Marvelous Polk Audio Reserve R200 Speaker Review

[@ah.l]

Great 5star find. As always got every detail we can need in the review.

[@DjJeffo78]

Fantastic video Tharbamar. Love the close up bass reflex. It’s pretty good handling bass. Great value too at £649 (UK)! 😁🙏🏼

[@RP-ms7lu]

Very nice and detail review, i have a pair of old polk 220B which sound so lovely and wide even after 10 years ! I m planning to add this polk R200 on your recommend!

[@toddstyles7194]

I just purchased the Polk L600 tower speakers. Very very impressed to say the least. I'll bet they will be even better with some more break in. Cheers!

[@pgansz]

Great review thank you. Bought a pair of these and arriving today based on your review!

[@Tharbamar]

Great Choice, Happy New Year!

[@JagadeeshwaranGanesan]

Hi tharbamar, Based on your previous reviews/suggestion i bought denon pma 1600 ne + kef q350. No harshness, good bass detail, very pleasant to my ears...Enjoying music everyday. You are helping so many people like me who dont have chance to go shops and listen to the gears directly. Thanks a lot. I'm using old sony bluray player(BJC coaxial cable) + internal Dac of denon as source, which is good to me so far. To experience full potential of denon pma 1600 + kef q350, i'm planning to buy a good dac/source, BJC canare 4s11 speaker cables now. Thanks again.

[@Tharbamar]

I’m glad to hear it, thank you.

[@andreisopu]

Thank you for this review Tharbamar! The sound sample at the end sounded so good through my headphones, it convinced me to buy them. Listening to them now, simply amazing neutral sound with good (not bloated) bass. Also, they sound great at lower volumes, which is great for an apartment. Was going to upgrade the DAC (Topping E30) but honestly I don't feel the need anymore :)

[@Tharbamar]

Great Choice, thanks for sharing.

[@user-jr7ym4cc7i]

가격 어느정도 구입 ?

[@ldwahl6678]

Thank you for strong mention of midrange. I find to many reviews focus on bass and highs, with the omission of the mids.

[@java_cafe]

what a great review! hopefully we'd have a demo at a local shop and give them a try soon

[@andrewgorenc9160]

Great video, thank you Tharbamar! 20 years ago I bought Polk RT35i/RT25i’s for my home theater and they sound as good as ever today. My take with Polk is you can really win with their mid-tier series (like the RTi’s of yesteryear and the Reserves now). Thanks again for the great review!

[@Tharbamar]

I really liked what they did with this Reserve series, thanks

[@masterofrevolt106]

I bought a pair of R200's a month ago to replace my aging RT35i's. I like them but they are a different beast entirely and not necessarily better in all ways. The ring radiator tweeter is a lot more sensitive to positioning than the any dome tweeter based speakers I have ever had and the speakers need more clean juice to produce the same level of volume as the RT35i's just because they are low impedance and low sensitivity.

[@8xtime]

Ok I'm convinced, I'm buying these tonight Tharbamar.. thanks for the awesome review! 🙂

[@Tharbamar]

Great Choice!

[@ZR1Terror]

@@Tharbamar 😄😄😂😂 lucky you, my wife would get pissed off if she sees another pair of speakers delivered on the front porch.

[@sabbathAndy]

Love your vids mate, its a good time for audiophiles, you can find good speakers at every budget!

[@Tharbamar]

Thanks Andreas.

[@TheNewsBaaz]

Hi, loved the demo. As also your analysis. You were quite forthright in your conclusions. A five star rating coming from you is no joke since I have seen your reviews of Linton heritage also. This review of r200, and your reviews of 4.2 and kef q350 have me seriously considering changing my entire speaker and gear set up. Right now Using dynaudio emit 10 paired with Cambridge ca60 integrated amp. Need badly to switch over to a warmer and relaxed sounding, non fatiguing overall setup. Between Polk r200 and evo4.2 which fits the bill more considering I listen to low level music particularly rock, jazz, indian classical, country and music of seventies and eighties. wharfedale 12.2 is the fourth speaker under my consideration. Looking forward to your recommendation. Thanks and best regards.

[@Tharbamar]

I would suggest you to try R200 because it may suits your need better, thanks

[@TheNewsBaaz]

@@Tharbamar thanks for such a prompt reply. Have identified a local Polk dealer. Now that you have given a green signal Will now try and get the best deal. Thanks and regards. Am sure you would suggest an amp change also. Between yamaha and denon which would you recommend. Denon 800ne or yamaha as801. Because I also like tone controls.i know I am stretching your indulgence a bit too far. It's just pure anxiety. Thanks.

[@Tharbamar]

I would suggest you to try both and get the one that suits you. Thanks

[@TheNewsBaaz]

@@Tharbamar thanks so much. That is the best course perhaps. Thanks for taking time out for reply.

