T15 100 Watt Home Theater Bookshelf Speakers, Black, 1 Pair

I just wanted a cheap pair of speakers for bench testing vintage hi-fi amps and receivers, but not absolute junk. These seemed to fit the bill at $70 pair, shipped, as it would cost as much or more to repair the blown woofer on my prior test speakers. Well, these little speakers are the real deal. They have five-way speaker binding posts so you can plug in banana jacks or go old school with stripped wire. The grilles are removable, which is usually not seen at this price point. While I'm not usually a fan of black vinyl cabinets, these are executed tastefully and I have no problems with the looks at all. They have mounting holes on the backs so you can easily hang them on a wall. Let's cut to the chase! These sound fantastic! These are speakers you can listen to all day long, unlike some of the fancy stuff out there that has a long list of specs but doesn't quite make it in real life. You don't need a lot of power to play them, although I found that the better the amplification, the better they sounded. 1. Bass is very, very good for not only a small speaker but a speaker in this price category. It took several hours before they really started singing--most brand-new speakers need a break-in period--but I cannot get over the bass response. Now, if you play them side by side with a subwoofer-equipped system, they're not going to be able to compete; however, I cannot stop listening to them and I have a system with a subwoofer. 2. Overall sound is superb. I can hear plenty of details in my favorite music that I thought only expensive speakers could capture. There's a good sound stage, highs are not harsh or fatiguing, midrange sounds great to me. Am I an audiophile? Probably not, since I will never spend more than a mortgage payment on a piece of hi-fi gear and I use 12AWG Monoprice speaker cables, but I love music and I listen to it every day. 3. A comparison: I saved up for a pair of Wharfedale Dentons. These are not budget speakers. Originally retailing for $1,000 pr., they can often be had for $500 or less and are stunning, well-regarded speakers. The Polk Audio T15s sounder better. Yep. I'm sure a squad of hitmen from Stereophile (and Wharfedale) are prepping their weapons as I write this, but the Dentons cannot handle bass like the Polks do. Are the Dentons drop dead gorgeous in their veneered, bomb-proof cabinets? Yes! Do the Dentons sound good? Yes, again, but I cannot listen to the Dentons very long before I put something else in their place. They simply cannot deal with bass in a pleasing manner and yes, they've done as much breaking in as they're ever going to do. Please understand that I'm not knocking the Dentons; they are so well-made I want to cry, but the Polks are more enjoyable to listen to. 4. So, what's the deal? What's the catch? I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, so let's get it over with... There's no catch that I can see so far, except that these are mass-produced, black vinyl speakers. They are not exotic and I doubt Stereophile is going to review them any time soon. They aren't going to fill a concert hall with thundering bass because they're small bookshelf speakers. Some audio snob types are not going to even bother to listen to a pair because they don't cost enough. Well, their loss is our gain, my friends, because if I had known about these speakers before buying the damned Dentons (and some other fancy speakers) I could have saved $400. 5. Not enough bass for you? No problem. For $130 shipped, buy the Polk Audio PSW10 subwoofer. I am a card-carrying bass freak (every single amp and receiver I own has the bass knob maxed out and I usually have loudness engaged as well) and this thing is a damned marvel. It was easy to set up and yes, it will work with old amps and receivers. You can adjust how much or how little bass it puts out, and for once in my life I DO NOT have the bass turned all the way up--that's how powerful this thing is. You can set it on standby mode, where it's "asleep" until it senses a music signal, then it turns on and does it's thing. That said, the T15's sound so nice on their own I'd hold off on the sub and judge for yourself. I have heard many different speakers over the years, from Bose 901s to Martin Logan Prefaces to Polk Audio LSi9's, and these are absolutely the best value I've ever heard in speakers. They are cheap enough that you can buy two pairs and have a speaker in every corner of the room. Bass is handled very well and they sound good enough to be the main speakers in a two-channel hi-fi system. Look at how many people have given these speakers two thumbs up! I cannot stress how wonderful it is that Polk Audio has provided such an amazing, low-cost speaker to the general public. I highly recommend these speakers. Just remember to let them play for a few hours and the better the amplification, the better they'll sound.

