Polk Reserve R700 Floorstanding Speaker Review

[Chesapeake HT]

Greetings all. I just joined the forum, but have been reading a lot of great information on the main audioholics site for a few months, including this review. I currently have a Denon x4700h for my setup an am looking at these speakers for the Fl and Fr. Would there be an issue with the 125 watts from the AVR to power these speakers? Or should I be also considering adding a power amp? Thanks for any thoughts on this speaker/AVR combination!

 

[Replicant 7]

Greetings all. I just joined the forum, but have been reading a lot of great information on the main audioholics site for a few months, including this review. I currently have a Denon x4700h for my setup an am looking at these speakers for the Fl and Fr. Would there be an issue with the 125 watts from the AVR to power these speakers? Or should I be also considering adding a power amp? Thanks for any thoughts on this speaker/AVR combination!

That AVR, shouldn't have any issue driving those R700's. Now say, if you have a 5.2.4 setup than, yeah say a 3 channel amp added would take the load off your AVR. Let your AVR drive your surrounds.

 

[Chesapeake HT]

That AVR, shouldn't have any issue driving those R700's. Now say, if you have a 5.2.4 setup than, yeah say a 3 channel amp added would take the load off your AVR. Let your AVR drive your surrounds.

Thanks for the reply Replicant! I actually do have a 5.1.2 setup with my current fronts bi-amped with one of the assignable height channels. I’m planning to do the same with the R700s (bi-amp that is). I know it doesn’t make a tremendous change, but it would be a channel I wouldn’t be using anyway. Hopefully that will work well.

 

[Replicant 7]

Thanks for the reply Replicant! I actually do have a 5.1.2 setup with my current fronts bi-amped with one of the assignable height channels. I’m planning to do the same with the R700s (bi-amp that is). I know it doesn’t make a tremendous change, but it would be a channel I wouldn’t be using anyway. Hopefully that will work well.

Shady J, did a review with bench test results of those Polk R700's. Actually that's the first time speaking for myself, to see those results of any Polk speaker that measured out well as good as they did. I'm thinking of snatching up a pair myself.

 

[Chesapeake HT]

Shady J, did a review with bench test results of those Polk R700's. Actually that's the first time speaking for myself, to see those results of any Polk speaker that measured out well as good as they did. I'm thinking of snatching up a pair myself.

Yeah, that review is a big reason I’m looking at the R700s. I have Polk ES60s which were leaps and bounds better than what I had. The R700s went on sale last Monday and I am still in the return window for the ES60s. Thinking the R700s will be a better fit overall for me.

 

[Replicant 7]

Yeah, that review is a big reason I’m looking at the R700s. I have Polk ES60s which were leaps and bounds better than what I had. The R700s went on sale last Monday and I am still in the return window for the ES60s. Thinking the R700s will be a better fit overall for me.

Funny you mentioned Polk's ES60's. I picked up the whole Polk Signature Series line, the S60's S35 center and 4 S15's, last October. But, the Reserve line is a whole different kind of animal. Umm they seem to be more in line with say Monitor's Silver 500's. But at about 1k less.

 

[Eppie]

Thanks for the reply Replicant! I actually do have a 5.1.2 setup with my current fronts bi-amped with one of the assignable height channels. I’m planning to do the same with the R700s (bi-amp that is). I know it doesn’t make a tremendous change, but it would be a channel I wouldn’t be using anyway. Hopefully that will work well.

Likely no difference at all bi-amping an ES60. The tweeter draws so little power that using a separate amp has no real benefit for the woofers / mid-woofers. All of the amps run off of the same power supply rails any way so leaving the front height amps idle leaves more current available for the other amps. I have nothing connected to the front heights on my Denon. Two front height speakers might be a nice addition though.

If you get the R700s let us know how you think they compare to the ES60.

 

[lc6]

Currently on sale for $899 each. Any word on whether Polk is planning to introduce a new improved model soon?

 

[shadyJ]

Currently on sale for $899 each. Any word on whether Polk is planning to introduce a new improved model soon?

The Reserve series is pretty new. They aren't likely to replace this model for many years.

