Polk Audio STA 1.2TR...Major Disappointment :(

[SEAWOLF97]

Did they nick you at the border for those things ??

Just tell them that the speakers are worthless....

Any better after the neg to neg mod ?

[JBLCanuck]

Tom....That sounds better
I can't turn them up though...wifey sleeping
Yes, I had to pay $250 tax! 12%
I could have said I paid less but it's just not worth playing games at the border. My life revolves around coming into the US & I can't imagine what I'd do if I ever lost that privilege...know what I mean?

[SEAWOLF97]

Do a search...there will be hundreds of opinions...I couldn't find one negative one other than mine. , they rated them in the top 10 speakers of all time.

so now that the neg problem is solved, are they among the top 10 of all time ? You kinda left us hanging in mid-story.

Yes, I had to pay $250 tax! 12%
I could have said I paid less but it's just not worth playing games at the border. My life revolves around coming into the US & I can't imagine what I'd do if I ever lost that privilege...know what I mean?

couldnt slide them under the seat, eh ? 12% on 1700 is 204. , 250 is nearly 15% ?

[JBLCanuck]

Hi Tom,
I'm still experimenting with them...but they sound 1000% better.
Are they as good as the 250TI's? Tough call without hearing them side by side. Speakers are subjective & it just depends what sounds good to the listener. There's definitely a funny rift between camp Polk & camp JBL The Polk guys generally feel the JBL's are trash & vise verse.
I have a good friend that's been collecting vintage stereo gear for 30+ years...he won't listen to a JBL horn without jamming a rag down its throught to get rid of "the annoying ringing"
I think I tend to like the JBL's better myself but I'll give you a full update once I finish playing with them.
I can tell you they sound much better than the 240Ti's to my ears.
I still say the 250TI is the best JBL I've heard, with the 4343's coming in a close second.

[SEAWOLF97]

I can tell you they sound much better than the 240Ti's to my ears.
I still say the 250TI is the best JBL I've heard, with the 4343's coming in a close second.

that seems a curious ranking...I've never heard 240ti's (nor 4343's) , but many have called the 240ti "as good as the 250ti's, just lesser cabinet" ...but thats not what I'm reading here from someone who has had all 3 ?? Marty , you may be in a unique position to rate these 3 desirable models + L166's ?

[JBLCanuck]

Tom,
The 250Ti is definitely better sounding than the 240Ti. Not by a huge amount but they sound noticeably better. $1500 worth better?...well, this is the problem with audio. $2000 will buy you a nice vintage setup. Will one for $4000 sound twice as good? Will one for $8000 sound 4 times as good? You pay a large amount of money for a small improvement once you're over a certain caliber of equipment & I can assure you...my wife couldn't tell any difference between the 4343's or my new $200 RTR's!
The 250TI is the best sounding JBL my ear has ever heard but the 4343 is an incredible speaker that gets lots of extra points for being much older.
The 4350 gets my vote for cool factor but I know for almost a fact that I'd prefer the sound of a 250TI.
The Polk 1.2TL....haven't had them long enough yet.
Way more base than any JBL I've heard. The funny thing about them is they are supposed to have a soundstage second to none...I haven't found that so far...but I'm still playing. I'm not even sure I didn't damage a couple of drivers with my common negative ground boo boo.
I'll get back to you on it.
The 4343's are a little too bright for me, but that's just from my 45 year old ears opinion.
To some, Bose 901's are the answer

[Mr. Widget]

There's definitely a funny rift between camp Polk & camp JBL The Polk guys generally feel the JBL's are trash & vise verse.

I have been into audio for decades and admit to having a particular fascination with JBL, but I am certainly not as dedicated to the brand as some members here... but the idea that there are "Polk guys" is news to me. I always assumed that Polks were what you bought when you couldn't afford something else. I have certainly recommended Polks to people along the way in years past, and I have heard Matthew Polk speak at Hi Fi events and I have a fair amount of respect for him and his work, but the Polk systems I have heard never grabbed me.


Widget

[SEAWOLF97]

... but the idea that there are "Polk guys" is news to me. I always assumed that Polks were what you bought when you couldn't afford something else.
Widget

well, there was the famous "Polk Salad Annie" ....( Gators got your granny )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polk_Salad_Annie

[JBLCanuck]

I have been into audio for decades and admit to having a particular fascination with JBL, but I am certainly not as dedicated to the brand as some members here... but the idea that there are "Polk guys" is news to me. I always assumed that Polks were what you bought when you couldn't afford something else. I have certainly recommended Polks to people along the way in years past, and I have heard Matthew Polk speak at Hi Fi events and I have a fair amount of respect for him and his work, but the Polk systems I have heard never grabbed me.


