Monitor 70

by JAIME R, February 22, 2007

Strengths:

THE HIGHS ARE VERRY ACURATE.

Weaknesses:

IT LAKS DEEP BASS.

Review:

I BOUGHT HESE SPEAKERS 2 MONTHS AGO, I STILL CANT GET ENOUGH OF THEM. I DONT KNOW OF THE TWEATER PROBLEM, BUT IT HASNT HAPPENED TO ME YET...THEY SOUND GREAT. I ONLY ADDED A VELODYNE MINI VEE SUB TO THEM BECAUSE THE BASS RESPONSE IS NOT SO DEEP. OVERALL THESE PAIR OF SPEAKERS ARE GREAT! BUY THEM!

by John Elmore, November 14, 2009

Strengths:

Good bass and better mid-bass and upper mid-range compared to the other monitor towers.

Weaknesses:

Could have had ajustable leg stands.

Review:

These may be the old discontinue Monitor 70's ,but they sound great and look good doing it.I first bought the monitor 60's but the bass was lacking to me.These have good bass and a lot better mid-bass and upper mid-range sound compared to the 60's.You don't need a sub with these really altho I went ahead and got a PSW-505 for that gut rattleing bass.

by Chris Perito, March 22, 2008

Strengths:

Nice crisp and defined highs, great sound for the price.

Weaknesses:

None as long as the volume is kept in range and the tweeter does not blow.

Review:

After researching these and the RTi10 and RTi12, which Polk are replacing, I found out that the sound quality for the price paid is far better than the RTi12's that I heard. The highs are nice and crisp. The lows are slightly lacking, but if you get the PSW Pro 500 subwoofer it more than compensates and then some. I have to admit that the only thing that made me a little hestitant to get these speakers were the reviews that states the tweeter blows to easy. I called Polk and spoke with them and they reassured me that the only time that this happens it a high volumes. When talking with the sales gentleman where I purchased the speakers from I asked him about the problem with the tweeter and he said he actually blew a pair on the stores model only after having them at a high volume for 15 hrs straight. With polks warrenty and reputation I see no problem getting these serviced if need be. Just a side note- if you want to buy an extra set of tweeters, to have for once the warrenty ends, they cost $40.00 each. After having a hugh pair of dj speakers from the mid 1990's and getting use to them I have to say that after getting these, and hearing the difference, I'm not sad to see these monsters go. Take up far less space. Thank You Polk !!

by Tony C., May 10, 2005

Strengths:

Perfect mid range size Crisp clear mids and highs

Weaknesses:

none I'm aware of

Review:

I got these in a great deal at Circuit City. Bought never connected floor models from a brand new CC that just opened up. Speakers had to be connected for me to test them. Paid $299 each. I really like these speakers. Tight mids and highs. Good lows even without a sub. Definately more sound at same levels than my previous Wharfedales. Seems like the sound is easier to produce with these than the previous ones. Also looked at the RTi10's - which were very good.. but not better than the Monitor 70's and certainly not $400 better. Driving them with a 6.1 Kenwood. Also have a JBL sub, Infinity center and Klipsch surrounds. Great speakers for the money.

by derek ryan, August 29, 2005

Strengths:

nice design,loud pressence,easy to power

Weaknesses:

very very crappy tweeter design, DONT LAST

Review:

i dont use them alot but when i do, i found the tweeters blow easily

by John Coloccia, September 13, 2005

Strengths:

Outstanding customer service. Sound quality is superb. You absolutely can't beat Polk for crystal clear reproduction of what you're listening to...at least not in anything remotely resembling this price range.

Weaknesses:

Those stupid tweeters. They sound great, but they are EXTREMELY fragile. Unless you only listen at low volume, or you have audiophile power amps, stay away.

Review:

I've been using polk speakers forever. For the money, I don't believe you can really beat the polks for accurate reproduction and overall sound quality. The monitor 70's are no exception, and I am VERY happy as usual with my polks....when they work, that is. My only complaint is that the tweeters are VERY fragile. Polk customer service tried to blame it on my amp, and also indicated that I shouldn't listen to music from the other room because I can't accurately detect teeny tiny amounts of distortion from there. Gimme a break. Before I bought these Polks, I hadn't blown a speaker in 20 years of being a musician, doing studio work, and home theatres. I'm not driving the speakers too hard, and I'm also not driving my amp so hard that things are audibly clipping or distorting. Still, I've already blown the tweeter in my CS-2 once, and just recently blown the tweeters in both my monitor 70's. Everything is just over one month old. For this reason, and this reason only, I would absolutely not recommend this line of speakers. You will continually blow your tweeters unless you are listening at low volumes, or you have super high-end audiophile equipment that can amplify at reasonable volumes with absolutely no distortion whatsoever. These things are just way too fragile for even high-end consumer electronics. On the plus side, Polk customer service is as fabulous as ever. They're replacing the tweeters under warranty.

by David Cummings, July 19, 2008

Strengths:

When I'm pounding the neighbors plates out of his cabinets he can hear everything I hear, not just bass, and clear too!

