A plea to Polk Audio

polkatese · August 2003

dan,
The Great Indoors actually the only big chain that is authorized to carry LSi series (at least in SoCal), which kinda ironic given their main focus and reputation...

Rotarydude · October 2003

Ah, isn't this the truth. Of all the places listed with 30miles of my area on Polk Audio's site. Only The Great Indoor had LSi. But only the LSi9/LSi15/LSiC, and some other ones. Not the ones I wanted. LSi25 and LSi/FX.

I walked in, hoping to listen to some cd I bought with me. To my surprise. This place is a "decked out" Home Depot/Lowe's. There isn't a "real" room. Very disappointed. I walked to this so-call demo room, and I asked to see if they had the LSi25, the gentleman told me they only have the LSi15 and never heard of the LSi25. That minute I said, "thank you." and walked away. Why?

If you going to sell a particular product, I expect that person selling the product to know the WHOLE ENTIRE line of the manufacture's product. To me this salesperson is no better than someone working at CC or BB or GG.

As the original poster said, I ended up going to alot of elite stores to only be sold to $10k speaker setups, and getting the down play by those stores how Polk Audio is for your average consumer.

I don't blame them, because for the past decade, Polk have been catering to the general public. However long ago, I remember Polk being the elite when it first started out and wasn't in the mass production market.

So my search continues, and as I read more about the LSi the more I think this is their attempt to dive back in the 'audiophile' market. This gave me more incentive to get me the LSi combination I wanted. Everyone that knew anything about high-end audio always asked me this question, "For that money, why Polk Audio?" Though I really couldn't give them a valid answer, since I have no experience with the new LSi, but only had knowledge about them enough to know that they were something that was competiting at the higher level products.

I was finally given the chance. As I found a dealer that was willing to give me a in-home trial. I never looked back, and I am very happy with my LSi purchase.

wallstreet · October 2003

Originally posted by Rotarydude
This place is a "decked out" Home Depot/Lowe's.

Actually, it's a decked out Sears.

polker player · October 2003

I stopped by one of the local high end shops here in Fort Collins, CO the other day to check out some NAD gear. The owner of the shop was very friendly, and we got into a discussion about various speaker brands ranging from JBL to NHT to Polk. He told me that he tried to bring in Polk's LSi line to sell along side Paradigm, Tannoy and Mirage, but the Polk's wouldn't sell. His customers would not take Polk LSi speakers seriously because Circuit City handles the RTi line. His customers thought that Polk is now mass market crap. The LSi's collected dust in his showroom until he finally moved them to his garage where they now reside. He said that he might try to sell them on the net one of these days. Sadly, it appears that putting their speakers in Circuit City has tarnished Polk's reputation among audio enthusiasts. A marketing descision concerning where a line of speakers is to be sold shouldn't affect how Polk Audio is percieved, but it does.

danger boy · October 2003

well as I see it... the consumer needs to become educated in my opinion. I don't think NHT, Paradigm, Tannoy, Mirage, etc.. have any better reputation than Polk does.

I live out in the West side of the US. I find that the Polk name here is just not as well known as say NHT, Def Tech, JBL, Klipsch, Energy, etc. I'd like to see Polk launch a huge 1 yr promotion to get the name out again. Yes ads in trade mags are great and work... but more is needed.

Honestly, when I started putting my system together, Polk was my third choice. I had it narrowed down to 1. NHT, 2. Energy, 3. Polk Audio. Looking back now several years later... I know I made the right choice.

It was still hard for me to get a demo with the Polks.. it took a huge effort on my part just to track em down. The best dealer I could find was a small town in rural Idaho (two hours away) of all places that was proud to be a Polk Audio dealer. He was my IN for a good demo and I thank him for leading me in the right direction.

KeithV · October 2003

This may have already been covered, but CC dosn't carry any speakers anymore over about $500-600 a piece. We never had the RTi12s, and we are already discontinuing the 10s already after carrying them for barely a month.

Aparently CC administration thinks that no one spends more than $400 a piece of speakers.

Must explain why our new setup has the cheaper equipment at eye level and the expensive stuff on the floor... :rolleyes:

hgarth · March 2006

Garth is look for 5804 5805 divers what speaker or in i know there or in srt any one what other ones

Loud & Clear · March 2006

That made Logston sound like an english professor.

ninerbj · March 2006

Ok gang, I need to chime in here about the lack of Polk product out there for the masses.
I am a buyer for a local construction supply house. We have a HUGE selection of many products, but for the sake of this conversation, lets just say all I buy is tools.
I have a wall full of Dewalt, Bosch, Milwaukee, Hilti, Porter-Cable, Delta...so on and so on.
Now, in my case, I have hundreds of thousands of dollars tied up in inventory of tools that I feel are great product and what I feel the professionals in a large retail area expect me to carry.
Now, notice my list of tools does not include a well known brand by the name of Makita. There is a reason I don't carry this brand. It's not the fault of the Makita sales rep that has been asking me for my buisness for years now, it's a simple fact that I can't carry everyone!
Makita had it's hey-day years ago. In my buisness, you couldn't survive without the Makita brand gracing your display walls. Everyone wanted a blue tool! (not a blue tool like doro's) Times have changed. The tool of choice now is Yellow.

I guess what I am trying to get at...