 

[lc6]

I need some advice. My current setup includes a pair of matched Snell C/Vs for the front, a Snell CR.5 for the center and a pair of Snell SR.5s for surround. The problem is that, even though made by the same company, the CR.5 and SR.5s do not tonally match the C/Vs -- they produced much less bass and too much treble. Plus, the company ceased manufacturing operations in 2010, so there is no possibility of switching to a different product line, including Dolby Atmos surrounds.
One option is to switch the entire setup to Polk Reserve. This informative review indicates that the R700s might sound similar to the C/Vs, perhaps with a bit less bass, but with improved treble.
The other option is to retain the C/Vs (which I like a lot) and replace the SR.5 and CR.5s with speakers from a different manufacturer. I was told B&W could be a good match for the C/Vs, so am currently considering a HTM72 S2 center channel.
Any opinions and recommendations on which way to go?

 

[shadyJ]

I need some advice. My current setup includes a pair of matched Snell C/Vs for the front, a Snell CR.5 for the center and a pair of Snell SR.5s for surround. The problem is that, even though made by the same company, the CR.5 and SR.5s do not tonally match the C/Vs -- they produced much less bass and too much treble. Plus, the company ceased manufacturing operations in 2010, so there is no possibility of switching to a different product line, including Dolby Atmos surrounds.
One option is to switch the entire setup to Polk Reserve. This informative review indicates that the R700s might sound similar to the C/Vs, perhaps with a bit less bass, but with improved treble.
The other option is to retain the C/Vs (which I like a lot) and replace the SR.5 and CR.5s with speakers from a different manufacturer. I was told B&W could be a good match for the C/Vs, so am currently considering a HTM72 S2 center channel.
Any opinions and recommendations on which way to go?

Looking at the measurements for the C/V, they do have some similar characteristics to the Reserves. They look to be pretty good speakers. If I were you, I would perhaps upgrade the center speaker. Maybe look at a Polk Legend L400 which makes for a good companion to the R700s and possibly your Snell C/V speakers. Your present center speaker wouldn't be a great match.

B&W speakers would not be a good match for the Snell speakers.

 

[lc6]

Does anyone have experience with the R900 Height Modules for Dolby Atmos / DTS:X? Are they worth the money (currently $549 a pair)?

 

[Adam2434]

James Larson,

Since you have measured and reviewed both, do you think the Monolith THX-365C center would be a decent tonal match to the Polk R700 as left and right channels?

Measurements for both look pretty flat and neutral, so I'm thinking the tonal match should be good enough to not be distracting. Erin's Audio Corner also recently posted Klippel analysis on the THX-365C, confirming the very good measurements for this center.

I just received a pair of R700 and have been using the Monolith THX-365C for about 2 years now. The R700's will replace a pair of 30 year old Polk LS90 floorstanders in our multichannel system.

BTW, been testing the R700 with 2 channel music in another part of the house and I think they sound really, really good. Also, they have excellent packaging and arrived in flawless condition, other than 1 loose screw on one of the bottom plates. They seem to be constructed very well (heavy for their size), and it seems like Polk went for no-nonsense performance on these speakers, putting the budget and design effort into performance, rather than exotic materials and a fancy cabinet finish.

As a side comment, I really wanted to use a pair of Monolith THX-460T floorstanders for left and right, but I bought a pair in April '21 (and even exchanged 1 of them), and all 3 had multiple scratches that looked to be from mishandling at the factory. I could never get an answer from Monoprice on whether the factory handling issue had been resolved, because I really wanted to try a pair again. I gave up and moved on, ordering the Polk R700 when they were on sale last week.

 

[shadyJ]

James Larson,

Since you have measured and reviewed both, do you think the Monolith THX-365C center would be a decent tonal match to the Polk R700 as left and right channels?

Measurements for both look pretty flat and neutral, so I'm thinking the tonal match should be good enough to not be distracting. Erin's Audio Corner also recently posted Klippel analysis on the THX-365C, confirming the very good measurements for this center.

I just received a pair of R700 and have been using the Monolith THX-365C for about 2 years now. The R700's will replace a pair of 30 year old Polk LS90 floorstanders in our multichannel system.

BTW, been testing the R700 with 2 channel music in another part of the house and I think they sound really, really good. Also, they have excellent packaging and arrived in flawless condition, other than 1 loose screw on one of the bottom plates. They seem to be constructed very well (heavy for their size), and it seems like Polk went for no-nonsense performance on these speakers, putting the budget and design effort into performance, rather than exotic materials and a fancy cabinet finish.

