Our take on the Polk Audio Monitor 40

by Tom Mathew

No room for tower speakers? No problem. Get rich sound with deep, high-impact bass from Polk's Monitor 40 bookshelf speaker. It sports dual 5-1/4" Dynamic Balance® woofers and a 1" Dynamic Balance silk/polymer dome tweeter. The highs are vibrant and detailed, while the mids and lows are bold and clear. A rear-panel flared port reinforces the bass without introducing sound-muddying noise. And the rock-solid MDF construction virtually eliminates resonance.

At about 16" tall, the Monitor 40 will fit in rooms where tower speakers will not, and its high-efficiency design lets it produce big sound without loss of clarity. Dual 5-way binding posts allow for bi-wiring or bi-amping. For even better bass extension from your stereo music, just team the Monitor 40 up with a Polk powered subwoofer. Plus, you can put together a voice-matched Polk Monitor home theater speaker system for thrilling surround sound! Use the 40s as front and surround speakers for small-to-medium-sized rooms, or pair them up with the Polk Monitor 60 or Polk Monitor 70 towers for larger rooms.

Recommended center: Polk CS1

Highlights:

video-shielded
bass-reflex (ported) design
frequency response 57-24,000 Hz (-3dB)
8-ohm impedance
sensitivity 89 dB
handles up to 125 watts
dual 5-way binding post terminals
black oak vinyl finish
7-1/16"W x 15-3/4"H x 13-1/8"D
warranty: 5 years
Our 60-day money-back guarantee

Priced per pair

Hands-on research from the Crutchfield Labs (what are the Labs?)

Features and specs chart | What’s in the box? | In-depth notes

Features and Specs


Enclosure Loading...	Bass Reflex
Video Shielded Loading...	Yes
Tweeter Loading...	Dome
Midrange size (inches) Loading...	N/A
Woofer size (inches) Loading...	5-1/4
Woofer Composition Loading...	Bi-laminate
Woofer Surround Loading...	Butyl rubber
Power Range Loading...	20-125
Sensitivity Loading...	89 dB
Impedance (Ohms) Loading...	8
Frequency Response Loading...	57-24k Hz
Connector Type Loading...	5-way post
Bi-amp Inputs Loading...	Yes
Height (inches) Loading...	15-3/4
Width (inches) Loading...	7-1/16
Depth (inches) Loading...	13-1/8
Weight (pounds) Loading...	16
Mounting Bracket Included Loading...	No
Recommended Stand Height (inches) Loading...	31-34
Parts Warranty Loading...	5 Years
Labor Warranty Loading...	5 Years

Product Research

What's in the box?

Download owner's manual

2 Black bookshelf speakers
8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
Owner's Manual
Online registration sheet

Our Product Research Team

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Features
Note

Features

Dynamic Balance: Dynamic Balance is a proprietary Polk Audio technology using laser imaging to determine what combination of speaker materials create the least amount of resonance. Eliminating resonance in speakers results in a wide, smooth response and low distortion.

Polymer Composite Woofers: Each speaker features two lightweight, yet stiff Bi-Laminate composite woofers with good damping, giving you high efficiency, excellent bass, and low distortion. For high performance durability, each woofer uses a butyl rubber surround.

Silk/Polymer Tweeters: Each speaker has a 1" fabric/polymer dome tweeter that provides clear, detailed highs. Each tweeter uses a heat sink on the Neodymium magnet for superior heat dissipation, power handling and reliability.

Acoustically Inert Cabinets: The speaker cabinets feature all-MDF construction with internal bracings that virtually eliminate sound-muddying resonance.

Ports: There is a single critically-tuned port opening on the rear of each speaker that has low port noise for increased and extended bass response.

Dual 5-Way Binding Posts: Each speaker has two sets of gold-plated 5-way binding posts connected by gold-plated jumpers. Using the dual 5-way binding posts, you can bi-amp or bi-wire the speakers.

Magnetically Shielded: The speakers are magnetically shielded, allowing you to place them near your television without distorting the picture.

Note

Frequency Response Note: The overall frequency response is 47Hz-25kHz and the -3dB frequency response is 57-24kHz.

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1-10 of 18 items >> Sort Results By: Date Reviewed | Rating | Helpfulness

4 out of 5

Polk Audio Monitor 40

Written By thetawave2, Boston, MA on Wednesday, April 13, 2011

It's unfair to compare the Monitor line to the LSi line. The Monitor 40's LSi counterpart is almost three times as expensive! Sure, the Monitor 40 is a bit lacking in the deep bass, but it is a bookshelf speaker (and a relatively inexpensive one at that). For what it is, I was actually quite impressed by the bass response. Support a pair of these with a decent subwoofer and you won't be disappointed. The treble can get a bit harsh, especially sibilants, but this is not a problem at moderate listening volumes.