Polk Audio Reserve R700 Review. A lot to like at a great price, but it's not for me.

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  • čas přidán 11. 02. 2024
  • The Polk R700 is a really good speaker with a lot to offer at a great price. I like it, but it falls short of what I'm looking for in my next speaker system.
    The Polk R700 have smooth bass (claimed 38hz) with no noticeable peaks or valleys, but the midrange and treble can't keep up with the bass making the speakers sound overly warm in my opinion. The comparatively weak midrange and treble gives the speaker a somewhat dull tonality with insufficient air or detail for my taste.
    -----
    The Omni Sound TCM3 have been my primary speaker for 34 years.
    Designed and built by Randy McCarter they use a 8" hand-made Toby woofer paired with a Vifa 1" tweeter. The crossovers use only air core inductors and polypropylene capacitors and oxygen-free large gauge internal wiring.
    The specifications are 36Hz - 21KHz +/- 3db
    92db @ 1 watt-meter
    8 ohm
    58lbs
    I had the woofers refoamed by Toby a few years ago and I've swapped out the original Vita D25Ag-05-06 aluminum dome tweeters with Peerless D27TG35-06 silk dome units.
    The TCM3s are great speakers with lots of dynamics, deep bass and detailed throughout the frequency range, but there is a narrow band in the bass region that is boosted slightly. I can hear it when listening to some guitar of Leo Kottke's guitar solos, some notes are louder than others when they shouldn't be. Also their treble can be fatiguing at moderately loud listening levels. I've had some success in smoothing the in room response by treating the listening room with a combination of diffusion and absorption materials as well as bass traps.
    The TCM3s are great, but is there a speaker in today's market that will make me even happier within my budget of no more than $3,500 a pair?
    ------
    The Acoustat 2+2 electrostatics have the best bass I've heard so far, going down deep (claimed 28hz +/- 2db) with no audible peaks and valleys. But being an electrostatic speaker, the speakers lack the dynamics of a traditional speaker system and the sweet spot for optimal listening is about 2-ft wide sitting 9feet from the speakers. They do have the biggest soundstage that is amazingly wide and tall. The make box speakers sound small in comparison. The upper frequencies are noticeably rolled off on the Acoustats, I've replaced all of the capacitors, diodes and resistors in the HF circuits of the interface units and tested the HF transformers and HF variable resistors with a multi-meter. Everything checks out fine, but so far I haven't been able to restore the upper frequency response on these 40-year old speakers.
    -----
    The Monitor Audio RS6s sound smooth at lower volume (claimed 38hz), but get harsh and run out of steam when turned up beyond casual listening levels.
    -----
    The search continues.....
  • Jak na to + styl

Komentáře • 58

  • @phil9593
    @phil9593 Před 3 měsíci +5

    Enjoyable hearing your take on this. I'm rather happy with these speakers , hope you find what you're looking for!

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 3 měsíci

      Good to know you like the Polks, I read and watched a lot of positive reviews on them and wanted to love them but they just didn’t click for me. I’ve been auditioning a pair of Martin Logan ESLs and I like them a lot, but they can be ‘blah’ with some music. My main complaint with the speakers I’ve had for years is they ban be bright and fatiguing so I’m going to try pairing them with a Marantz amp the is supposed to be warm sounding. Fingers crossed.

  • @davesnider8375
    @davesnider8375 Před měsícem +2

    great review and very helpful. thank you for the time invested.

  • @Onewithsausage
    @Onewithsausage Před 5 měsíci

    Thanks! Good to hear both the pros and cons.

  • @damondhorner1602
    @damondhorner1602 Před 4 měsíci +7

    I've had these for nearly a year. I agree they are heavy. They arrived ups freight on pallets. I love the sound. With proper placement, the vocals are right in front of your listening area. These are far she away the best over owned.

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 4 měsíci +1

      Choosing speakers is like dating, sometimes things just don't click. They are a popular choice and I'm glad they are making you happy. I moved the R700s out four feet from the back and side walls and angled them directly at me still too boomy and masked vocals. Their sound signature just doesn't work for me.

