In this review, we will be comparing R500 and C 97 II, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Polk Audio and Jamo.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk R500 and Jamo C 97 II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk R500 | Jamo C 97 II |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone | 3 x 6" Composite |
|---|
| Frequency response | 49-38k Hz | 32-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-200 watts | 50-180 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 17.70kg / 38.9lbs | 24.55kg / 54lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41.1" x 10.1" x 13.7"
1044.5 x 255.4 x 348.8mm | 42-1/8" x 9-3/4" x 15-13/16"
1070.0 x 248.0 x 402.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk R500 and Jamo C 97 II 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 R500 |
Jamo C 97 II |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that R500 is a 2-way design whereas the C 97 II 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 R500Jamo C 97 II
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 R500 |
Jamo C 97 II |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
3 x 6-inch
|
R500 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, the C 97 II features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 3 x 6" Composite Woofer.
Frequency Response
R500 has a frequency range of 49-38k Hz whereas C 97 II has a frequency range of 32-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the C 97 II can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R500's min frequency of 49Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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
R500 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the C 97 II which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. R500 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the C 97 II's is rated at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Jamo C 97 II a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R500, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
R500 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas C 97 II has a max power handling value of 180 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the R500.
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
C 97 II features Posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. R500 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk R500's Post terminals
Jamo C 97 II's Posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both R500 and C 97 II 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.
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 R500's and Jamo C 97 II's external dimensions. Polk R500 has external dimensions of 1044.5 x 255.4 x 348.8mm (41.1 x 10.1 x 13.7inch) whereas Jamo C 97 II has external dimensions of 1070.0 x 248.0 x 402.0mm (42-1/8 x 9-3/4 x 15-13/16inch).
Polk R500 is 25.5mm shorter and 53.2mm less deeper than Jamo C 97 II but it is also 7.4mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk R500 and Jamo C 97 II in scale.
Comparison image of Polk R500 and Jamo C 97 II 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 R500 is approximately 890.8cm2 / 138.1inch2 and base area of the Jamo C 97 II is approximately 997.0cm2 / 154.5inch2. The R500 requires 11% less surface area than the C 97 II 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 R500 weighs 17.70kg / 38.9lbs and the Jamo C 97 II weighs 24.55kg / 54lbs. This makes the C 97 II 39% heavier than the R500.
Here is a comparison of how R500 and C 97 II's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Polk R500?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 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
What's in the Box of Jamo C 97 II?
Here are the items that come with the C 97 II:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes (pre-installed on outrigger feet)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 8 Machine screws
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Hex-key
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
180 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 High Frequency Response |
36k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1044mm
vs
1070mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
890cm2
vs
997cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1298USD
vs
1378USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
49 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
| General |
Polk Audio Reserve R500 |
Jamo Concert 9 Series C 97 II |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Jamo |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-200 watts |
50-180 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.9 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
49-38k Hz |
32-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
Composite |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2500Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1044.5mm (41.1") |
1070.0mm (42.1") |
| Width |
255.4mm (10.1") |
248.0mm (9.8") |
| Depth |
348.8mm (13.7") |
402.0mm (15.8") |
| Weight |
17.70kg (38.9lbs) |
24.55kg (54lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Vinyl |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black, Walnut, White |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Polk R500 is the newer design, against a 2016 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
Jamo C 97 II digs deeper - 32Hz against 49Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
Jamo C 97 II is more sensitive (89dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match |
A |
Polk R500 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (200W vs 180W). |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
depends |
Jamo C 97 II: bi-amping. Polk R500 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
evenly matched |
Much the same money ($1,298 vs $1,378 a pair). |
A Polk R500
B Jamo C 97 II
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?
Jamo C 97 II 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 49Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Jamo C 97 II 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.