About the Polk Audio Legend L100
Legendary sound from Polk
Legendary sound from Polk
Small speakers that produce huge, highly detailed sound are hard to come by. But Polk looks to have done just that with the Legend L100. If you've been waiting for a pair of ultra-smooth, deliciously musical speakers that aren't giant space hogs, you might have just met the latest addition to your hi-fi system.
No, that's not a heat sink! It's Polk's patented rear-firing Enhanced Power Port®, which reduces noise and increases bass output compared to traditional ports.
High-tech drivers for terrific performance
Polk has learned a thing or two about speaker design in their nearly five decades of business. The L100s' drivers reflect the company's passion for reproducing sound as naturally and as accurately as possible.
Take for instance their newly designed 1" Pinnacle ring radiator tweeter. It's a remake of a design that made Polk's LSi Series speakers beloved by our audiophile customers for years. Its carefully tuned waveguide helps create a wide listening "sweet spot," while also producing precise spatial imaging.
This highly acclaimed tweeter is joined by a 5-1/4" Turbine Cone™ midrange/bass driver, whose innovative shape dramatically increases stiffness without adding mass.
Ideal for music and for movies
Use this pair of L100s with confidence as part of an audiophile-grade stereo system, or as the front or rear channels of a Legend Series surround sound system.
Whether you're enjoying your favorite album or the latest superhero movie, you'll appreciate the crystal-clear, vividly realistic sound this speaker produces.
Upscale fit and finish
The L100s feature heavily braced enclosures to reduce vibration and eliminate unwanted resonance. Each speaker is finished in a real-wood black ash or brown walnut veneer, and includes a removable magnetic grille.
You'll want a powerhouse amp to drive them
Many more affordable Polk Audio speakers are known for their high efficiency (they don't need much power to produce great sound). That is not the case for the L100s. Because of their high-end design and construction, they need more power to sound their best.
The L100s have a nominal impedance of 4 ohms, and at 85.5 dB efficiency, they're real "gas-guzzlers." I highly recommend a high-output power amp or integrated amp to drive these speakers.
If you'd like personalized advice on matching these speakers with an amp, give one of our advisors a shout for a free expert recommendation.
Add a sub for better bass...
If you love hard-hitting thump with your music, consider adding a powered sub to complement the L100s. This doesn't mean you need to blast your room with bass, but it does give you that extra bit of low-frequency impact that helps make listening to music so emotionally satisfying.
My powered subwoofer buying guide has tips on choosing the right one for your room and taste in bass.
...and place them on stands so they sound their best
Proper speaker placement is also crucial to getting the best performance out of the L100s. Placing them on a pair of speaker stands helps eliminate unwanted vibrations and reflections. Read my article on stereo speaker placement for positioning and setup tips.
Got wire?
The L100s doesn't include any speaker wire. Read our article about choosing and installing speaker wire.
Shop our selection of speaker wire.
Product highlights:
- 1" ring radiator tweeter with an integrated waveguide for focused high frequencies
- 5-1/4" Turbine Cone midrange/bass driver
- frequency response: 57-38,000 Hz (-3dB)
- for deep, hard-hitting bass consider adding a powered sub to complement the L100s
- impedance: 4 ohms
- sensitivity: 85.5 dB
- high-current amplification from a quality power amp or integrated amplifier is recommended for best performance
- recommended amplifier power: 30-160 watts
- bass-reflex (ported) enclosure with rear-firing Enhanced Power Port
- reduces noise and increases bass output compared to traditional round or slot-firing ports
- removable magnetic grille
- real-wood veneer finish
- 7-13/16"W x 13-11/16"H x 11-5/16"D
- weight: 16.9 lbs. each
- warranty: 5 years (10 years non-transferable with registration)
- MFR # AM8615-A
What's in the box:
Polk Audio Legend L100 owner's manual
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- Cleaning cloth
- Owner's Manual
- Online Registration
Featured video:
Customer reviews for Polk Audio Legend L100
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More details on the Polk Audio Legend L100
Features & specs
| Enclosure | Ported | |
| Finish | MDF/Wood veneer | |
| Color | Black | |
| Tweeter Type | Ring Radiator | |
| Tweeter Size (inches) | 1 | |
| Midrange Size (inches) | N/A | |
| Woofer Size (inches) | 5.25 | |
| Woofer Composition | Polypropylene | |
| Woofer Surround | Rubber | |
| Power Range | 30-160 | |
| Sensitivity | 85.5 dB | |
| Impedance (Ohms) | 4 | |
| Frequency Response | 57-38k Hz | |
| Connector Type | Binding post | |
| Bi-amp Inputs | No | |
| Height (inches) | 13-11/16 | |
| Width (inches) | 7-7/8 | |
| Depth (inches) | 11-5/16 | |
| Weight (pounds) | 16.9 | |
| Wall-mountable | No | |
| Bracket Included | No | |
| Recommended Stand Height (inches) | 24-28 | |
| Parts Warranty | 5 Years | |
| Labor Warranty | 5 Years | |
Product Research
Features
1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter: The Polk Legend Series L100 bookshelf loudspeaker features a new 1" high definition Pinnacle ring radiator tweeter. Developed by Polk Audio, it delivers ultra-clear, crisp highs without unwanted coloration or distortions. The Pinnacle tweeter features a finely tuned waveguide that dramatically improves the dispersion of high frequency energy ensuring a broad "sweet spot" and while the critically damped rear-chamber helps to defeat any unwanted resonances. Hi-Res certified, the Pinnacle Tweeter is designed for today's two-channel music listening as well as multichannel 3D audio found in music, movies, sports, and video games soundtracks.
