn over as regularly as receivers?:eek:

I guess I am missing why this would be a bad thing. At least everyone would know what to get me for Christmas.

Lsi9

My question is this; I dont see Polk doing much manufacturing these days, I know the demand for current models are somewhat steady but does Polk really spend much time making these speakers nowadays that they are a few years old and the demand has lessened significantly?

knownalien

it seemed like just yesterday speakers figured out how to get the most out of the bass driver in a 3 or 4 way configuration. I remember an old pair of DCM 100's back when they weren't the Circuit City crap they are now. In the 90's, things really started to take off. It was a great time to get into speakers.

I guess my question is, what more do you want from their speaker line-up? Ofcourse, they can come out with a new flagship line to take the place of the LSi, but what more would you expect that would be the "best kept secret in the world: a speaker that sounds twice as good as it costs!" Not likely. they can put more expensive drivers, perhaps, but the vifa is still a fantastic tweeter . . still used in much higher end speakers. the ONLY direction Polk can move is electrostats. It's either that, or come up with something that trumps the LSi series BUT costs $600 more!!! Polk likely won't do that. When the LSi came out they were meant to promote and work in the [then] emerging SACD environment. Well, that environment is still a niche thing, but the speakers have turned out to work great in other aspects, like regular digital audio! And yet, the technology we see that encompasses music has taken rather odd steps. In the solid state dept., we see better and better devices being built and the very near forey into the digital future with class D amps, but paradoxically, you see a move in the MP3 direction which is an audiophile nightmare!! To me MP3 is a dead-end road. but that's not what the market is saying.
It's a really odd moment in the electronic industry right now. Enthusiasts like ourselves have certain demands, but Polk must consider what revenues it gets now and what revenues it wishes to gain on the future.
Polk has apparently (like Outlaw or SVS for example) been a company that has gone against the grain: deliver maximum performance for the lowest price possible. We see that. I have owned a speaker from every grade that Pok makes, and the pinnacle LSi is in fact a great pinnacle. One could argue, nothing needs to be done to the speaker that can be done to the seperates that work with it. Put another way, will a Krell or Makintosh make my speakers sound much much better than they sound now? Perhaps. That means that there is not likely anything wrong with the LSi series, or any other for that matter (for what they cost). I mean, if Polk wanted to, they could produce a speaker that has 2 vifa tweeters, 4 mid range drivers with different slopes, and a 12" woofer at 4 ohms for $2500 a pair. The speakers would be 4 ft. tall. And maybe they sound great. They would be meant to fill up a VERY big room. But others do this already and charge accordingly . . . in the $5000-$10,000 range. Polk has its niche and solidified quite nicely. It has, in fact, failed to deliver.

Every moment my sound system plays I feel quite warm! quite fuzzy. When you arrive to the point where you actually put in a CD and have to conclude "wow, this CD was horrible engineered" then you know that you have a really good system!

Home Theatre

As soon as I get 4 tb90's for 349.00 a pair at Tweeter Polk can change their stuff.

Holydoc

Well personally I would like to see more style in the speakers. A new look that appeals directly to the WAF and the HT enthusiast. Something more exotic. Speakers have been around forever in the box style. How about something a little more flashy.

There is no rule that says that your speaker has to be a single unit. Maybe even three pieces (tweeter, midrange, woofer) that come in three different enclosers that look as much like art as they do speakers? Instead of placing a 100lb box somewhere, you can set two pieces of art (tweeter and midrange) on your entertainment center and your new end table by the couch (woofer).

The sky is the limit!

Seriously, I can truly say that I would spend double or triple the amount I have already spent on similar Polks if I had a speaker system in my house that complimented the present furniture rather than sharing space with it.

Maybe I am in the minority, but I do not mind if Polk was to experiment with new styles besides the boxes. I also do not mind if they came out with new looks and new speakers every year. Just something I would anticipate and look forward to seeing.