difference in polk speakers from big box stores to smaller stores?

Matt/E

Does anyone know for sure if there are any differences in any of the new polk speakers that are sold in stores like Curcuit City, etc. Vs. a smaller specialty audio store that also sells polk speakers(same models)? I was just talking to a guy at a local audio/ video store that said polk in north america has "sold out" to the big box stores and is nowhere near the quality it used to be or what it is in Europe, etc. and that is why the big stores can discount them so much...because they're getting them so cheap...because they're not the quality they used to be, which polk has been known for in the past. I just got an awesome deal(cheap sale price at a big box store) on a pair of RTi10s, RTi6s, and a CSi3, but if they're not really the quality I thought I was getting then they're going back to the store...hopefully someone can confirm wheather this is true or not, I tried to search for some info on htis but couldn't find any.

cfrizz

Hello Matt & welcome to Club Polk, & congrats on your awesome deal!

There is nothing cheap about Polk speakers. They are well built, made with good materials & can last a real long time.

My main speakers are 17 yrs old & sound as good now as they did 17 yrs ago.

In my opinion you are getting highend speakers at prices the average consumer like you & I can afford.

We will be quicker to buy some Polks than some of the speakers in those high end stores because of the price & build of the Polks.

Polk trys to offer the best speakers that it can at different price points in the midfi market that you & I and the bulk of the population shop at.

But the real proof is in the listening Matt. You compare your Polks with any other speakers in the price range & Polk will usually win out in ALL catagories.

So I wouldn't pay too much attention to some sales guy who feels compelled to run a competitor down in the hopes that you will come buy even more expensive speakers from him!

So long as YOU are satisfied with your purchase, it shouldn't matter what any high end snob says!

cfrizz

One other thing Matt. Polk DOES NOT sell all models in all stores. Circuit City will carry the lower priced Monitor series, & Tweeter carries the higher priced RTI & LSI series. Two completely different market segments.

But all are well made speakers that should last a long time.

janmike

Welcome Matt. As noted above, not all stores carry all Polk lines. Future Shop never used to carry the LSi line, but I have not been to one in few years. Oh, congrats on the great deal.

Matt/E

I don't think that you guys are understanding my question/ concern...I'm not asking if polk in general is good quality and it doesn't have anything to do with the different models really...what this guy told me is that the polk speakers being sold in the big box stores only (like circuit city, future shop, etc.) are lacking the quality that polk audio is well known for and the quality that the SAME MODEL of speaker(RTi10 vs. RTi10 for example) would have at a smaller independant retailer, but not at a rediculously discounted price because they are the real deal.

Thanks for all of the welcomes

janmike

I do understand.
I would be really surprised in Polk was doing something like that. IMO that would be a great way to ruin an already great reputation. Then again, I do not work for Polk.

ND13

Matt/E wrote:

..what this guy told me is that the polk speakers being sold in the big box stores only (like circuit city, future shop, etc.) are lacking the quality that polk audio is well known for and the quality that the SAME MODEL of speaker(RTi10 vs. RTi10 for example) would have at a smaller independant retailer, but not at a rediculously discounted price because they are the real deal.

Thanks for all of the welcomes

Sounds like a load of BS, too me. I have or have had Polk Speakers that were bought at small independent stores, @ full retail(by the original owner) and speakers that were bought at the big stores @ greatly discounted prices. Both were of higher than usual quality than what one typically finds, from other builders, in same price categories.

Sounds like he would have rather sold you another brand that may have a spiff or more mark-up.

Please tell me you didn't buy anything from that iggit.

sousa

I highly doubt there is a different RTi for CC and a different RTi for Tweeter. If that was true I am sure it could be easily proven. I have a CC and Tweeter both within 15 minutes of my house, I could check to see if they are any different. Also, how is the eD plate amp working? Do you frequent the ICIX forum at all?

shack

Matt/E wrote:

...what this guy told me is that the polk speakers being sold in the big box stores only (like circuit city, future shop, etc.) are lacking the quality that polk audio is well known for and the quality that the SAME MODEL of speaker(RTi10 vs. RTi10 for example) would have at a smaller independant retailer, but not at a rediculously discounted price because they are the real deal.

THAT GUY has no clue....If Polk made it, a RTi10 is a RTi10, no matter where you buy it.

ben62670

The sales guy is feeding you a line of BS.

cfrizz

CC doesn't sell the RTI line, only the Monitor line.

sousa wrote:

I highly doubt there is a different RTi for CC and a different RTi for Tweeter. If that was true I am sure it could be easily proven. I have a CC and Tweeter both within 15 minutes of my house, I could check to see if they are any different. Also, how is the eD plate amp working? Do you frequent the ICIX forum at all?

sousa

cfrizz wrote:

CC doesn't sell the RTI line, only the Monitor line.

