Polk Audio R30 Main / Stereo Speaker

I just had a pair of Polk Audio R30 towers delivered for $49.99 each + shipping from Outpost.com. I connected them to both a Harmon-Kardon HK 3480 receiver and Hafler DH-220 power amplifier and listed to them with a variety of sources including Scott Ross's classic Scarlatti harpsichord, acoustic Johnny Cash, William Clark, the Doors, and others.
In all cases I found the speakers to have an overly bright high end and midrange that sounds so strained it is as if it is coming through a tin cans on a string. The midrange imaging is all but non-existent because it is so strained, and the high end is grating. I moved them around the room to see if they had a sweet spot; they did not, they sounded bad everywhere.
After living with them for 2 days I find I can no longer listen to them because the bad sound irritates to no end.
I have a set of Creative Inspire computer speakers I bought for $50 that sound an order of magnitude better than the Polk Audi R30's. These speakers are tinny and unlistenable and are a waste of time and money at any price.