With versatility and a golden sound, Polk’s Hampden speakers hit the sweet spot of the desktop genre.In the era of wireless audio, the basic computer speaker has taken a back seat. Not many folks out there are looking for a boring pair of beige towers, anchored to that aging desktop on the back-room desk.
Premium home theater and music performance; Polk Audio’s exclusive Dynamic Balance drivers and tweeters for wide response and low distortion. Wide dispersion drivers and tweeters project sound over a wide area so every listener in a room hears open, “box-less,” three dimensional sound.
But Polk’s new Hampden powered speakers aren’t your average desktop set.Designed as a sort of hybrid, the Hampden ($400) have both the form and function to cross genres, bearing an understated vintage design, as well as digital, wireless, and analog connection options to cover a host of applications. And the best part is, they sound pretty damned good, too. Hands on video. Out of the boxPulling the Hampden from the box creates the same woody, back-porch vibe that Polk has carefully crafted for other pieces in its Heritage line, such as the.
A window on the front lights up like an old school analog flip clock.The kicked back design isn’t just for show, however, as the angle of the speakers is designed to aim the sweet spot right at your ears, to great effect. The rotary-style volume/power dial on the right speaker is mostly for show, but we’re fine with that too. The dimly lit front window displays volume level with white painted numbers like an old school analog flip clock, and it just looks cool.A side button marks the only other control on board, changing source to digital USB, analog 3.5mm, or Bluetooth, which also shifts the backlight to correspondent white, orange, or blue tones respectively.
Control is extremely intuitive, right down to the Bluetooth connection which pairs automatically to your device when selected. The hardwired inputs are found at the back side of the right speaker, which routes the sound to the left piece via a four-pin cable.Strangely, the supplied USB cable was extremely tight when we tried to connect. We were able to get it to work by jamming it in (never a good idea, by the way) but a colleague actually ended up stripping plastic off the USB port on his computer with the cable. We’re hoping this was a fluke, but we thought it worth mentioning — you might want to get your own cable.Inside those rustic-looking cabinets, the speakers house some clever engineering, including four discrete amplifiers for each of the system’s drivers, which Polk claims translates to greater realism in the sound. Active crossover’s route audio between the drivers, and the internal DAC is claimed to outperform the one inside your PC (which isn’t a stretch for many PCs).Each speaker hosts a 1-inch soft dome tweeter, set above a 4.5-inch polypropylene midrange woofer, both mounted in a bass reflex enclosure, which takes its job of beefing up the sound seriously. Music performanceThe Hampdens have a sweet and immediately engaging sound signature that’s warm and toasty on the bottom, punchy in the middle, and crystal clear at the top end. The speakers have a knack for displaying detail, as well as wide open spaces across the soundstage, making for a very pleasant listening experience across a variety of genres.
A few muffled vocal lines and a strangely stubborn USB cable keep us from an all-out love festSome of our favorite moments came when we auditioned a few go-to acoustic tracks, such as Ray Lamontagne’s “I Still Care for You.” Silver and gold seemed to fill our ears as the speakers brushed out clear, metallic lines on the top from the string clicks of acoustic guitars, matched by deeper resonating tones from the bass and detailed thumps from the toms. Listening on, we were continuously impressed by both the precision and fluidity in the instrumentation.
From fuzz bass, to papery snares and powdery ride cymbals, instruments were a delight to behold.The speakers also exhibited some powerful bass chops for their size, which played well for hip-hop tracks like Jurassic 5’s “Concrete Schoolyard,” which sounded excellent. The speakers never made it down to the 60Hz zone, but upper bass was always full and rich. Pushing Lorde’s “Royals” hard, we did get a bit of driver rattle, but that’s to be expected, especially since the Hampden are able to get loud — VERY loud.
In fact, we never had the courage to push them to more than around 7, even from across the room.For whatever reason vocals with a lot of effects in the production had a tendency to get a little lost in the mix during our evaluation, falling into the background as the instrumentation took the spotlight. The issue occurred in songs as varied as Bowie’s “Rebel, Rebel,” to Sting’s “Seven Days.” It was subtle, and far from a deal breaker, but we sometimes felt we had to strain a little to hear the vocal line above the fray.
Polk Audio is another industry heavyweight that's been around for ages. I already mentioned founder Sandy Gross on the last page, and I'd say Polk is one of the few brands the average non-audiophile consumer might actually recognize. Reasonably affordable Polk speakers are standard issue at big box retail stores like Best Buy, while has always done well on the somewhat more upscale side of things. Polk makes monitor speakers, towers, subwoofers, sound bars, car audio,. It's a rather full portfolio.What we haven't seen from Polk is desktop audio. The last pair of computer speakers I saw with the Polk name on them was, shall we say,.