[@dredd5352]

I tried the 4.2s that dome midrange can be very fatiguing, if not set up correctly. I tried the 4.2s with the AXR 100 and it was delicious. Way to much SPL for my room.

[@gregjones2472]

Whoa baby, that sound sample is strong

[@ULlisting]

Great review Mr T. Thx!

[@snakeobias]

I recently bought a pair of KEF Q350s for a good price. A few days later I came across a pair of Polk R200s for around same price (but a little bit of damage to the cabinet). I'm kind of disappointed the R200s weren't on sale earlier. Matching with an old Onkyo A-9010 the Q350s sound nice though.

[@moblitzz]

Great review as usual - I actually bought a pair and I love them

[@Tharbamar]

Great Buys!

[@RockCity1111]

I've been waiting for a heavy hitter in the audio world to review this speaker. I have the black set of the R 200s. Amazing sound for such a small speaker!!

[@Tharbamar]

They are one of the best among the best, thanks

[@RockCity1111]

@@Tharbamar Thank u. I was just watching the video again 😆

[@dvvaughn564]

have the r200 matched with the r700 and the r900's bought them when these came out. they sound amazing for the price. love my AVR again.

[@_fertelli_]

I am planning to do the same. I love my Q Acoustics but I wanna try R700-R400-R700 for LCR speakers and 4 R200s for surrounds. Everyone tells about how good them at listening to music but I am wondering about cinematic performance. I will be glad if you share your experience :)

[@yffatfat5848]

Great review Mr. T I want to buy the Elac uni fi UBR 62 or this Polk 🤔 So can the Polk sound better than Elac UBR 62? Thx!

[@fredbrunetti7256]

I ordered mine today from audio lab $659 can’t wait to get them great review

[@Tharbamar]

Great choice!

[@RockCity1111]

Which color did u choose ? I think the White looks incredible with the silverish tone of the woofer but I bought them in black but the wood looks nice too.

[@maximo90019]

Thanks for joining the conversation on these!

[@nickzinser7566]

Been waiting for this one! Glad you love them as much as I do, such a gem.

[@Tharbamar]

They are the Best Buy right now, thanks

[@nickzinser7566]

I got my pair for $650 a couple months back, have been really enjoying them!

[@Tharbamar]

Great buy!

[@audiojunior174]

thank you very much for the review, is there any possibility that you can give us the review of the MONITOR AUDIO SILVER 100 7G?!? Anyway, thank you very much for your effort to help with your analyses!

[@gregwalls9678]

I Have the R 200 AE paired with Elex R and Bitfrost 2, the initial sound was a bit disappointing but after 15 hrs each time I run them I am taken back by the rich sweet and wide sound these produce. They need time ,but you are rewarded with a speaker that you can listen to for hrs and still surprises you every time you play these. I had a pair of high end monitors with SP acoustic drivers and hand built crossovers , very revealing and accurate but after 2-4 songs I was ready to turn them off. I think a lot of modern speakers suffer with this where these have the balance of detail vs Musicality in line with Harbeth and Spendor at fraction of the cost.

[@toddstyles7194]

Great review my friend 👍

[@dougg1075]

Good review man

[@JR-lc1dv]

Agree with what you said. Have the R600 for three months and really enjoy listening to them. Same drivers only 2 instead of one midrange- bass driver. You should be aware these speakers need 50+ hours burn in time to get full potential. And as you mentioned tweeter is very detailed and reveals bad recordings. Bass on the 600R is very impressive too. Hope you can test the 600R or 700R sometime. Bought the 600R only cause of special offer (860 Euros for pair) intended as a gift or reselling. But after some hours of listening I decided to keep them. Good luck with moving!

[@Tharbamar]

Thanks

[@jusuflazami9580]

Yest Test n Review R700 plz

[@matthewferdinandsugiharto8161]

Wow that's very cheap for pair of R600s... may I know in which country are you? I'm in Germany and it's quite hard to find a great deal on these Reserve series speakers!

[@JR-lc1dv]

@@matthewferdinandsugiharto8161 Germany, too. War ein Sonderangebot von Projekt-Akustik :)

[@dredd5352]

I have had these for over 2 months. First hooked up to a Yamaha 803N. Then I took them to a bigger room and hooked them up to a Marantz PM 8006. The Marantz smoothed everything out and tightened and detailed the bass. No boominess or bloat. I would suggest these scale very well. I was using Diamond 11.3s which I love. But the R200 probably outperforms the skinny tower. I can listen at lower levels and still be satisfied but they do love power. The room is 15 x 20 and the R200s fill it easily.

[@arthurgoldenberg2195]

Just got R200 and I also have pm8006, sounds fantastic, great bass and wide Soundstage. They are better then Triangle esprit I was using which almost twice price.