As a side comment, I really wanted to use a pair of Monolith THX-460T floorstanders for left and right, but I bought a pair in April '21 (and even exchanged 1 of them), and all 3 had multiple scratches that looked to be from mishandling at the factory. I could never get an answer from Monoprice on whether the factory handling issue had been resolved, because I really wanted to try a pair again. I gave up and moved on, ordering the Polk R700 when they were on sale last week.

I don't know how close of a match the Monolith center would be since it has been so long since I have heard them. The measurements suggest that they should play nice together, but since you have them both, you should try them out to see if it works. Congrats on the R700s, they are terrific speakers.

 

[Adam2434]

I don't know how close of a match the Monolith center would be since it has been so long since I have heard them. The measurements suggest that they should play nice together, but since you have them both, you should try them out to see if it works. Congrats on the R700s, they are terrific speakers.

Thanks, fair enough. I will be trying them out together soon, after I get a good read on the R700's sound in 2 channel. I have a feeling that the Monolith THX center will be "just fine" with the R700's. Hell, I'm using 30 year old Polk floorstanders with that center now, and I don't feel like anything is amiss.

 

[ulises]

Hello,

Thank you for your review of the Polk audio R700. Reading your article, I can't help thinking about your tannoy xt8f revolution test. I believe you were conquered by the Tannoys. you have a fairly positive opinion of the Polk R700 but I did not find it
this enthusiasm during your test of the Polk audio R700

Do you think switching from Tannoy to the Polk R700s would make sense?

 

[shadyJ]

Hello,

Thank you for your review of the Polk audio R700. Reading your article, I can't help thinking about your tannoy xt8f revolution test. I believe you were conquered by the Tannoys. you have a fairly positive opinion of the Polk R700 but I did not find it
this enthusiasm during your test of the Polk audio R700

Do you think switching from Tannoy to the Polk R700s would make sense?

Sounds like you made a mistake. Audioholics has never reviewed the Tannoy XT8f. I am not sure that Audioholics has ever reviewed any speakers by Tannoy, unfortunately.

 

[1931jared]

Boy, I hope this is the right place to ask this question. I purchased in an online auction some vintage Gold Tannoys, 12" Dual concentrics. My problem is getting them shipped back to me. I live in Los Angles and the Tannoys are in Texas. They are in Lancasters cabinets. I enjoy hi-fi, listen to about 6 hours of vinyl per day, but I also resell. These Tannoys will be for resale. I have been quoted (the lowest) $620 to have them shipped to me. Pretty steep and cuts severely into my PM. QUESTION: Is spending the $620 for both intact cabinets & speakers worth it, or do I have a relative who lives there, take the speakers and the crossovers out and ship them to me for $120? In other words, how valuable are the cabinets themselves. Is it worth paying $500 more to have them shipped. Again, I am re-selling. It's not a matter of trying to duplicate the sonic environment of the Lancasters (which would be difficult)...I'm just asking a pragmatic question. Am I depreciating the set of Gold Duals by not including the Lancasters, and if so how much?Thanks in advance for everyone's time.

 

[lovinthehd]

Boy, I hope this is the right place to ask this question. I purchased in an online auction some vintage Gold Tannoys, 12" Dual concentrics. My problem is getting them shipped back to me. I live in Los Angles and the Tannoys are in Texas. They are in Lancasters cabinets. I enjoy hi-fi, listen to about 6 hours of vinyl per day, but I also resell. These Tannoys will be for resale. I have been quoted (the lowest) $620 to have them shipped to me. Pretty steep and cuts severely into my PM. QUESTION: Is spending the $620 for both intact cabinets & speakers worth it, or do I have a relative who lives there, take the speakers and the crossovers out and ship them to me for $120? In other words, how valuable are the cabinets themselves. Is it worth paying $500 more to have them shipped. Again, I am re-selling. It's not a matter of trying to duplicate the sonic environment of the Lancasters (which would be difficult)...I'm just asking a pragmatic question. Am I depreciating the set of Gold Duals by not including the Lancasters, and if so how much?Thanks in advance for everyone's time.

Why would you think a specific speaker review thread would be the best place for an unrelated question? Start a thread....

 

[1931jared]

Why would you think a specific speaker review thread would be the best place for an unrelated question? Start a thread....

My apologies. I am new and could not see where/how to start a thread. Let me look again.