Weaknesses:

Considering the price I don't see any weaknesses. If you're blowing tweeters you picked the wrong product for your application, you should consider liquid cooled bar speakers, or industrial speakers...

Review:

Well to sum it all up, I only have 2 of these monitor 70s and my Onkyo 703. Well my wife and I were watching Matrix Revolutions and at one point she yelled "It sounds like we're in the theatre!" I said "Yeah, only better!" She said "Ya!" Shortly after, the neighor came up with a very unhappy look on his face, haha, I bet he was thinking "It sounds like we're under a theatre!"

by Jude, September 6, 2004

Strengths:

smooth as silk response, elegant profile, takes up little floor space, very hard to beat for the price

Weaknesses:

The silver finish on the front face and driver cones may look a bit chintzy to some. Looks fine with the grills on though, then the silver actually makes for a nice highlight.

Review:

I was thinking of replacing my classic Polk SDA-2s not because of their sound (they still sound amazing) but because they're so massive and I was tired of how much space they were taking up. I decided to audition the new monitor series and was delighted to hear such quality in a budget oriented speaker. The sound stage is very wide and imaging is almost as good as the venerable SDAs. Best of all, they have the trademark Polk mid-range response for sweet vocals and percussion. They have surprising low frequency response for such little drivers, but you may want to supplement with a powered sub (which I have). They do a very good job with various types of music from classical to rock, vocals and intrumentals. These speakers are a joy to listen to. They are everything I've come to expect from Polk. In a word, awesome.

by John, September 8, 2004

Strengths:

play your music loud and enjoy.

Weaknesses:

NONE

Review:

I just got my moniter 70 and I'm very pleased.I was looking at Kef and Definitive technology speakers and decided to go with POLK MONITER 70 because of cost and they just sounded better.I love the look they match all my other stuff.I just can't believe the clean deep bass you get without a sub but a separate sub does help.So save your shelf some money and get yours I got mind.

by greg, November 1, 2004

Strengths:

these speakers can handle power and very clean sounding

Weaknesses:

still getting used of slim design(was running monitor 10s till now)

Review:

wow can these speakers pump.with a beautifull high end ,nothing beats polk tweeters in my opinion.had my monitor 10s for ten years be cause nothing out there in this price range could reproduce the clean highs of the 10s till now .im very impressed with the monitor 70s and they can handle better bass than my 10s.polk scared me for a few years with there cheaper speakers.it is sure nice to see them back on the right track.ps if you want to hear these 70s in the store tell the saleman not to be scared and push them thats where youll hear the difference two thumbs up

by Jeff, December 30, 2004

Strengths:

Just about everything for the money. Perfect blend for music and movies.

Weaknesses:

They look great with the grills off, but the tweeter is extremely delicate. Take them off, but be carefull.

Review:

You absolutely cannot go wrong with the monitor series. I have these monitor 70's, along with te cs1 center and the monitor 30's for rears, and it is unbelievable. You might think that 6.5" speakers at any number would fall a bit short on bass, I did too. Boy was I wrong. Great low end. The high end is clean as a whistle. Vocals in stereo mode with cd music is simply beautiful. Great job Polk!!

by stetson, March 15, 2005

Strengths:

they sound good, and the bass is very clean. I think Cerwin-Vega has them beat big time...

Weaknesses:

the tweeter is very weak, and should be replaced with horns.

Review:

I got the Monitor 70 for the front, CSi5 for the center, and the monitor 30 in rear. what I don't like about the 70s is that the tweeter is easy to blow. When i first got then I had them hooked to a Onkyo HTR-500 5.1 receiver. 100(w) a channel. I turned it up very loud and the tweeters blew. I think Polk should change the tweeters with horns, then I would love these.

by joe, April 28, 2005

Strengths:

Fast bright smooth mids tight bass sleek design Bi-ampable excellent for movies and music(DVD Audio and SACD) when paired with the CS2 and Monitor 40s

Weaknesses:

Review:

Overall I am very pleased with these speakers. They are bright very dynamic with smooth mids and solid lows. Paired with CS2 these speakers are fantastic. Properly set up these speakers have a wide soundstage that seems to be seemless from left to right. I have tested them with movies and music and found the performance to be unequaled in the price range. Granted there are better performing speakers on the market including Polks own LS line which are unbeliveable in their own right but you cannot go wrong with these.

by Joe Faulkner, July 20, 2005

Strengths:

Nice Design.

Weaknesses:

Tweeter blew after a month. Unacceptable. Very Muddy. My 1974 Bose 901s still blow these out. First time Polk buyer, last time Polk buyer. Would not recommend these at all for the price.

Review:

Review of the recent purchase of the Polk 70.

by Chris Toal, August 2, 2005

Strengths:

They create a solid soundstage for stereo and surround listening. Haunting highs, solid midrange, and just enough bass equil high quality listening.