5.25" Turbine Cone Woofer: The L100 bookshelf loudspeaker houses a single 5.25" Turbine Cone woofer to handle midrange, midbass, and bass frequencies. Polk developed the new Turbine cone specifically for the Legend series to ensure the natural reproduction of the mid-range, the frequencies our ears are so sensitive to. The Turbine cone combines Polk's proprietary foam core and the molded Turbine geometry which dramatically increases stiffness and damping, without adding mass - resulting in a smooth, detailed midrange and effortless bass.
Enhanced Power Port: Traditional bass ports make noise (chuff) and mask the low frequency bass notes you want to hear. The new enhanced Power Port design smoothly transitions air flow from the speaker into your listening area for louder, cleaner bass while minimizing turbulence, distortion, and port noise. Polk engineers worked tirelessly, fine-tuning the Enhanced Power Port to smoothly transition airflow from the speaker. You get what your music and soundtracks demand - tighter, louder and cleaner bass that can be heard and felt. The L100 features one rear-firing Enhanced Power Port.
Carefully Engineered Cabinet: The Polk Legend Series utilizes MDF/wood veneer speaker cabinets that are internally braced and carefully engineered to minimize unwanted internal standing waves and eliminate unwanted resonances. The result is a cabinet that rigidly holds the drivers while faithfully reproducing movie and music soundtracks. The speaker cabinet is available in a black or walnut finish.
Magnetic Grille: The Polk L100 includes an anti-diffraction magnetic grille for unaltered sound. The integrated magnets make it easy to attach and remove the grille from the bookshelf loudspeaker.
Binging Post Terminals: The Polk Legend Series L100 bookshelf loudspeaker is equipped with a set of binding-post terminals that will accept bare wire (16-10AWG), pin-connectors, spade-lugs, and banana-plugs (single only).
Mounting & Placement Options: The Polk Legend Series L100 can simply be placed on a stand (sold separately - see Accessories Tab), shelf, tabletop, or other stable flat surface. The L100 bookshelf loudspeaker can be used as front and/or rear speakers in a home theater application, or as a stereo pair in a dedicated 2ch system setup.
- In a 2ch stereo setup or as front speakers in a home theater application, you'll get the most realistic stereo image by placing a pair of speakers as far apart as your listeners are sitting from them. You may choose to angle the speakers toward the middle to support a more solid center image
- You can use the Legend Series speakers as rear surround speakers in a home theater setup. Ideal rear channel surround speaker placement is along a side wall, slightly behind and above the listening position. If you cannot place rear surrounds along the side walls, position them along the rear wall above the listening position.
Note: The L100 does not include brackets, keyholes, or inserts to wall mount the speaker.
Legend Series: The Legend Series is a cumulation of more than 45 years of speaker innovation and research by Polk. The Legend Series by Polk delivers exceptional imaging, incredible detail, and impactful bass response for stereo and home theater applications. The Legend Series features Polk's new Pinnacle tweeter, Turbine cone, Enhanced Power Port design, and SDA-PRO technology (L800 model only). Polk's Legend Series consists of two floorstanding loudspeakers (L600 / L800), two bookshelf loudspeakers (L100 / L200), a center-channel loudspeaker (L400), and a height speaker module (L900) - all sold separately.
Warranty Information: The Polk Legend Series loudspeakers are covered by a best-in-class 5-year limited warranty. When you register your product on the Polk Audio website, you'll receive a free, non-transferable, 5-year warranty extension.
Optional Power Subwoofer: Add one of Polk's powered subwoofers (sold separately - see Accessories Tab) for bigger, deeper, and more impactful bass when listening to your favorite movie and music soundtracks.
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Customer Q&A
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Very good speakers that provide a natural, expansive sound with great imaging capability.
Jonathan from BURBANK, CA