R40

by Lee Bailey, February 25, 2002

Strengths:

Main strengths: Price, clarity of sound, dimensions, real binding posts. Look good too.

Weaknesses:

Weaknesses: Not a lot of bass, could use speaker spikes (which I installed later).

Review:

I've had these speakers for over 2 years now. I compared them directly against the RT600i, and for the money, the R40 was the best choice. They are extremely clear sounding speakers. I use them in HT mainly, coupled with the CS245 and RT15i speakers. The addition of a subwoofer completes the package. I've run these up very loud, and have heard no signs of breakup. I would recommend them to anyone looking for good speakers on a budget.

by Ryan Christian, December 30, 2007

Strengths:

Value. Excellent Spatial and Tonal quality as well as excellent Transparency.

Weaknesses:

If one would consider a weakness for the Polk R40 it would be lacking in some areas of mid range and low end punch. However; those who purchase these towers should be tailoring them to their own listening experience and understand their purchase. They should be matched with a driver capable of reproducing low end frequencies to accompany their excellent high and midrange qualities.

Review:

Bought 4 of these along with a CS245i Center Channel from Circuit City in 2001. They are powered by a Denon AVR 3300 Accompanied by a Velodyne CHT 12" Subwoofer. I have treated these speakers very well over the years. They have doubled as my Home Audio/Home Theater listening. From a Home Theater standpoint these speakers recreate a high end theater experience. Far above those I have compared them to, and in their price range. From a Home Audio stance, they have continually excelled in their listening environment. Somehow they seem to sound better as they age. I have been involved in Mobile Audio for years, which was a foray into the Home Audio/Theater interest. This setup has turned the heads to many a discerning ear.

by john, September 22, 2012

Strengths:

Mids and highs.

Weaknesses:

Lows are weak, but thats what a sub is for.

Review:

Just bought these things for $68. Really wanted some towers and found these at a pawn shop. I like them, very powerful mids and highs. The mids blend perfectly with my sub. The sound field is amazing.

by Rob, February 28, 2002

Strengths:

Very Clear

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

I have these speakers and they are incredible! Then you look at the price tag and they are even better!

by Christian Owens, April 14, 2002

Strengths:

Speakers can match the receiver's powerful ability to deliver sound notch for notch.

Weaknesses:

For the price, 149.00 each, None.

Review:

I just bought a pair of these speakers today and quite frankly, I'm extremely impressed. I used to own a pair of 12" Cerwin Vega LS12s but decided to sell them because they took up way too much space and didnt provide the quality I wanted. I have these hooked up to an Onkyo Stereo Receiver that runs 100Wx2 continous. I couldn't be more satisfied.

by marc anthony (not the singer), April 16, 2002

Strengths:

very clear at mid to high volumes

Weaknesses:

not very sensitive at low volumes but equally as clear

Review:

i purchased these speakers for an unbeatable price...the demo receiver they were hooked up to at the storee i bought them at was very complimentary, unfortunatly my receiver at home isnt as high end as that one but nonetheless i took them home and was EXTREMELY satisfied great for the price and they sound great. a great set of speakers for any mid-grade home audio/ theatre system

by Larry Jenkins, April 23, 2002

Strengths:

Excellent performance in all frequency ranges.

Weaknesses:

Haven't found any yet!

Review:

I'm totally impressed with the sound quality of these very modestly priced speakers. Although I was led to expect very good sound quality in the upper and mid-ranges, I was completely surprised by the bass quality as well. Very natural and high quality sound. Perhaps my best buy ever!

by gil wolfe, April 26, 2002

Strengths:

Excellent response in mid to high frequencies and not bad bass for relatively small drivers. Great reproduction of percussion.

Weaknesses:

Do not provide pounding, bone-rattling bass. If you are big into the lower frequencies, add a sub-woofer.

Review:

I've had the R40s hooked up to a medium sized home theater system for one month now. I could not be more satisfied. I have to pinch myself when I realize one can find a new pair of R40s for around $200. An amazing value, and very sleek in profile.

by neal, May 4, 2002

Strengths:

Great vocals and treble. Bass is good for most kinds of music.

Weaknesses:

If you listen to rap or dance these will not put out the kind of bass you want. For other music they are great.

