These cost $399 USD each when new. Very impressed with the musicality of this speaker for the price. Polk make a good speaker and these are no exception. I have had several Polk Audio speakers and I prefer the sound of these for music.
Would not hesitate to recommend these to anyone.
Awesome product!

A friend gave these to me because he's moving and, well, they've been in a closet for years now. I was pretty jazzed to get a free set of big speakers to play with, who wouldn't be? When I got them home, I unplugged my Paradigm Mini Monitors and hooked these bad boys up.

Yuck.

They don't sound terrible, but the sound they produce is VERY colored. Acoustic guitars sound like they're in the room when reproduced on the Paradigms, the Polks honestly sound like it's playing in a wooden box. I never had a good sense of what it meant to 'hear the speaker' until I did a side-by-side comparison with the Paradigms. The bass was muddy and unimpressive and the treble lacked presence.

I think if I were to run them next to my older Bose 401s they'd sound pretty decent, and right now I'm in the process of testing them as rear channels (taking over for the 401s). I have a feeling that I'm going to prefer the bi-polar 401s for rear channel, but we'll see.

If you can get a deal on these (I'll say $135 because that's what I paid for the 401s), there is nothing wrong with them. But don't go much higher than that because you could find a used pair of Paradigm Titans (v. 2 or above) for that price (I got mine for $125) or even luck out and find a pair of Mini Monitors that will blow them both out of the water.

I only tested with acoustic music, some of these reviews say that they're better for rock (but that's only because there is so much "action" that you wouldn't hear the coloration), but it didn't take long to see that they have weaknesses and wouldn't be replacing my current speakers.

In sum: buy if you can get a really good deal, pass if you'll have to spend more than, say, $150.

Tight bass

Quality. I've listened to Polk speakers throughout the years, and am finding that they've lost the edge they once had in the 80's and early 90's.

I purchased a pair of Polk RT12 speakers in 1998 at Goodguys on closeout ($400/pair), and have since had to replace all drivers. Both tweeters went bad, and all mid and bass drivers started to make a cracking sound. I rarely listened to music loud using these speakers, and was disappointed with the quality of these speakers. Following four visits to Goodguys' product repair service department in 2003, 2004 and 2005, these speakers are performing well again. Thank goodness I purchased an extended warranty. I have a pair of A/D/S L9e speakers from 1990, and they sound great! When the Polks were in the shop, I used the A/D/S. Although these are bookshelf speakers, they've not once given me any problems, and after nearly 15 years, they still sound great! I'm thinking about selling my Polks...

These are not audiophile speakers, but they are very good speakers, plenty of tight bass, clear mids, and balanced highs, they product a fairly large soundstage. The RT12's can be biwired and should be, as this improves the overall sound and imaging. The more you play them the better they get. They are also a first rate Home Theater speaker. The RT12's put out plenty of punch, very quick to respond. I have four of them in my Doby Digital system matched with the CS250 center. Very impressive.

Reviewers WANTED!!!
I have owned a lot of speakers lately... BOSE 301
(Series III), 401, 501, AM5, Definitive BP6B, BP8B,
JBLs, Mirage, and finally POLK RT 12.

I feel that the RT12 is a good overall, versatile
speaker. It's a great bargain for movies and music.
It handles bass well, has a sweet midrange, and
trebles are not too aggressive.

Of course, there's always better with more money to
spend... What do you think?

Looks,Sound,Price

Great Speaker That does not take up your whole living room. Fast and direct Bass. Mid's that are not harch. High's that could hurt a dogs ears. Great value and sound! A true Winner by POLK AUDIO!

Similar Products Used:

B&W, Klipsch

After listening to Mirage, Infinity and some other names (JBL, Mssion) I went with the RT-12. First of all, they fit the budget. I got a decent price when combined with the CS250. I have them attached to a Kenwood 1080VR and run Home Theater and Music through them. If you are not listening to that metal banging mind numbing stuff they call music these speakers deliver the full sound and content of the performance itself. No loss of sound or distortion at high volume levels (yes you metal heads if you stick your heads close enough to these babies when they are cranked up it will leave you with the feeling of being on an LSD trip).Worth a listening to and when balanced overall with your entire home package should please anyone.

I own a set of Polk RT10's, with a single 7.5 woofer in each. I have listened to the RT12's and I am really impressed with the whole line of Polk products. If anyone can spend more than $500, definitely check out Polk. I'm more than satisfied with my smaller RT10's and I can't imagine why the RT12's would be worse. Either one is a sure bet for good quality sound; the realism is awesome when listening to concert abulms. These speakers are good at anything. 5 Star rating for sure!

I Love the RT12s!!!For any *ANY* person with a budget of less than $900/pair for speakers, I recommend the RT12s, which I got for $400/pair at the GoodGuys...

The bass is as good as my friend's 10" Energy Sub, and the treble is very well definied. The only problem I've ever had, is that there is one frequency that resonates loudly in the low bass. However, the bass extends well below ALL other speakers in the sub-$900 category I've listened to.

I own a couple of RT 12 connected to a Denon AVR/2400. I am 15 and have hearing loss on the high tones. These speakers have made it possible for me to hear a great deal of stuff I couldn't hear before. Not to mention that the bass are so powerful that I have to turn the low levels down because they make my head vibrate far too much. For those who don't own a subwoofer with a similar sistem, and don't enjoy a good bass, try bringing the subwoofer level down too nothing.