    • @scottlowell493
      @scottlowell493 Před 2 měsíci +3

      @@Koolbob2 I'm getting none of that. I have transparent and detailed sound. No veiling, and they don't boom. Quite neutral actually. They replaced my much more expensive focal speakers which sound unnatural by compare.

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 2 měsíci +2

      @@scottlowell493 I may be in the minority in not loving the R700s. Polk makes a wide range of speakers from very inexpensive to high-end. I was hoping the R700s would be a bit more detailed and articulate, but their tone was just a bit dark for my taste. After returning the Polks I tried a pair of Martin Logan ESL speakers, I definitely preferred the ESLs over the R700s. I debated on whether or not to keep the ESLs for over a month, but ended up sending them back as well. As wonderful as the ESLs were, no electrostatic speaker can match the dynamics of conventional speaker.
      My primary speakers for the last 30+ years have very tactile low bass and a bright, articulate upper end that puts vocals out in front, to my ear they are nearly perfect. My only issues with them is that they can be a bit lean in the upper midrange and the treble can be fatiguing with some CDs (the treble is spot on with LPs and most streaming.
      I decided to try a Marantz Model 30 amp and model 50 CD player with my TCM3 speakers. The Marantz amp's warmer sound paired well with the TCM3s and puts a smile on my face so I think I'll stick with this combo for now.

  • @kennethj.letourneau7747
    @kennethj.letourneau7747 Před měsícem +1

    Love the retro decor. You gave a great presentation on the speakers

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před měsícem

      Thank you, I love mid-century modern and have been fortunate to receive both tables as gifts from friends and picked up the pair of chairs at a local antiques shop for $35! I'm no expert, but I've been into music and audio gear since high school and hope to help others with their equipment buying choices.

  • @brooklynknightss
    @brooklynknightss Před 4 měsíci +2

    Thank you for a honest review! Appreciate it!

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 4 měsíci +1

      Thanks for watching! A friend let me borrow a pair of KEF LS50s (the original model that is no longer made) that really impressed me. Of course the KEF speakers need a subwoofer to play full range, bumping them to a price point a bit higher than the Polks, but I thought the KEF speakers had a much flatter frequency response, vocals were front and center and not masked like the Polks. The most impressive thing with the LS50s was no matter where I was in the room, I could hear both the left and right speaker. My only complaint with the LS50s is they sounded amazing within a somewhat limited volume range, turn the volume down to background music level and they sounded small and flat, turn them up loud and they ran out of steam and distorted. KEF makes many larger and 3-way models based on the LS50 that you might want to consider.

    • @brooklynknightss
      @brooklynknightss Před 4 měsíci +1

      ​@Koolbob2 i still run my definitive technology BP20s that i bought brand new in 93! Still sound amazing to me. Run bose 301iii series in the rear from back then to. The definitive technology d11 sound great for a small bookshelf speaker very clean sound!! I have klh kandalls 1st series im looking to try out. Thank you. If you could try the d11s

  • @bombayteddy
    @bombayteddy Před 2 měsíci +1

    Hello from Bombay (Mumbai) India! Thank you for your detailed and honest review of these speakers. I am thinking of purchasing an entire surround + Atmos set of Polk Reserves, with the R700 as front L/R, bi-amped with a Denon/Marantz top-end receiver. In particular, your comment about how to unpack them is really useful, although I wish you had shown how to use them with spikes on your carpeted floor. As for sound-quality: since I have a good relationship with their India distributor, they have kindly agreed to let me keep their demo pair over the weekend to see how they sound in my home-theater room. And before I forget, I LOVE your Sony cassette pillow 🙂Where did you buy it?

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 2 měsíci

      Hi @bombayteddy I had several sets of speakers in and out of my room over the past few months and finally decided that I preferred my 30+ year old speakers. I tried switching to a Marantz Model 30 amplifier and found that it had slightly more bass extension and a warmer sound than my old Onkyo amp. The pairing of the 'warm' Maranta amp with my slightly bright and articulate speakers sounds great to me so I'm done buying gear, at least for now. I'd be curious to hear your impressions of the R700 with your setup.
      I got the pillow in a local shop several years ago, but I have seen similar ones on line over the years. Just search for 'cassette tape pillow'.

