In this review, we will be comparing BP-9020 and S60, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Definitive Technology and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Definitive BP-9020 and Polk S60 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Definitive BP-9020 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" dome Tweeter
- 3.5" Midrange
- 8" Polypropelene Woofer
- 28-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:50-200watts
- Weight:13.64kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 904.0" x 11-1/16" x 13-13/16"( 904.0 x 281.0 x 351.0mm )
Polk S60 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer
- 26-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-300watts
- Weight:23.60kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1131.0" x 11-3/4" x 15-3/4"( 1131.0 x 299.0 x 401.0mm )
What size room are the Definitive BP-9020 and Polk S60 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* |
Definitive BP-9020 |
Polk S60 |
| 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Definitive BP-9020 and Polk S60 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that BP-9020 is a 3-way design whereas the S60 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.
| Driver |
Definitive BP-9020 |
Polk S60 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
3 x 3.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
BP-9020 features a 1" annealed aluminum dome Tweeter , a 3.5" Midrange and 1 x 8" Polypropelene Woofer . On the other hand, the S60 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
BP-9020 has a frequency range of 28-40k Hz whereas S60 has a frequency range of 26-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the S60 can go slightly deeper then the BP-9020's min frequency of 28Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
BP-9020 and S60 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. BP-9020 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the S60's is at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Definitive BP-9020 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk S60, 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. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
BP-9020 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas BP-9020 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS , 100 watts less than the S60.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
S60 features 5-way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. BP-9020 has a 5-Way post, RCA which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk S60's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk S60 Port
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Definitive BP-9020's and Polk S60's external dimensions. Definitive BP-9020 has external dimensions of 904.0 x 281.0 x 351.0mm ( 35-9/16 x 11-1/16 x 13-13/16inch) whereas Polk S60 has external dimensions of 1131.0 x 299.0 x 401.0mm ( 44-1/2 x 11-3/4 x 15-3/4inch) .
Polk S60 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 18mm wider, 227mm taller and 50mm deeper than Definitive BP-9020.
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 Definitive BP-9020 is approximately 986.3cm2 / 152.9inch2 and base area of the Polk S60 is approximately 1199.0cm2 / 185.8inch2. The BP-9020 requires 18% less surface area than the S60 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.