In this review, we will be comparing R300 and R400, two Passive Center Channel speakers by Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk R300 and Polk R400 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk R300 | Polk R400 |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone | 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 65-38k Hz | 48-39K Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86.5 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 20-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 7.64kg / 16.8lbs | 14.91kg / 32.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 6-13/16" x 19-1/16" x 8-15/16"
174.0 x 485.0 x 228.0mm | 7-13/16" x 24-5/16" x 14-5/8"
199.0 x 618.0 x 372.0mm |
|---|
R300 and R400 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 R300 and Polk R400 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 R300 |
Polk R400 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
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.
Drivers
Both R300 and R400 are 2-way speakers.
Polk R300Polk R400
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 R300 |
Polk R400 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
R300 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200Hz. On the other hand, the R400 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
R300 has a frequency range of 65-38k Hz whereas R400 has a frequency range of 48-39K Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the R400 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R300's min frequency of 65Hz.
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
R300 and R400 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. R300 sensitivity is rated at 86.5 dB and the R400's is at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Polk R400 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R300, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 200 watts RMS, though R300 is rated 30-200 watts and R400 20-200 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
R300 features Binding post type posts and R400 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk R300's Binding post terminals
Polk R400's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both R300 and R400 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 R400 dual 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 R300's and Polk R400's external dimensions. Polk R300 has external dimensions of 174.0 x 485.0 x 228.0mm (6-13/16 x 19-1/16 x 8-15/16inch) whereas Polk R400 has external dimensions of 199.0 x 618.0 x 372.0mm (7-13/16 x 24-5/16 x 14-5/8inch).
Polk R400 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 133mm wider, 25mm taller and 144mm deeper than Polk R300.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk R300 and Polk R400 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk R300 and Polk R400 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 R300 is approximately 1105.8cm2 / 171.4inch2 and base area of the Polk R400 is approximately 2299.0cm2 / 356.3inch2. The R300 requires 52% less surface area than the R400 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 R300 weighs 7.64kg / 16.8lbs and the Polk R400 weighs 14.91kg / 32.8lbs. This makes the R400 95% heavier than the R300.
Here is a comparison of how R300 and R400'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 R300?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of R300:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- Owners Manual
- Online Registration
What's in the Box of Polk R400?
Here are the items that come with the R400:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- Owners Manual
- Online Registration
 Height |
174mm
vs
199mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1105cm2
vs
2299cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
449USD
vs
649USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Minimum Impedance |
4.1 ohms
vs
3.8 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
48 Hz
vs
65 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
39k Hz
vs
38k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
| General |
Polk Audio Reserve R300 |
Polk Audio Reserve R400 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
30-200 watts |
20-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86.5 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.8 ohms |
4.1 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
65-38k Hz |
48-39K Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| 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 |
2200Hz |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
174.0mm (6.9") |
199.0mm (7.8") |
| Width |
485.0mm (19.1") |
618.0mm (24.3") |
| Depth |
228.0mm (9") |
372.0mm (14.6") |
| Weight |
7.64kg (16.8lbs) |
14.91kg (32.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Black, Walnut |
Black, Walnut |
| 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 |
Siblings in Polk Audio's Reserve series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Polk R400 digs deeper - 48Hz against 65Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Polk R400 is more sensitive (89dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | Polk R300 is easier to place; Polk R400 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Sealed vs Ported. Sealed is tighter and happier near a wall; ported digs lower but wants space behind it. |
| Price | A | Polk R300 is cheaper - $449 against $649, about 31% less. |
A Polk R300 B Polk R400
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 R400 measures better, Polk R300 costs about about 45% 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 65Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Polk R300 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Polk R400 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Polk R300 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.