In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio Reserve R700 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the R100 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk R700 and Polk R100 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Polk R700 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer
- 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 )
Polk R100 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
- 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer
- 58-39k Hz Frequency Response
- 86 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:30-150watts
- Weight:5.55kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 326.0" x 6-9/16" x 10-3/16"( 326.0 x 167.0 x 259.0mm )
R700 and R100 are members of Polk Audio's Reserve series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the Polk R700 and Polk R100 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 R700 |
Polk R100 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Polk R700 and Polk R100 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that R700 is a 3-way design whereas the R100 is a 2-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 R700 |
Polk R100 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the R100 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz whereas R100 has a frequency range of 58-39k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the R700 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R100's min frequency of 58Hz.
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
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
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
R700 and R100 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. R700 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the R100's is at 86 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Polk R700 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R100, 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. 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.
R700 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas R100 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 150 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. R100 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk R100's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
R700 has a bottom firing port whereas R100 has a rear firing ports. Polk R700's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk R100 with its rear-firing port.
Polk R700 Port
Polk R100 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 R700's and Polk R100's external dimensions. Polk R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm ( 45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch) whereas Polk R100 has external dimensions of 326.0 x 167.0 x 259.0mm ( 12-13/16 x 6-9/16 x 10-3/16inch) .
Polk R700 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 153.7mm wider, 817.8mm taller and 169.3mm deeper than Polk R100.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk R700 and Polk R100 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk R700 and Polk R100 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 R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2 and base area of the Polk R100 is approximately 432.5cm2 / 67.0inch2. The R700 requires 218% more surface area than the R100 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Polk R700?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 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
What's in the Box of Polk R100?
Here are the items that come with the R100:
2 Bookshelf loudspeakers2 GrillesOwners ManualOnline Registration
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Sensitivity 
Woofer Size 
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring 
High Frequency Response 
Height 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair*