Tharbamar is not exagerating, I have had these just over a week. They replaced DBR 6.2s which replaced EVO 4.1s which replaced, SVS Ultra BS, which replaced JBL 530s. Once hooking up the R200s the DBRs did not stand a chance. I also coveted a set of Diamond 225s, Denton 80ths, demoed Denton 85ths, EVo 4.2s. The only speakers in the R200 class are the 4.2s, 85ths and 530s because of the horn. Nothing in this list really comes close to the R200s. I have only had them 10 days, after about 2 hrs the bass blossoms, and it just gets better. All genres, Nils Lofgren live over spotify, exploded the sound stage in my room like never before. Height, width, depth, simply impressive. I got mine on sale over B Friday 120 dollars off, less than all the speakers except a couple. Not hype these are for real. Warm musical rockers that are not fussy, they can rock out as well as chill on a Suday morning.
I have the R200 in now, 1st listen was good, excited to test it more. I deff also love my 530's. Those are also giant killers and for me beat out my Revel M105's and several other more expensive speakers including JBL's own L82. I plan to test the R200's "against" the JBL 4309's, 530's and some of my DIY gear. Good times.
Hi, loved the demo. As also your analysis. You were quite forthright in your conclusions. A five star rating coming from you is no joke since I have seen your reviews of Linton heritage also. This review of r200, and your reviews of 4.2 and kef q350 have me seriously considering changing my entire speaker and gear set up. Right now Using dynaudio emit 10 paired with Cambridge ca60 integrated amp. Need badly to switch over to a warmer and relaxed sounding, non fatiguing overall setup. Between Polk r200 and evo4.2 which fits the bill more considering I listen to low level music particularly rock, jazz, indian classical, country and music of seventies and eighties. wharfedale 12.2 is the fourth speaker under my consideration. Looking forward to your recommendation. Thanks and best regards.
@@Tharbamar thanks for such a prompt reply. Have identified a local Polk dealer. Now that you have given a green signal Will now try and get the best deal. Thanks and regards. Am sure you would suggest an amp change also. Between yamaha and denon which would you recommend. Denon 800ne or yamaha as801. Because I also like tone controls.i know I am stretching your indulgence a bit too far. It's just pure anxiety. Thanks.
I tried the 4.2s that dome midrange can be very fatiguing, if not set up correctly. I tried the 4.2s with the AXR 100 and it was delicious. Way to much SPL for my room.
I Have the R 200 AE paired with Elex R and Bitfrost 2, the initial sound was a bit disappointing but after 15 hrs each time I run them I am taken back by the rich sweet and wide sound these produce. They need time ,but you are rewarded with a speaker that you can listen to for hrs and still surprises you every time you play these. I had a pair of high end monitors with SP acoustic drivers and hand built crossovers , very revealing and accurate but after 2-4 songs I was ready to turn them off. I think a lot of modern speakers suffer with this where these have the balance of detail vs Musicality in line with Harbeth and Spendor at fraction of the cost.
I recently bought a pair of KEF Q350s for a good price. A few days later I came across a pair of Polk R200s for around same price (but a little bit of damage to the cabinet). I'm kind of disappointed the R200s weren't on sale earlier. Matching with an old Onkyo A-9010 the Q350s sound nice though.
@@q0w1e2r3t4y5 I ended up replacing my KEFQ350s with the R200s, but then ended up buying a pair of LS50 metas as well. To be honest, I loved the R200s when I got them, but found them a little "flat" and I missed the musicality of the Kefs. Even though the R200s are such wonderful speakers although I found myself using only the KEFs and my Linton Heritages for the last year or so. Recently I pulled them out of storage and began playing them again. The bass is much better than the LS 50 metas (although I plan on adding a subwoofer to the KEFs). The dynamic range is excellent and the frequency response is so flat. But sometimes I feel the vocals are a little recessed and or veiled. I'm keeping my KEFs for music and home theatre in my room. I have been debating whether to sell the R200s because I haven't used them for such a long time. But in the end I've decided to move them to the living room and keep them as "spare" speakers when I occasionally listen or watch movies there. They really are wonderful speakers.
Thank you for this review Tharbamar! The sound sample at the end sounded so good through my headphones, it convinced me to buy them. Listening to them now, simply amazing neutral sound with good (not bloated) bass. Also, they sound great at lower volumes, which is great for an apartment. Was going to upgrade the DAC (Topping E30) but honestly I don't feel the need anymore :)
Any area in which Q350s beat the R200? Considering listening to them at close distance (approx. 2 meters), is the concentric driver a better choice for.imaging?
Excellent video , how will you compare these Polk to the Dali Oberon 1 or your old time champ the Diamond 225 ? I know this is an old video but I will thank you if you answer
My system has moved to a small room witch 225 sounds better than r200. Regardless of all I like Wharfedale's vocals more also Polk has a lot of bass for me, but the r200 is a higher-level system that is worth listening to.
I've been waiting for a heavy hitter in the audio world to review this speaker. I have the black set of the R 200s. Amazing sound for such a small speaker!!
I have 2 pairs of these paid 900 for both pairs, great speakers way better than polk es20 that I replaced. very clear, great bass, great soundstage and imaging. only drawback get a little shouty at high volumes, byt thats all I can think of. Have them paired with svs sub, just a great set up.
Agree with what you said. Have the R600 for three months and really enjoy listening to them. Same drivers only 2 instead of one midrange- bass driver. You should be aware these speakers need 50+ hours burn in time to get full potential. And as you mentioned tweeter is very detailed and reveals bad recordings. Bass on the 600R is very impressive too. Hope you can test the 600R or 700R sometime. Bought the 600R only cause of special offer (860 Euros for pair) intended as a gift or reselling. But after some hours of listening I decided to keep them. Good luck with moving!
Wow that's very cheap for pair of R600s... may I know in which country are you? I'm in Germany and it's quite hard to find a great deal on these Reserve series speakers!
Sorry Tharbamar, it is no comment it is a question: polk R200 or elac ubr62 for somebody who prefers GREAT soundstage and details, no fatique sound and bass that has not to be so deep but with nice "structure" instead, and yes with a good punch?
@Tharbamar, m bit confused if i shld go with Polk R200 or Kef Q350 ..No doubts both have their individual pro`s & con`s ..but my stereo amp dont have EQ & for many songs here in India u need to tone down treble a bit . while doing demo with my existing Stereo amp & DAC .. found that i listened more music on R200 den Q350.. Can u help me in this case?
