About those R50's
I'm a perfectionist,worse yet i'm a Po' perfectionist.This leads to all kinds of problems including banging ones head against (preferrably) brick walls.After needling comparisons it appears the R50's,rather than the Monitor 50's,are the way to go,but would like some feedback on that.My main question is-are R50's all identical,or are R and L speakers phased differently?Reason I ask is that I may get a better ebay price buying them individually....ya,it's that bad!
Post edited by wingzam on
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Wingzam, I believe that the Ebay seller that you're probably looking at is not an authorized Polk online dealer.
Is this is what you're looking at ?
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Polk-Audio-R50-Floorstanding-Speakers-Pair-Cherry_W0QQitemZ280223705668QQihZ018QQcategoryZ14993QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ShippingPayment
If so, I think that the Ebay seller, Speaker Depot, is selling gray market Polks, so the seller's statement:
Comes with 5-YEAR Manufacture WarrantyParts and Labor
is not true.
The true "warranty" is shown under the heading, "Return Policy".
What you'll get, in reality, is this:
"If the item is DOA, the buyer has 3 days to return the item (the buyer pays the return shipping fee). The item will be refunded. Please contact me by email for return procedure."
A list of authorized online Polk dealers is on Polk's site here:
http://direct.where2getit.com/cwc/apps/w2gi.php?client=polkaudio&template=online&Transaction=Online&product=Home&postalcode=&radius=25&city=&state=0
Polk also has their own official online Ebay store, here:
http://stores.ebay.com/Polk-Audio-Direct
If you're looking for R50's, an authorized Polk online dealer is Fry's. They currently have R50's on sale for $60 each (with $13 shipping each to the Midwest) :
http://shop4.outpost.com/%7Bu41b7wYhAJUO8RA4aJVFHQ**.node1%7D/search?search_type=regular&sqxts=1&query_string=r50&cat=
The R50's may be a little on the bright side for some folks. However, I'm about your age and don't particularly notice that brightness due to some of the highs rolling off with age/background (turbines,pumps,boilers, etc.).
And, for $150 shipped for a pair, you can't really go wrong.
It'll at least hold down the fort for you until/unless you find something better for the price that you like better.
The Monitor series requires more serious amplification to get them to do their thing (oversimplified).
For your location (apartment), I'd say get the R50's, and be happy !
Sal Palooza -
I have R50's and I don't think they are bright at all. In fact, comparing them to some RTi6's I notice that there is a lot of high detail that is missing. In the Polk pecking order the 50's are not considered better than the monitor series. I have heard some people say that the monitor series image better than the R50's. Overall I like the R50's, but I would not buy them again simply because I have increased my spending budget and would buy something better next time. So now I have these hard-to-ship speakers that are hard to sell used that I would prefer to replace with something better. If you have a tight budget or are just looking for a garage setup, then go ahead and jump on the 50's. Otherwise skip them.
The R50's are identical, no L-R differentiation. Order them from Fry's. You can't find them cheaper anywhere else except the used market (if you are in upstate NY then I have a pair you can buy for cheap). Ebay pricing is ridiculous considering you can still get them from Fry's cheaper. -
Thats all good info guys!I actually avoid those "wholesalers",especially when,as you say,Fry's has them so cheap.I've looked into Fry's and it appears that they can be real iffy on the merchandise they sell in that they will sell returned items that are defective.The last thing I want to deal with is a speaker that someones returned because it does'nt work/sound right.Nonetheless i've been listening to these old school speakers for so long i'm a bit excited to hear the results of the "new" technologies:things such as improved sound stage,imaging,boxlessness,clarity...ooh wee!! - especially as Polk is reputed to be demonstrating.Unfortunately I don't live close enough to Real audio stores that I get can out and audition what the market has.The R50's sound like a winner.
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One more thing.I'm working with 125 watts per channel out of a 1995 Pioneer 5.1 receiver.Have you got any idea at what volume level the R50's come into their own?Thanks again
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You really want to listen to a speaker before you buy it if you can. The R50 is nice, but you get what you pay for. They are considered Polk entry level speaker. There are better speakers out there for only a little more money, especially in the used market. If you are on a tight budget or want a garage type system then go ahead and grab them. However, if you really want great sound and have some money to spend, then you can do better than the R50's.
It also depends on what you plan to do with them. Home theater or 2-channel music? You may be happy if it is only HT, but I think you may be disappointed for music. -
Hey,i'm open for speaker suggestions.I may hook it up as a HT,but right now i've got a center channel,2 (get this) KLH model 6 "vintage speakers" and 2 1976 model year 60 watt Pioneers...I actually did'nt get these out of the garbage!All this stuff is buried right now and the receiver was a $900 unit in 1995 125 watts but can't remember the model.Had only been doing 2 channel and depending on how I feel about this Vintage stuff looking at me,if it sounds good in 5.1 i'll upgrade everything.After remodeling i'll have an entertainment room of 12x15.Right now i've only got about $250 to work with.What is your recommendation?