[@mustardman2035]

was the r200 loud enough for amazing movie loud scenes in the 15 x 20 i have same room size and was thinking of buying same speaker with my denon x2700h?

[@alexmerziotis4981]

Είσαι ο καλύτερος στα τεστ ήχου!! μπράβο!!!!!!

[@harrisarp3841]

Thank you so much for the amazing review.This will be in my top choice for bookshelf speakers!!Do you know if they are any good in low volumes listening?Thank you so much!!!

[@Tharbamar]

Yes they are very good sounding at low level as well if you don’t sit too far, around 45-55db range, thanks

[@harrisarp3841]

@@Tharbamar thank you!!!

[@PP-nh1lv]

Any idea of the comparison to the floor standers? If their bookshelves are this good, are there larger speakers even better?

[@robladw2332]

I have these paired with my Yamaha A-S1200 integrated and a Marantz DAC-1 and it is sweet. Impressive detail huge stage. You are right the speakers disappear and when you get in the best listening location. I have them hooked up on my desk in my home office and they work pretty well near field as well. They do their best work in the usual position though. These are the most impressive speakers I have ever owned easily. They also seem to scale well with electronics. I am not sure how Polk gets you in to a higher end speaker after these. They really are that good and do so well with most kinds of music.

[@Tharbamar]

Thanks for sharing.

[@freelancer1499]

Can I check how far from the wall did u have the R200? I am looking to have these on the desktop as well, but am afraid it needs lotta space on the desk from the rear wall...

[@robladw2332]

@@freelancer1499 This will not let me post a picture. I Have a big desk that I built. I leave some space between the desk and wall and drag them forward on the desk some. I manage to get about a foot off the wall.

[@freelancer1499]

@@robladw2332 Thanks for the info man!

[@robladw2332]

@@freelancer1499 No problem. You can get by with a little less off the wall. Before I rearranged the room I was probably getting by with 9 inches. Pulling them out a bit more did open them up some and weren't and took a little bass off at loud volumes. I am not sure why every speaker does not have ring radiator tweeters now. These things have sweet detailed textured highs. These are just a joy to listen to and draw you in. I would recommend these to anyone looking to spend up to 1500 on speakers. They measure well also. So what you get out of the highs is not the fake sense of detail due to a frequency bump. These are pretty flat.

[@pv8203]

Thank you for this review. Could you please make a few comparisons with the Quad S2 that you also appreciated a lot?

[@Tharbamar]

I no longer have quad speakers, my current favorite is, Musician Knight 1 Speaker World Premiere Review kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZOmlJuki7Snnrs

[@danjo9520]

Hi tharbamar, thank you for your honest, straight opinion. If u had to pick the next level up speaker in the same characteristics, what would you recommend? Thank you

[@Tharbamar]

Next level pick will be KEF R3, thanks

[@masterofrevolt106]

Thanks for your reviews Tharbamar. What speaker stands are you using with the R200's in this video ?

[@gerardphilippetuazon491]

Hi Tharbarmar, do you think the Wiim Amp will be able to drive the R200 effortlessly? Or do you recommend a more powerful amplifier, something like Denon PMA-600NE ~ Cambridge AXR100? Thanks for the great review!

[@vladrapchan5330]

Any area in which Q350s beat the R200? Considering listening to them at close distance (approx. 2 meters), is the concentric driver a better choice for.imaging?

[@ebenezerjebaraj]

Thank you for your excellent review as usual. Would this Polk R200 match well with Yamaha As500 amplifier?

[@Tharbamar]

Most of Yamaha amps are neutral, it should work nicely together in theory, rest is room and more importantly your preference. thanks

[@user-sl2to3kl4p]

Thank you for bringing us such great review. I’m curious about the smaller one r100 because of my room is pretty small. Will r100 have the problem of cohesion between woofer and tweeter because of the smaller woofer? Or just sound as good as r200 regardless of the loudness? Thank you very much.

[@Tharbamar]

it will be same sound signature except for lower bass performance, Thanks

[@user-sl2to3kl4p]

@@Tharbamar Thank you for your reply. Will you also recommend r100 or just r200?

[@mydogskips2]

@@user-sl2to3kl4p I do NOT own these speakers so I cannot say explicitly what you should do, but I think the price difference between the Polk R100 and the R200s is only $100, and other reviewers have said the R200 is just a superior speaker. What I do want to tell you is that in my experience, having a relatively small room myself, I think maybe 11 feet wide and a bit deeper though I sit only about 7 or 8 feet away from the speakers, I find that 6.5-inch speakers do not overwhelm the room. I also have 5-inch speakers, and I find the dispersion of the larger speakers to be better, the sound field of the smaller ones is a bit more narrow. I use a subwoofer, but you may want the bigger driver to provide better bass extension as well. For what it's worth, unless you have a really small room, I think it would be better to go with the R200s, they would be my choice by far given the difference in price.

