R15

by Kevin, November 17, 2006

Strengths:

Amazing, no distortion.

Weaknesses:

None.

Review:

I love these speakers and regret not picking up another pair. I actually use these as my mains for my HT with a Polk 8" sub which is a marriage made in heaven. I have these running off a Yamaha amp (110W RMS/ channel) and it sounds amazing, I can put on a Santana CD and crank it and it's crystal clear no distortion. Truly one of the best decisions ever made.

by Stuart, March 17, 2007

Strengths:

Small size big sound,not very expensive

Weaknesses:

none that I could find

Review:

I just bought a pair of r15 and was impressed by the quality of the sound from such a small speaker.A pefect match for my Polk front and center speakers

by Richard, February 8, 2003

Strengths:

They do nothing wrong. Well-balanced and listenable for the price.

Weaknesses:

Of course they don't have much bass! Waddaya expect?

Review:

I am a dedicated audiophile who rarely watches TV (which is in a seperate room from my audio system). I just bought my first DVD player and decided that I should have more than the cheesy speakers supplied with the TV. After auditioning many inexpensive speakers I settled on the R15's. They are being broken in as I write. These are nice little speakers. They have the most important quality of any speaker....they do nothing wrong. Of course, they don't challenge the big guns in the audio room, but they are thoroughly listenable. This is intended as high praise for something in this price range; most of what I heard in this range is like fingernails on the chalkboard. Bravo!

by Patrick, February 14, 2007

Strengths:

Surprisingly full sound for the size. Great for smaller rooms. Well tuned cabinets and a very musical sound while maintaining imaging very well.

Weaknesses:

You may need a sub if you crank these with hip-hop or have a large room. Remember these are bookshelfs.

Review:

Wow, I just received these from Fry's. What a steal for these little wonders. If you have a smaller room you want to fill with sound, or a tuner that doesn't have enough power to push larger speakers, then these will be all you need to achieve a full sound at reasonable volumes. Amazingly crisp and well tuned, I ended up replacing speakers 5 times the size of these (admittedly, 10 year old 3-way technics 10"s that weren't exactly expensive at the time) and they handle my 10'x12' room and ask for more. If you have a larger room or are one of those guys that cranks their speakers far too loud, you may need a sub to be completely pleased. I edit and mix audio for a living, and I am cautious about high sound levels. These sound just plain wonderful and they are now my my mains A/B'ed with my flat response reference monitors. Thanks for saving me a lot of desk space Polk!

by tyler, August 8, 2002

Strengths:

Decent bass good highs.

Weaknesses:

They are weak when it comes to power.

Review:

Great speaker for rear and front.

by Tommy, August 20, 2002

Strengths:

Big, big sound.

Weaknesses:

None yet

Review:

I bought this as mains for my bedroom system, and I'm very pleased with their performance. The sound is crisp and clear with no distortion at all, even at high volumes. Even the bass is good, surprising, given the small size of these speakers. All in all, I'm impressed, and I'll definitely be buying Polk when I upgrade.

by t., August 23, 2002

Strengths:

Tight, clear sounding speakers that are way beyond anything else I've heard in the price range.

Weaknesses:

none that I've discovered

Review:

Hard to believe that such a small speaker can perform at such a dynamic level! I've also got a pair of R40s and the R15 comes close to performing just as well; the highs even seem to be more clearly defined on certain passages. This work great as front channels for home theatre.

by Jarrett Harris, September 4, 2002

Strengths:

Bass. Highs.

Weaknesses:

No many for the price.

Review:

I bought these from Circuit City for $80. That was for the pair, brand new. They have met every expectation that I had. They have good bass considering their size. They image pretty good and those highs are simply wonderful. The magnetic shielding is a plus. I plan to buy more polks in the future.

by James, September 14, 2002

Strengths:

PERFECT for use as surrounds: Tight, clean and wide!

Weaknesses:

At this price? Are you kidding? No weaknesses here!

Review:

Really amazing! I bought the R15s to use as surrounds. I have R50s up front, and Polk recommends the R20s as surrounds, but the R20s are nearly 12 inches deep! Not something I want to hang on my wall, so I opted for the smaller R15s. I have not been disapointed. These baby's are perfect surrounds! Good dynamic range, tight and clear from top to bottom, and a very wide dispersion--exactly what you want in a surround speaker. And they look great up on the wall! They handle bass very well for speakers of this size, and would make fine mains for a small system, like in a bedroom, or KILLER computer speakers! They can get very loud, and I have yet to hear any distortion out of them. A real bargain and highly recommended!

by Kyle Given, September 17, 2002

Strengths:

Tonal Balance, Sounstage, Imaging, Value, Value, Value!

