Customer Reviews

Polk Audio CSI A6 Center Channel Speaker (Single, Cherry)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I recently replaced all of my speakers, going with all Polk after having a haphazard combo of old Altec 3-way fronts, a Boston Acoustics center channel, and Bose satellite rears. I bought a pair of Polk Audio RTI A7 fronts, Polk Audio RTI A3s for rears, a Polk Audio PSW505 Subwoofer, and this unit for a center. I have to say that after a week I'm really pleased with the performance of the CSI A6. It delivers crisp dialogue for entertainment and sounds really great with music, especially when listening to multichannel audio. These speakers are rated at 55Hz -3dB lower limit, which is exceptional low-end response for a center unit. Like the rest of the RTi-A line the mid- and high-range response are excellent, getting all the way up to 26kHz -3dB upper limit. The unit projects a 3-dimensional sound field that's difficult to pinpoint. The result is a detailed, rich, seamless and enveloping sound stage when listening to 5.1 media.
In comparison to the Boston Acoustics center I used to have this unit has much better high-end and low-end response. Across the board things sound richer and fuller. It has unquestionably enhanced my HT setup. I also briefly tried out a Polk Monitor CS2, but again the CSI A6 wins handily.
It should be noted that this is a pretty big center: it's only 7.5" tall, but 24.25" wide and 14.5" deep. It also weighs ~30 lbs. Make sure you have the space for this.
Fit and finish are excellent. It has a curved cabinet like the rest of the RTi-A series, with a black oak finish and pewter-accented grilles. It also has a small adjustment rod that allows you to aim the speaker at the listening area. This is extremely handy.
If you want to talk output, it's powered by twin 6.5" polymer composite cones and a 1" silk polymer dome tweeter. It's rated at 200W max. This thing can take whatever I can dish. I'm running this on a Yamaha RX-V1800, and even near max volume the sound is unmuddied and well-defined, with very good low-end and exceptional mid- and high-range response.
Overall this is a good but not great buy. It's really nice if you're running exclusively RTi-A speakers due to the fact that everything is voice matched. Even if you have something like my old setup this is a great unit that's sure to enhance any HT. I can't however honestly say it's a great value unless you can find one going for below list, as $459.95 is a lot of money to spend for one speaker. The CS2, which is comparable in output (rated at 175W max), performance (60Hz-24kHz -3 dB lower/upper limit) and size (7.5"H x 21"W x 12"D, 21 lbs.), is going for substantially less on Amazon ($129.99 at last look). Nevertheless this is a high performance unit at an upper mid-range price, which for me ultimately made it worth it. Recommended.

I have Polk Audio speakers from the good old days, when they were very good if not exceptional. I needed a more prominent center channel, but I did not want to replace the other "parts" of the home theater arrangement. After contacting Polk tech support, they recommended the CSI A6 as complementary to the existing array. It is a good fit and provides clear dialog and the tone and range blend well. (the system is driven by a Denon 5308)

I chose the CSI A6 based on the reviews of others and professional sites. I have been extremely pleased with its performance. Dialog is crisp and clear. It covers a large sound range and enhances the other components well. I recommend this unit.

I recently added the Polk CSi A6 center channel (Black) to my system consisting of 4 Polk Audio TC80i Round 2-Way 8-Inch In-Ceiling Loudspeaker (Single, White).

The tone of this speaker matches the 8" ceiling speakers very well and the sound from the center speaker is full, crisp, clear and carries dialog very well.

This is a large and heavy speaker (~29 lbs) so check your available space to make room for it in your setup, it is not a compact sound bar but a full fledged speaker with dual 6.5" drivers and a tweeter between them.

The cabinet has an adjustable leg on the rear to aim the speaker down if above your TV or up if below.

I would highly recommend this center channel for anyone with the TCi, TSi or RTi series of speakers from Polk Audio.

Right now I've got a Sony BDP-N460 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black) hooked up to a Denon receiver, which in turn is hooked up to a pair of older Polk Audio RTi's as front channels, this product as the center channel, and a pair of Polk Audio TC80i Round 2-Way 8-Inch In-Ceiling Loudspeaker (Single, White) in the rear.

I'm not a huge audiophile, or the biggest home entertainment system buff, or even a super mean cranky guy (like the guy who wrote that other review and said it looks like it was designed by a 5 year old). But all that aside, I do have ears, and my ears enjoy the sounds that come out of my current setup. The dialogue is absolutely crisp, and listening to multichannel audio is mindblowing. On top of that, the speaker is pretty good-looking, although I am having trouble figuring out how to place it in my current setup. (Stand? shelf? I'm at a loss.)

Bottom line: This will sound great paired with some TCis and/or RTis. Having a center channel speaker vs not having one makes all the difference in the world, and I highly recommend these.

It's a shame the cherry is so much more expensive but is is beautiful.

Here is what I went with:

RTi A7s for the right and left
CSi A6 for the center
RTi A1s for the surround right and left
RTi A1s for the rear surrounds
2 PSW125 subs both in front

The cherry of the PSW line doesn't match the RTi line. Amazon let me return and get two black. Great cheaper anyway.

Is Polk worth the money I can't say there may be better deals but this setup looks and sounds great. I am very pleased.

This speaker sounds Amazing. I auditioned a lot of speakers before deciding on the polk RTi & CSi lines. Overall they sound excellent and for the price range nothing else really came close to me. I auditioned both the CSi A4 and the CSi A6. The CSi A4 is no slouch by any means, but the CSi A6 is a must if the space is not an issue. It is big, but with it comes big and beautiful sound. I really wanted the C4 and was impressed with it, but the A6 fills out the mid range so much better I had to get it even though space was an issue for me. I liked it enough to rearrange my living room in order to accommodate it. The main reason for this is that the center channel does MOST of the work in the home theater setting, so I figured the fuller sound was a must.

I upgraded my front center channel with the CSI A6. It is very clear and voices are now significantly easier to hear.

The only suggestion I have is make sure you have room for it! It is huge - taking up almost an entire shelf on my LCD stand.

I am very happy with this purchase.

I added the CSI A6 speaker to our B&W speaker system. I am very happy with the sound quality and the improvement it made to our home theater system. The speaker is very well made and nicely finished. I purchased the black speaker and that turned out to be an excellent choice. I am very happy with the purchase.

Wao....amazing sound and look fantastic in cherry. The best companion for my news RTi A9 fronts. I buy this one from One Call (open box unit) and is Like NEW, no scratches or dents at all.