Fry's Polk R50 or Monitor 50?

[CallingMrBenzo]

I already have a 5.1 but want a better 2 channel music set up as well as finish out my 7.1 system my equipment is in my sig...

my question is which will a. match my system and b. what gives better music/movie performance...

the r50s specs are very similar to the monitors from what i can see but they have bigger woofers? but not bi amp able...

advice and comments pretty please....

also im a college student so these fry's prices are my price range...

[CallingMrBenzo]

anyone?

[Shicks18]

Yes, I have heard both of them. My preference are the R50's. They will be a better fit with your current system. These will also be very easy to drive, especially with your onkyo. So not being bi-amp able is not a big deal at all.

[Kchill]

Stick with the 50's, but please change out that center....I was at CC and saw a cs1 for 119.00.....you know polk centers hae come down alot as of late as well.

You would be shocked what a goood center will do for all around sound and the one you have is on the muffled side when I had it. Steped up on the center and walah I can hear voices!

The 50's may give you some added bass but don't mistake for a second that a sub is not needed. Fry's always put a velodyne on sale, get it and be done.

[CallingMrBenzo]

i got that csr center for 70 something shipped and my system as a whole sounds very good...i just want more 2 channel umph ...


after that ill put up with it until im done with school and have real money to make a real leap with new speakers

[tommyboy]

Considering what you already have, the r50s would be a much better match for your system. However, don't think since the woofers are bigger you don't need a sub. I have listened to both speakers and both were lacking in the low end.

[CallingMrBenzo]

see my sig guys i have some bass lol....thats the least of my worries as im in a townhouse and not gonna look into serious bass (HSU most likely) till i have no neighbors

are you guys only recommending the R50s cause they would be better timbre matched...(i have read of people blowing the tweeters) remember either way they are cherry and my system is black so they aren't a perfect match ahah

[dbaldus]

I am also kind of surprised that you guys are recommending the R50s over the Monitor 50s. If I had to take a guess, it would be because of what you already have - but again, thats JUST a guess. I would think that the monitors would be a better speaker all-around, but maybe not.

Could someone who has heard both chime in on this? I'm curious because I was going to pick up a set of monitors for my parents' new system, but if the R50s are better, I'll save them some $ and get those instead!

[JohnLocke88]

Get the 50s, and also the CS1 is 49.96 at Frys if you can find one.

I've listened to the R50s, right next to the M50s, and I can tell you the Monitors sound MUCH better. Also, at the current price ($79.90 for maple) you can't argue with that price (now available online only).

[CallingMrBenzo]

so is that the only vote for monitor 50s??


are there any monitor 50 owners on this forum ??

[dbaldus]

I don't think that there is any doubt in anyone's mind that the monitors sound better than the R line - they're supposed to. I think the question is whether or not you should get the monitors with your current gear or not, because once you start upgrading to a different line (meaning switching from the R line to the monitor line), you'll want to match everything eventually.

Its a vicious cycle!

[CallingMrBenzo]

i know i will want to match thats why i wonder if i want to match with the monitor line at all


maybe eventually move those m 50 to rears and get better fronts and blah blah i hate this cycle!

[devani]

we all do...that's how i ended up with LSi series.

[iskandam]

we all do...that's how i ended up with LSi series.

+1, I started with the R50s last September and ended up with an all-LSi set up last month. Be careful :D

[CallingMrBenzo]

how were the r50s though? decent?

[maximillian]

I have some R50's. They are nice but I do notice a difference between my RTi6's and the 50's. There is more detail especially in the highs with my 6's. I suffer from upgraditis and am looking to get into some LSi's for the improved soundstage and imaging that they are supposed to give for music.

[RutgersFTW]

I don't think there's any reason to buy R-series Polks with the Monitors at their current prices. Get the Monitor 50s and do your ears a favor.

The upgrade monster is for real, but you also have to have realistic expectations of what a set of loudspeakers can do and your listening habits. I auditioned everything in the listening rooms of Electronics Expo (including LSis as well as Def Tech, Paradigm, and Mirage speakers) before deciding that the RTi-series Polks clicked with me for both price and performance. I think Monitors are either at or very close to the performance plateau where the rewards of upgrades, no matter how expensive, get smaller and smaller.

Get the monitors (or used RTis, close-out Infinity Betas, or any other number of great budget speaker deals to be had now) and leave the entry level behind.

Is that more like it, Benzo?

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

I don't understand the reccomendations of the R series over the Monitors. I don't own either, but I've heard both. There's no conceivable scenario in which the R speakers are a better speaker for anything than the Monitors IMO.

