Nice finish. Crisp and clear sound after break-in period

none so far

I was looking for a decent and affordable pair of bookshelf speakers for the family den. After reading all the positive reviews on the R15’s, I decided to give them a try. I own(ed) several speaker brands including Advent, JBL, Infinity, Klipsch and Athena but never a Polk Audio, although I have heard good things about their products. If you are reading this review, you must be considering of purchasing these speakers so read on. Right out of the box impression: • Good and secure packaging • Smooth Cherry wood finish • Solid build quality • Easy hook up with decent grade binding post • Convenient keyhole for wall mount option The receiver I am using is the Denon AVR 3300. I listen mostly to contemporary jazz and R&B. The speakers did not produce the clean sound other reviewers talked about at first. The sound was mudded and a bit distorted. I was at the point of having a buyer’s remorse but I continued to play it and the sound progressively got better, much better even in high volume. I’ve never owned a pair of speakers that had a huge difference in sound quality from pre to post break-in. Now, the highs blend perfectly with the amount of bass the speakers can produce which easily fills a 15x18 room. The bass could be better but good enough for its size and price. Nothing a mid grade subwoofer can’t fix. In my case, I hooked it up to a Yamaha YST215 ($99) and it instantly completed the package. I’m really glad I gave these speakers a shot. Needless to say, Polk Audio will be on top of my shopping list the next time I’m in the market for speakers. Verdict: The R15’s are above average bookshelf speakers with a break-in period of approximately 5-8 hours. They are excellent in small to mid size rooms and great for casual listening. If you are an audiophile or a music enthusiast, you might want to consider a sub. People get excited with good deals and these will definitely give you the run for your money.

Similar Products Used:

Infinity

Great sound, dynamic range, compact size, PRICE

Won't rattle your windows.

Great speakers as satelites in my wife's office. No window shattering lows but very good for all but extreme volumes. Last used '70's vintage Klipsch Heresys but my wife made me move them out because they were too big. These $80 speakers (Circuit City sale) stack up very well against the Heresys and considering they were almost $800 less they stack up unbelievably well.

Similar Products Used:

Klipsch Heresy Polk home theater RM 6600 with PSW 350 sub

Solidly built, wide sound dispersion, clear crisp mids and highs. 39.00 each

Almost paid 80.00 each at Circuit City

After listening to these speakers without the subwoofer hooked up, I can safely say they qualify as a steal at 40.00 each. They are almost as clear as my Klipsch SB-2's and not as directional. I'm sure they will sound even better after a week or so of steady play. I bought them for the bedroom to be the alternate stereo. Hooked them into the DVD and VCR. Instant Home theater with attitude. The subwoofer is still in the box. I hate(well, not really)to think what they will sound like with real base. My wife is impressed and she has ears that can hear like a dog. No audio imperfection can go unoticed.

Similar Products Used:

Klipsch, Pioneer, Kenwood, RCA

very good imaging and spread of the back and side surrounds!!!!

@ $40 each!!! you have to be kidding...

I bought 4 of these @ $40.00 each!!! What a steal!!! I use them as surrounds In a 7.1 yamaha/thx select,dts-es/dolby-d-ex/prologic IIx home theater. I really like them with my Polk R50 fronts and my Bic center dv62clrs & two atlantic tech subs with crossover bypass. and now prologic IIx is in stereo in the two back channels with additional steering!! read about Dolby prologic IIx @ Dolby.com!!! It's awsome it expands any 2 chnl/5.1/6.1 channel dolby d/dts into true 7.1 channel!!!! look it up!!!!

Similar Products Used:

Who cares!!!!!!

they produce nice mids and decent highs and are only $80 a pair

Bass is the main problem but for the price and size that is expected

I am on a limited budget but i enjoy having a home theatre. i have been using these speakers as fronts. they produce nice mids and decent highs. the bass is however lacking because it only has a 5 1/4 inch cone. i have a subwoofer to make up for the lack of bass. i recently upgraded my fronts to some floorstanding polks and now use the r15s as rear surround sound speakers. overall id say they are decent speakers with great sound for the price and size, but are best used with a sub.

Non fatiguing sound. Image quite well.

None really for the price, but lack the detail, smoothness, finesse, and refinement of more expensive speakers

I owned these for a about a month. Purchased for $70/pair at CC, open box pair. Drove them with a Sherwood stereo receiver. These speakers sound incredible for the money I paid. I have listened to many speakers, some costing upwards of $1500/pair and I will say the polks will hold up quite well against speakers costing up to $200/pair. They lack a bit in bass and need a sub to play full range, though I used them without a sub. They image quite well, although the sound is reproduced too forward and soundstage depth is poor. The midrange is good, sounding a bit thin on male vocals. Highs are a little too crisp but plenty of detail considering the price. Overall the sound is non fatiguing. These would great as stereo speakers in an office or dorm room, or as mains/surrounds in a home theater system. Also work great as computer speakers and would sound better than any multimedia speaker out there. Overall quite satisfied though I did return these and upgraded, but the speakers I got cost significantly more.

Similar Products Used:

Energy C-1 (I upgraded to these)