Weaknesses:

None for this price.

Review:

I bought the Monitor 70's last week and have spent the weekend listening to them in my home. I must say that they are quite a good pair of speakers. I replaced a pair of Infinity Overture 3's which cost 2200.00 back in 1997-98 with them. I must say that the sound quality is on par with my old favorites. How is that for bang for your buck! I would go as far as to say that they are on par with my friends Definitive Tech BP 8B's, and that is really saying something. I would highly recommend these speakers to anyone looking for quality on a budget.

by Keith, September 16, 2005

Strengths:

Solid construction.

Weaknesses:

Lame tweeters. Shame on you Matt. I still have Monitor 4's in Rosewood that have better tweeters.

Review:

I just bought a set of Monitor 70's teamed with a PSW505. Sounded fine for two hours but now the tweeters are making popping sound. Can't blame my equipment because I bought a brand new Harmen-Karden 7 channel receiver to go with them. They sound good but I am very dis-appointed with the tweeters. I have 20 year old polks that are still kicking butt. What did you guys do to correct this problem? I was just about to buy the RTI12's before.

by Claudio Curt, October 13, 2005

Strengths:

Water clear highs, mids that slap your face both sides and enough bass to make windows rattle give you truly pleasant and balance sound. Plus, their slim frontal design es extremely elegant, women love them!

Weaknesses:

I feel like moving. My heighbour downfloor claims her ceiling rumbles and seems to fall down whenever I crank the volume up!!!

Review:

I've had my Monitors for less than a month. Initially I felt they sounded a bit soft, needing high volume levels to really become alive. But after adapting my hearing habits to their response I can say I'm extremely sattisfied. Rock, classical, house, jazz, all sound amazing (try some Grover Washington sax, believe me, you'll be shocked). Next step will involve adding an SW12, CS2 and Monitors 40 for home theatre configuration. But for now, stereo mode with the 70s is all I need to turn music playing into a really serious experience. Pieces like these are very expensive here in Argentina, but I believe they're worth every peso.

by steve6, October 14, 2005

Strengths:

Looks. Open, spacious, "unboxy" sound with impressive detail. Terrific imaging. Can REALLY crank if you're so inclined.

Weaknesses:

None so far. It's probably overkill, but I went ahead and added the PSW 10 sub.

Review:

I am going to be doing a full review, but I must say that I agree with Claudio about the response. You do get accustomed to it, and now that mine are getting broken in, they are displaying a bit more "oomph" at low volumes. There are still times that my jaw drops when I hear the detail that comes out of these beauties. Was just listening to some solo classical guitar. Oh my! Like all bright, revealing speakers, though, beware that a lousy recording is going to sound ... lousy!

by Apodaca, October 15, 2005

Strengths:

Full, warm and laid back with nice bass output .

Weaknesses:

Did not trust the tweeters due to the previous reviews. Imaging could be better.

Review:

The monitor 70s are different from the rest of the line in that they put out a warmer more laid back sound than the rest of the Monitor towers and even the RTi8s. They also have enough to go down low when necessary and I found the PSW10 had no effect when paired up with these. The sound is both smooth and full and imaging is adequate. These were run off an HK630 and no problems were encountered though I did return them in part due to the numerous complaints about the tweeter. Fit and finish is excellent when compared with other models near its price range.

by Erez Grufi, October 26, 2005

Strengths:

Full,Reach and Warm sound.In this price range the best speakers.

Weaknesses:

Silver front looks cheap.Grills could be nicer.

Review:

Checked many speakers till I heared the MONITOR 70.After a month I purchased them....Full and Warm sound.I have thes babys for 3 month I did slow break in,My regular listing volum is mid to HI....The tweetrs are still running....

by Son, November 17, 2005

Strengths:

Clean and warm

Weaknesses:

Need to break in to sound more natural.

Review:

Response to Keith (September 16th, 2005): I had the same popping sound, but the cause is from the receiver. When I changed to a different pair of speaker, I still get the popping sound. I have 3 pairs to test.

by James, April 16, 2006

Strengths:

Crisp clear mids and highs and the efficiency of the speakers.

Weaknesses:

The grills could be a little stronger. Be very careful when removing.

Review:

I'm very happy with my speakers and the sound they put out. I have them hooked up to my onkyo 702. Polk hit a homerun in my book!!!!

by Freddy, May 16, 2006

Strengths:

It sounds powerfull. when you hear individual rain drops and at time you look out the window of your own home...enough said

Weaknesses:

nothing!

