In this review, we will be comparing R400 and R300, two Passive Center Channel speakers by Polk Audio Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk R400 and Polk R300 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Polk R400 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
- 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer
- 48-39K Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-200watts
- Weight:14.91kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 199.0" x 24-5/16" x 14-5/8"( 199.0 x 618.0 x 372.0mm )
Polk R300 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
- 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer
- 65-38k Hz Frequency Response
- 86.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:30-200watts
- Weight:7.64kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 174.0" x 19-1/16" x 8-15/16"( 174.0 x 485.0 x 228.0mm )
R400 and R300 are members of Polk Audio's Reserve series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the Polk R400 and Polk R300 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 R400 |
Polk R300 |
| 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Polk R400 and Polk R300 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both R400 and R300 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Polk R400 |
Polk R300 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
R400 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, the R300 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
R400 has a frequency range of 48-39K Hz whereas R300 has a frequency range of 65-38k 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.
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
High Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
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
R400 and R300 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. R400 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the R300's is at 86.5 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. 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.
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
R400 features Binding post type posts and R300 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk R400's Binding post terminals
Polk R300's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both R400 and R300 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
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 R400's and Polk R300's external dimensions. 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) whereas 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) .
Polk R400 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 133mm wider, 25mm taller and 144mm deeper than Polk R300.
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 R400 is approximately 2299.0cm2 / 356.3inch2 and base area of the Polk R300 is approximately 1105.8cm2 / 171.4inch2. The R400 requires 108% more surface area than the R300 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 R400 weighs 14.91kg / 32.8lbs and the Polk R300 weighs 7.64kg / 16.8lbs. This makes the R400 95% heavier than the R300.
Here is a comparison of how R400 and R300'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 R400?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of R400:
Center-channel loudspeakerGrilleOwners ManualOnline Registration
What's in the Box of Polk R300?
Here are the items that come with the R300:
Center-channel loudspeakerGrilleOwners ManualOnline Registration