Reminds me of an ol' Crack the Sky lyric (from the song Mind Baby):
oooh, mama, she lives in a house with no lock on the door
oooh, mama, there's no one upstairs but what a great bottom floor
Hey, baby, throw her a look and she'll comfort your day
oohh, mama, throw her a book and she'll throw it away
It's GORGEOUS!!!. It looks like it would belong in a multi-million dollar property. The shine on the wood is so thick and pristine, you can see your reflection in it. The connections are all top notch, build quality excellent....literally everything about this speaker fits the bill of all things luxury and all things audiophile.
Until you hear it.
Yeah, it has a ribbon tweeter so the top end is rolled off. When I say rolled of? Yeah, I don't mean like a typical ribbon speaker. I've heard a few that are outstanding. This one? The song started and I was wondering where the music was. No imaging, no chimes, no micro details to speak of. It wasn't as if I needed to strain to hear it all......it just wasn't there.
At all.
So, the bass passages come in. Where is the bass? Where is the sound pressure? OMG, where is anything that is pleasurable? I have heard low line Polk subs sound better than this thing offered.....and here's the kicker.
It had about 60-70K worth of front end equipment, acoustical treatments, carpeting, properly set up and with a great LP source to boot. I'm not saying that it was so bad that you would have to pay me to listen to it. What I am saying is that from this same company, I have heard a 1K bookie they produced come eerily close to an Apogee Centaurus on all aspects of the reproductive effort (minus the stunning presentation of the Apogees).
What gives? These things sounded horrible. I'd have rather enjoyed a pair of the current Polk LSiM series....any one of them hooked up to an MP3 source playing Adele better than these.
Money means absolutely NOTHING in this hobby. Nothing.
Tom
Huh. This is interesting! I heard these just a few months ago at Saturday Audio Exchange in Chicago. They had them setup near the front counter. One of the employees caught me admiring them, and asked if I'd like to hear them. He turned up some concert performance that was playing on the screen between them, and I stood there silently surprised, at how unimpressive it sounded. I just dismissed it at the time, assuming it was the source material, or the far from ideal environment they had them setup in. After reading this though, I'm wondering if you're onto something. Maybe they really are just all show, and no go.
As a side note, I'm kicking myself for not visiting Saturday Audio sooner. I'll be hitting it every chance I get from now on.
HT Mits WD-65737, DirecTV, Oppo DV-970HD, XBOX ONE, Yamaha RX-A1030, Parasound Halo A23, Rotel RB-985, Music Hall MMF-7, Parasound PPH-100, LSi-15, LSi-C, LSi-FX, LSi-7, PSW-1000, Monster HTS2600
I will say this, the set up in the room next door at Hi-Fi Buys was a setup very similar to this setup at Munich. This was the 300K system. I think most folks here would have enjoyed that system. Refined and musical.....just a fun system to listen too.
Nothing like that POS MBL setup we heard at Jolida HQ. The Monitor Audio speakers in the OP were actually worse than that rig.....by a far margin. That should put it into perspective for ya'.
Tom
Ah, I missed this until now. Wow, worse than the MBL's......that is bad.
Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
My Dad lived with the Grande Utopias in his house for a decade... that speaker needs quality gear and room to flex its muscles...
I can say the Mezzo utopias I have right now are a blast to listen to as they are appropriate for my room size
I've heard many meh focal systems. And alot of really great ones. My electras are a completely different animal toed in a half inch.
The better the gear (properly matched might I say) and the better they sound. Every rung up the ladder I get better and better sound.. I keep saying how much better can these things sound? I keep squeezing better sound out of them with every tweak, upgrade. Absolutely amazing speakers (for the value vs performance). I've heard very few complaints.
I spend quite a bit of time listening to extremely expensive systems in local hifi shops, and I come home and turn mine on and sit there with a smile. It's sounds just as good!
2 channel:
Bryston 4B3, Bryston BDA3, Cary SLP05, Shanling CDT1000SE with parts conneXion level 2 mods, Nottingham analogue ace space 294, soundsmith Carmen MKii, Zu DL103 MKii, Ortofon MC 20 MKii, Dynavector XX2 MKii, Rogue Audio Ares, Core power technologies balanced power conditioner, Akiko Corelli power conditioner with Akiko Audio HQ power cable, Nordost heimdall 2, Frey 2, interconnects, speaker and power cables, Focal Electra 1028 BE 2, Auralic Aries Femto, Black diamond racing cones, ingress audio level 1 roller blocks, JL Audio E110 with Auralic subdude, Primacoustics room treatments.