Review:

Very nice speaker. Got a pair for $198.00 and could not be happier.

by BRAD, May 9, 2002

Strengths:

CLEAR HIGH AND MID RANGE

Weaknesses:

NONE SO FAR

Review:

I REPLACED 1 OF MY TWO TEN YEAR OLD SETS OF A/R SPEAKERS (WHICH I THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER REPLACE) WITH THE POLK R40'S.THE POLK R40'S SOUND SO GOOD THEY MADE MY SECOND SET OF AR'S SOUND LIKE BOOKSHELF SPEAKERS.NEEDLESS TO SAY I NOW HAVE TWO SETS OF R40'S RUNNING OFF OF A YAMAHA TRUE RMS RECIEVER WITH A SUBWOOFER.AN AWESOME WELL PRICED SYSTEM.

by David Bonner, May 13, 2002

Strengths:

These speakers are everything that I want and more. They have lot's of deep bass, and are able to handle a-lot of power.

Weaknesses:

I can't find any weaknesses, the only thing that would classify it as weak is if I turned up the volume enough to make it have harmonic distortion.

Review:

These speakers are perfect. I would recommend these to anyone who wants to have floor speakers, and doesn't want to pay a-lot of money for some $900 fancy looking speakers that aren't even able to handle 60 watts when they can pay only half of that for these, which can handle around 120 watts.

by ron norton, May 30, 2002

Strengths:

Price, great highs, price, great mids, price.

Weaknesses:

lows are a little weak for me when at louder volumes

Review:

I have these hooked up mainly for music with a sub to add the extra bass I was looking for, but the sound is great. Retailers have them for like $149 each. I looked long and hard, but at or near that price range, nothing came close. For audiophiles, the bass may be a little weak, but response from there to the highs is great!

by t. stone, June 10, 2002

Strengths:

Clear mid and highs

Weaknesses:

Bass is thin

Review:

I use them for both music and home theater and have been very impressed with the sound quality at this price range of speaker. Without a subwoofer the bass is definitely thin, but the mid and highs are amazing. Great choice for audio enthusiasts on a budget!

by t. jones, June 22, 2002

Strengths:

Excellent highs, and unbelievabley clean mids.

Weaknesses:

none. If you want earth shaking bass you should already know you're gonna need a sub.

Review:

I was looking for clean, tight highs and mids with good imaging. Boy did I get what I was looking for. Much cleaner mids than my older RT400's, and I thought they would be hard to top. No one but Polk could have done that! Awesome, Totally Awesome. Thanks Polk!

by Gene LaMantia, June 27, 2002

Strengths:

Spacial and tonal quality are amazing.

Weaknesses:

None.

Review:

The R40's serve as the left and right channels of my home theater. The first time I heard them, the spacial quality was so good that I didn't even have to bother turning on the surround processor. Every time I listen to them I hear something new. At the dealership after listening to both, I chose these over the R30's due to their superior clarity.

by Robert Woods, July 29, 2002

Strengths:

LIKE A LOT OF THINGS POLK AUDIO DOES IT IS TOUGH MARKET NICE CABINETS WELL MADE DRIVERS CROSSOVERS COULD USE SOME IMPROVEMENT........

Weaknesses:

WIRE IS VERY IMPORTANT INSIDE A SPEAKER I HOPE THAT SOMEDAY THE USE HIGH QUALITY 26 OR 24 GUAGE SOLID CORE IT IS MUCH BETTER AND THE USE AIR CORE INDUCTORS AND SOLEN CAPS FOR THE MONEY IT WOULD BEA A GREAT IMPROVMENT ........

Review:

I found the music to be forward not alot of layering oF instruments I also noticed they are 4 ohm not 8 I got a lot better musical quality out of these speakers by taking the wire inside and twisting it it took away alot of the edge gave them more depth. I also put a high Quality solen capacitor in to replace the one for the tweeter {Great Improvement} in space ane derail and more natural. I hope the Polk Audio learns that a better Capacitor sure improves the performance for only $10.00 more per pair ..........{MAYBE SOMEDAY}.........

by Eric, October 18, 2002

Strengths:

clean, clear midbass/midrange/treble

Weaknesses:

relative lack of lower bass (that's what the sub is for!)

