Polk Audio’s Monitor XT35 is just over 4″ high and less than 6″ deep, making it ideal for home theatre applications where a low-profile centre channel speaker is required. It can be placed on a table top and can also be wall-mounted thanks to a handy keyhole slot on the back.
Wherever it is placed, it delivers high-resolution sound to enhance movies, TV and games. It also matches perfectly with other speakers in the Monitor XT range, both in terms of stylish looks and clean sound.
The size of the room in which you intend to use the Polk XT35 is an important determining factor. Here, its suitability for different sized environments was assessed by considering its size and maximum power parameters: the Polk XT35 has a frequency response range of 57-40k Hz (±3dB) and a power range of 25-200W. At a minimum frequency of 57 Hz, the XT35 provides average bass depth, so depending on usage you may consider supplementing your system with a subwoofer.
Of the speakers in our database with an MSRP of up to USD 300 (per pair), these are the five passive centre channel speakers with bass levels deeper than the Polk XT35’s 57 Hz. With a sensitivity of only 87 dB, the Polk Audio Monitor XT35 is a difficult speaker to drive in terms of sensitivity, so if you like to listen to music at high volumes, choose a high-powered amplifier. Tube amplifiers in particular may struggle due to their lower output compared to Class A/B and Class D speakers.
The diagram below shows how much SPL is instantly lost (compression) or gained (enhancement; usually due to distortion) when the speaker is played at a high output volume by a log-sine sweep of 2.7 seconds, based on 76 dB at 1 m. The signal is played back continuously without any additional stimulus. It is then normalised against the 76 dB result.