POLK AUDIO Legend L800 Tower Speaker Review. Is L800 STILL the LEGEND?

✅ 🛒 THE L800 SPEAKERS: bit.ly/3pCg6RD
✅ CLICK ❤️ THANKS above to highlight your questions & help support the channel!
✅👇CLICK SHOW MORE👇to see a full list of products shown
► SHOP THE POLK LEGEND L800 SPEAKERS
Polk Audio L800 Tower Speakers: bit.ly/3pCg6RD
Polk L100 Speakers: bit.ly/3OXMiun
► TESTING THE L800s
POWER
Pro-Ject MaiA S2 Integrated Amplifier (best): bit.ly/maias2
Crown Audio XLS DriveCore 2 Amplifier (better): bit.ly/CXLS1502
XTZ Sound Edge A2-300 Amplifier (not recommended for L800)
Marantz AV Receiver (not recommended for L800)
TURNTABLE
Fluance RT85 Turntable: bit.ly/RT85player
► COMPARABLE TO POLK TOWER SPEAKERS
Jamo C97ii Tower Speakers (budget): bit.ly/C97II
Boenicke W8 Tower Speakers: bit.ly/BoenickeW8
Q Acoustics Concept 500 Tower Speakers (best): bit.ly/Q500s
Wharfedale Evo 4.4 Towers Speakers: bit.ly/Evo44T
► MORE FROM POLK AUDIO
LEGEND SERIES
Polk Audio L100 Bookshelf Speakers: bit.ly/3OXMiun, bit.ly/35FQA5V
Polk Audio L900 Elevation Modules: bit.ly/2UEJhVN
SIGNATURE SERIES
Polk Audio S Series 5.1 Speaker System: amzn.to/3irusA2
Polk Audio S55 Floorstanding Speaker: amzn.to/3kdxyZa
Polk Audio Signature Series Bookshelf Speakers: amzn.to/2QbHhSX
T SERIES
Polk Audio T50 Tower Speakers: amzn.to/3kgKpJN
Polk Audio T15 Bookshelf Speakers: amzn.to/2wOobLY
SOUNDBARS
Polk Audio MagniFi Home Theater Surround Sound Bar: amzn.to/2ZxcNzC
Polk Audio Signa S3 Ultra Slim Soundbar: amzn.to/2FfUSGU
SUBWOOFER
Polk Audio PSW10 Subwoofer: amzn.to/2GQdBcd
► POLK AUDIO Legend L800 Tower Speaker Review. Is L800 STILL the LEGEND?
Polk Audio is known for making affordable and even a few higher-end loudspeakers; but their new flagship speaker, the Legend Series L800, takes 25 year old technology and attempts to bring it into the modern era with very, very mixed results.
► MORE ANDREW ROBINSON TOWER SPEAKER REVIEWS
➔ Q Acoustics Concept 500 Speaker Review: • BEST High End Tower Sp...
➔ Jamo C97ii Tower Speaker Review: • FINALLY! Affordable HI...
➔ Bowers & Wilkins Signature 702 Tower Review: • WORTH THE HYPE? Bower...
➔ Polk Audio L100 Review: • POLK AUDIO L100 Loudsp...
► MY REFERENCE AUDIO AND HOME THEATER SYSTEM
POWER
Naim Uniti Atom All In One Music System: bit.ly/NaimAtom
Musical Fidelity Integrated Amp: bit.ly/M5si
LOUDSPEAKERS
Q Acoustic Bookshelf Speakers: bit.ly/C300wsA
Klipsch Heresy IV Floorstanding Speakers: bit.ly/heresyiv
Jamo C97ii Towers (best budget tower speaker): bit.ly/C97II
SPEAKER STANDS
Kanto Bookshelf Speaker Stands (budget): bit.ly/Kanto26
SolidSteel Speaker Stands (best): bit.ly/2VOs7p3
TURNTABLE
U-Turn Orbit Plus Record Player (good): bit.ly/uturnspec
Fluance RT85 Turntable (better): bit.ly/RT85player
Cambridge Audio Direct Drive Turntable (best): bit.ly/AlvaCA
RECORD PLAYER CARTRIDGES
Ortofon 2M Blue: bit.ly/OrtBlue
Ortofon 2M Black: bit.ly/Ort2MB
HEADPHONES
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones: bit.ly/WH1000xm4
Modern Wood Headphone Stand: amzn.to/3g9CpIp
SOUNDBARS
LG FLAGSHIP SOUND BAR: bit.ly/LGSN11sb
SENNHEISER AMBEO: bit.ly/RakAmb
BEST BUDGET SMART TV
Hisense 65-inch QLED TV: bit.ly/H9GTV
MEDIA CABINET & TV STAND
BDI Octave Media Cabinet: bit.ly/BDIMEDIA
BLUETOOTH / DESKTOP SPEAKERS
Naim Mu-so Qb V2 Wireless Music System: amzn.to/2C3AeYq
Klipsch The Fives Powered Speaker with HDMI-ARC: bit.ly/fivesUS
Kanto YU Desktop Speakers (budget): bit.ly/YUdesk
► MY STREAMING SERVICE
TIDAL (60-day FREE Trial): tidal.refr.cc/BL8G48M
► SHOP OUR LIVING ROOM
ARTICLE LEATHER CHAIR: bit.ly/NirvanaChr
ART: bit.ly/howfaryt
EVERYTHING ELSE: bit.ly/ARdecor
► STAY CONNECTED
SUBSCRIBE & RING THE 🔔: bit.ly/RobinsonYT
JOIN THE CREW: bit.ly/ARobMbr
INSTAGRAM: / recoveringaudiophile
BUSINESS INQUIRIES: bit.ly/andrewbiz
FTC: This video is not sponsored. Some links above are affiliate, meaning we make a small percentage if you buy through the link but it won't change the price for you! Thank you for helping to support the channel.
#audio #hifi #polkaudio

