Excellent clarity and transparency. Nice craftsmanship.

I have none with these speakers

Ok, first and foremost...if you can biwire these speakers. It does make a nice difference. Not a "damn I got a new set of speakers difference," but it does clear out the high end a little more.
I've been extremely happy with these speakers they push anything I throw at them, Jazz, Rap, movies, techno. Their imaging and transparency are excellent.
Some of these reviews below complain the polk is a flat speaker. Well compared to a Klipsch it's going to be, but having demoed way too many speakers I know that the Klipsch's brightness hides a lot of subtle effects in movies and music(crickets in the lost world for example)
The RT55i is awesome speaker...balanced sound and well built.

Similar Products Used:

Infinity, Paradigm, Phase Tech, Def Tech, KEF, JBL

These Speakers cover both Movies and Music very well. Very clear sounding speakers

NONE

This is on the RT55i only the new model of the RT55
I have only had these speakers for a week but I can tell they are one of the best I have heard. They are very responsive on every plain.

Similar Products Used:

ADS

These Speakers cover both Movies and Music very well. Very clear sounding speakers

NONE

This is on the RT55i only the new model of the RT55
I have only had these speakers for a week but I can tell they are one of the best I have heard. They are very responsive on every plain.

Similar Products Used:

ADS

Clean, Tight, Crisp. Unbelievable considering their price tag.

A little light in the bass, under 190hz. Good for a bookshelf speaker though.

I purchased these a few months ago due to the theft of my coveted Infinity's. I was planning on buying Infinity again, until I was in the showroom. What a sad mess that company is in. Auditioned quite a few other brands and models, priced anywhere from $250 - 1000. Settled on the Polk RT55i because they seemed so clean, though speakers usually do in a good showroom.

These speakers just simply shine. I've read a few of the reviews from those who were critical of them and they all seem to say the same thing, "flat". Well, truth is, sound is different to everyone, and those who think these sound too "flat", well, just get a pair of Vega's. At least you'll get your 'shake the neighbor's house of it's foundation' bass, though you can throw imaging and crispness out the window.

It takes about a month for the RT's to break-in, but after that, it's smooth sailing. One point worth noting is the fact that my living room is not at all naturally condusive to good sound. It took me about two month's to position and equalize my old Infinity's. So I figured once these Polk's broke in, I would tend to the dreaded calibration ordeal. Much to my amazement, the RT's were nearly perfect without any equalization, treble and bass knobs at zero. With the exception of a small glitch between 250 and 300hz, these babies ARE flat, right across the frequency range.

Not bad for a modest $550-600. You WILL spend much, much more before you get something home of this build quality and sound quality. I drive them with an Onkyo receiver and I have purchased a Polk PSW250 subwoofer, which is just what the doctor ordered to pick these RT's up in the bass category. Set the crossover to about 80hz, volume dead smack in the middle, and you just might have one of the best main's you can buy for this kind of money. Simply outstanding.

Similar Products Used:

Infinity CS3006, Bose 501 (for 3 days)

In the proccess of choosing a new set of speakers for under $600/pair I came across the RT55's. I have not purchased them jet, but compared to other similar priced models from Infinity, JBL, Bose - the RT55 seem to be the better choice.
The sound is clear and fill the room - lots of projection. The Bose 301 seem to be the best value for the $$$ but did not have the sound definition found on the RT55. The infinity were expensive and very directional. Choosing a set of speakers has proven to be harder than I thought. I am leaning towards buying these fine speakers. I just have to convince myself that the RT55 sound $230 better than the Bose 301's.

I just upgraded my RT7's for RT55, Polk's new high-end bookshelf speaker. Actually, the RT7's have been discontinued as of 9/98. The RT7's were a great audio speaker for the price. The RT55's however have a better mid and low range presence with dual 6.5 mid/woofers and a rear mounted "Power Port" instead of one 7.5 m/woof. They have retained much of the accuracy that the RT7's were known for but have improved tonal qualities for Home Theater applications. I had to turn down my Def Tech PF15TL sub to balance in the greater lows of the RT55's. At a little over $550/pr they do the job very nicely. The RT55 are identical to the RT800 and the top half of the RT3000p.

I just got myself a pair of 55's and put it through all types of music. My initial impression is that it images better and have more bass extension and power at some frequencies than the RT7's. The sound is also warmer, polite, and laid back. With some simple music material the vocals and simple instruments are great, but once you starting playing some complex rock music, the speaker becomes dull, cluttered, and the soundstage get sucked into the speaker and all you hear is mildly boomy bass and distant vocals. I noticed this when I played some NIN. It was like night and day when compared to the RT7's, which did a great job.
As for large orchestra music, such as the soundtrack to "The Rock", "Crimson Tide", and "Armageddon", the 55’s have detail, but no presence or air and once again, the lead instruments that are suppose to be up front are pushed back into the group. The music doesn’t reach out and grab you like the 7’s do.

Again, the 55's articulation was good with some material but poor with others. I do get a sense of a bit more midrange detail, but it is counterbalanced by the lack of transparency and projection. I can’t get a hold of it, but something is lacking. Music overall doesn’t get you involved and make you want to dance or sing along as it does with the 7’s. There is no feeling.

The only feeling I have about these speakers is that it tuned for movie tracks than music.

At high volume with ample power, the sound will become very harsh. These puppies are easily overloaded.

As a final thought I would like to say that the sound produced by the 55’s is not exciting or unique. Their performance will vary greatly by the type and source of music. Some material will sound better other will not compared to the 7’s. The speakers look and finish is great except some messy glue job. The 55's look expensive but their sound is sad to say not. I am thinking about returning the speakers and keeping my RT7's even if they aren't as pretty. I'm still in a state of denial that the 55's are so lifeless. I've triple checked my setup thinking that it must be the setup. Sorry it isn't. It's a frustrating pair of speaker. That's all I can say. You want it to come alive but it doesn't.

I picked up a pair of RT55s at Circuit City for $548 and am happy with the overall sound. I am not big on heavy rock or I wouldn't be as impressed. For acoustical based music these are GREAT! They have clear sound with good definition and are pleasing to listen to for extended periods. It came down to a toss-up between the RT55 and the B&W 602s but ultimately I thought the Polks had a more pleasing sound across a broader span of music. I've got the RT55s hooked up to a Harmon Kardon AVR40 reciever; Harmon Kardon FL8300 CD;Monster Cable gold plated CD interconnects; Monster Cable 16ga. speaker wire(short runs). I would give a wholehearted recommendation to anyone who likes folk/ folk rock/bluegrass/or other acoustic based music.

I have owned RT-55 speaker for about 2-months now. After comparing them to just about everything at Circuit City, I choose them with a Polk PSW-150 Sub. I am still as please with the over-all Sound quality and Clarity of these speakers. They do a GREAT Job on everything from Jazz to Rock. They are also great for home theater. They cover the sound from top to bottom and with a sub do a great job with Home theater.
I am totally satisfied!

Great speakers... You can't beat these guys for 275 apiece. They have great range, especially for HT, which is what I am using them for. I listened to other speakers in that range: Infinities were to bright, Paradigm were muddy, these babies have incredible bass for a bookshelf speaker. Had to turn down the crossover on my Velodyne sub (somewhere between 45 and 50). These are not super high end, but are the best I heard for a budget system. I matched them with a Polk CS300 center and Polk RT25 surrounds with a Sony STR-DE725 and a Panasonic A110 DVD Player. Purchase Video Essentials to tune the system and you have a great budget system for under $1,500.