  • @F.S.111
    @F.S.111 Před dnem

    I have Klipsch R8000 F11 in my drum room. Denon 110th Anny integrated amp and SACD player. It’s Rated 85 WPC 8 ohms and 165 4 ohms, but reviews and tests show that’s quite conservative. It’s also ultra high current and the two pieces retail for about 7K. So pretty good power and quality feeding them. Morrow audio SP6 speaker wires were about 1K. I was pretty blown away for the price of just tad over 1000.00 pair delivered. Some say too bright etc. I thought they sounded pretty killer. Too fatiguing for all day listening some say. I don’t know who listens all day? lol. 1-2 hours is long session for me and they never bothered me. Anyways I have seen So many rave reviews on Polk R700 Reserve I decided grab open box pair for 1300.00 and see if I’d want to keep over the Klipsch. Long story short I’ll likely sell the Polks. They are not dark, but I don’t love the highs. They are somewhat overpowered by the bass. Yes they have more bass than Klipsch but to me it’s kind of muddy and not real clean and tight. The mids are very good and maybe silkier than Klipsch and not so loud as the horn. That said both have some pluses and minuses but I like the Klipsch a lot better. The Polk looks don’t impress much either to me. That crinkle coat looks like truck bed liner. If you had cheaper amp I think most would for sure prefer Klipsch. Who knows but that’s my two cents. 😮

  • @stickers6883
    @stickers6883 Před 4 měsíci +2

    I have these R700 as the main in my HT setup. They are perfect for that. They also good but not great for 2 channel listening for the money but the do need lots of room to breath (mine are in a large room as well) and respond well to better upstream equipment. I have a Parasound New Classic 2250 driving mine and they drink up the power from it. If you get a chance to try them with the separates before you send them back you may be surprised with how they improve. But if your room isnt big enough then they can be a bit too much.

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 4 měsíci +1

      Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! Choosing speakers is like dating, sometimes things just don't click. The R700s are a popular choice and I'm glad they are making you happy. I moved the R700s out four feet from the back and side walls and angled them directly at me still too boomy and masked vocals. Admittedly my Onkyo integrated amp is a few years old, but it was well reviewed by Stereophile when it was released and it drives the power hungry Acoustat 2+2 electrostatic speakers well. Their sound signature just doesn't work for me.

  • @whome8192
    @whome8192 Před 4 měsíci +1

    I own these. I agree with you on the vocals, drums, and tweeter. I wish these imaged better, brought vocals forward, and tweeters were less recessed. That said I had a heard time finding speakers. There is only so many pairs we can try and send back over and over. These do sound great. SVS speakers have more air, better imaging, more forward vocals, and less bass. I had the Prime Towers and traded them in for the Polks. In many ways the Polks are superior, but the SVS were great and I miss there imaging, and vocals, but they just did not have enough bass for me.

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 4 měsíci

      Thanks for watching and commenting! Glad to hear I'm not the only one who thinks the Polks are too mellow and come up short in articulation and air. I got Crutchfield's 'Speaker Listening Kit' and was underwhelmed with the headphones included with the kit. I listened to EVERY floor standing and bookshelf speaker they have sound profiles for and they all were 'meh' for me. I may try a pair of Martin Logan ESL speakers next and if they aren't my thing then I'll just stick with my Omni Sounds.