Hi Tharbarmar, do you think the Wiim Amp will be able to drive the R200 effortlessly? Or do you recommend a more powerful amplifier, something like Denon PMA-600NE ~ Cambridge AXR100? Thanks for the great review!
I am planning to do the same. I love my Q Acoustics but I wanna try R700-R400-R700 for LCR speakers and 4 R200s for surrounds. Everyone tells about how good them at listening to music but I am wondering about cinematic performance. I will be glad if you share your experience :)
I just purchased the Polk L600 tower speakers. Very very impressed to say the least. I'll bet they will be even better with some more break in. Cheers!
Very nice and detail review, i have a pair of old polk 220B which sound so lovely and wide even after 10 years ! I m planning to add this polk R200 on your recommend!
Polk Audio Reserve R100 vs Klipsch Reference R-51M vs Elac Debut 2.0 5.25″ Bookshelf Speakers ဒီ၃မျိုးထဲမှာ Movie ရော Music ရောအတွက် ဘယ်ဟာကိုရွေးသင့်ပါသလဲ?
Hi tharbamar, Based on your previous reviews/suggestion i bought denon pma 1600 ne + kef q350. No harshness, good bass detail, very pleasant to my ears...Enjoying music everyday. You are helping so many people like me who dont have chance to go shops and listen to the gears directly. Thanks a lot. I'm using old sony bluray player(BJC coaxial cable) + internal Dac of denon as source, which is good to me so far. To experience full potential of denon pma 1600 + kef q350, i'm planning to buy a good dac/source, BJC canare 4s11 speaker cables now. Thanks again.
Is it worth replacing my Polk TSi 200 with these R200. My TSi 200 are still like new and sound amazing, so I don;t want to make a mistake buying the R200 and be disapointed if it's really similar.
Do you think the R100 could be ok as nearfield desktop speakers? How do they compare in that use case to the Elac Unifi 2.0 ? (even in terms of sound signature)
Great review, I hope you can answer one question for me. I want to get the r200's but what would the min distance from the wall do they have to be, is 13" inches enough ? I think you have your r200's 4 feet from the wall but for me it's not possible to bring them out that much. If being to close to the wall will affect sound I will have to get the UBR62 instead due to I think it being able to be placed closer to the wall. Thanks
Thank you so much for the amazing review.This will be in my top choice for bookshelf speakers!!Do you know if they are any good in low volumes listening?Thank you so much!!!
Hi which one you prefer polk r200 vs elac ubr62. I made a typo in the past comments it should of been r200 not r700. Your feedback is really appreciated since where i live i cannot demo speakers. Keep up the great work. Thank again
For most transparent sound UBR62 is great, R200 is also great for price and sound quality. A bit more easy to pair with many different components, thanks
Great video, thank you Tharbamar! 20 years ago I bought Polk RT35i/RT25i’s for my home theater and they sound as good as ever today. My take with Polk is you can really win with their mid-tier series (like the RTi’s of yesteryear and the Reserves now). Thanks again for the great review!
I bought a pair of R200's a month ago to replace my aging RT35i's. I like them but they are a different beast entirely and not necessarily better in all ways. The ring radiator tweeter is a lot more sensitive to positioning than the any dome tweeter based speakers I have ever had and the speakers need more clean juice to produce the same level of volume as the RT35i's just because they are low impedance and low sensitivity.
Hy Tharbamar, thank you for your review. Do you prefer the B&W 706 s2 or the Polk Audio Reserve R200 ? If you have the opportunity to do a review on the new 706 s3 and 705s3 series that would be great
Something has changed in your presentation. You now sound more like a salesman than someone who was interested in reviewing audio gear. I am sorry to say this but am more sorry to see this change!
Please between the polk reserve r200, klipsch rp600m and wharfedale Evo 4.2 which one will you recommend for me? And by the way I love listening to music 90% than watching movies.
I have had these for over 2 months. First hooked up to a Yamaha 803N. Then I took them to a bigger room and hooked them up to a Marantz PM 8006. The Marantz smoothed everything out and tightened and detailed the bass. No boominess or bloat. I would suggest these scale very well. I was using Diamond 11.3s which I love. But the R200 probably outperforms the skinny tower. I can listen at lower levels and still be satisfied but they do love power. The room is 15 x 20 and the R200s fill it easily.
Just got R200 and I also have pm8006, sounds fantastic, great bass and wide Soundstage. They are better then Triangle esprit I was using which almost twice price.
was the r200 loud enough for amazing movie loud scenes in the 15 x 20 i have same room size and was thinking of buying same speaker with my denon x2700h?
Bigger sound stage, better bass and power handling, if I were shopping for stand mount speaker 🔊 I would choose these over many speakers under 1500USD, thanks
Did you try these with any lower power amps? I have a Fisher 500c (30 wpc vintage tube receiver) and I’m planning to build a DIY Pass/Firstwatt clone (25wpc). Would this be enough for these or the R500? I listen at mostly at low and occasionally medium volumes but I also don’t want to be missing out on a speaker’s full potential.
It should be enough for average level of loudness with your amplifier, lowest I tried is with 50wpc Class D amplifier, which sounded very good with it, R200 sensitivity rating may a bit on conservative side, thanks
Kevin at low and medium volumes you are likely using between 0.1(yes really) and 10watts. At 10 watts, if they have 86db sensitivity (86 is prolly about right) and you are in 9-10 feet away from them, the peak SPL for a pair is likely over 90-92db. Room gain may add more, so for low to even medium high SPL 25-30 watts is plenty. Of course if you listen loudly in a larger space then you may need 100 watts or more. I use a 500watt amp as I like loud volumes and never want to have clipping involved, it is likely that even at extremely loud volumes the amp is never required to provide more than 200-250watts per speaker & that would be with peaks well over 100db. Very, very loud.
In the sound samples of the CSS Audio 1TD-X on your Dec 4 review, the kick drum sounds more characterful on the CSS Audio 1TD-X than the Polk. Do you prefer the sound of the Polk to them?
I think you need to compare $2000 plus bookshelf speakers to the 1TDX. They are that special. The kit alone costs $1000, then you build them. The Polks are great but are $750 speakers.
