Don't Let Its Looks Fool You...
Written: Jun 14 '01
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Pros: So Good Looking!, Good Without Subwoofer, Expensive, Can Do Better
Cons: Subwoofer
The Bottom Line: Read my 'Verdict'
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| soupcraze's Full Review: Polk Audio CS1000P Speaker |
At one point, I was in the market for a new center channel. This was before I bought my Paradigm Monitor11 speakers. I did eventually buy a CC-370. But I actually bought a Polk CS1000p to try out at home with the Monitor11s. Which ever one sounded better, I would keep. One day I was searching center channels on the internet and I came across the Polk selection at the Circuit City website. It was love at first site. So many drivers. I thought that this was a finally a center that incorporated a lot of large drivers to give more realistic sound. Well, I was stupid then. I gave the cashier my Mastercard, and charged $1,000 + tax to my account. Here's what I found with the Polk CS1000p:
Price:
Polk makes good speakers, but I don't find them to be better than Boston Acoustics or Paradigm. They however are much easier to find then the those other brands because they are all sold at Circuit City, which is a very large chain. Anyway, if you want a center channel from Polk. I would not buy the Polk CS1000p. I would go with the one that has the same drivers wwhich excluder the built in subwoofers. No, they aren't normal woofers, they are subwoofers. Center channels are very important, and they are mainly rated by the authenticity of the sound reproduction, or in other words, how natural they sound. The subwoofers in the Polk CS1000p destroy that. But I will give more on that in the section about sound. If you want a Polk, get the cheaper models. If you don't care about matching your front stage, go for a Boston Acoustics VR910 which I find to be incredible. Or the Paradigm CC-370 is a great choice, it is what I use.
Looks and Styling:
This is what really fooled me. I totally rushed myself when I bought the Polk CS1000p. I thought that the drivers which are the subwoofers were actually the extra midwoofers that would supply me with much more natural vocals. Well, the 6.5" 50Watt subwoofers just fooled me!
Durability:
I know some people who use Polk speakers, and they all say that they last. Or at least I can say that Polk is a respectable brand that makes good products. If these things last a year or even a month, then they should last for many years to come. I don't think that the Polk CS1000p is an exception.
Sound:
Well, the Polk CS1000p sounds good... With the subwoofers off! It sounds identicle to the model without the built-in subwoofers. Let me tell you how the center channel is supposed to be. The center channel handles all dialogue if it is in use. That is true for all movies, TV, etc... If you use Dolby Pro Logic or 5/6/7 channel DSPs to play music or whatever, all vocals and 50% will be passed through the center channel. This speaker is something you shouldn't go cheap on. The center is supposed to provide natural sounding male and female vocals. You will find such quality on JMLab, Boston Acoustics, Paradigm, or Canton centers. They don't over-exaggerate vocals or anything. The Polk CS1000p however ruins it all. The center channel is in no way expected to have a large or even mediocre bass response. A large bass response from the center will greatly ruin the vocals. well, I plugged the Polk CS1000p into my Marantz SR-14EX. It first sounded alright. Then I hooked up the Paradigm CC-370, and the Polk CS1000p was just completely blown away! I then set the bass on the Polk CS1000p to minimum. Then it finally sounded good! Polk makes great center channels... but without the 6.5" 50Watt subwoofers built in. Well, I guess I paid extra for them. I then returned the Polk CS1000p and kept the Paradigm CC-370 which I am enjoying greatly to this day!
The Verdict:
I won't even mention the bass response, because you just can't do that with center channels! Now don't get me wrong, Polk is a great brand that makes great speakers. It's just that making a center channel with built in subwoofers was a bad mistake. If you want a Polk center, I would suggest going for the cheaper model that contains identicle drivers, but no subwoofers. The subwoofers just make the vocals sound un-natural and bad! Other than that, the Polk CS1000p was good without the bass on... However you pay for these drivers. They don't come free.
THIS REVIEW IS:
SOUPCRAZE CONSUMER FRIENDLY CERTIFIED
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 1000
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Epinions.com ID:
soupcraze
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Member: Soup Enthusiast
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Reviews written: 488
Trusted by: 185 members
About Me:
I enjoy many of life's passions... Music, medicine, people, and life itself.
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