Polk Audio CS1 (black)

Manufacturer: Polk Audio, Inc. Part number: CS1

Zoom Compare with most popular

$96.99 - $133.42 at 3 online stores

CNET Editor rating:
3.5 stars Very good
Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 6 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: This full-size center-channel speaker sounds good with both movies and music and blends well with Polk's other Monitor Series speakers.

Where to buy

store customer rating inventory tax & shipping price

store	customer rating	inventory	tax & shipping	price
Store profile \| Buy now Trusted by millions for over 33 years!	Rate this store See store profile	In stock Money-back Guarantee!	Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price	$106.98 Shop now as of 09/06/2008
Etronics.com Store profile \| Buy now	Rate this store See store profile	In stock	$152.73 Shop now as of 09/06/2008
Amazon.com Store profile \| Buy now	Rate this store See store profile	Preorder		$96.99 Your best price Shop now as of 09/06/2008

Store profile | Buy now

Trusted by millions for over 33 years!

Rate this store
See store profile

In stock
Money-back Guarantee!

Enter zip code to get total price:

Price

+Tax

+Shipping

=Total price

$106.98

Shop now

as of 09/06/2008

Etronics.com

Store profile | Buy now

Rate this store
See store profile

In stock

$152.73

Shop now

as of 09/06/2008

Amazon.com

Store profile | Buy now

Rate this store
See store profile

Preorder

$96.99

Your best price

Shop now

as of 09/06/2008

*Total price for the Polk Audio CS1 (black) are estimated and may vary slightly based on exact tax, shipping, manufacturer rebate or any sale/promotion on the merchant site.

show

CNET editors' take

Polk Audio CS1 (black)

price range: $96.99 - $133.42

This full-size center-channel speaker sounds good with both movies and music and blends well with Polk's other Monitor Series speakers.

The good: Full-size center speaker; two 5.25-inch woofers flanking a 1-inch soft-dome tweeter.

The bad: It might be too large for some tastes.

The bottom line: This full-size center-channel speaker sounds good with both movies and music and blends well with Polk's other Monitor Series speakers.

Read full review

Polk Audio's CS1 center-channel speaker, which retails for $199 and is part of the company's updated Monitor line, doesn't stray too far from the classic box-speaker form. From the side, however, the CS1's wedge-shaped profile is distinctive, and its bright titanium front baffle and curved grille add a 21st-century flair to the design.

With a pair of larger than average 5.25-inch composite woofers matched with a 1-inch silk/polymer-composite dome tweeter, the CS1 definitely counts as a full-size center speaker. It measures an ample 7 inches high, 18 inches wide, and 9.6 inches deep; it weighs 13 pounds. The nonresonant 0.75-inch-thick MDF (medium-density fiberboard) cabinet construction is nice and solid, and the internal crossover uses high-quality parts. The heavy-duty, five-way binding posts cheerfully accept banana jacks, bare wire, or spade connectors.

Like the rest of the Monitor Series, the CS1 is available in faux-cherry or black veneers. Flat-panel TV owners should be aware that the CS1 isn't designed for wall mounting; it can either sit on top of your TV or on a shelf under the set.

In addition to the CS1, the Monitor Series includes a larger center speaker (the CS2), two bookshelf models, three towers, and two subwoofers. We partnered the CS1 with the smaller Monitor 30 bookshelf speakers and the PSW10 subwoofer. Feel free to substitute any of the other Monitor models for your system--the complete 5.1 system we tested retails for $879. Want to go all out and surround yourself with a 7.1 Monitor ensemble? That'll run $1,118. Shop around a bit, and you'll shave at least 25 percent off those quoted retail prices.

The recently remastered Goodfellas DVD sounds better than ever. Ray Liotta's narration sounded naturally full, with excellent detail. Multichannel SACD's higher resolution was readily apparent over the CS1. The Allman Brothers' classic At the Fillmore East, was the next best thing to being there. The CS1 achieved a seamless blend with the PSW10 subwoofer, and its timbre matched that of the smaller Monitor 30 satellites spot-on.

show

User reviews

Write Review

Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 6 reviews

Showing opinion 1 to 6 out of 6

Sort by:
9 stars

Excellent sound and looks great too!

by steveny on May 1, 2005

Pros: Inexpensive center channel speaker.

Cons: Faux cherry veneer but it still looks very good

Summary: I added this speaker ($200) to my other Polk monitors (40's on the front & 30's surround w/PS 10 sub-woofer driven with the entry level Sony digital ...

Read more

Summary: I added this speaker ($200) to my other Polk monitors (40's on the front & 30's surround w/PS 10 sub-woofer driven with the entry level Sony digital receiver). Total cost was about $900 not counting wires, stands etc. (Sub was free). For the money you won't find a better sounding (and looking) system. The center channel really brings out chords in concert dvd's I hadn't heard before as well as sounds in movies. High end clarity is superb and the woofers round out nicely on the soundtrack and effects. I highly recommend this center channel speaker.

Show less

4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 stars

Beautiful sound and design!

by gcook67 on May 31, 2005

Pros: Crisp, Clear and very accurate movie dialogue!

Cons: I have absolutely no regreats

Summary: I currently returned a Bose VCS-10 center channel speaker that was paired up with my Bose AM5 speakers due to the dialogue sounding muffled. When I purchased the Polk CS1 ...

