In this review, we will be comparing AE520 and R700, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Acoustic Energy and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE520 and Polk R700 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | AE520 | Polk R700 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome with waveguide | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.2" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 5" carbon fibre cone | 2 x 8" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30Hz - 28kHz | 38-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 300 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 30.00kg / 66lbs | 35.90kg / 79lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44.5" x 7.3" x 12.6"
1130.0 x 185.0 x 320.0mm | 45" x 12.6" x 16.9"
1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm |
|---|
What size room are the AE520 and Polk R700 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
AE520 |
Polk R700 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both AE520 and R700 are 3-way speakers.
AE520Polk R700
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
AE520 |
Polk R700 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.2-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
AE520 features a 1" carbon fibre dome with waveguide Tweeter, a 5.2" Midrange and 4 x 5" carbon fibre cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 373Hz and 2.8kHz. On the other hand, the R700 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
AE520 has a frequency range of 30Hz - 28kHz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the AE520 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R700's min frequency of 38Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
AE520 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the R700 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. AE520 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the R700's is rated at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the AE520 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R700, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Both handle the same maximum of 300 watts RMS, though AE520 is rated up to 300 watts and R700 50-300 watts.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
AE520 has a rear firing port whereas R700 has a bottom firing ports. Polk R700's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to AE520 with its rear-firing port.
Polk R700 Port
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare AE520's and Polk R700's external dimensions. AE520 has external dimensions of 1130.0 x 185.0 x 320.0mm (44.5 x 7.3 x 12.6inch) whereas Polk R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm (45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch).
Polk R700 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 135.7mm wider, 13.8mm taller and 108.3mm deeper than AE520.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the AE520 is approximately 592.0cm2 / 91.8inch2 and base area of the Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The AE520 requires 57% less surface area than the R700 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The AE520 weighs 30.00kg / 66lbs and the Polk R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs. This makes the R700 20% heavier than the AE520.
Here is a comparison of how AE520 and R700's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Polk R700?
Here are the items that come with the R700:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed)
- Grille
- Hex-key
- Owner's Manual
- Online Registration
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1130mm
vs
1143mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
592cm2
vs
1373cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
2198USD
vs
4999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE520 |
Polk Audio Reserve R700 |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 300 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30Hz - 28kHz |
38-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
carbon fibre cone |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with waveguide |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.2" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
373Hz and 2.8kHz |
350Hz and 2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1130.0mm (44.5") |
1143.8mm (45") |
| Width |
185.0mm (7.3") |
320.7mm (12.6") |
| Depth |
320.0mm (12.6") |
428.3mm (16.9") |
| Weight |
30.00kg (66lbs) |
35.90kg (79lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Resonance Suppression Composite (RSC) |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Piano Gloss Black, Piano Gloss White, American Walnut wood veneer |
Black, Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - AE520 costs roughly 2.3x what Polk R700 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
A |
AE520 digs deeper - 30Hz against 38Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
AE520 is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match |
B |
Polk R700 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (300W vs 300W). |
| Size |
depends |
AE520 is easier to place; Polk R700 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
B |
Polk R700: bi-amping. Polk R700 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
B |
Polk R700 is cheaper - $2,198 against $4,999, about 56% less; arguably a different class. |
A AE520
B Polk R700
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement or how you will use them.
Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 38Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Polk R700 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Polk R700 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, AE520 is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.