• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Polk S30 Center Speaker Review

ezra_s

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 23, 2020
Messages
293
Likes
327
Location
Spain
you have no room correction in your AVR?

Oh yes, it has Audissey. It's a Marantz NR1608. I let it do its thing, when I first set it up I think you could use an app to tweak it but it was paid or something. It's mostly for the kids to watch movies so I haven't paid too much attention to it.

I will look it up again when I have the chance this week.
 

sarumbear

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
7,604
Likes
7,314
Location
UK
Joined
Jun 13, 2020
Messages
57
Likes
76
I think the Polk S35 (bigger brother with 4 extra woofers) is particularly interesting, it is only 6.1" (15.49 cm) deep so it can pretty much go anywhere, especially vertically.

the Polk S30 can play pretty loud for their size, so the Polk S35 could be pretty impressive.

The S35 would be considered the little brother. Those are 3 inch "woofers" it uses.
 

SynthesisCinema

Active Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2019
Messages
173
Likes
227
At AVSForum many Polk owners has had the S30 and S35 side by side for home trial and they all prefered the S30. Fuller sound etc.

Here is the S35 quasi-anechoic (employing close-miking of all woofers) FR from soundandvision. Purple trace = S60 towers, Green trace = S35 center channel, Red trace = S20 bookshelfs.

L/R Sensitivity (S60): 89.5 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz

Center Sensitivity (S35): 88.5 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz

Surround Sensitivity (S20): 87.5 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz




617polk.meas.jpg
 

LightninBoy

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Jan 9, 2019
Messages
712
Likes
1,458
Location
St. Paul, MN
Still, some manufacturers do care about this, the ones making coaxial centers, or variations of MTM design that lessen the issue.

For example, Boston Acoustic (RIP) used to put a rotating logo on the grilles of the CR series, so you could position the speaker either vertically or horizontally.

Btw, the revel M22 also have a rotating logo on the grill so it could be layed on its side. It also layed pointing up a bit due to the cabinet angle. So I experimented with the M22 layed horizontal as a center channel, but ultimately preferred it in it's normal orientation, even if that put the mid woofer much lower than the screen.

Point is, I was really impressed that revel thought of that rotating logo detail. That's really good product design.
 

ThatM1key

Major Contributor
Joined
Mar 27, 2020
Messages
1,048
Likes
882
Location
USA
Polk S35 is a terrible speaker for the $300 new and sale (white only) $230 price. Smaller, more expensive and less bass. At the $300 price, you could just buy the S20s instead. At $230, you could get the S30 instead. If your not color picky, get the white S30 for $150.
 

Rottmannash

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 11, 2020
Messages
2,969
Likes
2,606
Location
Nashville
Thanks for the review-I've had Polks off and on for years and thought they were fair to middling speakers overall. I actually have one of their older centers, the CS 400I. Wish it weren't so heavy-I'd ship it to Amir and have him measure it. It weighs 30 lbs and was their TOTL center back in the olden days. I think I gave around $400 for it back in 2001? 2002? Can't remember exactly when I bought it but used it until this Spring when I replaced it with the venerable Infinity C263.
 

ThatM1key

Major Contributor
Joined
Mar 27, 2020
Messages
1,048
Likes
882
Location
USA
Thanks for the review-I've had Polks off and on for years and thought they were fair to middling speakers overall. I actually have one of their older centers, the CS 400I. Wish it weren't so heavy-I'd ship it to Amir and have him measure it. It weighs 30 lbs and was their TOTL center back in the olden days. I think I gave around $400 for it back in 2001? 2002? Can't remember exactly when I bought it but used it until this Spring when I replaced it with the venerable Infinity C263.

Didn't think anybody would mention that speaker (Polk CS400i). I was going to replace with the Polk CSI A6 but I sent that speaker back to crutchfield, it was disappointing. It wasn't that great with music and the bass was lacking for the size. I thought the bass problem was in my head but I looked at the specs more, and the CSI A6 had 5hz less bass (at -3b) then the CS400i. How do you get less bass from adding a front port and extra "powerport". I am gonna miss that cherry finish though, nothing like that on modern Polk's. I bought the white S30 so that should replace my CS400i. If I ever see the Polk CS1000p on the market, you know I'm gonna replace that S30 quickly. I forget to mention in my old post, that Polk's website is so janky.

