SpeakerDecision
  • SPEAKERS
    • By Type
      Passive Bookshelf Speakers Passive Floor-standing Speakers Passive Center Channel Speakers Passive In-wall Speakers All Passive Speakers Powered Subwoofers Powered Stereo Speakers
      By Brand
      Acoustic Energy Audio-Technica Audioengine Bluesound Bowers Wilkins Buchardt Cambridge Audio DALI Definitive Technology Dynaudio ELAC Emotiva Fluance Focal Genelec GoldenEar Jamo JBL Kanto KEF KLH Klipsch Leak Mackie MartinLogan McIntosh Mission MoFi Monitor Audio Nuvo Onkyo OSD Paradigm Polk Audio PSB Q Acoustics REL Revel Russound Sennheiser Sonos Sonus Faber Sony SVS Technics Triangle Velodyne Victrola Wharfedale Wilson Audio
  • AMPLIFIERS
    • By Type
      All Amplifiers Integrated Amplifiers Stereo Receivers Streaming Amplifiers Power Amplifiers
      By Brand
      Advance Paris Anthem Arcam AudioControl Audioengine Audiolab Bluesound Bose Buchardt Cambridge Audio Denon Devialet ELAC HiFi Rose Integra JBL LEAK Marantz Mark Levinson McIntosh Michi MISSION NAD Naim Onkyo OSD Parasound Peachtree Primare PS Audio Rega Roksan Rotel Sonos Sony SVS TEAC Technics WiiM Yamaha
  • SMART FIND
  • AMP MATCHER
  • BLOG

Polk Audio Reserve R350 vs Polk R500 Comparison

x
Speaker to replace
Change

Polk Audio Reserve R350

Passive Center Channel | 75-35k Hz

Polk Audio Reserve R350
CHECK PRICE
Change
    
Polk R500

Passive Floor-standing | 49-38k Hz

Polk Audio Reserve R500
CHECK PRICE
Polk Audio Reserve R350 Polk Audio Reserve R...
See at AMAZON
Polk R500 Polk R500
See at AMAZON
Polk Audio Reserve R...
See at AMAZON
Polk R500
See at AMAZON
Polk Audio Reserve R350 vs Polk R500 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio Reserve R350 is a Center Channel speaker whereas the R500 is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Polk Audio Reserve R350 and Polk R500 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Polk Audio Reserve R350 Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1" Ring Radiator Tweeter
  • 4 x 4" Woofer
  • 75-35k Hz Frequency Response
  • 87 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Weight:kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 5-9/16" x 30" x 7-1/4"

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): 41.1" x 10.1" x 13.7" ( 1044.5 x 255.4 x 348.8mm )

Reserve R350 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 R600
  
Floor-standing 43-38k Hz 87.5 dB8Ω 2 x 6.5"
Polk R500
Floor-standing 49-38k Hz 87 dB8Ω 2 x 5.25"
Polk R200
  
Bookshelf 51-38k Hz 86 dB8Ω 1 x 6.5"
Polk R100
  
Bookshelf 58-39k Hz 86 dB8Ω 1 x 5.25"
Polk R400
  
Center Channel 48-39K Hz 89 dB8Ω 2 x 6.5"
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"
Polk Audio Reserve R350
Center Channel 75-35k Hz 87 dB8Ω 4 x 4"
Polk Audio Reserve R900
  
Surround 70-32k Hz 85.5 dB8Ω 1 x 4"

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Polk Audio Reserve R350 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 Reserve R350 and R500 are 2-way speakers.

Driver Polk Audio Reserve R350 Polk R500
Driver Setup 2-way 2-way
Tweeter 1-inch 1-inch
Midrange - -
Woofer 4 x 4-inch 2 x 5.25-inch

Reserve R350 features a 1" Ring Radiator Tweeter and 4 x 4" Woofer . 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

Reserve R350 has a frequency range of 75-35k 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 Reserve R350's min frequency of 75Hz.

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 Center Channel class in our database.

Low Frequency

Center Channel Speakers

Reserve R350
R500
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Center Channel Speakers

Polk Audio Reserve R350
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

Reserve R350 and R500 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 87 dB.

Sensitivity

Center Channel Speakers

Reserve R350
R500
Min
Average
Max

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Reserve R350 features Post type posts and R500 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Polk R500Post Terminals
Polk R500's Post terminals

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 Audio Reserve R350's and Polk R500's external dimensions. Polk Audio Reserve R350 has external dimensions of ( ) 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 255.4mm wider, 1044.5mm taller and 348.8mm deeper than Polk Audio Reserve R350.

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 R350 over Polk Audio Reserve R500
Number of Woofers 4 vs 2 More woofers
High Frequency Response 35000k Hz vs 36k Hz Generates higher frequency
Height 0mm vs 1044mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area 0cm2 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 R350

Woofer Size 5.25 inches vs 4 inches Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response 49 Hz vs 75 Hz Generates deeper bass
Polk Audio Reserve R350 vs Polk R500 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Polk Audio Reserve R350 Polk Audio Reserve R500
Brand Polk Audio Polk Audio
Speaker Type Center channel speaker Floor-standing speaker
Sensitivity 87 dB 87 dB
Impedance 8 ohms 8 ohms
Impedance n/a 3.9 ohms
Frequency Response 75-35k Hz 49-38k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity 4 2
Woofer Size 4" 5.25"
Woofer Composition Polypropylene Turbine Cone
Woofer Surround Material n/a Rubber
Tweeter Size 1" 1"
Tweeter Type Ring Radiator Pinnacle Ring Radiator
Aimable Tweeter No No
Midrange Driver No No
Crossover Frequency n/a 2500Hz
Firing Direction n/a rear
Physical Specs
Height mm (0") 1044.5mm (41.1")
Width mm (0") 255.4mm (10.1")
Depth mm (0") 348.8mm (13.7")
Weight n/a 17.70kg (38.9lbs)
Enclosure Bass Reflex
Finish n/a MDF/Vinyl
Available Colors Brown Black, Walnut, White
Grille n/a Yes
Moisture Resistancy No No
Connections
Biamp Inputs n/a No
Other
Parts Warranty 5 Years 5 Years
Labor Warranty 5 Years 5 Years

Most Popular Speakers
Klipsch Reference R-51M
Klipsch R-51M
2-way | 93 dB | 8 ohms
ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2
ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2
2-way | 87 dB | 6 ohms
Wharfedale Elysian 2
Wharfedale Elysian 2
3-way | 89 dB | 4 ohms
KEF Q150
KEF Q150
2-way | 86 dB | 8 ohms
Bowers & Wilkins 606 S2 Anniversary Edition
B&W 606 S2
2-way | 88 dB | 8 ohms
Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-500M
Klipsch RP-500M
2-way | 93 dB | 8 ohms
Wharfedale EVO5.1
Wharfedale EVO5.1
2-way | 87 dB | 4 ohms
Wharfedale EVO4.1
Wharfedale EVO4.1
2-way | 87 dB | 8 ohms
Copyright © 2026 by SpeakerDecision
About Privacy Contact US Camera Decision

Report a Correction