Review:

OK...I put a movie theater in my basement. I shopped for the right system for months online and at stores. i went over board on making sure i was getting the best out there. After everything said and done i would put my system up against anybodies at anytime. I even spent time at places that were showing me systems that were in the price range of a 5 series BMW! And i still ended up coming back to the Polk Audio group. So if you are looking for the home system that wlll match your expensive HDTV projector here it is... Monitor 70s for your fronts, CS2 center, Monitor 40s for your sides and for your back (7.1). Hook that up to an Onkyo 702 (THX) receiver with 14 gauge digital cable. And i used a Valodyne 12 sub...Holy cow! It is the most intensed ride you will go on. everybody that walks into it is amazed on how it sounds. I have had the system now for about 6 months and i still will watch a movie by myself and get a huge smile on my face just because it sounds that good and i own it. i promise, you will be completely satisfied with it. By all means i am not a pro at all in this stuff but if you have any questions you can email me at fwestern@yahoo.com. have fun and appy shopping.

by Noel Factor, August 5, 2006

Strengths:

overall sound

Weaknesses:

none

Review:

Got these hooked up to a silver onkyo 703, cs1, m20 and panasonic plasma - awesome combination! bass: I was going to give up on polk speakers but these saved me; I may have to sell my sub. Now i can listen to rap and dance music without needing a sub. mids: not a fan so I eq'ed them low on my 703 and still sounds very clear especially on movies treble: high enough but i think my ears are starting to get damaged :) It's hard to find a speaker that sounds right and looks not too bulky (wide). this looks slim and your eyes will sto admire the speaker line-up instead of complaining about its depth. Looks very cool next to a plasma TV. If I can only get a good deal on a cs2 (my cs1 looks like a midget in between these), it would be nice. my 703 handles these very good but I ambitioning to someday bi-amping these. I bet these will sound even better. Buy it, you won't regret it.

by Scott Billingsley, November 30, 2006

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Review:

I got these speakers last year, and they have impressed me on every level. The bass is deep and clear, and the highs sound just as great.

by Michael, January 9, 2007

Strengths:

Absolute perfect sound at any volume. I ahve heard things in movies that I never did with my old Bose lifestyle system.

Weaknesses:

None!!!

Review:

These are outstanding, I have them matched up with a CS2 center and Monitor 50's for the surround, along with a PSW10 sub. The whole thing is powered by a Denon 7.1 85Watt amp and it all sounds amazing. I have never heard any system that sounds this great. I have a friend who has a home theater system with Bose speakers and a PSW12 sub from polk, that sounds great, but it does not even come close to how good mine sounds. Thanks Polk for making such a great product.

by MICHAEL, June 4, 2007

Strengths:

THE SPEAKERS SELL THEMSELVES. IF YOU LISTEN TO THEM YOU WILL LEAVE WITH THEM. THE ONLY REASON WHY YOU DON'T IS: 1- YOUR SPOUSE/GIRLFRIEND AND/OR BOYFRIEND/SIGNIFICANT OTHER IS GOING TO PUT YOU IN THE DOG HOUSE IF YOU BUY THEM. 2- YOU REALLY WANT THEM BUT CAN'T AFFORD THEM. 3- THEY ARE TOO LOUD FOR YOUR APARTMENT (YOU MAY GET PUT OUT OR EVICTED FOR NOISE COMPLAINTS). 4- YOU ALREADY PURCHASED THEM AND JUST WANTED TO LET OTHERS KNOW THAT YOU HAD' EM ALREADY (SHOW OFF)!!!

Weaknesses:

DON'T LISTEN TO THEM, WALK AWAY (JUST JOKING).... THE WEAKNESS IS GOING TO BE YOU.

Review:

I HAD SOME DOUBT ABOUT SPENDING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT I DID ON THE PURCHASE OF THESE SPEAKERS. IF YOU ARE HAVING THIS DILEMA JUST LISTEN TO THEM. I ASSURE YOU THAT YOU WILL NOT GO WRONG.

by Alex Stachelek, November 15, 2007

Strengths:

Very streamlined design which is probably their best selling point.

Weaknesses:

Not very defined highs or lows, feet felt unstable.

Review:

I received this speakers yesterday and am exchanging them for the RTi10s tomorrow. From my experience listening to these they sounded quite good, but not great. Using a set of older McIntosh tube amps to power these, they seemed as if they were not reaching the potential of the amplification. Overall the sound was very mid-range, not incredibly defined highs or lows. I'm hoping the new tweeter design in the RTi10s and the 7" cones in the RTi10 will solve this. It's a shame because the aesthetic design of these are far superior to the 10s.

by Duppu, February 5, 2008

Strengths:

Good sound, robust,great impact.

Weaknesses:

none really...but if you insist..the speaker cover ( protective sheath) is cheap and could be better. But i had to find a weakness...oh yeah...they are heavy too..

