In this review, we will be comparing L800 and R11, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Polk Audio and KEF.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk L800 and KEF R11 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Polk L800 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 2 x 10" Polypropylene Woofer
- 32-38k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:25-300watts
- Weight:68.50kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1236.0" x 18" x 17-7/16"( 1236.0 x 458.0 x 443.0mm )
KEF R11 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 4 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer
- 5" Midrange
- 46-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:15-300watts
- Weight:37.70kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1301.0" x 12-1/4" x 15-5/16"( 1301.0 x 312.0 x 389.0mm )
What size room are the Polk L800 and KEF R11 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 L800 |
KEF R11 |
| 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 L800 and KEF R11 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 L800 and R11 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Polk L800 |
KEF R11 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 10-inch
|
4 x 6.5-inch
|
L800 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 10" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 370Hz and 2800Hz. On the other hand, the R11 features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter , a 5" Midrange and 4 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
L800 has a frequency range of 32-38k Hz whereas R11 has a frequency range of 46-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the L800 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R11's min frequency of 46Hz.
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
L800 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the R11 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 L800 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. L800 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the R11's is rated at 90 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the KEF R11 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk L800, 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 L800 and R11 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Polk L800's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KEF R11's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
L800 has a down firing port whereas R11 has a rear firing ports.
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 L800's and KEF R11's external dimensions. Polk L800 has external dimensions of 1236.0 x 458.0 x 443.0mm ( 48-5/8 x 18 x 17-7/16inch) whereas KEF R11 has external dimensions of 1301.0 x 312.0 x 389.0mm ( 51-3/16 x 12-1/4 x 15-5/16inch) .
KEF R11 is 146mm narrower and 54mm less deeper than Polk L800 but it is also 65mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk L800 and KEF R11 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk L800 and KEF R11 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 L800 is approximately 2028.9cm2 / 314.5inch2 and base area of the KEF R11 is approximately 1213.7cm2 / 188.1inch2. The L800 requires 67% more surface area than the R11 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.