Weaknesses:

At this price point there is nothing that could be considered a weakness.

Review:

While I don't have the disposable income to consider myself an "audiophile", I have spent the last 20 years passionately listening to recorded music. I have listened to nearly every manufacturer's product at one time or another. The biggest compliment that I can pay Polk is that they are very consistant in the high quality of sound that their products produce. I recently purchased a pair of the R15's as a gift for my Dad. After listening to them at home, I went back and purchased another pair for myself. I can say with confidence that there is not a better speaker value anywhere. I am very particular about what qualifies as a listenable speaker. I am shocked to be able to say that I could be happy with these speakers as stand alone main front speakers. They have an overall presentation that is far beyond their price. Polk should be extremely proud of their effort on the R15 and every other speaker manufacturer should take note of where the standard has been set for speakers in this price range. If you doubt my enthusiasm, go listen.

by Paul, September 19, 2002

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Review:

Excellent sound for the value! Used them as rear speakers for home theater. Matched with center CSi30 makes excellent surround system. Bought them to replace bose sp100, what a difference clear crisp sound and live base.

by Marvin Hackley, February 22, 2003

Strengths:

value, value, value. There is nothing to complain about, at this cost level.

Weaknesses:

Would be nit-picking at this cost level.

Review:

I live in a small apartmet. These are the perfect speakers fo a small apartment. My ears give up before the speakers do, with my 100 watts per channel amp. The sound is clean and natural. There is enough perceived bass to be satisfying. I've heard nuances in classical music, I've never heard before.

by Chris, April 19, 2003

Strengths:

Punchy bass, clean highs, and no distortion.

Weaknesses:

Too weak to go with most systems...even a shelf system.

Review:

I went to American Electronics to check out these speakers...they rock. I am only 12 years old, so I can't afford a pair for my room to go with my Philips "MAX Sound" system. But they are really great. I was really suprised at the bass, considering the size. They are kind of weak, which is another reason I could not buy. (120 Watts RMS on my system.) But they are definitely go out and buy speakers, even if you already have a system, add another one, because these are worth it! TRUST ME!!!!

by ghostmetal, April 20, 2003

Strengths:

Great for surrounds and 6 channel stereo listening.

Weaknesses:

None at $50 a speaker

Review:

Just purchased these as surrounds along with the r30's, csi20, and psw202 for my bedroom. These speakers are great! I'm not sure how they would sound as mains but for surrounds, they are perfect. Clean, crisp sound is all I get from these. When I listen to music in the 6 channel stereo setting these speakers hold up to the test. Great hi's mid's and low's. You owe it to yourself to get a set of these NOW!

by Daron Green, April 23, 2003

Strengths:

Good sound like the R10s

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

Very nice but arent they the same as the R10s?Get the R10s on clearance now and you"ll be just as pleased and you"ll save even more money

by g wolfe, June 13, 2003

Strengths:

Better bass response than I expected from a small speaker. It would be a challenge to find a better speaker for under $80 a pair. A real steal.

Weaknesses:

For what should be expected from a small, entry bookshelf model and especially for the price, none at all.

Review:

For a small bookshelf, a nice balanced response. Better bass than I expected. A perfect speaker for a second system or bedroom audio set-up. I've been generally impressed with all Polk products I have listened to or brought home. As a former working musician and amateur audiophile, I'm usually amazed at the degree of performance one gets for the price. Thank you, Mr. Polk and all your colleagues in Baltimore.

by Harry B., October 15, 2003

Strengths:

Great speaker for its size and price, keyhole enables it to be hung anywhere.

Weaknesses:

No discernable shortcomings I'm cognizant of. (Just bought a thesaurus, too)

Review:

Picked up pair at a local retailer for a pretty decent discount($119), and worth every penny. Excellent response for speakers of their size, and even though I use them for surrounds, they would work well as bookshelf standalones or in conjunction with a good subwoofer(See review of my PSW450).

by Robert Freer, January 19, 2004

Strengths:

Workmanship, balanced sound

Weaknesses:

At this price, it better be major to complain! Well okay - No colour choice

Review:

A great small multi-use speaker that has few rivals if any at the price and quality. It is wise not to tell anyone the price so they will believe they are much more expensive speakers. If you know what application you are going to use them with and bear that in mind, they will deliver amazing sound and provide a great audio experience. Hats off to Polk and who knows, maybe someday the competition will eventually have something we can compare them with!

by Alan, January 22, 2004

Strengths:

OK, I feel the sound do improved quite a lot.

