Polk Audio R15 2-Way Bookshelf Loudspeakers (Pair, Black)

by Polk Audio

Product Details

Product Manual [182kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 7.2 x 10.6 inches ; 7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 16 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B00006I5O4
• Item model number: AM1501-A
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,486 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Polk Audio's compact R15 bookshelf speakers deliver exciting music and home theater performance using high-quality materials and sound fundamental engineering, giving you both great sound and high value. Perfect for use in starter systems, bedroom, and space-constrained music-listening applications, the R15s also make terrific surround speakers. Wall mount them in your workshop, basement, or garage, or integrate a pair or two with a powered subwoofer to fill out the low frequencies or to provide a low-frequency-effects option for a 2.1 or higher theater setup using a compatible DVD player and/or AV receiver.

Polk's exclusive Dynamic Balance drivers and tweeters ensure an impressively wide frequency response (65 to 20,000 Hz at their 3 dB down points) and high efficiency with low distortion (handling amplifiers pumping anywhere from 20 to 100 watts per channel). The speakers' rubber driver surrounds are built to deliver a lifetime of reliable high performance. Their wide-dispersion drivers and tweeters project sound over a wide area so every listener in a room hears open, "box-less," 3-dimensional sound.

Dynamic Balance started with laser interferometry research done in partnership with the Johns Hopkins University. Full-field laser-imaging research allowed Polk to view a driver's entire vibrating surface, revealing the resonance that develops on speaker cones as they move. That resonance is the root cause of frequency-response distortions. Knowing this helped Polk engineers find the right combination of materials, geometry, and construction techniques to tune out the offending resonance. The resulting Dynamic Balance technology produces flat frequency response, sharp detail, sonic transparency, and a speaker's ability to play dynamic programs at life-like levels without a hint of strain.

Front-mounted bass ports provide deep, punchy bass, and the speakers are magnetically shielded to permit distortion-free placement near TVs and computer monitors.

Convenient, 5-way binding posts provide an array of secure hook-up options, and the speakers feature a built-in keyhole slot for easy wall mounting. When wall mounting, Polk recommends using either bare-wire or spade-lug connections to ensure flush mounting. Wall mounting requires basic skills with tools such as a drill and a screwdriver. The speakers are covered by Polk's standard, non-transferable 5-year warranty.

What's in the Box
Two speakers with removable grilles and a user's manual with warranty information.

Product Description

Building incredible-sounding speakers at reasonable prices has made Polk Audio a powerhouse in the audio industry. The R Series Loudspeaker models continue the Polk tradition of using high quality materials and excellent fundamental engineering to deliver exceptional sound at an exceptional value. R Series Loudspeakers are perfect for building starter systems, or for small room or multi-room applications. With the addition of a PSW Series powered subwoofer, you can assemble an impressive home theater system on a budget. Use them as surrounds in a den or bedroom system. Wall mount them in your workshop or basement rumpus room for industrial strength durability and great sound.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Little Speaker, July 25, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Polk Audio R15 2-Way Bookshelf Loudspeakers (Pair, Black) (Electronics)

To begin, this speaker did not blow me away the second I hooked it up or anything. But it does put out nice warm sound you would expect from polk. It was definitely worth the money. Polks sound nice with Onkyo receivers (I dont know why, they just do). I highly recommend these to any non-audiophilic person out there who still enjoys good clean sound from a small cabinet that wont hinder your rooms aethetics.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love these little speakers!, March 18, 2005

By 

James Timpson Jr. (Stony Brook, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

These are great speakers for the money. Recently, I also purchased a pair of Sony 350 speakers to put in my living room. The Polks cost about the same as the Sony's but are much smaller. To be honest, I like the sound quality of the Polk's much better. I guess if you need a bigger speaker to fill a huge room, the Sony's would be adequate, but overall, I highly recommend getting the Polks. One final advantage: you can easily mount the Polks on the wall.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good inexpensive speakers, but not for golden-eared listeners, September 9, 2006

By 

E. Oxenberg "Just another stay-at-home comput... (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Polk Audio R15 2-Way Bookshelf Loudspeakers (Pair, Black) (Electronics)

The R15s from Polk can be had for as little as $50/pair if you spot a good sale, and are a reasonable buy for under $125/pair. They are small, not too heavy and nice looking. Like a lot of smaller speakers, they tend to open up more when played loudly than they do at lower listening levels.

These ported speakers sound decent with lower-powered amps (I have a Proton 100, maded by NAD in the '90s, puts out 25 honest watts RMS) but may benefit from higher power in increased accuracy and balance. Since my amp sounds a bit warm, I found the output from the R15s was soft and too concentrated in the midrange at the expense of bass response. They don't have much extended bass, and benefit from the reinforcement of a decent subwoofer. I tried them alone and with an NHT 10" powered sub, and the low end was definitely improved with the added bass output.

Compared to better --and more expensive -- bookshelf speakers, the R15s color their sound somewhat with thicker vocals, compressed guitars and horns, somewhat thumpy bass and drums and a noticible push in the midrange. I found them, however, a definite improvement over similar size units from Sony or JBL.

I played music ranging from electronica and rock to jazz and classical. Hip-hop music tended to sound best because there really is no midrange in a lot of hip-hop tracks, so the speaker could concentrate in the highs and lows. Rock songs suffered from too-heavy guitar and weak bass response.

Bass is improved by moving these close to a wall, though the speaker may get boomy, and drops off noticably when moved more than a foot out.

The bottom line is, these speakers are pretty good for moderate stereo systems, smaller rooms and less discriminating listening, but better sound comes from other brands like NHT, Paradigm or Atom for a bit more money.