  • @NosEL34
    @NosEL34 Před 4 měsíci +2

    I have a pair of these. I can totally understand why they certainly arent for everyone. When i first got them i played them for a few days then they got sent into another room where i rarely listen. What I've found from them is they are huge and pretty room dependent on how they will sound. I tried them in 3 differeng rooms and it was like having 3 different speakers almost. My initial problem with them was a lack of bass compared to the mids and very sibilant. After they sat for a couple weeks i listened to them in a more rectangular & damped room and liked the balanced sound of them there. The bass was better but still not enough detail or nuance to the bass. What i noticed was the woofers never moved or pushed air..and someone told me that was normal. Fast forward almost 2 months and then the woofers pushed in & out like most woofers im used to..and with this a much better bass response, better tone & detail to bass strums & notes.
    I was going to babble on about my love hate relationship with these speakers but i would be writing forever. What I'll jump to and say is that they are the main drivers in my digital system today and i like them. I use PEQ on them thru a RME dac and i know that i couldn't use them in my living room without it. I've never had issues with the midrange but ive had to play with placement and eq for the highs. I get very detailed wonderful sound from them now and with them placed 8 feet apart i get a 10ft wide soundstage. But it took lots of REW measurements, low noise PS's on my router, streamer, dac and a high powered amp to get them to where i like them. Different equipment had different effects on them...where the singer sounded like they were almost behind the speaker to where now they are in line with the speaker. After trying them in 3 different rooms with different equipment, with and without EQ i totally understand why people wouldn't like them. The only reason i didnt send them back initially was because of freight charges...but i got them at a decent price i felt i could resell them. They've turned out to be pretty good though and I've heard a lot of speakers in my 50yrs. The quality of the source is a big deal though with these behemoths. I don't normally keep speakers too long but I'm not in a huge rush to trade them off. They are too big for me to hold onto long term unused but i think I'll miss them when they are gone. I do always find it fascinating how different people have such different experiences with the same speaker. And i don't feel it makes one person right or wrong...its how it sounds to us..with our preferences, in our room, with our equipment. There has been a few times i didn't like something that others raved about. Is what it is.

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 4 měsíci +1

      I've had some time to think it over after I made the video review and I believe I've figured out a few things. Your comments on trying the R700s in different rooms confirms my newest theories.
      My listening room is about 14x14 with 8' ceilings, wall to wall carpet, one entire side wall is a bookcase so lots of diffraction there to break up standing waves. I have 8 2x4' sound absorbing panels (five behind the listening position and three behind the speakers centered on the front wall), bass traps in the corners behind the speakers. I position the speakers at least 3' from the front wall and 3' from the side walls and move them as needed from there.
      My preferred speakers (Omni Sound TCM3, hand-made, audiophile crossover components, Toby 8" woofers and Vifa 1" tweeters) have the woofer high up in the cabinet to help keep bass frequencies from interacting with the floor. The woofers on the Polk are lower in the cabinet and the downward facing port further reinforces bass response. Great if you put them on a slab, not so great IMHO if you have a MDF/plywood floor over floor joist as I have in my second story room.
      I removed all of my sound absorption panels when I was using the Polks and it did help with the soundstage, so I think they may perform better in a more lively room, like a room with hardwood or tile floors.
      If I leaned way back in my chair with my head almost against the back wall the Polks did seem to image a bit better. If my room was another 3 or 4 feet longer I may have liked them more than I did.
      I have a REL subwoofer that I don't use with my TCM3s or Acoustat 2+2s, but the sub might pair nicely with a pair of Martin Logan electrostatics or stand-mount speakers and using the sub with speakers that roll off around 50hz or so would allow me to dial in the balance between the bass and mid-upper frequencies to my taste.

    • @NosEL34
      @NosEL34 Před 4 měsíci +2

      @@Koolbob2 I understand what you are saying. Makes sense. To me they aren't a set it and forget it type speaker...well maybe if one has a really large room. I totally agree with them performing better in a livelier type room and sitting further away. I normally do prefer a bookshelf speaker paired with a sub. They have always been easier for me to deal with. Bass integration has always been an issue for me..and having a sub where I can place it anywhere and adjust the volume makes it a little easier. Then after I got my 1st SVS pro sub which has their app things have been even easier. Having 3 PEQ tabs and a room compensation adjustment has been a game changer. I will definitely go back to a bookshelf when I'm done with the Polk's. I held onto my Wharfedale Lintons which obviously I think are pretty good..but they can have some excess bass depending on the room & placement. I've never tried any of the KEF coaxial speakers..they shouldn't be heavy on bass..known to image extremely well with great mids. I've been told it's more of a stay seated in the sweet spot for the full experience. I find Erin's Audio corner channel & website to be helpful finding speakers..if you know exactly what you are looking for. Seems like you have some good gear already..it's going to take something nice to replace them. I think you did the right thing sending the Polk's back. You probably could have eventually made them work for you but it shouldn't be that hard..find something that fits what you have & your room. $2k is a lot of money and one shouldn't have to settle for anything when buying new.

