Polk Monitor XT20 Pair of Bookshelf or Surround Speakers - Hi-Res Audio Certified, Dolby Atmos & DTS:X Compatible, 1" Terylene Tweeter & 6.5" Dynamically Balanced Woofer (Pair, Midnight Black)

What I can't tell you - I can't compare these speakers to a 2or 3 thousand dollar set of speakers. I have never had speakers that expensive and even much more in my home. I have heard them in a specialty store but not at home. They will sound different in the studio than at home. I do know the higher class speakers have beautifully constructed cabinets, well damped inside and higher quality components.What I can tell you - These speakers do look nice even though they are not made of fine woods and have rounded or beveled edges. In fact I have seen some brands of tower speakers that cost 3 times as much as these speakers and they have the same basic square edge construction on the outside. I think these speaker look impressive for the money. Ok, the grille is not magnetic but it is secure and looks very nice. The connection posts on the back are very nice. They added a nice touch to the base even though it is just cosmetic. Now on to the sound. I have these speakers hooked up to a brand new 80 watts per channel Yamaha amplifier (not receiver), a brand new Cambridge CD player, a brand new Andover Spindeck Max Turntable, and a high resolution streamer. I am using a new Klipsch 10 inch subwoofer all items purchased through Amazon. I am only using this system for stereo music. The highs from these speakers are very crisp and clear. The mid sound is warm and robust. The lows are very adequate but can come nowhere near to what a dedicated subwoofer can produce. I knew this going in which is why I wanted the subwoofer. Overall I am totally pleased with the music these towers produce and the 80 watt amp drives them beautifully and they can get quite loud without distortion unless you go nuts and over drive them to the extreme. Now would a 2 or 3 thousand dollar pair of towers out perform them? I would say yes. But the big question is does the 2 or 3 thousand dollar set give you a 2 or 3 thousand dollar performance increase? I would venture to say they are better but not thousands better. Of course this is my opinion and I am not an audiophile, but I have listened to different systems all of my life and I do know what sounds good and what does not. I have heard some crappy systems. I am sure an expert might hear or not hear things I should hear but again, I am totally pleased with the sound these speakers produce and I don't give a flying fig if they are missing a little detail.

Let me start by saying I never leave reviews. But after finishing my dedicated theater room and firing up my Polk Audio setup, I had to make an exception. Simply put: I'm blown away.My system includes:2 Polk XT70 Towers2 XT30 Centers (yes, two centers, and clarity is unreal)2 OWM3s for rear surround1 XT12 SubwooferPowered by a Denon AVR-S570BTI spent around $1,200–$1,300 on this setup, and it performs like something three to four times that price.I tested it with everything from Star Wars, Top Gun: Maverick, Mission: Impossible, Transformers, and the full Marvel catalog. Every explosion, orchestral swell, and whispered line is crisp, dynamic, and immersive. The sub hits hard when needed, and the highs and mids are perfectly balanced. Dialogue clarity is exceptional, and music playback is just as impressive, with a wide soundstage, tight bass, and clean highs.As someone working in film and television, I use this system to review projects before sending them to streaming platforms. It gives me confidence that our audio is tight across all frequencies and plays beautifully on real-world systems.If you're looking for a budget-friendly, high-performance setup, get yourself a Polk system and pair it with a Denon AVR. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. The smile on my face during the first listen said it all.

The speakers perform really well and I’m very happy to finally be watching movies in Dolby Atmos. But, I really want to commend Polk’s customer service. I purchased these speakers in Feb of 2025. They worked great until a couple of months later one of them developed a slight hissing sound. So I called Polk customer service and immediately spoke to an advisor. She dismissed the issue as a driver problem and said they would send me a new one. So on Wednesday May 28th I first called Polk and by Monday June 2, had the new driver in my home. It was an easy install and it sounds great. I am a big fan of Polk speakers. Give them a try.

I needed to replace my garage stereo system and didn't want to spend stupid money, I've spent that on higher-end equipment inside the house. I saw these and recalled that I had liked them previously when I could actually hear them demoed, and I bought a pair for my daughter who probably sold them anyway. I took the risk again on them not being able to hear them first and I am very impressed. Nice looking, heavy, great sound...cleaner sound than what they replaced, and can take the volume level that I wanted for the garage. For the price, I don't think you'll find a better speaker.

I think they sound pretty darn good. They may be 5 stars but I don't really have any better speakers to compare them to. using them for surround sound for some reason it seems very hard to hear what people are saying in movies but Im getting old and def and this is probably more to do with needing a stereo or movies with the dialog boost. I just have to turn it up so loud to hear what people are saying my neighbors call the cops.