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

★ *QOTD: Did Polk do enough to update this speaker?* ★ *REVIEWING: **bit.ly/3pCg6RD** NEED MORE? ✔︎ THE ⬆︎DESCRIPTION⬆︎* ★ *CORRECTION: The reported frequency response of the L800 is 25 Hz - 50,000 Hz, NOT 50Hz. That was a typo.* ★ *Love our outtakes? Be sure to watch to the end* ★ *COMMENT RULES:* - No outside URLs, KZbin links or email addresses - Keep it civil. It’s okay to disagree, just don’t be a jerk about it.

[@WiiNV]

50k frequency is for 🦇 listener's! L😂L

[@PassTheRemotes]

My favorite review, thanks Andrew

[@Jeton6]

I enjoyed this review and several of your recent ones, and am glad that KZbin's algorithm sent you my way... ...but I'm gonna overshare: what's clinched the deal to make me sub your channel isn't that you asked... ...it's that your presentation has a VERY strong ASMR quality. now those four letter are a fad, but I've been mesmerized by ASMR experiences since childhood. yes, including (but not limited to) Bob Ross.

[@RennieAsh]

Lol yeah its a very narrow bandwidth subwoofer ;p

[@scottvolkman5034]

I have a question that is off topic. Just delete it if it needs to be. I have a pair of SVS Ultra bookshelves that I want to get a new amp for. I pretty Much just stream my music.. that said I am looking at Yamaha 803 bluesound power node,Marantz 1200 or even the iota stack. Anyone have any opinions or would suggest something else. Thanks

[@garysmith8455]

Hello Andrew. Thanks SO MUCH for your heart felt feelings on this Polk flagship speaker. You were really trying to convey your truest feelings for us and I for one appreciate that !

[@draztiqmeshaz6226]

Thank you SO much for taking the time to shoot more of the product and include it throughout the review.

[@matthewlowry3178]

Excellent review. After a year of thinking about them, I finally purchased a pair of L800's three weeks ago through Crutchfield (love their return policy). I was very nervous as it is by far the largest audiophile purchase I've ever made. The cabinets are no joke. In my experience so far, everything you have said is accurate. I've owned Polk loudspeakers all my life, so you might be right about the tailored to the dyed in the wool Polk fan. The tweeter is incredible, the mid range is perfect, and the bass with the dual 10" drivers is amazing, but not rumbling. We have a very symmetrical rectangular living room leading into an open kitchen, so it probably helps in that they are equidistant from the walls of the room. Agree with all comments on the amps. I had an Onkyo TX-8270, and it just couldn't power these. I got an NAD C-388 (an excellent hybrid preamp with BluOS) and it made a huge difference. I then bi-amped the 388 with an NAD C-275BEE, and it was noticeable in further separating the highs and lows. These speakers absolutely sound amazing with the addition of the 275. All in all, you need a lot of power to drive these, so the real cost is much more than the speaker cost. But when everything comes together, I don't think I've ever heard a better loudspeaker. Agree with your opinion of the SDA technology. I wouldn't say it disappears from recording to recording, but some albums sound absolutely mind blowing with SDA, whereas others sound just "really, really good".

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Happy to know you are enjoying your L800s! Thanks for watching and sharing your personal experience.

[@mb-electricalservices]

One of your best videos to date. Hooked from the start. You're description and detail was spot on and the fact you added in some caveats to the product is refreshing. I, personally am sick of these "all positive" reviews of various audio products so to see/hear your subjective and brutally honest views is great to see. Keep up the great work! :)

[@jonathandenney7684]

Dig the vibes and the reviews. Love stretching my understanding of sound and gear. Your presentation is very enjoyable, and fresh. Love the vinyl content especially, and it’s helped me learn what to look for in my journey to get more into vinyl and into collecting. Keep rocking.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thank you!!!