  • @tg9891
    @tg9891 Před měsícem +1

    That shiny plastic clear portion of the decal is not permanent. It is intended only for protection of the raised decal underneath for shipping. Remove the plastic tape looking part of the decal and the raised silver letters of the decals will be permanently left upon the speakers. I have the walnut R700s, R400 and R900s and all are this way.

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před měsícem

      Have you ever auditioned a pair of new speakers and immediately knew that you would probably be returning them? That's how I felt about the R700s. I positioned them face to face a few inches apart, wired one out of phase and left them playing fairly loud to break them in. Re-auditioning them a week later I knew they were going back and I didn't make any effort to peel off the plastic. I am glad to learn that it's just protection and not part of the logo.
      I next auditioned a pair of KEF LS50s on loan from a friend with a REL subwoofer. Although I preferred them over the R700, I again thought my old handmade speakers sounded better. I did keep a pair of Martin Logan electrostatic speakers for over a month and came very close to keeping them, but even though they excel in many areas, they fall short in other areas. Back they went.
      In the end, upgrading my 27-year-old components to use with my old speakers gave the best results by far.

  • @pgssider
    @pgssider Před 14 dny +2

    How big is your room? It appears that your room is far too small for the rated output and size of the Polk R700.

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 14 dny

      The room is 14x14' with good diffusion and absorption properties. No doubt the speakers need to be matched to the room, but objection to the Polks is their tone, not their output. Compared to every other speaker I tried, Polks bass was a little boomy and the upper end rolled off. I tried smaller stand mount speakers, like the KEF LS50s with a REL subwoofer. They were fine for casual listening, but they began to sound stressed when turned up. The Acoustat 2+2 electrostatics were definitely too much speaker for the room, With my listening spot against the far wall they were just starting to image properly, another 3' and I think I could have really enjoyed them. No matter what new speaker I tried, I kept coming back to the Omni Sound TCM3 speakers as my favorite with deep, punchy bass, good midrange and articulate upper frequencies. I tried a few amps and finally fell in love with the TCM3s paired with a Marantz Model 3 amp and CD /streamer /DAC.

  • @weslee4619
    @weslee4619 Před 3 měsíci

    The clear plastic decal on the polk logo is there to protect the logo in its shipping package and is meant to peel off once unboxed at home like many other products in this world for the past many many years. (A very irrelevant obvious dislike you stated)

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 3 měsíci

      The build quality was impressive at their price point, but I knew I would be returning them, so I did not inspect the decals in great detail. I’m glad I returned the Polks, the Martin Logans I’m currently auditioning project vocals and details far more to my liking.

  • @mmInPA
    @mmInPA Před 4 měsíci +1

    KoolBob... Thx for the review... Seems you have some pretty high-end equipment in a 2.1 setup... please allow me to recommend that you explore the wonderful (and awfully expensive in both time and money!) hobby of surround sound. I took the plunge about 10 years ago and even though my system is anything but high-end (old polk R50s, R15s, and center; pioneer sub, old Onyko AVR, nice Oppo 103 DVDA/SACD/bluray player), my music listening pleasures have skyrocketed playing titles that were re-mastered for quad, 5.1, and 7.1. The clear separation of the channels while maintaining a soundstage that envelopes you is something to behold. Listening to the surround mixes of albums that I listened to in stereo for eons was like hearing them for the first time - I heard so many things that I didnt know existed in the mix. I have about 75 titles ranging from Elton John, to Deep Purple, the Doors, XTC, Tears for Fears, Talking Heads, Doobie Brothers, Yes, etc. When friends come over for a listen, they are blown away at the clarity and how some tracks sound as though the band is in the room with ya! Next up for me is a new AVR that is Atmos capable and adding 4 ceiling speakers... I did mention this hobby is uber expensive, didn't I? I can only image what the sound would be like if I had good speakers like the Polks you reviewed here... maybe one day when I hit the lottery! Favorite mixes: Yes' Close to the Edge and Doobie Brothers Quadio!