Weaknesses:

The bass is weak but still better than the old cheap speaker.

Review:

I bought a pair of R15 on 12JAN04. It's chinese new year in HongKong now and I costed HKD1480 for a pair of R15. I have no any expensive amplifier and whatever high class golden audio cable, ... etc. I just replace the original pair of speaker of my mini-HiFi with this new pair of R15 and hope the sound quality would be improved some what.

by Thomas Ingersoll, February 24, 2004

Strengths:

Shocking sound from a speaker that is so cheap and has a small enclosure.

Weaknesses:

Limited bass response.

Review:

I purchased these from my friend's father in conjunction with CS245i for $150. I have tested them with every kind of music and have found excellent reproduction of high and mid-range sounds. Great for movies as well, providing spacious, realistic sound. The major drawback of these speakers is the limited bass response, but if you team them with a decent sub you can not tell a differene. This is my first pair of Polks, and I think that I will buy Polkfrom now on. Can't beat these speakers for the price.

by Lyle, March 13, 2004

Strengths:

Clear crisp sound! Wall mountable

Weaknesses:

NONE

Review:

I own 3 sets of these speakers. 1 for fronts, 1 for surrounds, and 1 for B speakers. I also own a 10 inch polk sub and plan on completing my system with a polk center channel. The R15's are simply the best bookshelf speaker out there for their price. They sound crystal clear and are excellent for both home theatre and music listening. As soon as I bought these I threw my old kenwoods in the garbage instead of selling them for a few bucks. Polk audio rules!

by Thomas C. Hill, March 15, 2004

Strengths:

price,size,clarity,keyhole slot in the rear will save you 30 bucks on a wall mount kit

Weaknesses:

people who complain about no bass from these speakers

Review:

This speaker is incredible. I was skeptical after reading reviews but my ears are very critical and i was very impressed for such a low priced speaker (70 bucks a pair at circuit city). I did a back to back comparison with other Polks and besides the lack of sub bass they sounded identical to speakers four times their price. I bought another pair for my bedroom. I'm getting some r30's for the front and use the r15's for the surround. Thanks Polk for making a great sounding "cheap" speaker. Polk for life.

by Chris, March 16, 2004

Strengths:

size, looks good on wall, price, sound.

Weaknesses:

none

Review:

i use these as my surround speakers, very nice sounding.

by Henry, March 22, 2004

Strengths:

Clarity, value

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

You might think it is just another bookshelf speaker, but I have compared side by side to a floor standing 3-way speakers which the price is ten times more, the clarity of high and mid of R15 is out standing, imaging is good, of cause you need to team up with a sub to add some bottom, play the drum track of shefield lab if you have one.. overall the R15 has incredible sound quality and value.

by D. K. Widlake, July 6, 2004

Strengths:

As advertised a good affordable speaker for a just better than average system. Woofer has nice tight mid bass.

Weaknesses:

Limited high frequencies from tweeter. Loss of articulation, texture and harmonics found in recordings.

Review:

I have been an audiophile since 1970, and was looking for some affordible small 2 way speakers. These were bought in a noisy electronics store, so I had no way to do a careful listening before buying. It did sound better and more musical than the others on display. After I got it home I was disappointed that the sounds of cymbals , cello, guitar harmonics, vocal textures, etc were not very evident leaving the music feeling void in crispness and sparkle. The tweeters used usually have great qualities, but these did not articulate and breathe as I felt it should.The highs rolled off way too soon.

by SCOTT, July 16, 2004

Strengths:

THIS IS A SUPER SPEAKER......

Weaknesses:

THE PROBLEM I FOUND,IT`S HARD TO FIND THE R-15 MOST STORES HAVE THE R-20 WHICH IS NOT AS GOOD...

