Sound is like meals in that tastes can differ wildly. So take it with your individual explicit grain of seasoning once I say that I’ve not often heard bookshelf audio system I appreciated higher than Polk Audio’s Legend L100. There’s a specific purpose I like them, however I don’t need to spoil the shock (equivalent to it’s).
Design and options
The smallest audio system in a family that includes two floorstanding models, every L100 measures 13.64 x 7.78 x 11.29 inches (HxWxD) and weighs roughly 17 kilos. By my lights that’s stretching the definition of bookshelf kind issue only a mite. The uncommon depth is as a result of bass dispersion panel (the ribbed part within the picture under) that’s hooked up to the again of the speaker, spreading low-frequency waves emanating from the rear port.
PolkOn the rear of the Legend L100 you’ll discover a bass dispersion plate. What seems to be a gap is definitely the within of a cone that’s aimed immediately on the rear port to unfold bass to the edges. It works fairly properly.
You’ll want tall and deep cabinets to suit the L100, however you’d be higher off putting them out within the open, the place the sound from the rear port can unfold out with out acoustical hindrance. Just sayin’.
Each speaker homes a 5.25-inch woofer and a 1.0-inch tweeter. The woofer is dimpled in an uncommon sample that the corporate calls “turbine,” as a result of the sample resembles the blades of a fan. The tweeter is known as a “pinnacle ring radiator”. That is, there’s a tall (and sharp!) cone within the center that disperses waves in a 360-degree (vertically) cupped sample.
The L100 are 4-ohm (3- to 4-ohm, truly) audio system that can deal with as much as 160 watts per channel. Their gold-plated binding posts can accommodate banana plugs, spade connectors, or naked wire connections. Frequency response is rated at a considerably ludicrous 43Hz to 50kHz. Ludicrous as a result of solely very younger people can hear 20kHz, not to mention 50kHz. Indeed, as a matter after all, inaudible increased frequencies are filtered out as they will wreak havoc with the frequencies you’ll be able to truly hear.
To be trustworthy, although the L100 look good sufficient, their look didn’t shout “$1,200 speakers!” to me proper out of the field. That mentioned, I’m additionally not solely positive what $1,200 audio system ought to appear like. I don’t like ostentatious, although, and the L100 will slot in nearly any surroundings. They’re simply not dialog starters. At least not till you hearken to them.
PolkThe Legend L100 are good-looking, however not outstanding in look.
Upon mentioned listening, I did start to suspect I is perhaps capturing a tad low in my monetary estimates, which leads me to…
Sound
The L100 sound very, excellent, though once more—the same old caveat about differing tastes. I used a NAD M10 streaming amplifier (rated to supply 100 watts steady into 4 ohms) to drive the audio system, and the consequence was distortion-free to my ears from barely audible to 100. The sound shade didn’t differ unduly with loudness, although there was what I prefer to name the traditional “graying” or lessening of obvious higher frequency copy at increased volumes, which is regular and varies by listener and surroundings.
PolkNote the “turbine” dimples within the woofer. It’s a bit tougher to discern the spire in the course of the tweeter. Click on the pic to increase it to full dimension.
What notably impressed me concerning the L100, and the explanation I appreciated them a lot (secret revealed!), was their bass copy. With no further EQ, it was spherical and suitably punchy with out being overly in your face. Absolutely dead-on for my tastes, however there’s extra there by way of EQ if you would like it. Apparently, the aforementioned bass dispersion panel works fairly properly.
I’ve by no means heard a pair of audio system extra well-tuned for my tastes out of the field. I by no means felt any compulsion to hit up the M10’s EQ throughout regular listening, at the very least with high-fidelity materials. That mentioned, in the event you’re a mid-range junkie, aka, a JBL fan, you may discover the L100’s frequency copy a bit flat in your tastes. I’m speaking faint impressions right here, however I had that thought when listening, so I believed I’d cross it alongside.
I may babble on about sound discipline, isolation and so-on—so I’ll for only a bit. I discovered it notably simple to select particular person devices in all kinds of fabric (orchestral, rock, dance, and so forth.) in addition to hear what processing had taken place.
Indeed, in the event you’re an EDM composer and need to know once you’re excessive together with your side-chain compression (utilizing a sign from a second supply to modulate compression on the first materials), the L100 will let you realize. You received’t discover something rather more correct outdoors of studio displays. If all thatis meaningless to you, that’s my very roundabout manner of claiming the L100 are darn correct (in a musical manner) of their copy.
Conclusion
If you’ve gotten the money, I can safely say you’ll get pleasure from listening to Polk’s Legend L100 bookshelf audio system, they usually can deal with a good quantity of quantity with out spoiling the celebration. Then once more, I can say that for considerably cheaper audio system—equivalent to Yamaha’s self-powered HS studio displays that I take advantage of.
But these don’t radiate sound across the room the way in which the L100 do, which is a crucial consideration in the event you’re not planning on sitting lifeless heart on a regular basis—like once you’re dancing across the room due to the L100’s supremely well-tuned bass (and an appropriately catchy tune).
These are very, very good-sounding audio system from Polk. Give them a pay attention.