In this review, we will be comparing ES50 and S 809, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Polk Audio and Jamo.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk ES50 and Jamo S 809 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk ES50 | Jamo S 809 |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | Jamo
Denmark · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene | 3 x 5" Aluminized Polyfiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-40k Hz | 37-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-200 watts | 120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 14.50kg / 31.9lbs | 13.60kg / 29.9lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 41.0" x 7.5" x 9.9"
1042.0 x 191.0 x 252.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk ES50 and Jamo S 809 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 |
Jamo S 809 |
| 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.
Drivers
Both ES50 and S 809 are 2-way speakers.
Polk ES50Jamo S 809
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 |
Jamo S 809 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
3 x 5-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 S 809 features a 1" Tweeter and 3 x 5" Aluminized Polyfiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
ES50 has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz whereas S 809 has a frequency range of 37-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the S 809 can go slightly deeper then the ES50's min frequency of 38Hz.
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 and S 809 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. ES50 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the S 809's is at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Jamo S 809 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.
ES50 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas S 809 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the ES50.
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
ES50 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. S 809 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Jamo S 809's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
ES50 has a bottom firing port whereas S 809 has a front firing ports. Jamo S 809's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk ES50 with its rear-firing port.
Jamo S 809 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 ES50's and Jamo S 809'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 Jamo S 809 has external dimensions of 1042.0 x 191.0 x 252.0mm (41.0 x 7.5 x 9.9inch).
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk ES50 and Jamo S 809 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk ES50 and Jamo S 809 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 Jamo S 809 is approximately 481.3cm2 / 74.6inch2. The ES50 requires 12% more surface area than the S 809 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 Jamo S 809 weighs 13.60kg / 29.9lbs. This makes the ES50 7% heavier than the S 809.
Here is a comparison of how ES50 and S 809'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 Jamo S 809?
Here are the items that come with the S 809:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 Mounting feet
- 16 Screws
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
5.25 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
951mm
vs
1042mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
37 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional Jamo S 8 ATM Dolby Atmos upward-firing speakers
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Base Surface Area |
481cm2
vs
536cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
634USD
vs
698USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES50 |
Jamo Studio S 809 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Jamo |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-200 watts |
120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38-40k Hz |
37-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
Aluminized Polyfiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2500Hz |
2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
951.0mm (37.4") |
1042.0mm (41") |
| Width |
191.0mm (7.5") |
191.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
281.0mm (11.1") |
252.0mm (9.9") |
| Weight |
14.50kg (31.9lbs) |
13.60kg (29.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF, Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Polk ES50 is the newer design, against a 2017 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (38Hz vs 37Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | B | Jamo S 809 is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Polk ES50 takes more power (200W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Polk ES50: bi-amping; Jamo S 809: Atmos drivers. Polk ES50 sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($698 vs $634 a pair). |
A Polk ES50 B Jamo S 809
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Jamo S 809 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.