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Speaker Questions

Hello. I am looking to get some new speakers but I am on a relatively tight budget. WAF is important for me in the buying decision.

I have found a pair of Polk Audio S50 towers for $200 each and that seems like a good deal, but I don't really see any Polk Audio on the recommended lists. Not even in the WAF section. I would prefer a Tower speaker, but I suppose I could go with some good bookshelves on stands.

Here's what I'm considering;Polk S50 Towers (White)Polk S30 Center (White)Polk ES15 Rear's (White)Polk RC60i In Ceiling speakers (for atmos)

All in, I can get this for about $880. It SEEMS like a good set, though I have nowhere to listen to it locally. I really like the aesthetic and haven't had any arguments from the SO yet.

That all being said, the fact that these don't come "recommended" in any of the buying guides has me worried that I am doing myself a disservice by not looking at other speakers.

I don't see ANY white towers anywhere near that range, but there are some bookshelf ones. More specifically, I could get the KEF Q150's for L & R at $300/pair, but then I don't know where I would be able to go from here for center, surround, and atmos speakers. Would the KEF Bookshelf be better than the polk tower? I'm in need of some guidance here.

Thanks!j

ehansigno

Showing 2 responses by 8th-note

8th-note
348 posts
 

The Polk S50 are popular speakers and have been reviewed at least a couple of times. Google "Polk S50 Review" and you will see at least two reviews. Both of these reviews are very detailed and positive. I would suggest that you place much more weight on these reviews than on the comments on this forum. There is an element of snobbery here where people who have never heard these speakers will trash them simply because they are a widely available mid priced brand.that doesn't cater to audiophile geeks.

8th-note
348 posts
 

@sgreg1

I urge you to read those two reviews and then come back and tell us whether or not they are more valuable than the comments in this thread. Compared to the short comments here, many of them snarky in tone (including mine), those two reviews provide a wealth of information that can help the OP make his decision. I will take a thorough multi-page detailed review by an audio journalist over an Audiogon thread any day. At least the two reviewers actually set up and listened to the speakers! How many comments in this thread are from people who have actually heard them in their own home?

In my experience a detailed review is the best way to find out about a speaker and how they sound - short of an audition. In a few cases, like the Thiel Owners thread, you can actually communicate with people who have first hand experience with what they are talking about but I have found that most comments on the Agon forum are based on poorly informed opinion.

Lastly, one of the reasons I used the term "audio geeks" is due to your earlier comment. The OP clearly stated that he was on a tight budget and that WAF was important. The Polks filled the bill and they are easily available. He wants to get his system together with minimum hassle and is obviously not the kind of person who is going to do the research, shop ebay, Agon, USAM, or other used equipment sites and put together a multi-brand system. And his wife would probably veto Vandersteens. He just wants some reassurance that he's not making a huge mistake.

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