Review:

Too bad these are now "vintage". Picked up a pair of demos and a demo PSW-350 cheap for my stereo. OMG! The mids and highs are great and the sub makes up for the relative lack of bass. All the music I've played so far on CD (rock, jazz, electronic, country, New Age) sounds great. Even the stereo TV gets a boost when pumped through the system. I thought the R40s were superior to the R50s because the midrange was so much clearer. I can't wait until I have the system totally tweaked! I'm glad I found a pair before they were gone!

by Raymond Tuan, February 12, 2003

Strengths:

Mid- and high-range clarity, price, size, and appearance.

Weaknesses:

For a great home theater system, a subwoofer would be needed to cover up for the lack of strong bass from the R40s.

Review:

These speakers definitely have great mid and high range clarity. The bass is a little weak though, but like what Polk recommends, a subwoofer would take care of that problem. Currently my system does not have a subwoofer, but the movies and music still sound good. Polk has definitely made a great pair of speakers for those on a budget.

by Marcelo Kunstmann, November 24, 2003

Strengths:

Clear, crisp, and accept goooood power

Weaknesses:

No weaknesses if you wire a sub along

Review:

These are definitively great for a great system (sounds great with my TA333ES) but remember to buy a subwoofer unit, PSW202 is already perfect... so you will have a great system with a perfect price. The clarity of these and the bass of the sub will make you happy in a low budget.

by Alex Hernandez, May 21, 2004

Strengths:

Small in its class, but sounds deep enough to live up to its class (i.e., floor standing speakers). Easy to fit into tight spaces.

Weaknesses:

One day this product may be discontinued, and future buyers may lose out.

Review:

I would never trade this product for any other brands. I bought a pair from Circuit City for only $149.99 about two years ago, and it is outstanding. I will admit, however, that in the beginning, I had a problem trying to get the best sound. I knew that somehow this set had to be better than what it was sounding like. With the proper system and cable connections, the sound is unbeatable for its price range. It does not need a sub if the system you have is a good one. I have a Harman & Kardon receiver with surround sound, Dolby Digital and DTS capabilities. I use a coaxial cable for music and an optic fiber cable for Dolby Digital and DTS surround sounding movies. The R40's work very well with my system, and once I got it right, I have been living in a world of great sound. If you are interested, try this combination, and you'll see what I mean: FRONT - R40's, REAR - R10's, CENTER - CS175i, and SUB - PSW250 with Harman & Kardon’s AVR120, THX Fiber Optic Cable for movies and THX Coaxial Cable for music. You’ll love it. If you already have a system or are building one, I would still recommend Polk Audio as part of your creation because it is high quality for a reasonable price. Note: that although I have the PSW250 Sub, the R40's can still stand alone, but I could not help but to include the sub, since the price was reasonable. In addition, the inclusion of the sub allows more listening options.

by ROB-J, June 1, 2004

Strengths:

Strong tight and clean, lots of clarity.

Weaknesses:

A little low on the bass, but still capable.

Review:

I bought these speakers for $100.00 a pair. The quality and sound is great. I'll team these up with my R-50. To all who asked, try the Polk Audio line of speakers.

by JT, July 6, 2004

Strengths:

Doesn't take up much room, excellent quality, great price

Weaknesses:

not good with the bass

Review:

When I good these speakers I couldn't wait to set them up. But in the end it was well worth it. :) GREAT JOB POLK AUDIO

by Matt, October 6, 2005

Strengths:

Wonderful sound. Clear, crisp highs.

Weaknesses:

Hook a sub up and they are perfect.

Review:

I bought these speakers used from my brother and I am glad I did! They don't have much bass themselves but I have them hooked up to a subwoofer and the sound is crystal clear. I mainly use these speakers for my surround sound, which they are perfect for. They sound equally wonderful playing my music. Great speakers.

by Jon, April 17, 2006

Strengths:

Relable, affordable, great sound.

Weaknesses:

Lows sound good, but if you want the best sound then add a subwoofer.

Review:

AMAZING! I've had a pair of these for years. I use them all the time and they sound great. I'm not afraid to run them to their max! I've used them primarily for music at first, but then i got a harman/kardon receiver (high end) so I put them as the front speakers, and my movies never sounded more real! These are a very reliable, great sounding, affordable pair of speakers and I reccomend them to anyone. Polk Audio is my favorite brand of speaker. They do whatever it takes to make their speakers sound the best. Once again a great speaker!

by thanh nguyen, December 3, 2007

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Review:

I bougt R40 over 5 years. I would like to buy 2 tweeters of R40 to replay these are quiet now. Please tell me how can I buy them. Thank so much. I will pay by visa card.