Bookshelf
R150
2-way speaker with 5 1/4-inch driver.
7" W x 10 5/8" H x 6 1/2" D
17.78cm W x 26.99cm H x 16.51cm D
$9995each
R150
I’m not sure you understand my predicament. Here is the smart, compact, value-oriented R150 speaker. Just look at it. S’nice. But it presents a serious problem for me. How do I describe to you the thing that sets this one speaker apart from the slew of other speakers you’re seeing here on this website? I like this speaker. I have nothing whatsoever bad to say about it. I like its look, with its traditional, high quality finish and slightly offset grille design. I like its versatility, because it can be a shelf speaker or a wall speaker or a stand speaker... anywhere you like. And I like its sound: Surprisingly dynamic, solid, realistic, detailed, and much bigger than you’d expect from a small speaker like this. These things aren’t all that different from every other loudspeaker we make. What’s the diff, you may say. Well... It’s a good all-around loudspeaker value, the R150 is. And I want you to take advantage of that. Please do so.
The Handiest of Bookshelf Loudspeakers
Solidly built for solid performance, the R150 can be used to build a small system, or used to add speakers to any other system. The R 150 comes with a rear-firing bass port that adds surprising low end.
R150 Features:
Unlike other speakers in this price range, R/T/M Series enclosures are constructed of solid, extensively braced MDF. This virtually eliminates internal resonances and damps energy-stealing vibrations, for more efficient operation and more transparent sound.
Polk’s proprietary, patented Dynamic Balance® technology allows our engineers to design out distortion-causing driver and system resonances, so you only hear the good sounds.
Unlike horns or metal domes, silk dome tweeters deliver clear and detailed highs, without fatigue, even at high volume.
Durable, efficient, and tuned with our Dynamic Balance process, polymer composite cones produce smooth, natural sound.
Acoustically-inert stamped driver baskets are strong and vibration-free, and durable butyl rubber surrounds deliver a lifetime of high performance.
R/T/M Series models all feature professionally designed, speaker-specific bass porting, for highly efficient deep bass response that adds thrilling realism to your sound.
An "open architecture" anti-diffraction grille design, and acoustically inert speaker grille, will never get in the way of your sound.
Our high efficiency design results in sound that’s spacious and clear, warm and realistic, when combined with practically any electronics, even the most modestly-powered amplifer or receiver.
All Polk loudspeakers are timbre-matched within their series, designed with the same components throughout, to achieve seamless speaker-to-speaker blending effects in multi-channel systems.
Dual gold-plated, professional-style 5-way binding posts, for the most secure connection options.
All models in the R/T/M Series are magnetically shielded, and engineered to be safe when placed near sensitive AV equipment like monitors or TVs.
All Polk products are made using the best materials and the most advanced manufacturing techniques. They pass the industry’s most exhaustive quality tests, including drop testing, extreme signal response and UV & salt exposure testing. Polk loudspeakers are built to perform for a lifetime.
Driver Complement | |
|---|---|
| Tweeter | |
| Quantity | 1 |
| Diameter | 3/4" (1.91cm) |
| Type | Dynamic Balance silk/polymer composite dome, shielded |
| Mid / Woofer | |
| Quantity | 1 |
| Diameter | 5 1/4" (13.34cm) |
| Type | Dynamic Balance mineral filled polymer composite cone driver, shielded |
Electrical | |
|---|---|
| Total Frequency Response | 60Hz - 24kHz |
| Upper -3dB Limit | 20 kHz |
| Lower -3dB Limit | 65 Hz |
| Nominal Impedance | 8 ohms |
| Efficiency | 89 dB |
| Recommended Amplifier Power | 20 - 100 watts per channel |
| Inputs | 5-way binding posts |
Amplifier Specs | |
|---|---|
| 220V Availability | No |
Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Dimensions | |
| Height | 10 5/8" (26.99cm) |
| Width | 7" (17.78cm) |
| Depth | 6 1/2" (16.51cm) |
| Mounting Options | Shelf or stand mount only |
Shipping | |
|---|---|
| Unit of Measure | pair |
| Total Shipping Weight | 19.00 pounds |
| Recommended Accessories | 30 - 36 inch speaker stands |
Warranty | |
|---|---|
| Speaker Warranty | 5 years parts and labor (original purchaser) |
Specifications, dimensions and features subject to change without notice. For more information call us at 1-800-377-7655 (USA and Canada). Outside of North America call +1 (410) 358-3600.
Customer Reviews
16 reviews with an average of 5
Write your own reviewby John, May 11, 2008
9 out of 13 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
-Perfect for speaker mains on an entry-level sound system. -The new driver configuration looks a lot like the Monitor 30s'. Neat. -Great power-handling for its diminutive size -Less cabinet resonance than the R10s, R15s, or the M10s.
