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Polk Reserve R350 Review (Center Speaker)

Rate this speaker:

  • Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 122 52.4%
  • Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 98 42.1%
  • Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 11 4.7%
  • Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 2 0.9%

  • Total voters
    233

beagleman

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In the end, a company not only has to make money, but even before a product is released or produced, they must KNOW, that there are customers that for sure will want this item.

Dyson springs to mind. Great marketing of a vacuum that is VERY much based on a previous vacuum, the Hoover Wind Tunnel, and a technique from around 1920 to separate grain or some such thing on farms.
 

PeteL

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To the first paragraph, I've already agreed with that point you made after you qualified what thing you were referencing when you mentioned "superior". There is no debate about this.

Genelec isn't a "major brand", they don't really target their products to straight up everyday consumers, I can't for instance go and buy their speakers at Best Buy. Kef on the other hand, I can - they move far more units than Genelec... That's what I am referencing when I talk about dominant players, or the top players in an industry. So when you say I'm mixing something up, I'm really not, and any mixup that perhaps is happening, is due to ambiguities you're creating - I'm directly replying to precise points you're making, and anything that isn't clear I address with more than one interpretation based on the ambiguity left over.

Next, you say it takes a major brand to do something like the R&D required for coax designs. But Genelec's overall budget obviously pales in comparison to the top players. So again, while you may call Genelec and Kef both major brands (I don't care about a "brand" I was talking about a company, not sure there needs to be this discussion about branding, unless you also mean companies which I hope), Kef and Genelec aren't the same simply due to the scale of markets they address. In the same way JBL is also a "major brand", but you're not seriously going to sit here and tell me that there's no distinction between JBL and Genelec I hope.

Finally you make the claim about: "but it's not the same thing as proving that Manufacturer X speakers would be better if they start doing them. Those are not obscure concepts, not sure what you are disagreeing on to be honest." (again, the problem of ambiguity I always have to keep contending with like here when you say "better", do you mean market performance, or performance from technical perspectives? I will assume the latter).

So in the same way you think there is a debate going on, you also think there is a disagreement, when all there really is; is confusion about what it is you think you're giving an answer to. So I'll make it simple...

Why is it that coaxial designs aren't more prevalent in the industry, when the company like Genelec that takes a scientific approach to designing their products has demonstrated all of their speakers in their coaxial offerings, perform better in appreciable aspects than their non-coaxial versions of similar product family... You are disqualified from saying "R&D costs" because I already explained the simple matter of fact that bigger companies have far more money, thus this cannot be the primary reason they don't offer such products. I already understand "it's not proven", but I already addressed this as well when I said in my prior post, which you seem to have ignored for some reason: "Also Coax doesn't need to be superior in all aspects, in the same way multi drivers don't need to be inferior in all respects for them to fail as the inverse...".

I don't need to know who's the major brand or whatever it is you want to bring up about that. Fact of the matter remains, there are companies with far more money to spend than Genelec has. So I am wondering what precisely is their excuse for not having coaxial designs in a complete speaker package? Since all indicators point to benefits not easily possible with split driver designs, especially not in similar form factor.

So your answers about "it's not proven to be superior" (while true to an extent based on perspective, isn't really a satisfactory answer, since no industry stands still as a single company or two do all the rest of the heavy R&D lifting, unless we live in some communist driven world or something where competition doesn't exist. Nor is the answer "well it doesn't mean their coaxial designs will be better than their split designs". Again while true, it would be like saying "class D amps doesn't mean the amplifier won't use a lot of power compared to some Class AB designs" -- Sure, in the same way vertical directivity may not be better than some Revel TOTL split driver speaker, but you'd have to be quite incompetent to botch that when that is obviously one of the aspects where coaxial is clearly beneficial when compared to split drivers.

Here's what you answers amount to if taken in summary:

A large company X doesn't offer coaxial designs because even as one of the largest brands, it costs too much, and they're not sure if they can make a better performing product even if the design has been demonstrated to have better performance in certain aspects by another company on the market that does adopt such newer designs.

You're basically saying a large company that has money, can't somehow spend (or doesn't have the money to spend) on developing such design. And also because they aren't aware if they can produce a better performing product, they're not even going to try.

