RM6700

by Steve Burn, November 14, 2002

Strengths:

Too many strengths to mention (though I tried !) Great for the price, and any room where you don't want to be overwhelmed with big speakers and stands all over the place.

Weaknesses:

None with the speakers, but you'll have to know where to get proper stands ! I didn't think my landlord would like me puting brackets or shelves all over the place (nor did I want to look at dangling wires) so I decided to get adjustable height single pole stands for the fronts and surrounds (the centre sits on top of the big screen). I had to go to dozens of places and look at countless models before I found something that worked well, and looked good. I must say I'm very happy with what I found, which are "Quest EM100's". The speakers are securely screwed into the top, the wires are inside the pole, and they look great.

Review:

I just picked up the RM6700 Speaker package, with the recommended new PSW303 Sub Woofer, and I can only say: WOW !!! I've traditionally been a high quality bookshelf speaker fan, but living in a Condo I didn't want to surround myself with huge amounts of big hardware for my first surround system. My parents recently installed a very high end sub/sat system (a different brand) and I was very impressed with the highs, midrange, and especially the BASS ! I wanted to achieve the same thing with Polk (since Polks have always been a favourite of mine, and are much less expensive !). I think I achieved it ! The 303 Subwoofer is AMAZING, definiately a step up from the 202 (which is also very good). The Satellites are incredibe. I've never heard such sound from such a small package. The best part is that I don't have to turn the whole system up to mega-volume to get great bass, as I did with bookshelfs, which then leads to way too much "tweater screech". With the 6700/303 system you get great full range sound at all volume levels. Two channel stuff sounds great, and 5.1 Dolby Digital type stuff sounds INCREDIBLE !!! DTS ES 6.1 sounds even better (ie: The Gladiator) but that's another story. My amp is a Sony STR-DE 1075 (100W x 6), and seems perfectly matched to the system. I use high end Monster Cables throughout. The Polk 6700's set up an amazing soundfield. You can't tell where the sounds come from, as you can with larger speaker systems. I'm a definate convert to small Satellite / Sub-Woofer systems for home theatre, and the Polk 6700/303 system sounds phenominal in two channel mode as well ! Keep up the great work Polk Audio !!!

by Tai, December 9, 2002

Strengths:

This is the only small speaker system I tested that produced clear highs, mids, and low frequency response. Tested best on music (all kinds - classical to hip hop) out of all the systems I checked. DVD, video games (XBox, PS2) all sound fantastic.

Weaknesses:

None. The only issue I have is how tough it was to find reviews (of course, it is pretty new....)

Review:

I hope this helps someone looking for a speaker system make a final decision. I looked for four months at mid to top of the line mass produced systems. The systems I tested were the Bose Acoustimass 16, Onkyo LSV950, a number of Infinity, JBL, KLH, and Sony systems. All of the systems were in the 1000 - 3000 dollar price range. I hadn't considered Polk until a customer at the Bose demonstration told me about the RM6700 series. I went to Circuit City, tested the system & was completely blown away. The clarity, separation, lack of distortion, and looks are all way above what I expected for a system at that price (or a much higher price). It's considerably better than the systems I listed. PLEASE, check this system out before you waste your money on a higher price system. Bose is good, but the mids werent there. Sony, JBL, and Onkyo were also above average, but I gotta say, this system beats them outright.

by Frank Andrews, December 16, 2002

Strengths:

Heard sounds thru the speakers I didn't hear with my Bose system and the sub-woofer will shake your house.

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

Just purchased the 6700 system and totally amazed at the sound quality. Previously owned Bose Lifestyle 12 system and this 6700 system just blows the Bose system away. I thought connecting the sub-woofer's speaker wires to the A/V receuiver than back out to the speakers and then leave the sub-woofer out connection to off was odd, but it works. Highly recommend the system.

by Pistol Pete, December 20, 2002

Strengths:

Real Deal. Excellent small sats.

Weaknesses:

Owners manuel needs more detail.

Review:

After a tremendous amount of research I decided to go with the RM 6700. I combined this with the PSW350. I LOVE IT. It replaced my Bose Acoustimass-10 system. The Polks cost about half as much and deliver 2x the performance. I am hearing sounds from my system I never have before. For a small sat. sysem. This is the real deal

by Dale, December 27, 2002

Strengths:

Compact, great sound. Surround is true with this system.

