In this review, we will be comparing UBR62 and L200, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from ELAC and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UBR62 and Polk L200 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UBR62 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" soft dome Tweeter
- 4" Midrange
- 6.5" Aluminum Woofer
- 41-35k Hz Frequency Response
- 85 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:up to 140watts
- Weight:10.70kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 359.0" x 8-1/4" x 13-1/16"( 359.0 x 210.0 x 332.0mm )
Polk L200 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Ring Radiator Tweeter
- 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer
- 46-38k Hz Frequency Response
- 85.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:30-200watts
- Weight:10.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 399.0" x 8-3/8" x 13-5/16"( 399.0 x 213.0 x 339.0mm )
What size room are the ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UBR62 and Polk L200 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 Uni-Fi Ref UBR62 |
Polk L200 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UBR62 and Polk L200 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that UBR62 is a 3-way design whereas the L200 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 |
ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UBR62 |
Polk L200 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
UBR62 features a 1" soft dome Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 1 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer . On the other hand, the L200 features a 1" Ring Radiator Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2600Hz.
Frequency Response
UBR62 has a frequency range of 41-35k Hz whereas L200 has a frequency range of 46-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 41Hz, the UBR62 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the L200's min frequency of 46Hz.
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 Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf 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
UBR62 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the L200 which has a nominal impedance of 4 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 L200 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. UBR62 sensitivity is rated at 85 dB and the L200's is rated at 85.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk L200 a more sensitive speaker compared to ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UBR62, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
UBR62 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas UBR62 has a max power handling value of 140 watts RMS , 60 watts less than the L200.
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
Both UBR62 and L200 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UBR62's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk L200's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk L200 Enhanced Power Port 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 ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UBR62's and Polk L200's external dimensions. ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UBR62 has external dimensions of 359.0 x 210.0 x 332.0mm ( 14-1/8 x 8-1/4 x 13-1/16inch) whereas Polk L200 has external dimensions of 399.0 x 213.0 x 339.0mm ( 15-11/16 x 8-3/8 x 13-5/16inch) .
Polk L200 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 3mm wider, 40mm taller and 7mm deeper than ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UBR62.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UBR62 and Polk L200 in scale.
Comparison image of ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UBR62 and Polk L200 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 Uni-Fi Ref UBR62 is approximately 697.2cm2 / 108.1inch2 and base area of the Polk L200 is approximately 722.1cm2 / 111.9inch2. The UBR62 requires 3% less surface area than the L200 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Here is an another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:
Size Comparison image of ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UBR62 and Polk L200 on a Media Console