In this review, we will be comparing Q750 and R500, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KEF and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF Q750 and Polk R500 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
KEF Q750 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 11th Generation Uni-Q Driver
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer
- 48-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:15-150watts
- Weight:16.59kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 945.0" x 12-7/8" x 12-3/8"( 945.0 x 328.0 x 315.0mm )
Polk R500 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
- 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer
- 49-38k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-200watts
- Weight:17.70kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1044.5" x 10.1" x 13.7"( 1044.5 x 255.4 x 348.8mm )
What size room are the KEF Q750 and Polk R500 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* |
KEF Q750 |
Polk R500 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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 KEF Q750 and Polk R500 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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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Q750 and R500 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
KEF Q750 |
Polk R500 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Q750 features a 1" vented aluminum Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, the R500 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Q750 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz whereas R500 has a frequency range of 49-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the Q750 can go slightly deeper then the R500's min frequency of 49Hz.
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
Q750 and R500 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Q750 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the R500's is at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the KEF Q750 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R500, 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.
Q750 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Q750 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS , 50 watts less than the R500.
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
Q750 features Post type posts and R500 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KEF Q750's Binding post terminals
Polk R500's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Q750 has a front firing port whereas R500 has a rear firing ports. KEF Q750's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk R500 with its rear-firing 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 KEF Q750's and Polk R500's external dimensions. KEF Q750 has external dimensions of 945.0 x 328.0 x 315.0mm ( 37-3/16 x 12-7/8 x 12-3/8inch) whereas Polk R500 has external dimensions of 1044.5 x 255.4 x 348.8mm ( 41.1 x 10.1 x 13.7inch) .
KEF Q750 is 99.5mm shorter and 33.8mm less deeper than Polk R500 but it is also 72.6mm wider.
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 KEF Q750 is approximately 1033.2cm2 / 160.1inch2 and base area of the Polk R500 is approximately 890.8cm2 / 138.1inch2. The Q750 requires 16% more surface area than the R500 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.