In this review, we will be comparing L600 and R700, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Polk Audio
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk L600 and Polk R700 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Polk L600 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 2 x 7" Polypropylene Woofer
- 34-38k Hz Frequency Response
- 86 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:30-300watts
- Weight:35.30kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1182.0" x 13" x 16-3/4"( 1182.0 x 331.0 x 426.0mm )
Polk R700 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer
- 6.5" Midrange
- 38-38k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:50-300watts
- Weight:35.90kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1143.8" x 12.6" x 16.9"( 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm )
What size room are the Polk L600 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* |
Polk L600 |
Polk R700 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Polk L600 and Polk R700 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
Both L600 and R700 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Polk L600 |
Polk R700 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 7-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
L600 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 7" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 410Hz and 2900Hz. 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
L600 has a frequency range of 34-38k Hz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the L600 can go slightly deeper then the R700's min frequency of 38Hz.
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
L600 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 L600 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. L600 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the R700's is rated at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Polk R700 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk L600, 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.
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 L600 and R700 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Polk L600's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
L600 has a down firing port whereas R700 has a bottom firing ports.
Polk R700 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 Polk L600's and Polk R700's external dimensions. Polk L600 has external dimensions of 1182.0 x 331.0 x 426.0mm ( 46-1/2 x 13 x 16-3/4inch) 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 10.3mm narrower and 38.2mm shorter than Polk L600 but it is also 2.3mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk L600 and Polk R700 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk L600 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 Polk L600 is approximately 1410.1cm2 / 218.6inch2 and base area of the Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The L600 requires 3% more surface area than the R700 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.