Review:

Speakers are absolutely wonderful. I liked the crisp sound from these towers compared to kef, bose, and Boston accoustics. The movie "Hero" (jet lee's movie) was played when i made this decision to buy these towers along with bookshelf speakers, sub and center channel all from Polk. The impact was great and mind blowing. Even without a sub these towers do a good job if not great.Overall you wont regret if you purchase em.

by jason, March 6, 2008

Strengths:

full sound, dont miss anything... I recommend alice in chains unplugged

Weaknesses:

unless your reciever is weak, there are none here

Review:

these towers are remarkable. Keep in mind that you also need a very good power source to drive these bad boys. You cant hook up 800$ speakers to an Aiwa. Your source should roughly cost the same, if not more than your speakers. These polks are awesome.

by Greg Fischer, June 19, 2008

Strengths:

Very powerful. Crisp and clean. Full range sounds great for radio or movies.

Weaknesses:

Heavy to carry up stairs.

Review:

These are phenomenal speakers. They sound every bit as good as they look!

by Noble Baskaran, July 12, 2008

Strengths:

> Well built. > Strong, powerful performance and LOUD! > Looks AWESOME without grills!!

Weaknesses:

> Grills are feeble. > Addictive looks and sound (hard to find both in one)!!

Review:

After doing some research within this price range found that these speakers are value for money. It will sound awesome if you feed it with a high current powerful receiver. I have it hooked up with a Harmon Kardon 7.1 receiver (65 Watts/channel) in Stereo mode (~200 watts/channel) and it sounds awesome, especially the highs are very good and lows are ok (add a sub if you want deep bass). But somewhat I feel that mid range is a little subtle.

by David, July 22, 2008

Strengths:

Inexpensive, full, rich sound. Space saving for a good quality floor speaker.

Weaknesses:

I haven't noticed any weakness with the tweaters. I will eventually need more powerful speakers because I'm an audio nut - even so, these will outperform most speakers available at any average electronics store.

Review:

I'm really impressed. I've always bought Polk products in the past for my truck, but nothing for the home until now. I'm used to great sound because I have Polk MOMO full range and subs in my truck, and they are also powered with 3 powerful Polk amps. I've been happy with the transition from car audio to home audio because of these speakers. First of all, even though these speakers are probably not as high quality as the ones in my car, they are a lot fuller and though not as crisp, they hit a lot more frequencies with ease due to the higher 8 ohm load and more speakers per channel with better a use of space. I have these speakers powered by a Yamaha Receiver that drives 120 watts into 7 channels. They sound good, but I may consider bi-amping them to the full 275 each to see what I can pull out of them. For the size and the space - which is important because my home theater is set up in my attic (low ceilings on the side walls) - I couldn't have been happier than I am with this pair. I also have Monitor 50 as my surround speakers and a Monitor CS2 speaker for my center. I will buy the top of the line Polk speakers eventually, when I have more room. When that day comes, my Monitor speakers will make a nice secondary entertainment room surround. For now, they are an excellent alternative to any other brand I was considering.

by marc sloan, August 12, 2008

Strengths:

clarity build quality

Weaknesses:

none

Review:

Once again the build quality is impressive. Wow I had no idea what I was missing. I had Bose 301,s as my front speakers. Now I can hear instruments that I never could hear in the past. These are teamed up with A CSIA4 and FXI 3,s surrounds, Still have two small sony,s as rear, rear surround.Very impressed 100 watt sub-woofer is great but no longer required. Everything runs off a SONY E.S 5300. Wow!! Terrific, Polk fan for life......

by Eric, September 2, 2008

Strengths:

Very clear from highs down to the lows. Good looking. Affordable.

Weaknesses:

Thus far, I have know complaints.

Review:

These are some of the best sounding speakers for the price. I'm actually pretty impressed with the amount of bass they produce using just 6 1/2" woofers. They have a very crisp clear sound across the entire sound spectrum.

by James McCluskey, October 5, 2008

Strengths:

Great balance,great bass and natural sounding speakers

Weaknesses:

Absolutely none that I can hear or see.

Review:

