I recently learned about an exciting new product from Polk, the Monitor XT20 speakers, and I just had to test them out for myself because they looked and sounded amazing.
I spent a month properly testing these speakers by using them with my TV, my stereo system, connecting them to my Victrola record player, and I learned a lot!
As I tested them from every angle, I paid attention to sound quality, volume, how easy they are to set up and more.
If you’re interested in learning everything that I’ve discovered after testing out the Monitor XT20 speakers, keep reading!
At a Glance…
- COMPACT BOOKSHELF SPEAKER PAIR - Enjoy lifelike sound from movies, games & music with Polk Monitor XT20 that features a 1" Tweeter & a 6.5" Dynamically Balanced Woofer for rich, clear audio and open,...
What we like: Compact design and high-resolution sound
What we don’t like: Too big to fit on a bookshelf
Standout Features
- Modern speaker design
- First-class build quality
- Dolby Atmos sound
- Optional speaker stands sold separately
- Matches up with other Polk Monitor XT speakers
My Verdict:
I can say with certainty that after testing the Polk Monitor XT20 speakers that I thoroughly enjoy listening to my favorite music, movies, and TV shows on these powerful speakers. They deliver crystal-clear audio, the right amount of volume, great stereo sound, and I found it very easy to connect these speakers to my TV, stereo, and record player.
Who is the Polk Monitor XT20 Speakers Best Suited To?
Sometimes a product isn’t going to be suitable for everyone and this is true with the Polk Monitor XT20 speakers. To find out if you’re the right target audience, please consider the following:
- Electronically challenged individuals – do you tend to have a difficult time hooking up electronics? You have nothing to worry about with these speakers because you’ll simply connect the wiring to your electronic device and they’ll be pumping out your favorite music or TV shows in no time at all.
- People who love crystal-clear audio – more than anything else, I was incredibly impressed with the quality of the audio that came through these speakers. They truly deliver crystal-clear sound at the perfect volume levels every single time.
- People looking to save space – although these compact speakers are a bit larger than I originally anticipated, they are still small enough to fit in the tightest spaces. I just don’t recommend putting them on a bookshelf because they’re probably too large and too heavy.
Features & Benefits
Wired Connectivity
Unlike many of today’s newer electronics that connect via Bluetooth, these speakers are much more like traditional ones that have a wired connection. Some of you may not look at this as a benefit, but believe it or not you’ll appreciate the wired connectivity after you hook these speakers up to your surround sound or stereo system.
The beautiful thing is the clarity. The wired connection makes the audio sound truly amazing. It almost resembles the Dolby surround sound system that you’ll hear in the movie theater. It’s really that clear, that loud, and that powerful.
I don’t know about you, but I never experienced such a high level of quality audio from Bluetooth connected speakers. They are great and all, but they do not deliver the crisp clear sound that you’ll get with a solid wired connection.
Premium Build Quality
When I buy a new pair of speakers I always pay close attention to the build quality. I often wonder, “Is it made with the best wood and other material? Or is it made with cheap particleboard and plastic?”
Well, in this particular case, I’m happy to admit that they designed these speakers with a stylish case that is also incredibly sturdy, strong, and well put together. I wouldn’t recommend dropping your speaker anytime soon because that would be crazy because the inner components are very delicate. But if you did happen to drop it, the durable cabinet would likely survive without cracking or busting into a million pieces.
Dolby Atmos Certified
Do you know what else I love about these speakers? I love the fact that you can take them out of the box and immediately experience a surround sound type atmosphere as soon as you hook them up to your TV, amplifier, stereo system, record player, or other electronic device.
And the cool thing is that you do not have to purchase specialized equipment or other expensive components to get high quality sound. The Dolby Atmos components are already designed within the speaker, which means the audio is truly amazing and I can say this from personal experience because when I connect them to my TV it actually sounds like I’m sitting in a Dolby movie theater which is awesome.
5 Year Limited Warranty
This warranty is something to truly pay close attention to as someone looking to invest in new speakers. Why do I say this? Any company willing to back up their product with a five-year warranty means business. They know that their product is good and they are willing to replace it at any time during the next 60 months if the product is defective one way or another.
Plus, having a five-year limited warranty in place means that you aren’t going to get burned like some other electronics companies are willing to do their customers. Because things happen from time to time and products break during shipping, during manufacturing, and at other times. Knowing this five-year warranty exists means you can buy the speakers comfortably without worrying about purchasing a broken item and not being able to return it.
