Polk Signature series.

mantis
mantis Posts: 17,032
edited February 2021 in Speakers
Hello everyone,
I was checking out the polk site and noticed that the lines are thinned and it seems the mid level speaker now is the Signature series. I also noticed the price points are basically around the RT line was years ago but not really.

How is this line doing? Who owns them and how to they compare to the previous Rt line?

The RT line has been around for so long , I'm a bit sad to see if fall away. They don't really have a solid line in that price range anymore it seems or do these fill that gap? Are they better than the current Monitor line?

Also the LSIM line is also gone right? Or is there a new LSI something coming? Curious where polk sits these days.
Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
«1

Comments

  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,966
    Signature is mid, legend is top
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • JayDog
    JayDog Posts: 266
    mantis wrote: »
    Hello everyone,
    The RT line has been around for so long , I'm a bit sad to see if fall away.

    I am with you on missing the RTI line, there is some Awesome deals right now, if look around, Crutchfield is selling that beast Center Channel the CSiA6 CH RTi-A for $149 with real wood veneer on Ebay, I think I paid twice that when I bought mine and still thought it was a bargain. I have allot of good movie watching with this speaker line also bro!

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Polk-Audio-CSiA6-CH-RTi-A-series-center-channel-spkr/193177983208?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
  • DaveHo
    DaveHo Posts: 3,471
    I currently have Sig 55s and have had Sig 15s in the past. I think they are solid contenders with enough sparkle for HT, but not so obnoxious as to be unlistenable for music. They are truly a great all around speaker.
  • DaveHo
    DaveHo Posts: 3,471
    edited February 2021
    Btw, I use them in a bedroom music only setup. No critical listening, but quite satisfying.
  • motorhead43026
    motorhead43026 Posts: 3,892
    edited February 2021
    I have a pair of S60’s a decent speaker for music, as that’s all I used these for.

    In storage at the moment.
    2 channel: Anthem 225 Integrated amp; Parasound Ztuner; TechnicsTT SL1350; Vincent PHO-8 phono pre; Marantz CD6005 spinner; Polk SDA2BTL's; LAT International speaker cables, ZU Mission IC's and power cables all into a PS Audio Dectet Power center.

    Other; M10 series II, M7C's, Hafler XL600 amp, RB-980BX, Parasound HCA-1500 amp , P5 preamp, all in storage. All vintage Polk have had crossover rebuilds and tweeter upgrades.

    The best way to predict the future is to invent it.

    It is imperative that we recognize that an opinion is not a fact.

    Imagine making politics your entire personality.
  • JayDog
    JayDog Posts: 266
    edited February 2021
    I guess with me having a long time audio gear addiction and buying several make/model gear for over 30yrs. I have learned to see speakers good points and ignore there weak ones.

    So many people say the RTI line is really bright, I don't think that it sounds that bad imo, Its how that draws attention to itself and destroys the RTI line imaging capability or lack there of, that disappointed me back in the day with the RTI line.

    I can still remember old school Klipsch, JBL and Cerwin Vega's that were truly ear splitting fun. I must be immune to its rise at the top end. With its good looks and HT memories I am sorry to see it go also. I agree the Sig series is a good speaker as well.
  • I own polk S55, S15 surrounds, and an s30 center. I also run a sub crossed at 80 hrz. Its a music only system and I really love it. Music just sounds so great. I can't speak to the RTIs myself because I never heard them.
  • Currently the Polk lines from entry-level to flagship are as follows:

    - T-Series
    - Signature Series
    - RtiA Series
    - Legend Series <-- these replaced the old LSiM range

    From the limited inside-info i have, this is going to be a big year for Polk :). Very excited :).
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,477
    JayDog wrote: »
    mantis wrote: »
    Hello everyone,
    The RT line has been around for so long , I'm a bit sad to see if fall away.

    I am with you on missing the RTI line, there is some Awesome deals right now, if look around, Crutchfield is selling that beast Center Channel the CSiA6 CH RTi-A for $149 with real wood veneer on Ebay, I think I paid twice that when I bought mine and still thought it was a bargain. I have allot of good movie watching with this speaker line also bro!

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Polk-Audio-CSiA6-CH-RTi-A-series-center-channel-spkr/193177983208?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&amp;_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

    Wondering how that would match up with my RT55i? I'm using a cs350 now. The cherry would match my RT 55i as they are also cherry or close proximity to cherry.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,477
    Dadburnit I couldn't resist. I bought one and the seller offered 2 day free shipping as well.
  • JayDog
    JayDog Posts: 266
    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    Dadburnit I couldn't resist. I bought one and the seller offered 2 day free shipping as well.

    You will see and hear why i like that center speaker in 2 days bro, Enjoy!
  • JayDog
    JayDog Posts: 266
    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    JayDog wrote: »
    mantis wrote: »
    Hello everyone,
    The RT line has been around for so long , I'm a bit sad to see if fall away.

    I am with you on missing the RTI line, there is some Awesome deals right now, if look around, Crutchfield is selling that beast Center Channel the CSiA6 CH RTi-A for $149 with real wood veneer on Ebay, I think I paid twice that when I bought mine and still thought it was a bargain. I have allot of good movie watching with this speaker line also bro!

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Polk-Audio-CSiA6-CH-RTi-A-series-center-channel-spkr/193177983208?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&amp;_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

    Wondering how that would match up with my RT55i? I'm using a cs350 now. The cherry would match my RT 55i as they are also cherry or close proximity to cherry.

    It will look fine, but its hard to exact match any vinyl with real wood veneer like the CSIA6 center has, The real cherry looks awesome and will age much better then Vinyl..
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,477
    Sound man sound..... personally I didn't care if all they had was black. My cs350 is black or close to it.
  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    Looks like a pair of the S60’s is $900. I had them for a while and I was quite happy with them. Very good sounding speakers for the price. They dig deep.

    However, if you’re going to be running a sub with them in a 2-channel or 2-channel/HT hybrid setup, spending just a little more will get you the Wharfedale EVO 4.2 stand mount speakers and these are phenomenal.

    If your sub is picking up the low frequencies anyway, the deeper bass the S60 features is a moot point. That said, the bass response is surprisingly deep on the stand-mount EVO 4.2 without the sub.

    The fit and finish on both speakers is very good but the EVO 4.2 gets the nod for “better” between the two.
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
  • BigA524
    BigA524 Posts: 63
    edited February 2021
    I had the Rti10s going for 15 years powered by emotiva xpa3 for 10 years along with a polk 10in sub. I had my 2ch sound where I wanted.

    Last month I decided to get something newer and was researching between the 55s and 60s. I went with the 55s as some said that with my sub it wouldn't matter. After about 2 weeks I returned the 55s. There was something missing on the low end and they really didn't have the big/full sound. I bought the 60s and that sound returned.
    If you have the room I would go with the 60s for sure.
    Marantz 1607 - Polk S60 - S35 - Emotiva XPA-3 - Polk DSWPRO550wi
  • mrloren
    mrloren Posts: 2,454
    I had the RTi-8 great for HT but no so much on my 80's hair metal. I did what I could to warm them up, it worked to a point.

    Went from RTi-8 so S60 wow music was a lot better and movies did not drop much. Gained a lot in music and lost a little in movies well worth it.

    Now I have LSiM-705 I'm not looking for anything

    My bedroom HT is S20-S30 and like it. S20's are a nice speaker.
    When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
    Family Room:LG QNED80 75", Onkyo RZ50 Emotiva XPA3 GEN3 Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM. Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15 Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
    Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15 Sub: SVS SB2000
    Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Plok TSX550T SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,032
    BigA524 wrote: »
    I had the Rti10s going for 15 years powered by emotiva xpa3 for 10 years along with a polk 10in sub. I had my 2ch sound where I wanted.

    Last month I decided to get something newer and was researching between the 55s and 60s. I went with the 55s as some said that with my sub it wouldn't matter. After about 2 weeks I returned the 55s. There was something missing on the low end and they really didn't have the big/full sound. I bought the 60s and that sound returned.
    If you have the room I would go with the 60s for sure.

    Since you both RT and Signature , is the Signature a better sounding line? Not for deep bass extension I could care less about that but for mid range and top end?
    I think if you integrated your subwoofer better you will release that full range tower designed speakers fall short when playing below 100hz. Usually the case isn't with the speakers ability but placement in your room. A subwoofer can be moved and be setup to take care of whatever crossover you want it has and place it in the room so it sounds at your listening area the best. Separating the bass from the main channel speakers even for 2 channel will 1 free up power of the amp to make the tweeter and mid bass sing and it sound clearer.

    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,032
    mrloren wrote: »
    I had the RTi-8 great for HT but no so much on my 80's hair metal. I did what I could to warm them up, it worked to a point.

    Went from RTi-8 so S60 wow music was a lot better and movies did not drop much. Gained a lot in music and lost a little in movies well worth it.

    Now I have LSiM-705 I'm not looking for anything

    My bedroom HT is S20-S30 and like it. S20's are a nice speaker.
    So the Signature line is basically a upgrade in sound quality vs the Rt line? I haven't heard the Signature line so I have no idea other then they are priced a bit lower and in some cases on par with what the Rt line was. I was trying to figure out if they where a replacement line of the Rt since that line is gone.

    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 7,952
    mantis wrote: »
    mrloren wrote: »
    I had the RTi-8 great for HT but no so much on my 80's hair metal. I did what I could to warm them up, it worked to a point.

    Went from RTi-8 so S60 wow music was a lot better and movies did not drop much. Gained a lot in music and lost a little in movies well worth it.

    Now I have LSiM-705 I'm not looking for anything

    My bedroom HT is S20-S30 and like it. S20's are a nice speaker.
    So the Signature line is basically a upgrade in sound quality vs the Rt line? I haven't heard the Signature line so I have no idea other then they are priced a bit lower and in some cases on par with what the Rt line was. I was trying to figure out if they where a replacement line of the Rt since that line is gone.

    Polk streamlined the speaker lines:

    1. Good - t series
    2. Better - sig series
    3. Best - LSiM now Legend series

    Sig basically took the place of the TXi and RTi series. Not quite as good build quality as the RTi, but most people agree slightly better sound overall...
    Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es; Squeezebox Touch with Bolder Power Supply
    Game Room 5.1.4:
    Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra

    Bedroom 2.1
    Cambridge Azur 551r; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer
  • Sup guys, I just bought the s30, 2 pair of s15 and the brand new svs PB 1000 pro.I am looking to get either the s55 or s60 for my fronts. Does it make sense to get the s60 over the s55 if I have a dedicated sub?Will be used mainly for HT use.


    Vizio PQ65-F1, AC Infinity T10, Denon AVR-3600H, Panamax MR4300, Sony UBP-X700,
    Nvidia Shield TV Pro, Fire TV Stick 4K,PS5, PS4 Pro, Xbox One X Gears 5 L.E, Dayton Audio MK442,
    MK402x and SUB-1000, Monoprice - Monolith 32in Speaker Stands, Google Fiber, Sofabaton U1 Universal Remote.



    Budget Setup - https://images.static-bluray.com/htgallery/182210_full.jpg
  • MikeUp
    MikeUp Posts: 86
    edited March 2021
    vid33nyc1 wrote: »
    Sup guys, I just bought the s30, 2 pair of s15 and the brand new svs PB 1000 pro.I am looking to get either the s55 or s60 for my fronts. Does it make sense to get the s60 over the s55 if I have a dedicated sub?Will be used mainly for HT use.

    I had tower speakers before but have a Velodyne sub that sounds really good. I wasn't using the low bass of the tower speakers. Well those tower speakers bit the dust so placed some bookshelf speakers I had of the same line that I used to use as surround speakers. The towers had 1 6-1/2" woofer with a down firing power port. The bookshelf has 1 5-1/2" woofer with a rear firing port. I haven't lost anything and if nothing else, the bookshelf speakers better match the center channel speaker that shares the same drivers.

    My bookshelf speakers on their heavy glass stands are actually more stable than the previous tower speakers. The reason they bit the dust is that they kept getting knocked over by animals and kids.

    I have my surround and surround back speakers mounted to the wall and have made sure that the main channel bookshelf speakers can't be knocked over. Their very heavy stands make a world of difference over the light wood or pedestal stands I've had in the past.

    I was just listening to crutchfields audio compare app and now have headphones that are on their list. The S50 sound great as well and have some great bass output for their driver sizes. The signature series puts out much better bass for the same size woofer and number of woofers, than the RTI or TSI speaker series.

    Myself, I just bought some Polk TSI 100 speakers and the CS10 center channel to match. I thought about the TSI 300 or TSI 400 but why, when my sub will cover all the bass and I'm only losing a decibel or 2 in overall volume. With the crutchfield app, the TSI 200 didn't sound any better than the TSI 100 except for bass.

    On to new and better adventures
    0rgpp9vfl09w.jpg

  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,032
    vid33nyc1 wrote: »
    Sup guys, I just bought the s30, 2 pair of s15 and the brand new svs PB 1000 pro.I am looking to get either the s55 or s60 for my fronts. Does it make sense to get the s60 over the s55 if I have a dedicated sub?Will be used mainly for HT use.
    I think you should either get the S55 Floor Standing or S20 Bookshelf speaker with a nice pair of Stands. The reason you don' need the S60 is your gonna want to run them in small anyway. Trying to get the low end out of your main channel or any channel speaker in a home theater setup is usually never a good thing. To many people get wrapped up in the ability of the speaker and don't think about over all system performance. The only advantage I see going with a floor standing speaker is basically a built in speaker stand. The S60 however is a few inches taller which can be nice for tweeter placement in the room but that can be easily fixed with proper tilt back on the main channel speakers to have the tweeter fire more in line with your ears when sitting. I'd save the money and get the S55 if you want a floor standing speaker.

    I think adding another PB1000 Pro is a excellent idea for more even coverage in your system.

    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 7,952
    mantis wrote: »
    vid33nyc1 wrote: »
    Sup guys, I just bought the s30, 2 pair of s15 and the brand new svs PB 1000 pro.I am looking to get either the s55 or s60 for my fronts. Does it make sense to get the s60 over the s55 if I have a dedicated sub?Will be used mainly for HT use.
    I think you should either get the S55 Floor Standing or S20 Bookshelf speaker with a nice pair of Stands. The reason you don' need the S60 is your gonna want to run them in small anyway. Trying to get the low end out of your main channel or any channel speaker in a home theater setup is usually never a good thing. To many people get wrapped up in the ability of the speaker and don't think about over all system performance. The only advantage I see going with a floor standing speaker is basically a built in speaker stand. The S60 however is a few inches taller which can be nice for tweeter placement in the room but that can be easily fixed with proper tilt back on the main channel speakers to have the tweeter fire more in line with your ears when sitting. I'd save the money and get the S55 if you want a floor standing speaker.

    I think adding another PB1000 Pro is a excellent idea for more even coverage in your system.

    On the one had you should probably listen to Dan since he has set up a LOT more theaters than I have. But I am a big believer in full range speakers whenever possible. I mean look at Dolby or DTS's demo rooms. They don't run monitors crossed over at 80hz, they run 5-7 of the same, full-range speakers plus the LFE channel which is ONLY for LFE. That is the ideal setup. So, if you can swing the 60s and run them full range, that is what i would do. I'll never forget when I ran my center channel (cs400i) through an 8 inch sub, so the center could be set to large. Opening scene of the Dark Knight, that little center sub was POUNDING. When they mixed the track, they didn't do it with the expectation that you would route extra low frequencies through the SUB, they expect that center and mains to be full range. And it sounds awesome if you can swing it...just my two cents.
    Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es; Squeezebox Touch with Bolder Power Supply
    Game Room 5.1.4:
    Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra

    Bedroom 2.1
    Cambridge Azur 551r; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer
  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,032
    rooftop59 wrote: »
    mantis wrote: »
    vid33nyc1 wrote: »
    Sup guys, I just bought the s30, 2 pair of s15 and the brand new svs PB 1000 pro.I am looking to get either the s55 or s60 for my fronts. Does it make sense to get the s60 over the s55 if I have a dedicated sub?Will be used mainly for HT use.
    I think you should either get the S55 Floor Standing or S20 Bookshelf speaker with a nice pair of Stands. The reason you don' need the S60 is your gonna want to run them in small anyway. Trying to get the low end out of your main channel or any channel speaker in a home theater setup is usually never a good thing. To many people get wrapped up in the ability of the speaker and don't think about over all system performance. The only advantage I see going with a floor standing speaker is basically a built in speaker stand. The S60 however is a few inches taller which can be nice for tweeter placement in the room but that can be easily fixed with proper tilt back on the main channel speakers to have the tweeter fire more in line with your ears when sitting. I'd save the money and get the S55 if you want a floor standing speaker.

    I think adding another PB1000 Pro is a excellent idea for more even coverage in your system.