These speakers are a complete and total mutiny of the senses. For the price they absolutely surpassed my expectations. They are not perfect, but they come close. For both music and home theater use, they must be paired with a subwoofer (or multiple subwoofers) to get good sound. However if you're not that picky they sound quite good even without a sub. Their highs are bright, their mid-range is solid, and their lows have a surprising amount of power considering the size of the speakers. The very high treble is particularly emphasized with these, something I personally love, as it tends to give everything a very high quality sound. However keep in mind that these will only reproduce the quality of audio fed into them. If you send them a mediocre-quality signal, you will get very mediocre sound. If you send them a high quality signal (via HDMI, coaxial, etc.) you will get a very high quality output. Even video games that I play using an old fiber optic cable sound incredible with these speakers (especially Skyrim!) For the best sound proper speaker placement is essential. The tweeter should be at ear level, or as close to ear level as possible. If this is not possible, the tweeter should at least be below ear level, never above (unless you are using them as surrounds, in which case it should always be above ear level). I have used these speakers extensively for my front speakers over the past month and a half, and I can confidently confirm that when the tweeter is at (or at least close to) ear level, the sound improves dramatically. I originally had them up too high, which did still sound fairly good but not great. The speakers must also be placed sufficiently apart (22 - 30 degrees to the left and right of the listening position for the left and right speaker, respectively). While these sound great with their grills on, I eventually ended up taking the grills off and like the sound much better that way. Your preference might vary, however. The imaging capability of these speakers is magnificent, especially with the grills off. But yes it is true, they do have some minor flaws, the main one being that every once in a while a certain type of sound will be sent to them that they struggle to play. This only seems to happen with lower-quality signals, however, such as playing music directly from my phone to my receiver, so it is not really an issue for me. When this happens though it results in some brief hiss / static. I have watched about a dozen movies with these and I believe it only happened once during one movie for a split second. The other potential issue is that the mid-range / woofer driver on them can only handle so much, unless you don't need a lot of volume. This is another reason that I recommend pairing them with a subwoofer and setting the speaker size for them on your receiver to small. I have these in my bedroom and they can get very loud with no problem with the conditions just mentioned. However if the room you use them in is large and you need a lot of volume they may not be loud enough. 100 watts RMS per channel is substantial for a small room but only goes so far for anything bigger. My experience using a graphic equalizer with them has had me not boosting the treble much at all because it is already nice and clear, lowering the mid-range slightly (perhaps a matter of personal taste), and boosting the bass somewhat significantly (again I advise only doing this when paired with a subwoofer). Despite some of the minor imperfections, I still give these 5 stars because truthfully, I do love them. The sound quality is outstanding for the price, especially when they go on sale for $50. In fact they sound so good with the rest of my setup that for weeks it was hard to tear myself away from listening to them. I went from smaller satellite speakers to these as my fronts and they definitely have more "oomph" to them, and movies sound so much more theatrical than they did before. The sound is improved so much that I plan on getting the T30 center channel that goes with them, as well as another pair of these for my surrounds in the near future. Overall these speakers are somewhat sensitive while simultaneously being robust. As long as you take the time to set them up correctly, "protect" them with a subwoofer and the right settings on your AVR, they are capable of producing sound that is loud and powerful when needed, as well as soft and gentle when quieter moments arise, all the while having a deliciously high quality sound to them. Set them up correctly, and they really, really shine.