I purchased these Polk Audio Monitor 70 loudspeakers at C.C. on closeout ).In retrospect,having listened to them a great deal in the last 3 months and considering what I paid for them,I should have felt like I was STEALING when I bought them.First,let me dispel the often heard complaint that these speakers need a sub-woofer.I suggest to all who feel that these speakers just don't deliver decent bass response to UPGRADE your power source.When I first got these home I hooked them up to a Sansui integrated amplifier(SU-717).This amp put out 85 watts per channel into 4 channels so I bi-wired the Polk speakers and was effectively driving them with 340 total watts of power.Plenty of power to drive these efficient speakers.Right? Right! However,it is the quality of the signal and how cleanly and efficiently it's delivered that really matters.After hooking these Polk's up to the Sansui amp I thought they sounded great.I was really impressed by the quality of sound coming from these speakers.The bass response was good,but nothing to write home about.I noticed when I turned the volume up high that distortion set in and violins and horns had a harsh,fatiguing sound. Then I hoked these bad boys up to an NAD C325BEE integrated amplifier.This amp is modestly rated by NAD at 50 watts per channel.Don't be fooled.It delivers 110 watts per channel during peaks and the amp automatically adjusts it's output to match the load on the speakers.This translates into tremendous headroom for difficult transients.The difference in the sound of these speakers now was immediately apparent and dramatic.INCREDIBLE bass response now! The bass is deep,powerful,clean,tight,well controlled and ARTICULATE.A lot of detail in the bass,whether an acoustic bass with plucked strings or the bow being drawn across it.You will smile and forget about buying a sub-woofer.Spend the money instead on this incredible integrated amplifier.The amount of detail coming through these speakers is now astounding.The mid-range is awesome.The 1 inch silk/polymer dome tweeter delivers sparklingly clear highs with NO HINT of harshness or stridency no matter how loud the volume is.Strings and horns now sound SWEET at very loud listening levels.The human voice is reproduced faithfully with every sibilant and subtle expression captured.If you close your eyes you will think the singer is in the room with you! A VERY wide and deep soundstage using the Polk's,the NAD amp and NAD C515BEE cd player.What a combination.These speakers as I'm using them now sound just as good or BETTER than many speakers I auditioned that cost $2000.00 or more.I am sonically tickled pink with these Polk loudspeakers! For the price it just doesn't get any better than this.These Polk loudspeakers are AWESOME!!!!!!!

by Frank S., October 30, 2008

Strengths:

looks are really nice, sound is even better. Build quality is top notch and that is hard to find at this price range.

Weaknesses:

I am not a fan of the feet... Adjustable feet would have been nice, I live in a Loft with original 200 year old hardwood floors...

Review:

I have two Monitor 70's and a CS2 Center to start my first real HT system and WOW! The Monitor 70's are a GREAT speaker for the money, I got mine from Crutchfield (GREAT service) and they came in quick. highs are really clear with no harsh tones, mids are also clear with really nice lows. The lows are pretty strong for the speaker but I think a sub is a good idea. I have mine Bi-Amped from a Denon AVR-2808CI and I think that helps the speakers perform as nice as they do, there is a lot to be said about good, clean and clear power.

by Chris, January 22, 2009

Strengths:

Crisp mids and treble.. solid thumping bass........ makes the room come alive.

Weaknesses:

None that I've noticed since the past 12 hrs that I've purchased it. However, the earlier reviews about the Tweeter popping/goin kaput has me a lil worried.

Review:

Fantastic sound from my Monitor 70 and honestly, it makes my 1 month old Bose (Acoustimass series III) sound like a walkie talkie! Anyway, I wasn't impressed with the Bose in the 1st place and had lost plenty of sleep over its crappy sound quality. That's when I happened to give Polk a try and by Jove....... I was and am hooked!

by Yaroslav, January 29, 2009

Strengths:

chip, powerful, correct, the sound nice to our ears, allows us to listen for hours.

Weaknesses:

not built to a small room. but it's our problem.

Review:

very powerfull stuf, i dont think that impossible to listen this monsters in a small room, you must minimum 15m. Very rich and correct bass, at first i've been told that this speakers are no good to a classic music and all they do is a lot of noise, i heard them with my integrated amplifier (nad c372) it's a 150w to channel, so i say that this speakers are amazing not to noise only. After 3 month of searching i very glad that i finaly found what i've been looing for, best price for excelent performences

by D. Morgan, December 7, 2009

Strengths:

-Great looks -Very strong sound for bass, mid range and treble -Very nice tone

Weaknesses:

-I honestly cant find anything except that the screens are flimsy but how many times will you be playing with those?

Review:

I conducted research for quite a while on floor standing speakers, and after seeing these at the polk e-bay store I decided to take a chance on these. They arrived from POLK looking brand new except one that was damaged by FEDEX in shipping. POLK sent me a new one no questions asked when they learned I sent the other one back through FEDEX! (Thanks Jessica, POLK e-bay sales manager) Right from the start POLK service has showed they stand behind their product and buyers. Now for the speaker review. I have been a BOSE guy for many years. I had the Accoustimass 5's as my fronts, Accoustimass 7's as my rears and a BOSE center speaker. One look at these and I figured that more sound had to come out of these compared to the two small 2 or 3 inch cones on the BOSE. Man was I right! It was night and day especially in 2 channnel stereo mode! Along with these speakers, I purchased the PSW-505 subwoofer and let me tell you they match up perfectly when tweaked just right. Im hearing things now that I never heard with the BOSE cubes! I am pushing these speakers with a Yamaha RX-V3200 120 watts x 6 receiver and they handle all the power I can give them and do not give up at all! Im beginning to think I need more power to get the most from the Monitor 70's! I have read alot about bi-wiring but am wondering if it will make a real difference with these because they sound so good right now? Bass is acceptable without the sub but if you want a good tight sound you should purchase a good sub to match with these and get that good hard tight bass thump! Highs are nice and clear, mid range is very acceptable and the bass is strong even without a sub. Set these up in the right position and you will be amazed. For the price these things are, you cannot go wrong! Older models yes, but these sound as good as anything that replaced these. Why pay more when you can get these! These are speakers that sound like 1000 plus speakers!

by Tim Leach, December 24, 2009

Strengths:

Good sounding speakers, modestly priced. Let these set the example for the new Monitor Series.

