Polk Audio R15 Main / Stereo Speaker

Pros: Compact size; colour; front ported; good soundstage; wall mountable
Cons: Mild bass; exaggerated capabilities; not very open

I have always a big fan of electronics, and although I never really got around to testing certain brands and their products until a few years ago, I still got to it soon enough to have a lot of fun. I worked at a Future Shop in Toronto a couple of ...

Pros: Solid construction, controlled sound, good mids & highs, two colors available
Cons: Do not perform down to 60Hz as rated, heavy

My review largely echoes everyone else's: these speakers are cheap, but are still adequate for a lot of people. Allow me to explain in more detail. The R15 are part of Polk's entry-level bookshelf speaker lineup. They are meant to bring strong ...

Pros: Affordable, does the job if your listening area isn't huge
Cons: Is probably a little too weak to complement a large surround setup.

After doing some grueling physical labor over the summer, I decided that I wanted to indulge in surround sound. However, I am a college student and like many college students, I am financially challenged. So I had to settle for something cheap. I ...

Pros: Nice finish. Sound is clear and crisp after break-in period
Cons: none

I was looking for a decent and affordable pair of bookshelf speakers for the family den and I got these on eBay for 80 bucks. After reading all the positive reviews on the R15’s, I decided to give them a try. I own(ed) several speaker brands ...

Pros: Inexpensive, attractive wood look, good sturdy quality of build
Cons: limited sound from such small tweeter and woofer

I bought these speakers from c.city on sale for $69 a pair. They have provided good sound for my re ...

Pros: Comes in Cherry finish or black. Small & versatile with BIG sound.
Cons: None

Underrated speaker. Its sound quality is a direct reflection of what you have driving them. Excellent for HT. Wide dynamic detailed & precise. Also a great choice for a stereo system. I placed Rotel separates behind these speakers and I was shocked at how good they sound. Deep bass, excellent mids, & crystal clear highs. Not bad for a pair of speakers that only cost $50 -$100 per pair depending on where you buy them. There simply isn't a better speaker anywhere near this price range. You get what you expect from Polk Audio.

Pros: Inexpensive, very strong, very clear - everything a speaker should be.
Cons: Not quite tiny enough to "hide" from the wife when wall mounted.

I have 4 R15's anchoring my extreme budget 5.1 at home. They are to fill a space approx 13'X 21'(but the whole bonus room is 26'X 21'). I run them with a 15" KSW-300 subwoofer. I read a number of reviews saying the R15's were great budget bookshelves, but also warning that they were too small for use as "fronts" in a 5.1. Mine, when coupled with my sub are so loud I cannot stand it. My Yamaha 5930 receiver (powerful inexpensive receiver) has a fixed 90hz crossover, so the R15's are only responsible for 90hz and up - and they can really push out clear sound in those frequencies. My sub doesn't always love playing the 80-90hz stuff, but it manages. Coupled with a Csi25 center, the timbre matching is perfect. The Polk R15's have got to be the best budget bookshelves out there. I cannot imagine a room that they could not overload (with a sub). I got mine from Frye's for $40 per pair - at that price, you will not ever find a better, louder, or clearer speaker.

Pros: great looks, keyhole and front bass port for easy wall mounting
Cons: For more pronounced bass get a sub

This may sound strange but I bought these speakers after I heard them in a daycare. My nephew goes to a “high end” daycare / preschool in NYC called Smarter Toddler and they have these Polk speakers in the Stroller room and the Jazz and World music they play sounds great with good bass and highs and smooth clarity. This same day care center also has Klipsch and Acoustic Research speakers in some of the classrooms and hallways and those brands actually compare to Polk. I say they’re a buy!

Pros: Very inexpensive, Nice sounding, Well built, Good for background listening
Cons: Don't expect audiophile sound at this price.

Polk is a strange company; it produces some exceptional high-end speakers, and some very ho-hum speakers. Sonically the R15s are better than ho-hum, they have a nice well-rounded sound, but are not much different than other speakers from companies like Sony, Panasonic, Yamaha & Pioneer. The R15s are rather non-descript, the build quality of the R15 is very nice, even if they are a little on the light side.

The real attraction of these speakers is that they are made by Polk and are routinely on sale at Fry's/Outpost.com for $40. At that price, they are a very good value.

For the non-audiophile, looking for a small pair of nice sounding, well built, very inexpensive speakers, these are a good choice.

For the price, nothing could be richer sounding. For the size, nothing can compare to its thick tone...it even sound great without a sub to back it up!