In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio Legend L800 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the L100 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk L800 and Polk L100 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 )
Polk L100 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Ring Radiator Tweeter
- 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer
- 57-38k Hz Frequency Response
- 85.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:30-160watts
- Weight:7.68kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 348.0" x 7-7/8" x 11-5/16"( 348.0 x 201.0 x 288.0mm )
L800 and L100 are members of Polk Audio's Legend L series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the Polk L800 and Polk L100 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 |
Polk L100 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Polk L800 and Polk L100 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that L800 is a 3-way design whereas the L100 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 |
Polk L800 |
Polk L100 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 10-inch
|
1 x 5.25-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 L100 features a 1" Ring Radiator Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
L800 has a frequency range of 32-38k Hz whereas L100 has a frequency range of 57-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the L800 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the L100's min frequency of 57Hz.
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 and L100 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. L800 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the L100's is at 85.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk L800 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk L100, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the L800 and the L800 can provide this impedance level.
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.
L800 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas L100 has a max power handling value of 160 watts RMS, 140 watts less than the L800.
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
L800 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. L100 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk L800's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk L100's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
L800 has a down firing port whereas L100 has a rear firing ports.
Polk L100 Enhanced Power Port 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 L800's and Polk L100'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 Polk L100 has external dimensions of 348.0 x 201.0 x 288.0mm ( 13-11/16 x 7-7/8 x 11-5/16inch) .
Polk L800 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 257mm wider, 888mm taller and 155mm deeper than Polk L100.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk L800 and Polk L100 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk L800 and Polk L100 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 Polk L100 is approximately 578.9cm2 / 89.7inch2. The L800 requires 250% more surface area than the L100 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Polk L800?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of L800:
2 Floorstanding loudspeakers2 Large Grilles2 Small grillesTwo 15-feet SDA interconnect cables8 Rubber feet8 Spike feet2 Jumper-wires (pre-installed)2 Cleaning cloths2 Hex-keysOwners ManualOnline Registration
What's in the Box of Polk L100?
Here are the items that come with the L100:
2 Bookshelf loudspeakers 2 Grilles Cleaning cloth Owners Manual Online Registration