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Polk R100 vs Polk R500 Comparison

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Polk R100

Passive Bookshelf | 58-39k Hz

Polk Audio Reserve R100
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Polk R500

Passive Floor-standing | 49-38k Hz

Polk Audio Reserve R500
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Polk R100 Polk R100
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Polk R500 Polk R500
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Polk R100
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Polk R500
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Polk R100 vs Polk R500 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio Reserve R100 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the R500 is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Polk R100 and Polk R500 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Polk R100 Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
  • 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer
  • 58-39k Hz Frequency Response
  • 86 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:30-150watts
  • Weight:5.55kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 326.0" x 6-9/16" x 10-3/16"( 326.0 x 167.0 x 259.0mm )

Polk R500 Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
  • 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer
  • 49-38k Hz Frequency Response
  • 87 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:25-200watts
  • Weight:17.70kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1044.5" x 10.1" x 13.7"( 1044.5 x 255.4 x 348.8mm )

R100 and R500 are members of Polk Audio's Reserve series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Polk Audio Reserve Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
Polk R700
  
Floor-standing 38-38k Hz 88 dB8Ω 2 x 8"
Polk R500
Floor-standing 49-38k Hz 87 dB8Ω 2 x 5.25"
Polk R600
  
Floor-standing 43-38k Hz 87.5 dB8Ω 2 x 6.5"
Polk R200
  
Bookshelf 51-38k Hz 86 dB8Ω 1 x 6.5"
Polk R400
  
Center Channel 48-39K Hz 89 dB8Ω 2 x 6.5"
Polk R100
Bookshelf 58-39k Hz 86 dB8Ω 1 x 5.25"
Polk R300
  
Center Channel 65-38k Hz 86.5 dB8Ω 2 x 5.25"
Polk R200 50th AE
  
Bookshelf 51-38k Hz 86 dB8Ω 1 x 6.5"

What size room are the Polk R100 and Polk R500 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 R100 Polk R500
Near-field Poor Bad
Small Room Average Poor
Mid-size Room Good Good
Large Room Average Good
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.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Polk R100 and Polk R500 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

Both R100 and R500 are 2-way speakers.

Driver Polk R100 Polk R500
Driver Setup 2-way 2-way
Tweeter 1-inch 1-inch
Midrange - -
Woofer 1 x 5.25-inch 2 x 5.25-inch

R100 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz. On the other hand, the R500 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.

Frequency Response

R100 has a frequency range of 58-39k Hz whereas R500 has a frequency range of 49-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 49Hz, the R500 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R100's min frequency of 58Hz.

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 Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

R100
R500
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Polk R100
Polk R500
Min
Average
Max

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

R100 and R500 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. R100 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the R500's is at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk R500 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R100, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

R100
R500
Min
Average
Max

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.

R100 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas R100 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS , 50 watts less than the R500.

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

R100 features Post type posts and R500 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Polk R100 Terminals
Polk R100's Binding post terminals

Polk R500Post Terminals
Polk R500's Post terminals

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both R100 and R500 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.

Polk R100  Port
Polk R100 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 R100's and Polk R500's external dimensions. Polk R100 has external dimensions of 326.0 x 167.0 x 259.0mm ( 12-13/16 x 6-9/16 x 10-3/16inch) whereas Polk R500 has external dimensions of 1044.5 x 255.4 x 348.8mm ( 41.1 x 10.1 x 13.7inch) .

Polk R500 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 88.4mm wider, 718.5mm taller and 89.8mm deeper than Polk R100.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk R100 and Polk R500 in scale.

Polk R100 vs Polk R500 Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Polk R100 and Polk R500 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 R100 is approximately 432.5cm2 / 67.0inch2 and base area of the Polk R500 is approximately 890.8cm2 / 138.1inch2. The R100 requires 51% less surface area than the R500 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of Polk R100?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of R100:
  • 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
  • 2 Grilles
  • Owners Manual
  • Online Registration
  • What's in the Box of Polk R500?

    Here are the items that come with the R500:
  • 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

  • Reasons to choose Polk Audio Reserve R100 over Polk Audio Reserve R500
    High Frequency Response 39k Hz vs 36k Hz Generates higher frequency
    Height 326mm vs 1044mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Base Surface Area 432cm2 vs 890cm2 Takes less floor space
    Price per pair* 649USD vs 1298USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

    Reasons to choose Polk Audio Reserve R500 over Polk Audio Reserve R100

    Max Input Power 200 watts vs 150 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
    Sensitivity 87 dB vs 86 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Minimum Impedance 3.9 ohms vs 3.6 ohms Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier
    Number of Woofers 2 vs 1 More woofers
    Low Frequency Response 49 Hz vs 58 Hz Generates deeper bass
    Polk R100 vs Polk R500 Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General Polk Audio Reserve R100 Polk Audio Reserve R500
    Brand Polk Audio Polk Audio
    Speaker Type Bookshelf speakers Floor-standing speaker
    Power Range 30-150 watts 25-200 watts
    Sensitivity 86 dB 87 dB
    Impedance 8 ohms 8 ohms
    Impedance 3.6 ohms 3.9 ohms
    Frequency Response 58-39k Hz 49-38k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 1 2
    Woofer Size 5.25" 5.25"
    Woofer Composition Polypropylene Turbine Cone Polypropylene Turbine Cone
    Woofer Surround Material Rubber Rubber
    Tweeter Size 1" 1"
    Tweeter Type Pinnacle Ring Radiator Pinnacle Ring Radiator
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver No No
    Crossover Frequency 2700Hz 2500Hz
    Firing Direction rear rear
    Physical Specs
    Height 326.0mm (12.8") 1044.5mm (41.1")
    Width 167.0mm (6.6") 255.4mm (10.1")
    Depth 259.0mm (10.2") 348.8mm (13.7")
    Weight 5.55kg (12.2lbs) 17.70kg (38.9lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
    Finish MDF/Vinyl MDF/Vinyl
    Available Colors Black, Walnut, White Black, Walnut, White
    Mounting Bracket No No
    Recommended Stand Height 24-28" n/a
    Grille Yes Yes
    Moisture Resistancy No No
    Connections
    Biamp Inputs No No
    Other
    Parts Warranty 5 Years 5 Years
    Labor Warranty 5 Years 5 Years

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