    On the one had you should probably listen to Dan since he has set up a LOT more theaters than I have. But I am a big believer in full range speakers whenever possible. I mean look at Dolby or DTS's demo rooms. They don't run monitors crossed over at 80hz, they run 5-7 of the same, full-range speakers plus the LFE channel which is ONLY for LFE. That is the ideal setup. So, if you can swing the 60s and run them full range, that is what i would do. I'll never forget when I ran my center channel (cs400i) through an 8 inch sub, so the center could be set to large. Opening scene of the Dark Knight, that little center sub was POUNDING. When they mixed the track, they didn't do it with the expectation that you would route extra low frequencies through the SUB, they expect that center and mains to be full range. And it sounds awesome if you can swing it...just my two cents.
    This is what gets most people in a range place. As in your theory I do agree with you, having all full range channels and a dedicated LFE Subwoofer would be the perfect system BUT the biggest missing piece here is the room. People really don't understand how much the room dictates the bass output in the room. It starts really around 200hz and down. This is where the room really influences the overall bass experience.
    So honestly all channels in your smaller Theater , Media or Family Room can even be set to 120-150 and allow 2 or more subwoofer handle the lower end. Not just because a subwoofer can do the heavy lifting better than a boxed speaker but because more so of placement.

    Once you experience a properly calibrated properly placed Home Theater setup , it's difficult to go back to this old way of thinking. Trust me I wore those shoes, fought tooth and tail until I learned and experienced it for myself.

    Even a 2 channel setup with awesome flow standing speakers can't re creat proper bass in a room better than 2 dedicated subwoofers properly placed and integrated/ calibrated.






    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • vid33nyc1
    vid33nyc1 Posts: 31
    Thanks for the input guys. I am leaning toward the s55 over the s60. And maybe an emotiva 2 channel amp to go with it.


    Vizio PQ65-F1, AC Infinity T10, Denon AVR-3600H, Panamax MR4300, Sony UBP-X700,
    Nvidia Shield TV Pro, Fire TV Stick 4K,PS5, PS4 Pro, Xbox One X Gears 5 L.E, Dayton Audio MK442,
    MK402x and SUB-1000, Monoprice - Monolith 32in Speaker Stands, Google Fiber, Sofabaton U1 Universal Remote.



    Budget Setup - https://images.static-bluray.com/htgallery/182210_full.jpg
  • vid33nyc1
    vid33nyc1 Posts: 31
    S55 on sale today $279.99 at BB, Amazon and ABT.


    Vizio PQ65-F1, AC Infinity T10, Denon AVR-3600H, Panamax MR4300, Sony UBP-X700,
    Nvidia Shield TV Pro, Fire TV Stick 4K,PS5, PS4 Pro, Xbox One X Gears 5 L.E, Dayton Audio MK442,
    MK402x and SUB-1000, Monoprice - Monolith 32in Speaker Stands, Google Fiber, Sofabaton U1 Universal Remote.



    Budget Setup - https://images.static-bluray.com/htgallery/182210_full.jpg
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,559
    That's a great deal. $560/pair w/ free shipping!

    This is a good time to be a music lover!
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,559
    vid33nyc1 wrote: »
    Thanks for the input guys. I am leaning toward the s55 over the s60. And maybe an emotiva 2 channel amp to go with it.

    I'd go for Parasound over Emotiva if you can spring it, trust me it'll be worth it.
  • vid33nyc1
    vid33nyc1 Posts: 31
    Clipdat wrote: »
    vid33nyc1 wrote: »
    Thanks for the input guys. I am leaning toward the s55 over the s60. And maybe an emotiva 2 channel amp to go with it.

    I'd go for Parasound over Emotiva if you can spring it, trust me it'll be worth it.
    Thanks for the heads up.I will look into it. The s55 are on the way :)



    Vizio PQ65-F1, AC Infinity T10, Denon AVR-3600H, Panamax MR4300, Sony UBP-X700,
    Nvidia Shield TV Pro, Fire TV Stick 4K,PS5, PS4 Pro, Xbox One X Gears 5 L.E, Dayton Audio MK442,
    MK402x and SUB-1000, Monoprice - Monolith 32in Speaker Stands, Google Fiber, Sofabaton U1 Universal Remote.



    Budget Setup - https://images.static-bluray.com/htgallery/182210_full.jpg