Atrium45

by Ernest Badolato,, July 13, 2006

Strengths:

Clear, clean sound on my patio at a very reasonable price.

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

Excellent speakers for the money. I got around the issue of the mounting brackets only swiveling in one plane by bolting universal ball joint mounts to the brackets included with these speakers. Now I can fine tune the direction of the sound precisely.

by Marc, September 7, 2005

Strengths:

Crystal clear Efficiency Full sound Price

Weaknesses:

For the money none, but obviously will not compete with larger speakers with even bigger price tags.

Review:

For the money it will be pretty hard to outperform these. I looked at Klipsch, Yamaha, JBL,BOSE, and Paradigm. The klipsch and Paradigms may sound a bit fuller. The problem with the Klipsch speakers was the price (about $350) for the KHO-7's. The problem with the Paradigm Stylus 150's was the price ($350), and the power handling (80 watts max). The BOSE were crystal clear, but lacked fullness(forgot to mention how overpriced BOSE is). Don't get me wrong the others are all fine speakers with Paradigm topping my list, but the Polks offered the most bang for the buck. They are efficient, very clear, and have decent low end outdoors. It's impossible to tell someone how a speaker sounds since our taste and hearing differs greatly. The best advice is to listen to multiple speakers in person.

by Brett, July 12, 2006

Strengths:

Great audio clarity, durability/dependability

Weaknesses:

Sometimes they can't quite handle the power I want to put through them, but that's probably just me and my system.

Review:

I'm cheating a little bit, as I've already reviewed these once. We bought our house and I bought 2 more pair. I've mounted a pair in the master bath, and a pair for our deck. I'm not sure that I could say enough good things about these speakers. Crisp, clean higs and good bass response when mounted in the corners of the master bath. Sound quality is unmatched in this price range. I've had Polk for years, with no complaints & no regrets. I've never had a problem with any Polk product I've owned (M3II Monitors, RT 10's and now 3 pair of Atrium 45's) and will continue to buy what you've got to sell!

by Berk, December 20, 2005

Strengths:

Efficient,bright,indestructible and the sound is great.Paintable to become almost invisible.

Weaknesses:

Wish the mounts swiveled in 4 directions. A gimble arm would do nicely.

Review:

These were some of the best sounding outdoor speakers I've ever heard! When I got them home,mounted them on the deck and powered them with my wife's 25 y/o college receiver,I was astounded.Only 35 w.p.c. and these baby's sing!

by Milt, April 23, 2002

Strengths:

Good solid construction. Excelent sound. Easy to mount, and remove.

Weaknesses:

I wish they were available in wood grain.

Review:

These are great sounding speakers.

by John W, September 13, 2002

Strengths:

Easy hook up. Superior sound. Heavy duty construction.

Weaknesses:

Nothing, its a great product.

Review:

I purchasaed a set of BOSE outdoor speakers and wasn't satisfied with the sound. Upon returning the speakers, the salesman suggested the Atrium 45. They where easy to hook up and mount, they out performed the BOSE hands down. Three of the neighbors have since bought sets.

by Linda, November 12, 2002

Strengths:

Excellent Sound Easy to mount and hook up. Rugged Construction - see review!

Weaknesses:

A Volume Control would be a nice feature.

Review:

Mounted on second floor deck and the sound up and downstairs is great. I dropped one off the deck by accident. It fell at least 14 ft. into the yard and landed on the grill. There was no change in the sound of the speaker! The sturdy grill protected the speaker and took the bounce test just fine.

by SCOTT, November 21, 2002

Strengths:

EXCELLENT SOUND

Weaknesses:

NONE

Review:

GREAT PRICE EASY TO MOUNT, AND CONNECT HEAVY DUTY CONSTRUCTION EASY TO ADJUST WITH THE LARGE SCREW KNOBS AT EACH END TO DIRECT SOUND.

by Bob Sandifer, April 21, 2003

Strengths:

Alot of base for a small speaker. Look great mounted indoors in corners.

Weaknesses:

None. And I tried to find some.

Review:

I just purchased the Atrium 45's for my family room to use as main stereo only speakers. They sound fantastic! A huge sound in a small box. Forget about Bose.

by Don Detmer, May 2, 2003

Strengths:

Price, mounting options, brackets included, and great sound quality in a enclosed speaker package.

Weaknesses:

None!

Review:

I mounted a set of four in my boat in a parallel configuration. They have great bass, and sound better than any other speaker I have tried. Bose who?

by Jim, May 25, 2003

Strengths:

Full, rich sound. Adjustable to almost 180 deg.