Here's a online picture of the CS1000p:
x107CS1KPR-F_MT.jpeg
 

beaRA

Active Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2021
Messages
223
Likes
315
Didn't think anybody would mention that speaker (Polk CS400i). I was going to replace with the Polk CSI A6 but I sent that speaker back to crutchfield, it was disappointing. It wasn't that great with music and the bass was lacking for the size. I thought the bass problem was in my head but I looked at the specs more, and the CSI A6 had 5hz less bass (at -3b) then the CS400i. How do you get less bass from adding a front port and extra "powerport". I am gonna miss that cherry finish though, nothing like that on modern Polk's. I bought the white S30 so that should replace my CS400i. If I ever see the Polk CS1000p on the market, you know I'm gonna replace that S30 quickly. I forget to mention in my old post, that Polk's website is so janky.

Here's a online picture of the CS1000p:
View attachment 139423
If you want a big step up, grab an LSiM 706c now that they're discounted to $400.
 

beagleman

Major Contributor
Joined
Sep 24, 2020
Messages
1,157
Likes
1,577
Location
Pittsburgh Pa
If you want a big step up, grab an LSiM 706c now that they're discounted to $400.


I have an older Lsic, and it may be the ultimate center as far as clean and flat frequency response of any Polk Center.

Not saying the Lsim series are bad, but as far as actual flat response.

The green trace, 2nd one from top.
403polk.5.jpg
 

beagleman

Major Contributor
Joined
Sep 24, 2020
Messages
1,157
Likes
1,577
Location
Pittsburgh Pa
Thanks for the review-I've had Polks off and on for years and thought they were fair to middling speakers overall. I actually have one of their older centers, the CS 400I. Wish it weren't so heavy-I'd ship it to Amir and have him measure it. It weighs 30 lbs and was their TOTL center back in the olden days. I think I gave around $400 for it back in 2001? 2002? Can't remember exactly when I bought it but used it until this Spring when I replaced it with the venerable Infinity C263.



What year is that speaker from??
 

beagleman

Major Contributor
Joined
Sep 24, 2020
Messages
1,157
Likes
1,577
Location
Pittsburgh Pa
Thanks for the review-I've had Polks off and on for years and thought they were fair to middling speakers overall. I actually have one of their older centers, the CS 400I. Wish it weren't so heavy-I'd ship it to Amir and have him measure it. It weighs 30 lbs and was their TOTL center back in the olden days. I think I gave around $400 for it back in 2001? 2002? Can't remember exactly when I bought it but used it until this Spring when I replaced it with the venerable Infinity C263.


But are you aware, they probably had like 20 lines of speakers, over the last few decades, ranging from very entry level to mid, to high end speakers.

You can not truly comment on them as a whole, without mentioning WHICH you owned. There is such a wide range of price and quality, to make most of their speakers barely comparable to each other.
 

ThatM1key

Major Contributor
Joined
Mar 27, 2020
Messages
1,048
Likes
882
Location
USA
But are you aware, they probably had like 20 lines of speakers, over the last few decades, ranging from very entry level to mid, to high end speakers.

You can not truly comment on them as a whole, without mentioning WHICH you owned. There is such a wide range of price and quality, to make most of their speakers barely comparable to each other.

You don't have own that (insert any polk) to know if its odd, weird and/or bad.

For example, The Polk CS175i (not my image):
s-l640.jpg
 

Gyroscopics

Active Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2019
Messages
105
Likes
71
If you want a big step up, grab an LSiM 706c now that they're discounted to $400.

Bought mine $375 new from Adorama 2 years ago when they were clearing out the LSiM line. It could handle power and play loud (85db, 95db peaks) without losing composure in my open-floor plan.
 

Rottmannash

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 11, 2020
Messages
2,969
Likes
2,606
Location
Nashville

Rottmannash

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 11, 2020
Messages
2,969
Likes
2,606
Location
Nashville
But are you aware, they probably had like 20 lines of speakers, over the last few decades, ranging from very entry level to mid, to high end speakers.

You can not truly comment on them as a whole, without mentioning WHICH you owned. There is such a wide range of price and quality, to make most of their speakers barely comparable to each other.
Excuse me for making a statement based on my experience with several Polk speakers. I can comment if I wish but you aren't obliged to listen.
 

ThatM1key

Major Contributor
Joined
Mar 27, 2020
Messages
1,048
Likes
882
Location
USA
If you want a big step up, grab an LSiM 706c now that they're discounted to $400.
I like the LSiM series but that center would overkill for my S55 towers. I can't bear the thought that a center would be better than my fronts.
 
Top Bottom