Another 👍🏻 from me. You got me very interested in these speakers but they are a bit pricy in Poland... they cost $920 - exactly same as 4.2 Evo's and UBR62's where Kef q350 and Elac DBR62 are both at $420. Would you choose old good Kef q350 over new Elac DBR62 (same price) for overall performance quality? I listen pretty much to every kind of music rock guitars, jazz combos, orchestral, r&b, pop.
It’ll be fine for normal loudness levels but will not sound the best if you play very loud but I would recommend to try with front ported speakers, thanks
Which color did u choose ? I think the White looks incredible with the silverish tone of the woofer but I bought them in black but the wood looks nice too.
Do you think the R200 would just as good as Polk Reserve R500 towers with the 5 1/4 drivers? Trying to decide between the the two for a 20'x15' room with 8 'ceilings. I would power them with a 150x2 external Parasound class a/b amp. Any thoughts? I just found your channel amazing stuff!
How do they sound at lower volumes? Do they still give a good full range sound or do you have to "crank them" a bit to get to that point? Much of my listening is done at night and I can't do "loud", but I still want full range sound. Thank you!
I'm guessing yes they will with the right power. I can't get enough of the 200s. The one thing I have noticed is poor recordings show themselves yet the Polks do a great job at making them listenable.
Neither of them because JBL Studio 630 is better buy for your money. JBL Studio 630 Speaker Review, Affordable High End Sound ua-cam.com/video/P9mCCW5Xq-A/v-deo.html
Hello Tharbamar, I've really been enjoying your dac reviews of late. I am a proud owner of Polk R200 bookshelf speakers. Been looking to replace my dated SMSL M8 dac. Which would you recommend to pair with R200 under $600 or say under $1200? Would I hear much difference going with the higher priced dac? Does R2R fit the R200s better than Delta Sigma? Thank you! ps: I listen to a large genre of music from Andreas Vollenweider, Bob James and Michael Hedges to Diana Krall, Jorja Smith and Steely Dan. Thanks!
@@Tharbamar Thanks for the quick response. I was thinking about either the SU-9 Pro or SU-10. Glad to hear the SU-10 pairs well with the Polk. I thought you would have said an R2R dac. Would the SU-10 also work well with my Little Dot MK3 tube amp and Senn HD650 for headphone listening?
R700 , you think it will stay true to the style over such hi power, will it keep performance under loads and keep substantial Bass ? Whats your prediction? Can u plz Test them for us with a nice Class D lotts of power, plz, you have excellent channel, happy nu year all the best
How it sound compare to your recent Musician knight 1, Evo 4.2 or b&w 606 s2 .. I just plan to get 1 pair of passive bookshelf speaker to replace my active Tannoy Gold 8. Thanks 🙏
Can you offer any recommendation for a speaker that must be tight against wall but away from the corners due to room size and lay out. I will be 8 to 9 feet from each speaker in listening position.I am starting from scratch and need a place to start. Rock from 70s and 80s old Yes, Genesis, Rush , Dire Staits ect. Thanks. PS. CSS 1tdx ?
I watch a lot of old movies on the Criterion Channel. The sound quality on them is usually pretty poor. Do you think that the R200s would improve the sound presentation on these old movies?
It won’t, if original sources can’t produce decent sound quality speakers can’t do anything, better speakers will even more reveal the quality of the sound.
Hey thx for your professionell Videos. Is it possible to position the r 200 near to the wall (5 cm)? My partyroom offers nothing else. Maybe the evo 4.2 are the better choice for me
i bought the black once in ugly black for 500euro , waste of money, such a cheap looking speaker and the midrange is oke, but that costs me a lot of power. I'll send them back
Hi I live in the Caribbean and demo speakers is impossible here. I will like your opinion on choosing between the polk r200 vs elac unifi ubr62. Thanks
@@Tharbamar thanks for the feedback. The r700 is out of my buget right now. If you have to choose between the r200 vs elac unifi ubr62. Which one you prefer. Can't demo and only want to the spend on your recommendation.
@@ronniehosein7384 If you can't get the r700 then why did you even mention them in the first place. You should have asked about r200 vs elac unifi ubr62 only.
Hi I really like yr no B S reviews. Based on the product not the name or price! It’s great that you have comparable speakers to judge them by. How about comparison to your CSS? Keep up goid eork
Great review! How would R200 compare to B&W 706S2? I have R200, should I upgrade it to 706S2? for me, 70% movie and 30 music, using Denon 8500HA av amp & Denon PMA2500NE 2ch int amp. Thanks
706 S2 is much better in speed,space, resolution and tighter bass but the different in the price is only you can decide if that worth more money. Thanks
Hi! Hello! Thatbamar good evening from Taiwan. You called my attention by you reviewing this amazing Polk R 200. Does the Musician Knight 1 better than the Polk R-200 ? Hope to hear from you . Thanks and God bless you all. More power to tour channel
Good morning !Tharbamar thank you very much for your prompt reply and I hope ithe Musician Knight 1 is available in Tao Bao online shopping in China which is the best way to order. Hope your channel will last till the rest of your health life.T.Y
Hi A Ko, been watching your clips lately. One quick question, if i owned a DO200, AO200 and that polk r200, would i still need an HO200? would that pre-amp add value?
@@Tharbamar Witam Dziękuję za recenzję jak zwykle bardzo dobrze zrealizowana , możesz podpowiedzieć czy Polk R200 lub Legent mogą się dobrze zgrać z Emotiva BasX A2 i PT1 . Dziękuję
That’s good price, Reserve series and Legend series uses same drivers with different cabinets design. Legend series is more refined in sound quality otherwise similar sound signature. Thanks
Great review as usual! Tharmabar, I’ll be sure to bring you for a meal if I am in Tokyo if you’re up for it. I am a headphone user. I am a dummy on speakers Hi Fi setup and was considering the R700 but don’t have the space for it (my Work Room has 3.65 L x 2.51 W x 2.48 H in meters or 11’11” L x 8’2” W x 8’1” after deducting the rows of book shelves and my work desk at the end of the room) so I am recommended the R200. All reviews I saw are favorable for this speaker. This pair of speakers will be in my Work Room at home first for music listening purposes, I may add a subwoofer or 2 and would like recommendations on this too. My LG sound bar is not meeting expectations so if the R200 can fit the little space I have on each side of my tv and can be placed on the console, that’s when I’d consider making it into a home-theatre-like setup. I will then get the Centre and surround speakers too for a Home-Theatre-like setup. Which specific amplifiers would you recommend with my varying needs? To anyone who can help me, I need your advices for these questions: 1. R200 with 1 or 2 subwoofer? Brand and model please? 2. Amplifiers and/or other equipments for the above? 3. Which Centre and surround speakers to get if turning into a Atmos/DTX-S “Home-Theatre” (it’s just or living room, not a dedicated big room for real Home Theatre)? 4. Which amplifier, brand and model should I get if I am doing (1), (2), and (3) above? 5. What other equipments do I need?