Theater:
Focal Aria 926,905,CC900, SVS PB ultra x2. Pioneer Elite SC85, Oppo BDP93, Panamax M5400PM, Minix neox6, Nordost Blue heaven LS power cables.
That's very strange my little shop is a Monitor dealer we have not gotten to the platinum level yet but the golds really shine. I have owned the current iteration of the Polk LsiM series and they don't come close to the Monitor Gold. Very surprised to hear this especially after reading so much about these in particular punching way above the price point.
It is what it is.....I had a few heavy hitters within the industry state the same thing about these at LSAF. Apparently, I am not alone with my observations...
Like I had mentioned before....I loved their little bookie. Their flagship on the other hand?
Tom
In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence.
~ The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction ~
~ Not all things that can be measured can be heard and not all things heard can be measured ~
That's funny there is A guy on audio gon who raves about monitor audio. His handle is Bo 1972 and he goes on and on about truefi and how it will help you measure the parameters of hi-fi. He keeps going on about how the monitor audios are so good at a 3-D presentation. I feel like telling him to get a set of Polk SDA's
I'm not knocking monitor at all, I like most of their speakers. I own a pair of speakers that would be classed in that price range and above.
The PL500 does not IMHO come near the quality of sound as my speakers. Had the opportunity to here the 500's at a dealers shop in East TX. Of course this is a personal opinion.
Those are interesting speakers...more like a work of art. What are they asking for those...or has the price been released to the public yet?
Tom
In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence.
~ The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction ~
~ Not all things that can be measured can be heard and not all things heard can be measured ~
In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence.
~ The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction ~
~ Not all things that can be measured can be heard and not all things heard can be measured ~
Oh no, midriff exposure and crack cleavage are verboten by the PC not z's
Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
Tom you're full of crap the monitor audio Platinum ll are some of the best speakers out there the three-dimensionality in the imaging in depth or unbelievable. So you're totally lying if you say there's no bass. I have the Platinum 200 generation 2 hooked up to a Sim audio w 8 p8 and the platinum's are one of the best sounding speakers on the market so I don't know what the hell your ears are listening to but you're full of ****, so stop lying cuz the speakers will beat Wilson audio sonus Faber and many other top brands like magico.
Tom you're full of crap the monitor audio Platinum ll are some of the best speakers out there the three-dimensionality in the imaging in depth or unbelievable. So you're totally lying if you say there's no bass. I have the Platinum 200 generation 2 hooked up to a Sim audio w 8 p8 and the platinum's are one of the best sounding speakers on the market so I don't know what the hell your ears are listening to but you're full of ****, so stop lying cuz the speakers will beat Wilson audio sonus Faber and many other top brands like magico.
LOL. Signed up and posted in a two year old thread to defend your speakers from somebody you don't know.
There is no best or better. Only what you like and don't like. Tom didn't like them.
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, TriangleArt Reference SE with Pass Labs Xono Phono Preamp, Walker Precision Motor Drive, ClearAudio Goldfinger Statement V2 cartridge and Origin Conqueror Mk3c tonearm, Polk Audio "Signature" Reference Series 1.2TL with complete mods, Pass Labs X0.2 three chassis preamp, PS Audio PerfectWave DAC MkII, Pioneer Elite SC-LX701, Oppo UDP-205 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds.
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered…History has stopped. Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right” — George Orwell
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
I've found rear firing ports to be unreliable...sometimes, you just get an overabundance of chuffing...sometimes, it is almost like it is blocked and you just get bloated response.
And worst is when the port is too big and the fluid dynamics just go haywire.
"Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."
"Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip
But they are great for replicating the legendary "brown-note".
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, TriangleArt Reference SE with Pass Labs Xono Phono Preamp, Walker Precision Motor Drive, ClearAudio Goldfinger Statement V2 cartridge and Origin Conqueror Mk3c tonearm, Polk Audio "Signature" Reference Series 1.2TL with complete mods, Pass Labs X0.2 three chassis preamp, PS Audio PerfectWave DAC MkII, Pioneer Elite SC-LX701, Oppo UDP-205 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds.
