Reddit reviews Polk Audio OWM3 Wall and Bookshelf Speakers | The Most High-Performance Versatile Loudspeaker | Paintable Grilles (Pair, Black)
We found 30 Reddit comments about Polk Audio OWM3 Wall and Bookshelf Speakers | The Most High-Performance Versatile Loudspeaker | Paintable Grilles (Pair, Black). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
POLK OWM3 are durable, high performance speakers, equipped with a 4.5" Mid/Woofer, 1" Tweeter, exclusive Dynamic Balance & Capacitive Coupling Technology (CCT) that PRODUCES DETAILED AUDIO, MAKING YOUR MOVIE & MUSIC NIGHTS EXQUISITEENGINEERED WITH QUALITY, Polk's compact multi-application speaker delivers DEEPER BASS WITH MINIMAL DISTORTIONS EVEN AT EXTREME VOLUME LEVELS. No more muffled sounds anymore, just NATURAL LIKELIKE SURROUND SOUND FILLING YOUR ROOM7 UNIQUE PLACEMENT OPTIONS – The DISTINCT CURVED DESIGN allows you to choose between 7 orientations - horizontal, vertical, corner, angular, shelf, top or mount them on a wall. Take your pick!VERSATILITY IN APPLICATION AS WELL – In your bedroom, as surrounds for home theater or plug them to your computer for an immersive gaming experience. Movie, Music or Play, one room or more – we’ve got it all covered!Polk’s UNWAVERING COMMITMENT, RELIABILITY, AND CRAFTSMANSHIP has made it one of the most trusted names in home audio. They bring out the best in sound systems, so you can SIT BACK, RELAX AND LISTEN WITH YOUR HEART
Instead of going 5.1 right away, you could buy a great 2.1 or 3.0 depending on the center speaker availability and sales, and save up for the subwoofer or center and surrounds to buy later.
Receiver:
Denon AVR-S530BT $150 refurbished 5.2 AV receiver with HDCP 2.2 for 4K HDMI
Popular and highly recommended Denon AVR1400 $300, 7.2/5.2.2 with Audyssey MultEQ XT.
Speakers:
AverageJoe's list and r/HTBuyingGuides Speakers.
Internet Direct: HTD, Ascend, Chane...
On sale:
3x Wavecrest Audio HVL-1, order on sale here $160 pair + shipping. A third for $80 horizontally as a center speaker.
Polk Audio Signature S20 $250 or Polk Audio Signature S15 $180 with Polk Audio Signature S30 center.
Budget entry level speakers, Sony SSCS5 $120 and Sony SSCS8 $120
Surrounds: Aperion Audio Intimus 4b $200, Fluance $150 or $230, JBL Arena 120 $140 Thin Profile, Polk Audio OWM3 $100, Polk Audio Blackstone TL2 $200.
Speaker wire and wire strippers.
Subwoofer:
HSU 10" VTF-1 MK3 $425 shipped. Or go larger with the 12" Rythmik LV12F front ported for $550 shipped when it becomes available next month (currently shown is the older rear ported version).
5.1 Speaker Packages:
JBL Studio 270 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System Package $850
Boston Acoustics 5.1.2 package $800.
Guides:
r/HTBuyingGuides, Frequently Asked Questions, How to Set Up a Basic Home Theater System - Lifewire, How to Set Up Your Home Theater Receiver, Speaker Placement for Home Theater, Crutchfield Guides
That receiver is Golden, never replace it for stereo! I use a VSX-D1S from the same era right now in my setup!
>My questions are: can I hook up a sub to this, and if so how?
Like this http://i.imgur.com/Z8FMJ.png Your amp is just bigger. You can probably even use the "B" channel.
> And on the side next to the volume knob there are some buttons, currently I'm using the "simulated" option running the "Acoustic" preset. What is Dolby 3CH Logic? Does that setting mean I can use a left and right satellite along with the "center" speaker that came w/ my 5.1 set from years ago? Can I obtain true 5.1 sound coming from twin RCA cables? What are the "A" and "B" options on the back of the receiver for the right and left speaker hookups?
Try to run in plain Jane stereo mode. (probably just press the simulated button again and shut it off.) Not sure if the unit has a "DIRECT" mode but if it does enable it. You want to go through and make sure there aren't any tone adjustments (Bass, Treble) set it all to 0's as I can see the indicators on the right showing a big bass boost and a small treble boost.