The reason to buy the R series has always been price, but since that gap has been eliminated I can't imagine why one would grab the R over the Monitor line.

[JohnLocke88]

Get the M-50s bud, If I didn't have my RTi series already, I'd be picking up the M-50s in a heart beat, pair them up with a CS1/2 and rock out; Btw, the monitor 40s (if you can find them) are closed out to 75.00 final clearance price at fry's (good luck finding them though).

[tommyboy]

I don't understand the reccomendations of the R series over the Monitors. I don't own either, but I've heard both. There's no conceivable scenario in which the R speakers are a better speaker for anything than the Monitors IMO.

The reason to buy the R series has always been price, but since that gap has been eliminated I can't imagine why one would grab the R over the Monitor line.

The only reason why I recommended the r50s over the monitors is because the rest of his speakers are from the R line. I have heard both (owning the m 50s of course) but not in the same room so I can't give a direct comparison(this will greatly effect my opinion on lower frequencies). However, I do believe there is more detail in the higher frequencies to warrant spending a couple more bucks for the monitors.

However, you will hear a noticable difference between your CSR and the m50s. I bought my speakers before I really knew that much about audio. I'll just say if I were buying my speakers now, I would never bought speakers from three different lines (CSI3, m50s, r15).:o

So my advice to you is to still get the r50s unless you decide to upgrade the csr to the cs1 or 2.

[CallingMrBenzo]

thank you guys thats exactly what i wanted..

[iskandam]

I haven't heard the Monitor series yet but I was seriously considering it as my next upgrade path from the Rs at one point and was very close to getting them. I'll second tommyboy and recommend getting the R50s to get a fully voice-matched set up. I used to have a very similar set up to yours with R150 rears and a CSi25 center.

If you get the Monitors you're gonna wanna replace the center and rears too and end up spending way over budget. The R rig will keep you happy for a while. My whole R-set up including the Onkyo and a 12" Velodyne sub cost me a little over a grand and blows away my uncle's $3K Bose set up.

I also agree that each step up yields less improvement. I really feel that I've hit the point of diminishing return from a cost/performance standpoint with the LSis and finally cured of upgraditis... at least for the speakers :D

After you graduate and settle down you can upgrade to the LSi series for some serious upgrade in sound. Maybe the new LSis would be available by then!

[jnickrand]

Here's a recommendation - scrap buying either the R50's or the Monitor 50's if you already have R300's. Why people upgrade in such small steps baffles me, it's a waste of money. In a year you'll probably want to upgrade again.


Don't upgrade unless you're going to double or triple your performance. Ok that is very subjective. But the R50's would be a very small step up from the R300's and the Monitor 50's would be a tad more. Save up until you can buy something like the Rti8's which are on sale for $200 a piece. Now that would be a worthwhile upgrade.

IMO of course :)

[Shicks18]

+1 to what jnick said.

[CallingMrBenzo]

i dont really think i could go much above the monitor series with my avr...that is the one thing that is def staying around for a while..i dont think it has enough juice for those speakers...

if i went monitor series i would move the 50s to the rear and add 70 fronts or 60s with a matching center eventually but i guess your also correct maybe i should just save...


its very hard to sit still ahhah

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

That receiver is plenty enough to drive anything but the largest RTi speaker or the LSi series...and the Monitor IS a huge step up from the R300

[jnickrand]

i dont really think i could go much above the monitor series with my avr...that is the one thing that is def staying around for a while..i dont think it has enough juice for those speakers...

if i went monitor series i would move the 50s to the rear and add 70 fronts or 60s with a matching center eventually but i guess your also correct maybe i should just save...


its very hard to sit still ahhah

Don't think of the Rti series as requiring more juice than the Monitor series. If you're concerned about your AVR not having enough juice stick with the bottom model of either the Monitor or Rti series. The Rti8's have two 6.5" woofers, you're AVR would likely power those just fine. It's when you get to the larger speakers (Rti 12 for example) with three 7" bass drivers that impedence drives efficiency down and you end up without enough "juice". If you have a mediocre receiver, go with the Rti8's over the Monitor 70's every time. Hell I'd go with the Rti8's over the Monitor 70's no matter what was driving them.

[CallingMrBenzo]

well thanks for the input ill keep that in mind...

not to mention the rti's look much sexier and i consider my avr to be pretty good but i know i don't have any options for adding power there are no pre outs on the 606

[ajsankot]

how do you like your R300's

[CallingMrBenzo]

i love them for the price i paid....my whole system as a whole sounds great especially with movies...however i have moved towards a balance of music and movies near 50/50 and now i want better speakers


but for now im happy ....i think hahaha