Review:

THIS SPEAKER IS GREAT FOR A 5.1 THEATER SYSTEM WHEN HOOKED UP WITH A GOOD CENTER CHANNEL SPEAKER YOUR RIGHT IN THE ACTION. I FOUND BY USING 2 PAIR`S OF R-15 WITH A CENTER CHANNAL AND USING NO SUB PLAYING AIR FORCE ONE THAT IT`S BETTER THEN BEING IN THE THEATER YOU GET THE WHOLE AFFECT LOW MIDDLE AND HIGHS. THE PESON THAT NOCKED IT BECAUSE OF HIGHS AND LOWS DOESN`T KNOW HOW TO SET UP A SYSTEM. I`VE BEEN SETTING UP SYSTEMS SINCE 1958.......

by Jeff, October 20, 2004

Strengths:

Perfect size for wall mount Nice finish to match other speakers in setup Keyhole for mounting is a great idea

Weaknesses:

Nothing that I can complain about

Review:

I just picked up a set of Polk R15 speakers at Future Shop on sale for $129 Canadian compared to the $199 regular price. I have Athena AS-B2's in the front, AS-C1 in the center and an Athena P400 sub to round out the system. As many of you know, Athena is a great budget speaker and I was ready to purchase the smaller AS-B1's for the surrounds, but when I arrived at Future Shop, I discovered the R15's were on sale. I hit the net and read some reviews on the Polk's and saw nothing but great comments. I picked up a pair and was really happy with the smaller size than the Athena's. The hanging keyhole really is a great idea and allows me to wall-mount them at the optimum height for surround sound. They look great and sound great after just a week's worth of listening and I really have no complaints. I just watched "The Day After Tomorrow" and the speakers sound great. For me, bass isn't a major concern, as the sub fills the room just fine. It's my first Polk purchase and I am really pleased so far, especially for the price.

by Kyle, November 21, 2004

Strengths:

Crystal clear highs, incredibly punchy, tight bass, and loads of sound for a speaker this size.

Weaknesses:

For this price range...none whatsoever. This speaker puts out sound that rivals that of the competitors next size up speakers.

Review:

An excellant speaker for the value. Great for the dorm room...so great that I'm going back to buy a second set for my surrounds. I'll admit, for the price I was skeptical about the performance, but these speakers really deliver. Can't go wrong using these in a starter/small area set-up.

by richp., November 21, 2004

Strengths:

Price, looks, good sound, quality construction

Weaknesses:

haven't found any yet. If I was a nit picker, the top end is a tad lite.

Review:

A really nice speaker for a reasonable price. I just jumped into the market for replacing a pair of old Boston A70's. I was looking for a small enclosure that looked and sounded as goood as my old Bostons. I originally was shopping BIC's Venturis when a salesman at PC Richard reccommended these. Wow! For a lot less than the BIC"s and sound almost as good as the old(1984) Bostons these are the real deal. I have them mated to a Yamaha 100watt sub and a yamaha home theater set up. (Bose Center)and I tell you, for music, you don't need the sub with these litlle guys. Crisp, deep clear sound is what you'll get. A little lite on the top end but c'mon, for the price, beggars can't be choosers!

by Salesh Mishra, November 25, 2004

Strengths:

Great Imaging, Sound detail Facinating! Bass Response is great! No Holes in sound. Super Fast dynamics! High sensitivity/Low power Requirments. 5 year waranty! Build Quality is Absoulutely to high for this prouduct! Wide soundstage. Great For the Submarine Wardroom!

Weaknesses:

My tweeters distort like most others in price class when the piano comes on or when driven with very wide range music. Minmilist crossover. Low power. a liitle bright with low quality ampflication.

Review:

Polk For under a hunddy? Are you MAD! Wow, Polk Sound on a budget, I bought them each at Circit City. My god, Not bad at all. I listen to alot of music that comes in the really dificult band for tweeters, I think that this one is just for very low level listing. GREAT COMPUTER SPEAKERS! Where you have an external amp to drive them. Best for small Rooms, Great on Low Power, Work in my car really Well! So well, I left them there when I could not Get the polks to fit in my rear 5x7 opening in my PT. I am going to buy the rest of the stock @ Circit city to do an install on the Submarine. Mounting holes in back are perfect for on wall use. If their was no tweeter distorion, I would give these a 5 star rating. Best Music Presentation is when playing Acustical Music such as Beck. These speakers have let me hear details i never knew were there! Purchase these only if you can't fit the bigger units in your Place. A tweeter Upgrade From Polk will make this the $500 unit it deserves to be!

by bryan, December 19, 2004

Strengths:

awesome sound for a small bookshelf. if you want optimal sound, get a sub first.

Weaknesses:

barely any bass.. not that great highs. For hometheater purpose, not that good. i have a small room, so it is fine. i plan to upgrade to Energy c-1 or maybe even the Polk Monitor 40. Bottom line.. need sub

Review:

---- I paid 50 dollars flat for a pair I am using these as my main speakers this is good for my money. but the only downfall is that my rears are bigger then my fronts.

by Mark McIntyre, December 29, 2004

Strengths:

Gorgeous hjighs and middles. Vocals are sublime. Bass is deep and strong with a vintage receiver.

