Well, just got my R200's and I have to say I like them better than my ELAC Debut Reference 6.2's... didn't think that would be the case, but the R200's sound better, IMO. The R200 is the cleanest, most neutral speaker I've ever heard, and I've heard many, at all price-ranges. I listen to a lot of medieval cantigas, and most of them are recorded in churches or cathedrals, and the R200's are the very first speaker which clearly seperate the voices from the ambient echo and resonance of the buildings the songs were recorded in; other speakers tend to 'smear' the voices and the room resonance, which often leads to ringing, especially in the upper mids. Not so with the R200's, the voices are clear as day, and clearly discernible from the ambient resonances within the building. Well done Polk - I didn't think you had it in you:)
My intro into high quality speakers was the Polk Monitor series II 40's and 60's. Paired with a marantz Sr8001. I absolutely had no idea that music could sound like that! My impression of the sound was detailed, smooth, loud and clear. Music seemed to float on the air molecules and remove walls...and those little woofers seemed determined to resist distortion at all cost and only play within their means. Which they did impressively well and balanced. Those speakers actually made me enjoy hearing music without a sub even though they didn't go super low there was something exciting and satisfying about them. I Couldnt help thinking many times "and this is the low end of hifi?!?". That said, the Reserve's being many steps up from the Monitor's, I imagine they are astounding! Im really considering the the R500 or R600's. Great video guys 👍🏾
Hey Juan, nice comment to read! I love hearing the enthusiasm, descriptions of sound qualities and honesty that comes from someone relatively new to Hi-Fi audio. Welcome, brother! Now that the "bug" has bitten you, know that it is a lifelong obsession; one that will never go away, and quite possibly one that will never be fully satisfied. Lol that is sort of a hallmark of an "audiophile." We love the products as much as we love the sound, and I can tell you do as well by pairing those monitors with that Marantz 8001 (good choice btw). I have been a Polk fan since the 80's. I heard those big SDA speakers they were talking about, and actually owned the little brother to them! They were about 4 feet tall and had a very unique sound. Now, I have collected speakers over the years and my attic is like a museum of Polk, Bose, Infinity, BIC America, B&W, and other speakers. This is likely what will happen to you as well, lol. I can say, that in recent years, the resurgence of interest in Hi-Fi has resulted in some fantastic new additions. Check out speakers from ELAC, Wharfedale, even Pioneer has some low-priced models that are very impressive for their price. What have I been using for several years now though? Polk Audio Signature Series 60. They are a big, powerful sounding speaker that are also quite good at vocals, strings and definitely percussion. I put on some high res recordings of straight drums and those S60s shine. Norah Jones, considering vocals, sounds like she is 6 feet away from me. Those Signatures? They have very similar voicing characteristics to those Monitors you bought, so don't feel bad that you don't have the Signatures...they are very good speakers! What we both might do, however, is start saving up for that Reserve line when the itch strikes again. My GOSH those look nice! Again, nice comments Juan!
@@Mixing_It_Up Man! I love hearing others people stories and perspectives as well. Yeah, those Monitor's definitely did kick off a whole new world for me in terms of speakers. I've had systems since my teen years. My very first or what I considered "real" system was a 1980's Marantz TA100 receiver and Jensen speakers the power station series to be exact. So I knew something about Marantz from that..atleast enough to know that I liked their sound quality and power. Which I much preferred over a more modern Yamaha receiver that was also around the house at that time that afforded me some sound comparisons. That old Marantz simply sounded far better. But I had four of those Jensen speakers and that system played very loud..although the mid-range was very anemic lol. I hated it. And the EQ did little to help it..which left me to conclude that it was the speakers. In retrospect I see even then I was always tinkering.. with placement, and doing stuff like..using pillow stuffing as poly fill for dampening (though I knew nothing of this term then)..or use a pair of socks to plug one of the port holes, which I found made the bass sound better. But when I got those monitors years later....I was like woah wait a minute...how come no one told me that speakers could sound like this!?! Talking about mind blown 🤯. I was skeptical at first..because of the small drivers and slim profile of the Monitor's..I expected nice sound but instead got amazing sound. A whole new world! I've never heard the SDA's or their little brother nor any of the other you mentioned. But I can tell you for sure that I would have a feild day looking through your speaker collection and would want to hear each set lol. I have already began to experience some of those audiophile symptoms you described here 😄. I even like the designing and engineering parts of it as well..and at some point I plan to design and building my own speakers. Thanks for the reply I quite appreciate it:)
I remember the Polk Ad for SDA speaker technology in Stereo Review magazine in the 80s that had Matthew Polk in a lab coat. Worked for me since I bought the SDA CRS + and had them for over 30 years. Replaced them with whole LSIM line. Love Polk
Yes same here, Polk was founded before I was born but when I was in middle school, I would visit the library and drool over stereo gear. On one cover was Matthew with a lab coat and a big SDA speaker. FF to me fresh out of school and my first paycheck went to a pair of Polk RT55 (and a few others to make a 5.1 after), what I could afford at the time. I moved on LSi25 (started mainly for music but then moved to HT), then I moved to LSiM707 (again mainly for music and later updated to a full LSiM line for HT) then in Nov 2019 L800 and enjoying ever since. I own other speaker brands, Totem, Martin Logan, Q Acoustics but my favorite is Polk. Wish them all the best with this new line.
