Cannot speak as to the Polk. However I do have the RP 280s, and I like them. For one, they are very efficient, therefore a true 50 wpc amp is purhaps plenty power for these speakers (don't need an expensive high wattage amp). Even with that said, they dig deep in the base section, to the point where you would not need a subwoofer for music. This is coming from a person that was and perhaps still is a base head, raised on old school Jamaican Dub. In fact, when I bought the 280s, I also bought a subwoofer. However, I came close to sending the subwoofer back, because the 280s dug low enough and had distortion free base levels that made me feel I had wasted my money on a subwoofer. I then realized however, that crossing the 280s over at a higher point, or rather not running the 280s full range, such as crossing them at say 60hz, made the speakers sound even better, which is what I settled on.
I must say however, that I did like the base that came from the 280s when i crossed them lower at 40hz, as compared to what I now get from my subwoofer. This is because the base from the 280s is much tighter in comparison to that coming from my subwoofer. For example, It felt like I was getting kicked in the chess, when the Gorillas started playing the kick drum on the B-Sides Album; an effect I had never felt before though I had listened to the album on various speakers before. I only observed this effect with the speakers crossed over at the lower 40hz point.
Some may disagree, but I would say the speakers sound accurate, doing a good job at reproducing voices.
This brings me to my other point. The new klipsch RP line get a bad rap for being horn loaded; this I think is based on the performance of their predecessor models. I can say that I was extremely hesitant to get these speakers. My brother is a DJ, and has horn loaded loud speakers, and I absolutely hated the way they sounded. The terms thrill and high pitched come to mind. However, I took a leap of faith on these, and if it were not for my prior research, I would not have known after listening that they were horn loaded. I think the folks at klipsch listened to their customers and toned the highs town quite a bit. Nonetheless, absent EQ, the highs tend to be slightly elevated.
As to the soundstage produced by these speakers, it can be incredible, obviously varying with the type and quality of the recording. I recall playing back a Nina Simone compilation in stereo mode and having to check the center channel to see it was on, as it felt as though someone was standing there singing at me, as if on stage.
Other recordings surprised me, not because I felt the speaker underperformed, but because I felt the speaker exposed them for what they really were. For example, I listened for years to Dr. Dre 2001, relishing the base through headphones, but on the 280s, the base was on the muddy, one dimensional side. On the other hand, the Gorillas, which I have listened to for years, not necessarily for base, mostly through headphones however, surprised me with the accuracy, thump and richness of their kick drum that came though the speakers.
On the downside, these things are large. Even though I measured before purchasing, I was still taken aback my their in person girth. The finishing is furniture grade however, and looks quite nice and composed. In that regard, these are probably the largest floor standers you can get pass the wife!
