Polk Audio TSi400 Floorstanding Speaker (Single, Cherry)

I purchased these a little over 2 weeks ago, so keep in mind my review is before the break in process has completed. Yes, there is a break-in...after reading countless debates online I called Polk tech support and was advised to give these 30-60 hours of break in. Some say even up to 100 hours. Basically, in about the next 2-3 weeks I should be fully broken in, but can't wait to share my enthusiasm until then especially if someone reading this is on the fence about buying them.The other reference point for me include my last loud speakers which I parted ways with about 7 years ago after a series of moves. I had Bose 701 towers that I bought around the mid 90's for over $1,000 (with inflation this would be like spending well over $1,000 on a pair today). At the time, I thought they were spectacular sounding. If my memory of how those sounded is accurate, these Polk TSI 400's blow the Bose 701s away. The Bose may have had slightly better bass (again I haven't completed break in), but where Polk shines is everything else. Crystal clear, lifelike midrange and highs made the Bose muddy in comparison. Perhaps why I remember the Bose having nicer bass was the contrast with the crappy highs & midrange...could be the bass on these Polk TSI 400s is just as good if not better. I snatched these for $456 for the pair when the cherry was on sale. After auditioning at my local Amazon showroom (Best Buy), the choice was easy. If you want the most affordable towers, Pioneer has a decent pair for $200. Sony also has some around this price. The Polk TSI 300's are noticeably better in all areas, and the 400's the same as the 300's but with more bass. Any more bass (the TSI 500's) would have been overkill for me, especially living in a condo. Best Buy didn't have cherry, and their price on these was $600 + tax. For $456, I ended up paying about the same as what Best Buy charges for the 300's & tax.So my bank account strongly agreed with the purchase (I'm not a fan of financing so wanted to get something with cash), how about my ears at home?Out of the box, I was amazed & delighted. As each day passes, the break in is gradually in effect increasing my delight. I'm in no hurry to finish the break in (some leave theirs on all day while at work) - I figure why not just enjoy the process as long as it lasts? I have carpeting which does absorb bass, so to maximize the sound I can get I placed each speaker on a couple of loose pieces of floor tile. The TSis are narrow enough to fit on one tile, but a bit deeper so two for each did the trick for me. The speaker spikes balance perfectly on the tile (maybe I'm lucky to have even/flat padding under my carpeting, since I was worried the tile would make them wobble). My receiver won't let me bi-amp, but I did biwire these with 14 gauge to separate the bass & treble signals going to the speakers. The cleaner separation + equivalent of 2x the thickness of 14 gauge, in addition to the tile propping, means I can't ask for better sound now in my current set up. I even have one speaker in the corner of my living room, which helps the bass flavor. If I can add some kind of room divider to the left (which is in an open area) that may help a bit further, but as it is now I'm more than content. Especially if I get the sub - which would end up in the corner.I usually have music on as background music. I find the brilliance of these speakers makes me hear music in ways I have never heard it before, making me stop what I'm doing & sit/immerse myself in the song that has caught my attention.Some reviewers criticize the bass on these. I'm not sure where that's coming from...after adjusting my EQ to my liking, the bass is tight, thumping & delicious. It doesn't overpower the crystal clear highs and midrange, for an overall sound that blends perfectly together for me regardless of the music type I'm listening to (rap, acoustic, alternative, or regular old rock & roll).I decent sub would just intensify the bass & capture lower frequencies, and in particular help with movies/TV. I don't yet have a sub (considering the Polk PSW 505), and enjoy watching movies/tv with the current set up. The bass on these is better than what someone gets on a cheap home theater in a box system with a dinky subwoofer. Some of the cheaper/smaller standalone subwoofers I've been looking at don't go as low frequency wise as the TSI 400's (which go down to 35 hz - very decent for me). If you get these, don't skimp on a subwoofer or you're probably wasting money for nothing more than a "bass boost" box. Or you could perhaps get worse bass after crossing over if the subwoofer is crappy enough...These speakers are also beautiful to look at with cherry cabinet & piano black tops - another huge advantage over the Bose 701's I used to have. Their slender build with multiple drivers helps not make it necessary for a wide woofer, and the bass port on the bottom also helps avoid some of the "chuffing" sound you get with ports that are on the front, back or sides.I have not cranked these yet (more than 50%) since I was advised by Polk to allow break in before doing this. However I have turned these up to -40 db a few times (about 40%) which is on the verge of "cranking" in my condo. No sound distortion whatsoever, similar to many other reviews. The louder you go, the more the sound opens up. These also sound good at low late night listening levels. I still hear the richnness when the volume is down to about -55 or -60 db (about 20%).I have these hooked up to a Yamaha RX-V373, Polk T15s as rears, and a BIC center channel DV-32 CLR. I listen to music streaming channels like Pandora & MOG from my Roku, CDs on my LG Blu-Ray, and MP3s from my iPod. It all sounds amazing through these speakers which I prefer in 2 channel stereo for music. The surround set up works very nicely for movies & TV, and sounds brilliant when watching a Blu-Ray disc.If you are considering these - get them! Maybe Amazon will bring these back down to $228 a piece. I'm glad I got them when I did since AZ bumped these back up to Best Buy level prices at $300 each shortly after I bought them. But even at $600 for the pair, you can't get better speakers. I also compared these at Best Buy to some Klipsch that were $700 & $900, and couldn't really hear a difference unless I went back & forth repeatedly straining my ears. The extra harsh/brightness of the Klipsch horns, which appeal to some, turn me off so I prefer the sound, looks (and price) of Polk.Get these - you will not be disappointed!Update 8/4/12:Fully broken in & sounding as great as ever. I ended up completing my surround set up a couple of weeks ago, adding a polk psw505 subwoofer & upgrading center channel to polk cs20 (also in cherry). The psw505 sounds brilliant with the tsi 400s with a 60 hz crossover. They blend so smoothly. If you are considering the tsi500s, you will only hear a difference in the low bass if you don't have a subwoofer. The tsi400s paired with psw505 provide more than enough bass power for my taste. The cs20 is designed to support the tsi series, and since it goes down to under 60 hz (and my rear t15s go down to 60 as well), a 60 crossover works nicely for video as well as music. I describe my other speakers because it's important your entire set blends well as a system. However, the mains are still the most important for music, and with the right sub like a psw505, you can't ask for more than the tsi 400s!