Weaknesses:

None.

Review:

These are the best speakers under $1000 that I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. I have to qualify my remarks by saying that these speakers truly shine when connected to a vintage receiver from the 70's. The newer digital receivers simply don't deliver and you won't get the most out of these gems.

by Thomas DeShields, February 13, 2005

Strengths:

price and size

Weaknesses:

lack of bass when used as surround speaker with a digital reciever

Review:

don't get me wrong i like the r15's but there a little weak in the bass department when used with a digital reciver but when i hooked them up to an older reciver they rocked the bass was tight and the hights where smmoth and clean it was like listening to two differnt speakers they filled the room with sound i was inpressed in other words they are great for music listening but as for home thearter not a good choice

by Alex, July 27, 2005

Strengths:

Great small, cheap speakers!

Weaknesses:

High frequencies (10khz + ) do not sound very good. Yes, you will need a sub for good bass response, but I need a sub with my Lsi7s too.

Review:

Just replaced a pair of Paradigm Titans V2 with some Polk Audio R15s. The Titans are larger, more expensive, and generally regarded as better speakers, but I really didn't like them! Their bass was great, but vocals sounded very muddy. Anyway, the R15 is great for classical music, good for most other music, but kind of weak with drum heavy rock. The drums are a little too high frequency and start to sound tinny when the drums are too frequent.

by Tony, September 8, 2005

Strengths:

Mid-range sound is adequate for surrounds.

Weaknesses:

Highs are weak , bass is sorta low. Needs alot more power.

Review:

Good and Bad. For the price I got them at, ($50/pair) they arent bad. Suggestions is to audition them first. Not bad for surrounds but Im not sure about using them for fronts. Movies are good but not so much for music. I plan to use these for back surrounds and getting the monitor 30s for surrounds. But thats just me. Everybody is tuned with a different ear. Hope these work out.

by Richie, September 29, 2005

Strengths:

Quality and price

Weaknesses:

None for the price

Review:

Excellent speaker for surrounds and not to mention the price.

by Apodaca, October 15, 2005

Strengths:

Price. Accurate sound and great fit and finish.

Weaknesses:

Sensitivity seems low.

Review:

The R15 have an amazing price performance ratio when purchased on sale. The sound is accurate much beetter than anything near its price range and they dont distort much at higher volume levels. In comparison to the Monitor 30s they definitely dont go down as much on the lower frequencies so they wont blend in as well with a sub. The tweeter is also not as good in that sometimes it can be harsh on certain recordings but it still delivers. The main issue I had was that I felt that the sensitivity was lower than what the specs say at least in comparison to the Monitor line.

by Guy, October 16, 2005

Strengths:

Price could not be better nor could the quality

Weaknesses:

Only what you let happen (Look to the above review if you are one of those readers that just looks at the Stengths and Weaknesses)

Review:

Once again I am reading reviews that are saying not enough power or bass is too low. Try changing the settings on your reciever, it will change the performance of these speakers. Example: Would you expect a Ferrari to do 150mph in first gear? No you would not so why do you expect a speaker to sound great if you do not adjust it accordingly "SHIFT" that bad boy so it can sing. Trust me it took all of 15min for me to find the right setting on my reciever. Do not let your reciever pick what it thinks is best, that would be like always setting in the passenger seat in a exotic super car. (It's no fun, I have friends with them and they never let me drive. It sucks to have a normal income.)

by Johan, October 26, 2005

Strengths:

Good clarity and moderate bass.

Weaknesses:

Treble is a little too bright.

Review:

Bought this on sale at Fry's. Pretty decent speaker for it's size and price.

by BruceW, October 30, 2005

Strengths:

Sound, size and value. Light enough to mount on with optimounts.

Weaknesses:

None so far!

Review:

Found a pair of these on sale at Circuit City. I was picking up a new Polk Center Channel and since I needed something to replace my cheapie rears I got these. For rear speakers on a budget these things rock! Excellent frequency reponse and throw make this a great value.

by Khaled G, November 25, 2005

Strengths:

Dirt cheap, outstanding sound for the money

Weaknesses:

Not very well sheilded, wrong ohm rating, could kill cheap recievers.

