Polk Monitor 30 (black)

274 reviews

May, 2024

Positive
price (243)
size (100)
design (59)
usability (26)
reliability (21)

Negative

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 274 reviews of Polk Monitor 30 (black). The average rating for this product is 4.6/5, compared to an average rating of 4.3/5 for other products in the same category for all reviews. People really like the reliability and usability. The design and size also get good opinions.

price, size, design, usability, reliability

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other products in the same category the Polk Monitor 30 (black) is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 84/100 = Very good quality.

Review analysis

(Based on 274 reviews)

User Reviews

Review Ratings

(72% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews (22% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews (4% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews (2% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews (1% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

price
Show positive (85%)Show negative (15%)(Show all)

size
Show positive (83%)Show negative (17%)(Show all)

design
Show positive (92%)Show negative (8%)(Show all)

usability
Show positive (62%)Show negative (38%)(Show all)

reliability
Show positive (60%)Show negative (40%)(Show all)

Showing 273 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

Disclaimer:

Below is a list of reviews for this or similar products. If you think this grouping is wrong please click here to flag.
Read more on our FAQ’s page.

Showing 1 - 145 of 273 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (1)

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Polk Monitor 30 (black)

alaTest has collected and analyzed 135 user reviews of Polk Monitor 30 (black) from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.4/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.2/5 for other products in the same category on Amazon.com. Opinions about the usability and design are on the whole positive. The size and price are also appreciated.

price, size, design, usability

96% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

May, 2024

Consumer review (newegg.com)

Perfect

Tough to go wrong with Polk Monitors IIs. I know the trend is toward small and compact speakers for home theatre. But size still matters as it relates to sound. I'm using these as height speakers in a 7.1 system. Thought about using for surround, too,...

High quality ; Wall Mountable

None

Feb, 2014

Read the full review

Consumer review (newegg.com)

Bang for the buck!

Not really a con, but I thought they were rather large for a bookshelf speaker at 11x10x7". The Monitor40's come in at almost 16", which was way to tall for my shelf.

Crisp sound ; Nice definition at low power ; Excellent base response ; Great addition to any system. I bought these to replace my Onkyo factory speakers that came with my system. After installing the Polk speakers, it is apparent that the Onkyo's took...

None

Dec, 2013

Read the full review

Consumer review (newegg.com)

Perfect.

Last month I decided to replace these JUNK Sony speakers I bought from AM**ON that had great reviews but sounded horrible to me. Lesson learned, dont buy speakers with out listening to them first. Anyhow, I went to a couple of the big electronics...

Clear highs that are NOT harsh, decent bass response, sound amazing

Upside down

Jan, 2013

Read the full review

Consumer review (newegg.com)

Great surrounds

With the promo code the pair cost $85.....perfect

None

Dec, 2012

Read the full review

Consumer review (newegg.com)

Wow, what an upgrade.

Well last week my 9 year old Denon AVR 485 blew up on me so I decided to buy a new budget amp and went for the Yamaha RX-V373 (purchased from Newegg and terrific amp). Anyhow after setting up the new amp it was obvious that my 9 year old Advent...

Great value, nice sized speaker for rear surround, great quality and sound and looks sexy in cherry

None

Nov, 2012

Read the full review

Consumer review (newegg.com)

Great Surround Speakers

Got a great deal on these Monitor 30's for my surrounds and a set of Monitor 40's for front speakers. My center is a CS-20 and I am using a Klipsch sub. This is a great home theater set up and I am very pleased with the Polk speakers. Highly recommended.

Great sound and looks

None

Oct, 2012

Read the full review

Consumer review (newegg.com)

bright but very good, esp for price, make sure to use w/sub

Using as computer speakers w/mini amp, crossover set to 100, and 8" subwoofer. I sit about 3 feet from them, medium sized room. Make sure to place them AT LEAST a yard apart for best effect. You can also play with tilting them using speaker pads ; Very...

Weak bass as others have mentioned. Still way better than any computer speaker since those typically have 3" woofers. It's possible to get passable bass out of 5.25" woofers but not with these. Just use a sub and it'll work with all types of music and...

Aug, 2012

Read the full review

Consumer review (newegg.com)

Just Right

After replacing my sony home theater in a box (passive sub) I was left without a sub woofer to pair with my new receiver. I thought maybe since the reviews were so shining, that with these speakers, I could get away without a discrete sub. I was wrong....

Clear and precise mids and highs

Don't run these without a sub. I mostly use my receiver for music and to tell the truth, you'll miss the lows

Jul, 2012

Read the full review

Consumer review (newegg.com)

On my 2nd pair

They are a sizable "bookshelf" speaker. Make sure you measure out your space. I have these mounted on the wall in my master bedroom, which diminishes the sound a bit, especially the lows, but my room requires it. Still, one of my favorite speakers....

Great highs and mids. Will hit in lows, but realistically pair witha sub. If you are going strictly bookshelf w no sub, jump to the 40's. These are my wides in living room, fronts in bedroom. Are awesome for both. Replaced RM8's with these. While the...

You really should have a sub if these are your fronts. Pairs nicely w PSW110. There are wall mounts, but sound better off the wall

Jul, 2012

Read the full review

Consumer review (newegg.com)

Great for the money

Setup is key, and I think that is why people have different experiences. I found them to sound better out in the open and away from the wall a bit.

Nice wide sound stage, bright-ish, and very musical. I'm running these in stereo on an old RCA receiver and they still sound great. I can't wait to hear them on something better! These are a great addition for budget-minded audiophiles

Bigger than you might expect. Consider the dimensions carefully. These would benefit from a crossover or filter to direct base to a nice sub

Jun, 2012

Read the full review