In this review, we will be comparing R500 and R600, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk R500 and Polk R600 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk R500 | Polk R600 |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone | 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 49-38k Hz | 43-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 87.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-200 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 17.70kg / 38.9lbs | 21.50kg / 47.3lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41.1" x 10.1" x 13.7"
1044.5 x 255.4 x 348.8mm | 41.9" x 11" x 15"
1063.8 x 280.7 x 381.6mm |
|---|
R500 and R600 are members of Polk Audio's Reserve series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Polk Audio Reserve Series
History
What size room are the Polk R500 and Polk R600 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 R600 |
| 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.
Drivers
Both R500 and R600 are 2-way speakers.
Polk R500Polk R600
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 R500 |
Polk R600 |
|
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 R600 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
R500 has a frequency range of 49-38k Hz whereas R600 has a frequency range of 43-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 43Hz, the R600 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 and R600 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. R500 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the R600's is at 87.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk R600 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 and R600 have the same power range of 25-200 watts.
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
R500 features Post type posts and R600 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk R500's Post terminals
Polk R600's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
R500 has a rear firing port whereas R600 has a bottom firing ports. Polk R600's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk R500 with its rear-firing port.
Polk R600 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 R500's and Polk R600'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 R600 has external dimensions of 1063.8 x 280.7 x 381.6mm (41.9 x 11 x 15inch).
Polk R600 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 25.3mm wider, 19.3mm taller and 32.8mm deeper than Polk R500.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk R500 and Polk R600 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk R500 and Polk R600 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 Polk R600 is approximately 1071.2cm2 / 166.0inch2. The R500 requires 17% less surface area than the R600 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 Polk R600 weighs 21.50kg / 47.3lbs. This makes the R600 21% heavier than the R500.
Here is a comparison of how R500 and R600'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 Polk R600?
Here are the items that come with the R600:
- 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
 Height |
1044mm
vs
1063mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
890cm2
vs
1071cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1298USD
vs
1698USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Minimum Impedance |
4 ohms
vs
3.9 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
43 Hz
vs
49 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
36k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
| General |
Polk Audio Reserve R500 |
Polk Audio Reserve R600 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-200 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
87.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.9 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
49-38k Hz |
43-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2500Hz |
2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1044.5mm (41.1") |
1063.8mm (41.9") |
| Width |
255.4mm (10.1") |
280.7mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
348.8mm (13.7") |
381.6mm (15") |
| Weight |
17.70kg (38.9lbs) |
21.50kg (47.3lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black, Walnut, White |
Black, Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Siblings in Polk Audio's Reserve series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Polk R600 digs deeper - 43Hz against 49Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | A | Polk R500 is cheaper - $1,298 against $1,698, about 24% less. |
A Polk R500 B Polk R600
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?
The usual trade-off: Polk R600 measures better, Polk R500 costs about about 31% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 49Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Polk R500 much easier to justify.
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.