[@boquan]

Great review! I just bought a pair for $577 at Bestbuy before tax

[@Pr1sons3x]

I just did the same. Looking forward to them coming next week.

[@KonradSkowronski]

Another 👍🏻 from me. You got me very interested in these speakers but they are a bit pricy in Poland... they cost $920 - exactly same as 4.2 Evo's and UBR62's where Kef q350 and Elac DBR62 are both at $420. Would you choose old good Kef q350 over new Elac DBR62 (same price) for overall performance quality? I listen pretty much to every kind of music rock guitars, jazz combos, orchestral, r&b, pop.

[@Tharbamar]

Thanks, DBR62 is more dynamic compared to KEF Q350, it will be depending on your preference.

[@okkaaung3272]

Hi A Ko, been watching your clips lately. One quick question, if i owned a DO200, AO200 and that polk r200, would i still need an HO200? would that pre-amp add value?

[@Tharbamar]

Hi, no you do not need HO200 it’s optional, thanks

[@adamkorolow9021]

Thanx for your informative reviews. I BELIVE we have simillar musical taste. Please, would you recommend R200 over Quad S2? Which one would you go for? I like warm sound but at the same time good scene and sound dispersion. Also I recommend you review Triangle Titus Ez (and bigger Comete). These ar my 3rd option. What to choose...hard choice.

[@Tharbamar]

Yes definitely R200 will be better choice base on your description, thanks

[@adamkorolow9021]

@@Tharbamar thanks. I went for it. Unfortunately it was not a happy marriage. M2si amplifier is rubbish in my opinion. It amplifies not only Polks (I took it to the shop) and listened to other speakers, and they all sounded boring and not engaging. I ended up with another setup: Audiolab 6000a plus Focals Aria 906 which I like. They lack a bit of bass but Im goona get a sub at one point. For Polks I would reccomend Arcam amps....Sa20 probably. Polks need more power to spread their wings.

[@bpalpha]

These do have great bass. Solid performers. Can't admire your Denon integrated amp more. Great centerpiece for a high performance rig.

[@Tharbamar]

I like bass of R200, love the midrange more, thanks

[@danielwatson4590]

Thank you for the great review. Would you recommend these or the Oberon 3?

[@Tharbamar]

I would personally go with Polk R200, thanks

[@J2I3H]

Im using these with the aiyima a07 pro, and a 10" diy peerless enclosed subwoofer. Very nice set. Got the polks for €400 on sale😎

[@maksymfrost8846]

Hey, buddy! Thanks a lot for your reviews, really great job!👍 Could you suggest the best central speaker for these Polk r200?

[@Tharbamar]

Polk made center speaker for it. Thanks

[@maksymfrost8846]

@@Tharbamar Thanks!👍

[@dredd5352]

Tharbamar is not exagerating, I have had these just over a week. They replaced DBR 6.2s which replaced EVO 4.1s which replaced, SVS Ultra BS, which replaced JBL 530s. Once hooking up the R200s the DBRs did not stand a chance. I also coveted a set of Diamond 225s, Denton 80ths, demoed Denton 85ths, EVo 4.2s. The only speakers in the R200 class are the 4.2s, 85ths and 530s because of the horn. Nothing in this list really comes close to the R200s. I have only had them 10 days, after about 2 hrs the bass blossoms, and it just gets better. All genres, Nils Lofgren live over spotify, exploded the sound stage in my room like never before. Height, width, depth, simply impressive. I got mine on sale over B Friday 120 dollars off, less than all the speakers except a couple. Not hype these are for real. Warm musical rockers that are not fussy, they can rock out as well as chill on a Suday morning.

[@JR-lc1dv]

Good description. And after burning in treble getting softer too.

[@gregorymorrill7558]

I have the R200 in now, 1st listen was good, excited to test it more. I deff also love my 530's. Those are also giant killers and for me beat out my Revel M105's and several other more expensive speakers including JBL's own L82. I plan to test the R200's "against" the JBL 4309's, 530's and some of my DIY gear. Good times.

[@run4b33r]

What are you driving them with?

[@dredd5352]

Yamaha 803N, room is 12 by 18.

[@dredd5352]

The 803 N is not as bright as other Yamahas, nice match with the warm Polks.

[@horrorfan6710]

Great review, I hope you can answer one question for me. I want to get the r200's but what would the min distance from the wall do they have to be, is 13" inches enough ? I think you have your r200's 4 feet from the wall but for me it's not possible to bring them out that much. If being to close to the wall will affect sound I will have to get the UBR62 instead due to I think it being able to be placed closer to the wall. Thanks

[@Tharbamar]

It should work totally fine if you don't play very loud like 90db+ range because sound stage will/may all suffer depends on room acoustics, thanks

[@andreassouth1523]

Nice honest review.What about upper mids and highs?Comparing with evos 4.2s or dentons 85th or with the velvet 225s.Many people like soft highs and uppermids....

