If you’re short on time and just want the highlights of this article, here it is:
The Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 Two-Way Bookshelf Speakers provide a great listening experience with their Hi-Res Audio Certified Terylene dome tweeter, Power Port, and Dynamically Balanced acoustic array. They offer great compatibility with 4-ohm, 8-ohm, and vintage audiophile amplifiers and receivers, as well as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround sound AVRs.
That being said, the ES20 may not be the best choice for those looking for a warmer sound or extra depth in the low frequencies. Additionally, it lacks some additional connection options such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
Overall, the Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 Two-Way Bookshelf Speakers are a great choice for anyone looking to upgrade their sound system with full-range hi-fi and cinematic sound.
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Now let’s get to its bolts and nuts.
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 Review: Sound quality
Let me tell you something right off the bat.
The sound quality performance you'll end up getting from a speaker will always depend on your room acoustics - particularly room dimensions and speaker positions.
The impact of the combination of these two is actually so strong that in most cases, it doesn't even make sense to utter a single word on sound quality without speaking of them.
This is also why it's not unusual to see completely different reviews of the same speaker.
In one case the speaker might be placed in a sweet spot inside the room and hence the user might be satisfied. In other cases the same speaker might be ill placed and hence user might even have returned it.
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The point most people miss here is that it mostly isn't even about the engineering behind the speaker itself. It's about where you place the speaker inside which room.
So, in order to solve this problem, I've partnered with Acoustics and Audio Engineering PhD Andrea Cicero from AC Acustica and created Soundton - a simple, 2D, browser accessible online speaker placement calculator.
With Soundton, now there's a way to figure the sound quality of most speakers before you buy them.
Read more about its working principles at soundton.com.
The end colormap provides you the locations with the best (green) and worst (red) acoustics.