In this review, we will be comparing Reference 2 2023 and S50, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Canton and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Canton Reference 2 2023 and Polk S50 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Canton Reference 2 2023 | Polk S50 |
|---|
| Brand | Canton
Germany · founded 1972 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.85" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.62" Black ceramic tungsten | 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 19-40k Hz | 33-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 370-630 watts | 20-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 61.69kg / 135.7lbs | 14.50kg / 31.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45.6" x 13.7" x 20.9"
1158.2 x 348.0 x 530.9mm | 37-7/16" x 10-5/16" x 11-1/16"
951.0 x 262.0 x 281.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Canton Reference 2 2023 and Polk S50 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* |
Canton Reference 2 2023 |
Polk S50 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
(* 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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Reference 2 2023 is a 3-way design whereas the S50 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Canton Reference 2 2023Polk S50
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Canton Reference 2 2023 |
Polk S50 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.85-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.62-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Reference 2 2023 features a 1" Aluminum oxyd ceramic Tweeter, a 6.85" Midrange and 2 x 8.62" Black ceramic tungsten Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160 / 3000 Hz. On the other hand, the S50 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Reference 2 2023 has a frequency range of 19-40k Hz whereas S50 has a frequency range of 33-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 19Hz, the Reference 2 2023 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the S50's min frequency of 33Hz.
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
Impedance and Sensitivity
Reference 2 2023 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the S50 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Reference 2 2023 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Reference 2 2023 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the S50's is rated at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk S50 a more sensitive speaker compared to Canton Reference 2 2023, 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.
Reference 2 2023 can handle a max power of 630 watts RMS, whereas S50 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 480 watts less than the Reference 2 2023.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
S50 features 5-way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Reference 2 2023 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk S50's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk S50 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 Canton Reference 2 2023's and Polk S50's external dimensions. Canton Reference 2 2023 has external dimensions of 1158.2 x 348.0 x 530.9mm (45.6 x 13.7 x 20.9inch) whereas Polk S50 has external dimensions of 951.0 x 262.0 x 281.0mm (37-7/16 x 10-5/16 x 11-1/16inch).
Canton Reference 2 2023 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 86mm wider, 207.2mm taller and 249.9mm deeper than Polk S50.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Canton Reference 2 2023 needs about 151% more floor or shelf area. Canton Reference 2 2023 is 250mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Canton Reference 2 2023 is 207mm taller.
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 Canton Reference 2 2023 is approximately 1847.5cm2 / 286.4inch2 and base area of the Polk S50 is approximately 736.2cm2 / 114.1inch2. The Reference 2 2023 requires 151% more surface area than the S50 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 Canton Reference 2 2023 weighs 61.69kg / 135.7lbs and the Polk S50 weighs 14.50kg / 31.9lbs. This makes the Reference 2 2023 325% heavier than the S50.
Here is a comparison of how Reference 2 2023 and S50'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 S50?
Here are the items that come with the S50:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Max Input Power |
630 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
8.62 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
19 Hz
vs
33 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Height |
951mm
vs
1158mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
736cm2
vs
1847cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
498USD
vs
23000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Canton Reference 2 2023 |
Polk Audio Signature S50 |
| Brand |
Canton |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
370-630 watts |
20-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
19-40k Hz |
33-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8.62" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Black ceramic tungsten |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Butyl rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.85" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
160 / 3000 Hz |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1158.2mm (45.6") |
951.0mm (37.4") |
| Width |
348.0mm (13.7") |
262.0mm (10.3") |
| Depth |
530.9mm (20.9") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Weight |
61.69kg (135.7lbs) |
14.50kg (31.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
Meddite MDF |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Black |
| 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 - Canton Reference 2 2023 costs roughly 46.2x what Polk S50 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 | Canton Reference 2 2023 digs deeper - 19Hz against 33Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Polk S50 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | Canton Reference 2 2023 takes more power (630W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Polk S50 is easier to place; Canton Reference 2 2023 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Polk S50: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Polk S50 is cheaper - $498 against $23,000, about 98% less; arguably a different class. |
A Canton Reference 2 2023 B Polk S50
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system 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 33Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Polk S50 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Canton Reference 2 2023 the better fit for a very large room, and Polk S50 for a mid-size room.
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.