In this review, we will be comparing Model Five and R700, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KLH and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KLH Model Five and Polk R700 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KLH Model Five | Polk R700 |
|---|
| Brand | KLH
United States · founded 1957 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 10" Pulp-Paper | 2 x 8" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-20k Hz | 38-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90.5 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-200 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.00kg / 44lbs | 35.90kg / 79lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 34-1/4" x 13-3/4" x 13"
870.0 x 350.0 x 330.0mm | 45" x 12.6" x 16.9"
1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm |
|---|
What size room are the KLH Model Five 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* |
KLH Model Five |
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.
Drivers
Both Model Five and R700 are 3-way speakers.
KLH Model FivePolk 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 |
KLH Model Five |
Polk R700 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 10-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Model Five features a 1" aluminum Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 1 x 10" Pulp-Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 380Hz and 2850Hz. 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
Model Five has a frequency range of 42-20k 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 Model Five'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
Model Five 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. Model Five sensitivity is rated at 90.5 dB and the R700's is rated at 88 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the KLH Model Five a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R700, 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 Model Five has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 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. Model Five has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Model Five's Binding post terminals
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 KLH Model Five's and Polk R700's external dimensions. KLH Model Five has external dimensions of 870.0 x 350.0 x 330.0mm (34-1/4 x 13-3/4 x 13inch) whereas Polk R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm (45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch).
KLH Model Five is 273.8mm shorter and 98.3mm less deeper than Polk R700 but it is also 29.3mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KLH Model Five and Polk R700 in scale.
Comparison image of KLH Model Five 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 KLH Model Five is approximately 1155.0cm2 / 179.0inch2 and base area of the Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The Model Five requires 16% 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 KLH Model Five weighs 20.00kg / 44lbs and the Polk R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs. This makes the R700 80% heavier than the Model Five.
Here is a comparison of how Model Five 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 KLH Model Five?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Model Five:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Riser base
- Grille
- Owners Manual
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
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
10 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
870mm
vs
1143mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1155cm2
vs
1373cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.6 ohms
vs
3.5 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Price per pair* |
2198USD
vs
2500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
KLH Model Five |
Polk Audio Reserve R700 |
| Brand |
KLH |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-200 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90.5 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.5 ohms |
3.6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42-20k Hz |
38-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Pulp-Paper |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
380Hz and 2850Hz |
350Hz and 2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
870.0mm (34.3") |
1143.8mm (45") |
| Width |
350.0mm (13.8") |
320.7mm (12.6") |
| Depth |
330.0mm (13") |
428.3mm (16.9") |
| Weight |
20.00kg (44lbs) |
35.90kg (79lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
English Walnut, West African Mahogany |
Black, Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
10 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
10 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 | A | KLH Model Five is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Polk R700 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | Polk R700 takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | KLH Model Five is easier to place; Polk R700 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Sealed vs Ported. Sealed is tighter and happier near a wall; ported digs lower but wants space behind it. |
| Expandability | B | Polk R700: bi-amping. Polk R700 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Polk R700 is cheaper - $2,198 against $2,500, about 12% less. |
A KLH Model Five 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?
Polk R700 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take KLH Model Five if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. Match it to your room: we rate KLH Model Five 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, KLH Model Five 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.