In this review, we will be comparing ES50 and XT60, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk ES50 and Polk XT60 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk ES50 | Polk XT60 |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene | 6.5" Bi-laminate paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-40k Hz | 38-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-200 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 14.50kg / 31.9lbs | 9.09kg / 20lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 36-9/16" x 9-1/16" x 9-15/16"
929.0 x 231.0 x 253.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk ES50 and Polk XT60 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 |
Polk XT60 |
| 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 XT60 are 2-way speakers.
Polk ES50Polk XT60
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 |
Polk XT60 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 6.5-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 XT60 features a 1" Terylene dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Bi-laminate paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
ES50 and XT60 has exactly the same frequency range of 38-40k Hz.
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 XT60 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. ES50 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the XT60's is at 86 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Polk ES50 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk XT60, 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 XT60 25-200 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
ES50 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. XT60 has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/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 Polk XT60'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 Polk XT60 has external dimensions of 929.0 x 231.0 x 253.0mm (36-9/16 x 9-1/16 x 9-15/16inch).
Polk XT60 is 22mm shorter and 28mm less deeper than Polk ES50 but it is also 40mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk ES50 and Polk XT60 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk ES50 and Polk XT60 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 Polk XT60 is approximately 584.4cm2 / 90.6inch2. The ES50 requires 8% less surface area than the XT60 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 Polk XT60 weighs 9.09kg / 20lbs. This makes the ES50 60% heavier than the XT60.
Here is a comparison of how ES50 and XT60'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 Polk XT60?
Here are the items that come with the XT60:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
536cm2
vs
584cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
|
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Passive Radiator |
two 6-1/2-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Height |
929mm
vs
951mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
498USD
vs
698USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES50 |
Polk Audio Monitor XT60 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-200 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
86 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38-40k Hz |
38-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
Bi-laminate paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
dome |
| 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") |
929.0mm (36.6") |
| Width |
191.0mm (7.5") |
231.0mm (9.1") |
| Depth |
281.0mm (11.1") |
253.0mm (10") |
| Weight |
14.50kg (31.9lbs) |
9.09kg (20lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF, Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF, Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| 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 |
Both are Polk Audio, from different ranges - so the house sound is shared and the differences are mostly in scale, engineering and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (38Hz vs 38Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | A | Polk ES50 is more sensitive (88dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | depends | Polk ES50: bi-amping; Polk XT60: Atmos drivers. Polk ES50 sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Polk XT60 is cheaper - $498 against $698, about 29% less. |
A Polk ES50 B Polk XT60
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?
Polk ES50 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 40% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Polk XT60 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Polk ES50 appeals to you. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Polk ES50 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $200 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.