In this review, we will be comparing R500 and S55, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk R500 and Polk S55 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk R500 | Polk S55 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone | 2 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 49-38k Hz | 32-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-200 watts | 20-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 17.70kg / 38.9lbs | 20.00kg / 44lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41.1" x 10.1" x 13.7"
1044.5 x 255.4 x 348.8mm | 41-9/16" x 11-3/4" x 12-3/8"
1056.0 x 299.0 x 315.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk R500 and Polk S55 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 S55 |
| 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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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both R500 and S55 are 2-way speakers.
Polk R500Polk S55
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 S55 |
|
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 S55 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
R500 has a frequency range of 49-38k Hz whereas S55 has a frequency range of 32-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the S55 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 S55 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. R500 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the S55's is at 90 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Polk S55 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 200 watts RMS, though R500 is rated 25-200 watts and S55 20-200 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
S55 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 S55's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
R500 has a rear firing port whereas S55 has a bottom firing ports. Polk S55'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 S55 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 S55'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 S55 has external dimensions of 1056.0 x 299.0 x 315.0mm (41-9/16 x 11-3/4 x 12-3/8inch).
Polk R500 is 43.6mm narrower and 11.5mm shorter than Polk S55 but it is also 33.8mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk R500 and Polk S55 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk R500 and Polk S55 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 S55 is approximately 941.9cm2 / 146.0inch2. The R500 requires 5% less surface area than the S55 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 S55 weighs 20.00kg / 44lbs. This makes the S55 13% heavier than the R500.
Here is a comparison of how R500 and S55'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 S55?
Here are the items that come with the S55:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Height |
1044mm
vs
1056mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
890cm2
vs
941cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 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 |
 Price per pair* |
658USD
vs
1298USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Polk Audio Reserve R500 |
Polk Audio Signature S55 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-200 watts |
20-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.9 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
49-38k Hz |
32-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| 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") |
1056.0mm (41.6") |
| Width |
255.4mm (10.1") |
299.0mm (11.8") |
| Depth |
348.8mm (13.7") |
315.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
17.70kg (38.9lbs) |
20.00kg (44lbs) |
| 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 |
These sit in different price classes - Polk R500 costs roughly 2x what Polk S55 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
Polk S55 digs deeper - 32Hz against 49Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
Polk S55 is more sensitive (90dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
depends |
Polk S55: bi-amping. Polk R500 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
B |
Polk S55 is cheaper - $658 against $1,298, about 49% less; arguably a different class. |
A Polk R500
B Polk S55
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 S55 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Polk R500 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. 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 S55 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.