Polk Audio LSiM 703 Bookshelf Loudspeaker Review

Polk Audio has been producing great audio equipment since they were founded in 1972. They really have been influencing the audio industry for decades now. They have lines of product that stretch from home and car audio, to marine and concert equipment. The LSiM 703 is a perfect example of one of Polk’s high performing products with excellent build quality.

The Polk LSiM703 has a stunning design. First thing you notice is that it’s a three-way bookshelf speaker. This is pretty rare in the bookshelf speaker world yet Polk makes it look natural. It features a 1″ tweeter, 3.25″ midrange driver and a 6.5″ midrange driver. The dimensions for this speaker are 16.75 x 8.8 x 14.6, pretty large for a bookshelf. It’s also one of the heaviest that we’ve tested, at nearly 30 pounds! We really liked the look of this speaker. It’s veneer finish is classy and the flush mounted drivers on it’s black glossy finished front make it one of the best looking speakers in our opinion.

It’s built with high grade materials too. It has a .75″ thick enclosure walls, made from MDF. Inside it’s braced with 1.25″ thick MDF. The tweeter is a ring radiator. The 3.25″ and 6.5″ midrange drivers are built with Aerated Polypropylene cones. This material is light, yet incredibly stiff to produce responsive, distortionless sound. The speakers feature Extended Linear Motion voice coils. These coils have been said to allow for higher power handling and allow for greater excursion. The baskets are made from cast aluminum. This gives the speakers a great amount of strength, keeps the weight down and also allows for heat dispersion for keeping these speakers cool.

When we tested the Polk LSiM703s, we were impressed at how full the sound was. The three way design work incredibly well together to really have a natural sound without any gaps in frequencies. One of the surprising things we noticed was it’s ability to reproduce the lower frequencies and bass. For a bookshelf design, this is among the better speakers that we’ve tested for bass. But with almost all bookshelf speakers, we do recommend to have a powered subwoofer to complement the lower frequencies with this bookshelf set.

All in all, the Polk Audio LSiM703 is a very well rounded speaker. They’re built and backed by a large, well established and highly reputable audio company and deliver great sound. They are a bit pricy but if you’re in the market for a high-end bookshelf speaker, the LSiM703 definitely is a great choice.

Household Audio has assembled a list of the Best Bookshelf Speakers here. Check them out!