At last week's CEDIA Expo, Polk Audio introduced a completely new speaker line. The Signature Series features eight affordably priced speakers that pull technologies from the company's higher-end lines like the Monitor and LSiM Series. The lineup includes three tower speakers (priced from $249 to $449 each), two bookshelf speakers ($229 and $299 per pair), two center channels ($229 and $299 each), and a surround speaker ($199/pair). Details on each model are available in the press release below, or you can get more info on the company's website.
From Polk Audio
Polk Audio has announced the launch of its latest loudspeakers, the Signature Series--a collection of floorstanding tower, center and bookshelf speakers that incorporate premium audio technologies drawn from Polk's top-of-the-line home entertainment speakers, including the Monitor, RTiA and LSiM series at an industry-leading price. As the first Polk Audio line to receive Hi-Res certification, coupled with Polk's exclusive Power Port technology and a reimagined design for the modern home, the Signature series provides the ultimate movie and listening experience. The new collection consists of the S60, S55 and S50 floorstanding tower speakers; the S35 and S30 center-channel speakers; and the S20, S15 and S10 bookshelf surround speakers.
"The Signature Series perfectly embodies Polk's celebrated history of creating American Hi-Fi component audio, while offering completely new aesthetics and updated technology inspired from famed Polk lines to appeal to today's enthusiast," said Michael Greco, global brand director at Sound United. "While Polk Audio has certainly ventured into new areas of home theater, including wireless sound bars and peripherals, we've never lost sight of our core customer. The Signature Series is built for those who love component audio that is beautifully designed, outrageously loud, offers an incredible sound stage and deep bass, yet remains extremely precise."
Available in a handsome blackwash walnut, the Signature Series' modernized design incorporates beautiful curves and gilded accents for a bold and stylish look, fitting for any room in the home. The full-size towers, bookshelf speakers and powerful, traditional and slim center speakers create a completely immersive home theater experience, delivering balanced and precise sound for movies and music. The Signature Series feature Polk's patented Dynamic Balance Technology Driver Design, which analyzes each speaker's entire electroacoustic and mechanical system, enabling Polk engineers to integrate the best materials and most efficient geometry while eliminating issues that reduce speaker performance, resulting in drivers and tweeters that offer extremely precise sound. Additionally, Polk integrated its famous Power Port technology, which extends the overall bass port and provides greater surface area to eliminate turbulence and distortion for a bigger, more musical deep bass impact.
Towering Sound:
Integrating all that users love about classic Polk Audio component systems, the flagship Polk Signature S60 tower speaker boasts a range of features to deliver the best-sounding audio reproduction available at its price point. The Hi-Res certified towers feature 1-inch Terylene tweeters that are capable of delivering 40 kHz to support the latest high-resolution files. Additionally, curvilinear formers and an advanced ceramic motor structure extend low-frequency response and reduce overall resonance for better dispersion in the midrange, producing amazingly clear vocals and instruments. Three 6.5-inch custom mica-reinforced polypropylene cones with butyl rubber surrounds, massive ceramic motor structures and high-temperature Conex fiber spiders all combine for high efficiency, producing clean bass, better linearity, lower distortion, and greater durability. The Signature Series tower speakers all feature Polk's patented Power Port design, which smoothly transitions air flow from the speaker's port into a listening area. It also extends the bass port, providing greater surface area to eliminate turbulence and distortion, which results in a bigger, more musical deep bass impact.
Rounding out the Signature Series tower speaker options, the S55 and S50 offer the same incredible performance as the S60 tower speaker, with the S55 featuring two 6.5-inch midrange drivers and the S50 featuring two 5.25-inch drivers. The Signature Series performs well with even the most modestly powered amplifier or receiver, whether users are looking to connect them with the latest digital processor or their vintage rig, the sound reproduction will be spacious, clear and realistic. Other features include a four-driver (S60 and S55) and three-driver (S50) cascading tapered crossover array for a more life-like sound stage; anti-diffraction grills for a perfect fit and minimized sonic interference; and dual gold plated five-way binding posts for easy setup. The handsome cabinet is strong, rigid and acoustically inert with non-resonant all-MDF construction, timbre-matched materials for seamless speaker-to-speaker blending.
Pricing & Availability:
• S60--$449/each (available October)
• S55--$329/each (end of September)
• S50--$249/each (available October)
Crystal Clear Centers
Supporting the latest in home theater setups, Polk's center-channel speakers, the S35 and S30, are designed to be an unobtrusive way to bring clean, full-range sound for movies and music. With a slim form, the S35 stands at a mere 4 inches tall, making it the perfect addition underneath the most slender televisions. Both the S35 and S30 feature one 1-inch Hi-Res Terylene tweeter for crisp, clear high frequencies and mica-reinforced polypropylene cones, ranging from six 3-inch cones (S35) and two 5.25-inch cones (S30). Dual Power Port technology delivers extended deep bass and 3 dB more bass response output than a traditional port. Similar to the tower speakers, the S35 and S30 center channels are highly sensitive and power efficient, working efficiently with most receivers. The S35 features a six-driver array, while the S30 offers a two-driver array, while each features anti-diffraction magnetic grills and gold-plated five-way binding posts. Additionally, the S35 can be used as a left, center or right speaker (L/C/R) and can be wall-mounted horizontally or vertically with built-in keyhole slots.
Pricing & Availability:
• S35--$299/each (end of September)
• S30--$229/each (available October)
Big Bookshelf Sound
Designed to bring every detail to life, Polk Signature Series bookshelf speakers, including the S20 and S15, elevate sound for movies, TV and music in a handsome cabinet. An ideal front or rear speaker for any 5.1, 7.1 or 9.1 home theater configuration, the compact bookshelf speakers feature a single 1-inch Terylene tweeter. Each speaker also hosts a single low distortion mica-reinforced polypropylene cone, ranging from 6.5 inches (S20) to 5.25 inches (S15). With Power Port for authentic bass impact, precise blending of the driver and tweeter combination and two-way crossover array for a massive sound stage, and easy wall-mounting, the Signature Series bookshelf speakers can be used as standalone monitors or as the ideal complement to a powerful home theater system.
Pricing & Availability:
• S20--$299/pr. (available October)
• S15--$229/pr. (end of September)
Expansive Surround Sound
Designed to bring every detail to life, Polk Signature Series S10 surround speakers add dimension and perfectly complement any multi-channel home theater configuration. The compact satellite surround speakers feature a single 1-inch Terylene tweeter and a single low distortion mica-reinforced 4-inch polypropylene cone. The S10 surround speakers feature Power Port for increased bass response, a two-way crossover and are timbre-matched to the Signature floorstanding and bookshelf speakers. Wall mounting can be easily accomplished leverage the built-in threaded insert or keyhole slots.
Pricing & Availability:
• S10--$199/pr. (available October)
The Signature Series will be available for purchase at PolkAudio.com, as well as ABT, Amazon, Best Buy, Crutchfield, Nebraska Furniture Mart, and other national retailers.
Additional Resources
• Polk Audio T50 Tower Speaker Reviewed at HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Polk Introduces New Omni S6 Play-Fi Speaker at HomeTheaterReview.com.