Polk Audio CS100 Centre Speaker

Polk Audio's center-channel entry is compact, unobtrusively styled, and intelligently fashioned: Its half-trapezoid profile permits either level monitor-top placement or under-monitor location with a desirable upward tilt. The cabinet is nicely finished in matte black and has a black grille. Dual 4-inch woofers flank a dome tweeter, with a single vent at the left end of the baffle. Amplifier connections are via push-terminals on the back panel.

The CS 100's sound was quite clear and well balanced. It did not have the low-end impact of some of the costlier, larger-driver designs, but its bass response was surprisingly solid, controlled, and accurate down to about 100 Hz. That's perfectly adequate for use in Pro Logic's Normal (bass-splitting) mode. Power handling was also unexpectedly good, with the speaker's limits becoming apparent only with full-band-width music signals at 100 watts or more.

The CS 100's top end sounded unrestrained and open, with only a slight lack of top-octave extension. Voices of every type were natural and lifelike; there was little of the chestiness or honkiness that frequently plagues small speakers-just a hint of dryness around 500 Hz. Treble reproduction remained unusually consistent off-axis, holding up well to 30 degrees or more to either side. The midrange timbre also held up very well in listening positions quite far to the sides, which should enable the CS100 to work well in small rooms that have widely spaced seating arrangements.

I'd expect the Polk CS100 to match most contemporary stereo loudspeakers except, perhaps, those with obviously exaggerated midrange outputs. Boasting the lowest price of our group, the CS 100 is nevertheless a good performer and thus a conspicuous value.