I just wanted a cheap pair of speakers for bench testing vintage hi-fi amps and receivers, but not absolute junk. These seemed to fit the bill at $70 pair, shipped, as it would cost as much or more to repair the blown woofer on my prior test speakers.
Well, these little speakers are the real deal. They have five-way speaker binding posts so you can plug in banana jacks or go old school with stripped wire. The grilles are removable, which is usually not seen at this price point. While I'm not usually a fan of black vinyl cabinets, these are executed tastefully and I have no problems with the looks at all. They have mounting holes on the backs so you can easily hang them on a wall.
Let's cut to the chase! These sound fantastic! These are speakers you can listen to all day long, unlike some of the fancy stuff out there that has a long list of specs but doesn't quite make it in real life. You don't need a lot of power to play them, although I found that the better the amplification, the better they sounded.
1. Bass is very, very good for not only a small speaker but a speaker in this price category. It took several hours before they really started singing--most brand-new speakers need a break-in period--but I cannot get over the bass response. Now, if you play them side by side with a subwoofer-equipped system, they're not going to be able to compete; however, I cannot stop listening to them and I have a system with a subwoofer.
2. Overall sound is superb. I can hear plenty of details in my favorite music that I thought only expensive speakers could capture. There's a good sound stage, highs are not harsh or fatiguing, midrange sounds great to me. Am I an audiophile? Probably not, since I will never spend more than a mortgage payment on a piece of hi-fi gear and I use 12AWG Monoprice speaker cables, but I love music and I listen to it every day.
3. A comparison: I saved up for a pair of Wharfedale Dentons. These are not budget speakers. Originally retailing for $1,000 pr., they can often be had for $500 or less and are stunning, well-regarded speakers. The Polk Audio T15s sounder better. Yep. I'm sure a squad of hitmen from Stereophile (and Wharfedale) are prepping their weapons as I write this, but the Dentons cannot handle bass like the Polks do. Are the Dentons drop dead gorgeous in their veneered, bomb-proof cabinets? Yes! Do the Dentons sound good? Yes, again, but I cannot listen to the Dentons very long before I put something else in their place. They simply cannot deal with bass in a pleasing manner and yes, they've done as much breaking in as they're ever going to do. Please understand that I'm not knocking the Dentons; they are so well-made I want to cry, but the Polks are more enjoyable to listen to.
4. So, what's the deal? What's the catch? I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, so let's get it over with...
There's no catch that I can see so far, except that these are mass-produced, black vinyl speakers. They are not exotic and I doubt Stereophile is going to review them any time soon. They aren't going to fill a concert hall with thundering bass because they're small bookshelf speakers. Some audio snob types are not going to even bother to listen to a pair because they don't cost enough. Well, their loss is our gain, my friends, because if I had known about these speakers before buying the damned Dentons (and some other fancy speakers) I could have saved $400.
5. Not enough bass for you? No problem. For $130 shipped, buy the Polk Audio PSW10 subwoofer. I am a card-carrying bass freak (every single amp and receiver I own has the bass knob maxed out and I usually have loudness engaged as well) and this thing is a damned marvel. It was easy to set up and yes, it will work with old amps and receivers. You can adjust how much or how little bass it puts out, and for once in my life I DO NOT have the bass turned all the way up--that's how powerful this thing is. You can set it on standby mode, where it's "asleep" until it senses a music signal, then it turns on and does it's thing. That said, the T15's sound so nice on their own I'd hold off on the sub and judge for yourself.
I have heard many different speakers over the years, from Bose 901s to Martin Logan Prefaces to Polk Audio LSi9's, and these are absolutely the best value I've ever heard in speakers. They are cheap enough that you can buy two pairs and have a speaker in every corner of the room. Bass is handled very well and they sound good enough to be the main speakers in a two-channel hi-fi system. Look at how many people have given these speakers two thumbs up! I cannot stress how wonderful it is that Polk Audio has provided such an amazing, low-cost speaker to the general public. I highly recommend these speakers. Just remember to let them play for a few hours and the better the amplification, the better they'll sound.