[@brycecousens8859]

Have been listening to and enjoying the vast majority of your work, but this review has taken things to another level, so congratulations on this wonderfully informative presentation.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

I sincerely appreciate it! Thank you for watching!

[@johnsagraves14]

Thanks for this review. Between this and your review on the Polk R700, you've convinced me to go with more forgiving and user friendly R700s. Appreciate your channel.

[@MarkZarecki]

I appreciate your candidness and insight. the stuff is way out of my price range, but I find the content infinitely fascinating

[@jonathanwills4726]

Thanks Andew. I love all your videos, even the older ones.

[@akeeperofoddknowledge4956]

The $6000 price tag is a no-can-do for me, but it's a Polk product so I thought I would listen to your review, just for funzies! Love this review! Very honest, well thought-out and very heartfelt! Your simultaneous appreciation and frustration with these speakers seemed genuine. And if I were in the market for speakers in this price range (and size), I would choose something else based solely on this review. Very well done, Andrew!

[@beediddy2000]

This is an excellent excellent review! It sounds to be very thoughtful, precise detail and adequate review. I've been researching for weeks now. Looking for the right things that I will be purchasing in the near future. But I don't want any mistakes on my behalf. I work hard for my money and this project is no where near being on the cheap side. I don't even look at this as a "budget" project as some you-tubers put it in terms. Because once it is all done I'm going to have to go pick money off of the money tree if you get my drift lol..... I am one of the new subscribers as you mention in your video. I've came across you in my countless hours/days/weeks of research. I'm very appreciated for your detail and hard work! Keep up the good work Mr. Robinson & thank you !

[@musictube123]

I particularly like the way of your presentation in this video, there is not any bullshit introduction, jump the the good thing directly from the beginning. Because of this video, I subscribed. Hope you will keep this style.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Appreciate you subscribing and if this is your first review with me, this is (typically) the format.

[@sidvicious3129]

Andrew, you have done it again my friend, you brilliantly told the positives, negatives and you gave your actual opinion, not a contrived diatribe. You listed to who this was for, the room, the amp and you talked about the cable. More importantly you talked about what would happen if you don’t listen with the SDA cable installed. This was one of if not, the best review that any reviewer could ever give a product and it is what many often complain about not getting and some get upset about when you don’t agree with what they purchased afterwards. This is a review done right, done accurately with no indifference to the manufacturer. This is the kind of review that should be done by every reviewer on every component because it forces a manufacturer to get better and truly serve their audience. It gives the consumer a sense of what to expect, but again the last answer is always a personal listen at a dealers or better still in your own home for a true evaluation with your equipment. The only other reviewer doing these type of reviews on a consistent basis, but suffers sometimes from lack of equipment is Chris from the Vinyl Attack. Bravo Andrew Jones, 👏 🙌 🎉, you deserve a major accolade for doing what Audiophiles claimed they have wanted from a review with the style and grace that has accompanied all of your reviews. If the industry will allow it and I hope not black ball you, keep up this style because this is what is needed in this industry. I have supported you from the Emotiva days and it has just gotten so much better on your channel and I will be with you well through 300,000 subs and I know none of this could have been possible without your beautiful wife manning the camera and being an inspiration to non audiophiles with her input on various videos.

[@ridirefain6606]

I greatly appreciate this review. In a world where people stride to be inoffensive. I love how real and honest you were in your struggle to describe their merits and failings. I am Polk fan and currently use them as HT speakers. Even though I cannot speak specifically to the Legend series. I have found my Polk's do become sibilant when not fed with the right electronics. IMHO, your observations on the Polk sound is more than fair.

[@olegariomartinez6807]

Great review! I owned a set of the original sda Polk back in the early 90's. I really liked them and when this speaker came out I wondered if it was a speaker I could live with and want. Your review tells me no as I am no longer willing to change my system around to make them work for me. I still plan to listen to them but your review really answered a lot of questions I had.

[@sobeautifulsrilanka]

This video made me a subscriber. Very thoughtful review with a lot of thought and care put into optimizing the explanation and description of the L800.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Welcome aboard!

[@joelabbe6185]

Completely agree! Thanks Andrew for your depth of thought on this review! It was the single greatest reason for subscribing to your channel. "Picky" is how I'd describe my LSi9's as well. When done right, they do shine! Thanks for this great YT channel!! Enjoy it immensely!

[@alanfassinger951]

Andrew, your opinions deserve respect. It’s not too often when a reviewer will give a major manufacturer’s new product the kiss of death.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Wasn't trying to give anything or anyone a kiss of death. The L800 doesn't deserve to die, it's a great speaker in its own right, and with the right customer/listener I'm sure it will bring him or her years of enjoyment. It just isn't an easy speaker to get "right", which is why I don't think it's for everyone, unlike many of Polk's other loudspeakers. Thanks for watching and for subscribing!