Sorry but that just seems like a silly thing to say about top players. If you for instance said something like: "They simply don't care to try new things, they'd rather sell the same old designs over and over since it makes them money they satisfied with", that would make more sense. But saying they're scared, and that they don't have enough money even though company X is one of the top players - that just rings as an odd claim to me personally. Could be true, not sure (and is why I ask from people here who may know better).
You may have some points. I'll don't think my points where where so ambiguous but anyhow:

- Yes I meant better as in better performance.
- We have no means to know for sure that : "they won't even try" The large manufacturers that is. I don't know that.
- I believe that as you state "Don't mean it's better in all aspect" is key I believe that manufacturer do try to make the best performing speaker at a price point that work for them. How to get there is not what matter.
- This previous bullet is relevant to this one. Even Genelec, who embraced this tech, and seams to be the absolute reference for you didn't phase out their classic two or tree way designs and in fact their highest end offering still use classic configuration... For some reason.
-As of today The real good performance COAX designs seams to be DSP equipped powered speakers. Would that be an indicator that it involves some compromise? Should that mean the classic amplifiers and passive speakers should dissapear? For example the Kef Q100 (passive) wasn't reviewed so well here. You do mention "not need to be better in all aspect", but the goal is still to do a better performing speaker. You don't do Coax just to do Coax, yes it has to warrant the cost yes it has to bring a benefit.
-I restate that Genelec is a big company. I don't care Big Bigger, Biggest, my point was more about company structure, market, catalog, business model. Not just size I thought I made that clear.

- Those are what I feel is explanation to your original question. Those are my opinions based on some experience in the industry (boutique small and large but electronics not speakers, I'm no expert in any means)) At least I believe that they are now clear to you after pages of explaining. You are allowed to not agree with these explanation, I'm not always right. But if you still don't understand them I'm not sure what to add.
 
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mhardy6647

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Dyson springs to mind. Great marketing of a vacuum that is VERY much based on a previous vacuum, the Hoover Wind Tunnel, and a technique from around 1920 to separate grain or some such thing on farms.

[New] technology and innovation are two terms that get thrown around a lot by "entrepreneurs" who are more focused on bilking umm, I mean acquiring funds from (more or less gullible) investors than they are on technology or innovation.
Especially "innovation". :( Every time I see it in a statement, the speaker is often (in my estimation, that is!) either completely clueless or of questionable trustworthiness.

or, as the writer of Ecclesiastes innovatively put it (a while back):

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

;)

One does, occasionally, stumble across true innovation -- it's kind of uncommon, though. :)
Here's what I tell my students about innovation. :p

1635247862123.png

1635247936427.png
 
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Can we do a poll on speaker polls? It’s an interesting idea. However, to me, the point of an Amir review is his expertise and testing equipment. I’m guessing that a lot of poll voters have never heard or tested the speaker. Consider moving the poll to the end of the review so a least the voters are more informed and the results are secondary to the review.
 

beagleman

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Can we do a poll on speaker polls? It’s an interesting idea. However, to me, the point of an Amir review is his expertise and testing equipment. I’m guessing that a lot of poll voters have never heard or tested the speaker. Consider moving the poll to the end of the review so a least the voters are more informed and the results are secondary to the review.


I get the feeling that MOST have never heard this speaker at all. I have not, but I am seeing a trend.......

Things seem to be easily bashed, but not feeling it is based on any reality, other than ganging up, when Amir is less than enthralled subjectively about a speaker.

I have truly no better solution, but feel there COULD be one.
 

strummr

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I get the feeling that MOST have never heard this speaker at all. I have not, but I am seeing a trend.......

Things seem to be easily bashed, but not feeling it is based on any reality, other than ganging up, when Amir is less than enthralled subjectively about a speaker.

I have truly no better solution, but feel there COULD be one.
How often have many members actually experienced the speaker or device being tested before offering an opinion? This is a review site, Amirm tests and posts results, and you can provide an opinion or perspectives based on those results - if you need to listen and experience all items before posting, how realistic is that?
 

beagleman

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How often have many members actually experienced the speaker or device being tested before offering an opinion? This is a review site, Amirm tests and posts results, and you can provide an opinion or perspectives based on those results - if you need to listen and experience all items before posting, how realistic is that?


I think one needs to listen before proclaiming something as Poor in the Polling part. Based on zero actual listening....

I did not say anything about posting.

