In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio Monitor XT70 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the XT20 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk XT70 and Polk XT20 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk XT70 | Polk XT20 |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Bi-laminate paper | 6.5" Bi-laminate paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-40k Hz | 38-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-200 watts | 30-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 15.91kg / 35lbs | 5.45kg / 12lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-9/16" x 10-13/16" x 13-3/8"
1031.0 x 275.0 x 340.0mm | 13-1/16" x 7-9/16" x 11-1/16"
332.0 x 193.0 x 281.0mm |
|---|
XT70 and XT20 are members of Polk Audio's Monitor XT series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the Polk XT70 and Polk XT20 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 XT70 |
Polk XT20 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
Both XT70 and XT20 are 2-way speakers.
Polk XT70Polk XT20
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 XT70 |
Polk XT20 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
XT70 features a 1" Terylene dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Bi-laminate paper Woofer. On the other hand, the XT20 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Bi-laminate paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
XT70 has a frequency range of 35-40k Hz whereas XT20 has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the XT70 can go slightly deeper then the XT20'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
XT70 and XT20 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. XT70 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the XT20's is at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk XT20 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk XT70, 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 200 watts RMS, though XT70 is rated 25-200 watts and XT20 30-200 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
XT70 features 5-Way post type posts and XT20 has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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 XT70's and Polk XT20's external dimensions. Polk XT70 has external dimensions of 1031.0 x 275.0 x 340.0mm (40-9/16 x 10-13/16 x 13-3/8inch) whereas Polk XT20 has external dimensions of 332.0 x 193.0 x 281.0mm (13-1/16 x 7-9/16 x 11-1/16inch).
Polk XT70 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 82mm wider, 699mm taller and 59mm deeper than Polk XT20.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk XT70 and Polk XT20 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk XT70 and Polk XT20 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 XT70 is approximately 935.0cm2 / 144.9inch2 and base area of the Polk XT20 is approximately 542.3cm2 / 84.1inch2. The XT70 requires 72% more surface area than the XT20 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Polk XT70?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of XT70:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
What's in the Box of Polk XT20?
Here are the items that come with the XT20:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles (attached)
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration