In this review, we will be comparing DFR52 and R700, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from ELAC and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 and Polk R700 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 | Polk R700 |
|---|
| Brand | ELAC
Germany · founded 1926 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Aramid fiber | 2 x 8" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-35k Hz | 38-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 140 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.77kg / 36.9lbs | 35.90kg / 79lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-9/16" x 9-1/8" x 11-1/8"
1031.0 x 232.0 x 283.0mm | 45" x 12.6" x 16.9"
1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm |
|---|
What size room are the ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 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* |
ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 |
Polk R700 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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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Drivers
Both DFR52 and R700 are 3-way speakers.
ELAC Debut Ref DFR52Polk 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 |
ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 |
Polk R700 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
DFR52 features a 1" cloth dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 5.25" Aramid fiber Woofer. 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
DFR52 has a frequency range of 42-35k Hz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the R700 can go slightly deeper then the DFR52's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
DFR52 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. DFR52 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the R700's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk R700 a more sensitive speaker compared to ELAC Debut Ref DFR52, 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.
R700 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas DFR52 has a max power handling value of 140 watts RMS, 160 watts less than the R700.
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
R700 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. DFR52 has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
ELAC Debut Ref DFR52's 5-Way post terminals
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
DFR52 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 ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 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 ELAC Debut Ref DFR52's and Polk R700's external dimensions. ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 has external dimensions of 1031.0 x 232.0 x 283.0mm (40-9/16 x 9-1/8 x 11-1/8inch) 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 88.7mm wider, 112.8mm taller and 145.3mm deeper than ELAC Debut Ref DFR52.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 and Polk R700 in scale.
Comparison image of ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 and Polk R700 Size and External Dimensions
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 ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 is approximately 656.6cm2 / 101.8inch2 and base area of the Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The DFR52 requires 52% 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 ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 weighs 16.77kg / 36.9lbs and the Polk R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs. This makes the R700 114% heavier than the DFR52.
Here is a comparison of how DFR52 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 ELAC Debut Ref DFR52?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of DFR52:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet (spikes installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Dials
- 8 Screws
- Hex-key
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
 Height |
1031mm
vs
1143mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
656cm2
vs
1373cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1400USD
vs
2198USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
140 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
35k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
| General |
ELAC Debut Reference DFR52 |
Polk Audio Reserve R700 |
| Brand |
ELAC |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 140 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42-35k Hz |
38-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aramid fiber |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
350Hz and 2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1031.0mm (40.6") |
1143.8mm (45") |
| Width |
232.0mm (9.1") |
320.7mm (12.6") |
| Depth |
283.0mm (11.1") |
428.3mm (16.9") |
| Weight |
16.77kg (36.9lbs) |
35.90kg (79lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
White Baffle / Oak Cabinet or Black Baffle / Walnut Cabinet |
Black, Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
3 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
3 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Polk R700 digs deeper - 38Hz against 42Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Polk R700 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | Polk R700 takes more power (300W vs 140W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 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 | A | ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 is cheaper - $1,400 against $2,198, about 36% less. |
A ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 B Polk R700
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?
The usual trade-off: Polk R700 measures better, ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 costs about about 57% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. Match it to your room: we rate ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 the better fit for a mid-size room, and Polk R700 for a very large room. 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, ELAC Debut Ref DFR52 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.