Polk Reserve R350 Review (Center Speaker)

[sarumbear]

Thinking about it, the cancellation must be very very theoretical.
It does not include facts like 2 listening position (2 ears 20cm apart), all kinds of reflections and other stuff... If it was like this, this would be very audible in any stereo setup... Or?

maybe you need to read the review?

 

[Beershaun]

These should get a headless panther because they do a terrible job of performing their function of a center channel.Horizontal directivity is critical to having multiple people sitting and watching a movie and all enjoying the sound and hearing the dialogue clearly.

Also the company clearly knows how to create a capable center channel and chose not to..so anyone doing online research to buy these speakers or not and trusts this forum should get a clear message to stay away from this and buy a different better center channel.

 

[Robbo99999]

I gave this a "Not terrible (postman panther)". Poor horizontal directivity kills it, as the main thrust of Amir's conclusion which is nonsensical for this type of speaker, but it performs well everywhere else apart from maybe bass extension, but I guess you'd have a subwoofer in your theatre, so for one / or centralised listening position then this might be ok for a movie system. Doesn't quite edge into the "Poor" bracket as it has some redeemable use cases for not an absolutely extortionate price.

 

[PeteL]

I’m shocked that you are that selfish and that you don’t care if your other half or friends hear bad sound.

Wow... Choosing a speaker with sub optimal directivity is now an act of selfishness... maybe time to take a step back and reassess what is truly important in life and evaluate where hi fidelity appear on that scale? Many people will actually choose this to please the other half sir, or for many other reasons but out of selfishness is a little strong in coffee.

 

[Robbo99999]

I always wanted my room to be mostly loudspeakers! I'm partially there with two garish 308p speakers on stands at inexplicable places, but you gotta dream!

 

[sarumbear]

I gave this a "Not terrible (postman panther)". Poor horizontal directivity kills it, as the main thrust of Amir's conclusion which is nonsensical for this type of speaker, but it performs well everywhere else apart from maybe bass extension, but I guess you'd have a subwoofer in your theatre, so for one / or centralised listening position then this might be ok for a movie system. Doesn't quite edge into the "Poor" bracket as it has some redeemable use cases for not an absolutely extortionate price.

Please explain now a subwoofer that works below around 100Hz will solve the 10-15dB frequency errors between 600-3000Hz? Or in your book flat FR is meaningless?

 

[Chromatischism]

I’m shocked that you are that selfish and that you don’t care if your other half or friends hear bad sound.

Thanks for cutting out the rest of my post and jumping to an inappropriate conclusion

 

[sarumbear]

Wow... Choosing a speaker with sub optimal directivity is now an act of selfishness... maybe time to take a step back and reassess what is truly important in life and evaluate where hi fidelity appear on that scale? Many people will actually choose this to please the other half sir, or for many other reasons but out of selfishness is a little strong in coffee.

I’m sorry for not sugar coating my comment. I like my coffee strong.

 

[Robbo99999]

Wow... Choosing a speaker with sub optimal directivity is now an act of selfishness... maybe time to take a step back and reassess what is truly important in life and evaluate where hi fidelity appear on that scale? Many people will actually choose this to please the other half sir, or for many other reasons but out of selfishness is a little strong in coffee.

WUT, where's the humour

 

[CedarX]

Quoting Amir “I am not sure what the rise in woofer response is post 2 kHz.” Do the crossover freq. explain the near-field woofer(s) response in the 1.5-4kHz range?

CROSSOVER

Tweeter/Mid-range Crossover Frequency	2700
Mid-range/Mid-bass Crossover Frequency	1400

 

[sarumbear]

Wow... Choosing a speaker with sub optimal directivity is now an act of selfishness... maybe time to take a step back and reassess what is truly important in life and evaluate where hi fidelity appear on that scale? Many people will actually choose this to please the other half sir, or for many other reasons but out of selfishness is a little strong in coffee.

We are talking about a centre speaker of a home theatre (not Hi-Fi). They almost never have a single seat.

 

[Robbo99999]

Please explain now a subwoofer that works below around 100Hz will solve the 10-15dB frequency errors between 600-3000Hz? Or in your book flat FR is meaningless?

That's if you're sitting off axis, which I addressed in my post. But yeah for off axis it's hopeless - it's a centre speaker for a couple that like sitting on each others laps!

 

[PeteL]

We are talking about a centre speaker of a home theatre (not Hi-Fi). They almost never have a single seat.

I get that, my comment still stick. Maybe there was a joke buried there, if so my apologies. In my book. "I am shocked that you are so selfish" sounds like an insult. I am an advocate for insult-less forums.

 

[sarumbear]

That's if you're sitting off axis, which I addressed in my post. But yeah for off axis it's hopeless - it's a centre speaker for a couple that like sitting on each others laps!

A speaker for a love seat

 

[Robbo99999]

A speaker for a love seat

Not terrible postman panther!

 

[sarumbear]

I get that, my comment still stick. Maybe there was a joke buried there, if so my apologies. In my book. "I am shocked that you are so selfish" sounds like an insult. I am an advocate for insult-less forums.

I had not intended to insult you. I never, ever insult anyone on a forum. I was simply showing you that your words can be seen as selfish.

 

[PeteL]

I had not intended to insult you. I never, ever insult anyone on a forum. I was simply showing you that your words can be seen as selfish.

I actually was defending someone else but OK.

 

[Robbo99999]

Well, I've decided I'm gonna buy this speaker based on it's directivity, but really I think I'll hold out just in case!

 

[notabenem]

maybe you need to read the review?

Thanks, I deserved this. So it's far from theoretical... with pure sine waves, eliminating room response. Theory proven.
Still, real-world signals and setups are different.. otherwise no one would be using a stereo setup, if it was that audible.
Forget it, don't want to hijack this thread.

Edit: thanks to your comment I've realized, that while i may have solved the directivity issue by rotating the speaker 90 degrees, I immediately added it back by using 2 speakers on each side.

 

[pseudoid]

This would be the most opportune time for sum1 from 'this' manufacturer (not a marketeer but a designer/engineer) drop-in to ASR and explain/defend/justify such a pos being put on the higher-end audio market.
I had to wait for a few months before this Reserve R350 center became available for purchase.
My ears were very disappointed (substantiated by @amirm's test results) and my eyes will never acknowledge the existence of this brand (and its relatives) in the market place again.

"Once bitten, twice shy" goes even deeper regarding this 'brand' for me and for eternity.

"DEI Holdings, subdivision of Sound United, also owns Definitive Technology, Denon, Marantz, Boston Acoustics and now Bowers & Wilkins. I shudder to think what kind of customer service these companies now have if they are anything like Polk."

Most expensive door-stop I ever bought...