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Polk R500 vs Polk R700 Comparison

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Polk R500

Passive Floor-standing | 49-38k Hz

Polk Audio Reserve R500
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Polk R700

Passive Floor-standing | 38-38k Hz

Polk Audio Reserve R700
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Polk R500 Polk R500
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Polk R700 Polk R700
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Polk R500
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Polk R700
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Polk R500 vs Polk R700 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing R500 and R700, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Polk Audio

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Polk R500 and Polk R700 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 R700 Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
  • 6.5" Midrange
  • 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer
  • 6.5" Midrange
  • 38-38k Hz Frequency Response
  • 88 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:50-300watts
  • Weight:35.90kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1143.8" x 12.6" x 16.9"( 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm )

R500 and R700 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 R500
Floor-standing 49-38k Hz 87 dB8Ω 2 x 5.25"
Polk R600
  
Floor-standing 43-38k Hz 87.5 dB8Ω 2 x 6.5"
Polk R200
  
Bookshelf 51-38k Hz 86 dB8Ω 1 x 6.5"
Polk R400
  
Center Channel 48-39K Hz 89 dB8Ω 2 x 6.5"
Polk R100
  
Bookshelf 58-39k Hz 86 dB8Ω 1 x 5.25"
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"

What size room are the Polk R500 and Polk R700 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 R700
Near-field Bad Bad
Small Room Poor Poor
Mid-size Room Good Average
Large Room Good Good
Very Large Room Poor Average

(* 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 R700 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

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that R500 is a 2-way design whereas the R700 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.

Driver Polk R500 Polk R700
Driver Setup 2-way 3-way
Tweeter 1-inch 1-inch
Midrange - 1 x 6.5-inch
Woofer 2 x 5.25-inch 2 x 8-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 R700 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2700Hz.

Frequency Response

R500 has a frequency range of 49-38k Hz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the R700 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to 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

R500
R700
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Polk R500
Polk R700
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

R500 and R700 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. R500 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the R700's is at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk R700 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R500, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

R500
R700
Min
Average
Max

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.

R500 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas R500 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS , 100 watts less than the R700.

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

R700 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. R500 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Polk R500 Terminals
Polk R500's Post terminals

Polk R700Post Terminals
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Cabinet Type and Port Position

R500 has a rear firing port whereas R700 has a bottom firing ports. Polk R700'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 R700  Port
Polk R700 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 R700'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 R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm ( 45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch) .

Polk R700 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 65.3mm wider, 99.3mm taller and 79.5mm deeper than Polk R500.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk R500 and Polk R700 in scale.

Polk R500 vs Polk R700 Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Polk R500 and Polk R700 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 R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The R500 requires 35% less surface area than the R700 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 R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs. This makes the R700 103% heavier than the R500.

Here is a comparison of how R500 and R700's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.

Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Polk R500
Polk R700
Min
Average
Max

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 R700?

    Here are the items that come with the R700:
  • 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 R500 over Polk Audio Reserve R700
    Minimum Impedance 3.9 ohms vs 3.6 ohms Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier
    Height 1044mm vs 1143mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Base Surface Area 890cm2 vs 1373cm2 Takes less floor space
    Price per pair* 1298USD vs 2198USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

    Reasons to choose Polk Audio Reserve R700 over Polk Audio Reserve R500

    Max Input Power 300 watts vs 200 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
    Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
    Sensitivity 88 dB vs 87 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Woofer Size 8 inches vs 5.25 inches Larger woofer
    Low Frequency Response 38 Hz vs 49 Hz Generates deeper bass
    High Frequency Response 38k Hz vs 36k Hz Generates higher frequency
    Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring Yes vs No Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections
    Polk R500 vs Polk R700 Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General Polk Audio Reserve R500 Polk Audio Reserve R700
    Brand Polk Audio Polk Audio
    Speaker Type Floor-standing speaker Floor-standing speaker
    Power Range 25-200 watts 50-300 watts
    Sensitivity 87 dB 88 dB
    Impedance 8 ohms 8 ohms
    Impedance 3.9 ohms 3.6 ohms
    Frequency Response 49-38k Hz 38-38k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 2 2
    Woofer Size 5.25" 8"
    Woofer Composition Polypropylene Turbine Cone Polypropylene
    Woofer Surround Material Rubber Rubber
    Tweeter Size 1" 1"
    Tweeter Type Pinnacle Ring Radiator Pinnacle Ring Radiator
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver No 6.5"
    Crossover Frequency 2500Hz 350Hz and 2700Hz
    Firing Direction rear bottom
    Physical Specs
    Height 1044.5mm (41.1") 1143.8mm (45")
    Width 255.4mm (10.1") 320.7mm (12.6")
    Depth 348.8mm (13.7") 428.3mm (16.9")
    Weight 17.70kg (38.9lbs) 35.90kg (79lbs)
    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 Yes
    Other
    Parts Warranty 5 Years 5 Years
    Labor Warranty 5 Years 5 Years

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