Review:

Great overall speaker. Smooth responce and very clean sounding even though it only has a 1st pass filter. Only issue i've had with it is the ohm rating, it says its compatible with 8 ohm, but when tested its about 4ohms. If your reciever is a little cheap/weak, and its rated for 8ohms max, it will probably overheat adn start to clip. This happened in my case after about 3 hours and it started to clip and the speakers died :-/. The woofer didn't have a problem with the clipping, but the tweeter is pretty weak and died right away before i could turn it off.

by Steve, November 29, 2005

Strengths:

Ability to extract every ounce of wattage from your receiver and display it for your listening pleasure.

Weaknesses:

Slightly lacking in highs. Don't expect much in the bass dept.....That's what a sub is for.

Review:

I have been in the market for an economical yet great sounding speaker to replace the HTIB system . Purchased these little tykes last week and I am simply blown away by the sound these 10 5/8" high speakers produce. War of the Worlds sounded as if I was on set. Eventually they will be demoted to surrounds, however right now I am more than satisfied. Let's put it this way, I am afraid to turn the volume past -49db. They are loud!

by Peter Sawatzky, December 27, 2005

Strengths:

Presence, un-hyped mids.

Weaknesses:

Not a lot of bass—needs a sub.

Review:

Got these for TV use. Can't really call it home theatre, because it's only stereo. But anyway—these are a terrific value. Crisp high-end and balanced mids, fairly detailed. Very present sound. Not a lot of bass, although that is pretty typical of 5 1/4" woofers, unless they're B&Ws or similar. But those cost over five times as much. Would probably sound great with a sub. Over all, very, very pleased with the quality and value of these drivers.

by Eddie Arnell, December 28, 2005

Strengths:

Handles wide range of highs and lows. Outstanding performance with movies and video games.

Weaknesses:

I do agree with one review......It will kill a cheap receiver. I had a 5.1 100 watt per channel pioneer (cant remember the series)but I couldnt even turn it half way up without tripping out the unit. It finally blew the amp which led me to get a more powerful receiver.

Review:

Great performance. Reasonable price. Quality sound.

by Larry, December 31, 2005

Strengths:

Strong high end and midrange. Very capable for such small speakers

Weaknesses:

Not enough low end bass (but what speaker in this price range and size has any?)

Review:

I'm using the R15's in my bedroom in a stereo setup and I'm simply amazed with the sound quality. I had a small pair of crappy speakers before this, and listening to the same music opens up totally new sounds in music that I'd never heard before! The sound fills the entire room, and though there is a sweet spot (as with most stereos) it sounds good everywhere else in the room. I highly recommend these as rear channels in a surround setup or front channels in a small room or bedroom setup. Thanks for making such a great product Mr. Polk!

by alex, January 7, 2006

Strengths:

great mids

Weaknesses:

nothing that matters for the money

Review:

great speakers, they have them here http://shop3.outpost.com/product/3292811 for 40 bucks a pair, thanks

by Joel N, January 24, 2006

Strengths:

Sound quality is very high!! These sound awesome with or without a sub, very small!!

Weaknesses:

Review:

They are amazing! They sound clear and effortless at any nubtrousive package. volume level, loud or quiet. The highs are excellent and the bass is amazing from the size of the cabinet. I was hesitant in upgrading to these from my other 6.5" bookshelves, but now i'm glad I did! They're much smaller, look really nice, fit in anywhere, and sound AWESOME! I definitely recommend these to ANYONE for a place where you want BIG sound in an unobtrusive package. The 2 hour wait outdoors and getting up early was definitely worth it for these!

by Jon, February 24, 2006

Strengths:

Clarity, soundstage, value

Weaknesses:

None, really. Everything you'd expect out of a compact bookshelf.

Review:

Unbelievable value. I only used them as my main speakers for two days in order to break them in quickly for surround use (breaking in appears to be necessary with all of the R and CSi series Polks to get anything better than mediocre sound). I was thoroughly impressed. Highs and mids were at least as detailed as the R30s. They didn't seem to suffer the same midbass resonance as the towers, which I'd guess is around 150 Hz. These guys are excellent budget speakers for small to medium sized rooms or for surrounds.

by Lee Dodson, March 29, 2006

Strengths:

Overall sound ,build, looks,size, and mostly that great price.

Weaknesses:

You must be kidding at this price!

Review:

I saw these on sale at Fry's last year so I bought 1 pair of the rosewood colored ones and was very pleased with there sound once they were broke in. For the size and price I bought 2 more pairs 1 black and I got the last rosewood colored pair they had. Yes you should have a sub ,but almost any speaker this size should be run with a sub anyway any speaker this size sounds better with a sub running the lows. The build quality is awsome at this price range and to me they look better with the grills off but that is personal taste. I have had a lot of diffrent speakers at this size over the years and these rate better than most and for the cost you cant go wrong.

by michael collins, April 19, 2006

Strengths:

Sweet mids & highs. Sonics are superb.

