Polk Reserve R200: Spinorama and measurements (a really nice surprise!)

[AudioScience Enthusiast]

NAD M10 + POLK R200 + SVS1000PRO
2.1 Universal Setup for Music & Movies
View attachment 174253

I also have the NAD M10 (V2), and in general, don't like the sloping down of the default DIRAC LIVE curve towards high frequencies on the main speakers, especially on high resolution speakers past 20kHz.

Does anyone run Dirac Live on these speakers and if you prefer the Harman curve which is straighter towards the high frequencies?

 

[Corvuscorone]

this or the DBR62?

I have both at home and prefer the R200 slightly.

 

[AudioScience Enthusiast]

How do I compare the R200 vs the R100 for surround sound speakers? I have the R700 as mains. Do I just go for R200? What makes one or the other better for surround?

Hi @Darkscience, I also have a full Reserve HT set, thinking of upgrading the R100 Surrounds to R200 so I can use the R100 in the office.

What advice did you end up getting from the Polk forums and did you like the Signature Elite alternatives?

 

[Steve Dallas]

Hi @Darkscience, I also have a full Reserve HT set, thinking of upgrading the R100 Surrounds to R200 so I can use the R100 in the office.

What advice did you end up getting from the Polk forums and did you like the Signature Elite alternatives?

Methinks I would leave the noisemakers... err.. surrounds alone and buy the R200 for the office.

 

[AudioScience Enthusiast]

Methinks I would leave the noisemakers... err.. surrounds alone

"Noisemakers"?! Good one

But what about the precarious dangling R900 problem?!

 

[AudioScience Enthusiast]

Update: decided to order a pair of R200 for surround channel for timbre match sake, and move the R100 to office desk (because they are small enough to fit).

I wonder if I will ever the improvements of R200 over the R100 in the rear channels.

 

[Transmaniacon]

Update: decided to order a pair of R200 for surround channel for timbre match sake, and move the R100 to office desk (because they are small enough to fit).

I wonder if I will ever the improvements of R200 over the R100 in the rear channels.

Probably not for movies, but multi channel music might let you notice the additional extension.

 

[Darkscience]

Sorry just noticed your msg. I went with the elite for surrounds and love them. In my case R200 would be total overkill for surrounds. The elite sound perfect.

 

[warpdrive]

Sorry just noticed your msg. I went with the elite for surrounds and love them. In my case R200 would be total overkill for surrounds. The elite sound perfect.

I agree. I don't find a lot of value in making the surrounds match the mains. Once I disconnected the main speakers to hear what comes out of the surrounds and it was just a lot of ambient sounds that didn't matter a lot. I usually just listen to regular music in stereo so I would just get smaller unobtrusive surround speakers and leave it at that.

If anything, the Elites have that special rear flowport that disperses the air so it would make a good rear channel speaker mounted close to a wall.

 

[Steve Dallas]

I agree. I don't find a lot of value in making the surrounds match the mains. Once I disconnected the main speakers to hear what comes out of the surrounds and it was just a lot of ambient sounds that didn't matter a lot. I usually just listen to regular music in stereo so I would just get smaller unobtrusive surround speakers and leave it at that.

If anything, the Elites have that special rear flowport that disperses the air so it would make a good rear channel speaker mounted close to a wall.

Another agreement. After doing the same, I went to Polk in-wall (65-RT) and in-ceiling speakers (70-RT). No use in spending a lot of money on noise makers. Polk often puts those speakers on sale 50% off, so I spent $600 total on all my surrounds. The 3 speakers that really matter are Revel.

 

[warpdrive]

Another agreement. After doing the same, I went to Polk in-wall (65-RT) and in-ceiling speakers (70-RT). No use in spending a lot of money on noise makers. Polk often puts those speakers on sale 50% off, so I spent $600 total on all my surrounds. The 3 speakers that really matter are Revel.

For sure.

I prefer to optimize where it matters. For movies, spend it on the biggest bestest screen and front speakers, with emphasis on an excellent center channel, and a decent sub that keeps up. Also the fewer visible boxes the better, with the exception that nice tasteful front speakers can look very purposeful (not some of the monstrosities that some people are posting in the most beautiful speakers thread lol)

 

[AudioScience Enthusiast]

I wish you guys posted this earlier. I ended up ordering a R200 pair and received them yesterday.

After I took the original R100s away (rear channel) for my office, watching movies is not the same without the surround channels.

It’s like everything is quiet and boring. But after I plugged R200s into the rear channels again my Atmos shows went “Alive.”

Yes they may be making “noises” but these noises when perceived as a whole in an Atmos track it becomes unreal. Sounds are coming from all directions without gaps it’s incredible.

Arguably I could’ve moved the new R200s to the office and just left the original R100s in place. But after trying some multichannel Atmos music from Tidal I will never take these R200s out again.

Multichannel is ”fuller” and deeper than my R100s, so it’s a nice surprise in the end.

I know ASR is a “measurement” forum but how do you measure the amazement form the precision and harmony of the entire Reserve series together in these Atmos movies and multi channel music scenarios?

It probably helps that I have a Dirac Live AVR with IMAX Enhanced certification (which the Reserves are too) to bring the entire Reserves package together.

I am not sure the best KEF speakers can beat Reserves home theatre package at this point.

 

[AudioScience Enthusiast]

Another amazing thing about these R200 to share.

My wife kept asking me, is it worth it to spend more money on these R200s for surrounds when we already have a "perfect" pair of R100s before.

So I asked her to sit down, and play her stereo music coming out of the new R200s. Then she spent 5 mins looking for additional hidden speakers because she thinks I am hiding to fool her. She kept thinking there are speakers behind the couch that I am hiding.

Turns out R200 plays music like no other, it creates a sense of imaging that I have never heard of, so much so that even non-serious listeners like my wife thinks there are additional speakers providing this kind of unreal sound.

I don't know what magic is in these Reserve speakers, but even without burn-in, they already sound amazing, I am sure after some time my R200s will perform even better.

 

[tw 2022]

Another amazing thing about these R200 to share.

My wife kept asking me, is it worth it to spend more money on these R200s for surrounds when we already have a "perfect" pair of R100s before.

So I asked her to sit down, and play her stereo music coming out of the new R200s. Then she spent 5 mins looking for additional hidden speakers because she thinks I am hiding to fool her. She kept thinking there are speakers behind the couch that I am hiding.

Turns out R200 plays music like no other, it creates a sense of imaging that I have never heard of, so much so that even non-serious listeners like my wife thinks there are additional speakers providing this kind of unreal sound.

I don't know what magic is in these Reserve speakers, but even without burn-in, they already sound amazing, I am sure after some time my R200s will perform even better.

I wouldn't get to excited about burn in... It's generally placebo effect...

 

[mhardy6647]

I cannot say I noticed any substantial change in the sound of the pair of R200s I have from the first time they were, umm, energized to any subsequent time up to... now.
I took delivery of 'em in early November 2021.

Polk R-200 Evaluation

Photos of a pair of the Polk Audio Reserve Series R-200 two-way bookshelf loudspeakers, purchased and evaluated Fall 2021. Very good little loudspeakers. Nice to see Polk back to form as a brand providing high value loudspeakers for hifi audio.

flic.kr

 

[delta76]

someone send this to Amir please? Appreciate efforts by OP, but it does not hurt to have more accurate measurements with Knippel

 

[beaRA]

someone send this to Amir please? Appreciate efforts by OP, but it does not hurt to have more accurate measurements with Knippel

I sent the R100 to Erin: https://erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/polk_r100/

 

[powpow]

Hi. Can I drive the R200 well with a 2015 Marantz 1606? Specs for the Marantz below. I don’t typically listen at high volumes. Thanks!

Power amplifier

Rated output:	Front:
50 W + 50 W (8 Ω/ohms, 20 Hz – 20 kHz with 0.08 % T.H.D.)
70 W + 70 W (6 Ω/ohms, 1 kHz with 0.7 % T.H.D.)
Center:
50 W (8 Ω/ohms, 20 Hz – 20 kHz with 0.08 % T.H.D.)
70 W (6 Ω/ohms, 1 kHz with 0.7 % T.H.D.)
Surround:
50 W + 50 W (8 Ω/ohms, 20 Hz – 20 kHz with 0.08 % T.H.D.)
70 W + 70 W (6 Ω/ohms, 1 kHz with 0.7 % T.H.D.)
Surround back:
50 W + 50 W (8 Ω/ohms, 20 Hz – 20 kHz with 0.08 % T.H.D.)
70 W + 70 W (6 Ω/ohms, 1 kHz with 0.7 % T.H.D.)
Output connectors:	4 – 16 Ω/ohms

 

[Pritaudio]

would hypex ncx500 be wasted on these, and will hypex nc502 be good enough?

 

[Pritaudio]

any reviews of the r500 floor stander model in comparison?