[@karnyikept1]

That's really one of the most powerful review I have ever heard even if am here 2 years late Bravo & thank ypu.

[@millermark445]

Terrific review - articulate, fair, erudite and entertaining as usual. Back in the 1980s, I interviewed Matthew Polk and his partner Sandy Gross for a magazine piece local to Baltimore, Maryland. SDA was then in the experimental stage, and the guys let me hear a sample of what would soon make its way into hifi shops. It was impressive, but I decided to stick with conventional loudspeakers. To me, there was something gimmicky about it (I felt the same way about quadraphonic when that debuted), with that cable running between the speakers and the potential challenges of getting the placement right. As you point out, there are enough cables to deal with in traditional two-channel setups. Moreover, you NEED that cable in order to hear what the speaker was designed to do. That said, I wouldn't mind hearing them with the right amplification and source material.

[@bigjay1970]

Wow, didn't see that one coming but appreciate your candidness which is why you have seen an increase in subs as you mentioned!😉🤗😬 I think Ron from New Record Day might go nuts after watching this review as he loved it at 2019 RMF🤪🤔🙄 That was a perfect set up with perfect material I Suppose!😇

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

I really hope people understand that the L800 isn't necessarily a "bad" speaker, it's just a unique one. One that requires a particular type of person who is willing to go that extra mile in order to get the most from it. It is not a set and forget loudspeaker. In the right hands, and in the right system for the right person I'm sure the L800 will be the best speaker that person has ever heard, but for those looking for a great loudspeaker they don't have to fuss with, the L800 isn't it -in my humble opinion. Thank you for watching!!!

[@thomasmcgaughey4819]

I've been under a rock...just got to list to the the many reviews out there, on the Polk L800 ...yours seems the most indebt assessment ... now I must rely on my own ears.

[@pf5658]

I heard these at an audio show and let’s just say they surely did not disappoint. You also ain’t lying about the bass from these speakers either. When bass kicked in on the track being played . It shocked the heck out of me.

[@Impackon]

A great and honest review! Thanks for that, well done.

[@hjones151]

Andrew, a great job in this review. You are a well spoken man.

[@fadetoblack.-]

he is very well spoken.

[@MUSLHED999]

Thanks for your review. I love your channel. Great story telling too. I remember back in the late 80's hearing the SDA 1's and thinking it was the best thing I ever heard. All I could afford to get at the time was the Polk Monitor 7's. I was probably 18 at the time and that was my paper route money I saved for about a year. I have always dreamed about having a pair. I finally got a used pair of SDA 1C's last year and I still think they are the best thing I ever heard. I haven't heard much high end stuff though. I wish I had $6000usd. LOL

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

So long as you enjoy what you have that is ALL that matters.

[@josephblackwelder3625]

Great video! Love hearing your thoughts on everything. Keep it up.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thank you.

[@ericbachmann8037]

Great review. I would love to hear The L800. I am very familiar with Polks SDA Technology, I have a pair of the SDA-1C's, bought ($1,700) brand new in 1988. I wanted the SDA SRS 1.2's but the cost was more than I could afford at the time. The cross cable is required for the SDA effect. SDA achieves its 3 Dimensional Soundstage acoustically, by cancelling the crosstalk between the speakers. The cable sends limited frequencies from one speaker to the other which cancels out the crosstalk. It helps to know how the speakers operate and how they need to be placed. I LOVE the SDA effect of my SDA-1C's, which is why I bought them in the first place. Yes, I still listen to them today. ….. THEY ARE AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!! The most the past SDA speakers cost was $3000. This was for the flagship SDA SRS 1.2's. You "could" get them for less though. I could have got a pair for $2,500, but could not afford them, so had to settle for less expensive (and smaller) SDA-1C's.

[@jordenb9469]

WOW a REAL REVIEW for ONCE!!!! Not oh this is the greatest you have to buy them. Nice to hear a honest review!!

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Appreciate you taking the time to watch!

[@KristiWright]

Andrew's reviews are ALWAYS real and honest.

[@djice1804]

Glad I found your channel - I can watch this all day. I just discovered these speakers & were wondering about them and here they are on your channel. From your review, I think they need a firmware update. Even the music from the same album varies, noooo - That can’t be right. Thank you 🙏🏾

[@torlantriplett2662]

Thank you for your honesty...That explains it for me....I have loved Polk for a while and own Rti7 and love them, but was looking to upgrade, the cost for me does not work for me with all the unnecessary attitude the speaker's have to power source and music selection...Have you heard the L600?. Thanks, Tory T

[@weirdlore]

That was an uncommonly useful review. Well done!

[@kdm313]

New to the channel. Learning so much thank you.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Welcome! Thank you so much for watching.