Weaknesses:

Only two decor choices. Lucky it was my first choice.

Review:

Originally bought these to match some vintage hi-fi equipment with original real wood chassis's. I've heard about the quality and performance of Polk Audio dating back to original Monitor Series speakers that probably ran with this vintage equipment. I have to say I was quite happy with the sound of these speakers. Two for the price of one for me. One happy customer. Thank you!

by Ausit Young, December 26, 2009

Strengths:

Thin desighn ,nice sound all away around.I love how the sound blends in perfect .

Weaknesses:

This is by far the biggest weakness ,when bi-amping these ,I could see blowing a tweeter easy.They should have divided the mids and tweeter on one channel and put the subs on the other channel.running all that power just on the one tweeter is to much.

Review:

The sound quality is really great with these speakers.All the sounds blend smoothly together.The mids and upper mid-range is great and the tweeter blendsin good ,no harsh sound like some tweeters.The bass is really good ,it takes a while to break in ,but once broke in ,the bass is nice and deep ,deeper then you would think with 6.5" woofers.They must have put a better tweeter in them since 2005 I have not had any problems with my tweeter yet.The slim cherry finish looks nice with my 50" plasma and they sound great with my Onkyo receiver.You don't need a sub with these really ,but I got a PSW-505 ,but I have it turned off most of the time.

by lance, December 31, 2009

Strengths:

Can handle your amp.

Weaknesses:

Review:

I bought 4 pairs of these over the holidays. I really like them and there is nothing close for the money. There sound and performance is way beyond their competition.

by Isai Veriyan, February 20, 2010

Strengths:

Clean, Natural & Accurate sound almost like the speakers disappeared and the listener is brought to a live concert. Great Look.

Weaknesses:

Speaker feet not that stable - Minor Issue.

Review:

I wouldn't say I am an audiophile neither do I have a great hearing power. However, I am very sensitive to sound. I can't tolerate high volume levels, shrilling high frequencies, boomy bass, sudden spikes in sound etc. When I listen to music I always find that there is something missing or not correct. Male voice sounds very thick or thin. Female voice sounds thick or very thin. Bass sounds boomy or no bass at all. In 5.1 (satellite + Subwoofer systems) bass diverted to sub sounds completely non-natural and stay completely aloof from the rest of the music. Boomboxes sound sometimes ok but still something missing that I don't know what that is. Some speakers sound very harsh even causing pain/ringing in ears almost tearing my hearing organs. Some systems sound awesome for short term listening but painful for long term. Hmm, had enough with speakers but still I didn't quit my search for a decent speaker systems. My obssession for decent sound grew day by day. I spent tons of money on speaker systems. I started with a National Panasonic Boom Box, then Creative Stereo PC Speakers, then 4.1 Creative PC Speakers, then 5.1 Creative PC Speakers, then 5.1 Sony Home theater System, 5.1 Polk Audio RM Series Speakers with Pioneer Receiver, Klipsh Reference Series RB-61 Bookshelf Systems, Denon AVR 2808ci receiver, Yamaha RX-V1065 receiver, Bose 301 speakers for fronts & rears, Bose Life Style speakers (5.1), Pioneer Elite SC - 27 receiver and Kilpsh VF 35 speaker. My spending was just not to restricted speakers & receivers but to speaker cables, DVD players, Blu Ray Player, Power Fiters & other cables. Recently, I bought a pair of Polk Audio Monitor 70 speakers and coupled that with Pioneer Elite SC - 27 receiver. I was still skeptical. To my surprise the musice sounded ok to me. I tried different types of music and I was almost pleased. Then I tried DVDs and Blu Ray Movies and I felt the bass was little less. I Bi-amped speakers by changing the setting on receiver to BiAmp mode and connected an extra set of speaker wires from Surround Back terminals of my receiver to the speakers. Clarity increased however, I couldn't hear the sound for long, as it was kind of painful to me. Could be because I exceeded power input (<280 Watts) by biamping. Switched back to Single Amp mode. After 10 days of usage I found the bass improved. I never believed in Speaker Break In Process but to my surprise it worked. After a month bass started sounding darn good and I do not have any complaints on these speakers/sound system. Both Music and Movies sound awesome. All the complaints I described are gone with these speakers. Cherry finish coupled with slim design looks very good, glues well with my TV console. Speakers may tip over when rested on carpet but that is not a concern to me. I hope my spending spree on sound systems will come to an end with this purchase of Monitor 70. There may be speakers sounding greater than this but at this cost these are excellent speakers with no complaints. Thanks Polk Audio! Thanks Monitor 70!

by C. Allen, April 19, 2010

Strengths:

Very good midrange, and high range.