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 4 měsíci

      @mminPA When I was in high school I bought an entry level quadrophonic system from a friend and set up a speaker in each corner of my bedroom and spent many hours listening to music with the volume up and the lights off. I only had one quad LP, but the system did a pretty good job as simulating quadraphonic from stereo LPs.
      I've played around with 5.1 on two different systems in our house over the years and I do really enjoy watching concert movies on our living room 5.1 system I still gravitate to stereo for music.
      The Acoustats are my first experience with electrostatics, after hearing the wide and tall soundfeild of the Acoustats regular speakers sound 'small'. I wish I could hear a pair of high quality open baffle speakers in person, but they are very esoteric and I haven't seen any place to buy some and try them at home with an option to return them if they aren't for me. I'm going to think about it over the weekend, but at the moment I'm leaning toward buying a pair of Martin Logan electrostatics to try out next.

    • @mmInPA
      @mmInPA Před 4 měsíci +1

      @@Koolbob2 Thx for replying... my first setup (in HS back in '77 - im VERY old!) was a Sansui 9090db with some KLH floor speakers (3 ways with 12" woofers)... drove the parents crazy when I had that beast cranked - I still have big bertha (with new pioneer speakers/sub) and she still sounds great though I must confess I only occasionally turn her on nowadays! The thing about the quad, 5.1 and 7.1 mixes is that the mixer sometimes goes back to the original master tapes and redoes the whole album, deciding what tracks to place where... Steven Wilson is a MASTER at this and is most likely why I hear instruments I never heard in original stereo releases. But all the surround music I have purchased sounds FANTASTIC.

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 4 měsíci

      @@mmInPA Sounds lie we are about the same age and had similar stereos back in the day. I had a pair of Realistic Optimus 10" three-ways and a Realistic and Sansui receiver, and I remember pulling into the driveway once after school and hearing Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon blasting from the house. Mom had the system turned up to 11 while she was doing housework. Thanks for the tip, I'll check out Steven Wilson's work in 5.1.

  • @jordenb9469
    @jordenb9469 Před 5 měsíci

    What are the other speakers you have in your room there? Thanks.

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 5 měsíci

      The small ones are Monitor Audio RS6, the black ones are Omni Sound TCM3, the 8ft tall ones are Acoustat 2+2.

    • @jordenb9469
      @jordenb9469 Před 5 měsíci

      @@Koolbob2 Which are you favorite?

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 5 měsíci

      @@jordenb9469The Omni Sound (black ones) have lots of detail, vocals are clearly front and center, solid bass. Cons to the Omni Sound are treble gets fatiguing at higher volume, some bass frequencies are more pronounced than others. Monitor Audios sound nice, but small woofers can’t keep up when turned up. Acoustats have HUGE soundstage and good recordings sound incredible, great bass, very natural sounding but the treble is too soft for my taste and they don’t have the dynamic punch of traditional speakers. Ideally I’d like my next speakers to be able to evenly play all frequencies with detail, and not be boomy or harsh when turned up. I’d like to keep the price at about 3-3.5k a pair. I’m tempted to try Martin Logan electrostatic next. I have an REL sub I’m not using, so I may consider a pair of top tier bookshelf speakers rather than floor standing models.

    • @jordenb9469
      @jordenb9469 Před 5 měsíci

      @@Koolbob2 Right on. Nice to hear about your audio journey. Have fun and hope you get what your after. 😎

  • @PIPERBOYWILLIAMS
    @PIPERBOYWILLIAMS Před 4 měsíci +1

    I have these. You need a reasonable amp and change the crossover

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 4 měsíci

      Thanks for watching, I'm glad to hear that you like your R700s, they are a popular choice and I think they are a great value for the money. I thought they were very nice, but a bit too thick in the mid-bass and lacking in detail in the vocals and upper frequencies for my taste. Nothing wrong with my integrated amplifier, the Acoustat 2+2s, Omni Sound TCM3s and Mission Audio RS6s I used as reference points all sound better than the R700s in my room to my ears.

