In this review, we will be comparing ES55 and Debut 2.0 F5.2, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Polk Audio and ELAC.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk ES55 and ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Polk ES55 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer
- 34-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:40-200watts
- Weight:20.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1056.0" x 8-1/2" x 12-3/8"( 1056.0 x 216.0 x 315.0mm )
ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" dome with wide-dispersion waveguide Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 2 x 5.25" Woven Aramid-Fiber Woofer
- 5.25" Midrange
- 42-35k Hz Frequency Response
- 86 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:up to 140watts
- Weight:15.64kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1043.0" x 7-7/16" x 10-1/4"( 1043.0 x 189.0 x 261.0mm )
What size room are the Polk ES55 and ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2 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 ES55 |
ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2 |
| 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Polk ES55 and ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that ES55 is a 2-way design whereas the Debut 2.0 F5.2 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
Polk ES55 |
ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
ES55 features a 1" Terylene High-Res Soft-Dome Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, the Debut 2.0 F5.2 features a 1" silk dome with wide-dispersion waveguide Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 5.25" Woven Aramid-Fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 90Hz and 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
ES55 has a frequency range of 34-40k Hz whereas Debut 2.0 F5.2 has a frequency range of 42-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the ES55 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Debut 2.0 F5.2's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
High Frequency
Floor-standing 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
ES55 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Debut 2.0 F5.2 which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. ES55 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Debut 2.0 F5.2's is rated at 86 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Polk ES55 a more sensitive speaker compared to ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2, 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. 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.
ES55 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Debut 2.0 F5.2 has a max power handling value of 140 watts RMS, 60 watts less than the ES55.
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
ES55 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Debut 2.0 F5.2 has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
ES55 has a bottom firing port whereas Debut 2.0 F5.2 has a rear firing ports. Polk ES55's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2 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 ES55's and ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2's external dimensions. Polk ES55 has external dimensions of 1056.0 x 216.0 x 315.0mm ( 41-9/16 x 8-1/2 x 12-3/8inch) whereas ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2 has external dimensions of 1043.0 x 189.0 x 261.0mm ( 41-1/16 x 7-7/16 x 10-1/4inch) .
Polk ES55 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 27mm wider, 13mm taller and 54mm deeper than ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk ES55 and ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk ES55 and ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2 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 ES55 is approximately 680.4cm2 / 105.5inch2 and base area of the ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2 is approximately 493.3cm2 / 76.5inch2. The ES55 requires 38% more surface area than the Debut 2.0 F5.2 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.