Polk Audio Monitor 50 2-Way Floorstanding Speaker (Single, Black)

Other products by Polk Audio

Product Details

• Item Weight: 16 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 31 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002Z240M
• Item model number: AM5025-A
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,808 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)

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  Electronics > Home Audio & Theater > Speakers > Floorstanding

• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 1, 2005

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Polk Audio Monitor 50 2-way Floorstanding Speaker, Black Finish (single) is a quality-built, high-performance, yet affordable loudspeaker for music and home theater. The Polk Monitor 50 provides open, spacious and clear audio even when driven by modestly-powered amplifiers and receivers, and is voice matched for lifelike surround-sound environments. This monitor boasts a stylish look that complements today's flat screen technology, with a discreet black finish, beefy stabilizer feet that ensure stability on carpet or hard floors, and a slim tower design that has a footprint of less than one square foot.

The Polk Monitor 50 utilizes a one-inch fabric and polymer-composite dynamic-balance dome tweeter with a powerful neodymium magnet structure that delivers a clear and detailed high frequency response for realistic reproduction of vocals and instruments, as well as dual 5.25-inch bi-laminate composite dynamic-balance drivers that are lightweight and stiff with good dampening for high efficiency, excellent bass and lower distortion. This unit's non-resonant all-MDF enclosure construction with 0.75-inch-thick baffles, and front-to-back and side-to-side internal bracing ensures cleaner and more lifelike sound quality. The Monitor 50 features crossovers that use Mylar bypass capacitors for more detailed high frequencies, five-way binding-post connectors for more secure hook-up options and bi-wiring and bi-amping flexibility, and magnetic shielding for safe placement on or near TVs and video monitors without causing video distortion. This unit includes a critically-tuned flared port that minimizes port noise for good low-frequency extension with minimal distortion, resulting in natural, full-bodied and rich-bass sound. Built for speed, sound and value, the Polk Monitor 50 is a great introduction to high-performance sound.

Product Description

The name "Monitor" is special to Polk Audio. The original Polk Audio Monitor Series, produced in the mid-1970s, ushered in the modern loudspeaker era by setting the standard for performance and value. The original Monitor Series is the line that made Polk Audio famous with its simple, sturdy construction, clear, accurate sound, powerful bass and superior imaging all at a price that made great sound available to everyone. The newly reborn Monitor Series is classic Polk: a quality-built, affordable line of high performance loudspeakers for music and home theater. They are highly efficient, so they can be driven easily by unpretentious receivers, and they are voice matched for lifelike surround sound environments. The Monitor Series boasts a stylish look that complements today's flat screen technology, with wood grain finishes and modern Titanium faces. Built for speed, sound and value, the Monitor Series is a great introduction to high performance sound.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crystal Clear Highs........, January 24, 2005

By	Gerald D. Avery "Movie Buff" (Chicago, Illinois) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Let me start by saying that I was looking for a pair of speakers to replace my Bose 701's. I love my Bose, but I felt that they were lacking in clarity on the higher end of the sound spectrum. So I decided to make them the front speakers of my home theater system, where the lack of high end sound clarity isn't as noticeable as when you are just sitting down listening to your favorite CD's. After much research I went to my local electronics store with a particular speaker in mind. I had decided on the Infinity Primus250. I was pleased with the highs that the Infinity's delivered, but before leaving I decided to listen to the Polk Monitor 50's because they were in the same price range and I know that Polk makes a quality product. After alternating listening to both speakers with a variety of music styles I was torn. Both speakers would have been a welcome addition to any home system, but the Polk speakers seemed to offer just a little more clarity on the higher end. The vocals and instumentation of the music seemed just a bit more alive with the Polks. I was right. When I got them home and hooked them up they sounded as good as they did in the store. So although I would not have been wrong if I had bought the Infinity's, I'm glad that I decided on the Polks. I hope this review has been helpful.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sound and Price, October 21, 2006

By	J. DiBella "JohnnyD51" (Birmingham, MI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

These speakers produce a beautiful sound for a very beautiful price. I just bought a pair of Monitor 50's to go with my sound system and home theater. The high end is crisp and clear, and the bass is clean, with no "booming" distortion. I compared these speakers to comparable floor-standing, 2-way Sonys, and the Polks outdo the competition with clarity and immaculate sound. The price at ABC Warehouse beats the cost quoted on Amazon, as I paid $175 for each one. Don't waste your time looking around. If this is your price point, these are your speakers.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for the price, July 3, 2008

By	J. Huffman (VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I paid $99 each for these speakers shipped. For this price, they are really great. I have them bi-wired with some overpriced monster cable speaker wire I had to buy at the local AV chain store because that's all they sell now. I did most of my listening through a panasonic blu-ray disc player, outputting the sound via an optical cable to my Onkyo old school 5.1 DTS receiver for the decoding. I've watched about a dozen movies and listened to many albums. I also do some listening with the old ipod.

These speakers will satisfy all but the most discerning ears. The treble is clear and I think it is just right. Some speakers have a brighter treble that some listeners really desire (klipsch speakers for example), these are more neutral sounding which I feel is more natural. The treble is in no way muted or muffled, it's just right. They are ported, which means certain bass frequencies will be accentuated and there will be a slight loss of detail as compared to most completely sealed cabinets. This port helps to make the speakers sound more full for home theater, but I find it undesirable for music as it over-accentuates certain lower frequencies. Certain bass notes will really resonant, while others taper off quite a bit. The frequency range is just low enough to vibrate your couch just a bit, but definitely lacking for any music that is bass heavy. They almost will work for rock, but if you like your kick drums to shake your walls, you will need a sub. In fact most people will want a sub. If your idea of rocking the house is turning up a beatles track, they will do just fine. I would guess the sound level tapers off heavily at about 70hz. They do say they go down to 56hz I believe, but I doubt they are pushing much air at all at 56hz. The mid-range is good. Vocals have above average air and presence while piano and guitar sounds good, but mid-bass lacks punch and dynamics. They seem to image fairly well, but it's hard for me to tell in my current residence because my room is an odd shape. Though the manufacturer describes these speakers as requiring only small amplification, I think they really benefit from high quality amplification. My Onkyo receiver is certainly not a high-end amp, but I definitely think these speakers will sound better with amps that can drive them more dynamically and at louder levels. Watching Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds live on blu-ray was quite a treat. There's very little low bass in this show, as it is all acoustic guitars. Vocals were great and the guitars sounded very nice (I play guitar and know what a guitar should sound like live). You could easily discern the different guitars and point them out in the soundstage. Dave's voice sounded really great through these speakers. Treble was just a touch bright on this recording for me. Note that I was listening to this disc in 2 channel mode, not in surround sound, so as to really hear only the sound of the front speakers.

So, to summarize: These are GREAT for movies, but you will want a sub. For Music, they are just above average, but when you factor in how little they cost, they are very nice for the price. They have a neutral natural treble and mid-range, with a mib-bass that I wished was more dynamic, and bass response that accentuated certain lower frequencies and wasn't as clear and low as I would like, but that's what you get with ported speakers. I really think these speakers will reveal a crappy source (crappy ipod, or cheapo cd player, or your typical receiver you will find in best buy that is just average).

I think if you want to noticeably do better than these speakers, you are looking at spending at least about $500 a speaker. So yeah, when you factor in the price, these are a home run.