So when Polk sent me a press release for their Hampden speakers earlier in the year, I was not particularly excited. The release spent a lot of time discussing the 'elegant' aesthetic, the Bluetooth connectivity, and Polk's DJ Stream app which lets party goers collectively stream a playlist from their smartphones. Clever, sure, but not exactly the focus I look for in a $399 desktop speaker setup.
But when I dug deeper into the actual design and looked past the marketing spiel, the Hampden ended up looking more appealing. So, I asked for a review pair, and I'm sure glad I did.The Hampden, more than any other model in this roundup, looks like a 'traditional' speaker. They aren't impossibly small like the Audioengine, nor do they have the brand-specific looks of the Definitive model. No, this is a straight forward monitor speaker that, for the most part, would fit right in to a lineup of non-desktop oriented 'bookshelf' speakers.
Size is roughly 10 inches high by 6 inches wide and less than 7 inches deep. Where that deviates most from 'regular' speakers is the cabinet depth—most smallish monitors are usually closer to 10 inches deep (or more), which makes them difficult to fit onto a desktop even if the other dimensions aren't a problem. Hampden is closer in size to an NHT SuperZero, a PSB Imagine Mini, and even the Harbeth P3ESR, all of which have found homes in desktop rigs despite not being strictly designated as such.Looks are of course subjective, but I find the Hampdens to be quite fetching.
Pictures don't really do them justice, I expected something looking good from a distance but sort of cheap up close. The teak veneer is actually very nice, fitting unexpectedly well with the white front face and brown accents. I particularly like the slightly rounded edges on the enclosure which keep it from being just another rectangular box. Though it won't challenge something like a, the Hampden setup looks suitably nice considering the price.Controls are laid out logically on the right side of the right speaker and are very intuitive. Inputs include USB (limited to 16-bit/48kHz), 1/8 inch minijack, and wireless Bluetooth using the high quality aptX codec. I used aptX briefly and had good results, with none of the dropouts I've suffered through on some other Bluetooth audio gear. I'm still not sure I quite see the point of this feature, in my mind the Hampdens are primarily intended to sit next to a computer, making USB the interface of choice.
But at least the Polk used the best sounding Bluetooth method possible. The aptX codec compared to Apple's AirPlay method, and at least as far as the Hampdens are concerned it seems essentially lossless when playing FLAC or WAV files. Lossy files are another story, the cascading of lower bitrate files combines with the lossy codec combines the flaws of each for a more obvious loss of fidelity.As with the DefTech Inclines, Polk had the wisdom to angle the speakers back which really helps with placement. The bottom ported design thus ends up firing somewhat forward due to the angle, so in theory they should work better in tight spots. In practice they really need some breathing room, especially on the sides, to keep from sounding bloated in the lower regions.
Are you sensing the common theme between all three models here? Adequate room is always welcome for best results.On the technical side, the Polks are competitive with the Definitive offering, though somewhat different. The driver array consists of a 4.5 inch woofer mated with a 1 inch silk dome tweeter. I found a few references online claiming Polk uses passive radiators in the design, which is simply not true. These are traditional bass reflex (ported) speakers so I'm not sure where that came from. Onboard DSP optimizes the incoming signal and routes it to four internal class D amplifiers—30 watts for each woofer and 10 watts for each tweeter for a combined total of 80 watts RMS.The SoundI have to preface this by saying I've never been all that impressed with the lower end Polk speakers.
I suppose they get the job done for someone who just wants to step up from a 'home theater in a box' type system. In that respect, and considering the sale prices often found online, I'm sure they end up being a good buy in some situations. But for strict 2-channel listening I've never heard any of them that really spoke to me in the way similarly priced competitors did—think entry level stuff from NHT, Wharfdale, PSB, etc. I like what I've heard from the LSI line but those are significantly more pricey. Again I didn't know what to expect until I got the Hampdens up and running. And again I was surprised by how impressive they ended up being.My first attempt with the Hampdens had them toed-in rather significantly, just because that's my normal routine. First impressions were generally good but they did seem slightly hotter up top than I prefer.
Prior speakers in this same position, including the Adam Audio F5, the, and the aforementioned Audioengines had sounded just about perfect in this position. Moving the Polks outwards until they fired straight ahead did the trick though, off axis tweeter response was still nice and clear but also shelved down just a touch, making them just about perfect for my preferences. That slightly more energetic top end remains just an angle adjustment away should someone desire it.With proper setup achieved, I found the tonal balance to be very pleasing, with just the right amount of extra warmth. I'd call them very slightly colored but not overly so. The sound was clearly more full bodied that the little Audioengines, less brittle, and lacking any of the midbass shenanigans. What I got instead was solid bass response on the same level as the Definitive models, but a tad more articulate making it that much more believable.
