In this review, we will be comparing Imagine X2T and ES60, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from PSB and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of PSB Imagine X2T and Polk ES60 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | PSB Imagine X2T | Polk ES60 |
|---|
| Brand | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.2" Clay/Ceramic/Poly | 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-23k Hz | 32-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-200 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 23.60kg / 51.9lbs | 23.60kg / 51.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-1/8" x 9" x 16-3/4"
1020.0 x 229.0 x 426.0mm | 44-1/2" x 8-1/2" x 15-3/4"
1131.0 x 216.0 x 401.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the PSB Imagine X2T and Polk ES60 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* |
PSB Imagine X2T |
Polk ES60 |
| 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Imagine X2T is a 3-way design whereas the ES60 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.
PSB Imagine X2TPolk ES60
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
PSB Imagine X2T |
Polk ES60 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.2-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
Imagine X2T features a 1" titanium with neodymium magnets Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.2" Clay/Ceramic/Poly Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500Hz and 2200Hz. On the other hand, the ES60 features a 1" Terylene High-Res Soft-Dome Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Imagine X2T has a frequency range of 30-23k Hz whereas ES60 has a frequency range of 32-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Imagine X2T can go slightly deeper then the ES60's min frequency of 32Hz.
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
Imagine X2T and ES60 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 90 dB.
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.
ES60 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Imagine X2T has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the ES60.
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
Both Imagine X2T and ES60 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
PSB Imagine X2T's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Imagine X2T has a front firing port whereas ES60 has a bottom firing ports. PSB Imagine X2T's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk ES60 with its rear-firing 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 PSB Imagine X2T's and Polk ES60's external dimensions. PSB Imagine X2T has external dimensions of 1020.0 x 229.0 x 426.0mm (40-1/8 x 9 x 16-3/4inch) whereas Polk ES60 has external dimensions of 1131.0 x 216.0 x 401.0mm (44-1/2 x 8-1/2 x 15-3/4inch).
Polk ES60 is 13mm narrower and 25mm less deeper than PSB Imagine X2T but it is also 111mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of PSB Imagine X2T and Polk ES60 in scale.
Comparison image of PSB Imagine X2T and Polk ES60 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 PSB Imagine X2T is approximately 975.5cm2 / 151.2inch2 and base area of the Polk ES60 is approximately 866.2cm2 / 134.3inch2. The Imagine X2T requires 13% more surface area than the ES60 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 PSB Imagine X2T weighs 23.60kg / 51.9lbs and the Polk ES60 weighs 23.60kg / 51.9lbs.
Here is a comparison of how Imagine X2T and ES60'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 PSB Imagine X2T?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Imagine X2T:
- Floor-standing speaker
- Grille
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spiked Feet
- Wrench
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Card
What's in the Box of Polk ES60?
Here are the items that come with the ES60:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1020mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
|
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
6.2 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
866cm2
vs
975cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1098USD
vs
1500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
PSB Imagine X2T |
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES60 |
| Brand |
PSB |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-200 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-23k Hz |
32-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6.2" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Clay/Ceramic/Poly |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
500Hz and 2200Hz |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1020.0mm (40.2") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
229.0mm (9") |
216.0mm (8.5") |
| Depth |
426.0mm (16.8") |
401.0mm (15.8") |
| Weight |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain |
MDF, Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Polk ES60 is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (30Hz vs 32Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | Polk ES60 takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | PSB Imagine X2T: bi-amping; Polk ES60: bi-amping. Polk ES60 sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Polk ES60 is cheaper - $1,098 against $1,500, about 27% less. |
A PSB Imagine X2T B Polk ES60
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 ES60 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. Match it to your room: we rate PSB Imagine X2T the better fit for a mid-size room, and Polk ES60 for a very large room. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $402 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.