Weaknesses:

none.

Review:

Great sound even at low levels, Superior for outdoors, and weather resistant.

by Chris, June 16, 2003

Strengths:

Easy installation and adjustment.

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

I purchased the Atrium 45 outdoor speakers and they sound great! They were much cheaper than Bose and sound much better!

by Dave S, July 10, 2003

Strengths:

Excellent sound (bass and clarity). Easy to mount. Gold plated terminals. Adjustable 180 degrees.

Weaknesses:

They were not free (that's all I could think of)

Review:

Great sounding speakers. These Atrium45 speakers sound terrific and look great. They really do outperform the Bose outdoor speakers which cost twice as much. I would not usually write a review like this, but these speakers deserve the praise.

by John S, July 23, 2003

Strengths:

Sound, look, ease of installation, adjustability, quality workmanship, specs...

Weaknesses:

It would be nice if they could be adjusted up and down as well as from side to side.

Review:

I listened to EVERY outdoor speaker available. The sound and look -at this price- of the Atriums cannot be beat. I have the 45's on the deck, and the 55's along the fence in the yard. Great sound for outdoor parties.

by John Rigg, July 26, 2003

Strengths:

Really GREAT sound, and we can keep the level low (to not bother the neighbors)& still have awesome quality.

Weaknesses:

The covers keep falling off; very poor design for attachment. The speakers are going back to the store today.

Review:

Overall, we love our outdoor speakers (and the 6.1 surround set for the house). However, see "weaknesses" below.

by D, October 29, 2003

Strengths:

The speaker is built to last. Great sound for the price.

Weaknesses:

As with another reviewer, I wish they were adjustable in 2 axis instead on one. Don't include mounting srews. Come on guys..4 Stars

Review:

I bought these speakers to mount on my back wall of my home theater room. They work wonderfully. Excelent, rugged design. The sound is smooth at low volume, but also sound great loud volumes. The speakers blend more naturally into the wall because of the color. Great design Polk.

by Doug, March 3, 2004

Strengths:

Good durabilty. Handle weather conditions very good.

Weaknesses:

Wouldn't mind if they pivoted up and down as wellas side to side.

Review:

I bought these speakers last year to attach to the railing of the deck. I tried many outdoor sets including Bose. For the price I thought they sounded great in the store. When I took them home and installed them, I was even more impressed. I am driving them with a receiver that is 70W rms and they sound great! I removed them from the deck for the winter and they showed hardley any ware & tare. I can't wait to install them again for this year!

by Ray, May 27, 2004

Strengths:

Good base compared to other speakers. Paintable surfaces. Good separation of tones.

Weaknesses:

Limited adjustable brackets.

Review:

Very good outdoor speakers for the price. Easy to install. Good base and high tones. Compared with other higher priced units such as Bose and was VERY pleased that the Polks actually sound better to me. Listened to them in the store and was skeptable, but after hearing them on my deck...awesome sound!

by Rick, August 12, 2004

Strengths:

Well built and rugged. Great sound for a deck or patio installation

Weaknesses:

hmmmmm.....not really sure.

Review:

Got these for my 50th birthday !! (Thanks to my boys !) Good value for the dollar and a nice overall sounding speaker. Mounting them outside on a deck is a bit difficult with the current mounting bracket configuration. I had to tilt mine and the only way possible was by mounting them crooked ! Minor issue though. The sound is terrific for a little speaker and even the neighbors were impressed when I had them over for a party. I endorse them highly.

by WRAY, November 8, 2004

Strengths:

excellant sound for patio. bass really sounds good.

Weaknesses:

wish they would pivot in 4 directions

Review:

nov 4,2004. Just bought the Atrium 45's today. Compared them with bose ,paradigm,yamaha.

by Brett, March 5, 2005

Strengths:

Great sound, easy to mount!

Weaknesses:

I don't own a house yet so I can't buy more of these and put them around the backyard ... someday ...

Review:

I was looking for a rear center channel speaker for my surround system and stumbled upon these. Bang for your buck is incredible with these speakers. Both sound quality and functionality are wrapped up in this little package!

by Tyrone Void, March 13, 2005

Strengths:

They carry a nice punch over typical surround speakers. They can obviously stand alone, but they also play nicely wit the Monitor 40's up front.

Weaknesses:

Similar to others' feedback, multi-directional pivots or universal connectors would be better than left-right pivots.

