In this review, we will be comparing R300 and ES30, two Passive Center Channel speakers by Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk R300 and Polk ES30 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk R300 | Polk ES30 |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator | 1" High-res dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone | 2 x 5.5" mica-reinforced polypropylene Dynamic Balance |
|---|
| Frequency response | 65-38k Hz | 55-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86.5 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 20-125 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 7.64kg / 16.8lbs | 8.64kg / 19lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 7-1/2" x 20-1/16" x 10-5/8"
191.0 x 510.0 x 270.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk R300 and Polk ES30 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 ES30 |
| 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 ES30 are 2-way speakers.
Polk R300Polk ES30
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 ES30 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 5.5-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 ES30 features a 1" Terylene High-res dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.5" mica-reinforced polypropylene Dynamic Balance Woofer.
Frequency Response
R300 has a frequency range of 65-38k Hz whereas ES30 has a frequency range of 55-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 55Hz, the ES30 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 ES30 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 ES30's is at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Polk ES30 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.
R300 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas ES30 has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the R300.
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 5-Way post type posts and ES30 has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk R300's Binding post terminals
Polk ES30's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both R300 and ES30 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 ES30 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 ES30'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 ES30 has external dimensions of 191.0 x 510.0 x 270.0mm (7-1/2 x 20-1/16 x 10-5/8inch).
Polk ES30 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 25mm wider, 17mm taller and 42mm deeper than Polk R300.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Polk ES30 needs about 25% more floor or shelf area. Polk ES30 is 42mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Polk ES30 is 17mm taller.
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 ES30 is approximately 1377.0cm2 / 213.4inch2. The R300 requires 20% less surface area than the ES30 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 ES30 weighs 8.64kg / 19lbs. This makes the ES30 13% heavier than the R300.
Here is a comparison of how R300 and ES30'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 ES30?
Here are the items that come with the ES30:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
125 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Height |
174mm
vs
191mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1105cm2
vs
1377cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
5.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
55 Hz
vs
65 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
38k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
299USD
vs
449USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Polk Audio Reserve R300 |
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES30 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
30-200 watts |
20-125 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86.5 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.8 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
65-38k Hz |
55-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
5.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
mica-reinforced polypropylene Dynamic Balance |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
n/a |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
High-res dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2200Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
174.0mm (6.9") |
191.0mm (7.5") |
| Width |
485.0mm (19.1") |
510.0mm (20.1") |
| Depth |
228.0mm (9") |
270.0mm (10.6") |
| Weight |
7.64kg (16.8lbs) |
8.64kg (19lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF, Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black, Walnut |
Black, Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
n/a |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Both are Polk Audio, from different ranges - so the house sound is shared and the differences are mostly in scale, engineering and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Polk ES30 digs deeper - 55Hz against 65Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Polk ES30 is more sensitive (89dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Polk R300 takes more power (200W vs 125W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Polk R300 is easier to place; Polk ES30 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 | B | Polk ES30 is cheaper - $299 against $449, about 33% less. |
A Polk R300 B Polk ES30
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?
Polk ES30 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 65Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Polk ES30 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.