3ch means what you think. It will fake in a center channel based on what sounds are present in the left and right equally. Movies this is good, Music it is bad. You will get 5.1 to play but nothing close to a digital signal via SPDIF or HDMI. This unit is best left as a Very good stereo receiver. A+B channels if you have two different speakers you want to use. In your case you would likely hook the sub up to the B channel and leave both on.
As for speakers (proper speakers) I would get the monster Fluance SX6's if you think you can fit them. After that some Micca's or ... Polk OWM3's^(shhh haven't reviewed them yet) would work with a sub.
For $1000 you could build a decent home theater system that destroys a soundbar setup Atmos or not. You'll definitely get the best Atmos experience with the speakers in or on the ceiling but that's not doable for a lot of people. Here's a list of equipment I put together in about 5 minutes. Keep in mind this setup would allow you to do two Atmos speakers. If you want to do 4 the cost of the receiver doubles.
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Reciever $250: https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/denavrx1400h/denon-avr-x1400h-7.2-ch-x-80-watts-networking-a/v-receiver-w/heos/1.html
Fronts/rears/center $380: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B9TF1XS/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07B9TF1XS&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=21517efd-b385-405b-a405-9a37af61b5b4&pd_rd_wg=puxin&pf_rd_r=H5T2WA4F1VT30XSQ2ZEB&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&pd_rd_w=FAHO2&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pd_rd_r=9dc55bc6-e9cb-11e8-9729-43f65cfc73de
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If you wanted upfiring atmos speakers
Atmos Upfiring $99: https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-T22A-LR-Speaker-designed-Andrew/dp/B0148NPHO8
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If you want to mount directly to the ceiling or high up on a wall pointing down
Atmos on ceiling: $99 https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Wall-Speaker-Black/dp/B0018QNYVM
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Subwoofer $140: https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-sub-1200-12-120-watt-powered-subwoofer--300-629
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In this setup you'd plug all of your HDMI inputs into the receiver and then have the receiver output go to your TV. This is better than HDMI ARC because it allows you to use the lossless Dolby TrueHD Atmos tracks that blurays use. HDMI ARC doesn't support lossless audio and compresses everything to Dolby Digital+.
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You don't gain that much from having those extra side speakers unless the room is extremely large and the speakers reasonably far away from your listening position, and the ceiling speakers more than make up for having the two extra side speakers. The reason 5.1.4 is the sweet spot is because receivers that do it are still reasonably affordable... if you wanted to do 7.1.4, the receivers to do this get more expensive... a good $1000 price jump, from spending $600-1000 for a receiver to spending $1750-2500.
The last number is the number of ceiling speakers you use. Some people have 5.1.2 systems, others have 7.1.2.. you'd be better off with 4 ceiling speakers in 5.1.4 configuration than a 7.1.2 configuration. The ceiling speakers don't have to be super expensive.. these are mine...
https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Wall-Speaker-Black/dp/B0018QNYVM/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1542558117&sr=8-7&keywords=polk+wall++speaker
you do want to (except for the subwoofer) try to have the same brand of speakers throughout the whole setup. I have a Polk CS2 center, Monitor 70 fronts, and Monitor 60 rears. (These used to go on sale at newegg from time to time.) These speakers have gotten some criticism by some people because of the tweeters, but they work fine as long as you get a receiver powerful enough to give them the juice they need... if you get an underpowered receiver that generates any clipping, it can blow the tweeters out.
Might as well throw in what receiver I got.. I didn't pay $900, I got it on sale for $700 I believe. And yes, it does pass through 4K HDR @ 60FPS.. that one star review is wrong.
https://www.amazon.com/Denon-AVRX4400H-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B072Z6VT1C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1542558660&sr=8-2&keywords=x4300h
I'd call this a "bang for the buck" setup.. it's not audiophile quality (but sounds like it to my ears) but it doesn't cost $5,000-10,000 either... total cost is around $2000 (when everything's on sale)... most people here could assemble a 5.1.2 setup for around $1000 (when shit's on sale) they'd be perfectly happy with. The most expensive components are the receiver and subwoofer. The least expensive components.. ceiling speakers. As a MGTOW you don't have to spend extra that the audiophiles spend getting more powerful speakers to accommodate large numbers of people. If you just have 1-4 people in your setup, it will cost a lot less than if you make a setup designed for 5-10 or more people. As distance from the speakers increases, required power goes up.