Midrange clarity was also particularly noteworthy. Vocalists ranging from Freddie Mercury to Johnny Cash, Holly Cole to Chhom Nimol, all had a certain 'rightness' that can be elusive in this price range.I was also impressed with their ability to handle orchestral works—the constant meter changes in Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, the difficult cello portion of Brahms' Second Symphony, the lead oboe solo in the second movement of Bizet's Symphony in C, the Hampdens tracked all of these in a very expressive manner, not at all recessed as is common with slightly warmish sounding speakers. It's really an interesting signature, a bit of warmth, smooth but well extended top end, and very present, capable midrange without being recessed in the least. The end result brings to mind the Westone ES5 which remains one of my favorite in-ear monitors of all time. Of course, the Polks are not in the same league with regard to resolution and technicalities, but considering the price disparity I wouldn't expect them to be.
Still, for someone wanting to capture that sort of sound in a desktop speaker, the Hampden is a great choice.As with both other models here, close boundaries really muddied an otherwise clear and open sound. In this case it was side boundaries which did the most harm. As long as I gave them a few inches to the rear everything was fine, likely thanks to the laid back angle combined with those down-firing ports. But side walls were another matter and you really want 6 to 8 inches on each side (or more), lest you end up with a bloated mess.
Hp Polk Audio Computer Speakers
I struggle to come up with an example of desktop speakers that don't have at least some space limitations so I can't hold this against Polk. It's just something to plan for when making a choice in desktop audio.The Definitive Inclines makes an interesting comparison. In some ways the two models are similar, yet the overall voicing is different enough to stand apart. As much as I enjoy the Inclines I have to give the nod to Polk in this case. Its presentation isn't quite as spacious, but it more than makes up for it with its engaging midrange and slightly better low end kick.
I also find they do a better job of portraying accurate timbre on cymbals. While remaining fairly smooth up top, the Polks do reproduce more information up there, and thus better recreate the proper character of each instrument. The Adam F5 takes everything up yet another notch, but the improvement comes at a price both literal and figurative; the F5 goes for $150 more, takes up more desk space, looks arguably less appealing in solid black, and lacks any digital inputs. So on value alone the Polk Hampden may just be the best I've encountered.and.Overall ConclusionsSticking a USB DAC inside an active monitor may sound like something of a gimmick.
Having spent considerable time with these models, I actually have to say I'm sold on the idea, at least for certain situations. From a simplicity standpoint it really does make sense. I would like to see increased support for higher resolution playback but this seems like a good start for now.The Audioengine A2+ is a cute little guy that sounds surprisingly big for its size. If they avoided the midbass weirdness it would be an easy recommendation, especially considering the lack of competing small monitors on the market. As it stands, I'm cautious about them as I believe many in the readership of InnerFidelity will hear this obvious problem - it's not subtle. For more casual listeners these may be a good choice but for everyone else I'd say look elsewhere.The Definitive Technology Incline is a very competent desktop speaker system. You could certainly do a lot worse - I'd chose the Inclines over the older but still competent B&W MM-1, to pick just one example.
The nature of their bipolar design necessitates ample room to the rear which precludes them from working well in certain situations. But if you've got the space to accommodate them, and if having a very large soundstage tops your list of sonic priorities, I'd definitely consider giving the Inclines a shot. If you can snag them at a discount then all the better - it's looking like the official price may have recently dropped down to $249.Last but not least, the Polk Hampden is a quite simply a killer desktop solution. It beats the Definitive Inclines in multiple (but not all) key areas and for my tastes looks better doing it. Ample space is once again the name of the game, but if you can make it work I highly suggest giving the Hampden a try. As a relatively affordable all-in-one DAC/active speaker solution they are without peer, and have single-handedly revived my faith in the affordable side of the Polk brand. While not matching the Adam Audio offering in sheer sonic prowess I find the Hampden good enough in its own way to merit a spot on the Wall of Fame.
Great review! I own the A2, and concur with your findings. They are doing nice duty now with my TV.As an alternative to the Adam F5 and an alternative to these three speakers if one has the room, the JBL LSR305 is definitely one to consider. They can be had on sale for $250/pr, and you get bass down below 45Hz, precise imaging, and active crossovers leading to one amp per driver.
Polk Audio Rt8 Tower Speakers
Versus the F5 you get better bass and give up a little transparency.for half the cash. They also serve as mini monitors in a traditional hifi set up just fine. So very glad you put up this review. I too have settled upon the notion of one day upgrading my Klipsch desktop speakers to the Adam Audio F5. They simply beat the competition everywhere I find a review.But my problem is I must keep my current computer set-up in a cabinet, which makes the addition of speakers any larger than my Klipsch impossible. One day this won't be an issue and when the day arrives I may have to re-look at these options if only as they would allow me to save a few bucks and apparently get to within 90% or so of the quality of the F5's.