Review:

I use these speakers as ceiling mounted rear surrounds in a HT system that has a Polk RM 6800 center, two Monitor 40 fronts, and a PSW10 sub. Combined with an Onkyo receiver, my living room jumps! I wish Polk would promote these as more than outdoor speakers.

by Stephen, August 2, 2005

Strengths:

Great Speakers Solid Build Great Sound Great Price

Weaknesses:

None! These are polk audio only Bose could have problems!

Review:

I Have owned Polk Audio Since 1989 Starting with the Monitor 5's (which I still have and use and they sound as good as the day i bought them) I purchased the Atrium 45's for my backyard/ pool area and they sound great. Polk Audio blows any other speaker away especially Bose. (Bose twice the price Half the Sound!This sould be a bose sales catch)

by TVAUL, August 8, 2005

Strengths:

Great overall sound and the Bass is felt and heard even for outside. Very easy to install.

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

Could not ask more from an outdoor speaker. The overall sound even though you are outside is amazing!Compared with Bose at the store and it wasn't even close ( and I have Bose speakers inside so I am not bashing the company!)Outside however, Polk blows them away especially with the Bass output and clarity.

by Travis, August 16, 2005

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Review:

These are a great set of speakers for general outdoor use. With plenty of power supplied to them, I was very pleased with their performance.

by Al Q Poe, September 4, 2005

Strengths:

Perfect!

Weaknesses:

Doesn't sound like my $7500.00 7.1 surround system.

Review:

I just got these OUTDOOR speakers and they sound awesome! I temperarly set them up inside to hear the quality and they are great. It doesn't blend in with just the subs but it's more than I expect. I am not going to rate this as a indoor/ satallite because it's not one. Besides most people who rated this one as 4 of 5 stars allready have.(not bad for being a outdoor, under $1000.00 speaker) But as a outdoor speaker I rate it as a 5. Good job POLK!

by Jeff, September 13, 2005

Strengths:

Great highs. Nice construction.

Weaknesses:

Slightly to bright.Could use a little more bass to me. A treble happy speaker

Review:

These are really nice sounding speakers for this price range. These are very bright sounding speakers to me. Almost to bright sometimes. I find myself lowering my treble level to compensate. I have them indoors though, so maybe that has something to do with it.

by Pat Parmley, September 24, 2005

Strengths:

Clear sound, crisp highs, strong lows.

Weaknesses:

somewhat directional, the size of the area really has to be considered when mounting.

Review:

I purchased my set of Atrium 45's several years back for the pool deck. As hurricane Ivan approached, we boarded up the house but forgot about the 45's. Now, a year later and three hurricanes later, my Polk Audio 45's are as clear as new surviving 150 mph wind driven rain! Soon, after repairing the damage from Hurricanes Dennis and Katrina, we will have pairs two and three to cover the entire back of the house!

by shawn, January 4, 2006

Strengths:

just great for what ever you need it for. I'm going to buy 3 more pair for the inside.

Weaknesses:

Limited adjustable brackets.

Review:

sounds great but needs more bass. Can handle what ever you put on it.

by Brodie A, January 12, 2006

Strengths:

Sound Quailty, compact size, "rock solid" Construction, "no rust" front grill, strength of the mounting bracket make these a big bang for your buck.

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

I now own three pair of Atrium 45's, I can't find a better sounding speaker for the money. I live 8 miles from downtown New Orlean's, no flooding, but these outdoor speaker stood up to 125 - 150 mph winds and rain, with no problems. My friends and I could not believe the speakers play just like the day I puchased them, even after hurricane Katrina. I won't doubt the quality of any Polk product after that test.

by Eric Barnhart, February 9, 2006

Strengths:

Great sound Great price

Weaknesses:

Other than wishing for a little more low end, NONE

Review:

Put these out by the pool, great for outdoor summertime fun. All the friends were inmpressed by the sound, glad i bought them.

by mark breslau, August 28, 2006

Strengths:

Price for speakers are unmatched regarding quality of sound.

Weaknesses:

Couldn't find one.

Review:

I finally organized my garage and I placed 2 pairs of ATRIUM 45's, one at each corner. These speakers do deliver clean clear sound that me, my wife and anyone who enters my garage can appreciate. Needless to say we spend a lot of time in their now!

by Dan, August 13, 2007

Strengths:

Fantastic sound and for a good distance away too!!!

Weaknesses:

The cover on one of the speakers keeps falling off. I wrote to Polk to see what can be done, we'll see!