I didn't think so, but was willing to make the trip if it would debunk this myth.

Matt/E

sousa wrote:

I highly doubt there is a different RTi for CC and a different RTi for Tweeter. If that was true I am sure it could be easily proven. I have a CC and Tweeter both within 15 minutes of my house, I could check to see if they are any different. Also, how is the eD plate amp working? Do you frequent the ICIX forum at all?

I don't actually have the ED amp yet...I ordered it from http://creativesound.ca/ a few days ago...I got a notice in the mail today that I have something waiting to be picked up at the post office so that's probably it. The sub was in stock at CSS when I was there last week so I already have it but haven't hooked it up yet and I need to build a box for it. ICIX forum? I'll have to check that out.

Matt/E

ND13 wrote:

Sounds like a load of BS, too me. I have or have had Polk Speakers that were bought at small independent stores, @ full retail(by the original owner) and speakers that were bought at the big stores @ greatly discounted prices. Both were of higher than usual quality than what one typically finds, from other builders, in same price categories.

Sounds like he would have rather sold you another brand that may have a spiff or more mark-up.

Please tell me you didn't buy anything from that iggit.

The guy that was telling me this is the same guy that I just recently purchased my Pioneer Elite reciever and Samsung 46" LCD from and I have gone to talk to him numerous times about different things so I have gotten to know him a bit and he seems to be a guy that knows his stuff quite well (been at this locally owned A/V store quite a while) so I'm sure there's some sort of reasoning behind what he's told me...he's not just some random salesman on commission trying to sell me his product. I plan to do some further research to hopefully find an answer to this dilemma.

sousa

Matt/E wrote:

I don't actually have the ED amp yet...I ordered it from http://creativesound.ca/ a few days ago...I got a notice in the mail today that I have something waiting to be picked up at the post office so that's probably it. The sub was in stock at CSS when I was there last week so I already have it but haven't hooked it up yet and I need to build a box for it. ICIX forum? I'll have to check that out.

I would recommend checking out the ICIX site and also checking to make sure the place you are getting the amp from is authorized. eD has a 5 year warranty on the amp so you'd probably want to make sure it still applies when purchased through that retailer. Also if you have any questions related to it the people on the forum (including the eD employees) are very helpful.

shack

Matt/E wrote:

The guy that was telling me this is the same guy that I just recently purchased my Pioneer Elite reciever and Samsung 46" LCD from and I have gone to talk to him numerous times about different things so I have gotten to know him a bit and he seems to be a guy that knows his stuff quite well (been at this locally owned A/V store quite a while) so I'm sure there's some sort of reasoning behind what he's told me...he's not just some random salesman on commission trying to sell me his product. I plan to do some further research to hopefully find an answer to this dilemma.

I don't care how much you have talked to him...he does not know what he is talking about regarding the Polk speakers...

heiney9

Polks does not and never has sold two different quality products with the same model designation.

Currently they have 3 model lines all differentiated by price/performance. These 3 lines are sold at different types of retailers based on the market segment they are trying to sell to.

The Monitor line
The RTi line
The LSi line

are all different levels of speakers for different price points and applications sold thru different levels of retailers. They DO NOT sell several various quality speakers with he same model level to different retailers. A Monitor 5 is the exact same speaker whether you buy on-line, a big box store or other. Same goes for the RTi amd LSi lines.

It sounds like your sales guy (who has become a friend) is simply mis-informed or mistaken for whatever reason. Polk has never engaged in this practice and doesn't now.

But there is a big difference in both quality and performance from the current Monitor Series vs. LSi. But, there should be considering the price difference. IMO, Polk (all 3 lines) offer an excellent price to performance ratio. You simply won't find a similarly priced speaker that performes or is built as well as Polks. Their customer service is 2nd to none!!!!

shack

heiney9 wrote:

Polks does not and never has sold two different quality products with the same model designation.

Currently they have 3 model lines all differentiated by price/performance. These 3 lines are sold at different types of retailers based on the market segment they are trying to sell to.

The Monitor line
The RTi line
The LSi line

Actually there are 5 (not counting the Atriums and inwalls). You have the RM series which can be purchased as individual pairs (floorstanders or bookshelfs) as well as the HT packages. They are a distinct model line and are sold at CC and Tweeter. They are priced higher than the Monitors and below/comparable to the RTi line. There is also the R model line of speakers that is below the Monitor line price wise.

heiney9

shack wrote:

Actually there are 5 (not counting the Atriums and inwalls). You have the RM series which can be purchased as individual pairs (floorstanders or bookshelfs) as well as the HT packages. They are a distinct model line and are sold at CC and Tweeter. They are priced higher than the Monitors and below/comparable to the RTi line. There is also the R model line of speakers that is below the Monitor line price wise.