    • @PIPERBOYWILLIAMS
      @PIPERBOYWILLIAMS Před 4 měsíci

      @@Koolbob2 I didn’t like them when I first got them. They’re not good without an amp pushing atleast 250 watts

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 4 měsíci

      @@PIPERBOYWILLIAMS 250w, LOL, how loud do you jam? :) I never take my 100w past half volume and it leaves my ears ringing. The best part of my rig is the turntable, I’ll try a few more speakers but I may stick with my 30-year old, hand made TCM3s. Once I’ve chosen my speakers I plan to upgrade the amp to match the speakers needs.

  • @leepage9686
    @leepage9686 Před měsícem +1

    Focal aria 936k2 if you want balanced

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před měsícem

      Thanks for the recommendation!

    • @F.S.111
      @F.S.111 Před dnem

      I have the Focal as well in my theater setup. Agree very balanced and great for the price when on sale. Better than Polk for sure imo. Yea the Focal cost more than Polk. The Polk cost more than the Klipsch too. I have Kanta No.2 in my two channel room. Man I’m in love with those! Can’t picture anything in the 10K price range being better.

  • @MasterofPlay7
    @MasterofPlay7 Před 4 měsíci +1

    i thought they are bass beast

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 4 měsíci +1

      I love good bass, but not then it overpowered the rest of the music.
      The Acoustat 2+2 electrostatics have the best bass going down deep (claimed 28hz +/- 2db) with no audible peaks and valleys.
      The Omni Sound TCM3 have bass that hits hard (hand made Toby woofers claimed 36hz +/- 3db) but in my room there is a narrow bass band that is more pronounced than others. I can hear it when listening to some guitar of Leo Kottke's guitar solos, some notes are louder than others when they shouldn't be.
      The Monitor Audio RS6s sound smooth at lower volume (claimed 38hz), but get harsh when turned up loud.
      The Polk R700 have smooth bass (claimed 38hz) with no noticeable peaks or valleys, but the midrange and treble can't keep up with the bass making the speakers sound overly warm in my opinion. The comparatively weak midrange and treble gives the speaker a somewhat dull tonality with insufficient air or detail for my taste.

    • @MasterofPlay7
      @MasterofPlay7 Před 4 měsíci

      @@Koolbob2 what amp did you use to drive them? the tonality could be from the amp

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 4 měsíci

      @@MasterofPlay7 Good point, I have considered that possibility.
      A friend made me an offer I could not resist on his old VPI classic turntable with a Shelter 501 cartridge when he upgraded to a VPI Avenger. I just got the cartridge back from being re-tipped. The turntable is the best bit of kit in the room and I am on a journey to upgrade the rest of the gear to a similar level on my tight budget. The VPI is connected to a ProJect Phono Box DS+ phone preamp. I'm using a Onkyo DX-7555 CD player and A-9555 integrated amplifier, both were favorably reviewed by Stereophile when they were introduced. I'm using Tara Labs Prism speaker cables and comparable interconnects, so my system is very modest to be sure.
      If I were going to buy a new amp for the Omni Sound speakers I would look for a class A or A/B amp or perhaps even a tube amp that was warm so as to not overly excite the already detailed tweeters. On the other hand if I were shopping for an amp to drive the Acoustats I would consider a class D amp with a minimum of 200 WPC.
      The Acoustats have wowed me with their wide and tall soundstage and now box speakers sound small in comparison. At this point I'm trying to decide between open baffle speakers (which can be driven with modest amplification), electrostatic speakers which tend to need lots of power and current and traditional box speakers.
      I may be approaching this all wrong, but my plan is to find speakers that I really like first with the gear I have and then upgrade the rest of the system around the speaker's needs.

    • @MasterofPlay7
      @MasterofPlay7 Před 4 měsíci +2

      @@Koolbob2 I mean the Polk r700 offers great value, if you want clarity then you should probably pair them with class d amp, the dryness will balance out the warmth/richness/thickness of the speakers. I think a lot of receivers use class d these days

    • @Koolbob2
      @Koolbob2  Před 4 měsíci +1

      @@MasterofPlay7 I agree, a Class D amp with a lot of detail could potentially add the clarity I find lacking in the R700.

  • @navoo9009
    @navoo9009 Před 3 měsíci

    Challenger M-105 👈 JBL Studio 698 👈👍 polk it is priced too high... to your capabilities !