Polk Audio Monitor 30

 

howudoin?
Unregistered guest
hello. any idea of how the polk monitor 30s sound? know any other speakers in the same price?
please help!
 

Gold Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 2805
Registered: Mar-05
Polk Monitors are poor for the price. What's your budget?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Fps_dean

Post Number: 25
Registered: Oct-05
Polks tend to be way too bright sounding. Some people really like that, but I like speakers to sound the way it comes out of my amp (unless my amp is real cheap... because hey some speakers make up for flaws int he amp).

If you have a real small room then Polks fare a lot better. When you give them space to breathe, they are just too bright. I imagine they would make a decent B set when you have much larger and deeper speakers, you can create a cool balance. For years I used these Boston Acoustic A70s with some of those small cheap P.O.S. Realistic speakers that sound like trash alone, but paired with the Boston Acoustics and a little bass boost, they functioned like my midrange drivers and widened the sweet spot and added a sound depth almost like surround sound only my channels were purely independant as I had the little cheapos slightly closer to me than my bass drivers but still at one side of the room. I stopped doing that when I moved my computer into another room and did not have room for the small speakers anymore, but it sounded so cool when I load up Counter Strike on that.

For a speaker that size, the Infinity Beta 20s ($250/pair on ebay) or even the $100 a piece Primus 150s ($120/pair on ebay) had a much better balance and better clarity and should run you less.

Boston Acoustics have made some real good bookshelf speakers over the years. I'm using a pair of A70s myself (my receiver does not have power to drive my Column II's so my father got them and I'm using these!). As much as I wish I could use my own speakers, I have never really thought about how good these are until recently.

They aren't the best thing out there obviously but they are quite well balanced and sound great especially for their size. The mids are the only thing that is not too well defined (no midrange driver), but that makes them the ideal rock speaker right? :-)

The Boston Acoustics VRB is a current similiar model but they will run you approximately twice as much as the Polk's. Cheaper models like the CR85 and CR77 should be a vast improvement over the Polks if you need to save a few bucks.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Fps_dean

Post Number: 26
Registered: Oct-05
I don't think the Polks are actually too poor for the price, it's just that they are so cheap that you can spend a little more and make it go a lot more :-)
 

New member
Username: Raj_p

Evanston, IL USA

Post Number: 9
Registered: Oct-05
The Polk RTi4 and 6 are great speakers. I'd look there. Or if you're in the used market, try for a pair of LSi7s.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Fps_dean

Post Number: 31
Registered: Oct-05
Now the upper models I have never got to hear, just the monitor series (which I have seen worse!). Are they an improvement?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jet2001

Post Number: 77
Registered: Mar-05
The monitor line is their mass market, big box line. Polk's poorest quality line of speakers.

The RTi line is mid-level quality, well built, sounds great, and are very versitile speakers. I own RTi4's and the center in this line, the CSi3...for their function, I am very pleased.

The LSi line are outstanding speakers and underestimated in my opinion. They are a 4 ohm speaker and need a good power supply run them properly.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Fps_dean

Williamstown, MA USA

Post Number: 51
Registered: Oct-05
I've read reviews of the RTi line and they reviewed quite well. The reviewer said that they sounded much better than they expected them to, etc. I would like to hear them.

The LSi's need power... okay that is very different from the Monitor line which don't. Needing power is not always a bad thing though - speakers that like power will sound the best if you crank it, but wont do your ears any favors.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Fps_dean

Williamstown, MA USA

Post Number: 52
Registered: Oct-05
^^ Wait.. the review I read was the LSi line, sorry.
 

Walrus
Unregistered guest
> The monitor line is their mass market, big box line. Polk's poorest quality line of speakers.

Actually no, the R-series is their bottom of the barrel line. The Monitor series is their crappy-posing-as-mid/highend-to-poor-suckas-at-Circuit-City line.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Jet2001

Post Number: 80
Registered: Mar-05
the R series speakes aren't bad for their function...I'd say they are better than the monitor line. They are cheaper and sound pretty darn good as surrounds or computer speakers...which translates to better in my book.
 

Unregistered guest
Hey...the guy with the Boston Acoustic stuff needs to get back into audio...those speakers are in the stone age (sorry...don't be mad). Small monitor wise, the most detailed, emotionally involving speakers are the Epos ELS3 and the Monitor Audio Bronze 2's. I'm talking about detail and real presence. Jaw-dropping for $300.00. Also, you can get a pair of amazing Monitor Audio Silver S1(even better than the Bronze 2's) on Audiogon for $325.00 (extraordinary). I like the Polk Rti4's alot...I think they are great value...they are not as involving as the speakers above, but they are very satisfying indeed. Don't worry about power with monitors like this. I run Polk Lsi 7's in my dining room with a great 30 watt Jolida amp and they are great. They also sound great with a modest NAD 320BEE integrated. Watts mean nothing. It is the quality of the signal and the ability of the amp to drive current into the speaker. Interconnects mean alot too, and of course the source. Thanks.
 

Silver Member
Username: Fps_dean

Williamstown, MA USA

Post Number: 106
Registered: Oct-05
^^ If you think those are from the stone age, my home setup just got a few years older, (and much better!) Got a Mcintosh MAC 1900 (1973-1978, but closer to the 1973 side) through some Infinity Column IIs from the late 70s or early 80s. I walk into the local hifi stores and in the same price range do not hear stuff this good (and what I do hear that is better is no longer all that much better).

There are watts they say it puts out, and watts that it actually puts out... then there's the damping factor. Power does not determine sound quality as long as you are not underpowering your speakers so that they make funny noises that sound like a 5 year old with a whoopie cushion.

And I think anything sounds good with a 30 watt Jolida amp! :-) (ever notice, that your lows sound... well, lower?)
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