In this review, we will be comparing ES50 and A170, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Polk Audio and JBL.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk ES50 and JBL Stage A170 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk ES50 | JBL Stage A170 |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | JBL
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene | 2 x 5.25" Polycellulose |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-40k Hz | 44-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-200 watts | 20-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 14.50kg / 31.9lbs | 14.37kg / 31.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 37-7/16" x 7-1/2" x 11-1/16"
951.0 x 191.0 x 281.0mm | 38-7/16" x 10-1/2" x 13"
977.0 x 267.0 x 331.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk ES50 and JBL Stage A170 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 ES50 |
JBL Stage A170 |
| 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 ES50 and A170 are 2-way speakers.
Polk ES50JBL Stage A170
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 ES50 |
JBL Stage A170 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the A170 features a 1" aluminum HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polycellulose Woofer.
Frequency Response
ES50 has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz whereas A170 has a frequency range of 44-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the ES50 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the A170'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 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
ES50 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the A170 which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. ES50 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the A170's is rated at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the JBL Stage A170 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk ES50, 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 ES50 is rated 40-200 watts and A170 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
Both ES50 and A170 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
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 ES50's and JBL Stage A170's external dimensions. 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) whereas JBL Stage A170 has external dimensions of 977.0 x 267.0 x 331.0mm (38-7/16 x 10-1/2 x 13inch).
JBL Stage A170 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 76mm wider, 26mm taller and 50mm deeper than Polk ES50.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk ES50 and JBL Stage A170 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk ES50 and JBL Stage A170 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 ES50 is approximately 536.7cm2 / 83.2inch2 and base area of the JBL Stage A170 is approximately 883.8cm2 / 137.0inch2. The ES50 requires 39% less surface area than the A170 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 ES50 weighs 14.50kg / 31.9lbs and the JBL Stage A170 weighs 14.37kg / 31.6lbs. This makes the ES50 1% heavier than the A170.
Here is a comparison of how ES50 and A170'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 ES50?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of ES50:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
What's in the Box of JBL Stage A170?
Here are the items that come with the A170:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outriggers
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spikes
- 8 Screws
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Card
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
44 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
951mm
vs
977mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
536cm2
vs
883cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Price per pair* |
600USD
vs
698USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES50 |
JBL Stage A170 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
JBL |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-200 watts |
20-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38-40k Hz |
44-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
Polycellulose |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2500Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
951.0mm (37.4") |
977.0mm (38.5") |
| Width |
191.0mm (7.5") |
267.0mm (10.5") |
| Depth |
281.0mm (11.1") |
331.0mm (13") |
| Weight |
14.50kg (31.9lbs) |
14.37kg (31.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF, Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF, Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Polk ES50 digs deeper - 38Hz against 44Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | Polk ES50 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | Polk ES50 is easier to place; JBL Stage A170 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Polk ES50: bi-amping; JBL Stage A170: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | JBL Stage A170 is cheaper - $600 against $698, about 14% less. |
A Polk ES50 B JBL Stage A170
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 ES50 measures better, JBL Stage A170 costs about about 16% more% 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 JBL Stage A170 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, JBL Stage A170 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Polk ES50 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.