[@jonathanjuillerat2115]

Wow. I have a pair of late-80's Polk SDA SRS2.3TL speakers, and I swore you were describing them throughout the ENTIRE review. I only paid $500 for mine is very good used shape so my impression of them is extremely high considering my value-to-dollar ratio! I absolutely agree that you had better already be in love with and very familiar the Polk SDA technology to shell out $6G's for these babies. It's probably not for everyone (or everyone's room for that matter). The other interesting thing is that I found when experimenting with different equipment to drive them that my vintage Kenwood KR-4070 provides the best sound and experience for me. I got a kick out of watching your review for the Pioneer SX-450 (very similiar to my Kenwood) and you mentioned how well it pushed the L800's. Perhaps I'm not crazy afterall?! Great video and excellent review!

[@yatisharon8324]

Well done mate, honest to goodness review. Could see how conflicted you were and your authenticity comes true.

[@dentman67]

Interesting review. I've not yet heard these but look forward to doing so. I couldn't help but notice the lack of any acoustic treatments in you're room. Did I miss them?

[@MichaelLivingston-me]

This was a real eye opener of a review. Polk (company) for me, has designed several loudspeakers that sound good, and are reasonably priced. I own several as of this writing. Of course all loudspeakers sound better when fed from a good source and are controlled by better pre, and main amplifiers. What you've explained is, these are top drawer, but only under specific conditions. I'm not the target demographic for this set of loudspeakers, but I do hope Polk is successful in gaining enough sales to support this endeavor.

[@vader540is]

Great video. I'll hold off on these. I'll wait until they go on sale like the LSiM did. I currently enjoy my modded SDA-2B and will continue to do so.

[@stevorcompton5289]

Great job with a difficult review and why I enjoy your videos you don’t seem to fall for hype or snake oil that is common to many others, I may not alway agree with you but that’s to be expected, I just want honesty which you just proved with this video, congrats!

[@ronverheghe2499]

Love my SDA 2 speakers from the 80's and yes they are picky as well just like you mention about the 800 series I'd sure love to hear a set someday

[@monkeybike1]

Great review, really informative and well balanced. Love the outtakes!

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Outtakes were Kristi’s doing.

[@monkeybike1]

@@andrewrobinsonreviews I'm glad she did, it really added a bit of fun to what really must have been a tricky film for you to make. Keep up the awesome work!

[@dwoodpace]

One of the best loudspeaker reviews I've ever seen.

[@benoitouelloninstallateura1790]

Thanks for your review. I have auditioned these and you came to the same conclusions as myself. If the recording has lost of seperation and is well recorded, it's magical. On more 'normal' recordings it sounds ok. The demo I had was amazing... With huge monoblocs... They need lots of Power!

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Appreciate you sharing your experiences!

[@mattgiunt]

Sold my 30 year old Polk SDA CRS+ last year because I was done with them. They were really strange with home theater but good with music. I now own the Polk LSIM 707 and love them. Following the Master set and rational speaker placement process I found on KZbin they have a better soundstage than the SDA ever did.

[@markwagner1997]

Thanks for a great, insightful if not brave, review. Life presents enough frustrating problems and one's choice of speakers should not be one of them. I especially enjoyed the ending. It did a great job of conveying the emotions and aggravation that can be brought to life with audio components that can be good but make it almost impossible to be so. Great work! I'm a fairly new subscriber and I really appreciate your reviews and insights.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

thank you for the kind comment, for watching and for subscribing Mark!!!

[@edmeister78]

Loved ya vid Andrew 👍

[@seangray3730]

Great review. Just going to go ahead and hold on to my ATC SCM40 V2’s. 😬

[@ScaleCrawling]

Great review. Very interesting loudspeakers. 👍

[@Another_Audiophile]

Honest and detailed. Polk will not be rushing sending more speakers for review.

[@nickburak7518]

Yeah, nah. This is a very typical review for these babies, and Polk is sure to know that.

[@markwilson0077]

Wow, great review! Thanks so much for the time and patience required to achieve the understanding and then the focus to put it all out there in a digestible presentation. Good job! So maybe we (that would mean you, on our behalf) ought to look into the Polk L600? Perhaps they may posses the 'jack of all trades' demeanor that polk has been known for..

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

I think the L600 (or even 200 or 100) might be the "better" speaker on a whole even when compared to the L800. The L800 really is a specialty tool. Thank you for watching!

[@Terrapin7]

How do the L800 compare to the Cornwalls? I currently use NAD 787 as a preamp and the Emotiva XPA 11 for power? Not sure which is the best way to go? Love you feedback

[@raymondtaveras9371]

Great job your honesty is much appreciated great review so people know what you’re getting into

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thank you for watching!