At some point I might end up moving this whole system so it's flush with the back wall.. my initial goal was to avoid glare from these massive windows but I think I can mitigate that with light blocking curtains. This would allow me to expand the soundstage more and make room for guests.
I think you can do better than the monoprice for a $1000 budget.
Front L/R ($220): http://www.htd.com/Products/level-two-speakers/Level-TWO-Bookshelf-Speakers
Center ($140): http://www.htd.com/Products/level-two-speakers/Level-TWO-Center-Channel-Speaker
Surrounds ($100): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018QNYVM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0018QNYVM&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwpuresimula-20
Subwoofer ($185): http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-F12-475-Watt-Subwoofer/dp/B0015A8Y5M/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1413988027&sr=1-1&keywords=bic+f12+subwoofer
Receiver ($135): http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/denavr1513/denon-avr-1513-5.1ch-home-theater-receiver-3d-ready/1.html
Grand total: $780. Just one possible build.
Also, if you want HTIB...this one is better than the monoprices: http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/focalsib51blk/focal-sib-cub3-home-theater-speaker-system-black/1.html
The biggest issue I have with both the Focals and the monoprices is the sub.
IMO it's not important to "match" surround speakers to your front setup. The T15's should be fine or take a look at these other Polks that might have a better WAF if you plan to wall mount https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018QNYVM/. I also like all of the Fluance bipolar surrounds and have used them in several systems in the past https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00067OLOS/ or https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01553D9CC/ or https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KAIHDRY/
For Atmos: def go in-ceiling if you can, better than up-firing whenever possible, here's Amazon's top 100 (ignore the anomaly soundbars and bluetooth speaker junk), in general you will probably get what you pay for. You don't need to brand/voice match in-ceiling speakers to your other speakers, but feel free to do so. For example if you have Polk rears, you might want Polk in-ceiling also:
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Electronics-Ceiling-Wall-Speakers/zgbs/electronics/12097474011
If not in-ceiling, then before you go up-firing, consider mounting two external speakers to ceiling above you as an alternate route. Polk OWM line is recommended for this as an example, due to great versatility in mounting options.
https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Wall-Speaker-Black/dp/B0018QNYVM
https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Multi-Purpose-Theater-Speaker/dp/B002778F88
https://goo.gl/images/FL5ggC
Well, nice is a relative term when spending $300 on speakers and a subwoofer. Its alot to ask for on that budget IMO, but it can certainly be done if it just plugs into a computer. /r/zeos has lots of good info, using his guide, I'd pick the Polk On-Walls for $100, Martin Logan 8" Subwoofer for $130 and an SMSL SA50 for an amp. You'll need banana connectors, speaker wire and a 3.5mm to stereo RCA for connectivity. That should be a good balance of sound. Don't get this setup without the subwoofer though, those speakers are designed presuming you have a sub, and will fit nicely on your desk, and the sub is small enough to fit comfortably underneath.
Small and cheap won't put out the sound you want in a cafe. I would suggest getting a receiver. You can connect by auxiliary, Bluetooth, or plug a flash drive into the denon models I have seen. You could probably find a used one for 200 or less depending on features. Then you can connect any speakers you want. Up to 5.
Something like this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007L8Q75G/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1413453674&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70
Or this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00M3NZDT0?cache=820a7785255f49d45f3542f80c1f2966&pi=SX200_QL40&qid=1413453726&sr=8-3#ref=mp_s_a_1_3
This is the most recommended if u can find it in stock http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JR6GJLW/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_11?colid=25PKQCCBPVIPQ&coliid=I88NLVPGQ7IZ1
Then some speakers like this to start
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0018QNYVM?cache=820a7785255f49d45f3542f80c1f2966&pi=SX200_QL40&qid=1413453934&sr=8-3#ref=mp_s_a_1_3
Or some bookshelf speakers if you want something bigger but possibly cheaper. Hit up your local Craigslist first though. People usually sell their whole system at once. Or look for a used receiver and speakers.
These speakers with this mount
I'll be honest it doesn't look the best if you are looking at the living room, but when watching TV its not noticeable.
I like the idea of the SMSL Q5 (enough power, sub out, built in dac with USB and optical, bass and treble controls, and a remote for $120).
It would pair well with a nice on wall speaker like the Polk OWM3
And if you need more low end, you can snag a Dayton Sub on the cheap down the road.
