Polk Audio R50 Floorstanding Speakers

Polk Audio R50 Floorstanding Speakers 

DESCRIPTION

  • video-shielded
  • bass-reflex design
  • frequency response 50-20,000 Hz (-3dB)
  • 8-ohm impedance
  • sensitivity 90 dB
  • handles up to 150 watts
  • black hardwood veneer
  • 5-way binding posts
  • 9-5/16"W x 37-1/8"H x 11-15/16"D (with base)

USER REVIEWS

Showing 11-20 of 26  
[Feb 09, 2007]
Fact
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

5.1 or 7.1 movie speakers

Weakness:

you'll eventually want something better for music listening

The imaging is great. 7 feet away it sound like there's a center speaker. Great for a 7.1 movie system. Would recommend something higher end for music listening.

Customer Service

I dunno

Similar Products Used:

crack w_hore name Bose

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 09, 2007]
mfact
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Easily far better than any HTIB system out there. Definitely recommended for anyone trying to build a home theater system

Weakness:

Not for music listening. Although not bad, most will eventually prefer something higher end.

The previous review is correct about the awesome imaging. It does feel like there is a center channel there setting only 7 feet away. Ideal for a 7.1 system. Would recommend something higher end for music listening.

Customer Service

wouldn't know

Similar Products Used:

crack w_hore at the corner of 5th and Main

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 01, 2007]
Leo
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

tight, accurate bass, instrumental separation, highs, simple but stylish looks, versatile (I use them equally for music, T.V., and movies), price

Weakness:

imaging (depending on the sound source)....might not be quite enough bass for people who want to rattle their fillings our of their heads

A friend of mine had a pair of R30s being run by an old Marantz and I thought that they sounded good, so I read a few reviews and thought that the r50s would be a good buy. When I first got them, my immediate impression was that they sounded good, especially for the money, but that they weren't by any means the best for the money. However, after a few weeks of continuous use (they're being run on my 1969 Sansui Solid State 5000), they've improved a lot. The bass is tight and never sloppy, the separation of the instruments is usually excellent, and the mids and highs are smooth and clear. I don't use a sub, and these speakers have more than enough bass for me (even with the bass control turned down by about 15%). My only complaint is that sometimes the imaging isn't the best, but this seems to depend more on the audio source than the speakers themselves. Considering the money I spent, these speakers have been a pleasure to listen to, and they look pretty sharp to boot (I got them in the cherry finish--very nice).

Similar Products Used:

vintage JBLs, Realistic Minimus 7s, Cerwin Vega, Infinity

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 16, 2006]
toplaidback
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Great price from Fry's, good appearance and size, sound quality is better than my Wharfedales, ARs, Bose or KLHs, imaging is impressive. Instruments are life like.

Weakness:

Appearance w/out grill is not that impressive, can over-drive if you are willing to get to point of over-loudness. Male vocals a little muted.

Was looking to replace KLH dual 12 inch three ways. KLH's sounded good but the size overpowered the room. Found these at Fry's for 200 total for the set. Received and unboxed was impressed the cherry edition looked great and was just the right size. After break-in the sound quality is impressive. Picked up quite a bit of detail especially at mid and high range that had been missed before. Ending up replacing old center with JBL EC-35 center( little better with vocals than Polk) and Bose surrounds with r15s. The combination of the EC35 and r50s works out wonderfully. Polks strength at instruments and JBLs little stronger on vocals.

Imaging? Have gone from surround mode to stereo and still sounded like center speaker was functioning. You don't get much better than that. Can over-drive the r50s but to get to that point you have gone way past a comfortable listening point. Bass response is adequate but I have an AudioSource 200w 15 inch sub so bass is not a concern.

To sum up: for 200 bucks you get the most bang for the buck anywhere. Would highly recommend them to any one who wants a clear realistic speaker at a price that is almost unbelievable.





Customer Service

Can not report have no problem with speakers that have required it.

Similar Products Used:

ARs, Bose, KLH, Wharfedale.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 25, 2006]
r100gs
AudioPhile

Strength:

Great midrange with a tight punchy bass.

Weakness:

None for a $149 a pair.

For the price of these speakers, one cannot complain. Great speaker for that second sound room. I was impressed for the dollars spent. You can't go wrong.