[@Tharbamar]

Upper midrange and highs are one of the best I had in my system in this price range, I would not bother with any of the speakers from the list which I had before this R200, thanks

[@andreassouth1523]

@@TharbamarThanks for the responce!

[@nuttyl283]

This is the best budget speakers to my ears. nice POLK!!!! However now RP600M mark II just launched.

[@RanTausi]

Yes , tough decision. same situation !

[@AdiMaco]

Fabulous loudspeakers.

[@arndtbc]

Do you think the R200 would just as good as Polk Reserve R500 towers with the 5 1/4 drivers? Trying to decide between the the two for a 20'x15' room with 8 'ceilings. I would power them with a 150x2 external Parasound class a/b amp. Any thoughts? I just found your channel amazing stuff!

[@Tharbamar]

Only difference is power handling between them, R200 may even have better stereo image, thanks

[@ravenrhyme4783]

Sir..what would you recommend to best pair for Onkyo tx-sr393..wharfdale evo 4.2 or polk audio r200? Any other reco is welcome..thank you

[@olivieroli9750]

Hy Tharbamar, thank you for your review. Do you prefer the B&W 706 s2 or the Polk Audio Reserve R200 ? If you have the opportunity to do a review on the new 706 s3 and 705s3 series that would be great

[@Tharbamar]

No longer have those speakers. I preferred Musician Knight 1 over any speakers under $5K, maybe I will try them when they sent me samples, thanks

[@Larwiz]

@Tharbamar So would you get these over the JBL Studio 530's? Just know that I bought the 590's partly based on your review and demo, and I love them!

[@Larwiz]

Just listened to the sound demo! Wow! They sound very good!

[@Tharbamar]

Yes definitely, thanks

[@Jake-go2lq]

@@TharbamarWhat about the JBL 630s what would you choose?

[@nathandaniels4823]

@Tharbamar From your review, it sounds like the CSS are better overall but the R200 are more dynamic and have better power handling. Is that correct?

[@Tharbamar]

Yes it is.

[@nathandaniels4823]

@Tharbamar Sorry for the reply; I should have asked this before: how would you guess the dynamics of the R200 match up with your CSS Towers? I ask because I’ve long been considering the 2DX monitors because of their improved dynamics and power handling.

[@simoSLJ89]

Do you think the R100 could be ok as nearfield desktop speakers? How do they compare in that use case to the Elac Unifi 2.0 ? (even in terms of sound signature)

[@Tharbamar]

I have not tried them in near field to give you right answer, thanks

[@Danielronane]

Do you think they can sound good with the willsenton r8? I like jazz music and female voices. thank you

[@jusuflazami9580]

R700 , you think it will stay true to the style over such hi power, will it keep performance under loads and keep substantial Bass ? Whats your prediction? Can u plz Test them for us with a nice Class D lotts of power, plz, you have excellent channel, happy nu year all the best

[@Tharbamar]

We have to find out, I would like to test it as well if they send me a sample, thanks

[@roybanks8709]

Hi I really like yr no B S reviews. Based on the product not the name or price! It’s great that you have comparable speakers to judge them by. How about comparison to your CSS? Keep up goid eork

[@Tharbamar]

1TDX is more refined sound compared to R200, although R200 is much better in power handling, thanks

[@arnonym823]

Hey thx for your professionell Videos. Is it possible to position the r 200 near to the wall (5 cm)? My partyroom offers nothing else. Maybe the evo 4.2 are the better choice for me

[@Tharbamar]

I would suggest you to go with front ported design, thanks

[@JoseGarcia-oo4mc]

Excellent video , how will you compare these Polk to the Dali Oberon 1 or your old time champ the Diamond 225 ? I know this is an old video but I will thank you if you answer

[@Tharbamar]

I have to say sound quality and power handling is better than Diamond 225, Oberon 1 or even Evo 4.2, thanks

[@BootleggerMCMXX]

My system has moved to a small room witch 225 sounds better than r200. Regardless of all I like Wharfedale's vocals more also Polk has a lot of bass for me, but the r200 is a higher-level system that is worth listening to.