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered…History has stopped. Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right” — George Orwell
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
I find front-ports to be much cleaner, and with a much higher WAF...
“Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.”
― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
I heard that MA Platinum a couple of years ago at Saturday Audio in Chicago and wasn't impressed in the least. Could have been that they needed to be in at least twice the space they were in, but, it was the most discombobulated I may have ever heard.
Tom you're full of crap the monitor audio Platinum ll are some of the best speakers out there the three-dimensionality in the imaging in depth or unbelievable. So you're totally lying if you say there's no bass. I have the Platinum 200 generation 2 hooked up to a Sim audio w 8 p8 and the platinum's are one of the best sounding speakers on the market so I don't know what the hell your ears are listening to but you're full of ****, so stop lying cuz the speakers will beat Wilson audio sonus Faber and many other top brands like magico.
Hello ma'am and please allow me to offer you a very warm welcome to Club Polk. You must be right, I am full of crap and I must be lying.
Thank you for setting my audio ways and observations straight. For a moment in time, I thought I had a tad bit of audio experience but alas, I must go back to being an audio rookie. I appreciate your candor and beg you of your forgiveness.
I feel so ashamed.
Now, if you will be so kind, please change your diaper (it's rather fragrant around here since your arrival) and head on back down to your padded room in Mommy's house. Don't forget to brush your teeth, as the diarrhea you just spewed out of your mouth has fouled it. Have a great evening and tell your mommy I said hello!
Before you go, please allow me to remind you of my short and sweet review of these speakers, pointed out by one of our esteemed members here at CP. "The song started and I was wondering where the music was". Had they actually played the music when the music was playing, they would not have gotten such a review. Now kindly go pound sand until you grow up.
Tom
In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence.
~ The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction ~
~ Not all things that can be measured can be heard and not all things heard can be measured ~
Looks identical to the SME arm I got divorced from, except for the fixed shell.
"Science is suppose to explain observations not dismiss them as impossible" - Norm on AA; 2.3TL's w/sonicaps/mills/jantzen inductors, Gimpod's boards, Lg Solen SDA inductors, RD-0198's, MW's dynamatted, Armaflex speaker gaskets, H-nuts, brass spikes, Cardas CCGR BP's, upgraded IC Cable, Black Hole Damping Sheet strips, interior of cabinets sealed with Loctite Power Grab, AI-1 interface with 1000VA A-L transformer
I heard them at Saturday Audio as well, and, it might have been the way they were set up, but, I was far less than impressed. I was in the market for a new speaker, and, they caught me looking and couldn't wait to demo them...I tried to like them. They were, if memory hasn't failed me, packed in to a room that was probably too small for them, had too much stuff around and between them, and they still couldn't pressurize the room properly. If that had been my only experience with Monitor I probably would have written them off completely. Fortunately, I've heard other Monitor speakers, so, I can now write them off with a little for info in my back pocket.
You guys that are saying the speaker sound like crap are full of it. You're obviously lying because I heard the platinum 500 ll with simaudio gear and they were one of the most three-dimensional sounding speakers I've ever heard that's why I bought the platinum 200 ll. Robert Deutsch who is a reviewer at stereophile said the platinum 300 ll was one of the most lifelike speakers that he's ever heard. That's why he bought them as his new reference, so you guys definitely don't know what you're talkin about.
Comments
I thought they would be a little thin for you
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
Huh. This is interesting! I heard these just a few months ago at Saturday Audio Exchange in Chicago. They had them setup near the front counter. One of the employees caught me admiring them, and asked if I'd like to hear them. He turned up some concert performance that was playing on the screen between them, and I stood there silently surprised, at how unimpressive it sounded. I just dismissed it at the time, assuming it was the source material, or the far from ideal environment they had them setup in. After reading this though, I'm wondering if you're onto something. Maybe they really are just all show, and no go.
As a side note, I'm kicking myself for not visiting Saturday Audio sooner. I'll be hitting it every chance I get from now on.
Mits WD-65737, DirecTV, Oppo DV-970HD, XBOX ONE, Yamaha RX-A1030, Parasound Halo A23, Rotel RB-985, Music Hall MMF-7, Parasound PPH-100, LSi-15, LSi-C, LSi-FX, LSi-7, PSW-1000, Monster HTS2600
2 CH
Parasound Halo P3, Parasound Halo A21, Sutherland Ph.D, VPI Classic 3 w/ 3D arm & Soundsmith Aida Cartridge, Arcam CD72T, B&W 802 S3, Monster HTS2500,
Ah, I missed this until now. Wow, worse than the MBL's......that is bad.