[@JanPatrickLucas]

I have to appreciate your honesty. I'd rather hear this than a review that's all out glowing as a means to sell more product. Being a critical audiophile is often more struggle than pleasure. I'm sure it's likely I'd find similar results based on your credibility. Thank you for the very in depth and detailed review. It was extremely helpful to know to proceed with care and caution. I agree also, though, with proper synergy I'll bet these ROCK! Cheers Andrew!

[@nonametofame]

Wildly honest and personal review, cuts right through all the hype.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Wasn't trying to blaze any new trails with this one, or be controversial, the L800 just elated and confused me a bit.

[@nonametofame]

@@andrewrobinsonreviews You were simply sharing "your" personal impressions on it listening to it in "your" living space. That's sometime rare to find. It might just confuse/vex some who have been led to believe it's the ultimate endgame speaker.

[@thomaswachter7782]

Awesome, A perfect review and exactly as I thought it would come off. Any technology that tries to accomplish the 3D imaging thing has come up against the same obstacle. Just like these Polk speakers, like sonic holography, or anything else. When it's right, it's magic. When it goes wrong, the same bad result. Every try at this results in phase problems... always. Fantastic review, Andrew.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thanks!

[@sulinteractive]

Another great review! The veneer was the first thing I saw that gave me flashbacks from 20+ years ago with my first pair of box store Polks! We've all came a long way and it's a shame Polk has not... It's Martin Logan that states "You unbox them and you see them before you hear them" - So in turn, make them look as good as they sound!

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

They’re very well assembled and the cabinet is incredibly well braced but looks-wise they’re just sort of same ol, same ol.

[@bobredden378]

I’ve just required a pair of the L800 and I’m powering then with two NAD S200 Amplifiers Bi-Amped They sound great

[@evanars1]

My 55 watt NAD receiver from the mid 80s would shut down at moderately loud levels. Upgraded to a 100 watt NAD power envelope amp and all was good. Using a Conrad Johnson MF80 now. Sounds amazing.

[@nathanloggins1721]

Thank you so much for your honest and unbiased opinion I have also read very lackluster personal reviews for this speaker. I think the Polk 707’s are probably best sounding speaker Polk audio have ever made! But they also need the proper electronics to sing but once you pair them up with the correct amps and so on they ( I feel ) are one of the best bargains in the audiophile world.

[@CaptainCrunch823]

Thanks for the great review!

[@anshumanbhattacharya8755]

Have 2 Rotel RA 1592 mk Ii bi wired to a pair of my trusted Klipsch RF 83s. Hooked the polks to a pair of bridged nad 375 bees( the ones I foolishly tried to upgrade my nads with)…the polks sound radically on your face and the sda gimmick actually works. Your first half of the review encouraged me to go for the polks over klipsch RF 7 ii and the second half made me quite apprehensive…good thing, the end results were worth it

[@1SourceAudio]

Wow a constructively critical review. What a pleasant surprise. Thanks

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thank you for watching!!!

[@DamienDavidO]

Hey so listening to this about these speakers would the schiit tyr Amps be something that could drive these speakers well or would it be mediocre?

[@257falcon]

I have the Polk SDA 1a...they sound great if you have everything set up great and sitting in the sweet spot. Cant wait to hear the new ones.

[@brooklynbummer]

I had the original SDA speakers, they were amazing but did not play well with my Carver receiver. Great bass and sound and playing the Beatles Yellow Submarine is amazing. I totally agree about the analysis of having the right equipment match the speakers.

[@toddstyles7194]

Great honest review. That's why I have the L-600

[@robcaputo9708]

Great review Andrew. Wonder of the L600 are less picky?

[@sthr2110]

I can attest...these sound absolutely spectacular when powered well and provided with good source material.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Couldn't agree more, but don't go to the Nth degree and they're brutal.

[@RasheedKhan-he6xx]

Not even seen the review yet but am excited. Been waiting for this since I spotted those hulks lurking in the background of one of your other videos! Edit. Have now watched it. Excellent review. You really worked hard on this and you did a great job. Thank you.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thank you for watching.

[@richardmasterman4703]

Thank's again Andrew for your amazingly honest & complete review of the L800's. I think I'll just stick with my B&W speakers that cost me about half of the Polks per pair. They are not nearly as "fussy" as the L800's and perform superbly no matter what you throw at them!!

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Sounds like a plan. Thank you for watching.

[@HoomanR17]

One of your most enjoyable videos from A to Z 👍

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thank you!