Weaknesses:

I run an RCA cable to my 303 Sub from the SUB OUT on the receiver. The directions state that there is a better way, but I don't think I am missing any better sound......AM I? WOuld I be better off with the recommended setup?

Review:

When first entering the home theater arena, I decided that an "all in one" system would be fine and purchased a Yamaha system. All was fine, until I went shopping at a Circuit City store to purchase some on sale DVD's, when I heard some amazing effects coming from the home theater section. Playing was the new Star Wars II movie, with the Polk 6700 speaker system. I never relalized that small speakers could make such an impact. After negotiating a deal with the sales rep., I purchased the system that day and installed to my Yamaha receiver. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! I have since added the 303 Sub and watched the Spiderman movie. I heard sounds that were just dynamite. I also viewed Steely Dan's music DVD and the sounds were so crisp, I thought they were playing live in my family room!! Great bass, drums, horns, guitar and Donald Fagan has never sounded better!! This was a great Christmas present for me and my family who love music and movies!! Thanks POLK.

by David Cooper, January 27, 2003

Strengths:

Small size big sound! Great mounting options!

Weaknesses:

Owner's Manual! One is 8 the other 12 pages, lots of pictures. Not a lot of proof reading here guy's.

Review:

I am a research nut. I like to get the best for my money. To date I have yet to find a bad review on the Polk RM6700. I can’t say as much for the competition. I bought my first pair of Polk speakers in 1983. Now the wife wanted smaller and I wanted the best. Ordered on the internet mid December they never came. The company told me week after week they where on backorder. Had to buy from another source it was worth the wait. Extremely clean sound and excellent base response. A breeze to setup did it over my lunch break after the UPS delivery. A word of caution! The Owner’s Manual for the PSW303/PSW404 powered subwoofers is incorrect. On page 6 the Figure 5 illustration shows the Receiver Front Channel connecting to the SPEAKER LEVEL OUTPUT. The Owner’s Manual for the RM6700 system is correct. On page 5 the Figure G illustration shows the Receiver Front Channel connecting to the SPEAKER LEVEL INPUT. I found it works either way but would it damage the sub? Only Polk and time would know.

by Andrew K., February 8, 2003

Strengths:

Compact, cool look. Life-like reproduction of live jazz, house, hip-hop and acoustic guitar music.

Weaknesses:

Heavy metal fans might get floor standing speakers.

Review:

Awesome set of speakers. Mated with Polk PSW202 sub, RM6700 fill the room with crisp, dynamic, rich sound. Sound much better at home (satellites mounted on the ceiling) than in Audio store showroom. Only wish I could test RM6200 against them to make sure RM6700 are the clear winner.

by Joe Valenti, March 11, 2003

Strengths:

Design & speaker mounting capabilities give me choice of direct wall ( which I prefer ) or stand off . most do not offer the direct mount . Keep that feature !

Weaknesses:

None except that I didn't know you could purchase in white _ the titanium will do& be o.k.

Review:

Looked into various small packaged speakers _ have an older set of Cambridge _ ther're good but new modles no longer have quality nor does anyone carry them locally . Decided to test out polk - always had a good reputation . bose too expensive & do not like the're passive woofer . tested the rm6200 ( nice 7 price good valve) ; however after hearing the 6700set along with pws303b sub woofer I had to spend the extra dollars > It's a Great Sound & cost was near 1/3 of Bose. I have the Sub woofer & wait'g delivery on the rm6700's - to hear them in my own environment. Should be better yet ! Keep up your quality sound designs .

by Kevin, April 20, 2003

Strengths:

clean sound and great sub (404)

Weaknesses:

a little pricey, but probably worth it.

Review:

I finally had the chance to really configure my room properly, complete with new leather chair. I am using an HK 225 receiver and the system sounds fantastic!! The speakers are very good and the sub (404) creates fantastic, gut pounding sound. The HK receiver made a big difference vs. Onkyo with these speakers. With certain movies, suspense, be ready to have your heart stopped by the great sound. Enjoy.

by Brian, April 22, 2003

Strengths:

Very clean sounding. Better mids than previous models.

Weaknesses:

None!