Review:

Great speakers for my backyard deck/patio except for one complaint. The sound is incredible, however, the cover on one of the speakers keeps falling off. I placed my concern with Polk Audio so we'll see how they respond.

by James Lloyd, August 20, 2007

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Review:

My Atrium 45’s were purchased for use with my RV. After devising a wiring system, and a mounting system, I had the first chance to really test them out last weekend. The performance was so much more than I could have hoped. They provided outstanding clarity, reasonable & detailed bass response and extraordinary stereo imagery. I would have taken the 55’s but the 45’s could be stored inside the camper, in their original shipping box, in the space that I had allotted- so they get bonus points for size! I mounted them on the jack-stands for my truck camper using a set of Velcro-stretch straps. I ran them off the head-unit that is built into my camper (which I intend to replace soon) and even though it is not the best of units, these speakers pulled out a spectacular amount of detail and clarity. In a bit of good cooperation from Mother Nature we had a set of heavy downpours, and the speakers most certainly received lots of rain exposure. No problem, the water-seals all worked as advertised and I enjoyed listening to music during thunderstorms! This product has provided everything that I have come to expect from Polk over the past 20+ years of ownership.

by Hamlet, June 17, 2009

Strengths:

easy to mount. Great sound. Value for money.

Weaknesses:

FOR THE ATRIUM 45p (with built-in amplifier) The AC/DC Adapter is very large an may be difficult to hide, but luckily the powercable is quite long, so I did find a proper place.

Review:

Great clarity and bass concidering the size of the speaker.

by Ken Kadar, July 9, 2009

Strengths:

Had minor hardware issue - called and they took care of me without hesitation.

Weaknesses:

Review:

GREAT sound. Long time Bose fan, but have englightened. These speakers are spectacular and sound great on my patio. The base is solid and substantial, which is a typical weakness for this space. You can feel the quality in the product and if it wears like I think it will, I'll be back for more...

by Dave Kunath, August 18, 2009

Strengths:

clear, crisp sound. Durability, and specifications that they were built too.

Weaknesses:

nothing

Review:

These speakers sound awesome!! I received these free, when I ordered the RM 95 bundle with subwoofer. I installed them on my outdoor patio, and integrated them as "zone 2" on my Yamaha receiver. I started playing them, and WOW!! The bass is very good for the size, and fidelity is outstanding. Great job Polk!

by george, December 7, 2009

Strengths:

Sound clarity and able to 'withstand' some pretty heavy volume!

Weaknesses:

Nothing comes to mind!

Review:

I have had many audio speakers over the years! I now have Polk Audio Atrium speakers both in my 'party garage' and on the adjacent deck (mounted beneath the eaves). Four speakers total. These speakers truly are awesome! I cannot imagine having a better-sounding speaker! These speakers are certainly living up to their reputation for sound quality and workmanship quality! I am now planning on putting two additional Polk Audio Atrium speakers on the back deck off the pool room! We like to entertain at our home, and I do not recall ever having a party when I didn't get several complements on the quality of the speaker. Actually, the predominant question is, "What kind of speakers are those!" So, I am pretty sure that I have sold a number of Polk Audio outdoor speakers for you folks, and I am honored to have done so!!

by TT, February 8, 2011

Strengths:

Great stereo separation and bass response especially for a mid-driver that's only 4-1/2", nice job Polk!

Weaknesses:

NONE!

Review:

I've been a Polk fan since my first pair of Monitor 10's in 1989, I should NEVER have sold them, live and learn. Anyway, I purchased the Atrium 45's on sale from Crutchfield. I have them mounted on the back patio that is covered so I can grill out even if it's raining, that's the main reason I bought these because I grill out all year long. They have been up since August 2010 and listened to almost every day. I didn't find mounting them to be an issue but I did angle them downward towards the listening area. Our patio is covered but not enclosed so the speakers are not out in the actual rain or snow but none the less they're still in a outdoor environment and I've grilled some steaks on some evenings that were well below freezing and these speakers sound FANTASTIC. I'm only pumping 50 watts RMS per channel into each one but the results are, well... FANTASTIC!! I think the bass response is pretty impressive for a speaker of this size and the separation is excellent, I have them about ten feet apart. As impressive as the bass is I' still looking very forward to some extra low end from the Atrium Sub10 I just purchased also from Crutchfield. Great job Polk, can't wait to review the sub.

by Steve, October 2, 2011

Strengths:

Great product, exceptional customer service!

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

If your looking for a technical review on the Atrium 45, I'm not the guy. What I can tell is that after the first year I had a problem with one of the speakers. I called Polk and sent it in and they fixed it and sent it back! The quality of the speaker is great, but their customer service backs it up and doesn't hassle you. If I ever need another set of out door speakers there is only one place I will go now and that is Polk! Thanks Polk for actually having a manufacturers warranty (2 years) that actually means something to your customers!