About the Polk Audio Blackstone™ TL3
Big-speaker performance in the palm of your hand
Big-speaker performance in the palm of your hand
Polk completely reimagined the compact speaker when they designed the Blackstone TL3. Built using the same tweeter design found in their flagship full-sized speakers and packed with exclusive state-of-the-art technologies, the TL3 overcomes some of the usual limitations of compact speakers. You'll hear the kind of accuracy and detail you expect from a much-larger speaker, including a wide soundstage, realistic detail, and deep bass response. It's the perfect choice when space in your living area is limited, but your love of great sound is not.
Crisp, dynamic sound thanks to high-tech drivers
A big part of the TL3's incredible sound is the 3/4" ring radiator tweeter. Found in Polk's flagship speakers, this sophisticated tweeters reproduce transparent, natural highs. The 3-1/4" aerated polypropylene woofer is lightweight, but also stiff and strong, allowing the cone to move more freely in the baffle. It means you can play your music loud without hearing any distortion. Polk's Extended Linear Motion voice coil helps make the cone's movement even more efficient to further cut down on distortion and extend the speaker's dynamic range. This increased efficiency is the key to the TL3's big sound.
Immersive home theater performance
The "TL" refers to Polk's "Time Lens" technology, which aligns the drivers in such a way that high- and low-frequency sounds all reach your ears at the same time. This improves the speaker's imaging and soundstaging, so that you'll feel less like you're watching a movie and more like you're part of it. An "acoustic lens" in the speaker grille disperses sound waves in a way that makes your music and movie soundtracks sound larger and more open. The TL3 also features Polk's acclaimed PowerPort® technology to help reinforce bass output. Plus, its sturdy cabinet is reinforced with a steel plate to help fight resonances that can muddy the sound.
Easy speaker placement
The TL3 has a keyhole slot in the back for easy mounting on your wall straight from the box. You can also use the threaded insert to attach it to an optional speaker bracket or stand. Create your own home theater system using a combination of black TL3's in the front of your room and white TL3 surrounds in the back. Don't forget to add the TL3 center channel speaker and a Polk subwoofer to complete your system.
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Product highlights:
- Time Lens technology aligns the drivers for better soundstaging and imaging
- frequency response 115-28,000 Hz (-3dB)
- sensitivity 88 dB
- handles up to 125 watts
- 3/4" Ring Radiator tweeter
- 3-1/4" aerated polypropylene Dynamic Balance® mid/woofer
- Extended Linear Motion (ELM) voice coil helps reduce distortion and extend dynamic range
- PowerPort® technology for better bass response
- steel-plate reinforced cabinet fights internal resonances
- curved enclosure with high-gloss finish
- 5-way gold-plated binding posts
- includes combination keyhole slot and threaded insert
- video-shielded to prevent magnetic distortion on tube TVs
- 4-1/2"W x 7-3/4"H x 5-11/16"D
- weight: 3.0 lbs.
- warranty: 5 years
- MFR # AM3335-A
What's in the box:
Polk Audio Blackstone™ TL3 owner's manual
- Gloss-black satellite two-way loudspeaker
- Detachable black cloth grille (attached)
- Mounting bracket
- 1/4"-20 mounting screw
- System Diagram/Warranty sheet
- Template
- Online Product Registration card
Customer reviews for Polk Audio Blackstone™ TL3
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More details on the Polk Audio Blackstone™ TL3
Features & specs
Enclosure | Bass Reflex | |
Finish | Composite | |
Color | Gloss Black | |
Tweeter Type | Ring Radiator | |
Tweeter Size (inches) | 0.75 | |
Midrange Size (inches) | N/A | |
Woofer Size (inches) | 3.25 | |
Woofer Composition | Aerated Polypropylene | |
Woofer Surround | Rubber | |
Power Range | 10-125 | |
Sensitivity | 88 dB | |
Impedance (Ohms) | 8 | |
Frequency Response | 115-28,000 Hz | |
Connector Type | 5-way post | |
Bi-amp Inputs | No | |
Height (inches) | 7-3/4 | |
Width (inches) | 4-1/2 | |
Depth (inches) | 5-11/16 | |
Weight (pounds) | 3 | |
Wall-mountable | --- | |
Bracket Included | Keyhole | |
Recommended Stand Height (inches) | 28-34 | |
Parts Warranty | 5 Years | |
Labor Warranty | 5 Years |
Product Research
Driver
Technology
Enclosure Design
Connections
Mounting Options
Driver Technology
Dynamic Balance Driver Technology: Polk Audio's patented Dynamic Balance process allows Polk to design their drivers specifically for flatter frequency response, revealing the sharpest details and a more lifelike transparency, with absolutely no strain even at high volume. It's a bold, rich, warm, and lifelike sound.
