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Polk R600 vs Polk R200 50th AE Comparison

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Polk R600

Passive Floor-standing | 43-38k Hz

Polk Audio Reserve R600
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Polk R200 50th AE

Passive Bookshelf | 51-38k Hz

Polk Audio Reserve R200 50th Anniversary Edition
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Polk R600 Polk R600
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Polk R200 50th AE Polk R200 50th AE
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Polk R600
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Polk R200 50th AE
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Polk R600 vs Polk R200 50th AE Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio Reserve R600 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the R200 50th Anniversary Edition is a Bookshelf speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Polk R600 and Polk R200 50th AE first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Polk R600 Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
  • 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer
  • 43-38k Hz Frequency Response
  • 87.5 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:25-200watts
  • Weight:21.50kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1063.8" x 11" x 15"( 1063.8 x 280.7 x 381.6mm )

Polk R200 50th AE Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1" Ring Radiator Tweeter
  • 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer
  • 51-38k Hz Frequency Response
  • 86 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:30-200watts
  • Weight:8.80kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 358.0" x 7-9/16" x 13-15/16"( 358.0 x 193.0 x 355.0mm )

R600 and R200 50th Anniversary Edition 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 R600 and Polk R200 50th AE 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 R600 Polk R200 50th AE
Near-field Bad Poor
Small Room Poor Poor
Mid-size Room Good Good
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 R600 and Polk R200 50th AE 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

Both R600 and R200 50th Anniversary Edition are 2-way speakers.

Driver Polk R600 Polk R200 50th AE
Driver Setup 2-way 2-way
Tweeter 1-inch 1-inch
Midrange - -
Woofer 2 x 6.5-inch 1 x 6.5-inch

R600 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz. On the other hand, the R200 50th Anniversary Edition features a 1" ring radiator Pinnacle with an integrated waveguide Ring Radiator Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer .

Frequency Response

R600 has a frequency range of 43-38k Hz whereas R200 50th Anniversary Edition has a frequency range of 51-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 43Hz, the R600 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R200 50th Anniversary Edition's min frequency of 51Hz.

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

R600
R200 50th Anniversary Edition
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Polk R600
Polk R200 50th AE
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

R600 and R200 50th Anniversary Edition have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. R600 sensitivity is rated at 87.5 dB and the R200 50th Anniversary Edition's is at 86 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Polk R600 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R200 50th AE, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

R600
R200 50th Anniversary Edition
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.

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

R600 features Binding post type posts and R200 50th Anniversary Edition has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Polk R600 Terminals
Polk R600's Post terminals

Polk R200 50th AEBinding post Terminals
Polk R200 50th AE's Binding post terminals

Cabinet Type and Port Position

R600 has a bottom firing port whereas R200 50th Anniversary Edition has a rear firing ports. Polk R600's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk R200 50th AE with its rear-firing port.

Polk R600  Port
Polk R600 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 R600's and Polk R200 50th AE's external dimensions. Polk R600 has external dimensions of 1063.8 x 280.7 x 381.6mm ( 41.9 x 11 x 15inch) whereas Polk R200 50th AE has external dimensions of 358.0 x 193.0 x 355.0mm ( 24-28inch x 7-9/16inch x 13-15/16inch ) .

Polk R600 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 87.7mm wider, 705.8mm taller and 26.6mm deeper than Polk R200 50th AE.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk R600 and Polk R200 50th AE in scale.

Polk R600 vs Polk R200 50th AE Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Polk R600 and Polk R200 50th AE 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 R600 is approximately 1071.2cm2 / 166.0inch2 and base area of the Polk R200 50th AE is approximately 685.2cm2 / 106.2inch2. The R600 requires 56% more surface area than the R200 50th Anniversary Edition which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of Polk R600?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of 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
  • What's in the Box of Polk R200 50th AE?

    Here are the items that come with the R200 50th Anniversary Edition:
  • 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
  • 2 Grilles
  • Owners Manual
  • Online Registration
  • Certificate Of Aunthenticity

  • Reasons to choose Polk Audio Reserve R600 over Polk Audio Reserve R200 50th Anniversary Edition
    Sensitivity 88 dB vs 86 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Minimum Impedance 4 ohms vs 3.8 ohms Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier
    Number of Woofers 2 vs 1 More woofers
    Low Frequency Response 43 Hz vs 51 Hz Generates deeper bass

    Reasons to choose Polk Audio Reserve R200 50th Anniversary Edition over Polk Audio Reserve R600

    Height 358mm vs 1063mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Base Surface Area 685cm2 vs 1071cm2 Takes less floor space
    Price per pair* 1249USD vs 1698USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
    Polk R600 vs Polk R200 50th AE Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General Polk Audio Reserve R600 Polk Audio Reserve R200 50th Anniversary Edition
    Brand Polk Audio Polk Audio
    Speaker Type Floor-standing speaker Bookshelf speakers
    Power Range 25-200 watts 30-200 watts
    Sensitivity 87.5 dB 86 dB
    Impedance 8 ohms 8 ohms
    Impedance 4 ohms 3.8 ohms
    Frequency Response 43-38k Hz 51-38k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 2 1
    Woofer Size 6.5" 6.5"
    Woofer Composition Polypropylene Turbine Cone Polypropylene
    Woofer Surround Material Rubber Rubber
    Tweeter Size 1" 1"
    Tweeter Type Pinnacle Ring Radiator Ring Radiator
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver No No
    Crossover Frequency 2700Hz n/a
    Firing Direction bottom rear
    Physical Specs
    Height 1063.8mm (41.9") 358.0mm (14.1")
    Width 280.7mm (11.1") 193.0mm (7.6")
    Depth 381.6mm (15") 355.0mm (14")
    Weight 21.50kg (47.3lbs) 8.80kg (19.4lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
    Finish MDF/Vinyl MDF/Wood veneer
    Available Colors Black, Walnut, White Cherry
    Mounting Bracket No No
    Recommended Stand Height n/a 24-28"
    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

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