Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I picked up a pair of TSi300's and they perform much better than I would expect from speakers at this price level. The TSi series is positioned between the Monitor series and the RTi series and rightfully so. They are an evolutionary improvement to the Monitor 50 (improved matierals, better bass response, better imaging, more detailed highs), though they lack the pristine clarity of the RTi series. They are, however, definitely a world ahead of the cheap R50's that they replaced in my living room, and will easily outperform budget speakers and even some higher end speakers.
What really strikes me about the TSi300's is the sophistication and dynamics of the sound they provide, especially relative to the price point they're at. Considering the compact size of the speakers, they provide suprisingly good sound imaging, projecting a wider sound-field than you'd initially expect, without getting needlessly loud or overbearing. They sound very smooth, rich, and natural....highlighting audio details with little effort. Where lesser speakers lose audio detail at low volumes, and sound harsh and wastefully loud at high volumes, the TSi300's brings out subtle details even at low levels, and really brings them to life at higher volumes. They're subtle and smooth when they should be, and can get loud and dramatic when they need to be, without any loss of detail or distortion going between volume levels.
Where I would say they lack a bit is in the mid-bass response. Unpaired with a subwoofer they at times sound a little brighter than I would like. Even when paired with a subwoofer covering the deep lows, there's a feeling that 'something's missing' at the mid-level. The TSi400 and 500's models have extra mid-bass drivers which give them more presence, but these come at a premium price, and once you start budgeting over 300 dollars per speaker, you avail yourself to deals on higher end lines such as the RTi series.
Low frequency bass response is what's expected of a floor standing speaker. For certain genres of music you could make by without a dedicated subwoofer, but for bass-heavy genres (hip-hop, electronica, smooth jazz etc etc), and for home theater use, the TSi300's, need a dedicated sub to cover the deep, heavy bass. This isn't to the fault of the TSi300's...the woofers on floorstanding speakers simply aren't designed to handle deep, dramatic bass.
Aesthetically, the rounded corners and sleek lines of the TSi series are very sexy, and I would say they're the best looking series in Polk's line-up. The piano black trimming along the top of the speaker matches very well with the bezels on most of today's HDTV offerings. The grill, piano black trim, and the cabinet flow smoothly together almost seamlessly, giving them a very clean, minimalistic look. Personally I prefer the cherry finish with Polk's speakers, as my living-room uses a lot cherry and dark ash woods. The TSi300's really look like an intentional part of my living room's decor, rather than random pieces of audio equipment sticking out like the elephant in an otherwise meticulously decorated room.
All in all, at [...] bucks a speaker, these perform extremely well for the price, and I couldn't ask for much more without expecting to pay much more. There is a part of me that would like more a bit more clarity and better mid-bass response, and I'll probably end up upgrading one day and moving these to the rears....but for what I paid I am downright impressed by these speakers, and am very happy with my purchase.
-----(edit)
After breaking them in a bit, the mid-ranges really started to come alive, and the TSi300's have quite a bit more presence now. I also found that by setting the cross-over frequency on my sub-woofer higher, I was able to better fill the mid-range gap from the TSi300.
For music, one may want to look at the TSi400 or 500's as they should provide more accurate low frequency performance. But a good sub that produces tight, accurate bass with the TSi300's will easily outperform the 400 or 500's without a sub for home theater use.
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