Weaknesses:
-Lack of a keyhole mount, but I think Polk was trying to improve the bass response and reduce port noise, by putting the firing port on the back of the speaker. -Still hear a bit of port-noise at high volume -Bass is not as good as the Rt25i,(3x the price though) but wasn't expecting it to be
Review:
I am using these as computer speaker mains, along with the M10s as surrounds. (See my review on M10s). I was going to get the Paradign Atoms, but saw these for $98 on Visions.ca, a Canadian electronics store.The Brick, by the way, for all you Canadian viewers, has the r150 on sale for $118 and the Monitor 30 on sale for $158 I believe, as I type this . (May 11th 2008,11:30 PM A.S.T.) The tweeters and drivers are the same as the R10s, R15s, and the M10s. The cabinet has a slightly greater volume, however, and the bass/midrange driver has stamped driver baskets. It also has a rear-firing port. All of these attributes make it have both more dynamic bass, and better high amplifier volume handling without break-up than its predecessors. Whoops, that last paragraph sounded too technical. - Uh, great speaker for the price I paid, I like their performance better than the M10s, especially in their ability to hold their bass at moderate volumes. I don't have a sub for my PC system yet, but even without a sub, the bass is quite substantial. In fact a friend of mine, on hearing them play through my amp (A Panasonic Sa-HE75 connected to my computer) thought they were great. "Not too obnoxious... just the right bass..." he told me. I do use an "SRS audio Sandbox" though, which greatly improves the sound, especially bass response. I have connected my Nintendo Wii through the same amp.Sound effects and music in games including Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime 3 SuperMario Kart wii and Super Mario Galaxy sound good in Dolby Pro-Logic II, with the the R150 as mains and the M10s as surrounds.The tweeter is beautifully clear and detailed, revealing many nuances I didn't perceive in my old Altec Lansing sound system. My only gripe is the lack of a key-hole for wall-mounting. But I think Polk made the R150 both to experiment and to improve the sound from the earlier R series bookshelf speakers, and put the firing-port on the back. Being an audio enthusiast, I would rather have improved sound over the key-hole mounting option.Besides I can always get the M10s for fronts instead. But still, I wonder if they could make it like the Monitor 30: Rear-firing WITH a key-hole mount. Then the R150 would go, in my book(shelf) from good, to one of the greatest budget bookshelf speakers ever.
by Tim Gauger, July 18, 2008
6 out of 10 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Great clarity, great warmth in the higher ranges.
Weaknesses:
Sometimes a bit boxy sounding at higher SPL's
Review:
I have had these speakers in my Home Theater for around a year now. I have two of them as my mains, two of them as my surrounds, and I have the Polk R Series center speaker to accompany them. I am running them off of an Onkyo TS-SR304s 5.1 receiver. Overall I would say that these speakers are wonderful for the price. I do a bit of audio editing for a chicago radio station and have been pleasantly surprised at how good these speakers sound in comparison to the Tannoys and Genelecs that I use while editing. They sound great by themselves but if you really want them to shine a subwoofer is a good idea. They sound great with my late 90s MTX 12". When setting the crossover on the sub I would recommend setting it about 65. The R150s claim to respond down to 60 but they do tend to roll off a little earlier. Well done Polk Audio.
by JimC, May 10, 2010
6 out of 9 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
The build quality, appearance and bass supplied for the size.
Weaknesses:
Highs a little weak, although okay.
Review:
My favorite, lower-end speakers I've ever owned, and I've had many! The highs could be a little sharper, but okay and the receiver has a lot to do with it. Excellent bass and mids. A pretty good clear and crisp sound, and certainly a nice bang for the buck! I only regret having to sell these to make room for others!
by Audioconsumer88, April 14, 2007
4 out of 8 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Looks/quality
Weaknesses:
For what these budget bookshelf speakers are, and the price I paid, no weaknesses.
Review:
I really like these speakers. They are quite the value, and have a wonderful sound. I have them hooked up via an amplifier and use them for my pc. They are small enough to fit on my desk behind my LCD monitor and yet provide quality sound. I like the new look (from previous Polk R15), they look very similar to the Monitor 30s, which I like much better. The monitor 30s were a choice I was considering, but the sound/looks of these suited my need better since it is a smaller cabinet than the Monitor 30s, and thats what was called for in my situation.
by Tim K, April 20, 2010
2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Outstanding surrounds or moderate volumed stand alones. Crystal clear highs, moderate lows.
Weaknesses:
As stand alones, definitely need a PSW10 to help carry the lows / thump assistance.
Review:
These speakers I first tried out on my back porch and sounded very nice. Better than the Sony's I had on the back porch. However, I had an issue where I wanted better sound in my dining room for jamming. These R150's actually make a perfect fit in a surround environment, and I moved my Monitor 40's to my dining room, and my Sony's back on the porch ( for now, anyway not for long ) But as stand alone where moderate volumes are desired, they perfomed flawlessly ( need another sub for help on lows, though ), and as surrounds, they are perfect. I bought mine on Polk's Ebay store, so not only are they refurb's, they are also flawless, like any Polk speaker I have ever heard. Way to go Polk at providing us with affordable perfection !
by joshua roley, September 7, 2006
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
zero case resonance , clear highs , nice mids and loud
Weaknesses:
nothing at present
Review:
nice they take a r 15 and put it in a mdf box makes a real differance
by coverdog, April 23, 2007
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
mid range
Weaknesses:
none so far.