[@kuanweilin5808]

Hi! Hello! Thatbamar good evening from Taiwan. You called my attention by you reviewing this amazing Polk R 200. Does the Musician Knight 1 better than the Polk R-200 ? Hope to hear from you . Thanks and God bless you all. More power to tour channel

[@Tharbamar]

Hi, yes Musician Knight 1 is a better speaker in detail, image and depth, thanks

[@kuanweilin5808]

Good morning !Tharbamar thank you very much for your prompt reply and I hope ithe Musician Knight 1 is available in Tao Bao online shopping in China which is the best way to order. Hope your channel will last till the rest of your health life.T.Y

[@joergwittenberg2178]

Like your reviews. Very interesting speakers, these are looking great. Think, they sound fantastic 👏👋👍

[@Tharbamar]

Yes they are, thanks

[@dredd5352]

Interesting review of the often compared 12.2 over at M-Audiophile. I let you take it in.

[@eeyorebill04]

Did you try these with any lower power amps? I have a Fisher 500c (30 wpc vintage tube receiver) and I’m planning to build a DIY Pass/Firstwatt clone (25wpc). Would this be enough for these or the R500? I listen at mostly at low and occasionally medium volumes but I also don’t want to be missing out on a speaker’s full potential.

[@Tharbamar]

It should be enough for average level of loudness with your amplifier, lowest I tried is with 50wpc Class D amplifier, which sounded very good with it, R200 sensitivity rating may a bit on conservative side, thanks

[@gregorymorrill7558]

Kevin at low and medium volumes you are likely using between 0.1(yes really) and 10watts. At 10 watts, if they have 86db sensitivity (86 is prolly about right) and you are in 9-10 feet away from them, the peak SPL for a pair is likely over 90-92db. Room gain may add more, so for low to even medium high SPL 25-30 watts is plenty. Of course if you listen loudly in a larger space then you may need 100 watts or more. I use a 500watt amp as I like loud volumes and never want to have clipping involved, it is likely that even at extremely loud volumes the amp is never required to provide more than 200-250watts per speaker & that would be with peaks well over 100db. Very, very loud.

[@stevenholt5484]

Excellent review and thank you. A question : how much do you lose going from the R200 to the S20? Is the difference in price worth it?

[@Tharbamar]

Personally I would rather spend more once, we are talking about something special (R200) to average (S20), only you can decide, thanks

[@bearclaw5115]

They aren't even close.

[@slyfoxx8540]

Buchardt s400 mkii's on the horizon at all?

[@ronniehosein7384]

Hi which one you prefer polk r200 vs elac ubr62. I made a typo in the past comments it should of been r200 not r700. Your feedback is really appreciated since where i live i cannot demo speakers. Keep up the great work. Thank again

[@Tharbamar]

For most transparent sound UBR62 is great, R200 is also great for price and sound quality. A bit more easy to pair with many different components, thanks

[@SuperShrek7]

does this play louder than the css 1tdx, whats the difference?

[@keith6167]

Can you offer any recommendation for a speaker that must be tight against wall but away from the corners due to room size and lay out. I will be 8 to 9 feet from each speaker in listening position.I am starting from scratch and need a place to start. Rock from 70s and 80s old Yes, Genesis, Rush , Dire Staits ect. Thanks. PS. CSS 1tdx ?

[@Tharbamar]

Focal Aria 906 is great buy in Dark walnut, thanks

[@mirkokanjuh5513]

Sorry Tharbamar, it is no comment it is a question: polk R200 or elac ubr62 for somebody who prefers GREAT soundstage and details, no fatique sound and bass that has not to be so deep but with nice "structure" instead, and yes with a good punch?

[@Tharbamar]

I would say R200 is great choice.

[@chungchun2383]

Great review! How would R200 compare to B&W 706S2? I have R200, should I upgrade it to 706S2? for me, 70% movie and 30 music, using Denon 8500HA av amp & Denon PMA2500NE 2ch int amp. Thanks

[@Tharbamar]

706 S2 is much better in speed,space, resolution and tighter bass but the different in the price is only you can decide if that worth more money. Thanks

[@chungchun2383]

@@Tharbamar Thank you Mr.T

[@russelldawkins9094]

In the sound samples of the CSS Audio 1TD-X on your Dec 4 review, the kick drum sounds more characterful on the CSS Audio 1TD-X than the Polk. Do you prefer the sound of the Polk to them?

[@Tharbamar]

I still love CSS 1TDX, Polk is just great buy for the price and performance but not my reference standard, thanks

[@steventsimtsos4029]

I think you need to compare $2000 plus bookshelf speakers to the 1TDX. They are that special. The kit alone costs $1000, then you build them. The Polks are great but are $750 speakers.

[@Tharbamar]

@@steventsimtsos4029 I did.

[@garyb7193]

Hello Tharbamar, I've really been enjoying your dac reviews of late. I am a proud owner of Polk R200 bookshelf speakers. Been looking to replace my dated SMSL M8 dac. Which would you recommend to pair with R200 under $600 or say under $1200? Would I hear much difference going with the higher priced dac? Does R2R fit the R200s better than Delta Sigma? Thank you! ps: I listen to a large genre of music from Andreas Vollenweider, Bob James and Michael Hedges to Diana Krall, Jorja Smith and Steely Dan. Thanks!