@@mattgiunt L800 are purely 2 ch SDA Stereo music active bi-amp with 550watts of McIntosh and tube pre. My LSiM707 is still a phenomenal stereo speaker. I have it powered by a PM-10/SA-10 (music only but switchable to HT using a Marantz AVR for the other channels) and in its own right is very comparable to the L800. The L800 excels in soundstage with SDA. I wouldn’t say it’s gimmicky but more of a soundstage decompression enhancement. I would attribute the electronics to play a role in their dynamics, Mac is definitely warmer and great for laidback sound, while the PM is much faster and more detailed and crisp, Digital hypex ncore and SA DAC is resolving. The tube C70 with a denafrips Ares 2 DAC has a more analog sound..
@@mpitogo thank you. I used the original SDA CRS for music before home theater was born. I didn’t think the SDA was suitable for home theater but the LSIM line is perfect for both.
The R350 should also be marketed as a surround speaker. I think it's the most intriguing speaker in the entire line. Well done guys love the Training style videos. Makes me miss going to training which hasn't happened since COVID.
It looks like you have created the similar line from a "performance" level but less from a "furniture" level! Well played because I like to hear with my eyes closed this will be a better experience for me Phil!
The only thing that kept me from buying these speakers is that white is not available in the best and largest speakers. I saw Andrew Robinson was able to get a white R700. Why isn’t this offered to everyone else to purchase?
Just ordered the r700s, r400s and r900s for a home theater setup. Pairing with 4 polk rc80i ceiling speakers for atmos. And the denon x4700 av receiver. Super excited!!!
Polk if your listing, I would love to see a retro 3 way version in this line with a 12” or 15” woofer. I think there is a market again for this style speaker. Think JBL and CerwinVega!
Very nice video, guys! What I wish would have been touched on a little more, is more info on exactly how the woofers are different between the Legend and Reserve Line, heck even the Signature Series! Also..after seeing the trickle-down tech come to the Reserve line from the Legends, I would love Polk to offer a Pinnacle Tweeter upgrade for the Signature line, its really one of the only things I feel should be improved with the Signatures, and would love to put one of those tweeters in my S60s! Thanks for the video Sound United and Polk!
I've had my R700s for a week now. For the money, they're fantastic. Any issues I've got are probably due to my room, rather than the speakers. If you want more detail, you're gonna have to spend at least twice as much, for things like Elac FS409, or Wharfedale Elysian 2.
Merhaba sizce polk s-60 mı sinama HAPARLÖRÜ olarak güzel yoksa triangle br09 mu güzel bir sinama deneyimi yaşatır bende harman kardon avr 365 serisi var sizce bu amifiden hangisi daha kaliteli ses verir
Well, just got my R200's and I have to say I like them better than my ELAC Debut Reference 6.2's... didn't think that would be the case, but the R200's sound better, IMO. The R200 is the cleanest, most neutral speaker I've ever heard, and I've heard many, at all price-ranges. I listen to a lot of medieval cantigas, and most of them are recorded in churches or cathedrals, and the R200's are the very first speaker which clearly seperate the voices from the ambient echo and resonance of the buildings the songs were recorded in; other speakers tend to 'smear' the voices and the room resonance, which often leads to ringing, especially in the upper mids. Not so with the R200's, the voices are clear as day, and clearly discernible from the ambient resonances within the building.
