My budget polk surround for tight spaces

rallyshark

First off let me state that I understand the equipment I am speaking of isn't the best by many standards, but maybe some will find some of this useful:) Also keep in mind I moved up to this from sony HTIB speakers and sub:o After all, it sounds good to me and I'm happy, which is what matters most.

I recently(a week ago) was able to get what I thought to be some SMOKING deals from Polk Direct. My score: 1 pair black OWM 5-$106, 1 RM20 5 pack-$174.49. I am using the OWM 5s for fronts, while using the RM202 for the center, the RM201s for surrounds, and the RM101 for surround back(6.1). I was also able to get a PSW505 a couple of weeks prior for $249 from newegg. All of this is powered by my beloved Marantz SR6003(got it about a year or so ago for $379, looong story). So IMO, I feel I have made my $ go pretty far:D

All of this is in a 12x17 room with little floor space, and I had to utilize already existing mounts(I rent). It's is comparing apples and oranges, but DAMN it sounds so much better. All of the sound is so much more defined and precise. I have it all crossed over at 100hz, which I think would be about as low as I would want to given the speakers. The impacts are more dynamic, the voices more 'real", and the overall sound is on another level! Most anyone who watches a movie in my house will/is amazed(none of my friends are audiophiles, so they don't know any better;)) Granted, it didn't reach it's current level until a lot of audyssey and manual settings were tweaked, but now I'm really happy and a little surprised.

The OWM 5 seems blend well, and has a rather neutral sound. The RM20 is a little brighter and less efficient, but I like the sound to size ratio. Thank goodness for audyssey, and a separate 9 band EQ for each channel:D After all the adjustments they seem to blend together better than I expected. The PSW505 is pretty awesome to. The first movie I watched with it was Transformers 2, and WOW! Things were falling off shelves, and the dog was scared! The sound has only got better the more I use it as the speakers break in. This is for HT only of course. It is even tolerable with music to, which is a plus when I don't want to switch to speaker B, and turn off the EQ, and set the fronts to large(for the 11Ts). The 11ts are still much better for the tunes though.

Long story short: POLK ROCKS! I don't think I could have done much better than Polk, given my budget and size/mounting restraints. I highly recommend people checking out polk direct if you're looking for some deals, and have some patience! The speakers I got from them look and function perfectly. I would even argue they are likely new, and not refurbished from what I can tell. I would love to hear what you guys think about all of this. I hope some of you found my amateur "review" useful or interesting:) Cheers!
Donny

kawizx9r

As long as you're happy with it, that's all that matters

KASR

I happen to agree...bang for buck, polk was a no-brainer for me and I do consider myself abit of a bargain-dog/hunter.

rallyshark

Thanks for the input guys. More input is always welcome:) Later!
Donny