Polk Audio T50 Tower Speaker Review

Finding a good tower speaker is easy, so long as you don’t take a look at the price.   

With many good tower speakers just as expensive as a down payment for a brand-new car, it’s no wonder most people believe that they shouldn’t bother buying anything outside of the speakers that their TV has to offer. This is probably why soundbars have become so popular, because they are so much more affordable.  

But the truth is, even if tower speakers usually cost more, they’re not always that much more expensive compared to soundbarsYou see, if you look hard enough, you’ll find that there are quality speakers out there for a good price.  

The Polk Audio T50 is a good example of that.   

These tower speakers feature the familiar big, booming sound commonly associated with tower speakers. It’s punchy enough to bring your favorite games, movies, and music to life, thanks to its two passive radiators that’s conveniently located belong the woofer. It also has a tweeter to complete the entire package. But that’s not all. The best part about the Polk Audio T50 is that it comes with none of the premium price.   

The Polk Audio T50 is also available in different packages. It’s available either as a 3-channel home theater bundle, on its own, and as a pair, among others. Read on more below to find out if the Polk Audio T50 Tower Speaker is your next buy.  

TECHNICAL FEATURES

  • Peak Power: 150 Watts 
  • Total Frequency Response: 38 Hz  24,000 Hz 
  • Nominal Impedance Range: 8 ohms – 6 ohms 
  • Sensitivity: 90 dB 
  • Lower and Upper - 3dB Limits: 40 Hz  30,000 Hz 
  • Polk’s exclusive Dynamic Balance drivers (5.25”) and Tweeter (1”) for wide response and low distortion 
  • Compatible with most home theater AV receivers 
  • Comes with a 5-year warranty for the cabinet and drivers 

Polk Audio T50 150 Watt Home Theater Floor Standing Tower Speaker (Single) - Amazing Sound | Dolby and DTS Surround
  • GET SUPERIOR HOME THEATER EXPERIENCE WITH IMMERSIVE SURROUND SOUND & HI-RES AUDIO. Featuring a 1" tweeter, a 6.5" Driver and (2) 6.5" Bass Radiators. The 2 bass radiators augment the main woofer and produce a well-balanced, natural warm sound reaching the far corners of the room
  • AMPLIFY YOUR MOVIE, MUSIC AND GAMING EXPERIENCE with this T-series speaker that not only sounds brilliant but also heightens your audio experience. Fill any small to medium sized room, produce captivating lifelike sound, which pulls you right into the heart of the action
  • CREATE A FULL-FLEDGED 5.1 HOME THEATER SETUP with the complete range of T-series speakers from Polk with two T50 Tower Speakers, one T30 Center Channel, two T15 Bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer
  • Polk speakers are COMPATIBLE WITH MOST HOME THEATER AV RECEIVERS giving you many setup arrangement options - in single or multi-room with 2.0, 2.1, 3.1 systems or an immersive 5.1, 7.1 or 9.1 setup
  • POLK'S UNMATCHED QUALITY AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE. With these value-priced speakers, you can now enjoy premium acoustics, high quality construction, easy setup and a spectacular theater experience right at home

Our Review 

Whether for music, video games, or movies, the Polk Audio T50 really does stand out. Just try watching any Blu-ray quality movie in stereo and you’ll see the difference. Yes, the T50 doesn’t come with a subwoofer. Nor does it have surround sound. But you wouldn’t even know unless you try to actively remind yourself.   

Right from the very start, the Polk Audio T50 will impress you with its clear sound and tight bass. The 6.5-inch driver, 1-inch tweeter, and 6.5-inch bass radiators work together to produce satisfying and hard-pounding beats that will bring to life whatever it is that you are watching or listening to.   

Speaking of bringing to life, the T50 will complete your living room. Covering the medium-density fiberboard cabinet is a handsome black grain, wood vinyl finish. Meanwhile, protecting the drivers are a removable, curved black cloth grille. Even if this is billed as an entry-level model, you wouldn’t even know the difference!   