I would add, stay away from the Vizo soundbars. I have helped two of my friends set them up and they are overall pretty terrible. The sound out of my buddy's 65" Vizio TV actually sounded as good as, if not a tad bit better than the soundbar. It was pretty weird. And the sub is boomy and the crossover seems to be set higher than expected since the soundbar speakers don't have any low end. Because of that, the sound coming from the sub is very locatable, limiting the placement options one would have.
You can certainly use the MB42x-C, but I would think that you'd be better off long term with the C5. I haven't heard the same criticisms about the C5 but I can't defend it either. Even a "poorly matched" LCR would still be better than mixing and matching, IMO.
As for the surrounds, you really don't want the speakers behind the listening position on a 5.1 system. Instead of a seamless transition from the front soundstage to the surrounds, you'll hear it jump to the speakers behind you. Your receiver correction will handle the fact that the wall and surrounds are close to the listener.
If you're worried about the speakers themselves being too close to the wall, you may want to reconsider the MB42x's and instead go with something meant for wall mounting, such as the Polk OWM3's... https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Wall-Speaker-Black/dp/B0018QNYVM
If you're ready for a receiver upgrade, there's nothing better at $150 than an avr-x1400h. If you're not ready he can pick up a Denon s540bt for $150 or a Denon s730h for $220. I'd pick the 540 for an under $1,000 setup.
Bic America F12 Subwoofer (if wife allows)
Now you have quite a few choices for LCR. I'd start with Elac Debut 2 B6.2 and Matching Center. For ~$570.
Leave the rest for cables and upgrading surrounds for later. I'm currently pretty happy with my Polk owm3 for $100 but I have rear space restrictions.
You can also go the Fluance Route Fluance L& R, Matching center, and Bipole Surrounds for ~$500
So you "only" have a 5.1.2 then, correct?
>Hope I'm not being rude.
Nah, I understand stubborn father's, but it's usually about not wanting to pay a lot because the cheaper stuff is good enough, not so much not wanting to actually save money and get a much higher quality setup.
Even though upfiring isn't that recommended (in cieling on mounted on ceiling are, but you are in an apartment), for $1200 you could get:
If Atmos was disregarded, you can do even better.
So, just to give you a sense of what could be.
In such a confined space a 5.1.2 or 5.1.4 would work well as long as you can ceiling mount the atmos channels. With that budget i'd likely get this:
Receiver $600: http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/marsr5011/marantz-sr5011-7.2-ch-x-100-watts-networking-a/v-receiver/1.html
L/C/R speakers $860: https://www.chanemusiccinema.com/chane-loudspeakers/A2.4
Rear and height speakers $200: https://smile.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Wall-Speaker-Black/dp/B0018QNYVM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493048817&sr=8-1&keywords=polk+owm3 (This is the first time I've ever recommended Polk speakers)
Subwoofer $900: http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-3mk5HP.html
Normally I like towers for the L/R but your room is too compressed. The split gap woofers will give you better low end despite the small cabinets.
Trying to add surrounds and Atmos before a good subwoofer is putting the cart before the horse.
Go to 3.1, then 5.1, then 5.1.2.
You can add a pair of surrounds and Atmos channels for $193. The Polk OWM3 don't require mounting in the ceiling, just hung from 2 screws.
https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Wall-Speaker-Black/dp/B0018QNYVM
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B008NCD2LG
Your receiver needs Atmos support of course.
Excellent point...and pretty much why I decided on trying to get an AV installer...I'm completed baffled where to put them.
Here it goes. So I've been put in charge of replacing the sound system for our rowing facility. We have $1000 (with some leeway) and the only condition is that the speakers have to be wall mountable. We need 7 speakers in total and we already have a receiver (a gift from an alumni who decided to go sonos). What would you recommend reddit/what do you think about the Polk OWM3?
I've just been browsing amazon and found a pretty good setup for my budget.
Receiver
Left and right speakers
Center speaker
Rear speakers
Almost 600$ for the entire setup. I was also interested in the Dali Zensor 1 speakers that was recommended to me earlier, but they made the total price go up to almost 900$ I'm still curious if I should go with the Micca MB42X shelf speakers over the Dayton though.
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> If you're worried about the speakers themselves being too close to the wall, you may want to reconsider the MB42x's and instead go with something meant for wall mounting, such as the Polk OWM3's... https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Wall-Speaker-Black/dp/B0018QNYVM
The set I'm worried about being too close to the wall (in my original scenario) are the Fluance AVBP2 surrounds.