Time Lens Technology: The sophisticated laser alignment of the "acoustic center" of the Blackstone TL3 tweeters with their accompanying drivers results in far superior imaging. The acoustic centers of the tweeter and mid-range woofer are aligned, creating a crisp accurate soundstage. The acoustic centers of the tweeter and mid-bass driver are located in the same plane for superior imaging, while the acoustic lens incorporated in the grille smoothes the tweeter's frequency response.
3/4" Ring Radiator Tweeter: The Polk Audio Black Stone TL3 series satellite speaker features a 3/4" ring radiator tweeter that is normally found only on high-end loudspeakers. The 3/4" ring radiator tweeter offers incredible accuracy and detail, so you music sound likes the artist intended.
3-1/4" Aerated Polypropylene Woofer: The Polk Audio Black Stone TL3 series satellite speaker employs a 3-1/4" aerated polypropylene cone woofer with Dynamic Balance driver technology (Polk's patented transducer design process) that produces a flat frequency response, with sharp detail, transparency, and the ability to play loud without strain. The aerated polypropylene cone is lightweight, yet stiff and strong, with longer linear excursion capabilities in a limited compact enclosure space, so it plays louder with less distortion.
Optimized Linear Motor Structure: Engineered for better compact speaker performance, Polk's OLM Motor Structure flattens the BL Curve, making cone movement more efficient than previously possible, reducing distortion and extending the small speaker's dynamic range right up into big speaker territory
Frequency Response: The overall frequency response is 90-31,000Hz, and the -3dB frequency response is 115-28,000Hz.
Additional Speakers: The TL3 satellite speaker will require a powered subwoofer (107PSW111, sold separately) for full-range sound. You can also add addition TL3 series speakers for 2.1, 3.1, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 channel home theater configurations.
Enclosure Design
Enclosure Type: The Polk Audio Black Stone TL3 series satellite speaker features a non-resonant composite enclosure with time-aligned geometry, and PowerPort technology.
Curved Enclosure Design: The Polk Audio Black Stone TL3 satellite speaker employs non-parallel surfaces that not only lead to a stronger, more rigid and acoustically inert enclosure, but they also result in less audible coloration from internal surface resonances.
Steel Reinforced: Extra-rigid steel plates reinforce the curved enclosure of the TL3 series satellite speaker, resulting in acoustically inert enclosures free from internal resonances and any audible coloration, for more lifelike audio detail.
Integrated Acoustic Lens: An innovative acoustic lens incorporated into the grille produces a high frequency response so smooth that it delivers a balanced, realistic performance. An acoustic lens is molded into the back of the speaker grille and helps create imaging frequency balance previously impossible in small high-performance satellite speakers.
PowerPort: The Polk Audio Black Stone TL3 series satellite speaker utilizes Polk Audio's patented bass venting technology, for added midbass response and increased efficiency. PowerPort technology decreases port turbulence and virtually eliminates "port noise," for a massive 3dB boost in bass response.
High-Gloss Finish: The Polk Audio TL3 series satellite speaker is available in a durable, deep automotive-strength high-gloss white or high-gloss black finish to match today's most stylish flat-panel TVs.
Connections
5-Way Binding Posts: The Polk Audio Black Stone TL3 series satellite speaker is equipped with one pair of 5-way binding posts to ensure a secure connection to many types of speaker cables and connectors. The binding post terminals will accept banana plugs (single or dual), pin-connectors, spade-connectors, and bare wire (18-12 AWG).
Mounting Options
Rubber Foot: The Polk Audio TL3 satellite speaker features integrated rubber foot so you can sit the speaker on a stand or shelf securely.
Wall Mountable: The Black Stone TL3 satellite speaker comes with a wall-mount bracket that features a keyhole slot. The included wall-mount bracket attaches to the speaker's 1/4"-20 threaded insert. The keyhole slot lets you mount the speaker to a wall with a single mounting screw (not supplied). You can angle the speaker left or right by adjusting the bracket position on the back of the speaker. The 1/4"-20 threaded insert on the back of the satellite speaker can also be used for mounting the speaker to the wall using an optional articulating bracket (sold separately).
The Polk Audio Blackstone™ TL3 replaces these items
Boston Acoustics RS 230
- frequency response 78-26,000 Hz (±3dB)
- 1" tweeter and 3-1/2" woofer
- voice-matched to other Reflection Series speakers
Polk Audio VM20
- bass-reflex (passive radiator) design
- frequency response 80-25,000 Hz
- Dynamic Balance® drivers
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These speakers are replacing some older larger speakers and are truly AWESOME - - they provide a clear crisp sound. For a small speaker, they really throw a punch. I cannot thank CRUTCHFIELD enough for the recommendation. They are everything they claim to be and more !!!
ROD from PINEHURST, NC.