In this review, we will be comparing Foundation F1 and R700, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from MartinLogan and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Foundation F1 and Polk R700 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Foundation F1 | Polk R700 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Folded Motion Ribbon | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.5" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 5.5" Aluminum | 2 x 8" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 41-23k Hz | 38-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 200 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 21.14kg / 46.5lbs | 35.90kg / 79lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41-7/16" x 8-3/8" x 14-7/16"
1053.0 x 213.0 x 367.0mm | 45" x 12.6" x 16.9"
1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan Foundation F1 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* |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 |
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 Foundation F1 and R700 are 3-way speakers.
MartinLogan Foundation F1Polk 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 |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 |
Polk R700 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 5.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Foundation F1 features a 1" Gen2 Obsidian Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter, a 5.5" Midrange and 3 x 5.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 240 Hz - 3700 Hz. 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
Foundation F1 has a frequency range of 41-23k 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 Foundation F1's min frequency of 41Hz.
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
Foundation F1 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the R700 which has a nominal impedance of 8 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 Foundation F1 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Foundation F1 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the R700's is rated at 88 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Foundation F1 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 Foundation F1 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.
MartinLogan Foundation F1
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
R700 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Foundation F1 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Foundation F1's Binding post terminals
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Foundation F1 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 MartinLogan Foundation F1 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 MartinLogan Foundation F1's and Polk R700's external dimensions. MartinLogan Foundation F1 has external dimensions of 1053.0 x 213.0 x 367.0mm (41-7/16inch x 8-3/8inch x 14-7/16inch) 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 107.7mm wider, 90.8mm taller and 61.3mm deeper than MartinLogan Foundation F1.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Foundation F1 and Polk R700 in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan Foundation F1 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 MartinLogan Foundation F1 is approximately 781.7cm2 / 121.2inch2 and base area of the Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The Foundation F1 requires 43% 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 MartinLogan Foundation F1 weighs 21.14kg / 46.5lbs and the Polk R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs. This makes the R700 70% heavier than the Foundation F1.
Here is a comparison of how Foundation F1 and R700's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation F1
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 |
92 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Height |
1053mm
vs
1143mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
781cm2
vs
1373cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1499USD
vs
2198USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
41 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
| General |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 |
Polk Audio Reserve R700 |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 200 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
41-23k Hz |
38-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Motion Ribbon |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.5" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
240 Hz - 3700 Hz |
350Hz and 2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1053.0mm (41.5") |
1143.8mm (45") |
| Width |
213.0mm (8.4") |
320.7mm (12.6") |
| Depth |
367.0mm (14.4") |
428.3mm (16.9") |
| Weight |
21.14kg (46.5lbs) |
35.90kg (79lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Walnut,Black,Satin White |
Black, Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 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 41Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 is more sensitive (92dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match |
B |
Polk R700 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom |
B |
Polk R700 takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 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 |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 is cheaper - $1,499 against $2,198, about 32% less. |
A MartinLogan Foundation F1
B Polk R700
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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, MartinLogan Foundation F1 costs about 32% 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 MartinLogan Foundation F1 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, MartinLogan Foundation F1 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.