Thanks one sub is more than enough in average rooms for two channel music, REL T7X or T9X is good choice. I’m not surround guy but you should stick with big brands latest features.
@@Tharbamar which amplifiers will you recommend? What difference can I expect with the T7X and T9X? Please provide a few amps recommendations because some we don’t have stock here. The Polk pageant here doesn’t carry this model so I have to buy from exporter and will have to buy an amp separately
Tharbamar is not exagerating, I have had these just over a week. They replaced DBR 6.2s which replaced EVO 4.1s which replaced, SVS Ultra BS, which replaced JBL 530s. Once hooking up the R200s the DBRs did not stand a chance. I also coveted a set of Diamond 225s, Denton 80ths, demoed Denton 85ths, EVo 4.2s. The only speakers in the R200 class are the 4.2s, 85ths and 530s because of the horn. Nothing in this list really comes close to the R200s. I have only had them 10 days, after about 2 hrs the bass blossoms, and it just gets better. All genres, Nils Lofgren live over spotify, exploded the sound stage in my room like never before. Height, width, depth, simply impressive. I got mine on sale over B Friday 120 dollars off, less than all the speakers except a couple. Not hype these are for real. Warm musical rockers that are not fussy, they can rock out as well as chill on a Suday morning.
Good description. And after burning in treble getting softer too.
I have the R200 in now, 1st listen was good, excited to test it more. I deff also love my 530's. Those are also giant killers and for me beat out my Revel M105's and several other more expensive speakers including JBL's own L82. I plan to test the R200's "against" the JBL 4309's, 530's and some of my DIY gear. Good times.
What are you driving them with?
Yamaha 803N, room is 12 by 18.
The 803 N is not as bright as other Yamahas, nice match with the warm Polks.
Hi, loved the demo. As also your analysis. You were quite forthright in your conclusions. A five star rating coming from you is no joke since I have seen your reviews of Linton heritage also. This review of r200, and your reviews of 4.2 and kef q350 have me seriously considering changing my entire speaker and gear set up.
Right now Using dynaudio emit 10 paired with Cambridge ca60 integrated amp. Need badly to switch over to a warmer and relaxed sounding, non fatiguing overall setup. Between Polk r200 and evo4.2 which fits the bill more considering I listen to low level music particularly rock, jazz, indian classical, country and music of seventies and eighties. wharfedale 12.2 is the fourth speaker under my consideration. Looking forward to your recommendation. Thanks and best regards.
I would suggest you to try R200 because it may suits your need better, thanks
@@Tharbamar thanks for such a prompt reply. Have identified a local Polk dealer. Now that you have given a green signal Will now try and get the best deal. Thanks and regards. Am sure you would suggest an amp change also. Between yamaha and denon which would you recommend. Denon 800ne or yamaha as801. Because I also like tone controls.i know I am stretching your indulgence a bit too far. It's just pure anxiety. Thanks.
I would suggest you to try both and get the one that suits you. Thanks
@@Tharbamar thanks so much. That is the best course perhaps. Thanks for taking time out for reply.
I tried the 4.2s that dome midrange can be very fatiguing, if not set up correctly. I tried the 4.2s with the AXR 100 and it was delicious. Way to much SPL for my room.
Great review Mr. T
I want to buy the Elac uni fi UBR 62 or this Polk 🤔
So can the Polk sound better than Elac UBR 62?
Thx!
I Have the R 200 AE paired with Elex R and Bitfrost 2, the initial sound was a bit disappointing but after 15 hrs each time I run them I am taken back by the rich sweet and wide sound these produce. They need time ,but you are rewarded with a speaker that you can listen to for hrs and still surprises you every time you play these. I had a pair of high end monitors with SP acoustic drivers and hand built crossovers , very revealing and accurate but after 2-4 songs I was ready to turn them off. I think a lot of modern speakers suffer with this where these have the balance of detail vs Musicality in line with Harbeth and Spendor at fraction of the cost.
I recently bought a pair of KEF Q350s for a good price. A few days later I came across a pair of Polk R200s for around same price (but a little bit of damage to the cabinet). I'm kind of disappointed the R200s weren't on sale earlier. Matching with an old Onkyo A-9010 the Q350s sound nice though.
Which one do you like better after two years?
@@q0w1e2r3t4y5 I ended up replacing my KEFQ350s with the R200s, but then ended up buying a pair of LS50 metas as well. To be honest, I loved the R200s when I got them, but found them a little "flat" and I missed the musicality of the Kefs. Even though the R200s are such wonderful speakers although I found myself using only the KEFs and my Linton Heritages for the last year or so. Recently I pulled them out of storage and began playing them again. The bass is much better than the LS 50 metas (although I plan on adding a subwoofer to the KEFs). The dynamic range is excellent and the frequency response is so flat. But sometimes I feel the vocals are a little recessed and or veiled. I'm keeping my KEFs for music and home theatre in my room. I have been debating whether to sell the R200s because I haven't used them for such a long time. But in the end I've decided to move them to the living room and keep them as "spare" speakers when I occasionally listen or watch movies there. They really are wonderful speakers.
Thank you for this review Tharbamar! The sound sample at the end sounded so good through my headphones, it convinced me to buy them. Listening to them now, simply amazing neutral sound with good (not bloated) bass. Also, they sound great at lower volumes, which is great for an apartment. Was going to upgrade the DAC (Topping E30) but honestly I don't feel the need anymore :)
Great Choice, thanks for sharing.
가격 어느정도 구입 ?
Ok I'm convinced, I'm buying these tonight Tharbamar.. thanks for the awesome review! 🙂
Great Choice!
@@Tharbamar 😄😄😂😂 lucky you, my wife would get pissed off if she sees another pair of speakers delivered on the front porch.
Any idea of the comparison to the floor standers? If their bookshelves are this good, are there larger speakers even better?
Any area in which Q350s beat the R200? Considering listening to them at close distance (approx. 2 meters), is the concentric driver a better choice for.imaging?
