Customer Reviews

Polk Audio Monitor Series CS1 Center Channel Speaker (Single, Black)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This speaker replaced cheap radio shack center channel,that never really gave decent sound. Especially dialog on movie soundtracks... My wife would always say"What did he just say?" or "I can't hear them " etc. Haven't had that problem anymore. Made the biggest sound differece in speaker setup because so much of dolby 5.1 is though the center speaker. This got a good review in CNET rated 7 of 10. it is really well built and quite large. 16x7x9in It fit in my setup but might be too large for some tastes.. But the sound is VERY clear and accurate, Great for sports movies and music too, its a good choice without going broke..

Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't understand that "17 pounds" isn't enough for the Dimensions field. Here are the actual dimensions.

18"w x 7"h x 9-5/8"d

To give you a sense of scale, that is about 1 inch wider than most home stereo components (like your amp, receiver, or DVD player), so it'll stack, but there will be a little overhang. Just think of it as love handles for your center channel.

The price and sound quality more than make up for the largish size, as long as you've got the room. Be warned, this beast isn't wall mountable.

This is my first foray (actually it was a gift) into Polk Audio merchandise. I am pleased with the crisp, clear, and detailed high frequency sound it emits. It has considerable resolution and articulation that helps deliever lifelike representations of vocals and instruments. There is virtually no distortion, and it sits above my T.V., which sometimes speakers and T.V.s will play interference with each other, but not this monitor. I have it hooked up to my Sony STR-DE697 Receiver, and it has been able with great clarity to handle high volumes. This is a great buy, even if you have a modest receiver

I bought this brand new and couldn't be happier. I hated how I had to crank up my sony xbr3 speakers to be able to hear dialogue in one scene and then have to turn them down in an action packed scene so they wouldn't be blown out.

The CS1 sounds incredibly great for the price. My room is approx. 16x20x7 and this is plenty center channel. As you can see from the pictures I added, I also have a Polk Monitor 60's center and a Polk PSW111 sub. I am in the process of getting 4 Polk Monitor 30's to use as surrounds to get the full 7.1 in my room. That room is going to be the place to be. I will be sad everytime I have to leave it.

I was using a Bose double cube for my center channel. It was weak, and insufficient. I decided to go with the PA CS1, wow what a difference. Great sound at a lower volume. Vocals are clear and defined. I tested the unit listening to that "movie previews guy" voice. EXACTLY like it is in the theater. AMAZING. Even regular TV voices/narration sound waaay better, (I watch alot of NGEO, TruTV, Discovery etc.) programs that have lots of narration.
One note, it's big. But if your TV is 50in or larger, it looks decent. I think if it was with a smaller TV 42 in or smaller it would look overwhelming. If you have a large rear projection TV >60in, like I do, it looks great sitting on top of it, like a "beefed" up version of your TV. I like this look personally. Maybe it's a guy thing. I wouldn't get this if you don't like big speakers, and want to be discrete about it. But I'm personally convinced you will NOT get the same sound out of a BOSE center channel than you would with this. BOSE double cubes are great for surround, but that center channel was weak.

I purchaced this speaker along with four Polk Monitor 30 satalites, a Pioneer VSX-1017TXV-K receiver, and a Velodyne VX-10 sub about two months ago. I did tons of research and read hundreds of reviews for about a month before I pulled the trigger. The center channel sound is a perfect match (to no surprise) with the other Polk Monitor speakers. The sound is warm and crisp, but not too bright. Voices sound natural and well defined. When watching a movie, it really feels like i'm in a theater. My budget was 900 dollars and I can't believe what I was able to get. Through my research, I don't think you can do much(if any) better for 900 dollars.

Bigger than i expected, but that's my own fault for not looking at the measurements in advance. Other than that, it's a great speaker at a great price.

This speaker has it all. Great sound, great looks, and as of right now, a great price. This will be 100x better than any speaker included with a bundled home theater package. Sounds great - highly recommended.

I have recently upgraded all of my speakers to Polk and have not been let done. This speaker does an amazing job and sounds great. I would recommend to anyone looking to upgrade their sound quality.

I got this center channel speaker to go with my Polk Monitor 50 tower speakers. Acoustically it is a perfect match for the towers and presents a seamless sound stage. If you have any of the Polk Monitor series speakers up to the 50's. I highly recommend it. For the higher model numbers with the larger drivers, go with the matching CS2. Sounds great at a VERY attractive price point, recommended.