In this review, we will be comparing Synchrony T600 and S55, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from PSB and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of PSB Synchrony T600 and Polk S55 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
PSB Synchrony T600 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber Woofer
- 24-23k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:20-300watts
- Weight:34.90kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1048.0" x 9" x 13-1/2"( 1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm )
Polk S55 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer
- 32-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-200watts
- Weight:20.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1056.0" x 11-3/4" x 12-3/8"( 1056.0 x 299.0 x 315.0mm )
What size room are the PSB Synchrony T600 and Polk S55 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 Synchrony T600 |
Polk S55 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 PSB Synchrony T600 and Polk S55 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 Synchrony T600 is a 3-way design whereas the S55 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 |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
Polk S55 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Synchrony T600 features a 1" titanium with ferrofluid cooling and neodymium magnet Dome Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450Hz and 1800Hz. On the other hand, the S55 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Synchrony T600 has a frequency range of 24-23k Hz whereas S55 has a frequency range of 32-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the Synchrony T600 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the S55's min frequency of 32Hz.
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
Synchrony T600 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the S55 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 Synchrony T600 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Synchrony T600 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the S55's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk S55 a more sensitive speaker compared to PSB Synchrony T600, 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.
Synchrony T600 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas S55 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Synchrony T600.
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 Synchrony T600 and S55 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
PSB Synchrony T600's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk S55's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Synchrony T600 has a rear firing port whereas S55 has a bottom firing ports. Polk S55's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to PSB Synchrony T600 with its rear-firing port.
Polk S55 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 PSB Synchrony T600's and Polk S55's external dimensions. PSB Synchrony T600 has external dimensions of 1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm ( 41-1/4 x 9 x 13-1/2inch) whereas Polk S55 has external dimensions of 1056.0 x 299.0 x 315.0mm ( 41-9/16 x 11-3/4 x 12-3/8inch) .
PSB Synchrony T600 is 71mm narrower and 8mm shorter than Polk S55 but it is also 28mm deeper.
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 Synchrony T600 is approximately 782.0cm2 / 121.2inch2 and base area of the Polk S55 is approximately 941.9cm2 / 146.0inch2. The Synchrony T600 requires 17% less surface area than the S55 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.