Well done Polk - I didn't think you had it in you:)
I bought the R 200s and I'm seriously impressed with the sound. Bass and treble are so clean. 🔥
My intro into high quality speakers was the Polk Monitor series II 40's and 60's. Paired with a marantz Sr8001. I absolutely had no idea that music could sound like that! My impression of the sound was detailed, smooth, loud and clear. Music seemed to float on the air molecules and remove walls...and those little woofers seemed determined to resist distortion at all cost and only play within their means. Which they did impressively well and balanced. Those speakers actually made me enjoy hearing music without a sub even though they didn't go super low there was something exciting and satisfying about them. I Couldnt help thinking many times "and this is the low end of hifi?!?". That said, the Reserve's being many steps up from the Monitor's, I imagine they are astounding! Im really considering the the R500 or R600's. Great video guys 👍🏾
Hey Juan, nice comment to read! I love hearing the enthusiasm, descriptions of sound qualities and honesty that comes from someone relatively new to Hi-Fi audio. Welcome, brother! Now that the "bug" has bitten you, know that it is a lifelong obsession; one that will never go away, and quite possibly one that will never be fully satisfied. Lol that is sort of a hallmark of an "audiophile." We love the products as much as we love the sound, and I can tell you do as well by pairing those monitors with that Marantz 8001 (good choice btw). I have been a Polk fan since the 80's. I heard those big SDA speakers they were talking about, and actually owned the little brother to them! They were about 4 feet tall and had a very unique sound. Now, I have collected speakers over the years and my attic is like a museum of Polk, Bose, Infinity, BIC America, B&W, and other speakers. This is likely what will happen to you as well, lol. I can say, that in recent years, the resurgence of interest in Hi-Fi has resulted in some fantastic new additions. Check out speakers from ELAC, Wharfedale, even Pioneer has some low-priced models that are very impressive for their price. What have I been using for several years now though? Polk Audio Signature Series 60. They are a big, powerful sounding speaker that are also quite good at vocals, strings and definitely percussion. I put on some high res recordings of straight drums and those S60s shine. Norah Jones, considering vocals, sounds like she is 6 feet away from me. Those Signatures? They have very similar voicing characteristics to those Monitors you bought, so don't feel bad that you don't have the Signatures...they are very good speakers! What we both might do, however, is start saving up for that Reserve line when the itch strikes again. My GOSH those look nice! Again, nice comments Juan!
@@Mixing_It_Up
Man! I love hearing others people stories and perspectives as well. Yeah, those Monitor's definitely did kick off a whole new world for me in terms of speakers. I've had systems since my teen years. My very first or what I considered "real" system was a 1980's Marantz TA100 receiver and Jensen speakers the power station series to be exact. So I knew something about Marantz from that..atleast enough to know that I liked their sound quality and power. Which I much preferred over a more modern Yamaha receiver that was also around the house at that time that afforded me some sound comparisons. That old Marantz simply sounded far better. But I had four of those Jensen speakers and that system played very loud..although the mid-range was very anemic lol. I hated it. And the EQ did little to help it..which left me to conclude that it was the speakers.
In retrospect I see even then I was always tinkering.. with placement, and doing stuff like..using pillow stuffing as poly fill for dampening (though I knew nothing of this term then)..or use a pair of socks to plug one of the port holes, which I found made the bass sound better. But when I got those monitors years later....I was like woah wait a minute...how come no one told me that speakers could sound like this!?! Talking about mind blown 🤯. I was skeptical at first..because of the small drivers and slim profile of the Monitor's..I expected nice sound but instead got amazing sound. A whole new world!