[@Tharbamar]

I would say SMSL D400EX or SU-10 DACS may be the best choice for the money or D300 if you only use it as DAC, thanks

[@garyb7193]

@@Tharbamar Thanks for the quick response. I was thinking about either the SU-9 Pro or SU-10. Glad to hear the SU-10 pairs well with the Polk. I thought you would have said an R2R dac. Would the SU-10 also work well with my Little Dot MK3 tube amp and Senn HD650 for headphone listening?

[@AdrianIII]

I watch a lot of old movies on the Criterion Channel. The sound quality on them is usually pretty poor. Do you think that the R200s would improve the sound presentation on these old movies?

[@Tharbamar]

It won’t, if original sources can’t produce decent sound quality speakers can’t do anything, better speakers will even more reveal the quality of the sound.

[@BillyKueekSG]

Great review as usual! Tharmabar, I’ll be sure to bring you for a meal if I am in Tokyo if you’re up for it. I am a headphone user. I am a dummy on speakers Hi Fi setup and was considering the R700 but don’t have the space for it (my Work Room has 3.65 L x 2.51 W x 2.48 H in meters or 11’11” L x 8’2” W x 8’1” after deducting the rows of book shelves and my work desk at the end of the room) so I am recommended the R200. All reviews I saw are favorable for this speaker. This pair of speakers will be in my Work Room at home first for music listening purposes, I may add a subwoofer or 2 and would like recommendations on this too. My LG sound bar is not meeting expectations so if the R200 can fit the little space I have on each side of my tv and can be placed on the console, that’s when I’d consider making it into a home-theatre-like setup. I will then get the Centre and surround speakers too for a Home-Theatre-like setup. Which specific amplifiers would you recommend with my varying needs? To anyone who can help me, I need your advices for these questions: 1. R200 with 1 or 2 subwoofer? Brand and model please? 2. Amplifiers and/or other equipments for the above? 3. Which Centre and surround speakers to get if turning into a Atmos/DTX-S “Home-Theatre” (it’s just or living room, not a dedicated big room for real Home Theatre)? 4. Which amplifier, brand and model should I get if I am doing (1), (2), and (3) above? 5. What other equipments do I need?

[@Tharbamar]

Thanks one sub is more than enough in average rooms for two channel music, REL T7X or T9X is good choice. I’m not surround guy but you should stick with big brands latest features.

[@BillyKueekSG]

@@Tharbamar thank you for responding. These subs are powered? Which amps should I look at?

[@BillyKueekSG]

@@Tharbamar which amplifier brand and model will you recommend for R200 with REL T7X or T9X? The price difference between these 2 subs are USD$450-600

[@BillyKueekSG]

@@Tharbamar which amplifiers will you recommend? What difference can I expect with the T7X and T9X? Please provide a few amps recommendations because some we don’t have stock here. The Polk pageant here doesn’t carry this model so I have to buy from exporter and will have to buy an amp separately

[@sanimario1835]

Please between the polk reserve r200, klipsch rp600m and wharfedale Evo 4.2 which one will you recommend for me? And by the way I love listening to music 90% than watching movies.

[@Tharbamar]

As of right now R200 is better buys and better sounding speaker for the money.

[@wilsentwins]

How this polk reserve compare to new elac unifi reference bro? Im using with kefQ350 and Elac unifi 2.0. Will it be a significant upgrade?

[@Tharbamar]

Personally I would go with R200 for better price and performance ratio, thanks

[@billkoski364]

Sounds great but Hou about at lower volume?

[@VinodKumar-gx7wj]

How does R200 compare to KEF Q350? Which one will be a better selection?

[@amitsatam4816]

@Tharbamar, m bit confused if i shld go with Polk R200 or Kef Q350 ..No doubts both have their individual pro`s & con`s ..but my stereo amp dont have EQ & for many songs here in India u need to tone down treble a bit . while doing demo with my existing Stereo amp & DAC .. found that i listened more music on R200 den Q350.. Can u help me in this case?

[@Tharbamar]

I would say R200 is better choice than Q350 in sound quality, thanks

[@amitsatam4816]

@@Tharbamar Super thanks

[@roybanks8709]

I am thinking about R100 did you try

[@Torulv]

Did you do any IRR (in room response) measurements of these speakers?

[@Tharbamar]

No I didn’t because I pack all of them for the move.

[@bingster-223]

I have some Polk's I got in 1994 LS90'S along with a matching center speaker and surrounds. We still use them for our upstairs theater.

