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Polk ES50 vs Polk ES10 Comparison

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Polk ES50

Passive Floor-standing | 38-40k Hz

Polk Audio Signature Elite ES50
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Polk ES10

Passive Bookshelf | 78-40k Hz

Polk Audio Signature Elite ES10
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Polk ES50 Polk ES50
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Polk ES10 Polk ES10
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Polk ES50
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Polk ES10
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Polk ES50 vs Polk ES10 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Polk Audio. Polk Audio Signature Elite ES50 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the ES10 is a Bookshelf speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Polk ES50 and Polk ES10 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

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 )

Polk ES10 Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
  • 4" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer
  • 78-40k Hz Frequency Response
  • 84 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:20-100watts
  • Weight:2.73kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 215.0" x 5-7/16" x 6-3/16"( 215.0 x 139.0 x 158.0mm )

ES50 and ES10 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 SensitivityImpedance Woofer
Polk ES60
  
Floor-standing 32-40k Hz 90 dB8Ω 3 x 6.5"
Polk ES35
  
Center Channel 66-40k Hz 89 dB8Ω 6 x 3"
Polk ES20
  
Bookshelf 41-40k Hz 86 dB8Ω 1 x 6.5"
Polk ES10
Bookshelf 78-40k Hz 84 dB8Ω 1 x 4"
Polk ES15
  
Bookshelf 44-40k Hz 85 dB8Ω 1 x 5.25"
Polk ES55
  
Floor-standing 34-40k Hz 89 dB8Ω 3 x 6.5"
Polk ES50
Floor-standing 38-40k Hz 88 dB8Ω 2 x 5.25"
Polk ES30
  
Center Channel 55-40k Hz 89 dB8Ω 2 x 5.5"

What size room are the Polk ES50 and Polk ES10 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 ES10
Near-field Bad Average
Small Room Poor Good
Mid-size Room Good Average
Large Room Good Poor
Very Large Room Poor Bad

(* 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 ES50 and Polk ES10 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.


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


Drivers

Both ES50 and ES10 are 2-way speakers.

Driver Polk ES50 Polk ES10
Driver Setup 2-way 2-way
Tweeter 1-inch 1-inch
Midrange - -
Woofer 2 x 5.25-inch 1 x 4-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 ES10 features a 1" Terylene Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.

Frequency Response

ES50 has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz whereas ES10 has a frequency range of 78-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the ES50 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the ES10's min frequency of 78Hz.

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 Floor-standing class in our database.

Low Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

ES50
ES10
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Polk ES50
Polk ES10
Min
Average
Max

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

ES50 and ES10 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. ES50 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the ES10's is at 84 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Polk ES50 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk ES10, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

ES50
ES10
Min
Average
Max

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.

ES50 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas ES10 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 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. ES10 has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Polk ES10 Terminals
Polk ES10's 5-Way post terminals

Cabinet Type and Port Position

ES50 has a bottom firing port whereas ES10 has a rear firing ports. Polk ES50's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk ES10 with its rear-firing port.

Polk ES10  Port
Polk ES10 Power Port 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 ES50's and Polk ES10'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 ES10 has external dimensions of 215.0 x 139.0 x 158.0mm ( 8-7/16 x 5-7/16 x 6-3/16inch) .

Polk ES50 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 52mm wider, 736mm taller and 123mm deeper than Polk ES10.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk ES50 and Polk ES10 in scale.

Polk ES50 vs Polk ES10 Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Polk ES50 and Polk ES10 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 ES10 is approximately 219.6cm2 / 34.0inch2. The ES50 requires 144% more surface area than the ES10 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.

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 ES10?

    Here are the items that come with the ES10:
  • 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
  • 2 Grille (attached)
  • 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
  • Wall-mount template
  • Owners Manual
  • Online Product Registration

  • Reasons to choose Polk Audio Signature Elite ES50 over Polk Audio Signature Elite ES10
    Max Input Power 200 watts vs 100 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
    Sensitivity 88 dB vs 84 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Woofer Size 5.25 inches vs 4 inches Larger woofer
    Number of Woofers 2 vs 1 More woofers
    Low Frequency Response 38 Hz vs 78 Hz Generates deeper bass
    Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring Yes vs No Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections

    Reasons to choose Polk Audio Signature Elite ES10 over Polk Audio Signature Elite ES50

    Mounting Bracket Yes vs No Allows mounting on walls
    Height 215mm vs 951mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Base Surface Area 219cm2 vs 536cm2 Takes less floor space
    Price per pair* 249USD vs 698USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
    Polk ES50 vs Polk ES10 Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General Polk Audio Signature Elite ES50 Polk Audio Signature Elite ES10
    Brand Polk Audio Polk Audio
    Speaker Type Floor-standing speaker Bookshelf speakers
    Power Range 40-200 watts 20-100 watts
    Sensitivity 88 dB 84 dB
    Impedance 8 ohms 8 ohms
    Frequency Response 38-40k Hz 78-40k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 2 1
    Woofer Size 5.25" 4"
    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 bottom rear
    Physical Specs
    Height 951.0mm (37.4") 215.0mm (8.5")
    Width 191.0mm (7.5") 139.0mm (5.5")
    Depth 281.0mm (11.1") 158.0mm (6.2")
    Weight 14.50kg (31.9lbs) 2.73kg (6lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
    Finish MDF, Wood-grain vinyl MDF, Wood-grain vinyl
    Available Colors Black Black,White,Walnut
    Mounting Bracket No Keyhole
    Recommended Stand Height n/a 28-32"
    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

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