Polk Audio


I picked up a pair of Polk Audio RTi -A1 compact speakers recently and was surprised at how big they were on scale and bass. The guy I bought them from had been using them as surrounds in his AV system and when I said they were going to be used in a stereo set up, he seemed puzzled that I would want to use them that way.

Anyway, I'm hugely impressed by how the Polks handle rock music especially - they're hooked up to a Krell KST-100 power amp. They've got a lot of weight in delivery, apart from the bass and scale. I've gotten similar results from small speakers in my room, but they've been much more expensive ....

However, what puzzles me is the negative vibe people seem to have about Polk. "Oh, they used to be good once upon a time but are crap now," is what someone in the distribution industry remarked.

This is the first time I'm listening to Polk speakers. I don't see any justification for his remark.

Anyone else here has a good experience with Polk's current range? Seems great value to me ...
bassraptor

Showing 2 responses by timrhu


I tried to sell the LSi9's, but got no offers, so ended up giving them away.
Mcondon

Mcondon, no idea what you expected to get for your Polks but I just watched a pair of LSi9s sell on ebay for $650.
They have zero snob appeal. That's Polk's main problem. I bought a pair of Polk Audio speakers back in the late 70's when I couldn't afford the Advents I was lusting after. They were wonderful speakers for the time. Polk got to big for the hi-end audio community and they fell out of favor. God forbid we find a quality product at a big box retailer.

IMHO, the Polk LSi7 is one of the best small monitors you can find for less than $400 on the used market and I have owned quite a few monitors. Enjoy your new speakers.