Review:

I just upgraded my 6200's for the 6700's. WOW! Do these sound great. There is more mid-range in the 6700's than the 6200's. I kept the 350 sub and have the front speakers through the sub and turned the sub off on the reveiver. It made a difference in the sound. Great job Polk Audio!

by John, May 27, 2003

Strengths:

Sound is clear and crisp throughout all ranges. The sub-woofer works well given my space limitations. A great choice in its price range.

Weaknesses:

None,

Review:

I upgraded my old 2 cahnnel system to Home Theater 6.1 using Polk RM6700. Performance justified the cost. The size of the speakers enabled me to get good spaeker placement despite a small room.

by Ileana Holder, June 26, 2003

Strengths:

Big sound, little speakers

Weaknesses:

Expensive

Review:

Excellent surround sound system. I orginally purchased the RM6005. But I was not happy with sound. It was suggested that I upgrade to the RM6700. This system has a cleaner sound. I kept the 202 woofer, which was matched with the RM6005. I also purchased an additional satelite speaker from Polk Audio. My system is compose of 7 speakers. 5 satelites, 1 center and 1 woofer. I am using a Panasonic HE100 receiver. Unfornately the 6:1 is not supported is the movie sound mode. Must have DVD's process for 6:1. Only in the music mode.

by AS7, July 6, 2003

Strengths:

Kudos to Polk for offering two mounting options out of the box; serious gauge wiring options

Weaknesses:

None really; lower price is always nice.

Review:

First of all, thanks to all previous reviewers who have contributed valuable, decision-making information. I live in a somewhat remote location with only one electronics store that happens to carry some Polk products. I've been putting together a "bedroom theater" for a more casual, late night viewing experience. I'm primarily an audiophile therefore outstanding stereo music (classical) sound was not only a requirement but a good speaker test. I've found that speakers which do well at that are going to be satisfactory with surround (although the center channel must be evaluated independently since it's not active in 2 channel stereo). The only satellite speaker options available to me were Harman Kardon HK5's, Klipsch Quintet, Omage something and Polk's RM6700. The latter turned out far superior in overall sound warmth, completeness and imaging. It was amazing how much more midrange came out of the Polk's than the others. Regarding the subwoofer, I first started with the Polk 404, but couldn't live, or rather sleep, with the transformer hum in standby mode. I had heard the 303 at the store and was just a little underwhelmed with the sound of orchestral contrabass (I was looking for something more than just boom-boom) Unexpectantly, I ended up buying the store's demo Infinity 10" Entrasub which was being liquidated at a great price. This sub had the crispness detail I liked in the 404 without the noticeable hum at night. The 404 is more powerful and better suited for larger rooms. The last key piece at the heart of this arrangement was the receiver. Again my options were limited and I started out with the slimline Panasonic xr25. The thin format of the latter was its immediate appeal for the bedroom. However, the longer I listened the more it became evident that something was missing in the dynamic range and sound detail. All speakers sounded muffled and a little boxy. Tweaking the treble helped by I always believed that a fine receiver should not need that. Based on a few valuable reviews, I picked the Harman Kardon 225. I'm absolutely delighted. The high current, albeit large size, makes a huge difference. I think it's a great match with the RM6700. All in all, I'm enjoying surperlative music sound in 2ch stereo (for the purist) out of these small speakers and the 5.1 surround movie experience is thoroughly satisfying. The Harman Kardon's night time dynamic range compression on Dolby Digital sources works great too on these speakers.

by keith, September 24, 2003

Strengths:

none

Weaknesses:

none

Review:

dont change a thing

by ziggy, October 31, 2003

Strengths:

Wiring options, great matching from the sub and sats - excellent blending of sound. Compact speakers with a nice finish (personally don't like the high gloss look, and the wood grain on the sub is great too)

Weaknesses:

My knees during Jurassic Park DVD.

Review:

I've had this setup for just a few days now, and I am impressed with the out of box performance. Upgraded to the PSW404 due to room size and I am not disappointed. Music and movies punch and rumble through the house and I think it got rid of some kidney stones. I still have some system tweaking to get optimal sound, but first pass hookup is incredible enough. Kudos to Polk.

by Kenneth McClain, November 18, 2003

Strengths:

If you faze the 8" sub correctly ,You'll be amazed at the solid punch you'll feel & hear from this amazing system!!!!

Weaknesses:

?

Review:

This system rocks the house for the price,It has no flaws that i could find I'll brag about it for years to come!.

by jamie steiger, December 23, 2003

Strengths:

Great speakers! Very well matched system!