Based on how it is now, if Amir said this center speaker was great, most of votes would go towards great or fine...
 

strummr

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I think one needs to listen before proclaiming something as Poor in the Polling part. Based on zero actual listening....

I did not say anything about posting.

Based on how it is now, if Amir said this center speaker was great, most of votes would go towards great or fine...
So the polling should be strictly limited to the data from the tests... I get it, but how realistic is it? not so much... as subjective bias (even if based on the test results) will play a part - I agree partly that it isn't overly scientific/1-1 with the data, but the notion of using test data as a reference to gauge a speaker, or DAC... or whatever, does become somewhat subjective. So as you note, maybe the polling is not the best way, but for some, it's a quick way to put in an opinion on the data.
 

beagleman

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So the polling should be strictly limited to the data from the tests... I get it, but how realistic is it? not so much... as subjective bias (even if based on the test results) will play a part - I agree partly that it isn't overly scientific/1-1 with the data, but the notion of using test data as a reference to gauge a speaker, or DAC... or whatever, does become somewhat subjective. So as you note, maybe the polling is not the best way, but for some, it's a quick way to put in an opinion on the data.


Probably. I was only referring to the Polling part, which Amir said he wanted to "Try" and see how it goes, and asked for ideas about it.

I
 

Haint

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I think one needs to listen before proclaiming something as Poor in the Polling part. Based on zero actual listening....

I did not say anything about posting.

Based on how it is now, if Amir said this center speaker was great, most of votes would go towards great or fine...

As a center channel its sole purpose is delivering good off axis (horizontal) response, which it objectively fails at--on a catastrophic level. Should be a headless panther no question about it. If your only use case is sitting +/-10 degrees of horizontal center (which is all this product covers, basically a single user), you arguably shouldn't even be using a physical center as I'd expect many people to prefer a phantom image at that point. The phantom would likely produce a larger and more tonally matched image with better vertical positioning.
 
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ROOSKIE

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As a center channel its sole purpose is delivering good off axis (horizontal) response, which it objectively fails at--on a catastrophic level. Should be a headless panther no question about it. If you're already sitting +/-10 degrees of horizontal center, you arguably shouldn't even be using a physical center as I'd expect many people to prefer a phantom image at that point. The phantom would likely produce a larger and more tonally matched image with better vertical positioning.
Well, from memory even average center channels still anchor the sound to the screen better than no center.
Every time I use a L and R for movies and sit off to the side dialog location is messed up. I do this often as now my audio is stereo music based and sometimes I project a film using just my L&R channels.
I could even see how a speaker with narrow dispersion like this could give great sense of the dialog coming from the screen, even if the response is uneven, potentially ones brain might more easily cue it as originating from screen center. In other words it is precise vs diffused, and again maybe the response is not so great but the localization is fine.
 

sarumbear

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Well, from memory even average center channels still anchor the sound to the screen better than no center.
Every time I use a L and R for movies and sit off to the side dialog location is messed up. I do this often as now my audio is stereo music based and sometimes I project a film using just my L&R channels.
I could even see how a speaker with narrow dispersion like this could give great sense of the dialog coming from the screen, even if the response is uneven, potentially ones brain might more easily cue it as originating from screen center. In other words it is precise vs diffused, and again maybe the response is not so great but the localization is fine.
The thread is about a physical centre speaker not how they compare to a pseudo solution.
 

ROOSKIE

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Why is it that coaxial designs aren't more prevalent in the industry, when the company like Genelec that takes a scientific approach to designing their products has demonstrated all of their speakers in their coaxial offerings, perform better in appreciable aspects than their non-coaxial versions of similar product family... You are disqualified from saying "R&D costs" because I already explained the simple matter of fact that bigger companies have far more money, thus this cannot be the primary reason they don't offer such products. I already understand "it's not proven", but I already addressed this as well when I said in my prior post, which you seem to have ignored for some reason: "Also Coax doesn't need to be superior in all aspects, in the same way multi drivers don't need to be inferior in all respects for them to fail as the inverse...".
I believe that Patents are an issue.
I know KEF has many top patents on lockdown and at one time I read an article that some of them expire soon. (so we may see more competition)
I also know Harman companies have many top patents on successful and contemporary waveguides.
Genelec may also have patents as they make unique products.
Until patents expire in most countries where these companies do biz, infringing and losing in court is so expensive it makes no sense to push it.