Thanks Shack-daddy . I was mostly trying to make a point, but I did it quickly w/o really considering ALL the Polk lines.

shack

I forgot about the T line which is really just a rebadged euro branded monitor line.

heiney9

In really thinking this scenario through I could see how your friend the sales guy could be confused. I myself am even confused about the different models Polk has introduced and changed in the past 5 years or so. I could see how someone could get confused and assume they were producing the same Model speaker with different quality and distributing to different retailers.

But I can assure you while some of these lines (of the past) have overlapped it was never the intention to produce the exact same speakers with different levels of quality and parts to be distributed to different retailers.

Polk has always made changes/upgraded on the "fly" and will change cosmetics or designs slightly and then sometimes re-name the Models. Just look at the Original Monitor series from the 80's they made several changes to tweeters and x-overs, etc.

shack

There are some audio equipment manufacturers that "model" or re-badge their product for different types of retailers. Denon comes to mind. The have their "Audio Retailer" line and the "Mass Market Retailer" line. For example the AVR-2807 is sold in the Audio stores like Tweeter. The AVR-987 will be sold in stores like Sears. They are exactly the same AVR with the same specs. (although they used to quote the 6ohm rating for the mass market line because it was a higher wpc). This was to allow for different pricing strategies.

This is somewhat similar to the Polk T and Monitor lines. Really just a rebadging for different markets...but the same speaker.

bknauss

Matt/E wrote:

I don't think that you guys are understanding my question/ concern...I'm not asking if polk in general is good quality and it doesn't have anything to do with the different models really...what this guy told me is that the polk speakers being sold in the big box stores only (like circuit city, future shop, etc.) are lacking the quality that polk audio is well known for and the quality that the SAME MODEL of speaker(RTi10 vs. RTi10 for example) would have at a smaller independant retailer, but not at a rediculously discounted price because they are the real deal.

Thanks for all of the welcomes

The guy is full of BS and then some. The speakers that go to the big boxes and the indepedents comes from the same place, is made with the same materials, is made the same way, and has absolutely no difference. If its the same line, its the same exact thing no matter what store you go to. Straight from the horses mouth... end of conversation.

shack

Matt/E wrote:

I plan to do some further research to hopefully find an answer to this dilemma.

bknauss - POLK ENGINEER wrote:

The guy is full of BS and then some. The speakers that go to the big boxes and the indepedents comes from the same place, is made with the same materials, is made the same way, and has absolutely no difference. If its the same line, its the same exact thing no matter what store you go to. Straight from the horses mouth... end of conversation.

How's that for reasearch? :rolleyes:

jdhdiggs

I've heard the rumor that Polk sold out by moving to the big box stores but never selling different quality lines to different sources. That would be brain dead. Why add more lines and risk crappy reviews.

As for the selling out by moving to big box stores, well, all companies should do it. Lets take an RTi12 @ MSRP of $1679/Pair.

Now if Polk was a boutique brand selling say 500-1000 of these speakers, their cost to make might be $300 in parts, $150 in Cabinet Costs, another $100 in the supply chain, overhead cost of about $600 and development cost of $600. Well, now the cost is already $1750. Polk wants a profit so now he sells it to the retailer for say $2,000. Now the retailer needs their markup for paying the retail space and risk of not selling the product so they'll mark it up to say $4K.

FOR THE EXACT SAME SPEAKER YOU CAN BUY FOR $1700!!! (Even less at street prices)

Polk can sell you and me better products cheaper through their economies of scale than even internet brands should be able to do.

I wish more companies would sell out.

Matt/E

Thanks for all of the replies...I am most likely going to keep my new set of polks because they do sound good and I am very happy with them for the price I paid...I was considering a set of the new paradigm monitor series speakers but they would probably end up costing quite a bit more and I've already spent too much on audio gear in the past month.

98thumpin

bknauss wrote:

The guy is full of BS and then some. The speakers that go to the big boxes and the indepedents comes from the same place, is made with the same materials, is made the same way, and has absolutely no difference. If its the same line, its the same exact thing no matter what store you go to. Straight from the horses mouth... end of conversation.

Way to go brian I love your product

bknauss

Thanks John, but you'll have to spread that love to all of the employees who help make the products happen.