Weaknesses:

NONE

Review:

In the past year i have had 3 home theater systems. The first one i bought was a Bose Lifestyle 28 system. The sound was great but the only problem was the DVD player would lock up during a movie. I called tech support and they told me to unplug the system to reset it and that should fix the problem, well i didn't. They ended up sending me a new media station to see if that was the problem but i ended up having to return it. The next was a sony dream system....not bad but better suited for a bedroom or something like that. After a few months shopping I decided to pick up the Polk RM 6700 system with the 303 sub. WOW! The speakers are much more crisp sounding than the Bose and the sub cannot be touched by Bose! Great speakers!

by Daman, February 25, 2004

Strengths:

Very good midrange and crystal clear sound reproduction

Weaknesses:

I wish i could have had them in black color,heard that is not available anymore.

Review:

I bought Polk RM6005 earlier but when i heard these speakers at Circuit City i was just blown away and immediately upgraded those 6700 series,my reciever is Yamaha HTR5640 which is 6.1 capable and im thinking of adding an extra rear channel too.I also upgraded my sub to PSW303 which is much compact and has a tighter bass response than the free PSW202 which came along with it.The sound quality of these speakers is amazing, i tested them against Bose,Infinity and the Polk was the clear winner and sounded more rich in the mid range as well as overall than both. Cheers to Polk engineers for making such a great system.

by Kevin W., March 28, 2004

Strengths:

Great sub sound and crystal clear sat's response from cd's, dvd's and digital cable signal with the RM6700 system - WOW

Weaknesses:

NONE !!

Review:

After weeks of researching surround speakers on the internet, Polk was one of 3 brands I selected to complete my surround theatre speaker system - the others were Bose and Yamaha. Largly due to your greatly detailed web-information and customer reviews within, I really looked forward to hearing Polk speakers first "ear" :) At one store I heard the PSW303 sub hooked up with the RM6005 sat's but I didn't really like these sat's as they didn't sound too crisp, however I fell in love with the sub. At a competitor store they had the PSW202 sub and the RM6705 sats hooked up and the RM6705's were just amazing. So I had to just imaginge the 303 sub and the 6705 together (ie: the RM6700 set) then shopped each store for the best $$ and purchased this set last summer with NO REGRETS whatsoever. "Bottom line" .... this speaker combo definitely exceeds my expectation of quality and $$ I invested. The sound is rich and deep, very crisp and clear when playing a CD or DVD. When playing DVD action movies I crank the sound up which shakes my living room and I love it. The sub's sharp and penetrating base is not garbled like other brand sub's sound get. Awesome sound with any action movie ! Polk, you have got a totally satisfied customer here and I always reccommend to my friends that your speaker quality is worth looking into. In my opinion, your quality exceeds both Bose and Yamaha after 1st hand "sound" comparisn shopping. Thanks

by Mahugh, April 23, 2004

Strengths:

Voice matching ... I'd hard to tell sometimes where the sound is coming from.

Weaknesses:

Would be nice to have more bass come out of the little speakers, an excellent subwoofer is a must.

Review:

I paired these speakers with my Yamaha subwoofer and originally did not hook the main speakers in series with the sub. This was a mistake. These speakers need a good sub. I rewired the system and now have the speaker wire for the mains coming from the amp to the sub and then on to the lt/rt mains. I also have a line coming out of the amp to the sub via the RCA jack so I can really feel the .1 in a 5.1 system. I also originally ran into a problem with the sub being out of phase with the mains thus creating a dull sound. After rewiring and switching the phase, I am becoming more and more impressed with these little speakers. They especially sound great for movies. I also use them for SACD and DVD Audio. Don't be fooled into thinking these little speakers will sound as good as a set of Polk towers, but for the size they do a really good job. I am most impressed when I listen to SACD or DVD Audio in full multichannel (5.1) format. The voice matching between all the speakers is awesome and you can get lost in the music.

by jamessneed@earthlink.net, June 2, 2004

Strengths:

Detailed Highs. Good Midrange. Price.

Weaknesses:

None to mention.