I've never heard the SDA's or their little brother nor any of the other you mentioned. But I can tell you for sure that I would have a feild day looking through your speaker collection and would want to hear each set lol. I have already began to experience some of those audiophile symptoms you described here 😄. I even like the designing and engineering parts of it as well..and at some point I plan to design and building my own speakers. Thanks for the reply I quite appreciate it:)
I remember the Polk Ad for SDA speaker technology in Stereo Review magazine in the 80s that had Matthew Polk in a lab coat. Worked for me since I bought the SDA CRS + and had them for over 30 years. Replaced them with whole LSIM line. Love Polk
Yes same here, Polk was founded before I was born but when I was in middle school, I would visit the library and drool over stereo gear. On one cover was Matthew with a lab coat and a big SDA speaker. FF to me fresh out of school and my first paycheck went to a pair of Polk RT55 (and a few others to make a 5.1 after), what I could afford at the time. I moved on LSi25 (started mainly for music but then moved to HT), then I moved to LSiM707 (again mainly for music and later updated to a full LSiM line for HT) then in Nov 2019 L800 and enjoying ever since. I own other speaker brands, Totem, Martin Logan, Q Acoustics but my favorite is Polk. Wish them all the best with this new line.
@@mpitogo So how does the L800 compare to the LSIM line? Are you using the 800 in Home theater?
@@mattgiunt L800 are purely 2 ch SDA Stereo music active bi-amp with 550watts of McIntosh and tube pre. My LSiM707 is still a phenomenal stereo speaker. I have it powered by a PM-10/SA-10 (music only but switchable to HT using a Marantz AVR for the other channels) and in its own right is very comparable to the L800. The L800 excels in soundstage with SDA. I wouldn’t say it’s gimmicky but more of a soundstage decompression enhancement. I would attribute the electronics to play a role in their dynamics, Mac is definitely warmer and great for laidback sound, while the PM is much faster and more detailed and crisp, Digital hypex ncore and SA DAC is resolving. The tube C70 with a denafrips Ares 2 DAC has a more analog sound..
@@mpitogo thank you. I used the original SDA CRS for music before home theater was born. I didn’t think the SDA was suitable for home theater but the LSIM line is perfect for both.
@@mattgiunt SDA works incredibly well in HT as well!
The R350 should also be marketed as a surround speaker. I think it's the most intriguing speaker in the entire line. Well done guys love the Training style videos. Makes me miss going to training which hasn't happened since COVID.
We are all definitely looking forward to resuming in-person training activities!! - Jen
It looks like you have created the similar line from a "performance" level but less from a "furniture" level! Well played because I like to hear with my eyes closed this will be a better experience for me Phil!
The only thing that kept me from buying these speakers is that white is not available in the best and largest speakers. I saw Andrew Robinson was able to get a white R700. Why isn’t this offered to everyone else to purchase?
Just ordered the r700s, r400s and r900s for a home theater setup. Pairing with 4 polk rc80i ceiling speakers for atmos. And the denon x4700 av receiver. Super excited!!!
The white is very streamline moderne. I love it.
Polk if your listing, I would love to see a retro 3 way version in this line with a 12” or 15” woofer. I think there is a market again for this style speaker. Think JBL and CerwinVega!
Very nice video, guys! What I wish would have been touched on a little more, is more info on exactly how the woofers are different between the Legend and Reserve Line, heck even the Signature Series! Also..after seeing the trickle-down tech come to the Reserve line from the Legends, I would love Polk to offer a Pinnacle Tweeter upgrade for the Signature line, its really one of the only things I feel should be improved with the Signatures, and would love to put one of those tweeters in my S60s! Thanks for the video Sound United and Polk!
I've had my R700s for a week now. For the money, they're fantastic. Any issues I've got are probably due to my room, rather than the speakers. If you want more detail, you're gonna have to spend at least twice as much, for things like Elac FS409, or Wharfedale Elysian 2.
Are you coming out with reserve subs? If not, what did you use in a HT setup with these? Thank you.
Got a pair of R200 coming in :)
Does the L600 and R700 have different internal crossovers?
my biggest question is what Legend L600 has but R700 don’t ? Sounds like R700 have all the technology used in legend series
Merhaba sizce polk s-60 mı sinama HAPARLÖRÜ olarak güzel yoksa triangle br09 mu güzel bir sinama deneyimi yaşatır bende harman kardon avr 365 serisi var sizce bu amifiden hangisi daha kaliteli ses verir
And when again will you be premiering the X-8700 series?
Hello, I asked if it would be a good idea to replace my tannoy xt8f revolution by this Polk r700‽
57:10 you can replace them instead of buying a while new speaker
You’re missing the R800 SDA in White…oooh 50th Anniversary is coming up.