Polk S30 Center Speaker Review

[beagleman]

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.

Several??
Again they have made about 20 lines of speakers, which specific ones please?

Only in that they have made so many ranges in price and quality and types over the years, I would find it quite hard to simply group them all together as one, as I have owned and heard many also, and sound wise and use wise, they were all over the place.

I was only asking WHICH Models you heard. No need to take that as a negative comment.

 

[beaRA]

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.

Maybe the 704c then. I used the 704c with S55 towers for a while and it sounded great after some light EQ for matching. For home theater, the center speaker is the most important speaker so you shouldn't really worry about overkill.

 

[Jdunk54nl]

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.

If you do home theatre a lot, the center is probably the most important speaker in the mix, it should be the best! It anchors most of the sound.

 

[Rottmannash]

Several??
Again they have made about 20 lines of speakers, which specific ones please?

Only in that they have made so many ranges in price and quality and types over the years, I would find it quite hard to simply group them all together as one, as I have owned and heard many also, and sound wise and use wise, they were all over the place.

I was only asking WHICH Models you heard. No need to take that as a negative comment.

Sorry-guess I misinterpreted your comment. I have owned and sold or given away so many pair of speakers I can't remember them all but the best Polks I've owned were that center and the towers-RT2000P. I've always like Polk speakers-had several pair of their car speakers as well and I'm well aware there's a lot of Polk bashing on the "audiophile" sites so am sensitive to that as well. I know I've never seen any Polk speakers in the high end dealers here in Nashville, except for the big SDA that was released last year.

 

[beagleman]

Sorry-guess I misinterpreted your comment. I have owned and sold or given away so many pair of speakers I can't remember them all but the best Polks I've owned were that center and the towers-RT2000P. I've always like Polk speakers-had several pair of their car speakers as well and I'm well aware there's a lot of Polk bashing on the "audiophile" sites so am sensitive to that as well. I know I've never seen any Polk speakers in the high end dealers here in Nashville, except for the big SDA that was released last year.

Yeah I have owned several of the Rti line, the Lsi line and the Lsim line. Along with a few from the original 80s models.

For a while I sold Polk stuff (80s and early 90s) and while not the ultimate, they were a great mid priced speaker, that bested most of the other mid stuff in some key ways, but were never truly Top of the line stuff.

My favorite of all time, and you will laugh, is their Lsic center speaker. I have used 3 of them for my left right and center, and they are extremely smooth for music or movies.

 

[Laserjock]

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

I have that speaker. It has an “active” component to it.

 

[AverageJoeAudiophile]

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.

I have a 704c to go with my 703's. It's been working great for me.

 

[ThatM1key]

If you do home theatre a lot, the center is probably the most important speaker in the mix, it should be the best! It anchors most of the sound.

I'm not much of a movie person but I am a music person. I do use my Sony's Dolby Surround DSP on music.

I have that speaker. It has an “active” component to it.

I always like the active sub that's a part of it.

I was wondering if the S30 would gain almost an ohm if the Power-Port was removed like the S20's? The S20's ohm problem was discovered by GR Research.

(Timestamp: 8:30)

 

[Rottmannash]

I have that speaker. It has an “active” component to it.

Which speaker has an "active" component? Are you referring to the RT2000P? It has 2 - 8 inch powered subs per tower.

 

[Laserjock]

Which speaker has an "active" component? Are you referring to the RT2000P? It has 2 - 8 inch powered subs per tower.

I quoted Post # 70 that you liked. He quoted mine without the context

 

[ThatM1key]

I got a new white s30 and a refurb walnut s30. Walnut s30 sounded a bit muffled but I pulled out my white s30, sounded the same way. White s30 feels like a super smooth kitchen top while the walnut s30 feels sort of like real rough wood. walnut s30 came with no feet and no manual. White s30 looks ugly without the cover but with the cover on, looks good. Walnut s30 looks good cover on or off.
Before I saw the refurb deal, i was thinking of painting the white s30, but the tweeter is white and im not good at painting specific areas. A new black s30 tweeter costs $80 usd + shipping from polk directly, ouch. For reference a lsim 703 woofer costs $90 usd + shipping, directly. As of writing this, I listened to the white s30 vertically, it didnt sound that much different. I am sitting about 3 feet away anyways. The muffled sound is most likely my receiver, I recently factory resetted it and didnt calibrate. I'm very certain that both would sound after a calibrate

 

[AlexanderM]

So in Canada the Best Buy stores have a Polk display with all the Signature Series speakers set up, then there is a menu that is supposed to allow you to play whatever combination of speakers you choose. 5 times now, in 3 different stores, I have tried to listen to the S60 speakers but the display system has never worked, I've complained every time.

 

[ThatM1key]

So in Canada the Best Buy stores have a Polk display with all the Signature Series speakers set up, then there is a menu that is supposed to allow you to play whatever combination of speakers you choose. 5 times now, in 3 different stores, I have tried to listen to the S60 speakers but the display system has never worked, I've complained every time.

I wouldn't trust those Best Buy demo stations. You can't use your own music and the demos they pick for you are terrible. It's either "Fast and Furious 8" or "Rock music but all the instruments are blended together". I'm glad the Canadian Best Buy's have the S60s on display, here in America, the Best Buy's only show the S55's. Yeah I've seen those demos stop working too, If I was that demo machine I too would die after 4 years of constant high volume F&F 8 demos. To me it feels weird comparing the T series ("refreshed" R series) to the Signature speakers, there leagues apart. What's polks next unfair demo, Monitor VS Reserve? If I'm having a bad day, I look at T15 and T50 reviews. I bet if the T15 was wired without any crossover at all people would still think it sounds clear.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Good review, I think this is the first time I've seen anything outside of Dr. Toole's book discussing the inherent issues with MTM centre speakers and reflections. Unfortunately, it seems most manufacturers offer this configuration and little else.

Along those lines, something like a Kef LS 50, or Meta, or even LSX, with their virtually identical horizontal and vertical directivity should like nearly ideal center channel speakers.

 

[AlexanderM]

I finally got to listen to the Polk Signature S60's, I won't be buying them when the time comes. I'm now thinking ELAC, or better quality Dali, or perhaps Mission. Not buying at the moment so lots of time to narrow it down.

 

[ad_fletch]

Has anyone got experience (or better yet measurements) with the T30? S30 price, as with most speakers, is silly in Aus. RC263 isn't even readily available as alternative.

From T50 review I am cautiously optimistic about T30, but would like some data....

 

[EdTice]

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.

I have an S35 and, yeah, it sounds great on-axis sitting horizontally. But it's harder to place vertically than an S30 would be unless you have a lot of empty space under your TV. But even if you did, that would tend to center the vocals far enough under the TV that I would be worried that it's noticeable. Somebody else mentioned upgrading from the S35 to the SVS. As always I'm willing to buy an SVS center and have it sent to Amir for testing if there's interest. I use the Denon AVR x3600h and I imagine the SVS would sound better at the pedestrian volumes common in my house simply because of the lower sensitivity. If I do change out my center, I'm feeling like the S35 would be a good surround back speaker mounted vertically behind the couch.