Polk ES15 vs Polk ES60 Comparison

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Polk ES15

Passive Bookshelf | 44-40k Hz

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Polk ES60

Passive Floor-standing | 32-40k Hz

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Polk ES15

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Polk ES60

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Polk ES15

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Polk ES60

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Polk ES15 vs Polk ES60 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio Signature Elite ES15 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the ES60 is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Polk ES15 and Polk ES60 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Polk ES15	Polk ES60
Brand	Polk Audio United States · founded 1972	Polk Audio United States · founded 1972
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Soft-Dome	1" Soft-Dome
Woofer	5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene	3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene
Frequency response	44-40k Hz	32-40k Hz
Sensitivity	85 dB	90 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	20-100 watts	50-300 watts
Weight	5.91kg / 13lbs	23.60kg / 51.9lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	12-1/16" x 7-9/16" x 10-3/16" 307.0 x 193.0 x 259.0mm	44-1/2" x 8-1/2" x 15-3/4" 1131.0 x 216.0 x 401.0mm

ES15 and ES60 are members of Polk Audio's Signature Elite series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Polk Audio Signature Elite Series History

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
Polk ES60	Floor-standing	32-40k Hz	90 dB	8Ω	3 x 6.5"
Polk ES20	Bookshelf	41-40k Hz	86 dB	8Ω	1 x 6.5"
Polk ES35	Center Channel	66-40k Hz	89 dB	8Ω	6 x 3"
Polk ES15	Bookshelf	44-40k Hz	85 dB	8Ω	1 x 5.25"
Polk ES50	Floor-standing	38-40k Hz	88 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.25"
Polk ES10	Bookshelf	78-40k Hz	84 dB	8Ω	1 x 4"
Polk ES55	Floor-standing	34-40k Hz	89 dB	8Ω	3 x 6.5"
Polk ES30	Center Channel	55-40k Hz	89 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.5"
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES90	Surround	142-26k Hz	85 dB	8Ω	1 x 5.25"

What size room are the Polk ES15 and Polk ES60 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 ES15	Polk ES60
Near-field	Average	Bad
Small Room	Good	Poor
Mid-size Room	Average	Average
Large Room	Poor	Good
Very Large Room	Bad	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.)

The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.

**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Drivers

Both ES15 and ES60 are 2-way speakers.

Polk ES15

Polk ES60

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 ES15	Polk ES60
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 5.25-inch	3 x 6.5-inch

ES15 features a 1" Terylene Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, the ES60 features a 1" Terylene High-Res Soft-Dome Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.

Frequency Response

ES15 has a frequency range of 44-40k Hz whereas ES60 has a frequency range of 32-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the ES60 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the ES15's min frequency of 44Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

ES15

ES60

Min

Average

Median

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

ES15 and ES60 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. ES15 sensitivity is rated at 85 dB and the ES60's is at 90 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Polk ES60 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk ES15, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

ES15

ES60

Min

Average

Median

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.

ES60 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas ES15 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the ES60.

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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

Polk ES15

Polk ES60

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

ES60 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. ES15 has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Polk ES15's 5-Way post terminals

Cabinet Type and Port Position

ES15 has a rear firing port whereas ES60 has a bottom firing ports. Polk ES60's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk ES15 with its rear-firing port.

Polk ES15 Power Port 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 ES15's and Polk ES60's external dimensions. Polk ES15 has external dimensions of 307.0 x 193.0 x 259.0mm (12-1/16 x 7-9/16 x 10-3/16inch) whereas Polk ES60 has external dimensions of 1131.0 x 216.0 x 401.0mm (44-1/2 x 8-1/2 x 15-3/4inch).

Polk ES60 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 23mm wider, 824mm taller and 142mm deeper than Polk ES15.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk ES15 and Polk ES60 in scale.

Comparison image of Polk ES15 and Polk ES60 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 ES15 is approximately 499.9cm² / 77.5inch² and base area of the Polk ES60 is approximately 866.2cm² / 134.3inch². The ES15 requires 42% less surface area than the ES60 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of Polk ES15?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of ES15:

2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
2 Grille (attached)
8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
Wall-mount template
Owners Manual
Online Product Registration

What's in the Box of Polk ES60?

Here are the items that come with the ES60:

Floorstanding loudspeaker
Grille (attached)
4 Feet (pre-installed)
Owners Manual
Online Product Registration

Reasons to choose Polk Audio Signature Elite ES15 over Polk Audio Signature Elite ES60

Mounting Bracket	Yes vs No	Allows mounting on walls
Height	307mm vs 1131mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	499cm² vs 866cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	299USD vs 1098USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Polk Audio Signature Elite ES60 over Polk Audio Signature Elite ES15

Max Input Power	300 watts vs 100 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	90 dB vs 85 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size	6.5 inches vs 5.25 inches	Larger woofer
Number of Woofers	3 vs 1	More woofers
Low Frequency Response	32 Hz vs 44 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring	Yes vs No	Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections

Polk ES15 vs Polk ES60 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Polk Audio Signature Elite ES15	Polk Audio Signature Elite ES60
Brand	Polk Audio	Polk Audio
Speaker Type	Bookshelf speakers	Floor-standing speaker
Power Range	20-100 watts	50-300 watts
Sensitivity	85 dB	90 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	44-40k Hz	32-40k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	3
Woofer Size	5.25"	6.5"
Woofer Composition	Mica-reinforced polypropylene	Mica-reinforced polypropylene
Woofer Surround Material	Butyl rubber	Butyl rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Soft-Dome	Soft-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Crossover Frequency	2500Hz	2500Hz
Firing Direction	rear	bottom
Physical Specs
Height	307.0mm (12.1")	1131.0mm (44.5")
Width	193.0mm (7.6")	216.0mm (8.5")
Depth	259.0mm (10.2")	401.0mm (15.8")
Weight	5.91kg (13lbs)	23.60kg (51.9lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Bass Reflex
Finish	MDF, Wood-grain vinyl	MDF, Wood-grain vinyl
Available Colors	Black,White,Walnut	Black
Mounting Bracket	Keyhole	No
Recommended Stand Height	24-28"	n/a
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

Verdict

Siblings in Polk Audio's Signature Elite series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	B	Polk ES60 digs deeper - 32Hz against 44Hz.
Amplifier needs	B	Polk ES60 is more sensitive (90dB vs 85dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Headroom	B	Polk ES60 takes more power (300W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	Polk ES15 is easier to place; Polk ES60 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type	depends	A Passive Bookshelf against a Passive Floor-standing - a different job rather than a better one.
Expandability	B	Polk ES60: bi-amping.
Price	A	Polk ES15 is cheaper - $299 against $1,098, about 73% less; arguably a different class.

A Polk ES15 B Polk ES60
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system 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?

The usual trade-off: Polk ES60 measures better, Polk ES15 costs about about 3.7x the price% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 44Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Polk ES15 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Polk ES15 the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and Polk ES60 for a large room and a very large room.

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.