Buchardt s400 mkii's on the horizon at all?
Excellent video , how will you compare these Polk to the Dali Oberon 1 or your old time champ the Diamond 225 ?
I know this is an old video but I will thank you if you answer
I have to say sound quality and power handling is better than Diamond 225, Oberon 1 or even Evo 4.2, thanks
My system has moved to a small room witch 225 sounds better than r200. Regardless of all I like Wharfedale's vocals more also Polk has a lot of bass for me, but the r200 is a higher-level system that is worth listening to.
I've been waiting for a heavy hitter in the audio world to review this speaker. I have the black set of the R 200s. Amazing sound for such a small speaker!!
They are one of the best among the best, thanks
@@Tharbamar Thank u. I was just watching the video again 😆
I have 2 pairs of these paid 900 for both pairs, great speakers way better than polk es20 that I replaced. very clear, great bass, great soundstage and imaging. only drawback get a little shouty at high volumes, byt thats all I can think of. Have them paired with svs sub, just a great set up.
Agree with what you said. Have the R600 for three months and really enjoy listening to them. Same drivers only 2 instead of one midrange- bass driver. You should be aware these speakers need 50+ hours burn in time to get full potential. And as you mentioned tweeter is very detailed and reveals bad recordings. Bass on the 600R is very impressive too. Hope you can test the 600R or 700R sometime. Bought the 600R only cause of special offer (860 Euros for pair) intended as a gift or reselling. But after some hours of listening I decided to keep them. Good luck with moving!
Thanks
Yest Test n Review R700 plz
Wow that's very cheap for pair of R600s... may I know in which country are you? I'm in Germany and it's quite hard to find a great deal on these Reserve series speakers!
@@matthewferdinandsugiharto8161 Germany, too. War ein Sonderangebot von Projekt-Akustik :)
Sorry Tharbamar, it is no comment it is a question: polk R200 or elac ubr62 for somebody who prefers GREAT soundstage and details, no fatique sound and bass that has not to be so deep but with nice "structure" instead, and yes with a good punch?
I would say R200 is great choice.
Fantastic video Tharbamar. Love the close up bass reflex. It’s pretty good handling bass. Great value too at £649 (UK)! 😁🙏🏼
@Tharbamar, m bit confused if i shld go with Polk R200 or Kef Q350 ..No doubts both have their individual pro`s & con`s ..but my stereo amp dont have EQ & for many songs here in India u need to tone down treble a bit . while doing demo with my existing Stereo amp & DAC .. found that i listened more music on R200 den Q350.. Can u help me in this case?
I would say R200 is better choice than Q350 in sound quality, thanks
@@Tharbamar Super thanks
Hi Tharbarmar, do you think the Wiim Amp will be able to drive the R200 effortlessly? Or do you recommend a more powerful amplifier, something like Denon PMA-600NE ~ Cambridge AXR100? Thanks for the great review!
have the r200 matched with the r700 and the r900's bought them when these came out. they sound amazing for the price. love my AVR again.
I am planning to do the same. I love my Q Acoustics but I wanna try R700-R400-R700 for LCR speakers and 4 R200s for surrounds.
Everyone tells about how good them at listening to music but I am wondering about cinematic performance. I will be glad if you share your experience :)
Does it pair well with Denon 600Ne for a small room (17m²), also how far do I need to place from the wall ?
It should sound nice together, thanks
Love your vids mate, its a good time for audiophiles, you can find good speakers at every budget!
Thanks Andreas.
Whoa baby, that sound sample is strong
Im using these with the aiyima a07 pro, and a 10" diy peerless enclosed subwoofer. Very nice set. Got the polks for €400 on sale😎
I buy them but just send them back, I don't like them i get tired in my ear and head . I like wharfedale 12,2 and Quad s2 better to long time listen
I just purchased the Polk L600 tower speakers. Very very impressed to say the least. I'll bet they will be even better with some more break in. Cheers!
Great review! I just bought a pair for $577 at Bestbuy before tax
I just did the same. Looking forward to them coming next week.
This is the best budget speakers to my ears. nice POLK!!!! However now RP600M mark II just launched.
Yes , tough decision. same situation !
Very nice and detail review, i have a pair of old polk 220B which sound so lovely and wide even after 10 years ! I m planning to add this polk R200 on your recommend!
Polk Audio Reserve R100 vs Klipsch Reference R-51M vs Elac Debut 2.0 5.25″ Bookshelf Speakers ဒီ၃မျိုးထဲမှာ Movie ရော Music ရောအတွက် ဘယ်ဟာကိုရွေးသင့်ပါသလဲ?
Polk Reserve R100 ကိုရွေးသင့်ပါတယ်
Thank you for the great review. Would you recommend these or the Oberon 3?
I would personally go with Polk R200, thanks
Polk Reserve r 200 vs Jbl studio 630 which is better sound quality?
I would choose Studio 630 over R200 personally.
@@TharbamarIs this true with music and movies or just music?😊
Thank you for strong mention of midrange. I find to many reviews focus on bass and highs, with the omission of the mids.
They sound too bright to me~ But then again, it's youtube~
@Tharbamar So would you get these over the JBL Studio 530's? Just know that I bought the 590's partly based on your review and demo, and I love them!
Just listened to the sound demo! Wow! They sound very good!
Yes definitely, thanks
@@TharbamarWhat about the JBL 630s what would you choose?
So will you pick this over the kef ls50?
Definitely for the price and performance. Thanks
Hi tharbamar, Based on your previous reviews/suggestion i bought denon pma 1600 ne + kef q350. No harshness, good bass detail, very pleasant to my ears...Enjoying music everyday. You are helping so many people like me who dont have chance to go shops and listen to the gears directly. Thanks a lot.
I'm using old sony bluray player(BJC coaxial cable) + internal Dac of denon as source, which is good to me so far. To experience full potential of denon pma 1600 + kef q350, i'm planning to buy a good dac/source, BJC canare 4s11 speaker cables now. Thanks again.
I’m glad to hear it, thank you.
Is it worth replacing my Polk TSi 200 with these R200. My TSi 200 are still like new and sound amazing, so I don;t want to make a mistake buying the R200 and be disapointed if it's really similar.
R200 sound quality is in the different class than TSi200.
Do you think the R100 could be ok as nearfield desktop speakers?
How do they compare in that use case to the Elac Unifi 2.0 ? (even in terms of sound signature)
I have not tried them in near field to give you right answer, thanks
Great review thank you. Bought a pair of these and arriving today based on your review!
Great Choice, Happy New Year!
Great review, I hope you can answer one question for me. I want to get the r200's but what would the min distance from the wall do they have to be, is 13" inches enough ? I think you have your r200's 4 feet from the wall but for me it's not possible to bring them out that much. If being to close to the wall will affect sound I will have to get the UBR62 instead due to I think it being able to be placed closer to the wall. Thanks
It should work totally fine if you don't play very loud like 90db+ range because sound stage will/may all suffer depends on room acoustics, thanks
Would the SMSL AO200 amp work with these speakers? What other cable setup/components would be best?
AO200 will be fine for up to 90db range with R200, I would suggest to use Canare 4S11 speaker cables and L46ES interconnects. Thanks
@@Tharbamar Thank you so much I will take your advice!
Great review my friend 👍
Thank you so much for the amazing review.This will be in my top choice for bookshelf speakers!!Do you know if they are any good in low volumes listening?Thank you so much!!!
Yes they are very good sounding at low level as well if you don’t sit too far, around 45-55db range, thanks
@@Tharbamar thank you!!!
Hi which one you prefer polk r200 vs elac ubr62. I made a typo in the past comments it should of been r200 not r700. Your feedback is really appreciated since where i live i cannot demo speakers. Keep up the great work. Thank again
For most transparent sound UBR62 is great, R200 is also great for price and sound quality.
A bit more easy to pair with many different components, thanks
How do they compare to lsim 703s ?
Great video, thank you Tharbamar! 20 years ago I bought Polk RT35i/RT25i’s for my home theater and they sound as good as ever today. My take with Polk is you can really win with their mid-tier series (like the RTi’s of yesteryear and the Reserves now). Thanks again for the great review!
I really liked what they did with this Reserve series, thanks
I bought a pair of R200's a month ago to replace my aging RT35i's. I like them but they are a different beast entirely and not necessarily better in all ways. The ring radiator tweeter is a lot more sensitive to positioning than the any dome tweeter based speakers I have ever had and the speakers need more clean juice to produce the same level of volume as the RT35i's just because they are low impedance and low sensitivity.
Great 5star find. As always got every detail we can need in the review.
Hy Tharbamar, thank you for your review. Do you prefer the B&W 706 s2 or the Polk Audio Reserve R200 ? If you have the opportunity to do a review on the new 706 s3 and 705s3 series that would be great
No longer have those speakers.
I preferred Musician Knight 1 over any speakers under $5K, maybe I will try them when they sent me samples, thanks
what a great review! hopefully we'd have a demo at a local shop and give them a try soon
How do these compare to the Wharfdale Diamond 12.2, or the Q Acoustic 3030i?
Much better in Bass and depth of the sound stage, thanks
Something has changed in your presentation. You now sound more like a salesman than someone who was interested in reviewing audio gear. I am sorry to say this but am more sorry to see this change!
Being excited about the good product is different than a sales man.
Please between the polk reserve r200, klipsch rp600m and wharfedale Evo 4.2 which one will you recommend for me? And by the way I love listening to music 90% than watching movies.
As of right now R200 is better buys and better sounding speaker for the money.
I have had these for over 2 months. First hooked up to a Yamaha 803N. Then I took them to a bigger room and hooked them up to a Marantz PM 8006. The Marantz smoothed everything out and tightened and detailed the bass. No boominess or bloat. I would suggest these scale very well. I was using Diamond 11.3s which I love. But the R200 probably outperforms the skinny tower. I can listen at lower levels and still be satisfied but they do love power. The room is 15 x 20 and the R200s fill it easily.
Just got R200 and I also have pm8006, sounds fantastic, great bass and wide Soundstage. They are better then Triangle esprit I was using which almost twice price.
was the r200 loud enough for amazing movie loud scenes in the 15 x 20 i have same room size and was thinking of buying same speaker with my denon x2700h?
Great review as usual - I actually bought a pair and I love them
Great Buys!
Hello Sir how do you compare them to Evo 4.2
Bigger sound stage, better bass and power handling, if I were shopping for stand mount speaker 🔊 I would choose these over many speakers under 1500USD, thanks
@@Tharbamar Thank you very much 👍
Did you try these with any lower power amps? I have a Fisher 500c (30 wpc vintage tube receiver) and I’m planning to build a DIY Pass/Firstwatt clone (25wpc). Would this be enough for these or the R500? I listen at mostly at low and occasionally medium volumes but I also don’t want to be missing out on a speaker’s full potential.
It should be enough for average level of loudness with your amplifier, lowest I tried is with 50wpc Class D amplifier, which sounded very good with it, R200 sensitivity rating may a bit on conservative side, thanks
Kevin at low and medium volumes you are likely using between 0.1(yes really) and 10watts. At 10 watts, if they have 86db sensitivity (86 is prolly about right) and you are in 9-10 feet away from them, the peak SPL for a pair is likely over 90-92db. Room gain may add more, so for low to even medium high SPL 25-30 watts is plenty. Of course if you listen loudly in a larger space then you may need 100 watts or more. I use a 500watt amp as I like loud volumes and never want to have clipping involved, it is likely that even at extremely loud volumes the amp is never required to provide more than 200-250watts per speaker & that would be with peaks well over 100db. Very, very loud.
In the sound samples of the CSS Audio 1TD-X on your Dec 4 review, the kick drum sounds more characterful on the CSS Audio 1TD-X than the Polk. Do you prefer the sound of the Polk to them?
I still love CSS 1TDX, Polk is just great buy for the price and performance but not my reference standard, thanks
I think you need to compare $2000 plus bookshelf speakers to the 1TDX. They are that special. The kit alone costs $1000, then you build them. The Polks are great but are $750 speakers.
@@steventsimtsos4029 I did.
Given a choice between Wharfdale Evo 4.2 & Polk Audio Reserve 200 which one is a better buy? Although there is difference in price....
Sound Quality R200.
Power Handling R200.
Bass Performance R200.
Price to performance R200.
Enjoy!
@@Tharbamar Thank you So much. I take your word for it.
Does Polk R200 images and stages better than KEF Q350? Will it be a better choice than KEF Q350 for music listening?
Yes, wider spacious sound as well with my set up, thanks
Hi Tharbamar! polk r200 +nad c268 +dac yulong da8 es9018 normal compatibility?
I haven't tried Yulong DA8give you correct answer but R200 very easy to pair with different components, thanks
How this polk reserve compare to new elac unifi reference bro? Im using with kefQ350 and Elac unifi 2.0. Will it be a significant upgrade?
Personally I would go with R200 for better price and performance ratio, thanks
Would polk r200 be better than KEF r3 for movies??? Or Home theater ????
For the money Yes.
Another 👍🏻 from me. You got me very interested in these speakers but they are a bit pricy in Poland... they cost $920 - exactly same as 4.2 Evo's and UBR62's where Kef q350 and Elac DBR62 are both at $420. Would you choose old good Kef q350 over new Elac DBR62 (same price) for overall performance quality? I listen pretty much to every kind of music rock guitars, jazz combos, orchestral, r&b, pop.
Thanks, DBR62 is more dynamic compared to KEF Q350, it will be depending on your preference.
Good day Sir, my TV Console depth is 600mm, will the sound reproduction distort if I place it near to the wall behind? Thanks for advice.
It’ll be fine for normal loudness levels but will not sound the best if you play very loud but I would recommend to try with front ported speakers, thanks
@@Tharbamar thank you Sir!
Do a review on the Buchardt's S400 MKII, you'll be surprised.
I will not because I’ve heard them, they are good but not worth the money. Thanks
I am thinking about R100 did you try
I ordered mine today from audio lab $659 can’t wait to get them great review
Great choice!
Which color did u choose ? I think the White looks incredible with the silverish tone of the woofer but I bought them in black but the wood looks nice too.
Do you think the R200 would just as good as Polk Reserve R500 towers with the 5 1/4 drivers? Trying to decide between the the two for a 20'x15' room with 8 'ceilings. I would power them with a 150x2 external Parasound class a/b amp. Any thoughts? I just found your channel amazing stuff!
Only difference is power handling between them, R200 may even have better stereo image, thanks
Polk R100 vs Wharfedale Denton 80th?
Polk R200 is the much better speaker.
How do they sound at lower volumes? Do they still give a good full range sound or do you have to "crank them" a bit to get to that point? Much of my listening is done at night and I can't do "loud", but I still want full range sound. Thank you!
They are very good sounding at low level as well if you don’t sit too far, around 45-55db range, thanks
@@Tharbamar thank you! That is important to know for many people. Glad Polk is "back".
The sound stage stays intact at low volumes, along with that big speaker sound.....
@@dredd5352 thank you! I'm hoping the same can be said for its larger brothers, the R600 and R700 that I'm considering.
I'm guessing yes they will with the right power. I can't get enough of the 200s. The one thing I have noticed is poor recordings show themselves yet the Polks do a great job at making them listenable.
Dear sir, would you recommend these over the Klipsch 500M II’s?
Neither of them because JBL Studio 630 is better buy for your money.
JBL Studio 630 Speaker Review, Affordable High End Sound
ua-cam.com/video/P9mCCW5Xq-A/v-deo.html
Thank you so much. I truly enjoy your reviews and your suggestions are spot on. Looking forward to the Focal Theva review. Blessings!
Hello Tharbamar, I've really been enjoying your dac reviews of late. I am a proud owner of Polk R200 bookshelf speakers. Been looking to replace my dated SMSL M8 dac.
Which would you recommend to pair with R200 under $600 or say under $1200? Would I hear much difference going with the higher priced dac? Does R2R fit the R200s better than Delta Sigma? Thank you!
ps: I listen to a large genre of music from Andreas Vollenweider, Bob James and Michael Hedges to Diana Krall, Jorja Smith and Steely Dan. Thanks!
I would say SMSL D400EX or SU-10 DACS may be the best choice for the money or D300 if you only use it as DAC, thanks
@@Tharbamar Thanks for the quick response. I was thinking about either the SU-9 Pro or SU-10. Glad to hear the SU-10 pairs well with the Polk. I thought you would have said an R2R dac.
Would the SU-10 also work well with my Little Dot MK3 tube amp and Senn HD650 for headphone listening?
How would this compare to Buchardt S400 and Arendale 1723?
For the money I would rather have R200 and upgrade the DAC or other components. Thanks
R700 , you think it will stay true to the style over such hi power, will it keep performance under loads and keep substantial Bass ? Whats your prediction? Can u plz Test them for us with a nice Class D lotts of power, plz, you have excellent channel, happy nu year all the best
We have to find out, I would like to test it as well if they send me a sample, thanks
How it sound compare to your recent Musician knight 1, Evo 4.2 or b&w 606 s2 .. I just plan to get 1 pair of passive bookshelf speaker to replace my active Tannoy Gold 8. Thanks 🙏
As of right now I would choose R200 over Evo 4.2 or 606 S2, Knight 1 is in different class, thanks
@@Tharbamar thank you indeed… have a nice sunday and enjoy the music. How Polk r200 vs Quad s2 !!!
Can you offer any recommendation for a speaker that must be tight against wall but away from the corners due to room size and lay out. I will be 8 to 9 feet from each speaker in listening position.I am starting from scratch and need a place to start. Rock from 70s and 80s old Yes, Genesis, Rush , Dire Staits ect. Thanks. PS. CSS 1tdx ?
Focal Aria 906 is great buy in Dark walnut, thanks
Great review my friend 👍
I watch a lot of old movies on the Criterion Channel. The sound quality on them is usually pretty poor. Do you think that the R200s would improve the sound presentation on these old movies?
It won’t, if original sources can’t produce decent sound quality speakers can’t do anything, better speakers will even more reveal the quality of the sound.
Hey thx for your professionell Videos. Is it possible to position the r 200 near to the wall (5 cm)? My partyroom offers nothing else. Maybe the evo 4.2 are the better choice for me
I would suggest you to go with front ported design, thanks
i bought the black once in ugly black for 500euro , waste of money, such a cheap looking speaker and the midrange is oke, but that costs me a lot of power. I'll send them back
Great review Mr T. Thx!
Thank you for this review. Could you please make a few comparisons with the Quad S2 that you also appreciated a lot?
I no longer have quad speakers, my current favorite is,
Musician Knight 1 Speaker World Premiere Review
ua-cam.com/video/GbCchnVOthY/v-deo.html
How do you feel the Polk R200 compares to the Quad S2?