Effortless Bass
This awesome feature definitely needs to be mentioned because the bass is what gives your audio the extra oomph that it needs to deliver a high-quality listening experience every time. It’s the bass that tends to make a dynamic difference and delivers a low distortion responsive touchiness that makes instruments and voices sound clear when listening to music or movie soundtracks. The powerful bass also gives the audio an immediate and heart pounding impact that you wouldn’t experience if it wasn’t there.
Limitations of the Polk Monitor XT20 Speakers
Weight
Even though the overall design is compact and relatively easy to set up, I have to also mention that both of these speakers weigh 12 pounds each, which is definitely more on the heavier side. Some people might not be able to carry them easily or move them around, so it’s best to figure out exactly where you plan on setting them up and leaving them there once they’re in place.
I’ve set these speakers up in different spots throughout my home and I wouldn’t say I had a tough time moving them around because of the weight, but I definitely felt it after a while. Moving the speakers from one side of the house to the other was somewhat strenuous and they definitely started to feel heavy after a few minutes of carrying them around.
Size
For some reason Polk decided to market these speakers as bookshelf speakers, I would not be able to place them on my bookshelves for any reason. The speaker cabinet itself is a little too wide and a little too bulky, even though it really is a compact design.
As far as placing them next to my TV or my home stereo system goes, that’s a totally different story. That’s fine and it would work perfectly. But putting them on top of a weaker bookshelf doesn’t seem like a good idea because they might accidentally fall down and hurt somebody. And since they are on the heavier side, this is definitely something you’d rather avoid.
High Pitched Sounds
This isn’t to say that the speakers squeal whenever high-pitched audio comes through because that wouldn’t be fair and it wouldn’t be very accurate either. But nonetheless, there is a bit of a ting whenever the higher pitch notes come through the speakers and I felt it was important to mention this in case it’s going to be a problem for you. I know for a fact that it definitely isn’t a problem for me, but everybody is different.
Popular Questions
What Are The Dimensions and Weight of the Polk XT20 Speakers?
As I mentioned earlier, the speakers are a little bit on the heavier side because they weigh 12 pounds each, which is definitely nothing to sneeze at.
And the dimensions are as follows: 11 x 7 x 18”. This is a nice and compact speaker but it’s a little too big to put on a bookshelf in my opinion, but you may want to try it and it may work perfectly for you.
Is It Possible to Buy Replacement Covers for XT20 Speakers?
I recently read that a customer unfortunately ripped the speaker cover on one of his speakers and he wanted to buy a replacement. I never found out if it was possible to actually buy a replacement because somebody came up with a better and more effective solution.
They had him call Polk directly and tell them about the problem. Polk asked him to provide his purchase receipt number and they asked him a few other questions. Within 10 days, they mailed him a brand-new speaker cover, they paid the shipping charges, and they didn’t even charge him anything extra for his troubles.
I don’t know about you, but this sounds like the kind of company that I want to do business with because they actually care about their customers.
How Many Ohms and Watts Are Delivered through The Polk Monitor XT20 Speakers?
As far as the ohms are concerned, each speaker is 8 ohms if that helps. And even better, each of these speakers are capable of handling 25 to 150 W. They sound very loud and the audio is crystal-clear, smooth, and fresh sounding coming right out of the box.
Experience Incredible Audio like You’re Sitting in a Dolby Surround Sound Movie Theater!
The Polk Monitor XT20 speakers truly are worth their weight in gold, and since they weigh 12 pounds each you can tell that I really like the speakers a lot! 12 pounds a gold is worth roughly $43,000! I’m joking obviously but I think these speakers are wonderful and I want to solidify that point below.
I love how they sounded connected to my home theater system. They added a level of power to my movie watching experience that’s kind of hard to explain. I can say it best by mentioning that it sounds like I’m sitting in a movie theater whenever I have these speakers connected to my TV.
The audio is crystal-clear, it really delivers deep and resounding bass, and they are also very affordable which makes this a stunning option for anyone looking for beautiful stereo sound and a provocative home theater experience.
Are you ready to buy a new pair of speakers soon? The Polk Monitor XT20 speakers absolutely deliver on every level and they are perfect for low-tech people that don’t want to be bothered trying to figure out how to connect via Bluetooth.
Further Reading:
- 7 Best Wearable Speakers (Neckbands, Watches & Clip Ons)
- 9 Best Bike Speakers (Take The Beats On Your Bike)
- 8 Best Motorcycle Speakers (Under $50 to Over $400)
- 8 Best Wireless Speakers For TV (All Budgets)
- 13 Best Outdoor Rock Speakers (Under $50 to Over $400)
Trent is a music lover, musical instrument player and passionate audio afficionado.