In addition to the already-mentioned aesthetics, the Polk Audio T50 also has a pedestal base that looks nothing like what you would expect from a tower speaker of its caliber. Also, when it comes to tower speakers, you’ll find that the Polk Audio T50 has a small blueprint.   

Yes, it’s not really that thin. However, it doesn’t consume much space either. It measures in at 36.25 inches in height, 7.75 inches in width, and 8.75 inches in depth. As mentioned earlier, the Polk Audio T50 comes with two 6.5-inch bass radiators, a 6.5-inch woofer, and a 1-inch tweeter. The reason why we are mentioning this again is because all three play a huge role in the speaker’s design. 

Not to mention, for those wondering why the T50 has bass radiators, there’s a good reason for that. Unlike bass ports, bass radiators are easier to place around the room and generally don’t produce “chuffing” noises commonly associated with bass ports.   

Finally, completing the Polk Audio T50 package is its 5-year warranty for both the Cabinet and Drivers.  

Why Shouldn’t I Buy the Polk Audio T50 Tower Speaker? 

For the average user, the Polk Audio T50 is perfect. It’s affordable and packs a wallop! But it’s not for people who are looking for the finer details in audio.   

The reality is, you can’t just tune these budget speakers and expect them to perform well above its pay grade. Yes, it’s a cost-effective model. It can even go toe-to-toe with more expensive models. However, the drivers just aren’t good enough for those subtle touches that audiophiles and those with finicky ears want to hear.  

Forget about hearing the guitarist slide their hand across the fret board or audiences coughing during live recordings. Thankfully, these details are only important for people with hi-fi tastes.  

That’s a niche market for select individuals. That’s why, if you are just like everyone else and just want to listen to your favorite movies, video games, and music, you should find that the Polk Audio T50 has plenty to offer for not a whole lot. 

Pros:

  • Affordable 
  • Powerful, punchy bass with minimal to low distortion
  • Flat sound signature
  • Comes with a handsome black grain, wood vinyl finish and a removable, curved black cloth grille 
  • Excellent build quality 

Cons:

  • Lacks the finer audio details 
  • Would have benefitted greatly from another driver 
Polk Audio T50 150 Watt Home Theater Floor Standing Tower Speaker (Single) - Amazing Sound | Dolby and DTS Surround
  • GET SUPERIOR HOME THEATER EXPERIENCE WITH IMMERSIVE SURROUND SOUND & HI-RES AUDIO. Featuring a 1" tweeter, a 6.5" Driver and (2) 6.5" Bass Radiators. The 2 bass radiators augment the main woofer and produce a well-balanced, natural warm sound reaching the far corners of the room
  • AMPLIFY YOUR MOVIE, MUSIC AND GAMING EXPERIENCE with this T-series speaker that not only sounds brilliant but also heightens your audio experience. Fill any small to medium sized room, produce captivating lifelike sound, which pulls you right into the heart of the action
  • CREATE A FULL-FLEDGED 5.1 HOME THEATER SETUP with the complete range of T-series speakers from Polk with two T50 Tower Speakers, one T30 Center Channel, two T15 Bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer
  • Polk speakers are COMPATIBLE WITH MOST HOME THEATER AV RECEIVERS giving you many setup arrangement options - in single or multi-room with 2.0, 2.1, 3.1 systems or an immersive 5.1, 7.1 or 9.1 setup
  • POLK'S UNMATCHED QUALITY AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE. With these value-priced speakers, you can now enjoy premium acoustics, high quality construction, easy setup and a spectacular theater experience right at home

Conclusion

Is the Polk Audio T50 Tower Speaker perfect? Definitely not. But is it a great buy for the money? Yes. A thousand times yes.   

Although soundbars are en vogue these days, there’s just no replacing the sound quality and entertainment that you’ll get with a complete home theater system. The Polk Audio T50 is a great way to achieve that without punching a hole in your wallet.  

Even on their own, the Polk Audio T50 delivers the kind of performance that will leave you in disbelief as to just how affordable they are.  

Last update on 2021-12-31 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API