In this review, we will be comparing Monitor XT35 and S 81 CEN, two Passive Center Channel speakers from Polk Audio and Jamo.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk XT35 and Jamo S 81 CEN first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk XT35 | Jamo S 81 CEN |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | Jamo
Denmark · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" High-res dome | 1" soft dome with an integrated waveguide |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 3" bi-laminate paper cone | 2 x 4" polyfiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 57-40k Hz | 71-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-200 watts | up to 60 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 6.36kg / 14lbs | 5.00kg / 11lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 4-3/16" x 24-7/16" x 5-9/16"
107.0 x 621.0 x 142.0mm | 7-5/16" x 17-1/8" x 8-11/16"
186.0 x 435.0 x 221.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk XT35 and Jamo S 81 CEN 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 XT35 |
Jamo S 81 CEN |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Good |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
No way |
(* 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 Monitor XT35 and S 81 CEN are 2-way speakers.
Polk XT35Jamo S 81 CEN
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Polk XT35 |
Jamo S 81 CEN |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 3-inch
|
2 x 4-inch
|
Monitor XT35 features a 1" Terylene High-res dome Tweeter and 4 x 3" bi-laminate paper cone Woofer. On the other hand, the S 81 CEN features a 1" soft dome with an integrated waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 4" polyfiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
Monitor XT35 has a frequency range of 57-40k Hz whereas S 81 CEN has a frequency range of 71-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 57Hz, the Monitor XT35 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the S 81 CEN's min frequency of 71Hz.
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
Monitor XT35 and S 81 CEN have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Monitor XT35 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the S 81 CEN's is at 86 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk XT35 a more sensitive speaker compared to Jamo S 81 CEN, 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.
Monitor XT35 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas S 81 CEN has a max power handling value of 60 watts RMS, 140 watts less than the Monitor XT35.
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
Monitor XT35 features Binding post type posts and S 81 CEN has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk XT35's 5-Way post terminals
Jamo S 81 CEN's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Monitor XT35 and S 81 CEN 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.
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 XT35's and Jamo S 81 CEN's external dimensions. Polk XT35 has external dimensions of 107.0 x 621.0 x 142.0mm (4-3/16 x 24-7/16 x 5-9/16inch) whereas Jamo S 81 CEN has external dimensions of 186.0 x 435.0 x 221.0mm (7-5/16 x 17-1/8 x 8-11/16inch).
Polk XT35 is 79mm shorter and 79mm less deeper than Jamo S 81 CEN but it is also 186mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk XT35 and Jamo S 81 CEN in scale.
Comparison image of Polk XT35 and Jamo S 81 CEN 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 XT35 is approximately 881.8cm2 / 136.7inch2 and base area of the Jamo S 81 CEN is approximately 961.4cm2 / 149.0inch2. The Monitor XT35 requires 8% less surface area than the S 81 CEN which gives it a small advantage 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 XT35 weighs 6.36kg / 14lbs and the Jamo S 81 CEN weighs 5.00kg / 11lbs. This makes the Monitor XT35 27% heavier than the S 81 CEN.
Here is a comparison of how Monitor XT35 and S 81 CEN'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 XT35?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Monitor XT35:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
- Wall-Mount Template
What's in the Box of Jamo S 81 CEN?
Here are the items that come with the S 81 CEN:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
60 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
87 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
57 Hz
vs
71 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
107mm
vs
186mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
881cm2
vs
961cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
|
Woofer Size |
4 inches
vs
3 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Price per pair* |
174USD
vs
299USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Polk Audio Monitor XT35 |
Jamo S 81 CEN |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Jamo |
| Speaker Type |
Low-profile center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
25-200 watts |
up to 60 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
86 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
57-40k Hz |
71-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
3" |
4" |
| Woofer Composition |
bi-laminate paper cone |
polyfiber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
High-res dome |
soft dome with an integrated waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
107.0mm (4.2") |
186.0mm (7.3") |
| Width |
621.0mm (24.4") |
435.0mm (17.1") |
| Depth |
142.0mm (5.6") |
221.0mm (8.7") |
| Weight |
6.36kg (14lbs) |
5.00kg (11lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black, White, Walnut |
| 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 XT35 costs roughly 1.7x what Jamo S 81 CEN 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 XT35 digs deeper - 57Hz against 71Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 86dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | Polk XT35 takes more power (200W vs 60W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Polk XT35 is easier to place; Jamo S 81 CEN is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | Jamo S 81 CEN is cheaper - $174 against $299, about 42% less; arguably a different class. |
A Polk XT35 B Jamo S 81 CEN
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?
The usual trade-off: Polk XT35 measures better, Jamo S 81 CEN costs about about 72% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 71Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Jamo S 81 CEN much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Polk XT35 the better fit for a mid-size room and a large room, and Jamo S 81 CEN for near-field listening and 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.