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This item: Polk Audio T30 100 Watt Home Theater Center Channel Speaker - Hi-Res Audio with Deep Bass Response, Dolby and DTS Surround, Single, Black
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This Item  Polk Audio T30 100 Watt Home Theater Center Channel Speaker - Hi-Res Audio with Deep Bass Response, Dolby and DTS Surround, Single, Black |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $179.00 | -27% $291.52 List: $399.00 | $199.00 | -16% $375.99 List: $449.00 | $89.00 | -52% $289.75 List: $599.00 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Aug 14 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Aug 14 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Aug 14 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Aug 14 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Aug 14 | Get it Aug 16 - 22 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
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| Value for money | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
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| Sold By | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | CAPITOL HOME THEATER | World ToGo |
| speaker size | 1 inches | 270 millimeters | 280 millimeters | 5.25 inches | 5.25 inches | — |
| power source | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | AC | Corded Electric |
| connectivity tech | Wired | IR | Coaxial | Wired | — | RCA |
| speaker type | Center Channel | Center Channel | Center Channel | Center Channel | Center Channel | Subwoofer |
| mounting type | Shelf Mount | Wall Mount | Tabletop | Wall Mount | Tabletop | Floor Standing |
| weight | 11.45 pounds | 14 pounds | 13 pounds | 19.8 pounds | — | 31 pounds |
| control method | remote | touch | — | — | touch | remote |
From the manufacturer
Great Sound Should Be Affordable
Having built our reputation as 'The Speaker Specialist's for more than 40 years, we take pride in our superior sound and build quality, which features many patented and award-winning audio innovations. For the people of Polk, building audio products is not just a job—it’s a passion. And if you’re going to remember one thing, remember this: We live by the truest principle of what audio should deliver—great sound at an affordable price for everyone.
Polk T Series T30 Home Theater and Music Center-Channel Speaker
Limited to only left and right sound? Gain more middle ground in your home audio setup without forking over a king-sized sum with the T30 home theater and music center-channel speaker.
Hearkening back to Polk’s instant-classic Monitor Series loudspeakers—yet re-imagined for today's entry-level audio enthusiast—the T30 is your go-to for a more immersive experience whether you’re streaming a movie, watching the big game, enjoying your favorite show, or listening to music. With one 1-inch silk dome tweeter, two 5.25-inch composite drivers, and a performance tuned rear firing bass port—all engineered with Polk’s proprietary Dynamic Balance technology—you get crystal-clear dialogue and room-filling theater sound you’ll soon realize you can’t live without. The acoustically-inert, furniture-grade MDF cabinet construction also reduces resonance and distortion, offering rich, detailed audio the way it's meant to be heard—minus the muffled noise and rattled disruption inherent in low-quality, lesser-than audio equipment.
After you position your T30 below your TV (highly recommended), final set up is super easy and straightforward. Its five way binding posts also provide a wide array of secure wire-hookup options. Plus, it’s designed to work with most home theater receivers, stereos or home theater processors. Whether you’re sprawled out for movie night or grooving to your favorite artist’s discography, the T30 is performance tuned for next-level listening enjoyment. Great sound paired with affordability never sounded this awesome!
