Summary: I have many speakers to match 4 various sized Home theatres in my house.
From the $15,000.00 Legacy Focus mains to the Linaeum, ribbon-based tweeters.
After reviewing many so-called bookshelf speakers @ independent online sites, I finally checked these puppies out@ Circuit City.The teenage "salesperson" took me to their soundroom and when hooking these up, proceeded to blow -up the whole room because the kid didn,t turn the volume down on the amp , which was cranked REAL loud !(I tried to warn him!But he just thought I was some old, no-nothing fart!). After 20" of waiting for the MGR to fix things I finally got my listen.For my listening pleasure and critique the same kid put on hip-hop! At 53 (I look much younger) I'm quite hip, but I HATE hip-hop! So he put on some old Creedence Clearwater Revival that was a lousy recording but these speakers made it sound better.(I didn't care for that song either, although I did like the band way back when).After that hilarious experience I decided to take them home for under $200 and test them myself.Can always return 'em.
The BR room size is only 15'x20'. After hooking them up to some banana-golds on Kimber TC 8 speaker cable I warmed up an old Yamaha RX-V870 in Stereo mode and proceeded to low-level play some audiophile recordings, including jazz, blues, rock and female vocals. I had also disconnected a Infinity powered sub and bypassed tonal controls. I listened to both CD and vinyl via old toys.
Let me now get to the nitty -gritty...I was stunned! Right out the box,on lead-shot filled stands, was beautiful sound!These tiny things had musicians (live recordings,audiophile recording techniques) moving all over the soundstage - left to right, front to back! No de-gaussing the speakers - nothing except warming up amp and cables on another set of speakers for 2 hrs while I was gone! So after an hr I turned volume up to reference levels and just enjoyed the music...that's what it's all about!
Mind you, I haven't bought tiny speakers in many years although i have some, but these blew away many speakers I've heard that are bigger and much more expensive, including 2 pr I had playing in stereo mode during warm-up that cost 2x as much, 10 years ago. Engineering and technology has really improved in tiny little boxes!Polk, once again , has done their homework and still deserves the highest reputation they've had for years! No other "new century" little speaker, at this price point comes close to the sound of the 30's. I could hear a lot of nuances, lost on other speakers I tested, that I only hear on my reference speakers.The female and blues vocals were particularily impressive as the true female vocal can get lost on certain types of recordings, usually sounding thin and tinny. I could hear all the words usually.
Once again, I'm in a small room , quite damped, so don't expect the same sound in your family room! And I haven't tried them in home theatre yet although I know they'll do great in this room - so I'm gonna buy another pair for the rears!And check out their little center channel!
Well, good listening, and remember - It's all about the music!
Mike
Updated
Steve's been around reviewing a long time, but his rating of 7.3 was off base for the 30's.(Sorry Steve!). Although I only reveiwed the 30's in Stereo and bypassed tonal controls on a old receiver and very old Pioneer PD- DM802 CD changer, I'm sure Steve's audio components were more state of the art, except ,maybe, my cabling/interconnects were on par with his.
Instead of getting into the sound of these little babes, for the most part Steve was bored and listed "cons" as the "Faux cherry" look! How ridiculous! I guess over the years Steve is spoiled reviewing very hi-end products, which I probably would be too! Especially when you can keep the product(for free) for long periods of time. Thing is, most people are limited to what they can afford. I'm lucky- I can afford to BUY extremely expensive audio/video products- it's one of my many hobbies.So please Steve, rate the products you review at their current price point. Should've given it a 9!! Those Energies are nice but their build quality is not up to Polks 30's, and that bit you said about pins breaking off, thus the Energy's grill magnets were better, is "bull"! In 40 years of using grill pins I've NEVER had one break off, and magnets can EASILY de-magnetize (look at stereo cabinet doors!)....
It's all about the MUSIC!!
Mike
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Polk Monitor 30 (black)
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