Polk AudioT30 Home Theater Center Channel Speaker - Vocal Clarity, Deep Bass Response, Dolby and DTS, Single, Black

The subjectiveness of speaker reviews includes that different people have varying qualities of amplifiers. I tested these speakers on my high end tube amplifier, not a cheap 30 dollar amplifier. I also deliberately used a cd of big band music recorded mastered in total digital format. I don't like big band music, but I know truly digital big band music includes trumpets, trombone, tuba, French horns, etc that my usual music and lyrics don't. I always test new speakers with big band music because it is semi orchestral. On my particular system there is tons of midrange presence and treble, and it is profoundly clear in the midrange and treble frequencies, but it's because I am using a high end tube amplifier instead of a cheap class d amplifier or solid state amplifier. What it shows is how good these speakers can sound with a quality source of music and lyrics out of a high end tube amplifier like I have. So some of the subjectiveness of speaker reviews are because of the quality or lack of quality of sound input and the amplifier. These speakers are capable of producing profoundly clear midrange presence and treble. Bass is not their main strength, but why would it be? They are small cabinet speakers. I would definitely need a subwoofer if these were my primary speakers. They are not. I use klipsch rp600m s as the primary speakers on this bedroom system I used to test the speakers. All I can say is that if someone has a good amplifier and music source, these speakers sound fantastic in the midrange presence and treble spectrum. A 30 dollar amplifier is not going to demonstrate what these speakers can do. Mine does. These speakers can sound really good in midrange and presence hooked to a high end tube amplifier. They are crystal clear on my system. The .75 inch tweeter is not crying out that it should have been a 1 inch tweeter in my case. Excellent secondary speakers hooked to a tube amplifier. No speakers are going to sound that good hooked to an amplifier that costs less than 2 footlong subways subs combo meals. Just sayin. Definitely would need a subwoofer if they were the primary speakers on my system. That's understandable. 5 stars categorically in my case. They definitely make horn instruments in big band music sound great. It makes me wish I liked big band music, but I don't. It's good to test speakers though because of the additional musical instruments.

WOW! I'm pairing these with a 20+ year old Technique 4 channel 200watt receiver, that's plugged into a little Guitar Center store brand 8 channel sound mixer. It is plugged into the mixer from RCA to XLR cable. Keep in mind these are the only two speakers playing audio/powered at all from the system because the Technique cant run all 4 channels at once. And OMG does this give these little speakers an extra kick, they sound amazing! Super loud, crisp clear, and very impressive bass for such a small speaker. I could only imagine the whole surround package with the woofer. Great buy, well worth the price.

I just wanted a cheap pair of speakers for bench testing vintage hi-fi amps and receivers, but not absolute junk. These seemed to fit the bill at $70 pair, shipped, as it would cost as much or more to repair the blown woofer on my prior test speakers.Well, these little speakers are the real deal. They have five-way speaker binding posts so you can plug in banana jacks or go old school with stripped wire. The grilles are removable, which is usually not seen at this price point. While I'm not usually a fan of black vinyl cabinets, these are executed tastefully and I have no problems with the looks at all. They have mounting holes on the backs so you can easily hang them on a wall.Let's cut to the chase! These sound fantastic! These are speakers you can listen to all day long, unlike some of the fancy stuff out there that has a long list of specs but doesn't quite make it in real life. You don't need a lot of power to play them, although I found that the better the amplification, the better they sounded.1. Bass is very, very good for not only a small speaker but a speaker in this price category. It took several hours before they really started singing--most brand-new speakers need a break-in period--but I cannot get over the bass response. Now, if you play them side by side with a subwoofer-equipped system, they're not going to be able to compete; however, I cannot stop listening to them and I have a system with a subwoofer.2. Overall sound is superb. I can hear plenty of details in my favorite music that I thought only expensive speakers could capture. There's a good sound stage, highs are not harsh or fatiguing, midrange sounds great to me. Am I an audiophile? Probably not, since I will never spend more than a mortgage payment on a piece of hi-fi gear and I use 12AWG Monoprice speaker cables, but I love music and I listen to it every day.3. A comparison: I saved up for a pair of Wharfedale Dentons. These are not budget speakers. Originally retailing for $1,000 pr., they can often be had for $500 or less and are stunning, well-regarded speakers. The Polk Audio T15s sounder better. Yep. I'm sure a squad of hitmen from Stereophile (and Wharfedale) are prepping their weapons as I write this, but the Dentons cannot handle bass like the Polks do. Are the Dentons drop dead gorgeous in their veneered, bomb-proof cabinets? Yes! Do the Dentons sound good? Yes, again, but I cannot listen to the Dentons very long before I put something else in their place. They simply cannot deal with bass in a pleasing manner and yes, they've done as much breaking in as they're ever going to do. Please understand that I'm not knocking the Dentons; they are so well-made I want to cry, but the Polks are more enjoyable to listen to.4. So, what's the deal? What's the catch? I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, so let's get it over with...There's no catch that I can see so far, except that these are mass-produced, black vinyl speakers. They are not exotic and I doubt Stereophile is going to review them any time soon. They aren't going to fill a concert hall with thundering bass because they're small bookshelf speakers. Some audio snob types are not going to even bother to listen to a pair because they don't cost enough. Well, their loss is our gain, my friends, because if I had known about these speakers before buying the damned Dentons (and some other fancy speakers) I could have saved $400.5. Not enough bass for you? No problem. For $130 shipped, buy the Polk Audio PSW10 subwoofer. I am a card-carrying bass freak (every single amp and receiver I own has the bass knob maxed out and I usually have loudness engaged as well) and this thing is a damned marvel. It was easy to set up and yes, it will work with old amps and receivers. You can adjust how much or how little bass it puts out, and for once in my life I DO NOT have the bass turned all the way up--that's how powerful this thing is. You can set it on standby mode, where it's "asleep" until it senses a music signal, then it turns on and does it's thing. That said, the T15's sound so nice on their own I'd hold off on the sub and judge for yourself.I have heard many different speakers over the years, from Bose 901s to Martin Logan Prefaces to Polk Audio LSi9's, and these are absolutely the best value I've ever heard in speakers. They are cheap enough that you can buy two pairs and have a speaker in every corner of the room. Bass is handled very well and they sound good enough to be the main speakers in a two-channel hi-fi system. Look at how many people have given these speakers two thumbs up! I cannot stress how wonderful it is that Polk Audio has provided such an amazing, low-cost speaker to the general public. I highly recommend these speakers. Just remember to let them play for a few hours and the better the amplification, the better they'll sound.

I liked the price, initially, and then recalled I was pairing them with a Polk subwoofer. I just set them up and they are pleasant, but probably won't please the "golden ears" looking for that amazing sound. I did like the ease of set up, but needed to turn them upside down to insert the speaker wires properly. For my uses, these are recommended: my uses are mixed rock, pop, jazz & some classical as part of a "non-primary" system, just an area where I like to have music as wanted.

I normally don't write reviews, however, I purchased these speakers, and felt compelled to send a review. These speakers are amazing. Easy set up, great sound. I even tested them along side an expensive set of large floor speakers and felt that these speakers sounded better. Highs and midrange are great, bass response is nominal but effective. All said, great speakers for a great price.

I love these and will prob get a second pair. The sound is super clear and they handle bass like a champ!

Muy buenas bocinas y el sonido es excelente.