Widget

Well Widget, Here's an experiment for you then...head over to the forums at Polk Audio... http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/
Put a post on that you've narrowed your search for a set of speakers down to either a pair of speakers from the Polk SDA line, or possibly a set of vintage JBL's like maybe the 4343's.
Stand back & watch....it'll be a learning experience for you if you didn't know they existed
I'm the same way...the only reason I'm a liftime JBL fan is because I've had them all my life. I certainly have no illusion that the vintage JBL's we collect are the best speakers in the world. I'm happy listening to as many brands as I can get my hands on & so far, JBL's are my favorite. Will the Polk 1.2's change that? I doubt it but I can tell you that they are incredible speakers but because they adopt a different approach, they would never be accepted by the old fashioned audiofile.
If you get a chance to listen to a set, you should do so...I bet you'd be surprised!

[JBL 4645]

Sounds like Bose to me.

I am a purist. I like to sit and listen to stereo in the sweet spot and enjoy the stereo effect as created by the musicians and engineers... that said, it can be fun to flirt with crazy phasy systems from time to time. Now, where is that Aphex aural exciter.


Widget

I second that. It’s the son of Bose! Bose the revenge! For a few more Bose! The Good the bad and the Bose! King Bose! Die Hard with a Bose! Logan's Bose I wouldn’t touch these speakers with 100 foot barge pole.

well, there was the famous "Polk Salad Annie" ....( Gators got your granny )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polk_Salad_Annie

Hey it’s Elvis! Yo King!

[JBLCanuck]

Well, all I can say to that is thank god I'm not closed minded like that or I'd still be listening to my first pair of Realistic's my mom & dad bought me
You see, I don't dislike Bose because they're a huge company with millions & millions to spend on marketing & I certainly don't dislike them for trying a new & innovative approach...I dislike them because their speakers sound like crap
The SDA 1.2Ti's, on the other hand, sound incredible. Not just by my account...by thousands of other pairs of ears on the planet. They've been reviewed by the best in the world & cost $3500 in the 80's...try to find a negative review on them anywhere on the net. Bose, on the other hand,...try to find a positive review!
I'm not saying they're better than 250TI's or 4345's...I'm saying they'll sink a pair of 240TI's & make L100's-L100T3's sound like junk.
That being said...I certainly have room in my livingroom to give them the respect they've earned.
By making a comment like this, you don't insult me...I didn't build or design them...you just make yourself seem uneducated & closed minded...that's all.

[SEAWOLF97]

I havnt head many bose or Polks or Infinities. (sorry marty for the Polk salad Annie post ) ...but marty is a serious listener and if he says the Polks sound great, well .....I know its hard to believe, but there are competing brands that sound as good or better than many JBL's.

The Polks & Infinities that I've parted out have not had impressive drivers, as the JBL's do,,,but sometimes overbuilding drivers is not essential for good sound.

Its like discussing best cars or best amps or best speakers...there really is no answer. just personal preferances.

[Mr. Widget]

Well Widget, Here's an experiment for you then...head over to the forums at Polk Audio...

I did. I looked at their stats, they have far more posts and threads than we do... considerably more even than the Klipsch forum which is also much larger than ours... I took a cursory look over some of their posts and then I did a few searches on technical phrases, measurements, etc... quite a different crowd over there.

Its like discussing best cars or best amps or best speakers...there really is no answer. just personal preferances.

Mostly true, but I think we can all agree that a new Mercedes S Class is superior to an old Buick.

Bottom line, an individual may prefer an old Buick to a state of the art modern car, but I wouldn't say that a few hundred posts on the web proclaiming the magnificence of old Buicks makes them any better than they actually are.


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[Allanvh5150]

Good call Widget. Most people are happy with what they have and some of these people will proclaim that what they have is the best. Talking about the Bose issue, not that I am a real fan though, I have used thier top end gear and with the bose equalizing system they tend to sound far better than you would think.
I work with a guy that is right into his home theartre and we got to talking about our gear. I asked him what he had and he said very proudly "polk audio". He then asked me the same question and proceeded to roll around on the floor when I said that I had JBL. His statement was that "JBL are crap". But let me tell you this, he changed his mind real quick when I invited him a round for a listen.

[JBL 4645]

Well, all I can say to that is thank god I'm not closed minded like that or I'd still be listening to my first pair of Realistic's my mom & dad bought me

I had a friend that had Realistic Mach 2 and they sounded pretty darn good, I’m sure they could have been improved with a few modifications, but the price was very affordable.