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The Home Theater High LifeTake your home theater experience to new heights with the T Series as your mainstay setup. Whether you’re locked into that brand new action flick or swooning over the latest romantic-comedy, this home theater system expands the boundaries of what entertainment should sound like. What’s more, it’s easy to setup, supports Dolby and DTS, and connects to most home theater receivers, stereos or home theater processors. |
Make Your Music Come AliveBuilt for more than your viewing pleasure, the T Series hits the mark on great-sounding audio for all the music that fills your life. Playing host and entertaining friends with a solid soundtrack in the background? The T Series has you covered. Unwinding with only your thoughts and that favorite album? Turn up the T Series and let the good times roll! |
Get In The GameGlued to the TV on game day? Victory is always yours no matter the outcome with the T Series calling the action. Make every tackle, home run, or slam dunk pop with real-time audio that puts you at the center of every play. Those live sporting events that you can’t live without get a major upgrade in sound that never felt so alive and captivating. |
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| Price | — | — | — | — |
| T15 | T30 | T50 | PSW10 | |
| Speaker Use | Bookshelf | Center | Floor Standing | Subwoofer |
| Driver Size | 1x 5 1/4" Mid/Woofer. 1x 3/4" Tweeter | 2x 5 1/4" Mid/Woofer, 1x 1" Tweeter | 1x 6 1/2" Mid/Woofer, 2x 6 1/2" Bass Radiator, 1x 1" Tweeter | 1x 10" Subwoofer |
| Recommended Watts/Channel | 20-100 Watts/Channel | 20-100 Watts/Channel | 20-100 Watts/Channel | N/A |
| Peak Power Handling | 100 Watts | 100 Watts | 150 Watts | 100 Watts |
| Nominal Impedance | 8 ohms | 6 ohms | 6 ohms | N/A |
| Enclosure Type | Vented | Vented | Bass Radiator | Vented via front panel flared port |
| Overall Frequency | 60Hz-24kHz | 60Hz-24kHz | 38Hz-24kHz | 40Hz-200Hz |
Videos
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Videos for this product
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9-Year Review of Polk Center Channel Speaker
Josh & Kat
Videos for this product
1:26
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The best speaker you can add to your setup
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Videos for this product
1:26
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Polk T15 Bookself Speakers Quick Demo
Tools. Electro. DIY
Videos for this product
1:38
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Polk T15 Bookshelf speakers overview
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Reviews with images
Polk Audio for the win
Let me start by saying this T30 Polk Audio center channel speaker is by far one of the best center channel speakers I have bought in a long time! I already have other Polk Audio speakers and subwoofers in my arsenal of Dolby Atmos surround I was just lacking their center channel speaker. I did have an Infinity which was very expensive and bought back in early 2000. My Infinity served its purpose and has definitely paid for itself but when I upgraded my amplifier to a Denon 8K Dolby Atmos I was surprisingly astonished at the sound quality that I instantly fell in love and it made this center channel speaker come alive in ways I never heard a center channel speaker. Music played on the center channel speaker and vocals in movies are so crisp and clear and the fact that it is a good quality brand and matches my other speakers is definitely a plus. I took advantage of the payment plan with prime Day and got a very good deal on this and was able to make after the down payment two more payments for November and for December which actually helps the budget. Amazon has in ways stepped up their game allowing people to make payments on certain products so they can put a down payment plus tax and then make payments over time. Man I cannot say enough about the center channel speaker though. It arrived very quickly actually ahead of time and when I hooked it up I was instantly blown away and this is before I did any adjustments on the amplifier for the center channel. Definitely well worth the price and the quality is outstanding! I would definitely definitely recommend.
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hector
Excelentes
Reviewed in Mexico on June 19, 2024Style: T50Configuration: SingleVerified Purchase
hector
Reviewed in Mexico on June 19, 2024
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Dmytro
Excellent speakers for this size and price
Reviewed in Canada on April 3, 2024Style: T15Configuration: PairVerified Purchase
Aakaash Ramchandani
Great audio for the price!
Reviewed in India on May 20, 2024Style: T50Configuration: SingleVerified Purchase
stefano
Diffusori da pavimento
Reviewed in Italy on March 1, 2024Style: T50Configuration: SingleVerified Purchase
stefano
Reviewed in Italy on March 1, 2024
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Daniel dB
Guter Center
Reviewed in Germany on February 20, 2024Style: T30Configuration: SingleVerified Purchase
