In this review, we will be comparing R500 and S50, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk R500 and Polk S50 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk R500 | Polk S50 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone | 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 49-38k Hz | 33-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-200 watts | 20-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 17.70kg / 38.9lbs | 14.50kg / 31.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41.1" x 10.1" x 13.7"
1044.5 x 255.4 x 348.8mm | 37-7/16" x 10-5/16" x 11-1/16"
951.0 x 262.0 x 281.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk R500 and Polk S50 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 S50 |
| 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
Both R500 and S50 are 2-way speakers.
Polk R500Polk S50
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 S50 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 5.25-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 S50 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
R500 has a frequency range of 49-38k Hz whereas S50 has a frequency range of 33-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 33Hz, the S50 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 S50 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. R500 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the S50's is at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Polk S50 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 S50 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 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
S50 features 5-way post 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
Polk S50's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
R500 has a rear firing port whereas S50 has a bottom firing ports. Polk S50'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 S50 Port
New
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 S50'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 S50 has external dimensions of 951.0 x 262.0 x 281.0mm (37-7/16 x 10-5/16 x 11-1/16inch).
Polk S50 is 93.5mm shorter and 67.8mm less deeper than Polk R500 but it is also 6.6mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk R500 and Polk S50 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk R500 and Polk S50 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 S50 is approximately 736.2cm2 / 114.1inch2. The R500 requires 21% more surface area than the S50 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 R500 weighs 17.70kg / 38.9lbs and the Polk S50 weighs 14.50kg / 31.9lbs. This makes the R500 22% heavier than the S50.
Here is a comparison of how R500 and S50'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 S50?
Here are the items that come with the S50:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
33 Hz
vs
49 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
36k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
951mm
vs
1044mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
736cm2
vs
890cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Polk Audio Reserve R500 |
Polk Audio Signature S50 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-200 watts |
20-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.9 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
49-38k Hz |
33-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2500Hz |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1044.5mm (41.1") |
951.0mm (37.4") |
| Width |
255.4mm (10.1") |
262.0mm (10.3") |
| Depth |
348.8mm (13.7") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Weight |
17.70kg (38.9lbs) |
14.50kg (31.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Vinyl |
Meddite MDF |
| 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 |
Polk S50 digs deeper - 33Hz against 49Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
Polk S50 is more sensitive (89dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
A |
Polk R500 takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Polk S50 is easier to place; Polk R500 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
depends |
Polk S50: bi-amping. Polk R500 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
A Polk R500
B Polk S50
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?
Polk S50 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, Polk S50 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.