In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio Reserve R100 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the R700 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk R100 and Polk R700 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk R100 | Polk R700 |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone | 2 x 8" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 58-39k Hz | 38-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-150 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 5.55kg / 12.2lbs | 35.90kg / 79lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12-13/16" x 6-9/16" x 10-3/16"
326.0 x 167.0 x 259.0mm | 45" x 12.6" x 16.9"
1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm |
|---|
R100 and R700 are members of Polk Audio's Reserve series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Polk Audio Reserve Series
History
What size room are the Polk R100 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 R100 |
Polk R700 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that R100 is a 2-way design whereas the R700 is a 3-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.
Polk R100Polk 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 R100 |
Polk R700 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 8-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 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
R100 has a frequency range of 58-39k Hz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the R700 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R100's min frequency of 58Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
R100 and R700 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. R100 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the R700's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Polk R700 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R100, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
R700 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas R100 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the R700.
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
R700 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. R100 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk R100's Binding post terminals
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
R100 has a rear firing port whereas R700 has a bottom firing ports. Polk R700's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk R100 with its rear-firing port.
Polk R100 Port
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 R100's and Polk R700'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 R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm (45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch).
Polk R700 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 153.7mm wider, 817.8mm taller and 169.3mm deeper than Polk R100.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk R100 and Polk R700 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk R100 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 R100 is approximately 432.5cm2 / 67.0inch2 and base area of the Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The R100 requires 69% less surface area than the R700 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 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