Review:
I bought the speakers for on sale. They are working great for surround speakers at this price. Works well with my Denon Receiver and Cerwin Vega front and center channel speakers.
by Terry Osborn, May 8, 2007
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Exceptional sound quality in a small package,and made to last.
Weaknesses:
Haven't found any,and after five years i don't believe there are any!
Review:
These are truly amazing,after five years they still sound as crisp and clear as when removed from the shipping box.One sound investment.
by Joe, June 14, 2007
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
They make nice speakers for a home theater.
Weaknesses:
Really needs a subwoofer to make them shine.
Review:
Purchased them during a ridiculous sale for use in my home theater. Have them mounted to the ceiling and they have a very clean sound. For the music and voice tracks they do really well. Anything that goes low falls off. But, a home theater really needs a subwoofer, which I don't have. Once I get one I expect that there won't be any issues.
by flava30, March 12, 2008
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Small speaker-big sound crisp sound. Good bass response.
Weaknesses:
None for the great price.
Review:
I was amazed on how good these little speakers sound. They are well tuned and deliver crisp high's and low's. I recommend them to anyone that are looking for a great value and good sound.
by Robert32, March 17, 2008
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
New look, Bass response, smooth midrange, crystal sounding highs
Weaknesses:
For the price I paid, NONE!
Review:
Having owned this speaker for about 5 months, I can honestly say that they produce a very impressive soundstage. I have them hooked up to a Yamaha RX-V659 receiver which give them the power they deserve. The do not distort, even on reference levels! As for looks, these look beautiful standing next to my 24in lcd. Very impressive sound from a speaker this size/price. Polk has won me as a customer for life!
by Dallas, March 25, 2008
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Tweeters are amazing, well balanced and not ear peirceing! mids crystle clear, but roll off around 70 to 60 hrz, but for a 5 1/4 woofer, are truely amazing!
Weaknesses:
not many, need a sub to really shine for hip-hop and hard rock.
Review:
Amazing product!!!! I just bought a pair for a simple stereo system and i am truely impressed!!! Really need a sub to shine, but a great speaker for awsome value!!! i recommend to any one starting out and need somthing cheap and loud!
by JEFF, September 20, 2008
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Sound..sound...sound! looks!
Weaknesses:
NONE!!
Review:
These are so good! I actually owned a very expensive pair of german speakers before these, and I bought these as a temporary replacement since they were so affordable. I was not expecting that much, but I know how good Polk speakers are. Let me tell you, these speakers are awesome! The sound they project is so realistic, and the highs are detailed, but never harsh. Polk has it down pat. I team these up with a Polk PSW111 sub, and it fills in the low end. By themselves you just can not believe the bass coming from these 6 1/2 deep speakers. With a 120W power amp, they don't break a sweat. Unbelievable. Seriousely, one of the best speakers i've owned, and I had many high end brands. I can't explain why they sound so good considering they are a budget line, but they do. They project emotion from the music. If a speaker can do that, it is a winner.
by Marco Rodriguez, October 7, 2008
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Awesome sound for the price. Durable and very good looking
Weaknesses:
None.
Review:
These were part of my first and current surround system. Setup: Onkyo 605 Receiver x4 Polk R150's Polk CSR Center no sub as of yet I did tons of research and decided on these because of the great reviews and awesome price. The sound out of them is absolutely great for a beginner system and definitely sounds better than similar setups in its price range and even a little above it. I love these speakers so much Im thinking of getting some R50's for the front and using the R150's for side and rear surrounds for a true 7.1 system.
by Wesley Delk, April 18, 2009
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Look great, sound terrific as surrounds. Could serve as fronts on a smaller system if necessary.
Weaknesses:
No keyhole mounting slot!
Review:
I picked these up on Black Friday for a song for use as the rear surrounds for my home theater system. They are light years better than crappy HTIB speakers. I don't know how they would perform as fronts, but as surrounds, they are the perfect addition to my system. These were my first Polks and now I have replaced or will be replacing the rest of my speakers with Polk Audio.
by Andy, November 6, 2012
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Clear sound all around, more bass than I had expected, and crisp clear sounding highs
Weaknesses:
could be a little louder
Review:
Amazing little speakers, nice for a stereo setup in a small room. I bought these wanting a decent sounding pair of speakers for an 11' x 13' room and ended up with pretty great sounding speakers. they could use a subwoofer's help if you want really strong full bass that can shake your windows, but as is they have strong clear bass that only get's slightly boxy when you turn it up. It doesn't hurt that they are a nice looking little pair of speakers too. Overall, I wouldn't have hesitated at all buying them if I'd known they'd sound this great.
R150 Media
R150 Literature
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Frequently Asked Questions
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