In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio Reserve R500 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the R400 is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk R500 and Polk R400 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
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): 1044.5" x 10.1" x 13.7"( 1044.5 x 255.4 x 348.8mm )
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 )
R500 and R400 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 R500 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 R500 |
Polk R400 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
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 R500 and Polk R400 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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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both R500 and R400 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Polk R500 |
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
|
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 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
R500 has a frequency range of 49-38k Hz whereas R400 has a frequency range of 48-39K Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the R400 can go slightly deeper then the R500's min frequency of 49Hz.
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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing 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
R500 and R400 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. R500 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the R400's is at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Polk R400 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. 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
R500 features Binding post type posts and R400 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk R500's Post terminals
Polk R400's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both R500 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
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 R500's and Polk R400'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 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 R500 is 362.6mm narrower and 23.2mm less deeper than Polk R400 but it is also 845.5mm 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 R500 is approximately 890.8cm2 / 138.1inch2 and base area of the Polk R400 is approximately 2299.0cm2 / 356.3inch2. The R500 requires 61% less surface area than the R400 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
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 Polk R400?
Here are the items that come with the R400:
Center-channel loudspeakerGrilleOwners ManualOnline Registration
Base Surface Area 
Sensitivity 
Minimum Impedance 
Woofer Size 
High Frequency Response 
Height 
Price per pair*