Similar Products Used:

Speaker Lab, Joseph Audio, JBL, Infinity, Mission, Bose :(

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jul 17, 2005]
Rastamon
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Beautiful sound at low to medium levels. Great value at the sale price. Efficient enough to work well with low to medium power home theatre systems.

Weakness:

Polk's MSRP is a joke, all it does is allow people to snap the speakers up at places like Frys then sell them on Ebay to poor slobs who think they are getting a great deal buying $639 speakers for ONLY $200 plus shipping. Polk should be ashamed of themselves, nobody would pay anything even close to that MSRP for these speakers and it makes the prices on all of their products suspect.

I had purchased a Sony 500 watt 5:1 home theatre system to go with my 51 inch Sony HDTV but I didn't like the sound of the small speakers. These were on sale at Frys Electronics for $69.99 each (they go on sale at the stores every few weeks and are currently this price online at Frys Outpost)so I bought 4 to replace the Sonys. It's like moving up from a Yugo to a Cadillac, great sound in my 12x24 foot living room. I wouldn't recommend them for larger rooms but for a small to medium-sized room they are tough to beat at this price. I am keeping the Sony sub since polk's bass sounds fine on their own and the Sony is a good supplement but I definitely need a new center channel. If any of you Polk owners are moving up and need to sell your center channel send me an email.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Jun 27, 2005]
ggs34
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

clean sound nice tight bass unbeatable for the price

Weakness:

not for those like to play very loud music or for very large rooms

I was on a tight budget for a pair of good sounding pair of speakers i went to every store i could find i could not find any thing i liked for a small price I found this on ebay for a great deal i dont like to buy speakers with out hearing them first. Had great reviews on polk audios web site. I have not been i polk fan until now for under $200 wow there are very very nice clean crisp highs not overweeming nice tight bass they retail for over $600 Now if you like very loud music most of the time then there not for you But if you want great sound and normal levels you cant go wrong polk you hit a home run.For $600 you might find better but for $186 new for the pair wow go buy them

Similar Products Used:

infinty primus 150 athena as b2 infinty primus 250 definitive tech bp 8

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Feb 27, 2005]
masanz1
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Good Home Theatre speaker, low price, attractive looking without covers

Weakness:

Does not do well with music, not that it is untolerable, but I have heard better in the price range

When I saw these on sale at Fry's I was very excited to add them to my current R30 setup. I hooked them up and was pleasantly surprised with the HT setup(all speakers set to small crossover 80hz). I then put in some music and they fell flat. They just did not fill the room. I tried multiple setting with my Onkyo but they just lacked fullness. I would recommend them to anyone who listens to HT 75-80% music 20% or less.

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
4
[Feb 26, 2005]
Chuckles
Casual Listener

Strength:

Clean crisp sound and good midrange at lower volumes.

Weakness:

Lousy bass. Tend to get pitchy at higher volumes.

First, I shouldn't really complain because I got a great deal (only $59 each). I wanted a smaller speaker to replace a much larger speaker that had a 15 inch woofer and took up too much space. At low volumes, the R50s sound good (but lack any real bass), but as the volume rises, their quality falls. They don't seem to have the ability to fill a room with sound as some have said. Everyone has an opinion, and likes their music to sound a certain way. For me, these don't fit the bill all that well. I would not buy them again, even at the price I paid. If it wasn't for my wife and the space savings, I would reconnect the old speakers and sell these.

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
3
[Oct 21, 2004]
ger4me
Casual Listener

Strength:

Wide spectrum of sounds. I like having mid-rage speakers again. I paid 200.00 each for my old speakers almost 20 years ago, so this is a steal.

Weakness:

lacks strong bass and real crisp highs. but a sub woofer wiil take care of that if you insist.

Seems to be authentic reproduction. I was spoiled with some old Advent Legacy speakers, 10 inch woofers amd dome tweeter. They had a rich bass sound with crisp highs. The polks lack both of these, however they do give more sounds I had not heard before. After listening a few days me ear adjusted and the sound alot better. It is hard to shop for speakers now. Audio stores are few and expensive. The super electronic stores don't have good listening rooms or they are next to car speakers that are booming with Rap.

Similar Products Used:

Advent legacy,

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 11-20 of 26  

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