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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Performance for the Price, May 12, 2009
I picked up a pair of TSi300's and they perform much better than I would expect from speakers at this price level. The TSi series is positioned between the Monitor series and the RTi series and rightfully so. They are an evolutionary improvement to the Monitor 50 (improved matierals, better bass response, better imaging, more detailed highs), though they lack the pristine clarity of the RTi series. They are, however, definitely a world ahead of the cheap R50's that they replaced in my living room, and will easily outperform budget speakers and even some higher end speakers.
What really strikes me about the TSi300's is the sophistication and dynamics of the sound they provide, especially relative to the price point they're at. Considering the compact size of the speakers, they provide suprisingly good sound imaging, projecting a wider sound-field than you'd initially expect, without getting needlessly loud or overbearing. They sound very smooth, rich, and natural....highlighting audio details with little effort. Where lesser speakers lose audio detail at low volumes, and sound harsh and wastefully loud at high volumes, the TSi300's brings out subtle details even at low levels, and really brings them to life at higher volumes. They're subtle and smooth when they should be, and can get loud and dramatic when they need to be, without any loss of detail or distortion going between volume levels.
Where I would say they lack a bit is in the mid-bass response. Unpaired with a subwoofer they at times sound a little brighter than I would like. Even when paired with a subwoofer covering the deep lows, there's a feeling that 'something's missing' at the mid-level. The TSi400 and 500's models have extra mid-bass drivers which give them more presence, but these come at a premium price, and once you start budgeting over 300 dollars per speaker, you avail yourself to deals on higher end lines such as the RTi series.
Low frequency bass response is what's expected of a floor standing speaker. For certain genres of music you could make by without a dedicated subwoofer, but for bass-heavy genres (hip-hop, electronica, smooth jazz etc etc), and for home theater use, the TSi300's, need a dedicated sub to cover the deep, heavy bass. This isn't to the fault of the TSi300's...the woofers on floorstanding speakers simply aren't designed to handle deep, dramatic bass.
Aesthetically, the rounded corners and sleek lines of the TSi series are very sexy, and I would say they're the best looking series in Polk's line-up. The piano black trimming along the top of the speaker matches very well with the bezels on most of today's HDTV offerings. The grill, piano black trim, and the cabinet flow smoothly together almost seamlessly, giving them a very clean, minimalistic look. Personally I prefer the cherry finish with Polk's speakers, as my living-room uses a lot cherry and dark ash woods. The TSi300's really look like an intentional part of my living room's decor, rather than random pieces of audio equipment sticking out like the elephant in an otherwise meticulously decorated room.
All in all, at [...] bucks a speaker, these perform extremely well for the price, and I couldn't ask for much more without expecting to pay much more. There is a part of me that would like more a bit more clarity and better mid-bass response, and I'll probably end up upgrading one day and moving these to the rears....but for what I paid I am downright impressed by these speakers, and am very happy with my purchase.
-----(edit)
After breaking them in a bit, the mid-ranges really started to come alive, and the TSi300's have quite a bit more presence now. I also found that by setting the cross-over frequency on my sub-woofer higher, I was able to better fill the mid-range gap from the TSi300.
For music, one may want to look at the TSi400 or 500's as they should provide more accurate low frequency performance. But a good sub that produces tight, accurate bass with the TSi300's will easily outperform the 400 or 500's without a sub for home theater use.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing speakers, terrific sound dynamics., November 30, 2008
This review is from: Polk Audio TSi300 Floorstanding Speaker (Single, Black) (Electronics)
These speakers are great with almost any kind of music. Crisp, filled with great dynamics in sound, and potent at any volume level, these speakers are truly amazing for the price. I purchased two of these towers and power them through a Sony 2.0 channel stereo receiver. They stand right in front of me at my computer desk.
Sound is clear through all thresholds. Nice bass, good (though slightly muddled) mids, and very good highs. The speakers carry the music very well from a variety of styles (from rock to pop to classical). They are very good with the lows. Vocals are clear and distinct against the background of instruments.
For the aborning audiophile I highly recommend these speakers. Comparatively they are inexpensive and they reproduce significantly higher grade music and sound than do a standard set of lower level Sonys, such as the SS-B3000 set. Sound, with good cables, is better reproduced, more certain and pronounced, and of far greater quality. The dynamics are unmistakeably cleaner.
If you are on a budget these will cost you less that $500 for a pair and you will get amazingly upgraded sound for the price. You could go with a set of lower level Sonys for less than $150, but I assure you that the clarity and power of the music will be embarrassingly reduced if you go that route with speakers. There are three components to good music: source (computer, CD player, radio, etc...), power (receiver or amp), output (speakers, headphones). All are important, but which one do you think is going to bring the sound into your ears? If you are going to extend your budget for sound upgrade perhaps you should start with the speakers. That's what I did and from where I sit right now (yes, I'm listening to some rock at the moment) I made the correct decision.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!Great in either Stereo or HT., January 7, 2009
These excellent towers need to be burnt in (broken in) before their full potential is realized. Should take around 15 hours, maybe more. Out of the box, they sounded a little edgy in the upper frequencies when pushed hard. The mid range and bass response was excellent from day one and improved as the speakers were broken in. Now, after three weeks of use, they sound splendid. I listen to Classical mostly and some New Age recordings. The TSi-300's 'image' beautifully in stereo, which is very important. The soundstage is very wide. Great for home theater as well. Highly recommened...
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