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk
I've heard many meh focal systems. And alot of really great ones. My electras are a completely different animal toed in a half inch.
The better the gear (properly matched might I say) and the better they sound. Every rung up the ladder I get better and better sound.. I keep saying how much better can these things sound? I keep squeezing better sound out of them with every tweak, upgrade. Absolutely amazing speakers (for the value vs performance). I've heard very few complaints.
I spend quite a bit of time listening to extremely expensive systems in local hifi shops, and I come home and turn mine on and sit there with a smile. It's sounds just as good!
Bryston 4B3, Bryston BDA3, Cary SLP05, Shanling CDT1000SE with parts conneXion level 2 mods, Nottingham analogue ace space 294, soundsmith Carmen MKii, Zu DL103 MKii, Ortofon MC 20 MKii, Dynavector XX2 MKii, Rogue Audio Ares, Core power technologies balanced power conditioner, Akiko Corelli power conditioner with Akiko Audio HQ power cable, Nordost heimdall 2, Frey 2, interconnects, speaker and power cables, Focal Electra 1028 BE 2, Auralic Aries Femto, Black diamond racing cones, ingress audio level 1 roller blocks, JL Audio E110 with Auralic subdude, Primacoustics room treatments.
Theater:
Focal Aria 926,905,CC900, SVS PB ultra x2. Pioneer Elite SC85, Oppo BDP93, Panamax M5400PM, Minix neox6, Nordost Blue heaven LS power cables.
Like I had mentioned before....I loved their little bookie. Their flagship on the other hand?
Tom
~ The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction ~
~ When the law ends, tyranny begins ~
The PL500 does not IMHO come near the quality of sound as my speakers. Had the opportunity to here the 500's at a dealers shop in East TX. Of course this is a personal opinion.
It's whatever floats your boat
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
Looks like a pregnant Cyclops...
Tom
~ The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction ~
~ When the law ends, tyranny begins ~
~ The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction ~
~ When the law ends, tyranny begins ~
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk
LOL. Signed up and posted in a two year old thread to defend your speakers from somebody you don't know.
There is no best or better. Only what you like and don't like. Tom didn't like them.
Village Idiot of Club Polk
The bass sounds a bit pregnant and bloated...
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered…History has stopped. Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right” — George Orwell
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
just... eww.
And worst is when the port is too big and the fluid dynamics just go haywire.
"Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered…History has stopped. Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right” — George Orwell
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
But, I wonder what a variation would look like with a stereo and dimensional driver up top?
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, PASS ACA Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: Antique Sound Labs Wave AV-8 Monoblocks, Tisbury Mini Passive Pre, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Garage: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
I find front-ports to be much cleaner, and with a much higher WAF...
“Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.”
― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Yea those rear ports can be muddy........
Or I mean that's what I was told once ...
Rear ports.
speaking of portz...
EDIT: or, here's a more audiohile-appropriate version
(nice SME arm on a fairly nice Thorens)
Hello ma'am and please allow me to offer you a very warm welcome to Club Polk. You must be right, I am full of crap and I must be lying.
Thank you for setting my audio ways and observations straight. For a moment in time, I thought I had a tad bit of audio experience but alas, I must go back to being an audio rookie. I appreciate your candor and beg you of your forgiveness.
I feel so ashamed.
Now, if you will be so kind, please change your diaper (it's rather fragrant around here since your arrival) and head on back down to your padded room in Mommy's house. Don't forget to brush your teeth, as the diarrhea you just spewed out of your mouth has fouled it. Have a great evening and tell your mommy I said hello!
Before you go, please allow me to remind you of my short and sweet review of these speakers, pointed out by one of our esteemed members here at CP. "The song started and I was wondering where the music was". Had they actually played the music when the music was playing, they would not have gotten such a review. Now kindly go pound sand until you grow up.
Tom
~ The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction ~
~ When the law ends, tyranny begins ~
(nice SME arm on a fairly nice Thorens)[/quote]
Looks identical to the SME arm I got divorced from, except for the fixed shell.