In this review, we will be comparing L800 and R700, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk L800 and Polk R700 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk L800 | Polk R700 |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 5.25" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 10" Polypropylene | 2 x 8" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-38k Hz | 38-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-300 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 68.50kg / 150.7lbs | 35.90kg / 79lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 48-5/8" x 18" x 17-7/16"
1236.0 x 458.0 x 443.0mm | 45" x 12.6" x 16.9"
1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk L800 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 L800 |
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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both L800 and R700 are 3-way speakers.
Polk L800Polk R700
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 L800 |
Polk R700 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 10-inch
|
2 x 8-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 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
L800 has a frequency range of 32-38k Hz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the L800 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R700's min frequency of 38Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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
L800 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 L800 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. L800 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the R700's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk R700 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Both handle the same maximum of 300 watts RMS, though L800 is rated 25-300 watts and R700 50-300 watts.
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
Both L800 and R700 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Polk L800'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
L800 has a down firing port whereas R700 has a bottom firing ports.
Polk R700 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 L800's and Polk R700'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 R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm (45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch).
Polk L800 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 137.3mm wider, 92.2mm taller and 14.7mm deeper than Polk R700.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk L800 and Polk R700 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk L800 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 L800 is approximately 2028.9cm2 / 314.5inch2 and base area of the Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The L800 requires 48% more surface area than the R700 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 L800 weighs 68.50kg / 150.7lbs and the Polk R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs. This makes the L800 91% heavier than the R700.
Here is a comparison of how L800 and R700's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Polk L800?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of L800:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Large Grilles
- 2 Small grilles
- Two 15-feet SDA interconnect cables
- 8 Rubber feet
- 8 Spike feet
- 2 Jumper-wires (pre-installed)
- 2 Cleaning cloths
- 2 Hex-keys
- Owners Manual
- Online Registration
What's in the Box of Polk R700?
Here are the items that come with the R700:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed)
- Grille
- Hex-key
- Owner's Manual
- Online Registration
 Woofer Size |
10 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional L900 Height Module Speaker
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.6 ohms
vs
2.8 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Height |
1143mm
vs
1236mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1373cm2
vs
2028cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2198USD
vs
5998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Polk Audio Legend L800 |
Polk Audio Reserve R700 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-300 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
2.8 ohms |
3.6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-38k Hz |
38-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
370Hz and 2800Hz |
350Hz and 2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
down |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1236.0mm (48.7") |
1143.8mm (45") |
| Width |
458.0mm (18") |
320.7mm (12.6") |
| Depth |
443.0mm (17.4") |
428.3mm (16.9") |
| Weight |
68.50kg (150.7lbs) |
35.90kg (79lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood veneer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Brown Walnut, Black Ash |
Black, Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Polk L800 costs roughly 2.7x what Polk R700 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 L800 digs deeper - 32Hz against 38Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Polk R700 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | Polk R700 is easier to place; Polk L800 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Polk L800: bi-amping and Atmos drivers; Polk R700: bi-amping. Polk R700 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Polk R700 is cheaper - $2,198 against $5,998, about 63% less; arguably a different class. |
A Polk L800 B Polk R700
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 38Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Polk R700 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Polk L800 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Polk R700 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.