Review:

I love the sound these speakers produce for the price. The voice matching makes such a huge differnce over my old Kenwood speakers. I can never tell the sound is comming from one particular speaker, sound just fills the room. I bought these from www.crutchfield.com because they allowed me to buy 2 silver sats, 1 silver center and two white sats for surounds. It ends up costing $50 bucks more to mix and match the set but you can have the colors that match your room best. The silver speakers match my Sony TV just perfect and the white sats just hide away mounted to my walls.

by marc, June 14, 2004

Strengths:

sound, price, looks, ratings, reviews

Weaknesses:

manual for subwoofer seems to contradict manual for speakers as far as hook-up

Review:

$750.00 for a 5.1 rm6700 system with a subwoofer upgrade at HH Gregg (after some negotiation) is a deal i could not pass on. always heard bose was the best. not so. researched and listened- polk won with better sound and less costly- high ratings in consumer reports also!!!

by Mike R, August 3, 2004

Strengths:

I like the highs and the lows. Also the center speaker is awesome.

Weaknesses:

Nothing weak about this system.

Review:

I built anew home last year with a surround room . Also added sound board and sound insulation batts in the room. The room is 14'X14' ft. with this speaker system. I purchase a RCM 15" 250 watts subwoofer. Talked about agreat sound with model 130 harmon kardon receiver pushing those speakers. I came close buying bose system like everybody else! I'm still playing with the setup on the speakers and the receiver. For the money and sound you can't match anything else in its class. PS. Its better than the movies.

by Val, October 19, 2004

Strengths:

Solid mid range, not tinny. Sound excellent with movies and music.

Weaknesses:

None that I know of.

Review:

I almost bought some Infinity speakers before getting these Polks. This is my first full blown home theatre setup. Both the lower end (price) and upper end Infinity's sounded too tinny, especially the center. The Polk center channel sounds incredible. And the satellites are very impressive with full range. I didn't get a Polk sub though, I got a Velodyne VRP-1000 and it totally rocks, but not just thumping bass, full deep sound and crosses over beautifully. Together with the Polks, it's an excellent combo. I just purchased a Kenwood VRS-N8100 receiver, which has the new Texas Instruments chip, also an ethernet jack for streaming media from my network. This package is a real power house and I'm so happy with the Polks. Prices paid: Polk RM6700 (no sub) $450 Circuit City Velodyne VRP-1000 $240 Circuit City (online) Kenwood VRS-N8100 $649 (Goodguys.com)

by Robert Garside, December 2, 2006

Strengths:

Expected superb Polk sound from such a small center speaker mated with the large Ri10 speakers.

Weaknesses:

Under rated and under promoted in stores. Need to advertise Polk audio systems and share the beauty of the sound of Polk.

Review:

Mine is a mixed review of pairing the Polk Ri10 towers with the Rm2650 center speaker and the SW505 sub. Having limited space for the center speaker I opted for the smaller center speaker that has proven to be the best pairing I could have done. This little center speaker does very good at performance along side the bigger towers. The sound quality from this little guy would surprise even the most discriminating audiophile. My Yamaha receiver allows me to adjust the volume level of the center speaker and once volume adjusted I have the best Polk system. Bose, you have some catching up to do and it shouldn't even be compared to the Bose system. Bose should be trying to compare to Polk. With the better pricing, Polk beats them hands down.

by Ileana, April 9, 2010

Strengths:

Easy to upgrade.

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

I purchase this set in 2003 for 5.1 Panasonic 100 watts system. And upgrade to a 6.1 in 2004. Now I purchase a new 7.1 Onkyo 100 watts system. I added an addition satelite speaker. Excellent sound. Never regret purchasing these speakers. They are one up on Bose.

Steve Guttenberg
CNet.com, September 2002

"Times change, audio fashions come and go, but Polk Audio just keeps on producing great speakers."

"The RM6700's sonic signature is immediate, very clean, and low in distortion; that's why these little guys sound like much larger speakers...the RM6700's midrange was flawless--detailed and harmonically correct--and the treble was smooth, airy, and fully extended. We're downright persnickety about the way sats and subs work together, but the RM6700's blend with the PSW350 was absolutely perfect, causing the whole system to sing with one voice."

"We recommend this kit without reservation to those with small and medium-sized rooms."

[ Open Review ]

Lawrence B. Johnson
Detroit News, October 23, 2002

"Sonically, this system is everything it should be by design and intent. The sound is smooth, vibrant, dynamic and unblemished by peaky effects that might look like a musical falsehood on a polygraph test. In other words, whatever the entertainment question, Polk's little bunch gives you all the right answers."

[ Open Review ]