For the price, these are excellent speakers. They sound super-clear with accurate full-range reproduction and even a bit of bass. i got them at a sale price which made them somewhat of a no-brainer, although i considered Yamaha and Sony 3-way bookshelf speakers and the Polk tsi100 which is almost functionally the same except it has an active crossover, which these lack. However for my purposes, that didn't matter -- i am using them as surrounds in a 5.1 system, all Polk, with a Sony receiver. You could pay more for surrounds, but why? Sound quality is excellent, and they handle transitions between complex passages to more isolated ones faithfully. They also do well with both acoustic and electronic musical elements. If i had to describe the soundstage, it's present, with clear separation between frequencies. They are maybe a little on the crisp side but not shrill, in terms of tonality, though that will also depend on what music you play through them. (EDIT: It's been a few years now, and I've listened to lotta of music and movies through these speakers. As long as you know their limitations and strengths, you'll be fine with these.) I havent done extensive testing yet, nor put them through their paces with a home theater audio source, but their performance with music raises no expectation that they wouldn't handle typical movie audio as well. They are only rated to 50w continuous/100w peak, so that is something to consider if you are thinking of using them as mains. (EDIT: in engineering these, Polk chose to emphasize sound fidelity. These aren't going to have bass like a 3-way speaker. They have a max. volume rating which may preclude use as mains in larger rooms. But they are under $100 for a pair and sound fantastic for what they are.) I would say they are perfect as surrounds in a 5.1 system, which places lower power demands on rear speakers so the wattage rating doesn't matter. But i could see going with 4 of these in a home theater set-up, or 4 plus a subwoofer, for a small room. The freq. response only goes down to 60khz, so you are not going to get deep bass from these. But you will hear some bass, which sounds surprisingly clean on sound selections where low-end is isolated and "ripples" through all channels. I personally chose the Monitor 60s as my mains because I listen to a lot of music. But honestly, those might be overkill in some regards because it doesn't take a lot of volume to fill the room they are in, which is around 15' x 20'. Anyway, the M60s sound great paired with the T15s and PSW10 and could easily work as a main system in a larger, living room space. i would also have no reservations about swapping the T15s with my Yamaha surrounds on the main system, except they are just a bit larger and bulkier. They do have a keyhole opening on the back if you want to wall-mount or secure them. The cabinet itself is very well-made and these look impressive without grilles. Overall, very pleased with my purchase, so far they have performed flawlessly and are exactly what i expected. if you want bigger bass from a bookshelf speaker, your options become at least2x-3x more expensive, but will also be limited by physical space. For example, the Yamaha 3-way advertised as a bookshelf speaker packs a largeish woofer into a midsize cabinet, where it can potentially overpower the treble and mids. maybe that's an option for mains if you dont have room or budget for a subwoofer and/or floor-standing speakers, but also probably overkill for surrounds in a 5.1 setup. The T15s, on the other hand, aren't trying to give you floor-speaker performance in a smaller package, but they do compare favorably with more expensive 2-way bookshelf speakers. At this price point, they are something of an engineering/design marvel, and as long as you have realistic expectations, they will meet or exceed those expectations.

Don’t worry about this speaker not having enough bass. Over all good sound. I have to trust my own 18 years of working in retail consumer electronics (although many years back) along with years of playing the cello in school. I was listening to internet radio (WLNG Sag Harbor NY where I went to school) ‘Welcome to the Hotel California’ on an old SA1000 100W RMS per channel .09THD no intermod spec. And no that’s .09 not 9%.) The rock music is bassy but not the classical so most likely WLNG is processing it. I’m some days the booth cam is on the dj, may catch a glimpse of that mixing boards equlizer if it’s not all digital now. There are far worse speakers out there, I know because I’ve sold them.

I purchased these Polk T15 bookshelf speakers to upgrade my sound in my home office/gaming setup. I must say that these little bookshelf speakers punch well above their weight class. They being powered by a Fosi Audio M331 tube amp that puts out about 100 watts per channel. The sound profile is a more of a U shape which is great for a variety of music. In movies, dialogue is a little muffled when listening at low volumes. While the frequency response goes down to 50hz, it's not going to rattle the pictures off the wall. In most cases, the bass is just fine for a 5.25" driver. If you need booming bass you can add a subwoofer to the setup. I was able to purchase these speakers on sale. For the price, they are worth every penny. However, if they were closer to MSRP, I would pass on them (purchased for $120usd). Overall, I am happy with my purchase. The work well in a small room. Their size allows them to work as desktop speakers. If you can find them on sale, it would be worth the purchase. Pros: Great sounding, big sound from a small package. Crispy highs, tame mids, and solid bass. Allows for the use of banana plugs. Classic aesthetics and compact design. Great value if you can find them on sale. Cons: Struggles with frequency under 60hz. Dialogue gets lost at low volumes. Grills are not magnetic. Vinyl wrap looks cheap.

Bought these and a small Fosi amp to play my old alblums on the Technics I just bought. These Polks sound great! Not heavy on the bass but the clarity is awesome. You won't be disappointed!