I think you are all reading into this a little too much. Well, maybe it's the complete opposite...maybe your not looking at the big picture.
I am sure Polk would be the first ones to tell you it would be of THEIR best interest to be in ALL the audio shops EVERYWHERE! How great would that kind of exposure be? Can you imagine the money they would make??

Now, picture this...Your a buyer, or an owner for a retail shop. You have an inventory and are quite happy with it. Your in the black and your keeping your head above water. You carry Polk LSi's and several other brands that you feel serves your best interest and those of your customers. Everyone is happy!

Then one day, while your in your office writing a purchase order to Polk for a half a truck load of LSi's, you are visited by the Usher salesman.
He's a great guy. He has a great product. Usher is a kick **** speaker. Do you buy it? Do you spend the serious coin to get the best price and decent shipping cost in hopes it sells to your customer base?
What about the hundreds of thousands you have tied up already?

In reality, you probably stay with what you have. I mean ... come on! You have the full LSi line!
The Usher sales rep is thanked for his time, and he is off to try the next guy down the road.
Is it his fault I wouldn't take the bait and sell his wonderful product? Do you think he will be the last speaker manufacturer you will have to see that day?

Cut some slack here people. To think that Polk hasn't been pounding the pavement in search of more distribution is just plain asinine!
You want to see more LSi's where you live? Then help the salesman out! Call, write, beg your local stores to carry them! Keep it up, and don't take no for an answer.
In the mean time, cut some slack!

Brad

scottyf · March 2006

Hah! At least you guys got to listen to the LSi's before you bought them. Noone here in San Antonio carries them. I bought them from Crutchfields based on three things:

I loved my 15tl's;
the reviews were great;
I had 30 days to return them for a refund.

Even so, I almost skipped them and went with the Spendors I could audition!

LuSh · March 2006

ninerbj - The reason Polk isn't carried by any independant is because Polk Audio pissed enough people off years ago when they started selling to big box stores. Many dealers agree the LSi's sound decent, they'd just never carry them because why compete with Circuit City and the like.

The downfall of many electronic's company's have happened in this manner. Technic's, Kenwood...were two names that were carried by independants untill they pissed off the little guy so much they could only be carried by big box outlets, when that happens your dead in the water. Suddenly you're no longer cool, UNLESS you have the marketing budget of say a Bose and to some extent Polk Audio.

Once you're out of the loop it is very hard to get back in. You could dump the big box guy that bring's in alot of volume and with it headaches, but at that point you're too big of an organization and you won't risk the venture into smaller outlets that may or may not have you back.

aaharvel · March 2006

LuSh wrote:

ninerbj - The reason Polk isn't carried by any independant is because Polk Audio pissed enough people off years ago when they started selling to big box stores. Many dealers agree the LSi's sound decent, they'd just never carry them because why compete with Circuit City and the like.

The downfall of many electronic's company's have happened in this manner. Technic's, Kenwood...were two names that were carried by independants untill they pissed off the little guy so much they could only be carried by big box outlets, when that happens your dead in the water. Suddenly you're no longer cool, UNLESS you have the marketing budget of say a Bose and to some extent Polk Audio.

Once you're out of the loop it is very hard to get back in. You could dump the big box guy that bring's in alot of volume and with it headaches, but at that point you're too big of an organization and you won't risk the venture into smaller outlets that may or may not have you back.

pissed off or made a decline in quality?
see Kenwood, Technics.
maybe Polk?

VR3 · March 2006

Polk now...

Polk 20 years ago...

Ill take B

TroyD · March 2006

Exclusive of SDA (different animal)....The LSi line is superior to any Monitor/RTA speaker that I can think of.

The boutique shops that would have carried Polk are all but gone. Sad but true.

BDT

HiPerf360 · March 2006

hgarth wrote:

Garth is look for 5804 5805 divers what speaker or in i know there or in srt any one what other ones

Yes...

markmarc · March 2006

I have to agree with pokerplayer. Polk lost a great deal of respect over the years. Its too bad, because they and Paradigm are head to head across all lines. If Polk truly wants back into the independent shops, they will need to give great deals, pay for advertising, provide spiffs to sales people, and generally work like hell to regain the good name. Otherwise, the LSi's will stay a secret, and later disappear.

liv4fam · March 2006

delete

reeltrouble1 · March 2006

I trust in Matt Polk, Polk Paul, Big Al and the others who have made the company a success to keep on doing what they do. When I went to the HQ tour I saw a bunch folks doing their job, walking around with their head up and generally feeling happy, there is a great feel to the place.

I noticed that the entry level worker bees were just as enthused as Paul and Al and so on, this bodes well for Polk Audio.

One of the themes I heard was to take some other manufacture's speaker that was say 1500 per pair then build one as good or better for 750.00. Seemed like the interest was in building very good speakers that are affordable, using outsourcing while maintaining QC at the HQ and sending folks to the actual building facilities. A typical American business model, sell many units and make a small profit on each as opposed to the Euro's who for years modeled the sell less (but better) at a higher profit. Technology has turned all of this topsy turvey and the lines are more blurred but still there. LSI is a grand speaker I would enjoy seeing them in shops near me, but I dont think its going to happen, but what do I really know. Seems Polk competes with other more common brands, Bose, Infinity, etc. Its just we know the LSI is excellent and can easily compare with the paradigms of the world.

I offered to sit on the board, but no call yet, I guess I should e-mail Matthew my number again. Wonder if he got the cappacuino machine working yet.

RT1

A plea to Polk Audio

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