Much wider, fuller sound stage with better bass and power handling, thanks
Witch its better the wharfedale 4.2 of the polk r200 :)
R200 is better buy. Thanks
Hi I live in the Caribbean and demo speakers is impossible here. I will like your opinion on choosing between the polk r200 vs elac unifi ubr62. Thanks
Hi, both great choices but I would go with R700 towers, thanks
@@Tharbamar thanks for the feedback. The r700 is out of my buget right now. If you have to choose between the r200 vs elac unifi ubr62. Which one you prefer. Can't demo and only want to the spend on your recommendation.
@@ronniehosein7384 If you can't get the r700 then why did you even mention them in the first place. You should have asked about r200 vs elac unifi ubr62 only.
Hi I really like yr no B S reviews. Based on the product not the name or price! It’s great that you have comparable speakers to judge them by. How about comparison to your CSS? Keep up goid eork
1TDX is more refined sound compared to R200, although R200 is much better in power handling, thanks
Hi, could you compare this to wharf evo 4.2 please.
R200 will be easy choice for me right now, everything is comparable if not better but bass quality and power handling is in different league, thanks
Great review! How would R200 compare to B&W 706S2? I have R200, should I upgrade it to 706S2? for me, 70% movie and 30 music, using Denon 8500HA av amp & Denon PMA2500NE 2ch int amp. Thanks
706 S2 is much better in speed,space, resolution and tighter bass but the different in the price is only you can decide if that worth more money. Thanks
@@Tharbamar Thank you Mr.T
Hi! Hello! Thatbamar good evening from Taiwan. You called my attention by you reviewing this amazing Polk R 200. Does the Musician Knight 1 better than the Polk R-200 ? Hope to hear from you . Thanks and God bless you all. More power to tour channel
Hi, yes Musician Knight 1 is a better speaker in detail, image and depth, thanks
Good morning !Tharbamar thank you very much for your prompt reply and I hope ithe Musician Knight 1 is available in Tao Bao online shopping in China which is the best way to order. Hope your channel will last till the rest of your health life.T.Y
Hi A Ko, been watching your clips lately. One quick question, if i owned a DO200, AO200 and that polk r200, would i still need an HO200? would that pre-amp add value?
Hi, no you do not need HO200 it’s optional, thanks
I can get the r100 for alot cheaper then the r200. Is it worth paying couple hundred more for r200?
R200 is a must for me if I have to choose one base on sound quality and performance.
@@Tharbamar what budget amp would you recommend to run the r200?
I’m looking for high quality speakers that can be placed close to wall/inside bookshelf. Can these be good for that?
Try one of these,
Setting The Bar Higher, ELAC UniFi Reference UBR62 Review
ua-cam.com/video/3EHOhimNdkM/v-deo.html
Exciting JBL L52 Classic Bookshelf Speaker Review
ua-cam.com/video/62c_r85MImQ/v-deo.html
@@Tharbamar What part of the sound am I missing out when Placed near wall? Is this it about the bass, can I add a sub, and solve the problem?
It will not be sound as good as it should.
Hello. I am torn between the Kef Q350 and the Polk R200. You have reviewed both. Your thoughts are appreciated.
I would definitely go with R200 personally, thanks
@@Tharbamar Thank you. I am leaning heavily in that direction.
Fabulous loudspeakers.
Hello, may I ask if someone has heard the Mission QX2 MK2? They kind of have similar twitters, so curious if someone has heard both. Thanks!
Do u remember the sound of the Focal Aria 906s? Curious how they compare.
Almost transparent sound with flatter frequency response.
What amp nature is best for this Polk? Bright / dark? Neutral / warm / cold? Example: SMSL AO200, Audiolab 6000A, CA CXA81, Rotel A14MKII, Peachtree nova150, Roksan K3, Arcam SA20, Hegel H90, Yamaha, Nad?
Neutral amp with a bit warmish sound quality will make them sing.
@@Tharbamar Witam
Dziękuję za recenzję jak zwykle bardzo dobrze zrealizowana , możesz podpowiedzieć czy Polk R200 lub Legent mogą się dobrze zgrać z Emotiva BasX A2 i PT1 . Dziękuję
ARCAM SA20 OR SA30...sounded best.
Can you also compare this and the legend L100? The L100 are on sale @$799.
That’s good price, Reserve series and Legend series uses same drivers with different cabinets design.
Legend series is more refined in sound quality otherwise similar sound signature. Thanks
i already have the r200, is it significant if I upgrade to CSS 1TDX?
Yes refinement is in different level but power handling is slightly less than R200.
@@Tharbamar thank you!!!!
Great review as usual! Tharmabar, I’ll be sure to bring you for a meal if I am in Tokyo if you’re up for it.
I am a headphone user. I am a dummy on speakers Hi Fi setup and was considering the R700 but don’t have the space for it (my Work Room has 3.65 L x 2.51 W x 2.48 H in meters or 11’11” L x 8’2” W x 8’1” after deducting the rows of book shelves and my work desk at the end of the room) so I am recommended the R200. All reviews I saw are favorable for this speaker. This pair of speakers will be in my Work Room at home first for music listening purposes, I may add a subwoofer or 2 and would like recommendations on this too. My LG sound bar is not meeting expectations so if the R200 can fit the little space I have on each side of my tv and can be placed on the console, that’s when I’d consider making it into a home-theatre-like setup. I will then get the Centre and surround speakers too for a Home-Theatre-like setup. Which specific amplifiers would you recommend with my varying needs? To anyone who can help me, I need your advices for these questions:
1. R200 with 1 or 2 subwoofer? Brand and model please?
2. Amplifiers and/or other equipments for the above?
3. Which Centre and surround speakers to get if turning into a Atmos/DTX-S “Home-Theatre” (it’s just or living room, not a dedicated big room for real Home Theatre)?
4. Which amplifier, brand and model should I get if I am doing (1), (2), and (3) above?
5. What other equipments do I need?
Thanks
one sub is more than enough in average rooms for two channel music, REL T7X or T9X is good choice.
I’m not surround guy but you should stick with big brands latest features.
@@Tharbamar thank you for responding. These subs are powered? Which amps should I look at?
@@Tharbamar which amplifier brand and model will you recommend for R200 with REL T7X or T9X? The price difference between these 2 subs are USD$450-600
@@Tharbamar which amplifiers will you recommend? What difference can I expect with the T7X and T9X? Please provide a few amps recommendations because some we don’t have stock here. The Polk pageant here doesn’t carry this model so I have to buy from exporter and will have to buy an amp separately