I purchased a pair of TSi400's about 2 months ago to upgrade my AV system and replace a pair of B&W bookshelf's (DM600) that I was using for the front speakers. As a test, (before I placed them in my AV system) I put them in place of my old Boston Acoustics A150's that were attached to an old Denon DRA-375 amp (60 watts/channel) driving a 2 channel stereo system in my living room. They sounded great! Much better than the Bostons! More alive - finer highs and distinctive lows and better separation. I knew immediately that I would have to get a pair to replace the Boston's.I then put them on my AV system - which is in the den part of the basement, in a small room curtained off from the rest of it all. 50" plasma, B&W center (ASW300) with small B&W's (M-1) for the rears. Bought a new YAMAHA RX-V673 AV Receiver and I figured I would be set for life! Interestingly, there wasn't a big difference in sound between the B&W bookshelf's I had as fronts and the new TSIi 400's that replaced them. And this is after tweaking the hell out of all the speaker settings on the Yamaha. Note that the B&W bookshelf's, when put on my Denon stereo amp didn't come anywhere near the TSi400's in sound quality or brilliance. Nowhere near. But yet, on my AV system, I really couldn't see a big jump with the TSi's as fronts. When I took the Yamaha off TV setting and just used the tuner, the TSi's performed better.Clearly, according to some learned friends, the TV room is too small to support the TSi's in all their glory. At any rate, they did improve the overall AV sound. Now, fast forward to the recent past - last week - when I bought another pair of TSi 400's to replace the Boston Acoustics in my living room. VERY happy with that switch.Overall, an excellent speaker for the budget minded - Yes, you may think that $500 bucks a pair is a lot, but not really, not for a quality speaker with really good sound. The TSi's will be an excellent choice for any really good stereo system (they say they support up to 200 watts a channel), and, I'm sure, an AV system in a larger environment.

This is the first time I've ever bought a pair of speakers "sight unheard"...that said, I've listened to many speakers by Polk over the years, and in the high-end models they've always been the closest thing to my Monitor Audio speakers, which are as good as being onstage. Based upon the reviews and specs off the Polk website, the choice between TSi400 and TSi500 was tough to make, but ultimately decided to give the 400's a try, primarily due to their size and lower power consumption.The 400's arrived in perfect condition. I was very impressed with the appearance of the cherry wood and black piano top finish. But ultimately we want to know how they sound, eh? I hooked them up using new 14 gauge audiophile speaker cable, using an older NAD power amp. I started off the break-in period auditioning them at a mid/low level for the first 10 hours. Immediately was impressed with the clarity and range from bass through mid to the highs. As I moved up just a notch or two in volume over the next 10-15 hours the sound seemed to open up considerably. I continued the break-in period for about 40 hours - I know, longer than recommended but well worth it. The 400's do need a good surge of power to drive them to full capability.I've got these installed in my home studio, where I rehearse with various bands, and am impressed with how they fill the large room at volume, 24' x 20', with detail and without ever sounding dirty or distorted...duh - why didn't I buy these years earlier? Now I have - and they're broken in to every kind of music imaginable, and they're magnificent! Can you spend more to get to get better sound - probably - but the point is that in this price range I can say I'm extremely satisfied. The only question would be upgrading to the 500's, which will suck more power, and have a larger footprint...it's a good call either way.

Polk is a US manufacturer of quality Hi-Fi and car speakers. They are on par with Linn, KEF, etc. The price given is for a single speaker not speakers [pair]. The cherry finish is hard to find and was the main reason for my purchase. The speakers, when paired, provide a deep rich sound which is rare in modern speakers; I think this is due to the solid nature of acoustic wadding. Most of the sound is projected forward, and with a peak 200 watts, there is enough volume for anyone's requirement.