Weaknesses:

Lacking a bit on bottom but my sub makes that up.

Review:

Was at first a bit hesitant.Geez, was I ever wrong!Best I've ever heard for this price!!!

by Eric, April 23, 2006

Strengths:

Best sound I've ever heard from any speakers i've owned.

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

These speakers blew me away. I have had some loud speakers in the past, but i have never heard this kind of clarity, even when cranked. I would bet these sound as good as anything you could buy for at least double the price. I knew nothing of Polk before buying these speakers and will never again buy anything else. I have a cheap Pioneer VSX-515-K 660 watt receiver I bought for $120 on black friday and it sounds incredible with these.

by Joe Goswami, May 9, 2006

Strengths:

great bass & midrange quality

Weaknesses:

mild high's but not harsh by any means

Review:

I bought 4 of the R15's 6 years ago. Backthen they were front & rear L & R's. Recently, I've upgraded the tweeters & X'over's in 2 of the R15's (SEAS Aluminum domes) and augmented them with a custom built cabinet containing 8" Audax Aergel Woofer. The R15's rest atop the cabinets. The other 2 R15's are still stock units that have served me well for surround L & R duty for over 6 years in various home theater setups.

by Rich Grihalva, May 20, 2006

Strengths:

Use these speakers for just about anything you can think of. The list is endless, they deliver every time, look great and are well built.

Weaknesses:

None! If you need more speaker... buy bigger ones and spend alot more money.

Review:

Best money I've ever spent! Happy Anniversary FRYS. Had a gut feeling on these and it was right on. High-end recording & pro-sound are my life and there is more to music then base boom. Clean, clear, transparent, these speakers would do well as home studio monitors. An unbeliveable find at the price. Since this was a One Day Sale, I guess my karma was in good shape. Thanks Polk Audio!

by Ted Mathews IV, September 10, 2006

Strengths:

Clear highs, not too intense. Smooth mids.

Weaknesses:

lacking in bass (sub's job anyway)

Review:

They sound Very good out of the box. I'm about half way to having them broken in but i can't wait. Changing from cheapy cable to monster THX helped quite a bit as well. The only problem is the bass. Its lacking but thats what a crossover and a subwoofer is for.

by Dan, September 13, 2006

Strengths:

Name it...these deliver clean..tight..flat response

Weaknesses:

Not really a weakness..add a sub and smile

Review:

These speakers flat ROCK...I've had tons of speakers over the years and have worked as a rep for many of the major brands. I picked these up w/o even hearing them as I was familiar with Polk who has ALWAYS made a great product. I was really surprised at how well they sound though. I'm using them as close monitors in a small home studio set up and I couldnt be more pleased.

by Bill, September 19, 2006

Strengths:

Outstanding for a stand alone bookshelf system. Amazing as mains when used with a sub. Extremely accurate and transparent once you get done tweaking.

Weaknesses:

None found.

Review:

I originally bought these to give to my 16 year old son for a bookshelf system in his bedroom. I have had lots of speakers over the years. I looked at these for a day on the coffee table before hooking them up. Junior is not getting these because they are now mine. I will pick up a second pair for him. Let me just say that it is impossible for small speakers like this to reproduce earth rocking bass. Having said that small speakers excel in frequencies over 120 cycles. These do that and then some. I am amazed on how well these speakers reproduce from 120 cycles up. They are extremely transparent. It doesn't get much better. They qualify for a "Most Bang For The Buck Award". I just finished listening to these little gems for 4 hours straight with various well engineered recordings at various sound pressure levels. By themselves I found I got the best sound by backing off all bass below 80 cycles. The speakers thanked me and the amplifier also thanked me. If the speakers can't accurately reproduce it don't send it to them! Having done that they really shine and alone make a outstanding bookshelf stereo system for cheap. However for the low end want to be audiophiles that are setting up their first real syatem here's a valuable tip. Buy a pair of these to use for your mains and put the savings into the best sub system that your wallet can afford. You can thank me later.

by Miguel, October 11, 2006

Strengths:

Great wide sound!

Weaknesses:

Gets dirty realy fast if you live around pets or dusty areas.