I've read that bipolar surrounds can sound decent behind the listener, that's the only reason I debated that setup.
I will check out the Polk's. I think I'm probably going to end up going with the Elac B6's and eventually the Elac C5 center.
So I see people are using these as Atmos speakers. Would it be better to directly mount to the ceiling pointing down or on the front wall pointing down? Polk Audio OWM3 On-Wall Speaker (Pair, Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018QNYVM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_FJ6ZAb0VMVVPW
My concern with bipoles(and especially dipoles) on the walls there would be a potential phasing issue with a reflection off of the back wall. There would also be an associated gain from the rearward facing speakers of the bipole firing into corners.
Since it doesn't seem like you're opposed to wall mounting speakers, you could go for something like the Polk OWM3 which have a variety of mounting options and could even be mounted in the back corners firing into your room or these JBL Studio 210's firing in towards your couch. These Fluance Signature Series bookshelves are front ported and come with a place to wall mount them as well. Good luck
By wider angle, do you mean further apart than the fronts? I intend to put them as far to the sides of the room as I can in the corner, and angling them slightly in toward the viewing position.
What do you think of the Polk OWM3 that /u/Armsc posted? $90 refurbished is about half what I paid for my fronts, so that seems reasonably proportionate.
Here's the problem $500 is a tight budget to start with and Dell doesn't have a great way to view their site (had a $200 gift card with my TV) nor are the prices great. For example we usually recommended refurbished receivers for people on a budget and in order to get Atmos an Atmos receiver from Dell you need to get this for $500 whereas the v583 (older model) is $250 and the exact same model is $330 so not being able to take use of a massive discount doesn't help. The other issue is the only passive bookshelf speakers that aren't crappy computer speakers is the Sony core bookshelfSony core bookshelf $120 and tower speakers or subwoofer (which is it? Idk) then they also sell the subwoofer (so maybe the other is the towers?). The core bookshelf speakers are actually pretty good however the subwoofer is worse than others in it's price bracket. However I still think it's your best bet and it's probably a lot better than any of the sound bar subs in your price range since Dell doesn't sell a better sub for the money.
This is my recommendation:
Future upgrades:
If you have any other questions let me know.
Edit: Also If you're doubting that a 2.1 is a better experience than the others you listed go to Best buy and some of the stores will allow you to demo speakers (or sound bars). It should be immediately obvious that those Sony speakers are in a different league seeing as though the main woofer on the Sony bookshelf is 5" and the Vizio subwoofer is 6" and the Sony subwoofer is 10" and the Vizio doesn't have a single tweeter so are going to be dull and harder to hear dialog in movies.
I am new to the home theater/audio hobby. I am looking to start simple with my new HT setup. I have a receiver, but am looking for new speakers. Can I start with just a front left/right? Are these viable options?
or
Any insight would be much appreciated!
Thanks.
I bought them August 13th, but yeah I'll definitely look into the warranty. I'm just looking to replace the speakers as a whole with two new speakers. I though something like this might do the trick, but like I said I just don't know the intricacies of speakers. I'm not sure what amps, watts, and ohms have to do with compatibility, if they are even relevant at all.
Edit - Here is a picture of the speaker specifications
For my Front height speakers, I use a pair of Polk Audio OWM3. They work rather incredible.
I wanna give you a comparison build if you ditch wireless and go for a traditional passive speaker system. This is just an example:
That's a full-fledged 5.1 system that will knock the socks off of a soundbar or any wireless system for $975 total. Some quality oxygen-free copper 14AWG speaker wire, banana plugs and some raceways (or ghost wire https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Adhesive-Speaker-Conductor-Sewell/dp/B079NTKWS2) would run you about an additional $100~$150.
If you have the room for it, replace the bookshelf L/R speakers with towers of equivalent price from the link I showed you above. And you can add a second sub in the future and 2 Atmos speakers on your ceiling. Totally modular.
You can even shell out a bit more and get ridiculously good bass performance to make your movies + games + music that much more immersive. I'd recommend either an HSU VTF-3 MK5 for around $600 (http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-2mk5.html), or an SVS PB-1000 (which I personally have and recommend) which runs around $430 used (https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00K88UMPW/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all).
Polk OWM3. Flat and easy to wall mount but crossover at 100hz.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51zrv1psmfL._SL1200_.jpg
https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Wall-Speaker-Black/dp/B0018QNYVM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518556572&sr=8-1&keywords=polk+owm3