[@OscarSanchez-tk3hx]

Just came across to this video I have the LS 90's too amazing speakers that was during the time Matew Polk was around now I own the Klipsch Forte IV but I'm keeping the Polks

[@bingster-223]

@@OscarSanchez-tk3hx Hey that's cool. They still sound good. I got them some where around 1994 I think, no later than 1996. We use them in our bedroom and they get used just about everyday.

[@RanTausi]

If my room is around 12m square , should I better go with the R100 ? Or the R200 will be overkill for this room and will be sound less good considering the room size ? My decision is to go with the R200 because better bass and dynamics and because the price difference is not big. Will be nice to hear yours thoughts 💭

[@Tharbamar]

I would go with R200 if I have similar space, thanks

[@RanTausi]

@@Tharbamar Thanks and have a nice weekend 💐

[@stevenconnectingtogether6703]

How it sound compare to your recent Musician knight 1, Evo 4.2 or b&w 606 s2 .. I just plan to get 1 pair of passive bookshelf speaker to replace my active Tannoy Gold 8. Thanks 🙏

[@Tharbamar]

As of right now I would choose R200 over Evo 4.2 or 606 S2, Knight 1 is in different class, thanks

[@stevenconnectingtogether6703]

@@Tharbamar thank you indeed… have a nice sunday and enjoy the music. How Polk r200 vs Quad s2 !!!

[@kttt8319]

Would the SMSL AO200 amp work with these speakers? What other cable setup/components would be best?

[@Tharbamar]

AO200 will be fine for up to 90db range with R200, I would suggest to use Canare 4S11 speaker cables and L46ES interconnects. Thanks

[@kttt8319]

@@Tharbamar Thank you so much I will take your advice!

[@jolkraeremeark6949]

Your music through my s22 even sounds better coming from the Polks

[@backrack01]

Do u remember the sound of the Focal Aria 906s? Curious how they compare.

[@Tharbamar]

Almost transparent sound with flatter frequency response.

[@andrewcastro2530]

Do you prefer tower or Book shelf speakers? Do you ever use a subwoofer?

[@Tharbamar]

I like to have both but preferred big towers, I use dual sub for movies not for music, which I preferred pure two channel, Thanks

[@rosswarren436]

How do they sound at lower volumes? Do they still give a good full range sound or do you have to "crank them" a bit to get to that point? Much of my listening is done at night and I can't do "loud", but I still want full range sound. Thank you!

[@Tharbamar]

They are very good sounding at low level as well if you don’t sit too far, around 45-55db range, thanks

[@rosswarren436]

@@Tharbamar thank you! That is important to know for many people. Glad Polk is "back".

[@dredd5352]

The sound stage stays intact at low volumes, along with that big speaker sound.....

[@rosswarren436]

@@dredd5352 thank you! I'm hoping the same can be said for its larger brothers, the R600 and R700 that I'm considering.

[@dredd5352]

I'm guessing yes they will with the right power. I can't get enough of the 200s. The one thing I have noticed is poor recordings show themselves yet the Polks do a great job at making them listenable.

[@user-dk6tn3wn8j]

Hi Tharbamar! polk r200 +nad c268 +dac yulong da8 es9018 normal compatibility?

[@Tharbamar]

I haven't tried Yulong DA8give you correct answer but R200 very easy to pair with different components, thanks

[@darkknight7011]

How would these compare to Magenan 1.5's??

[@VinodKumar-gx7wj]

Does Polk R200 images and stages better than KEF Q350? Will it be a better choice than KEF Q350 for music listening?

[@Tharbamar]

Yes, wider spacious sound as well with my set up, thanks

[@HZTK]

Does it pair well with Denon 600Ne for a small room (17m²), also how far do I need to place from the wall ?

[@Tharbamar]

It should sound nice together, thanks

[@luxpiotr]

What amp nature is best for this Polk? Bright / dark? Neutral / warm / cold? Example: SMSL AO200, Audiolab 6000A, CA CXA81, Rotel A14MKII, Peachtree nova150, Roksan K3, Arcam SA20, Hegel H90, Yamaha, Nad?

[@Tharbamar]

Neutral amp with a bit warmish sound quality will make them sing.

[@andrzej8128]

@@Tharbamar Witam Dziękuję za recenzję jak zwykle bardzo dobrze zrealizowana , możesz podpowiedzieć czy Polk R200 lub Legent mogą się dobrze zgrać z Emotiva BasX A2 i PT1 . Dziękuję

[@adamkorolow9021]

ARCAM SA20 OR SA30...sounded best.

[@ebroadnax1]

Hello. I am torn between the Kef Q350 and the Polk R200. You have reviewed both. Your thoughts are appreciated.

[@Tharbamar]

I would definitely go with R200 personally, thanks

[@ebroadnax1]

@@Tharbamar Thank you. I am leaning heavily in that direction.