Review:

My home theater is sorta like a remix I have all kinds of speakers from Cambride Soundworks T200 Towers as my main JBL EC35 as for my Center Definitive Technology Pro Sub 200TL Onkyo Surround back speakers 2x now I use the Polk R15 as my side surround speakers and they sound great, clear and real high fidelity sound. The surround envelopment is clear and easy to hear,but it gets really dirty easily especially if you have dogs with thier fur flying around the house. Everything else these speakers are good! Everything is powered by a Pioneer Elite trust me even though they are different speaker brands I match all of them by thier specs so they will all sound right so I took the guesswork,but they all sound great and the Polk R15 is a must get, it matches everything.

by Peter Frizzell, October 13, 2006

Strengths:

Great performance for the money. Sound quality is excellent.

Weaknesses:

None considering the price. Needs an 8" or 10" sub for low end bass.

Review:

For the price these speakers rival other bookshelf speakers costing four times as much. These speakers are increadibly smooth, detailed and accurate. The highs are clean and crisp without being tinty or unrealistic. The mids are smooth as well with a decend amount of mid base. The highs and mids blend very well.

by alin, October 30, 2006

Strengths:

so far so good...

Weaknesses:

none...yet :)

Review:

I have a logitech z2300 setup for my notebook, and i needed some speakers to go along w/ the sub. and then o ebay i've foundthese speakers, which, amazaed me after i plug them in with the logitech sub...they sound great and i allready had a party in my basement with these....averyone was amazed for their performance :) great job polk audio

by german zablodski, December 26, 2006

Strengths:

Build quality, compact design, affordable price, open sound.

Weaknesses:

Not enough bass, but as it was already pointed out that's what the subwoofer is for.

Review:

I've had a pair of Sony ss-mb150h before. Although not the worst, compared to R15 they have a muffled mid and high range. Having the similar dimensions Polkaudio R15 have clearly pronounced highs and really natural mids. Very musical speakers.Great for listening jazz. Thank you very much guys. Polkaudio rocks!

by Sharon, January 5, 2007

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Review:

They were a present this year for Hanukkah I was amazed at how easiy it was to attach them to my stero system They soud so excellent too. I will buy this brand and recommend it to everyone. I am very happy with my present!!

by eric, January 24, 2007

Strengths:

great frequency responce

Weaknesses:

none

Review:

I work for a professional audio company and have access to many different lines of studio speakers when i compaired the specs of the R15 to what I have available to me and the price option, I had to go and hear them for myself. After a brief demo i bought them and a pair of R10's for the rear channel and a CS for the center. These speakers are fantastic the vented box of the R15 out performs the more expensive sealed traps and boxes most studio speaker manufacturers have,the mids are very stable and full and the highs are transparant and crisp.no eq'ing required

by T. Staake, March 7, 2007

Strengths:

Extremely good customer support good overall sound quality. Solid built. Best value in this price quality.

Weaknesses:

Not suited for very high volumes.

Review:

I am now enjoying my Polk R15 for almost one year. The overall sound quality is good, the heights are clear, and the base has punch - especially when taking into account the size and the sales price. I am using them with an Onkio 50W receiver. The system outperforms most compact stereos systems at the same price easily. It is a "must be considered" in the price range below 250 USD.

by Scott, July 7, 2008

Strengths:

Clarity, range, reproduction of live sound.

Weaknesses:

Small sound... but they ARE bookshelf speakers.

Review:

these were my first, and gratefully not last encounter with polk. these, for the price, are THE best bookshelf/ surround speakers that i have ever heard. they blow away sony and infinity, and at less cost. Polk knows how to make a speaker, but, you do get what you pay for, an autiophile knows the difference. Id use these as surrounds, but not by any means my main speakers, especially without a sub! good buy for someone on a budget.

by jimmy clark, October 21, 2010

Strengths:

Fast quick, bass responce, tight clean mids, very clean detailed high end,fantastic imageing, after broken in, can play very loud without distorting,as a matter of fact, its amazing how loud these can go, with clean power.

Weaknesses:

NONE, want anything better, plan on laying down a grand,

Review:

Ive had a pair of these for 6 years, they smoke even speakers costing 3 times as much, i should know, ive been in the audio biz, for 2 decades, selling mainly, ive had the titans, the jbls, the cerwin vegas, infinitys, while all good in there own areas,To get a speaker that excels, at everything, is something ive only incounterd with the r15s, Quick tight bass responce, crystal clear highs and mids,, keep in mind you need a good higher end reciever to get the most otta these, break in time is about 30-40 hours,