In this review, we will be comparing L400 and ES35, two Passive Center Channel speakers by Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk L400 and Polk ES35 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk L400 | Polk ES35 |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator | 1" High-res dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" | 6 x 3" mica-reinforced polypropylene Dynamic Balance |
|---|
| Frequency response | 55-38k Hz | 66-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87.5 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-300 watts | 20-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.55kg / 40.8lbs | 6.36kg / 14lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 9-5/8" x 26-1/16" x 13-1/2"
245.0 x 662.0 x 343.0mm | 4-3/16" x 24-7/16" x 6-1/16"
107.0 x 621.0 x 154.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk L400 and Polk ES35 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* |
Polk L400 |
Polk ES35 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| 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.)
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 L400 is a 3-way design whereas the ES35 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.
Polk L400Polk ES35
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Polk L400 |
Polk ES35 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
6 x 3-inch
|
L400 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Woofer. On the other hand, the ES35 features a 1" Terylene High-res dome Tweeter and 6 x 3" mica-reinforced polypropylene Dynamic Balance Woofer.
Frequency Response
L400 has a frequency range of 55-38k Hz whereas ES35 has a frequency range of 66-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 55Hz, the L400 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the ES35's min frequency of 66Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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
L400 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the ES35 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 L400 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. L400 sensitivity is rated at 87.5 dB and the ES35's is rated at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk ES35 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk L400, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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.
L400 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas ES35 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the L400.
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
L400 features 5-Way post type posts and ES35 has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk L400's Binding post terminals
Polk ES35's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both L400 and ES35 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Polk L400 Port
Polk ES35 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 Polk L400's and Polk ES35's external dimensions. Polk L400 has external dimensions of 245.0 x 662.0 x 343.0mm (9-5/8 x 26-1/16 x 13-1/2inch) whereas Polk ES35 has external dimensions of 107.0 x 621.0 x 154.0mm (4-3/16 x 24-7/16 x 6-1/16inch).
Polk L400 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 41mm wider, 138mm taller and 189mm deeper than Polk ES35.
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 Polk L400 is approximately 2270.7cm2 / 352.0inch2 and base area of the Polk ES35 is approximately 956.3cm2 / 148.2inch2. The L400 requires 137% more surface area than the ES35 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 Polk L400 weighs 18.55kg / 40.8lbs and the Polk ES35 weighs 6.36kg / 14lbs. This makes the L400 192% heavier than the ES35.
Here is a comparison of how L400 and ES35's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Center Channel class.
Weight
All Center Channel Speakers
What's in the Box of Polk L400?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of L400:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Jumper-wires
- Cleaning cloth
- Owners Manual
- Online Registration
What's in the Box of Polk ES35?
Here are the items that come with the ES35:
- LCR loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Wall-mount template
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
3 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
55 Hz
vs
66 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
6
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
38k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
107mm
vs
245mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
956cm2
vs
2270cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
399USD
vs
1799USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Polk Audio Legend L400 |
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES35 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Low-profile center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
25-300 watts |
20-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87.5 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
55-38k Hz |
66-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
6 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
3" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
mica-reinforced polypropylene Dynamic Balance |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
High-res dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
No |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
245.0mm (9.6") |
107.0mm (4.2") |
| Width |
662.0mm (26.1") |
621.0mm (24.4") |
| Depth |
343.0mm (13.5") |
154.0mm (6.1") |
| Weight |
18.55kg (40.8lbs) |
6.36kg (14lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF, Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black, Walnut |
Black, Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Polk L400 costs roughly 4.5x what Polk ES35 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Polk L400 digs deeper - 55Hz against 66Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Polk ES35 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | Polk L400 takes more power (300W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Polk ES35 is easier to place; Polk L400 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. Polk ES35 sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Polk ES35 is cheaper - $399 against $1,799, about 78% less; arguably a different class. |
A Polk L400 B Polk ES35
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 L400 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 4.5x the price. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Polk ES35 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Polk L400 appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 66Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Polk ES35 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Polk L400 the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and Polk ES35 for a small room.
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.