[@gnevos]

I agree about the Legend line and some orchestral music. I only had the L100s but on a few orchestral tracks with my eyes closed I got goosebumps because I felt like I was transported somewhere else. Like I could tell you how far the walls of the room they recorded in were exactly. But compared to the Spirit 4s it was too important to be in the sweet spot to get the effect. Which meant it only sounded good when I listened by myself. As soon as someone else sat with me no one was in the sweet spot. Also, I rarely listen to orchestral music so I'd only get the benefit 2% of the time. At almost 1/3 of the price I went with the Spirit 4s. I do think about those couple tracks every now and then though. I could imagine if I lived by myself and didn't use a subwoofer I'd lean towards the Polk since the bass was much smoother due to their port tech. Great vid again AR! Good to know how the L100 scales up

[@ggroch]

Excellent Andrew. I am old enough to have sold the original Polk SDA speaker line (and owned some) I had a very similar criticism, both positive and negative, you have for the new SDA Pro models. I assume they have improved it....but am like you surprised they did not come up with an easy electronic means to turn the SDA effect on and off, or adjust it as needed when it does not work well in default mode. I have not heard these...but my familiarity with the old ones makes me interested enough to try to audition a pair.

[@etippler]

Very interesting review. I have a listening area with the same L-shape, side wall close to the left channel and right channel open into a large space. I've also had a couple different old models of SDAs in that space. Most vintage SDAs had tweeters stacked vertically (or a single one). I can only think of a couple models that had side by side tweeters where one did the dimensional noise canceling, and when I put those in that space they exhibited exactly the problem you described. On great recordings the imaging was unbelievable. I would swear sounds from the recording were coming from beyond the wall of the room. On bad recordings you were surrounded by a weird muddy or echo-y mess. Modders would disconnect the dimensional tweeter. I still have a pair (not with the side-by-side tweeters) though I use them for less critical listening these days. I find the old ones to be great for off-axis listening in that L-shaped space, which was a nice benefit I wouldn't have guessed.

[@brandingmix]

Amazing ear opening wallet closing review, thank you Andrew.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

thank you for watching!

[@mrdon01234]

Thanks for the review. I feel it was fair and is consistent with my audition of the L800s and L100s, particularly the importance of what’s driving them as well as source material. Concerning the SDA, just amazing with stereo tracks with crazy panning effects with the vocals mixed dead center, so much so that my brain asked me “where is the center channel.” One correction to your review the L800 finishes are Black Ash and real Walnut veneer not Cherry like previous model Polks.

[@jamestartaglia7686]

I was thinking about buying these

[@thangadurairaghavelu5454]

Hi Mr. Andrew robinson I respect your professional deep feeling status of these new giant polk speakers by genuine review 😮

[@damianzaninovich4900]

Great review. I would love to hear them. My first speaker in 1977 was the Polk 10. I was a Hs freshman. They looked like these. A lot of bass in a bedroom, haha. They had a holographic midrange though.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Appreciate you sharing.

[@tophatjohnny]

Great review !

[@Hkmmotologs]

brilliantly detailed and honest review as always.. thank you .. also Would you be able to listen to Tekton Design floor standing speakers?.. their Moab model especially.. I have been eyeing their double impact and moab speakers for a while.. there are no demo available for there speakers here but been hearing a lot of positive reviews with great price point as well as some controversial negative opinions regarding the speaker design.. not the best looking but i would love to see a review from you if possible :-)

[@dougg1075]

Harikrishnan K M yes yes on the double impact

[@jeffhanson664]

@andrewrobinson So you’ve recommended the Pro-ject Maia s2 Integrated Amplifier as the Best choice for powering these finicky towers, what were you using to Stream your music? Bluesound, Naim, Cambridge, Linn, Audiolab…?

[@lesmatthews459]

I'm a new one! Love your videos!

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thank you so much!

[@randybath8704]

I enjoyed your review. Many moons ago I bought a pair of SDA models from a store in Cincinnati. I was blown away by the 3d sound from the demo with some Dire Straits and a few other tunes. I bought the Polks and a Nakamichi Pa 7 to drive them. Once I listened to the speakers for a while at home I felt the speakers presentation was lacking and more of an artificial effect. I sold the SDA's off and bought a pair of Snell A3 speakers. I never looked back . I still have those Snell's from the 80's. I haven't heard the new SDA's but if the tech is similar to the original models I would be wary. So to sum up my point I concur with Andrew's advice on this 6000 dollar pair of loudspeakers. Audition carefully and be certain you can live with their idiosyncrasies.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Appreciate you sharing your personal experience. Thank you for watching.

[@gitech7450]

Sounds like my v1 Allison One's where I re-tuned them by wiring the (Lead weighted!) 4ohm 10's in parallel and pulled the mids down, so I know about driving this kind of load. It's crazy the Harmon Kardon AVR630 seems to not mind driving them at all as it can bottom them out on organ music or the explosion at the end of Ready Player One without excess heat or distortion. But messing with the tweets are where things really changed... I shorted the 'outer' tweets leaving only the "inner" ones and with THEM pointed at my respective shoulder. This is what "fixed" em! Phasing issues with 2 tweets that are so far apart and on the horizontal plane on one speaker. These Allison's are also 2ft up on other speaker boxes, tilted forward for seated height listening and about 6ft from any wall in a 1000sft room. They didn't stop being picky till the 2nd 'outer' tweets were killed! I get the full-like soundstage and enveloping 'surround' you've described here when it's in the source, but now they are not picky about source or even head position like they where before. Tricks are not treats most of the time, right!? 😉

[@wng8993]

Awesome review! It's a really cool looking speaker, I've been looking for a larger speaker for bigger sound in this price range! I love the 10inch woofers. But idk about it being picky with the SDA tech. Probably a traditional mid and tweeter setup would have been fine.

