In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the ES50 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk ES20 and Polk ES50 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Polk ES20 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer
- 41-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 86 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-125watts
- Weight:7.73kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 375.0" x 8-9/16" x 13-13/16"( 375.0 x 218.0 x 351.0mm )
Polk ES50 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer
- 38-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:40-200watts
- Weight:14.50kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 951.0" x 7-1/2" x 11-1/16"( 951.0 x 191.0 x 281.0mm )
ES20 and ES50 are members of Polk Audio's Signature Elite series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the Polk ES20 and Polk ES50 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 ES20 |
Polk ES50 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Polk ES20 and Polk ES50 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
Both ES20 and ES50 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Polk ES20 |
Polk ES50 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
ES20 features a 1" Terylene Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, the ES50 features a 1" Terylene High-Res Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
ES20 has a frequency range of 41-40k Hz whereas ES50 has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the ES50 can go slightly deeper then the ES20's min frequency of 41Hz.
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 Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf 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
ES20 and ES50 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. ES20 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the ES50's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Polk ES50 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk ES20, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
ES20 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas ES20 has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS , 75 watts less than the ES50.
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
ES50 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. ES20 has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
ES20 has a rear firing port whereas ES50 has a bottom firing ports. Polk ES50's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk ES20 with its rear-firing 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 ES20's and Polk ES50's external dimensions. Polk ES20 has external dimensions of 375.0 x 218.0 x 351.0mm ( 14-3/4 x 8-9/16 x 13-13/16inch) whereas Polk ES50 has external dimensions of 951.0 x 191.0 x 281.0mm ( 37-7/16 x 7-1/2 x 11-1/16inch) .
Polk ES50 is 27mm narrower and 70mm less deeper than Polk ES20 but it is also 576mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk ES20 and Polk ES50 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk ES20 and Polk ES50 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 ES20 is approximately 765.2cm2 / 118.6inch2 and base area of the Polk ES50 is approximately 536.7cm2 / 83.2inch2. The ES20 requires 43% more surface area than the ES50 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Polk ES20?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of ES20:
2 Bookshelf loudspeakers2 Grille (attached)8 Self-adhesive rubber feetOwners ManualOnline Product Registration
What's in the Box of Polk ES50?
Here are the items that come with the ES50:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille (attached)4 Feet (pre-installed)Owners ManualOnline Product Registration
Woofer Size 
Height 
Price per pair* 
Max Input Power 
Sensitivity 
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring 
Base Surface Area