Another issue is margins.
I can assure you that while Polk sells more products than Genelec they make much less per item for most of those products.
Taking on developing a new top quality coaxial to put in a $500 a pair set of speakers a real risk, Look at ELAC's struggle. Especially if by doing so you do not sell any extra speakers. Maybe the sales of an R350 with a coaxial would not exceed the sales of one without. Would you invest in that? Maybe as an audio nut, but as a person running a business and having to weigh all the checks and balances?
 

pseudoid

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Okay, I had used this R350 center speaker for a while BEFORE I got to see @amirm review and test results, which highly agreed with my ears.
Based on the horrendous horizontal dispersion, I think what I am going to try (when I get it back), is to rotate the 4 bass/mid drivers by 90degrees but I can't decide if I should do 2 of them CW and the other 2 CCW...:eek:
 

sarumbear

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Okay, I had used this R350 center speaker for a while BEFORE I got to see @amirm review and test results, which highly agreed with my ears.
Based on the horrendous horizontal dispersion, I think what I am going to try (when I get it back), is to rotate the 4 bass/mid drivers by 90degrees but I can't decide if I should do 2 of them CW and the other 2 CCW...:eek:
You will gain nothing. The drivers are round, hence the sound source is round. Nothing will change.

The issue here is the position of the tweeter. It should be vertically aligned with one of the drivers that you wanted to rotate. You cannot do that unless you build a new case, new crossover, etc. I.e. a new speaker...
 

pseudoid

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You will gain nothing. The drivers are round, hence the sound source is round. Nothing will change.

The issue here is the position of the tweeter. It should be vertically aligned with one of the drivers that you wanted to rotate. You cannot do that unless you build a new case, new crossover, etc. I.e. a new speaker...
I was just trying to provide a humurous closure to this thread. But I also have a freshly painted bridge, if you are interested.
My original intent was to DIY center, based on the LS3/5a but cost of quality parts prevented me and was fooled by the R350.
 

sarumbear

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I was just trying to provide a humurous closure to this thread. But I also have a freshly painted bridge, if you are interested.
After various "should be humour but instead real" posts I was looking at I missed your humour. Sorry.
 

rebbiputzmaker

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Sometimes I cringe when I read these threads but I would just like to add something to maybe make this a bit clearer, and maybe help some people who are confused. Granted if you take a MTM or MMTMM and lay it horizontally it will suck. But one must remember you are placing it in a sound field with two front speakers, more than likely two rear speakers and subwoofer and maybe Atmos speakers above.… You have to take it in context what will it sound like then? These other speakers can fill in the deficiencies.That’s what the manufacturer was intending the speaker for, they are satisfying to look for the front center speaker and hopefully getting a sonic result that would be acceptable in the process. Of course something coaxial or something more correct in design is better. But what is the ultimate outcome, the sum of all the parts give you??? That’s what needs to be looked at if you want to decide if a speaker does what it was intended to do.
 

pseudoid

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...Granted if you take a MTM or MMTMM and lay it horizontally it will suck. But one must remember you are placing it in a sound field with two front speakers,...
I was expecting that Atmos content would direct dialog (mids) to the center speaker, which in most cases is rarely vertical.:confused:Yes?
But... you know the rest... how else would you "attempt" to solve such a desire?
Yeah, great, so the helicopter is coming from the rear left but I have been taking my marriage (to Vandersteen2c series) for granted all these years and now I realize exactly why.
K.I.S.S.
 

rebbiputzmaker

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I was expecting that Atmos content would direct dialog (mids) to the center speaker, which in most cases is rarely vertical.:confused:Yes?
But... you know the rest... how else would you "attempt" to solve such a desire?
Yeah, great, so the helicopter is coming from the rear left but I have been taking my marriage (to Vandersteen2c series) for granted all these years and now I realize exactly why.
K.I.S.S.
I am not really a big system home theater fan. It is similar to overspending on one’s two channel audio system imo. Not always but, people that go to crazy tend to have six albums that they play over and over again that show how great their system sounds. Sort of like having a few of those amazing blockbusters that really show how the explosions can shake the entire house and the spaceships etc… hovering over the room have you cooking dinner for the aliens. What about the 99% of everything else which will sound fine on a much more modest system. Over the years I’ve come across a good number of audiophiles that the more money spent on the system, the less music they listen to.
 
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