[@bltodd578]

Wow! First and foremost, this is the best review of the L800’s hands down. You have woken my eyes about the speakers. I think now I will look for something other than the L800. Not because they’re bad but because how needy they are.

[@kevinc7286]

I suspect Polk will eventually expand the SDA offerings, which night make the issues more acceptable. I'm not sure why people are complaining about the review. It's not bad, but it's also only good if you can get it set up just right. That wasn't the case 35 yeara ago. You could drive most with any decent receiver and the srs1 were excellent with a 250/channel adcom Amp (but they were eveb better with a nice tube amp). We sold them and they weren't given an extraordinary attention in Kirkland setup... Arguably the speakers were too close together...but imaging was still good.

[@evanars1]

@@kevinc7286 The side walls distance are more important than how close they are together. I still listen to a pair from the mid 80s.

[@kvrhifi]

Excellent review. Things now understandable about these speakers

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thank you so much and thank you for watching.

[@rickbradshaw2148]

My Focal 926s struggle with amplifier matching as well. What amplifier did you use that handled the 2ohm load best?

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

My Crown XLS DriveCore 2 did pretty good/great, but believe it or not a tiny little Pro-Ject integrated amp, the MaiA DS2, did the best. The Edge A2-300 and Marantz amps performed poorly (in my opinion) in comparison.

[@BTom16]

I love Polk cherry. It's brilliant. I'm ready for a pair of L800....

[@jamesgilgannon4164]

Great honest review!👍😊

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thanks! 😊

[@reaality3860]

I own Polk Audio SDA speakers, purchased new, that were built in 1986. This review is very accurate. They love power! (I should say current.) The more watts an amp can put into a 2-ohm load the better Polks sound. Honestly, in reflection, the same $6k spent on another speaker brand like "Legacy Audio" would be a better buy.

[@nl_2652]

Fantastic video, sweet speakers 🤤

[@garyb2042]

Great review and covered all bases. I am going to be updating to these from the LSiM707's anyway (in walnut), and the L400 too. What I have noticed with better speakers, good quality recordings sound amazing but on better quality speakers you feed them a crap recording, it sounds crap because it is highlighting the flaws in the recording. You have some el cheapo speakers, they handle the crap recording better because they don't have the same detail.

[@ajcutler54]

I agree

[@jamieslater8991]

Hello Andrew. One Question, I'm after buying a Network Streamer. Between £500-£1000. Any good advice? Thank you! 👍

[@RAFAELRODRIGUEZJR]

Love the channel. Do you ever do reviews on FOCAL speakers? Would love to hear your thought about them

[@dougg1075]

RAFAEL RODRIGUEZ JR they are awesome

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

It's been a few years but I would love to review some of Focal's newer speakers if I get the chance.

[@alanguyes3738]

Great review. I sold POLK SDA loudspeakers 35 years ago. When I listened to a prototype of this new model a year ago, they sounded like a bigger and certainly more refined update of that old SDA technology. At least on the two cuts that were used for demo - Herbie Hancock’s Chameleon (Head Hunters album) and O Helga natt from Cantate Domino. Actually, quite impressive and in a terrible acoustic space. Interestingly, I didn’t have an opportunity to hear them on other content. As an aside, years ago, Definitive Technology - Polk’s now sister company - used a modified version of SDA on one of their passive soundbars.

[@stephencosta6814]

🤯🤯🤯🤔😳👍👍👌👌🙌🙌💪💪😎😎 Andrew you are so articulate it is scary I feel I'm there in the room with you listening to them that's how well-defined you describe them excellent job probably one of your best reviews I believe you are saying absolutely true facts and expectations congratulations

[@s.swanky1809]

I have a similar experience using Carver sonic holography. It makes good stereo recordings shine and fun to listen to. Flat recordings with poor separation stay flat and no amount of pixie dust will change that.

[@lenward474]

Thank you. You mentioned the project amp,how did others,your crown fare?

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Crown did well, satisfactory but the Pro-ject was a better fit/match. My Marantz receiver and the XTZ EDGE A2-300 were both terrible matches for the Polk L800.

[@jigs2683]

Do the cabinet ends become sidewalls as speakers are against them. I have same configuration with PSB's

[@evanars1]

NO

[@ubza1234]

I saw these hulking things at an audio show. I got them to play a track from the Leisure suite Larry reloaded soundtrack. I was very very impressed.