Read more

Summary: I currently returned a Bose VCS-10 center channel speaker that was paired up with my Bose AM5 speakers due to the dialogue sounding muffled. When I purchased the Polk CS1 I a little nervous that it would not blend well in sound with my Bose speakers. When I got home and hooked it up I couldn't believe how Crisp, Clear and accurate the movie dialogue was. Because it puts out so much sound with less wattage (proving it is more efficient than the Bose) I had to turn up the surround speakers to + 5db. The sound is superb and I would recommend this speaker to Anybody!!!

Show less

3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Allan Hendricks

by Allan Hendricks on October 9, 2005

Pros: I hooked this speaker up today and watch Phantom of the Opera with it on and it sounded awesome.

Cons: no cons on this item.

Summary: I saw this item advertised at Fry's in San Diego for $100 off and got it for only $79 plus tax. Circuit City had a similar one for $179 ...

Read more

Summary: I saw this item advertised at Fry's in San Diego for $100 off and got it for only $79 plus tax. Circuit City had a similar one for $179 retail but would not match Fry's price since the stock number was two numbers off but had the same configuration with the speakers.

Show less

2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

awesome sound!

by edluver on July 14, 2008

Pros: looks & sounds great.

Cons: none whatsoever.

Summary: This is what music & movies r supposed to sound like.Crisp & clean,no distortion.Goes great with my monitor 70s & psw10.Match made in heaven.Highly recommend ...

Read more

Summary: This is what music & movies r supposed to sound like.Crisp & clean,no distortion.Goes great with my monitor 70s & psw10.Match made in heaven.Highly recommend this product,u can also get this @ electronics expo for 81.88 on sale.

Show less
8 stars

Good Step Up

by soupgfx on April 13, 2008

Pros: Solid Performer

Cons: Not sure if it could handle the super highs

Summary: I got this center channel because it was needed to replace a cheap Panasonic center channel my father gave me. The cheap speaker was part of a cheap 5.1 ...

Read more

Summary: I got this center channel because it was needed to replace a cheap Panasonic center channel my father gave me. The cheap speaker was part of a cheap 5.1 system so when I would watch movies my higher-end fronts and rears would over power it, drowning out the dialog.

Once I bought this speaker, it finalized my system. Now I can hear every word and has completed my 5.1 system.

Seems like it could pull just a tinge of more lows to round out the spectrum but for the $117.00 I spent I'm not complaining.

Looks good and performs well. I figure when I ready to step up to the real "Audiophile" level, I'll dump more money into something more higher-end but for what I need right now, this speaker does all that I ask for.

Show less
9 stars

Finally - great sound!

by crocktherock on February 26, 2007

Pros: Great sound

Cons: Boxy, LARGE, woody looking

Summary: I have been searching for a center speaker that does a movie good. Many speakers I've tried have a tinny sound, but this is rich, mellow, and got great ...

Read more

Summary: I have been searching for a center speaker that does a movie good. Many speakers I've tried have a tinny sound, but this is rich, mellow, and got great midrange. And can it crank! I read someplace that 85% of the sound comes out the middle channel on movies, this really does a movie justice! Beware tho that it's LARGE and dwarfs anything else you might have around it. It tends to draw attention to it because of it's size. What's the use of having tiny, unnoticable speakers tho if all you get is small crappy sound?

Show less

Showing opinion 1 to 6 out of 6

show

Specifications

Manufacturer: Polk Audio, Inc.
Part number: CS1

General
Product Type Center channel speaker
Width 18 in
Depth 9.6 in
Height 7 in
Weight 13 lbs
Available Body Colors Black, cherry
Speaker System
Series Monitor
Speaker Type 2-way - Passive
Response Bandwidth 55 - 25000 Hz
Input Impedance 8 Ohm
Recommended Amplifier Power 20 - 125 Watt
Sensitivity 89 dB
Crossover Frequency 2300Hz
Output Features Bass Reflex
Magnetic Shield Yes
Connectivity Technology Wired
Detachable Grilles Yes
Speaker System Details
Speakers Included Center channel speaker - 2-way - 55 - 25000 Hz - 8 Ohm - Wired
Driver Details Center channel speaker : 2 x Mid/woofer driver - 5.25 in - Dynamic Balance, Center channel speaker : 1 x Tweeter driver - 1 in - Dynamic Balance
Miscellaneous
Remote Control None
AV Furniture None

Power
Power Device None
Battery
Type None
Manufacturer Warranty
Service & Support 5 years warranty
Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Parts and labor - 5 years

show

Manufacturer info

Share
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
- Reddit
- Facebook
Print

Similar products

Polk Monitor 30 (black) $129.99 - $143.52
- CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good
- Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 3 reviews
Polk Audio PSW10 (black) $149.99 - $199.99
- CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good
- Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 10 reviews
Polk Audio CS2 (black) $183.54 - $229.99
- CNET Editor rating:
  Not yet rated
- Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 1 review
Infinity Beta C360 (black) $199.95
- CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent
- Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 1 review
Polk PSW111 Compact Powered Subwoofer - Black $269.00 - $299.99
- CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good
- Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Shopper.com strives to provide the best price, review, user opinion, and product information on the Polk Audio CS1 (black). Shopper.com updates pricing for all products multiple times each day. If you find a price, link, product specification, review, user opinion, or any other error for the Polk Audio CS1 (black), please notify us through our support form.