Weaknesses:

You can really tell if the cd your listing to was recored bad, or if the cd is an old recording from the 60's 70's but oh well.

Review:

Just started to break in my new monitor 70's over the weekend. I played old rock, jazz, blues, new rock, country, and some rap and wow. I heard instruments and vocals i'v never heard before, or could understand. I am a little worried about the tweeter, but i dont think i will blow it. I am using a sony 110 watt per channel reciever whick is pushing them pretty good, but prolly could have a bigger better one. They push pretty good bass esp. on country and rap and newer recording, but farther down the road might hook up a sub. All in all the speakers are worth the money.

by Jack, May 12, 2010

Strengths:

Excellent construction and appearance. Great for Sound Shaping especially in large rooms.

Weaknesses:

Review:

Have had these speakers now for about 3 years. I always preferred large woofers and cabinets, but these totally surprised me with full range sound and deep bass when turned up a little louder. Sound comparable to my other speakers with 12" woofers at higher sound levels. Originally bought these polks as front channels in a 5.1 system. Found that they do an exceptional job on "2 channel stereo" mode by them selves! Hardly ever even use surround mode or even my subwoofer since discovering this. I'm really afraid to spend money on items like this, but these definitely fulfilled my hopes and expectations. Don't hesitate to purchase a polk product such as this.

by Daniel Kenney, September 21, 2010

Strengths:

Clear, lound, bass is great..good speakers

Weaknesses:

Tweeters are terrible

Review:

These are very good speakers..except for one thing. The tweeters are terrrible..granted they do sound very good, they wont last long. I have a 100 watt amp pushing these speakers and ive already been trhough 3 tweeters in each..the bass hits good and they are very clear. very nice speaker, but they just need a new tweeter design

by Shaun Weiss, October 17, 2010

Strengths:

Clean, detailed, natural sounding voices, loud sounds don't hide soft ones (very important), attractive. At the prices these are going for, there is no way you can go wrong.

Weaknesses:

A little forward, slight upper mid harshness, but not really objectionable.

Review:

A bargain. I've read the comments about the tweeters, it sounds to me like people are just plain abusing their equipment. Make sure you have a good source, a poor source lacking resolution will make you jack up the volume to hear detail. And contrary to popular opinion, it is more likely you will blow a speaker with a small underpowered amp than with a big one, because when a small amp is overdriven, the clipping it produces will easily take out a tweeter. Speakers can be driven quite hard if the power is clean. Anyway, these speakers are clean, detailed, and although I am still breaking mine in, I hear spaciousness really starting to come on. Oh, yes, make sure you are using good quality cables. And spend time tinkering with the room placement. Better speakers really require it.

by Charles, October 25, 2010

Strengths:

Highs, lows and mids are blended very nicely.

Weaknesses:

None at this price range.

Review:

If you pair these with a quality amp and a good sub, you will definatley be happy. I can listen to these speakers for hours and am sometimes still in dis-belief . These make my yamaha soundbar sound like a tin can. FOR THE MONEY THESE CANNOT BE BEAT HANDS DOWN.

by S Paul, February 2, 2011

Strengths:

Good rhythm -- gets your feet tapping, well rounded bass -- without boominess, cohesive sound, decent mid-range, reveals good and bad recordings from the get go.

Weaknesses:

A tad forward sounding, keep atleast 3 feet away from sidewall and 1 foot away from rear wall to avoid overwhelming bass.

Review:

I use my Monitor 70's only for music. Have these paired with a new Rotel RA1062 Integrated Amplifier and a Cambridge Audio 540C V2 CD player. Speaker cables are Monster XP and they are not bi-amplified. These speakers sound most cohesive when kept away from corners and rear walls. I have mine setup 4 feet away from the sidewall and 1 foot from the rear wall and slightly toed-in so that they appear to converge behind the listener. You can try converging them a foot ahead of the listening position or behind and decide which sound you like. In my setup, I have noticed that the sound is well balanced with good midrange detail, clean rounded bass and articulate treble. The sound-stage is quite defined and you can place most vocalists and instruments in a 3D space, though perhaps not percussion instruments as much. The sound does feel a tad forward though, but on the positive side, while other speakers that I have heard that are are laid-back do not get my foot tapping, these speakers extract some good tempo and rhythm to the music. With the grilles off, they sound slightly better in my opinion, but I have kids that I need to protect these speakers from, so I leave them on. With them off, these speakers will knock the socks off your guests -- just by the way the driver columns look.

by Joel s, March 31, 2013

Strengths:

Soundstage, tonal quality, look.. They are just bad ass

Weaknesses:

Low bass, size, weight

Review:

Bought these for a stellar price after my altec Lansing series 4 speakers started disintegrating. Quite large in height which make it hard to set up a living room. Amazing soundstage with excellent tonal qualitys. Have these hooked up with 250 watt 10" soundstage woofer with the denon arv688