The subjectiveness of speaker reviews includes that different people have varying qualities of amplifiers. I tested these speakers on my high end tube amplifier, not a cheap 30 dollar amplifier. I also deliberately used a cd of big band music recorded mastered in total digital format. I don't like big band music, but I know truly digital big band music includes trumpets, trombone, tuba, French horns, etc that my usual music and lyrics don't. I always test new speakers with big band music because it is semi orchestral. On my particular system there is tons of midrange presence and treble, and it is profoundly clear in the midrange and treble frequencies, but it's because I am using a high end tube amplifier instead of a cheap class d amplifier or solid state amplifier. What it shows is how good these speakers can sound with a quality source of music and lyrics out of a high end tube amplifier like I have. So some of the subjectiveness of speaker reviews are because of the quality or lack of quality of sound input and the amplifier. These speakers are capable of producing profoundly clear midrange presence and treble. Bass is not their main strength, but why would it be? They are small cabinet speakers. I would definitely need a subwoofer if these were my primary speakers. They are not. I use klipsch rp600m s as the primary speakers on this bedroom system I used to test the speakers. All I can say is that if someone has a good amplifier and music source, these speakers sound fantastic in the midrange presence and treble spectrum. A 30 dollar amplifier is not going to demonstrate what these speakers can do. Mine does. These speakers can sound really good in midrange and presence hooked to a high end tube amplifier. They are crystal clear on my system. The .75 inch tweeter is not crying out that it should have been a 1 inch tweeter in my case. Excellent secondary speakers hooked to a tube amplifier. No speakers are going to sound that good hooked to an amplifier that costs less than 2 footlong subways subs combo meals. Just sayin. Definitely would need a subwoofer if they were the primary speakers on my system. That's understandable. 5 stars categorically in my case. They definitely make horn instruments in big band music sound great. It makes me wish I liked big band music, but I don't. It's good to test speakers though because of the additional musical instruments.

Bought these for 69.00 a pair in 2021. I use them for rear channel pair on my garage Atmos system. They work great for that, as they are all around great little bookshelfs. Warm sound with good output and an insane value.

Qualidade ótima, entretanto não se aplica para os que pretendem som ambiente com amplitude de graves médios e agudos.

Its super build quality and sound. Am really surprised

I have a small house, a really tiny room but a very large collection of Music on CDs and LPs. With space constraints I was listening to music on the Bose Acoustic Wave II for almost 15 years. It served me well till it perished on a high musical note. For nearly two years , I have been listening to music on Bluetooth speakers but they never did give the pleasure my ears were seeking. It was a compromise. That did not stop me from buying music on CDs , because i lived in hope that someday I would be able to listen to music just the way I used to listen to it before on a nice warm sound system. I did not have a high end budget either and keeping the tiny space I have , I needed something just right that would fill my room with warm sounds. A friend of mine wanted to switch over to digital music streaming, he was absolutely done with music on CDs and wanted to move on with technology , well to each his own , and his loss I must add. He wanted to give away his Harmon Kardon Amplifier of 15 years (which works like a charm) and immediately bought it from him. Next thing I dug out was my worn out sony Dvd player which needed repair , but i got it fixed. Now the only thing remaining was to get the right speakers and pair it with this amplifier and dvd player. After several days of research and reading a lot on several other brands of speakers, Polk T15 caught my attention. I took a leap of faith and bought them. The speakers arrived , in an absolutely lovely packaging. Secured and not one dent on the box (thankfully). The speakers itself look gorgeous and I removed the outer covers of the speakers because I like them that way. The only little complaint I have was that they came without audio wires. So i ran to the local electronic store and bought about 30 feet of audio cable and found myself cutting the wire and setting up the speakers on the wall of my room. When the setup was complete, it was time to test this tailor made old system with a fresh new pair of speakers. The result, a big smile on my face. The efforts , the patience paid off and the T15 absolutely breathed new life to my collection of music. It's just right for my room , my tiny space. The bass is not enthralling if you're someone who is looking for a heavy bass sounding sound. Nope, not at all. It's well balanced and I prefer it that way. The acoustics , the drums , the vocals , the guitars ,the overall sound hits the sweet spot. So if you're looking for a similar setup like mine, something old school which sounds lush and warm, consider the T15's as a very affordable upgrade.

Great sounding speakers! Good price. Quality seems to be fairly good as well, I have been using them for a couple weeks and so far they are holding up well.

Achetées pour faire office d'enceintes principalement comme enceintes d'ambiance. Elles remplissent parfaitement leur mission et ne rechignent pas à la montée en puissance. Reproduction neutre et équilibrée. Un très bon achat adapté à l'usage prévu.